A/N: Hello yes I'm still alive! Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter by the way. Yes, I'm really trying to post, but I just don't have the time!

Chapter 6: Finnick

"Chins up, smiles on! Now remember, if you want people to give you gifts in the arena, you've gotta seem likeable!"

Shut up you stupid Capital idiot, I thought to myself, it's freaking 7:30 in the morning!

"Now, you're schedules will be based on whether or not you two would like to train together."

"No." I automatically said.

"Alrighty then. Well, as you all know, my name is Venia. I will be your mentor and beautician. So, Finnick, I'll see you at about 8:00 this morning, to find out what your best trait is. Is that good by you?"

"Fine." I say tonelessly.

"Excellent. And Ellen dear, I'll have my prep team work on you today. Is that alright?"

Ellen nodded.

Venia clapped her hands. "Splendid! At 9:30, report to where you're supposed to please. Oh and Finnick?"

"Yes?"

"I'd just like to talk to you for a little bit. The rest of you go upstairs." Venia shooed away Ellen and her prep team.

Venia leaded me into a long hallway and opened the door on the far right. We walked in, it was just a bare room with nothing but a large locked door in the back.

"Finnick, well, I really want you to survive, you know."

"Yeah, me too." I said. I had no idea where she was going with this.

"Well, you see, every time people I have mentored died, they give me a list of all ways to kill. Their secret, of how they survived. And Finnick, I would think you might want to look at this list."

Silence.

"But-wouldn't that be cheating?" I asked her.

"Finnick, you innocent little boy, why would you care? You have not gotten into your noggin that this is a life or death situation! There is a 1 in 24 chance you will live! With this list, nothing is guaranteed, but there will be a 5 or 6 percent chance!"

"I want to die with dignity." I say, before walking out of the room.

(8:00)

I'm scared to get mentored by Venia after our little incident this morning.

But, I still have to. So, I do. I'm not smart. But I'm also not stupid.

I knock on the door. "Finnick?" Her high-pitched voice says from inside, "Please come in."

I walk in, nervous, and sit down in the chair in front of her desk. I stare at my shoes, too afraid to look up, in case she was mad at me.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, you're here to find your strength. Something that will grab the audience. Do you have any idea of what that might be?"

"Um, well no. I'm not a particularly, er, nice person most of the time-"

"You're handsome." She says plainly. "That's your strength. You are not going into the arena to make your best friend or to be someone's therapist; you are there in hopes of surviving. You need to persuade someone. Just pretend to be nice. And make it a girl, please. She'll trust you, she'll think you'd never hurt her, and boom, only 22 left to go."

I try to process it. It's cruel; my parents would never approve of it. But, I approve of it. I nod.

"Just try that technique with as many girls as you can, but try to never get caught doing it. Teenage girls are very gullible when they're in love. They think love conquers all and is more important than anything. That's your target. The females."

I almost laugh. "Well, I'm completely fine with that." I say, Venia smiles.

"I knew you would be. I thought I'd show you the pictures of all the females from the other districts. You all right with that?"

"Totally."

"Excellent. From District One: Cashmere Lademan."

It went on like that for a while . The names all got mixed up in my head. Was there a Christina, or a Christine? Leah or Lee? And none of the girls were particularly attractive, either. Until we got to Camp Half-Blood.

"This girl's name is Thalia Grace." Venia said.

Thalia had short, spiky black hair, electric blue eyes that were outlined in dark eyeliner, and pale skin. She wore a black leather jacket, black jeans, and combat boots.

Venia saw my expression and laughed. "This one looks like she's going to be hard to get. You have high standards, Odair."

I stared at the picture for a bit longer. "Yeah." I said lamely. "Well, is that all for today?"

She nodded, so I stood up and got out of her office.

I didn't stop thinking about Thalia. Now, yeah, I've dated before, but that was just to feel accepted. I never actually liked any of those girls.

As I collapsed on my bed, I had a feeling it wasn't only girls who were gullible when they were in love.

A/N: Done! This one took a long time to write. I'll get chapter six up as soon as I remember and have the time, I promise.