Wow. Hello. It's been a while. I'm sorry! I totally lost it with this story. I just couldn't get the next chapter down. But I finally did it. I've already got the next chapter planned out so hopefully should be out within the week. Please let me know what you think of this chapter! It inspires me to write quicker. Hope everyone's had a great few months! If anyone wants to chat about this story or anything at all feel free to reach out in messages!
twinia: There'll definitely be a rooftop moment coming up!
HungerGamesFan36: There's definitely going to be a heavy discussion taking place
Sparkly She-Demon: Most definitely. Haymitch is going to have a big role to play in this story.
LuaMinguante: Espero que isso seja traduzido corretamente!
O relacionamento de Haymitch com Taiya será muito importante mais tarde, ele definitivamente estará torcendo.
Sêneca também vai ser importante, mas mais sobre isso mais tarde;)
Singer of Water: Thanks so much for your comments!
yeah321: Thank you!
"Come on my darlings," Moxie sang as they step off the elevator and onto their floor in the Training Centre. "I had plenty of interest in the two of you. It's all just so exciting don't you think?"
"Exhilarating," Theo replied dully.
"We just need Tyler and Finnick to seal the sponsor deals for you. No doubt Finnick will be doing most of that," she rolled her eyes.
"Finnick?" Taiya asked. "Why is that Finnick's job?"
"Finnick has a certain…
"Moxie," Tyler warned.
"It's fine. I was just going to say that Finnick has an appeal that you don't," she answered coyly. "It's all well and good darling. You shouldn't complain."
"Is it because Finnick is a new victor?" Taiya asked and Moxie simply smirked.
"Here it is! The District 4 floor," Moxie announced, throwing open the doors.
"Wow," Theo sighed. "This is incredible," he breathed as he stepped inside and looked around. Theo had lived in the poorer part of District 4, anything above that was absolute luxury to him. But even for Taiya, the quality of the rooms was astounding, and she'd grown up in a mansion.
"Wait until you see the bedrooms," Moxie giggled.
"Where's Finnick?" Taiya asked looking around. "I thought you said you sent him up here?" she asked Tyler.
"He'll be around," Tyler smiled nervously.
"Go have showers and get all that beautiful makeup off you and then we'll have dinner," Moxie instructed. "Go. Go," she ushered them away.
Taiya was sitting on her bed staring at the wall when she heard a knock on her door. "Yeah?"
"Hey it's me," Theo said opening the door. "Can I ask you a favour?"
"Hey, what's up?" she asked.
"I'm embarrassed but I can't work out how to use the showers. I figured you'd have a little more experience with this kind of technology. You might have a better idea."
"Yeah," Taiya laughed. "Come on, I'll show you," she smiled as she followed him across the hall and into his bathroom.
The shower had a panel on the wall with a hundred options that did everything from regulating the water pressure and temperature to dispensing soaps, shampoo, scents, oils and sponges.
"I always liked my shower sent at 112," she said showing him how to set it. "I also like the pressure on 5. It's not too strong but it'll wash all the makeup off," she smiled. "Then when you get out step here," she said pointing out the mat. "We never had one of these at home but it's a heater that will dry you off."
"You're the best. I was staring at this for 5 minutes and I just could not work it out," he smiled and she quickly smiled back. "Hey, are you ok?"
Taiya shook her head as her eyes filled with tears. "No," she stuttered.
"Come here," Theo said quietly as he pulled her in for a hug. "For what it's worth, you look beautiful. But I prefer you without the blue sparkles on your face," he joked and she laughed lightly.
"Thanks, Theo," she muttered as she pulled away. "I'm going to go," she said jerking her thumb in the direction of her room.
"Yeah, yeah of course," Theo nodded and Taiya began making her way out of the room. "Tay?"
"Yeah?" she asked looking back at him.
"Do you hate me?"
"No," she said viciously shaking her head. "I could never hate you. I love you, Theo. But I'm terrified. I'm absolutely terrified."
"Dinner Taiya," Moxie called after an hour.
"Coming!" she called back as she zipped up a floral dress.
Theo, Tyler, Moxie, Tigris and Rhodes were already seated ready to go. This dinner was all about planning strategies.
"Well done Taiya," Tyler nodded at her. "Good outfit," he said gesturing to her dress. "That's exactly the look we're going for."
"Thanks," she muttered. "Where's Finnick?" Taiya asked as she looked around and saw him missing from the table. "He's still not back?"
"He probably got caught up," Tyler answered scratching the back off his head.
"So something's more important?" Taiya snapped.
"Cool off Taiya," Tyler warned, subtly jerking his head to the end of the table where Moxie, Tigris and Rhodes sat. Taiya huffed before nodding and letting it go.
An avox walked over to the table and fills everyone's glasses up with wine and Taiya immediately downed hers in one and began coughing.
"You do not drink wine like that!" Moxie scolded as if Taiya had just committed a crime.
"Sorry," she muttered as the avox filled the glass back up.
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. No one wanting to talk and ruin the peace they'd found whilst they eat their meals.
"So shall we watch a replay of the opening ceremony?" Moxie suggested once they'd finished.
"Do we have to?" Taiya asked sourly.
"Yes. You do," Tyler glared as he walked over and pulled out her chair roughly before leading her over to a couch and forcing her to sit down. "Don't antagonise people. Not with the Capitol people here. Remember someone's always watching," he whispered to her before sitting down beside her.
"I'm sorry Moxie," Taiya apologised sweetly. "It must be the wine."
"That's why we don't drink it like animals," Moxie muttered. "Not to worry," she smiled. "It's been a busy day."
"Hand-holding is good," Tyler pointed out as they watched their own party appear on the screen. "That's exactly the look we're going for. United."
"My idea," Theo smiled proudly wrapping an arm around Taiya's shoulders.
"It was a good idea," Taiya agreed as she finally relaxed on the couch.
"Well you two definitely have the best look of any team, maybe not the most vicious look, but they'll like it," Tyler noted after watching every other District. "Sponsors shouldn't be a problem. And I think we can write off 5, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12 immediately. The boy from 3 didn't look great, neither did the girl from 6. So really you're only competition is the career districts, the girl from 3, the boy from 6 and the team from 8. Already we're down to only 8 other people."
"10 of us out of 24?" Taiya asked her eyes widening. "How can you write them off already?"
"Taiya," Tyler said calmly. "It's the Hunger Games. Those people," he said pointing at the screen, "they're not going to make it. You need to focus on the real threats out there. If you want to go home you can't waste your time on the people who will die first," he said bluntly.
"That's so sad," she said quietly.
"That's the Hunger Games," Tyler repeated. "Tomorrow's your first training session. Leave me the night to analyse this further and I'll let you know what I think of the career's in the morning."
"Ok. Can we just talk about…" Theo started to say before the door to the quarter's was thrown open with a bang and Finnick came storming in, slamming the door closed on his way in. He didn't even stop to look at them, he just stormed straight to his room.
"Someone's in a mood," Moxie mocked.
"Finnick," Taiya whispered as she stared after him.
She went to stand up to go after him when Tyler grabbed her arm and pulled her back down. "Wait," he whispered. "Alright," he spoke up. "So that's about all we can do tonight. You three going to the opening ceremony party?" he asked Moxie, Rhodes and Tigris.
"No," Tigris shook her head. "Feline's don't enjoy parties."
"Well Moxie and I are going," Rhodes smirked.
"Are you coming?" Moxie asked Tyler.
Tyler nodded. "I need to talk to the Crane's."
"Oh, how exciting! I saw the Seneca boy watching her. It's all everyone's been talking about," Moxie said excitedly as she stood up and made her way out the door with the stylists. "Sleep well my tributes."
"Ok go," Tyler said as soon as they'd left the quarters.
Taiya stood up and hesitantly made her way through the hall to the room she knew was Finnick's. "Finn," she called nervously as she knocked on his door. Not hearing any reply she opened the door and heard the shower running. She slowly made her way over to the bathroom door and went to knock when the door was flung open in front of her and she jumped back with a yelp.
"Sorry," Finnick apologised, walking around her and further into the room. He'd just gotten out of the shower and covered in only a towel.
"No, it's fine," she shook her head. "I was worried about you. Where were you?" she asked as she came and sat down next to him on the bed.
"Out."
"Ok, not talkative that's fine."
"I'm sorry. I just went out for dinner. I'm really sorry I couldn't make it to watch the opening ceremonies. I really wish I could have been there," he said looking up at her before quickly looking back down at the ground.
"You were out for dinner?" she questioned and he nodded. "Tyler said he sent you upstairs because it could have started rumours if we were seen together…" Taiya frowned. The two stories didn't add up. "What did President Snow want with you earlier?" she asked.
"Can't you just let it go?" Finnick snapped angrily as he stood up and walked over to the wardrobe.
"I'm sorry," Taiya stuttered. "I didn't mean to upset you. What's that?" she asked as she noticed marks on his back.
"What?" he asked turning to look at her.
"No turn back around. On your back. You've got marks on your back," she said as she stood up to follow him
"No, it's fine, it's fine," he assured, plastering his back up against the wall so she couldn't see.
"Finnick let me see. Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.
"Taiya I'm fine you need to let it go."
"No, no, let me see," she grabbed his arm and spun him around so she could get a view of his back. "Oh my god," she gasped, his back was covered in red marks. "What happened!" she demanded as she traced the marks. "They're like… like…" she trailed off as she lined up her nails against the marks and trailed them down his back. "Scratch marks," she whispered.
"Taiya…"
"How did you get scratch marks all down your back Finnick? I mean these are from nails."
Finnick slowly turned back around to face her and she was frowning, lost for words. "It's fine," he said slowly.
Taiya grabbed him and pulled him close to her, peering over his shoulder she lined her nails up against the marks again and trailed them down. "Oh my god," she breathed as she realised exactly how they would have come to be on his back. As she went to release him her eyes grew even wider. "Is that a hickey!" she yelled as she saw the purple mark on the base of his neck. She immediately let go of him and shoved herself away from him. "Are you serious!" she yelled. "Out for dinner! We've been out for dinner before Finnick, you've never come back with scratches and a hickey!"
"Taiya," he said trying to come towards her.
"No!" she yelled stepping further away as she ran a hand through her hair. "You missed my opening ceremony to go do that with some Capitol woman? I thought you... I thought we... I mean I lo... I thought we promised to be there for each other."
"I… I…"
"What? What excuse could you possibly have? I'm serious. What excuse do you have? Finnick," she cried before calming down. "I know you. This isn't you. Something else is going on Finnick. Please. Tell me." She moved forward and held onto his face. "There's something going on with you. I've seen it, you've tried to keep it from me but I've seen it. You can tell me."
"I don't have an excuse," he said quietly.
Taiya nodded gently, pulling away as tears fell down her cheek. "So you just cheated on me?" she asked and he nodded at her. "I think you're lying. You don't have feelings for someone for 4 years only to cheat on them a month later. You wouldn't do that to me. I don't believe that. You just don't trust me. You know what Finnick that's just perfect. Do you know how we said our friendship comes first? Before anything else? Well, you can forget that Finnick. You can forget this relationship. You can forget us. I can't be around you if you don't trust me."
"Taiya, Taiya," Theo hollered as he ran into the room having heard the arguing and gently grabbed ahold of her shoulders. "Are you ok?"
"Oh surprise surprise, here comes Theo, running to the rescue!" Finnick snapped. "You just never know when to back off do you, man?"
"Finnick!" Tyler yelled as he ran into the room. "You need to calm down."
"He's all over her look at that," Finnick pointed out.
"You're lying to me!" Taiya cried. "He cheated on me."
"He what?" Theo asked in shock.
"Did you tell her why?" Tyler asked Finnick.
"No," Finnick said hanging his head.
"You're an idiot, Finnick," Tyler said smacking him upside the head. "Tell her, tell her or you'll lose her."
"If I tell her I lose her!" Finnick groaned as he slid down the wall.
"You've already lost me," Taiya whispered, grabbing Theo's hand and storming out of the room.