"Taiya!" Theo called out as she entered school the next day. "Come on Taiya," he groaned as he ran through the crowd of kids to catch up to her. "Taiya," he said placing his hand on her shoulder making her yelp and spin around. "Woah, sorry," he apologised quickly throwing his hands up in surrender.
"It's ok," she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I was off in my own world."
"I could tell," he said awkwardly. "I just wanted to…"
"I know," she interrupted. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have run out last night. I just got so upset."
"Hey, it's ok," he assured as they walked into the auditorium. "I get it. Emotions are running high."
"I don't want to watch Theo," Taiya whispered, her eyes filling with tears as they sat amongst the rest of the kids who went to their school. The games were starting this morning and it was the law that they watch it in school.
"Me neither," he said looking at her carefully, she was on edge and he didn't want to push her. "He'll make it through today, don't worry."
"Yeah," Taiya nodded as the screen turned on. As soon as it did, she began to shake.
"Here, here, give me your hand," he said reaching over to hold her hand. "Just focus on my touch ok. Just tune out and focus on my hand in yours. Focus on the touch and it'll distract you. Imagine you're at the docks fishing or swimming in the cove ok? Just try and breath."
"They're coming up, they're coming up," everyone in the room began whispering to each other as the tributes arose on their pedestal.
"I'm going to be sick," Taiya moaned as she buried her head into the crook of Theo's neck.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the 65th Hunger Games begin - and may the odds be ever in your favour," Claudius Templesmith announced and the countdown from 60 began.
Taiya couldn't watch. She couldn't see Finnick there. After she hyperventilated for an hour, she felt a hand grab hers and looked to her other side to see Kenna take her hand, "look," Kenna said pointing to the screen. Taiya quickly shook her head. "It's ok Taiya," she assured. "The blood bath is over. Finnick's ok. See, he's on screen."
Taiya slowly looked up to see Finnick walking away from the Cornocopia with the tributes from district 1 and 2. He was alive. "He made it," Taiya breathed.
"Yeah and look, he even got a spear," Theo smiled down at her.
Taiya shook her head, "he needs a trident."
"There were none in the Cornocopia, a spear is the next best thing."
"What happened to the girl?" Taiya asked, looking at Kenna for an answer. "Halle?"
Kenna shook her head, "she didn't make it."
"Oh," Taiya said quietly. She turned to look at Theo and whispered to him, "did he have to kill anyone?"
Theo looked at the floor, "yeah," he muttered. "He killed the girl from 5 and the boy from 10."
Taiya nodded nervously. "How many dead?"
"10," he answered.
"Only 14 left," Taiya sighed as she looked back at the screen to see her best friend wading through the marshland with the career pack. "He's with 1 and 2."
"Probably a smart move," Theo shrugged. "They'll go a long way. That boy from 2 is brutal. Come on," he said squeezing her hand. "Blood bath is over, we can go back to yours and watch it now," he said as he helped the shaking girl to her feet. "Thanks, Kenna," he smiled at the brown-haired girl before the two of them left the auditorium.
Finnick had made it to the final 8 and his parents, Theo and Taiya were prepping for their family and friends interview.
"Alright, so you two," Caeser Flickerman's assistant spoke over the video call, "you two just answer Caeser and make conversation, tell us how you met Finnick. You get the gist," she said with a fake smile. "And we're live."
"Hello, citizens of Panem!" Caeser cheered over the tv. "We are now visiting District 4, home of the wonderful Finnick Odair! First, we are joined by his parents, Margie and Dawson."
"You ready?" Theo asked her as Finnick's parents were being interviewed.
"Not really," Taiya smiled lightly.
"He's made it a week, I reckon he can make it further," he smiled down at her, hugging her into his side.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have the honour of introducing the two friends Finnick mentioned in his interview, Theo Cresta and Taiya Ambersnow!"
Theo stood straight and placed his hand on Taiya's back, leading her into the camera frame, "hello Caeser," he greeted with a friendly wave.
Taiya observed him and then turned and waved, "hello," she nervously tried to copy.
"Well aren't you two a vision," he laughed as Taiya tilted her head in confusion. "I tell you what folks there is something in the water in District 4, these children are gorgeous!"
"Thank you Caeser, it's the saltwater," Theo tactfully replied.
"What about you Taiya, my dear. What's your secret?"
"There's no medicine like sea air," she giggled.
"I'd like to know the story of how you two met Finnick Odair," Caeser encouraged.
"Well," Theo began. "When we started school we sat next to each other and we've been best friends ever since, Finnick meeting Taiya is a bit more of an interesting story."
"Oh do tell."
"Um," Taiya stuttered, nervously tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "I went to the docks to check on my dads lobster traps when we were 8 and he and Theo were mucking around. Finnick ran backwards as I was leaning over the docks and he knocked me off and into the water."
"No!" Caeser gasped with fake enthusiasm.
"Yeah, I went flying," Taiya smiled. "He jumped straight in after me and helped me up. I was so mad, but I'm sure you've noticed Finnick has a way with words. I can hold a grudge but it's very hard to beat the Odair charm."
"Excellent! Now tell me, how have you been enjoying the games so far?" Caeser asked.
Taiya froze, she didn't know how to answer this, she'd been watching the highlights at the end of the day and doing her best not to watch the actual games. She couldn't bear to watch Finnick in danger, luckily Theo swooped in with an answer. "These are some amazing games to watch Caeser, the talent this year is extraordinary. Even watching Finnick is incredible, he's only 14 and he's definitely a front runner in my opinion."
Taiya smiled up at him, he was trying to get Finnick more sponsors. She knew what she had to do. "You know what would make these games more interesting Caeser?" she asked.
"What would that be?" he humoured her.
"If one of Finnick's beautiful sponsors in the Capitol gifted him a trident. If you want entertainment, that's the best way to go about it. A spear is a good substitute, but get Finnick a trident and I promise, you'll be blown away."
"Did you hear that ladies and gentlemen? Get the boy a trident," he called out to the viewers with a wide smile. "Well, it's been an absolute pleasure talking to you two. We in the Capitol certainly hope to see more of your beautiful faces in the years to come, but for now, we are moving on to District 6."
"Thank you, Caeser," Taiya waved as the camera went dead.
"You. Are. A. Genius!" Theo laughed as he turned to Taiya. "Trident. Brilliant, you're amazing. It's playing all over Panem. The people love him in the Capitol. He's probably got a trident on his way now."
Taiya sat in her room watching Finnick keep watch at night in the arena. It was the only time she felt comfortable watching the games. There had been no deaths at night in this game so far and Finnick was keeping watch while the 3 remaining Career's slept. She smiled as she watched him, he was tying knots in the rope she gave him. He'd do the same thing every night while he sat. Tie knots in the rope, undo it and start again. Before he could start knotting it again, a bell rang out, a sponsor's gift was arriving.
Finnick stood up and made his way over to where the large gift lay a few feet in front of him. Hesitantly he picked it up and took the cloth off of it, revealing a trident. Taiya bounced on her bed excitedly, finally, he'd gotten the weapon he was best at wielding.
Finnick leant down and grabbed a piece of paper on the ground and read it. As he read, a smile broke out on his face, "thanks for the tip-off Tay," he said to the sky. It was a message for her. The note attached to the trident must've told him how he got it.
Ever since Finnick had gotten his trident it'd been game over. The career pack had been attacked in the morning and split up. Ever since then, Finnick had been making traps with netting and laying them all over the arena, he'd check them a few times a day and kill anyone who'd been caught. The trident acted as a deadly extension of his arm. No one could survive a run-in with Finnick and his trident.
But finally, it was down to the final 3 tributes, they'd all been summoned to the Cornocopia by the game makers for a final standoff and Taiya couldn't look away.
"He'll get through it," Caspian muttered as he rubbed his daughter's shoulder in comfort while Theo sat rigidly on the couch next to her.
"I know," she smiled slightly. Finnick started walking into the Cornocopia, sizing up his remaining opponents in the boy from District 1 and the girl from District 6. Taiya reached her hand over and took Theo's hand in hers.
"There's a trap," Theo pointed out. "He's got traps around the edge of the Cornocopia," he said.
"The girl's walking around the edge," Taiya realised.
"Exactly," he nodded. "She'll get caught and then he just has to worry about the boy."
"And the boy is injured," Taiya reasoned. "His side is bleeding, he's weak." Theo nodded and Taiya snapped her head to the tv, "come on Finnick," she pleaded and they heard a yelp as the girl from District 6 was swooped up by one of Finnick's traps. Noticing it was just down to him and Finnick, the boy from District 1 called out a battle cry before charging Finnick, who did not hesitate to throw his trident straight into the chest of the running boy, the cannon going off before he'd even had a chance to hit the floor.
"Tay," Caspian laughed. "Tay, he's done it," he laughed louder as Finnick timidly walked up to the trapped girl.
"Oh my god," she realised and Finnick apologised before striking the crying girl. "He's coming home!" she screamed jumping up from the couch. Taiya let out screams of joy before turning to see Theo cheering beside her and she leapt into his arms in excitement, wrapping her legs around his waist as she squealed in excitement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Claudius' voice spoke, "the winner of the 65th Hunger Games, Finnick Odair."