The Name of the Game I Finnick Odair

Newfound Determination

❛ I was an impossible case

No one ever could reach me

But I think I can see in your face

There's a lot you can teach me ❜

Kenzie had slept well, feeling quite refreshed, so when Sirius came to wake her up, she was already awake. Humming to herself, she decided to take a shower. Once she saw the showers she couldn't stop the gasp that left her lips. On the walk the shower had a panel with about a hundred options. Kenzie was able to do everything from regulating the water pressure and temperature to dispensing soaps, shampoo, scents, oils and sponges. It made her feel incredibly sad, knowing that only the Capitol citizens got to have so much luxury. The tribute had been in the poor part of District Four before and that had been really hard for her. She had wanted to help a couple of kids and she had wanted to give them food, but her parents had refused to let her do so. She didn't know how the other districts looked like, but each year when she watched the Hunger Games the tributes from Four looked the healthiest, along with the tributes from One and Two. She just wished she'd be able to do more, to help people properly.

Once she was done she changed into a white skirt with a shell pattern and a teal colored blouse, which Sirius had laid out for her. It seemed as if he had an outfit fitting their district for each tribute, showing that he was truly dedicated to his job.

Walking into the dining area, she noticed that the others had waited for her, which she was thankful for. Mags and Austin were in a deep conversation, surprising Kenzie. Mags seemed to comfort and encourage the young boy, who had no problem understanding the older woman. He had even started to speak. Mackenzie sat down next to Finnick and Sirius, huffing slightly.

"It's unfair that the Capitol lives in so much luxury and yet our district has a poor part."

"Good morning to you too, Sunshine." Finnick greeted her sarcastically, while Sirius looked around in shock.

"You can't just say those things around here." he whispered yelled, frantically looking around. However no one else seemed to have heard her.

"You still want to jump off early." Finnick stated, realizing that this was the reason she seemed careless about saying those things.

Kenzie shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm sorry to waste your coaching, but it's almost impossible for me to win."

"Almost impossible isn't the same as impossible," Sirius pointed out. "You still aren't sure."

When Kenzie stayed silent, Finnick decided to speak up, "You wanted to complain about the Capitol's luxury, go ahead."

"Finnick-" Sirius spoke up, but the victor shushed him with a raised finger.

Kenzie flushed at the attention she was getting, trying to keep the stutter out of her voice. On one hand she was more confident, since she decided that her last week alive could at least be spent with saying what she was thinking, but on the other hand it was hard to get rid off one's habits.

"I-I just think that there should be someone who helps our people. I've been in The Marshes and I know how it looks like. Have you ever been there, Finnick? Have you seen the children digging in the swamps to find food? I have. It was terrible. I don't want anyone to experience that, ever."

"No, I haven't been there." Finnick admitted. "But I've been in the outer districts on my victory tour. That was pretty similar. And you want that to change, don't you?"

"Of course." Kenzie exclaimed, furrowing her eyebrows. She didn't know where this was going, but it seemed as if Finnick had her exactly where he wanted her.

"Then you have to change it. You can't wait around for someone else to fix this. If you have the ideas, motivation and the need to help, then you have to make the first step."

Kenzie shook her head at his words, "How? Even if I'd win, which is unlikely, money isn't enough. I would need a plan and-"

"Well, if you'd win, I'm sure Finnick and I would be able to help you with that." Sirius cut her off in a hushed, conspiratorial whisper.

"I'm not good enough." Kenzie protested, recalling how she had wanted to help a girl in The Marshes, but hadn't managed to stand up to her parents.

Finnick frowned slightly, while Sirius sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if to ask "What did I do to deserve this?".

"I met a girl. She had flowing, brown hair and sea green eyes. She was around our age. I think I heard someone call her Annie or Anne, but I'm not quite sure anymore." Kenzie began to tell the duo about her worst memory. The boys seemed to see how hard this was for her, hence they didn't press or interrupt her.

She took a breath, before speaking up again. "She was on the ground, her ripped clothes dirty and her tangled hair somewhat bedraggled, looking for food. She found a shellfish and I swear she looked so happy, because she found a single shellfish that I nearly cried. I went to go over and help her, maybe even give her some food, when my mother stopped me. She grabbed my arm harshly and said, "Don't go near those people. They'll get you all dirty" and I- I should've ignored her, I should've stood up for the people, but I couldn't. My mother dragged me off and I never saw the girl again, but I remember how her eyes found mine and how she didn't even look hurt, as if she was used to this treatment."

Mackenzie hadn't even noticed that her eyes had filled with tears at this point. She sniffled slightly, as Finnick and Sirius shared a look. Both of them looked quite disturbed, but that didn't surprise her.

"You are good enough, Mackenzie. You're so passionate about this already and what your mother said wasn't your fault. If you manage to survive this I will help you find Annie, I promise," Finnick told her, which made her shake her head yet again, but her mentor wasn't done yet. "You have to give our people hope."

"Well, for that I'd need to have any hope myself." the female tribute commented drily.

"Girl, wake up!" Sirius cut in. "We have so much faith in you already and that only because you have such a good heart. If there is someone who can help other people, I believe it's you. And I've only known you for a day. It's this obvious. We believe in you and I don't know what else to tell you, to give you hope. I just know that you, Mackenzie, are going to change Panem."

After a few minutes of silence, in which said girl wrapped her head around his words, she nodded and spoke up again.

"It's Kenzie." she corrected her escort, a newfound determination spreading through her body.