She was a capitol elite.
He was the youngest victor in history.
Their friendship was frowned upon, but their love was forbidden.
Extended Summary Inside
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Finnick x OC
Pre- hunger games - Mockingjay
Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins. All rights...
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"Ladies and Gentlemen, Miss Annie Cresta!"
Caesar's voice echoed through the room and bounced off the walls.
The crowd cheered loudly, screaming her name. Caesar held out a welcoming arm as Annie walked out onto the stage. She waved at the crowd and took a seat opposite of Caesar.
"It's so nice to meet you at last," Annie gushed like as they told her to do.
"I admit that I'm heartbroken we had to meet under these circumstances," Caesar said, and he looked to the crowd for support. Sniffles could be heard from all over the room as they dabbed their tears.
Annie wanted to roll her eyes, but she contained that urge.
"The odds were certainly not in our favor," Annie said quietly. "I had so many dreams of coming here to the Capitol. I wanted to meet the people Adrien loved so much. I just wish I had more time."
"And what has your time in the Capitol been like so far?" Caesar asked, and Annie forced a large smile back onto her face.
"Amazing," she said. "I've been spending a lot of time with my team. Iris has been so helpful in helping me prepare." Lie. "And I'm so grateful for the generosity of the Capitol for giving me the opportunity to be here." Lie. "But my favorite part has been training with Finnick, Adrien, Mags and Jack. I have been gifted three incredible mentors who have been working so hard to help me win." Truth.
"So you've been working very hard," Caesar prompted. "Can you tell me anything about your score?"
They all knew she'd gotten a seven. It was considered low for a career district, especially for someone her age. Jack had gotten a four. Even though scores helped with sponsors, they had been advised to keep their scores low. The lower they were, the less likely the other careers were to kill them.
They could reveal their real abilities in the arena, but to survive for as long as possible, they needed to let the other tributes think they weren't a threat.
"I haven't been training for long," Annie said, admitting to the half-truth. She hadn't been training for the last year since Adrien came back from his game, but that didn't mean she hadn't focused everything on the possibility that she would go into the games one day for most of her life.
But they didn't need to know that.
Go for the emotional angle. She could hear Finnick's voice in her head.
"But my score doesn't bother me. I don't want sponsor gifts," she said, and the crowd gasped. Caesar looked taken aback.
"You don't want sponsors? But that's how you win."
"I have no intention of leaving that arena alive," she said. The room quieted, and it seemed everyone leaned in to hear what she had to say. "I came here with the boy who was going to be my brother-in-law, and that is how I see him. He will always be my brother, and I will fight my way through that arena to keep him alive. I will make sure Jack goes home. So, if you want to sponsor District Four, please give all your gifts to him. Help me send Jack home."
