The train to the Capitol was pristine and sleek, gliding on the tracks like a bird through air. It was quiet and effortless at two hundred miles an hour.
Dinner was an impressive feast of succulent meat from District 10 and fresh vegetables from District 11. Rio devoured it like a bloodthirsty animal to probably feed his bulking muscles. Lola barely pecked at it to probably keep her slim waist. I ate as much as I could until I felt like I couldn't eat anymore. I wanted to enjoy the time that I had left.
The interior of the Social Cart was just as spectacular. A Sleek metallic finish was on the walls. Sickly cakes and sweets on silver trays sat by the door. Leather chairs around the room. There was even a bar stocked full of beverages, but I wasn't in the mood for drinking.
Everything was quiet. I untied and tied the knot in my hands again and again to calm my nerves. Rio just silently studied at the scenery outside of the window. Lola left us a few minutes earlier so that we could talk to our mentors for the first time. I was scared to meet them. From the moment my named was called out I was scared of everything.
The odd sound of the sliding doors opened and I brought my attention upwards. The old woman victor, who I knew was Mags based on her being the oldest District Four Victor alive, hobbled into the room dressed in a comfortable navy blue dress. A sea green eyed man followed behind her, dressed in expensive looking brown trousers and a white linen shirt that exposed most of his chest. I gazed with shock, believing it couldn't be him.
Finnick Odair.
I gripped so tightly onto the net in my hands that my knuckles turned white. He was so much more handsome than I last saw him five years ago, after he won the 65th Hunger Games.
"Annie, please got to bed. You have been watching the Games twenty-four hours straight," my mother said from the doorway of the living room.
"Just five more minutes." I yawned, not tearing my eyes away from the screen.
Even with all of the blood and death I couldn't stop worrying about Finnick. About him not coming back home to his family, and me never seeing him again. I shouted at him to 'watch out' when another tribute was going in for the kill. But of course he got there first every time, and every time I let out a sigh of relief.
In front of us on the two opposite chairs our mentors sat. Mags sat in front on me, and Finnick in front of Rio. Mags smiled brightly at me and I nervously back. I quickly glanced over to Finnick, who seemed to be looking at me too. He grinned smugly and looked back to Rio. I guessed that he didn't remember me.
"You volunteered, huh?" Finnick said crossing his arms.
"Yes I did." Rio answered, as confident as ever.
"Biggest mistake of your life."
Silence.
"Finnick. Please." Mags said sternly and glared at Finnick, who seemed to be unnerved by her harsh tone.
I didn't expect him to act like this, but like everyone else, I had heard all about his decadent attitude and the rumours. Everyone loved Finnick, especially those who liked his body. Finnick was the youngest tribute ever at fourteen to win the Hunger Games, which seemed to impress the Capitol. Everyone back home called him the 'Sex Siren of District Four' for obvious reasons that I didn't want to believe. I tried so hard not to believe. Now I knew that all of it was true.
"We will give you the tools but you have to do it on your own," Finnick said. "Or in an alliance if you want. But getting sponsors is the most important thing you could want."
"I thought survival was the most important." I spoke meekly and all eyes turned to me. I looked back at Finnick and he smirked.
"Sponsors are the key to survival. They give you the necessities. Like water, food and weapons."
"Just like you?" I asked. Finnick looked impressed with a cocked eyebrow and my cheeks burned slightly.
"Yes. Just. Like. Me." Finnick was gifted his trident from the sponsors. It was probably one of the most expensive gifts that any tribute was given in the Games. That trident was the tool to his victory and the many murders of others.
"It doesn't matter if you are shy, insecure or faint at the sight of blood, giving them a show is all that matters." Finnick pointed a finger at us.
"How do we get sponsors then?" Rio asked, leaning towards Finnick.
"It's easier for some than others," Finnick answered. "But I bet a big, strong and confident guy like you can put on an admirable show for them." He mocked and Rio slouched back into his seat, looking slightly deflated by his comment.
Next Finnick turned to me and was silent for too many moments for my liking. He was eyeing me up and down. I crossed my arms over my body self-consciously in response and fiddled with the net in my hand, I avoided his gaze. Finnick chuckled at this.
"If you can't stand only me looking at you like a meal then I don't know how you'll survive all of the sponsors. Or the other tributes."
"Finnick. Enough!" Mags' voice rose to a slight yell. This time Finnick reacted, looking slightly annoyed about it.
"Look. Annie, isn't it?" His tone shifted from rude to gentle.
I nodded.
"As soon as you step off that pedestal the sponsors own you. Just remember that." He said. I was stunned and confused by his final comment. Before I could ask anymore Finnick rose out of his seat and patted down his shirt. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some…business to attend to." He took one last short look at me and exited the way he came.
My heart constricted at the thought of what he might of meant by 'business'. I sighed.
"I am so sorry about him," Mags reassured us with sympathy in her eyes. "After the Games, it now takes him a bit of time to warm up to people."
I doubt it doesn't.
For an hour Mags ran through the most important tips of survival. Finding high ground and water, making shelter and so on. It was so much information at once and I kept on imagining the worst-case scenario for everything. It was all too much.
"I need to go lie down." I rose shakily out of my seat. I smiled weakly to Mags. "Thank you for all the information. It was very helpful." I exited through opposite way that Finnick left, towards my own room.
No wonder Finnick wasn't at the Reaping. He was 'busy' with the Mayor's daughter.
My night was restless and dreamless. I didn't sleep a wink. When I awoke, I pulled my hair back into a messy bun and entered the food cart. Lola was fixing her now green makeup. Mags and Finnick were eating on their own with Mags on his left and Finnick sitting at the head. To my surprise he was flashing a real boyish smile and was very engaged in conversation with her. It made him look younger. It was actually nice to see him genuinely happy.
"Good morning." Mags smiled brightly to me. I sat down at the mahogany table.
"Morning," I said not as cheerfully to them.
Before I even looked at the food Mags had already passed me a plate of eggs, sausages and beans. I stared at it confused.
"Nutrition is very important for muscle growth and energy." Mags said.
"Thank you." I said and smiled to her and timidly began to eat.
"What weapon do you use?" Finnick asked, staring at me in the eyes.
"Excuse me?"
He couldn't repeat himself because Rio strode in. Stretching his very muscular arms.
"Good morning, all." He smiled brightly and sat down. He stole a muffin from a silver tray on the table.
"What weapon do you use?" Finnick asked again to Rio this time.
Rio smirked obnoxiously. "Spear. Trident. Whatever I can get my hands on I guess." He shrugged and took a bite out of the muffin.
"What did you say again?" Finnick turned his attention back to me and rested his elbows on the table. I stared down at my food and kept on eating.
"Well?" He asked. I knew he was growing impatient.
"I don't know." I admitted. Finnick did not look impressed. In fact he looked disappointed.
Unlike most people who were trained to use weapons, I wasn't. My parents didn't believe that I would need to because they thought that there would be no chance of me getting reaped. They were so very wrong. Though one time when I was eleven, my father did try to take me fishing and I actually managed to spear a fish. It was still alive and wriggling on the blade with thick crimson blood gushing down onto my hand. I screamed with horror, dropped the spear and ran out of the water. I only started crying when I was alone in my room. That was the last time I went fishing.
"Oh come on. There must be one thing." Finnick spoke louder and firmer, knocking a knife off the table. Almost instinctively I grabbed it in mid-air by the handle and placed it back on the table.
Everything was quiet for a moment.
"That was…something." Mags smiled, Rio looked almost jealous and I couldn't read Finnick's expression. Due to tying knots for three quarters of my life I was pretty good with my hands and my fast reflexes just came naturally.
"My advice is to use knives." Finnick grabbed the knife I saved and started spreading some butter on his toast.
Quick reflexes. Seemed plausible enough to work.
"We're here." Lola sang. She was pressed against the side of the cart and looking out of the window to the Capitol.
Following Rio, I rose out of my seat and headed towards the window. I stood on my toes and looked outwards. The Capitol was even more magnificent and grander in person. There were tall buildings that fractured the perfect blue sky. The lights from the bright reflective city shined in my eyes. I turned away for a moment. But in that moment I saw Mags and Finnick still grounded at the table. She was holding his hand that was clenched into a fist. She muttered something with a sweet tone into his ear. Finnick was looking down with a painful expression on his face. It was heart breaking to look at.
I turned back to the window and this time all I saw was a swarm of colourful dressed people. Dressed like wannabe Lola's, they clapped and cheered at us and I smiled with embarrassment. They seemed to enjoy that and I smiled a little brighter this time, though Rio practically pushed me out of the way and I stumbled backwards. Rio smiled arrogantly to the people, waved and even winked to them. In the corner of my eye I saw Finnick roll his eyes and head towards the door. Mags waved at us to follow, but Rio was too busy and consumed with all of the attention to notice.
"Rio, we're leaving now." I put a hand on his arm.
He snapped back to attention and walked straight past me to the door. I couldn't believe that he was so eager.
Was that all that he wanted? Attention?
My mother secured my hair into a tight ponytail and tried to smile at me in the mirror.
"Thank you, mom." I said and attempted to look cheery.
Of course she didn't believe my smile. I was scared too. It was the day of my first Reaping. I wore a smaller pale blue floral dress with brown ballet shoes, but my hair was still in a ponytail. I looked down at my shoes during the entire Reaping. I couldn't bear to look up.
The Tributes that year were a fifteen-year-old named Olive Perrin and a boy from my class called Conch Harksben.
I was sad to see him go. And never return.
I didn't talk a lot when I got home. I only tied knots to keep me distracted and to hide my nerves, still in shock and relieved that I wasn't reaped. My parents didn't push me to speak and just gave me extra seaweed bread.
The crowds outside were crazy, and Rio was soaking all of it up with pride. I felt really awkward and coward from anyone trying to touch me. A large cry from all of the women and some males sounded when Finnick and Mags exited the train. He seemed to take it as well as Rio did. Finnick smiled, winked, waved and practically everything else to get anyone's affections. I stared at him, and he looked like the Sun. Radiant and beautiful. Yet I couldn't stop picturing him looking like a chastised dog mere moments ago. Mags decided to smile and wave and nodded at me to do it too. With a deep breath I raised my hand and waved. The sound of the audience grew louder as Peacekeepers escorted us towards the city.
