A fate worse than death~~A Finnick Odair story~~

19. Snow ruins everything

"Are you ready for this?"
Magd asked.
"Probably not."
I laughed a little, the thought had actually become laughable. It had been 4 years since I first set foot on that stage, yet my stomach turned at the mere thought of going up the stairs and sitting on the deployed chairs.

Finnick still refused to talk to me, but in the time of almost 2 years, I had become more used to his silence.

As we got on stage and took our seats, we got a quick smile from Evernis before she turned to face the crowd. The show had started. She gave her speech, blah blah blah, ods, blah blah blah. It wasn't until she said the female participant's name that I flinched, Annie Cresta. I knew her, never in all my years has anyone I known been reaped.

Once upon a time I had even known her well, she had been my tuter at school, she was a year older than me and we had spent every Tuesday together.
And now, now she was reaped.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I didn't even hear who the male participant was. I didn't even react when it was time for us to get off the rail, the only thing that made me start moving was a nudge in the side from Finnick and a knowing look.

So we were off the stage, and while our tributes were being led off to say goodbye to loved ones, we victors where immediately escorted to the train.

~~~

"I want to be her mentor."
I broke a long silence with those words. Usually, the time before the tributes came to the train was strategy time, but until now, no one had said a thing.

"You're not ready."
Finnick spoke.
"And what the hell do you know about that!"
"I just know, you're too, too--."
"Young, fragile, stupid? Honestly Finnick you really don't know anything about me anymore, you haven't spoken to me in over a year and now you're saying this!"
I was furious, furious and rambeling
"Can't you just listen you're not ready!!"
"That's not what this is, why are you really saying this now?!!"
I was realy pissed, but with my words I also made him angry, whitch in highnsight, maby wasn't my best play.

"Alright fine, do you want to know what I really think?!"
"Yes thank you please enlighten me!" "I don't want you there because I absolutely can't stand you!"
"That's enough!!"

We both jumped at Mag's sudden outburst, we had probably never heard her raise her voice before, but it had obviously worked, because now she had us quiet and attentive. "Elizabeth you want the girl, that's fine with me."
"But she's--."
A look from Mag and Finnick's protest died out.

"I honestly have to say that I'm disappointed in you, you're just drifting further and further apart. I can't force you to like each other, but when we can't put up a common front, enough is just enough!!"
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"I therefore decide that I will take the boy, and Elizabeth and Finnick, you both take the girl."

I opened my mouth as if to protest, but emidiatly closed it when I heard a door open and Everni's chirping voice.
The conversation would have to be brought up at some point when our tributes weren't present, but for now, for now I would just prepare Annie for the capital.

~~~

They were dressed in modernized fishing clothes. They were terrible. The stylists had obviously tried to try something new, but it had completely flopped.

Never the less, Elizabeth didn't let that tear down her new and improved facade as a mentor. She didn't comment on the clothes, couldn't think of anything positive to say, so instead changed her focus completely. "Remember to smile and wave, the capital loves active tributes."
Mags and Finnicks nodded in agreement to her words and then they were helped into the carriage. So it went, and any protection Elizabeth felt she might have given her 18-year-old pear was gone with the clatter of horse hooves. Now, instead, a large part depended on Annie being able to play a role that the capital would like,
otherwise.

A shudder ran up Elizabeth's spine as all three of them turned away from the horses and left.

~~~

She and Finnick had assured Annie that she did a fantastic job. Their carriage had been filled with roses, but the girl still did not want to believe them. From the second she was lifted from the carriage, she had been shaking violently and not uttering a single word. This reaction had frightened Elizabeth a little, but she did not dare to realize that, without an alliance, the girl would certainly not last long in the arena.

Therefore, after dinner, it was the first Elizabeth and Finnick did. They took Annie to Finnick's room and tried to teach her as much as possible of the knowledge they had. Only when Finnick suggested that Annie should play the part of the blug did Elizabeth speak up.

"Everyone can be shy."
She took Annie's hand and met her gaze before continuing.
"But you're smart, so be smart."
Annie just nodded as if she accepted and understood what Elizabeth said, but as soon as Finnick said she could leave if she wanted, she was out of the room.

"You can't just undermine me like that."
"Wha, what the hell do you mean?" "Her role, you could have told me before that she was smart, we're supos to look like we're on the same page!"
"Well, I didn't think it was that important!"
"Her role is what can save her in that arena!!"
"Then it was a good thing I said something, because shy sure as hell won't save her!!"
"God when did you become so stubborn!!"
"I've always been stubborn, you've just been too self-absorbed to see it!" "I'm self-absorbed!! Says the girl who lives in the big finna house with a pool all alone!!"
"Well, well you do too!!"
"My parents are dead!!"
"Well my family left me!!"

"What?"
As if in a second, he had gone from angry to concerned, and as soon as I uttered those words, I felt something inside me break.
"My father is dead, my mother does not want to live with me and she took my brother with her."
"Lizzy I--."
"Don't."

I could handle angry, angry I could match, but if he would feel sorry for me, I couldn't handle that.
"Of course you don't know, you refuse to talk to me."
I felt my wois breaking and tears begining to form in the corners of my eyes, but I couldn't cry now, didn't want to cry, not in front of him.
I approached the door to leave, but he grabbed my wrist and turned me around. I was about to scold him, but then he wrapped me in a hug. Then I broke, like a damb that finely gives after for the presiur.
To hell with the anger, to hell with the whole capital. I just cried in his arms and he held me.

We sat down on his bed, he held me, stroked my hair and whispered soothingl words. But when he kissed the top of my head I looked up.
"I'm sorry."
It left his lips before I uttered the words.
"I didn't know you suffered so much." "I haven't had anyone to talk to."
"I'm sorry."
I smiled a little, a sad smile and cupped his cheek with one hand.
"It's not your fault."
"Well, I didn't have to act like an ass." "At least I've gotten really good at writing a diary."
"I just thought I was protecting you, wait what? Diary?"
"It's a long story. You wait, why do I need to be protected?"
"No, you first."

"Mags said I should start journaling to get my feelings out, if I couldn't talk to anyone then. So I did."
"So not such a long story?"
"Well, no I guess not."
Now I smiled between my tears.
"But now it's your turn, why do I need to be protected?"
"Because Snow has no one on me." And then after a single look from me, he began to tell.

Hello my beautiful diary,
we have new tributes.

Finnick talks to me again, I fell asleep in his bed, not on purpose.

Oh and Snow ruins everything.