**Me again! Sorry for the wait. Here is chapter 5! (We have some interesting developments in this chapter)**
Finnick was fuming when we got back up to our floor after the second day of training. As soon as the elevator opened he charged at me. "What the fuck are you thinking Annie?!" Mags looked a little frustrated behind him, but not at me. "Do you really think it's going to work? Not all the careers are dumb. They'll figure it out eventually. And what happens when they kill off District 8? Huh? Who's to say they won't just turn around and kill you? And what about District 8? Who is to say he won't kill you when he realizes you are tricking him?" Finnick grabbed my shoulders and shook me a bit causing me to cry out in shock. He's never done that before. But he immediately looks like he regrets it as he registers the slight hint of fear in my facial features. "I'm sorry." He says quietly. Then he turns to leave the room.
"What was that all about?" Tyler asks looking between me and Mags. Neither of us say anything. I retreat to my room and close the door. Why can't Finnick understand that I'm not coming out alive? Tyler needs to be the one to come home. He's so young. But do you want to expose him to the Capitol life like Finnick when he was victor? I tried not to think about that thought. Maybe it would be easier just to die in the arena rather than try to survive. Otherwise you become a Capitol pet and must do what Snow says just to survive. But then every kid here has family back home that they need to go to. Well, most kids. Thoughts of Rae enter my head. That poor girl, all alone back home. William was telling us earlier today about the conditions of District 12. It sounded like a truly awful place. He said that they only get food when they can afford it or steal it, and that most of the time, there isn't enough money for food, unless you're what he called, a "Merchant" kid. Those kids live in proper homes and their families run businesses. But the majority of the families live in the Seam, I think he called it. That's where he and Rae are both from. Rae even added a comment that it should be easy for her and William to survive with a food shortage since they're used to going days without food. Pretty soon, everyone started sharing sad stories about home. I was finding it hard to breathe, so I had to excuse myself to the bathroom.
Now, back in my room, thinking over it all again and again, I still find it hard to breathe. There comes a knock at my door. "Ann?" Mags voice rasps.
"Come in." I said. Mags opened the door and looked at me with a small smile.
"District 8 accept." So Xavier and I were now an alliance.
I smile at her. "Thanks Mags." Then I go over to hug her. She hugs me back and laughs lightly. "What is it?" I ask.
"Boy feel dumb." Finnick. I laugh a bit with her.
"So does he understand the full plan then?"
Mags nods. Then as if on cue, there comes an even softer knock at the door. Mags smiles to me once more, then turns to leave just as Finnick comes into view. He nods to Mags and she nods back, then she's gone and Finnick shuts the door. I don't have to pretend to be angry with him. Though I know he means well, he's never done something like that to me. He's always treated me like the most delicate flower, but now, it seems as though that image is gone.
"Annie. I…" He starts. I just sit down on the bed, and fold my arms over my chest, looking at him. Waiting for him to continue. He moves to sit down next to me. The bed bounces a bit at the new weight. I want Finnick to know I'm serious. He takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry Annie."
"That it?" I ask. Probably a little harsher than I should have.
Finnick looks a little hurt. "I'm sorry I grabbed you like that. I shouldn't have acted that way. I just want to keep you safe, and if you interact with the careers it makes it harder for me."
"You act like keeping me safe is your only job."
"It IS my only job Annie!"
"And what about Tyler? Huh? Who is going to look out for him?"
"Mags will."
"You know he'll have a better chance at surviving if you both look after him from here, then I can look after him in the arena. Yet you're hell bent on keeping me safe. Why Finnick? Why me and not him?"
"You're family needs you."
"No they don't. Tyler's family needs him."
"Your mother needs you."
"No she doesn't she has Brooke, and Don."
"I need you…"
"No, you… what?"
Finnick looks at me sadly, eyes like a child whose candy was just taken from him. "I need you Annie. You're my best friend in the whole messed up world. If you go, I'll have nothing to keep fighting for. You're what holds me together Annie, you're the reason I keep going and keep enduring the Capitol. President Snow threatened to hurt you if I didn't comply with his wishes. It was that way from the very start. Before he started making money off of me. It was all to keep you safe. The whole time. I would do anything, anything to keep you safe."
I stood there dumbfounded. "Finn, you didn't have to do that." I say quietly.
He moves just a bit closer to me. "Yes. Yes I did." He's still moving closer. So close, our foreheads are just millimeters away. I can feel his breath on my face. I can feel my heart racing. Faster than when my name was pulled from the bowl. Faster than watching Finnick's games, and faster than when it was down to him and one other girl. That girl was a monster. Faster even, when I thought Finnick was going to die in the arena as she stood over top of him ready to kill, but he quickly stabbed her with his trident.
"Annie." He breathed my name like a prayer and I could feel heat pooling in my stomach. His hand reached up to cup my face. All I could do was stare into his eyes. His beautiful sea green eyes. His cheeks were flushed a light pink, and I swear I could hear his heart beat as quickly as mine. He moved in even closer, closer than we've ever been before. Our noses touch, and I release a sigh I didn't know I was holding in. His eyes dilate then, at the sound I make. His tongue darts out to lick his lips, and I can't help but be fascinated by the act. So close, he's so close. We've slept in the same bed multiple times, yet I can't begin to describe how much closer we are now. This is all very new to me and I can't help but lean in too. I let my eyes close and it feels like my heart is about to leap out of my chest, then…
"DINNER!" Talika's voice shrieks. Finnick's eyes close and mine flash open. He falls back onto the bed and groans loudly. His hands go to his face and he rubs his eyes like he can't believe what just happened. I can't even believe what just happened. Finnick was going to kiss me! And I was going to kiss him back…
Talika opens the door to find us both on the bed, but Finnick laying down next to me with his feet on the floor and me sitting next to him. She smiles brightly. "Dinner you two!" Then she sashays out the door. I don't think I can move. My legs feel like jello and my heart keeps pounding. Finnick seems to recover just fine though. He stands up and offers me his hand, his eyes not meeting mine. I take his hand, and once I'm standing, he doesn't let go. We walk out to dinner this way. Mags eyes us carefully, then her attention is focused only on Finnick. He waves her off, then grumbles something when Talika stands right behind him, patting his neck.
After we eat, mostly in silence, Talika pipes up. "Last day of training tomorrow, so exciting so exciting!" She claps her hands together and squeals. "Then, you'll have your evaluations the next morning and then have all day to learn proper composure for being on camera for your interviews!"
Finnick leans over and whispers in my ear. "The interviews are her favorite part." Even though it was just a whisper, and even though it wasn't about either of us, it still sent and involuntary shiver down my spine. The good kind.
The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. Finnick didn't get called away tonight, which, even he thought was odd. It worried him a bit, but all I had to do was tell him not to worry about it, and then he stopped. I even asked if he wanted to sleep together, like back in District 4. He looked like he wanted to say yes, but something was holding him back. He kissed my forehead goodnight, and then headed out of my room to his own. My dreams couldn't contain my confusion. Finnick had almost kissed me today. In my dream, we were on his family's boat. Not the one the Capitol gave him, the old rickety one that his dad would take us sailing on. Finnick was commanding the sails, and I was laying down watching the waves roll by. Feeling the sun on my skin, the smell of the ocean all around us. We sailed to an island not far off, and still within District limits. This was a place where Victors were allowed to have "vacations" as it always had nice weather here. We walked around on the beach, hands intertwined. He would smile at me and I would smile back. He led me to a small lagoon secluded off by trees. It was beautiful and magical here. The water was warm, the breeze was calming, and the sun was shining through the gaps in the leaves of the trees. We lay in the sand, with the water licking out toes. Finnick moved to his side, head on his propped up hand watching me. His free hand moved to my exposed skin from my bathing suit. His hand was warm and comforting. He inched closer to me, until we were pressed skin on skin. He moved to hover above me, using his arms to hold up his body weight, but then he lowered down onto me. We both gasped at the contact. Our eyes locked, everything else disappeared. His lips then moved down to mine.
"Time to wake up!" My eyes shot open and I found Talika hovering over me, her face inches from mine. Today, she was a vision in orange. She even had bright orange contacts in and it scared me. My arm reached out and swung at her face. I let out a small shriek just to add to the effect. Talika fell backwards rubbing the part of her face my arm had connected with. Finnick and Tyler rush in, followed by Mags.
"What's going on?" Finnick asks.
Talika whimpered a bit looking at me. "She woke me up with her face hovering over mine. Her orange eyes scared me, I guess I was still half asleep" that's a lie "and I swung my arm over to her and accidently smacked her in the face." I look down at her. "I'm sorry Talika, you startled me is all." She nods and manages to smile as she gets to her feet.
Finnick looks sympathetic towards Talika, but I can tell that he's laughing on the inside. We all go down for breakfast and Talika is back to her normal self. Finnick pulls me aside before Tyler and I head down for training, the last day. We're back to the navy and silver outfits.
"You accidentally hit her?" He eyes me carefully.
"And if it was on purpose?"
He shrugged. "I would be jealous of you." Then he smiled at me, and pulled me in for a hug. "Remember to be with District 8 today. He's your alliance." He then lets me go, and the elevator closes him off. The ride down seems shorter and shorter each time. Tyler goes off in search of William. I look around for Xavier, but he's not here yet. The careers aren't here yet either. Very odd.
I try my skills at the obstacle course and do surprisingly well. The trainer congratulates me for doing so well on my first try. I look around again, they're still not here, none of them are. What am I supposed to make of this? Are they plotting against me? Is Xavier really with them? Not that I would be surprised, but still. I try the rock wall and fail miserably. Back home, I was never very adventurous, and never really went to play on the rocks on the south side of the bay where it was no sand and all rock.
The lunch bell rang. The careers and Xavier were still not here. Isn't that against some kind of rule? Then again, they are careers, they can probably do whatever the fuck they want. As for Xavier though, I began to feel worried. I grabbed my food, not really paying attention to what it was, then went to go sit at a table.
"Can I sit with you?" I look up and see Rae standing there.
"Of course." I say back.
She sits, not next to me, but with a seat between us. Quietly eating her food, she looks up at me every now and then. I don't want to upset her, so I stay quiet too. Everyone else gathers in the lunch room, sitting at their own tables.
"Annie?" Rae speaks up.
"Yes?"
Rae swallows what food she had in her mouth before speaking again. "My mentor says that I should trust you. He said he and your mentor talked a little before, and he said you were trustworthy." Before I can respond she continues. "I don't want any alliances. I don't know anyone besides Will enough to trust them. But I do trust Haymitch." That's right. Her mentor is Haymitch Abernathy, most recent victor of the Quarter Quells. "So if it comes down to it in the arena, I just want to know, can I trust you?" I pause. I want to tell her yes, but my alliances are already so screwed up, it's likely that I'll get caught in the crossfire and die.
I ask tentatively. "Trust me in what way?"
"Anyway and everyway. I don't care if I die Annie. But if that was the problem and you were being forced to kill me, can I trust you to do it quickly and as painless as possible for me? Can I trust you to help me if I ask you to?"
Before I can answer her I hear a voice behind me. "Annie. I missed you this morning, sorry. I slept in." Xavier sits next to me. Rae just stares at him and shoots a disapproving look in my direction. She then gets up to leave, when I stop her, grab her arm, and whisper "yes." She looks a bit relieved, but leaves anyway.
I turn back to Xavier. "Slept in?" He looks me straight in the eyes. Looks around cautiously then whispers so only I can hear.
"The careers want me to join them. But they didn't want me to tell you." He looks very worried now. I just let out a sigh.
"And what did you say?"
"I said no of course!" A bit louder of a whisper. But then he becomes quiet again. "Annie, you need to be careful of them. They wanted me to alliance with you, then lead you into a trap on the 2nd or 3rd day of the games so they could kill you, then have me join them fully.
My head is spinning. Isn't that exactly what they wanted me to do?
"But I said no Annie. Don't worry. I've already aligned with you and it's going to stay that way." He smiles reassuringly at me.
I smile back, but I can't help the uneasy feeling rolling in my stomach. I want to tell him that that's exactly what they want me to do. But I decide against it. It's probably better he not know that. And though I want to tell him, Finnick would kill me if I went and told him everything without consulting Finnick and Mags first.
"Together?" Xavier holds out his hand to me.
That's when the careers show up in the doorway. Xavier doesn't see because his back is to the door. Jem's eyes find mine for a brief moment and he nods smiling evilly. I look back at Xavier, and give him my hand.
"Together."
**What do you think? Thanks for waiting for me to update. I have two other stories I'm working on as well, and I try to update each one evenly. So stay tuned! And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!**