Dew of the Sea [Finnick Odair]

[10.Chatting Up Caesar]

Rosemary

With a half-hour until the televised interviews began, Rosemary found herself backstage in Caesar Flickerman's filming studio. Rye, Larkin, and Effie hadn't shown up yet but Cinna, Vina, and Haymitch were with her, surrounding her so other Tributes couldn't see her and she couldn't see them, either. Haymitch thought it was a good idea to help her nerves but honestly, there was no way to stop them. In minutes, she would be onstage in front of the whole Capitol, not to mention the cameras that would broadcast her face to all twelve districts. She wasn't ready for this!

There was a firm slap on her hands. "Hey," Haymitch snapped at her. "Cut it out with the hands."

"Sorry," Rosemary exhaled heavily. She flexed her fingers, trying to figure out what to do with them. "What am I supposed to do with my hands?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know, Pipsqueak? Just keep them still."

"I can't." her words almost came out as a whine.

"Here," Cinna interrupted them both before they started full-blown arguing. He passed her a ring, taken from his own finger and without question, Rosemary put it on. "Just fidget with the beads. You can keep it."

Rosemary frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Cinna nodded. "I have a few hundred of them at home."

"Unfortunately, he's not joking," Vina laughed. He reached up and picked some invisible lint off of his partner's shoulder. Rosemary smiled at the domestic gesture. "And we'd rather you play with that ring than injure your hands again."

Rosemary looked down at her hands, ashamed. "I don't do it on purpose," she whispered. Instead of clenching her fists, even though she wanted so badly to give into the urge, she played with the ring, mulling over the metal beads with the pad of her thumb. She sighed. "I'm nervous."

"You're as prepared as you can be," Haymitch reminded her.

She supposed that did help. She and Haymitch practiced the interview too many times to count and if she just put her head into that mindset from the night before, she knew she could do it. She just had to focus.

Rosemary nodded and Haymitch returned the favor before turning his attention to Rye, who had just walked in with Larkin and Effie. He looked amazing in his red silk suit that had glittery orange accents that danced in the lights. His blonde hair was stylishly gelled back and his eyes were once again lined with eyeliner, this time a dark red instead of black.

"You look amazing!" Rye called out once he saw her, speaking at the same time she said, "Wow, you look great, Rye!"

They were able to share a quick hug before they were wrangled into taking a picture. Vina and Larkin positioned them so they stood side-by-side, holding hands, and told them to smile and act like they liked each other. After Effie swept in with her mobile to take pictures, they were able to separate. Vina, Cinna, Larkin, and Haymitch told them to break a leg and then left the backstage area to take a seat in the front row with the other Mentors and stylists.