Thank you again for all of the feedback. :) It means a lot.
"Uh... I can explain." I start. "Katniss- don't... don't bother please. We'll explain later. We're fighting for our survival, not over an.." Finnick's voice shifts to a whisper, "affair." Peeta looks a little hurt. Johanna just smiles sympathetically at me. I don't need her sympathy. I take Peeta's hand. I still have to play up the lovebirds scene. I am completely unconcerned about Gale at this point. I look behind me, and see a shimmer of gold in the tree. It reminds me of the mutt that bit me, and it makes me uncomfortable. "Let's just go..." I say.
We end up in some part of the jungle, and it's still damp and hot. We stop to rest. Finnick puts Mags down on a log, gently. I rip my hand away from Peeta's. "I'm sorry, okay? It just happened. I didn't mean to go off and fuck Finnick." "Twice" He interjects with a smirk. I glare at him, not even glancing at Peeta to see his reaction. "Nevermind the fact that the arena had some gas to make you horny or whatever in some portions of this jungle." I finished. "Honey, that gas wasn't to make you horny. It was to affect the part of the brain that contains thoughts. Confuse them into actions? So, if someone were thinking and planning of killing their ally, per say, the Capitol's sweet-smelling gas will make you go and do it." Johanna says. "How do you know that?" Asks Finnick. She hesitates. "I just do, okay? Fact of the matter is Sweet innocent 12 fucked fish boy's brains out." I blush. "I'm sorry. Forgive me, please." I plead, looking at Peeta. I know I'm screwed.
President Snow is going to rip me a new one when- if I go home. Just like that, I hear the beeping of a parachute. It looks a little bit bigger this time. It falls to my feet and I pick it up. I'm pretty upset at myself, so the rest of them kept their distance while I opened the parachute, in fear I would explode and start screaming at everyone. I open it, and first theres a sketch on a piece of paper, and a note on top of it.
SURVIVAL, NOT DRAMA. - H
It's like he's watching our every move, like a hawk. OF course he is. He's our mentor. I look at the sketch. It's a circle, cut into 12 pieces. Little words and pictures scribbled into it. I try to decipher it but I don't understand. I put it aside. Under that, is a small locket, a little cupcake with orange frosting, a shell necklace, a piece of cooked fish, and a gold ring. What is all this stuff? I open the locket, my stomach sinks as I see a picture of Prim, my mother and Gale. I feel sick. All of this has to mean something. The locket's mine... The cupcake must be Peeta's. He works at a bakery, and orange is his favorite color. I put the cupcake aside and grab the shell necklace. I rub it in my hands. It's really smooth. I hear a gasp, and Finnick is in front of me in a second.
"Is that really it?" He breathes, snatching it from my hands. He puts it around his neck. "Why is it so special?" I ask. "My mother, when I was younger, she made this for me..." "Oh." I say. "Why?" "Well, it was the first day of summer. That's when all the younger boys learn how to go fishing with their fathers. They spend all day out on the water, and sometimes the kids and the fathers don't come home until they catch a few fish in at least 3 different ways.. a net, trident, and the string hook. Well, it was my first day and I didn't want to go out. I had not been interested in catching fish. I was interested in collecting shells. My mother made me this necklace, and handed it to me.
With that, she said: "Finn, sometimes we have to do things that we do not want to do. It will only make us stronger to accept and do these things. This necklace is to remind you that doing something different does not change who you are. You will always be able to enjoy collecting shells. But fishing is something all the boys here have to do.". I never saw her again after that. She took off or something. My father, was so heartbroken he left after I'd turned 18. Mags had raised me since he left. But I took that advice to heart, and still do. I learned to fish with a trident, and it's been basically an extension of my arm ever since." He said, smiling with the necklace glimmering proudly around his neck. "Wow." I said. Mags was nodding as if she had lived the story herself.
I purse my lips together. I hand the cooked fish to Mags who smiles gratefully, and takes a small bite. I smile back, and turn to look at what's left. The ring must be for Johanna. It's a simple gold band... The next half is coming soon, been busy with school. This is just to put something out there!