lover/fighter - Finnick Odair

Chapter 11 - Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered

The dreaded day has finally arrived, and as Oliver helps her out of the car they came in, she wants nothing more than to go straight home. How many would love to be in her place, just once, to enjoy the privilege of being at the party of the year. Rhea would trade places with them in a heartbeat. For all the others it was the greatest possible joy, for her the evening would be a struggle as always.

At least she was spared having to spend an awkwardly tense ride with Oliver's parents. It's not that she personally has anything against them, but they are from different worlds and it shows. On the other hand, it could be a lot worse. There are definitely people in the upper society who look down on someone like Rhea who was not born into wealth, who believe in something like a birthright and see her as some kind of parasite who does not belong on the same level as them.

Mr. and Mrs. Palmer, fortunately, are not among them. Oliver's father is someone who, even though he never really worked after graduation, shows a minimum of respect for people who work hard for their goals. The fact that Rhea, through great initiative, has managed to make it in a highly competitive and demanding career field like medicine, earns her some recognition from him. After all, he had hoped the same for Oliver before he found his calling, and since Mr. Palmer himself graduated from TCMP, he knows that you don't get anything for free there.

Rhea wouldn't go so far as to say he considers her an equal, but he appreciates her intelligence and diligence. She has noticed that Mr. Palmer is one of those Capitolites who takes great pride in a good education and high intellect. He prefers to hold conversations at an elevated level, which is why Rhea gets along with him reasonably well.

Mrs. Palmer, on the other hand, had been a bit more suspicious of her from the beginning. She is a classic trophy wife and character-wise the exact opposite of the quiet and direct Mr. Palmer. She is loud and high-spirited, never without something to do, and intellectually not exactly a high achiever. When she is not invited to some festivities, she organizes something herself.

Oliver's mother had been convinced from the first minute that Rhea was going after her son for the money. The first encounters with her had been more than unpleasant and it had taken almost a year for her mistrust to gradually subside. Rhea had had to keep reassuring her that she only wanted to concentrate on her work at the moment and had neither the time nor the desire for a romantic relationship, and that she and Oliver were just friends anyway.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Palmer tolerates her presence, and Rhea is content with that. She has no aspiration to exchange more words with the woman than necessary anyway. Unfortunately, her husband seems to have the same attitude towards her. Rhea has wondered from the beginning how these two got together, an arranged marriage seems plausible to her, Oliver has no answer to that either.

In any case, she had to painfully realize that being alone with the two of them, without the hustle and bustle of receptions, parties, and balls, quickly leads to a most awkward staring contest, without a single word being exchanged. The two spend their lives together, but seem to have absolutely nothing to say to each other. Rhea has since come to understand why Mrs. Palmer constantly gathers people around her.

Oliver felt similarly to her, so at his suggestion, they had driven straight from Tess's studio to meet his parents here.

The black limousine drives on make room for the next cars already lined up behind it, and with that the last chance for Rhea to back out disappears. She takes Oliver's arm after he offers it to her and together they walk through the heavy iron gate. Even from here, one can perceive the colorful lights, music and laughter emanating from the large mansion at the end of the cobbled path.

The place in no way resembles what she can recall from her memory. It's the same white marble walls, the same red carpets on the floor and the same dark wooden doors, and yet somehow everything is different. It must be the atmosphere and the many people who are already in a celebratory mood. But try as she might to ignore the uneasy feeling, she just doesn't feel comfortable within those walls.