Reunited // Finnick Odair

Chapter 12

I wake to Effie knocking loudly on the door.

''I'll be through in a few minutes!'' I call to her, sitting up and rubbing a hand across my forehead, attempting to sooth my pounding headache. I drag myself over to the sink in the bathroom and splash warm water over my face, a desperate attempt to clear the fog away from my mind.

Another nightmare. Another night of flashbacks of my Games, only distorted. I saw him again. That face. The blurred figure coming closer then backing away. Who is he?

When I'm finished washing my face, I go back through to my room, into some comfy trousers and a tight top, slipping on some comfy flats. I'm not wearing a dress and heels today. I sit down at the dresser and look in the mirror. I stare right into my eyes, a slightly duller blue than usual. I stare and stare until I crack, dropping my head into my palm and sobbing. I sit there, wallowing in my own self pity, for around five minutes before Effie knocks on the door again.

''Breakfast is waiting for you, Vivianna!'' she says cheerfully through the door, unaware of the sobbing girl on the other side.

''Sorry, I was sidetracked!'' I reply, lifting my head up and wiping the tears away before proceeding to do my makeup. When I get to my hair, I sigh. It's so long, reaching down to mid waist by now. I grab a brush and scrape it back into a messy ponytail, not bothering with anything particularly fancy. I stand up and glance in the mirror one last time, noticing my eyes are now bloodshot and sore. Ignoring it, I walk out of my room and into the dining area, dropping into a seat beside Katniss.

Katniss is making the most of the food, enjoying lamb stew, orange juice and hot chocolate. I grab a mug of coffee and an apple from the fruit basket.

''Where's everybody else?'' Katniss asks after some time.

''Oh, who knows where Haymitch is,'' Effie says. Knowing Haymitch, he'll have spent the night drinking away the past and is only just going to bed. ''Cinna was up late working on organizing your garment car. He must have over a hundred outfits for you. Your evening clothes are exquisite. Yours too, Vivianna. And Peeta's team is probably still asleep.''

''Doesn't he need prepping?'' Katniss wonders.

''Not the way you do,'' Effie replies, earning a slightly surprised look from Katniss. I half smile at her and shrug.

And then the prep team enter, looking exactly how I feel, drinking coffee, swallowing brightly coloured pills before whisking Katniss away to prep her, leaving just Effie and I alone. I don't remember quite what they did to my when I came out of my Games, but I'm grateful. It means I don't ever have to go through full prep again. Ever.

''You're awfully quiet this morning, Vivianna,'' Effie comments, breaking the silence.

''I'm always quiet in the morning, Effie,'' I shrug, pouring myself another coffee. I hear her sigh but she doesn't say anything else. She gets up and leaves the cart, leaving me alone with my coffee and my thoughts. I sit there, staring off into space for hours, barely noticing people coming and going, probably Peeta and his prep team. After a long while, I hear someone calling my name, shaking my shoulder. I break out of my trance and look right to see Haymitch.

''Are you okay?'' he asks me.

I wave a hand. ''Fine, I'm fine,'' I dismiss him. He gives an unconvinced nod and takes a seat, shortly joined by Peeta, Cinna, Portia and Effie for lunch. I can hear everyone chatting loudly about the tour, besides Haymitch, picking at a muffin, and I, swirling a bowl of soup around.

Eventually Katniss arrives, sitting down in the spare seat next to Cinna. She clearly isn't the mood to talk either. People attempt to include Katniss and I in conversation but we don't respond. I can imagine Effie look of horror from my bad manners but I'm not in the caring mood today. I tune out again, thinking about the tour, thinking back to my tour.

''No one cares, Effie!'' Katniss' harsh tone snaps me out of my daydream. I look over to see everyone staring at Katniss. ''Well, no one does!'' she says defensively before getting up and leaving the car.

I look over at Peeta and we both get up and follow after her. We feel the train emergency stop and head through the open door and out into the sunshine, the snow from District 12 now gone, to find Katniss slumped on the ground a few hundred yards away.

''I'm not in the mood for a lecture,'' Katniss warns, not looking at us.

''We'll try to keep it brief,'' Peeta takes a seat beside her. I drop down next to him.

''I thought you were Haymitch,'' she says, looking up.

''No, he's still working on that muffin,'' I say jokingly.

''Bad day, huh?'' Peeta asks, positioning his new artificial leg.

''It's nothing,'' Katniss brushes it off.

Peeta takes a deep breath. ''Look, Katniss, I've been wanting to talk to you about the way I acted on the train. I mean, the last train. The one that brought us home. I knew you had something with Gale. I was jealous of him before I officially met you. And it wasn't fair to hold you to anything that happened in the Games. I'm sorry.''

I half smile at the cute apology, but feel like an intruder. I want that. I want a cute apology from someone who cares about me.