Finnick's POV
The day after Thanksgiving, I joined Annie at a café that had become our regular meeting place in Brooklyn. It was quiet, out of the way and I could have Annie all to myself seeing as no one I knew would be there.
"Hello, my little pumpkin pie." I said, as she slid into the booth next to me.
"Pumpkin pie, seriously?" Annie looked at me.
"Oh come on, it's cute." I tapped her on the nose, "Just like you."
"I think you need to come up with some better pick up lines."
"Hey, I've already got you- so you're stuck with the ones I have, pumpkin pie."
"You've got me, have you?" she questioned.
I smiled to myself as this was the perfect timing for what I had planned. I reached into my pocket and took out a little packet of candy hearts I'd bought before I arrived. I handed her a small purple heart that had the words 'Be Mine' printed on it. It was a little cheesy, I admit, but I couldn't help it.
"I think we should make things official." I told her, trying to hold back my smile. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
"You know the answer is yes." Annie said, smiling.
Eagerly, I gave her the next heart, a yellow one that said 'Kiss Me'. Rolling her eyes, she kissed me, but only once because she was smiling so much.
"You're smiling a lot." I remarked, but then I was smiling too.
"I'm happy." she said lightly, but I knew that it was probably a big deal for Annie to say that, because I think she really, really meant it. "So now that I'm officially Finnick Odair's girlfriend, what is first on the agenda?" she joked.
"Well actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about." I said, taking a deep breath.
"Uh oh." she joked, "That's serious."
I laughed. "My parents want to meet you."
She froze and I could tell that was the last thing she was expecting me to say. "Really?"
"Yeah." I sighed. "My father is always going on about how I need to settle down and start taking things seriously before college, so I think he's pretty pleased that I'm in a relationship." I looked at her. "So what do you say, dinner tomorrow night?"
"I don't know Finnick, what if they don't like me?"
I tried to hide my own fears as she said that. Like most parents on the Upper East Side, mine had very high standards when it came to who I should be in a relationship with. I had a feeling that a girl from Brooklyn wasn't going to cut it, no matter how lovely she was.
"They're going to love you!" I said optimistically. "Plus, Mags can't wait to meet you." At least that was true.
"Are you sure?"
"Trust me, it will be fine." I said, pulling her into my arms, "And if it's not, we can always make our escape before dessert."
"But dessert is your favourite part!"
Jokingly, I put my hand on my heart. "The sacrifices I'm willing to make for you, Annie."
"Okay, okay." Annie laughed, "I'll go."
We ate our lunch happily, even though Annie still couldn't believe how many sugars I put in my coffee. When she wasn't looking, I put a couple of sugar packets in hers before she tasted it, and I smiled to myself when she remarked that it was the best she had ever tasted.
As much as I enjoyed the day, I dreaded the moment we had to part. I walked her home and I didn't want to let go of her hand, even as we stood at her doorstep.
"I hate saying goodbye to you." I moaned, "I don't want to go back to my regular life."
Annie looked at me for a moment, biting down on her lip. She started to untie one of the string bracelets around her wrist and I watched in silence as she took my arm and tied the blue, white and green bracelet around my own wrist.
"There." she said, looking up at me and smiling, "Now you'll have this to remember me by, even when we're not together."
"You are so perfect, did you know that?" I smiled.
"You may have told me once or twice." she joked.
I kissed her before saying goodbye. "See you later, pumpkin pie."
Annie sighed, "Goodbye, Finnick."
As I made my way back to my apartment, I could help but smile. I must have looked ridiculous, grinning to myself all the way there. I didn't care though, because Annie made me happier than I had ever felt in my whole life.
It was nearly time for our dinner, and I was pacing around Mags' room nervously waiting for Annie to arrive. Mags was sitting on her bed, watching me incredulously.
"Will you please stop moving!" she exclaimed, "You're making me motion sick."
"Ughhh Mags." I moaned, "I'm really nervous."
"It will be fine, Finnick." Mags said, but we both knew she was trying to make me feel better.
The apartment buzzer rang and I looked at Mags with wide eyes. For a moment I couldn't move.
"Finnick, greet her!" Mags urged me, breaking me out of my panic.
"Okay, I'm going." I said, psyching myself up.
I walked down the hall as the elevator door opened and Annie stepped out. She looked absolutely breathtaking and I suddenly feared I wouldn't make it through the evening without kissing her in front of my parents.
"This place is amazing!" Annie exclaimed. "It's at least three times as big as my apartment." she joked.
I crossed to her, hoping to kiss her just once before the dinner began. As soon as she was in my arms, however, my mother appeared in the hall.
"Finnick?" My mother said, "Aren't you going to introduce us?"
I took Annie by the hand and led her into the dinning room, where the long wooden table was set with china plates, shining silver cutlery and sparkling glasses. Annie probably thought it was all a little over the top, and she was right, but to my parents it was perfect.
I introduced my mother and father to Annie as we took our seats at the dinning table. I made sure that Annie sat next to me, and my parents sat opposite.
"It's lovely to meet you, Mr and Mrs Odair." Annie said politely.
"Yes, you too Annie." My mother said formally.
"Indeed." My father began, "Where is it you're from, again?"
"Brooklyn." Annie answered. She looked uncomfortable when he gave my mother an unimpressed glance. To reassure Annie, I found her hand under the table and squeezed it.
"So what school do you go to?" My mother continued.
"Coriolanus High School." Annie replied a little more timidly.
"And what do you hope to do in the future?" My father asked. It was like some kind of interogation and I could tell Annie was starting to falter.
"I'm not sure yet." Annie said, "Either something with marine animals, or in psychology."
"Hmmm I see." My father said is a disapproving tone.
Annie looked at me and I knew she was feeling uncomfortable. I had a sinking feeling as I knew that this dinner was not going to go well.
"So what is it that you do?" Annie asked.
It was a good move, I had to hand it to her. The only thing my father liked to talk about more than how disappointing I was to him, was his work. For the next half an hour at least, my father explained the ins and outs of his job. I zoned out at least five times, having heard his speech a thousand times, and tried to make Annie laugh by knocking my leg against hers. I think she was pretty determined to make a good impression though, and stayed completely interested in the conversation the entire time. It was an impressive feat.
However, it appeared that no matter how hard Annie tried, my parents were clearly not as enamoured by her as I was. As we finished the main course, my worst fears were realised.
"So is this a serious relationship?" My mother asked. "Because Finnick's hardly ever with a girl for more than a week, isn't that right, Finnick?"
"We don't really need to talk about that…" I said to her.
"Well I'm always telling Finnick to start taking his future seriously." My father turned to Annie, "Here on the Upper East Side, a young man needs a strong marriage from a good, likeminded family- if you understand what I'm saying, Annie."
"Not someone from Brooklyn, I'm guessing." Her words were strong, but I noticed her lip quiver.
"You're a smart girl, Annie, but..." My father trailed off.
"Okay," I said loudly, to interrupt the uncomfortable atmosphere that had settled. "How about I show you where the bathroom is, Annie?"
Annie got up quickly and followed me out of the room and down the hall. We didn't speak as I led her to my bedroom and closed the door shut. She looked at me sadly, and there were tears in her eyes.
"They think I'm not good enough for you." she said, her voice trembling. "I'm never good enough."
"Well they're wrong." I told her, wrapping her in my arms. "I'm not good enough for you. I'm really sorry, Annie."
"You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?" She stepped back, searching my face for an answer.
"I hoped it wouldn't." I said honestly.
We sat down on my bed together, and I looked at her. "I'm not taking this off, you know?" I said, pointing to her bracelet around my wrist. "I don't care what anyone says, or what anyone thinks."
"Really?" she asked.
"I'm yours, Annie Cresta." I said, kissing her softly.
There was a knock at the door and we jumped apart as the door swung open. Mags was standing in the doorway, a smug look on her face like she knew exactly what we had been doing. She was holding a tray with two plates of dessert, and offered them to us as she sat down at my desk.
"I knew we kept you around for a reason, Mags." I joked.
"It's lovely to meet you, Annie." Mags said, ignoring my comment. "Finnick will not stop talking about you. The amount of times he's come into my room moaning that he can't stop thinking about you…"
"Okay I take that back!" I said quickly, my face heating up, "You can go now."
"Hmm, I think I want to hear more of what Mags has to say." Annie said cheekily.
In the end, Mags, Annie and I stayed in my bedroom for the rest of the evening playing a game of Scrabble. As it turned out, Annie was a master Scrabble player, and even gave Mags a challenge. When the two of them teamed up against me, the game was a lost cause. Annie even agreed to be my date for the upcoming Christmas Ball, even though she insisted that she didn't know what to wear. In the end, she said yes on the condition that Mags was allowed to tell embarrassing stories from my childhood. I didn't mind though, because Annie was smiling again, and that was all that mattered.
Breakfast the next morning was uncomfortable, to say the least. I wasn't speaking to either of my parents, not that they were in any way sorry for the way they treated Annie. I couldn't believe that those two people sitting opposite me could really be my parents, when we were nothing at all alike.
"Finnick, listen to me." My father said seriously. "This relationship isn't going to last, you know that. Annie doesn't belong is this world."
"Yeah well maybe I don't either." My vow of silence was useless, I was too angry at them and I had to defend Annie.
"Stop this ridiculousness Finnick." My mother snapped.
"It would be best if you just ended it now, it will save everyone a lot time and emotions." My father said, as though it was as easy as one of his work contracts.
"I'm not going to do that." I replied coldly.
"Finnick- please." My father sighed, "I want you to have a serious think about your future. You need to find someone that is of your status."
"I don't want a relationship like you have!"
"I have set up a date for you this afternoon." My father continued as if I had not said anything.
"What?" I nearly screamed. "No way. I'm with Annie, dad. I'm seeing her this afternoon."
"This is very important to me, Finnick. Her father is an important client of mine."
"You can't use me to secure your business deals!"
"This isn't just about me, Finnick. This girl is from the kind of family you should be looking for."
"I can't believe this." I said, standing up from the table in disgust.
"Listen to your father, Finnick." My mother said sternly.
"I'm afraid you don't have a choice in this Finnick. I am sick of your attitude." My father said, looking at me. "You will be here at noon or I will have no option but to send you back to Panem. "
Every time. Every damn time. Whenever we had an argument my father used the reform school threat. It only worked on me because he'd sent me there once before, when I was fourteen years old and he caught me with a joint. He sent me straight off to Panem for a semester- where I had to wake up at 5am every morning for cleaning duty and pull tires in the mud on the weekends. It was a nightmare, and even the thought of it made me feel completely sick. In the past few months, my father had brought up Panem again more and more frequently. If I didn't start taking my life seriously, he said, I would be back there to 'have some sense knocked into me'.
I groaned. If Annie found out about this date she would leave me, but if I didn't go I probably wouldn't see her again anyway. Either way, I was going to loose her, but at least if I was still in the city I could try and explain things to her. I figured that if I did this for my father, maybe he would get off my back and learn to accept the idea of Annie. Well, that was what I tried to tell myself. I still couldn't believe I was going to do this to her, and I hated myself for it, but I picked up the phone and called Annie anyway.
"Hey, Annie." I said sadly.
"Are you okay?" she asked immediately.
"No." I moaned. "I have to cancel our plans. My father is making me stay in and study." I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't say the words.
"But I'm already nearby!" Annie exclaimed, "I have a surprise for you!"
My heart was breaking with every word. "I'm sorry, Annie." I told her. "Maybe be another time."
There was silence for a moment before she finally said, "Okay. I'll see you later, Finnick."
"Bye, Annie." I sighed.
I was absolutely seething that my parents had practically given me no other option. Trust them to try and ruin the only good thing I had had in my life for a long time. I felt sick to my stomach, and hated myself even more when I found myself helping some blonde girl in stilettos into a limousine not too long after our conversation. As I closed the door for her, I looked up and my heart stopped. Around the corner, I saw a flash of dark brown hair disappearing out of view.
Annie?
Panic was rising in me as I tried to tell myself that it wasn't her, it couldn't be her. It was just some other girl with dark hair. There was no way that this could be happening. It took a long time for myself to calm down as I tried to convince myself that everything was fine, but I still couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in the back of my mind.
I tried not to think about Annie during the date, and for the first time since meeting her I had to put on the act that I hated so much. I smiled, I laid on my usual charms, and the girl fell for it. She giggled, twirled her hair, played with my hands. I didn't kiss her, but the whole situation was just as bad. The whole thing made me feel sick, and as soon as I got home I took an hour long shower to try to scrub myself clean. It didn't help though, because I could have scrubbed until I bled and I still wouldn't have washed away the guilt I felt.
After dinner I tried to call Annie, to make sure it wasn't her that I had seen. However, my call went straight to voice mail. I felt my heart drop. She must be mad at me. I decided to call her landline, but her aunt answered.
"Hi, this is Finnick." I said, "Is Annie there?"
I heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, and it sounded like the woman was crying.
"Is everything alright?" I asked, starting to panic.
"Annie's not here." she managed to choke out in between sobs.
"Where is she?" I was starting to sound frantic.
"At the hospital." Annie's aunt said breathlessly, "She attempted suicide this afternoon."
The line went dead and everything was numb. I was hardly aware of the phone dropping out of my hand as I sunk to my knees. The room was spinning as I tried to process what I had just heard, but only one thought was running through my mind: This was all my fault.