LABYRINTH [FINNICK ODAIR]

seven

DREA WAS SOMEHOW NOT SURPRISED to see that Katniss Everdeen scored a perfect twelve in her individual assessment, even though a perfect score had never been given in Hunger Games history. She was, however, stunned to note that Peeta Mellark scored the exact same.

This didn't fair well with Finnick, and Drea imagined it didn't fair well with Haymitch, either. If they were going to be hard to protect before, it was going to be near impossible to keep them from getting killed now.

Drea was lucky. She scored a ten; the stunt she'd pulled must have been nothing compared to whatever Peeta and Katniss did. Finnick was still angry at her for it— she could tell from the way he scowled at her bandaged hand all throughout watching the program— but he still made sure to rewrap it that night before they went to bed.

The eve of the Hunger Games was usually spent coaching tributes on how to speak and act in front of the cameras in order to prepare them for the interviews that night, but considering Finnick had been living in the spotlight for a decade now, and Drea nearly as long, they were free to live their last day outside the arena just like that— free.

Drea spent most of her morning writing a letter to Annie, which Mags swore she would deliver as soon as she arrived home after the Games— whatever should happen during them. It hurt, saying goodbye, knowing she might never see Annie again, and although she was dotting the page with her tears and smudging the ink at the end, as soon as she signed her name, she felt better. It was a weight off her chest. One less thing to worry about before tomorrow. At least this way, Annie will have something to remember her by.

She thought about asking Finnick to write her one, too, knowing how much he also meant to her... But when he asks her if she'd like to go for a walk just before they're to begin prep for the interviews that night, she can't say no.

Drea knew the Capitol like the back of her hand at this point, but she pretended not to know where Finnick was leading her, as they strolled through the building, to the elevator, and up to the roof. The sun was barely higher than the line of the horizon, but it gave the world just enough glow for them to see their way to the edge, leaning on the railing and looking down at the city below.

The faint imprint of the moon was still stamped in the clouds, and a wave of sadness crept upon her again. She thought about how this could be one of the last skies she'll ever see, one of the last moons she'll ever know. Her eyes flicker to Finnick next to her— Finnick, and his glorious silhouette against the pale blue sky. She gets the sudden urge to ask him every question she's ever wanted to ask him before, now, when they have the chance— now before they would be watched by all of Panem until they most likely died in the arena—

"You talked to Peeta today?" Finnick asked, before she could come up with anything else to say.

Drea looked up at the sky again. "Not today, no. Last training session, I did," she answered. "Haymitch was right. He'll be an easier ally than Katniss."