GET FREE » f. odair & g. hawthorne

16.

Out of the corner of Finnick's eye, he noticed figures moving into the water down further on the beach. 

"Someone's here," Katniss states, getting her bow out at the ready, preparing for a fight. 

Finnick furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to see who the tributes could be. He noticed Johanna's black hair next to a man who he made out to be Beetee. A figure was in the water who he could not see. 

"Johanna!" Finnick screams. 

"Finnick!" She abruptly responds back, turning forwards towards him. She turned her head to the water where Cassie was still washing herself. 

As Cassie heard Johanna's screaming, she turned around to see Finnick running toward them. "Oh my god," she mutters, slowly wiping the water off her eyes and face. 

She ran out of the water and towards the tall boy. 

"Cassidy!" He screamed. "Thank god, Cassidy."

The two met halfway into the water as Cassie jumped into Finnick's arms. He wrapped them around her body, trying to pull her in more which seemed impossible. They both didn't want to let go. Cassie started to cry as she realized he was okay and saw Katniss and Peeta trailing behind him. "I thought I lost you."

"I heard the canon go off and I.. I got so scared," he responds, now him shedding a tear. The girl stood on the ground after their hug, looking up towards Finnick. She grabbed his cheeks to admire his face. He smiled. 

As she looked at the rest of the group coming out of the water, Finnick behind her, she noticed Mags was not there. "Where-"

Before she could finish her question, she already knew the answer. She turned to Finnick alarmingly and saw his expression. He shook his head as his lips quivered. His eyes watered again having to break the news to the hurt girl he was in love with. 

Without saying anything, Cassie embraced him in another hug. She felt the guilt wash over her. Maybe she could have protected Mags and saved her, even though she knew in her heart she was never going to make it. 

"I'm sorry, Cass. She loved you so much," Finnick says, wiping a tear off of her face. She smiled, without saying anything, nodded and gave into Finnick's hand, using it as support. 

Katniss came closer to the water, her feet now in it. She said a faint hey as she touched Cassie's shoulder to hug her. The two girls fell into each other's embrace, feeling grateful none of them were dead yet. 

"Why are you guys all bloody, what happened?" Finnick asks, as Cassie and Johanna continued to clean themselves off after the short reunion. 

"It was me, Beetee, and Wiress the whole time when we were deep into the jungle and found Cassie here by herself. We thought where we were was safe. Until the rain started. We thought it was water, but it turned out to be blood."

"Tick tock," Wiress muttered repeatedly, swaying back in forth in the water as Johanna tried to explain the recent events to the rest of the group. "Tick tock."

"What happened to her?" Katniss asks, motioning to Wiress. 

"She's in shock," Beetee answers. 

"I don't know why she keeps saying that," Cassie says, finding comfort next to Finnick, almost resting her head on his shoulders. 

"Tick tock," Wiress mutters once again, trying to get Johanna's attention. Johanna, fed up and annoyed, pushed Wiress off of her, causing her to stumble and fall on her feet. 

"Lay off of her!" Katniss yells, going to fight Johanna. 

Both Cassie and Finnick intervened, trying to break up the two on edge girls fighting. 

"Hey! What are you doing? I got them out, for you!"Johanna screams, blood still intact on her face. Finnick tries to contain Johanna as Cassie was by a now settled down Katniss. 

"For me? What does she mean for me?" Katniss asks, turning to Cassie and then Peeta. Cassie breathed heavily as the commotion was still ongoing. She was just as confused as Katniss was. Cassie looked towards Finnick for answers as his eyes gave her a sympathetic look. There was something he wasn't telling her. 

"Tik tock," Wiress says, still in the water. 

"She's like a broken clock, I swear to god," Cassie says, retreating backwards and sitting on the sand, where now Peeta and Beetee were. 

Finnick came to sit next to the girl who's gaze remained forwards. 

"How'd she go?" The girl asks. 

"After we got separated, we managed to fight off the Careers. Not too long after, there was fog that was heading near us. It was poison. Peeta was about to die but Mags sacrificed herself so I could carry him to safety."

Cassie shook her head. "It's not right?"

"Hm?"

"Alright, Snow, did you hear that!" Cassie screamed up towards the sky, assuming the Capitol along with thousands of others were watching. "See how an old lady just courageously sacrificed herself for somebody she didn't even know? You would never do that, you coward! Never! Maybe you should take some notes, you old fuck!"

The whole group now focused their attention on the fed up girl. She rolled her eyes. "What do you expect, I'm the sister of Haymitch, I'm not going to be silent this whole time."

"How do you think he's doing?" Finnick asks.

"Horrible. His drinking had gotten so much worse since the last games. Now that I'm not there... god I don't even want to think about that."

"Well, I can assure you he's fine. Look, I mean you're still alive. It has to give him hope."

Deciding to change the subject, Cassie gazed directly into Finnick's eyes, lowering her voice a tiny bit. "What are you not telling me?"

Finnick, almost concerned, but knew how smart she was and knew she would catch along quick now returned his gaze towards the water. He knew he obviously couldn't tell her the rebel plan since the Capitol was watching, but he did know how he could hint at something without anyone realizing what he was talking about except the girl. "Little Lotte, let your mind wander."

The girl's eyes became a bit blurry when he said that, reeling in a sense of nostalgia from her first games. She looked out at the ocean, just as Finnick did. Her mouth was somewhat open, almost in shock. She knew something was going on, but since Finnick had just said that, it was something that the Capitol could not know. 

"I-" Cassie started, trying to find the words. She did not know what to say. 

"It's a clock!" Katniss screamed from the water where her, Wiress, and Johanna were. "Wiress, you're a genius!"