The Name of the Game I Finnick Odair

The Reaping Day

         ❛ Your smile and the sound of your voice

And the way you see through me ❜

Being uninteresting was a real blessing. At least for Mackenzie Turner, the winner of the 66th Hunger Games.

While her best friend Finnick always had to go to the Capitol, where he was passed around like a trophy, she was mostly allowed to stay at home in District 4 and live her life.

However, this was about to change, because the Quarter Quell was coming up.

She looked over at Finnick, who was swimming in the ocean next to her on another surfboard. The duo was on their usual morning swims. It almost seemed like a normal day, but it wasn't. It was the reaping day after all.

Finnick must've seen her frown, because he motioned her over. She got off the board and swam towards her best friend. That was how she found herself sitting on her surfboard, next to Finnick on his', in the middle of the ocean.

"What's up?" she asked him, while trying not to meet his eyes, thus looking towards the beach.

"Don't give me that, Kenzie. We both know what day today is." Finnick shot back, causing her to sigh.

"What do you want me to say, Finnick?" Kenzie asked, finally turning to look at him.

"How you feel about it." Finnick's voice cut through the silence that had settled between them.

Kenzie rolled her eyes, "How I feel about it? I'm alright."

"Kenzie," he told her sincerely, "It's okay to be afraid."

Finnick could always read her like a book, so it didn't surprise her when she opened up to him.

"I'm terrified."

Finnick got off his board and swam towards her. She expected him to sit down next to her, but instead he just stayed in the water, his arms hanging over the board. He tilted his head to look at her, a surprising serious look evident on his face.

"It might be you and me," Kenzie stated sadly. Before he could open his mouth she continued, "I will volunteer for Mags. There's nothing you can do to stop me. If none of us are reaped that'd be great, but look you're everyone's favorite and out of all the female victors I'm the most liked, which is sad enough."

Finnick knew exactly what she implied and he himself had thought about that too. The Victors from 4 weren't exactly favorites of the Capitol. Kenzie was well liked, but nothing compared to him or Enobaria. The Capitol would most likely cheat with the names in the bowl, but there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Then he focused on the part where Kenzie had said she'd volunteer for Mags. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but with a sigh he nodded, understanding her decision.

Mags had basically raised the two of them. She had been their mentor. Finnick had won the Games in the age of fourteen and since then Mags had always been there for him.

Just a year later Mackenzie had been reaped in the age of fifteen. Mags and Finnick weren't sure if she'd survive, as she was a soft soul like Caesar had called her, but she'd had something the other careers hadn't had, which was a good heart.

The Careers had killed her allies, a boy from District 11 and a girl from District 12, in front of her. They hadn't noticed her, because she had stayed hidden, knowing if she'd even try to fight she'd die. Three against one wouldn't have been fair anyway.

Luckily, no one had seen her as a threat, so in the end only her and the Careers had been left. That had been the moment when something had snapped inside of Kenzie.