I bring Finnick's jacket with me to breakfast the next morning, hoping to return it to him (without my prep team making a fuss about it), but he's not there.
Davis doesn't appear to be worried about Finnick's disappearance, and Sandra and Akil seem too absorbed in their own conversation to notice me. I sit down next to Mags, and deciding that she's the only one I can ask regarding Finnick's disappearance.
Of course, I have an idea as to where he is, but even the thought of him spending the night with some Capitol women makes my stomach turn unpleasantly. I can't decide whether I'm sickened by the thought or whether I'm jealous that some woman was spending time with him, but either way, I really hope I was wrong.
"Morning, Mags," I greet her as cheerfully as I can. I get right to the point. "Do you know where Finnick is?"
She shakes her head as an answer, and resume eating her porridge, not worried about Finnick being there at all.
Raising an eyebrow at me, Davis asks, "Since when have you suddenly become so interested in my brother, huh, Annie?"
My cheeks turn red without my permission. "Since never!" I snap, lowering my head.
Too late, Davis has noticed my blushing. "Aw, Annie, don't tell me you've fallen in love with my brother, too!"
"I have not!" I protest.
"Too bad," a voice says from the door.
We look up to find none other than Finnick Odair striding into the room, acting like his usual self. Part of me is relieved that he's back. "I was hoping you would like me more after...last night," he finishes, winking at me.
"Ooh! Did something happen last night?" Davis asks eagerly.
"Nothing happened last night!" I say, then throw Finnick's jacket in his general direction.
Davis suddenly seems very interested in the jacket. "Then why would you have his jacket...?"
"No reason!" I answer immediately, "Shut up so I can eat!"
But, because Finnick is Finnick and he does whatever he wants to, he comes and sits down.
In my lap.
I shriek and try shoving him off, but he's too heavy. My attempts are futile.
Even if I don't hate him anymore, there's no way I'm going to declare that to the entire Capitol!
Finnick must be very comfortable on my lap, because he doesn't act as though he's getting off anytime soon.
The jerk.
And, to tell the truth, I don't really mind him sitting my lap. In fact, it feels almost...nice. I stop complaining and instead try to eat, but it's hard to when his head is in my way.
"Move your head," I mumble. No doubt I was blushing.
"I thought the mentor's supposed to tell the tribute what to do, not the other way around," Finnick ventures. "Besides, I like it here. I'm not moving."
"Aren't you going to eat?" I ask through gritted teeth. He sure knows how to annoy me.
"Nope," he says. "I already had something earlier."
By earlier...
"Speaking of earlier, where were you?" I ask dryly.
He gives me a wry smile. "Helping you find sponsors by using my charm."
An image of him kissing some random Capitol woman pops into my mind, and I shudder. "If that's how you're getting sponsors for me, then no thanks," I say, "And if you'll be so kind, will you please GET OFF MY LAP! I'm trying to eat here!"
Finnick jumps off, looking surprised at my sudden outburst. Davis, Mags and the stylists stare at me, clearly not expecting me to have such a temper.
I don't know why I'm so upset, but I am. And even though I haven't eaten yet, I am no longer in the mood to eat. So instead, I stand up, brush away the tears that have somehow managed to escape my eyes, and run from the dining hall.
As soon as I'm back in my room, I collapse onto my bed and let out a sob. "What's wrong with me?" I groan, burying my head in my pillow.
I need to stay strong for the Games, I remind myself firmly.
But I can't help crying.
"Annie?" Finnick's voice calls from outside.
"Go away!" I say, then I have to repeat myself because the pillow muffled my voice.
I don't want anyone to comfort me. Especially not him.
Why, Finnick, are you giving me so many problems?
"It's time for training," Finnick says.
I didn't want to go train with the other tributes, either.
I can't believe this. In a few days, I'll be sent into an arena and is expected to kill the other tributes, and here I am, having...problems with Finnick Odair.
Of course I have to train. It's the only way I will be able to survive in the arena.
So reluctantly, I get up.
Finnick's not there when I open the door, and I let out a sigh of relief. There's no way he's going to see me in a mess. I don't bother washing my face, because it'll get dirty later anyway. I head to the training center, but not before I'm stopped by a woman in typical Capitol-style clothing.
"You're that girl, aren't you?" She asks.
"Depends on which girl you're talking about," I answer bluntly, wishing she'll just leave me alone.
She looks me up and down, and I can't even describe all the different expressions that she can make as she studies me. "You're Finnick's girl, aren't you?" She clarifies, and my heart skips a beat as she says 'Finnick's girl'.
"Depends on what you mean by 'Finnick's girl'," I mutter embarrassedly.
She makes a face. "Will you stop the 'depends on' business, Cresta?" She demands, "I'm not here to play games with you."
"Well, if you know who I am, then why bother asking?" I retort.
I can hear footsteps just then, and evidently she could, too, because she turns to the source of the noise and calls cheerfully, "Your girl has a fiery temper, doesn't she, Finnick? No doubt you like her so much!"
I stiffen.
She smiles at me and pats me on my shoulder. "He kept talking about you, so I just had to come and meet you personally. Well, now I know where my money will go. Good luck, little mermaid! So, Finnick, how about another kiss?"
I stand, frozen, and I cannot believe what I just heard.
The only thought that registers is that she used my nickname, and I like it better when Finnick is the only one to call me that. Capitol women aren't all THAT bad, I admit grudgingly.
I ignore Finnick altogether and stomp on to the training center, but not before I see her lean up to kiss him out of the corner of my eye.
Another tear rolls down my cheek.
Disclaimer: I am not from the Capitol, so of course I don't own the Hunger Games.
In reply to a message that a reviewer left (you know who you are!) me, but did not have a fanfiction account (it's really hard to respond to people who don't have accounts. Why bother putting the review then? Besides, this suggests that you don't want to be talked to, etc etc. anyway, I'll just respond to the message here.)
It can't be proved that Finnick and Annie loved each other before the games, because Suzanne Collins never gave us their history. If anyone has seen the "Finnick and Annie" fanmade films on youtube, those are FANMADE. which means they're NOT REAL. And besides, this IS fanfiction, so the writer is free to change whatever they want. And I'm not really changing anything, I'm just writing what I believed happened before Finnick and Annie met. And it's also impossible to say that he started mentoring after 19, and especially when on the hunger games wiki page it stated that "For the next nine years, he mentored District 4 tributes," clearly meaning that he started mentoring not long after he won.
This is MY interpretation of Annie's Games and how they met, (and it's mentioned in my summary, too. So if you don't want to read it, then don't.)
Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!