Want to come to my floor for dinner? I write, sliding the paper toward Finnick.
"I'd love to," he smiles. He genuinely looks happy to go.
"Asphodel!" a voice exclaims. I turn, wondering what Katniss could possibly want. She runs up to me. "I saw you throw knives. You were like Clove, from last year. But faster. And sharper." She pauses, catching her breath. "Allies?"
I glance at Finnick, who nods. I study Katniss and think back to watching her Games last year. I frown slightly, but decide she'll be a good ally. Until it's time to split up, of course.
I nod, but gesture to Ryder, Finnick, Mags, and Johanna.
"If you ally with her," Finnick translates, "you also get Ryder, myself, Mags, and Johanna." I look pointedly at him. "Oh, right. And Blight." I nod, satisfied. I worked it out with Johanna earlier. Blight will be joining our alliance.
"Peeta, Beetee, and Wiress," Katniss bargains. "They've all already agreed."
I nod. Unlike most of everybody else, I take Beetee and Wiress seriously. They might not be strong, but they're smart. They won using their minds. Like I did, sort of. Yes, I can use weapons, but I rely more heavily on my mind.
"Then it's a deal," Finnick says. "Districts 3, 4, 5, 7, and 12 all working together."
Wiress, Beetee, Mags, Finnick, myself, Ryder, Johanna, Blight, Katniss, and Peeta. Ten tributes, all in one alliance. Risky, especially once we all have to start killing each other. But what's life without a little risk? I'm only alive because I took a huge risk.
I try to remember how everyone won. Beetee electrocuted the Careers and Wiress hid and slit everyone's throats while they slept. Mags was a part of the Career pack and killed her allies in one huge fight. Finnick was the favorite from the start and skewered everyone with his trident after trapping them in a net.
Ryder had one ally, who died. After that, Ryder went on a rampage and hunted everyone down. Johanna played weak and killed anyone that realized she was actually incredibly strong and Blight hid in the trees, shooting people down with arrows from above. There was no bow at the Cornucopia, so he made one, along with poison-tipped arrows. Everyone knows Katniss and Peeta's story, even though Peeta never would've survived without Katniss.
And, of course, we all know what happened to me.
I nod a goodbye to Katniss and continue walking to the elevator. Finnick runs up behind me and grabs my hand.
"No doing that in the arena," he says firmly and I look at him questioningly. "Just randomly walking away. Don't do that in the arena."
I nod and we climb in the elevator. It's quiet, but not uncomfortable. Finnick pulls me into his side, hugging me tightly.
"When it's time to break up the alliance, when the fighting breaks out, you and I are going to run, okay?" Finnick tells me. I nod, wrapping my arms around him. He's muscular, yet lean. He has the perfect body for a swimmer.
"Asphodel Hecate Lethe, why is Finnick Odair coming onto our floor?" Atom asks, crossing his arms.
He's my ally, I say through sign language. Atom's the only one that bothered to learn it.
"Who else is in your alliance?"
Beetee, Wiress, Mags, Ryder, Johanna, Blight, Peeta, and Katniss. I could do without the last two, though.
He laughs, but nods. Good. He approves of my alliance.
Finnick is staying for dinner, I sign.
"Sign language?" Finnick asks me. I nod. "I didn't know you knew sign language," he muses. "That makes things easier." I give him a questioning look. "I also know sign language. Because of Mags."
"That does make things easier," Atom nods.
"So?" Neutro, my district partner, asks as we wait for the hovercraft to pick us up. "You think you can do it?"
"I don't know," I mutter, glancing at him. "I'm sure one of us has a chance, though. We're sponsored. That makes things easier."
"That does make things easier."
"Del?" Atom's voice asks, snapping me back to reality. I look at him. "You okay?"
I nod.
"Neutro?"
I nod again.
My district partner died a horrific death. Eaten alive by a pack of rabid wild dogs.
"Run!" he screams. "Del, run!"
"No! Neutro!"
"Just do it, Asphodel! Win, okay? Now run!"
So I do. About half an hour later, I hear a cannon go off.
"Okay," I whisper, choking back my tears.
I pull my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. I bury my face in my knees and hide my tears from the cameras. He wasn't a friend, he wasn't a family member, but he was an ally. We trusted each other. We had each other's backs. He was from home. Now he's gone and I'm left with a promise to fulfill.
"Okay. I'll win, Neutro. I'll win."
"Neutro?" Finnick asks, making me snap out of my memories. Again.
My first district partner, I sign. We were allies.
"Oh," he says, frowning. "I'm sorry. Were you guys...y'know...close?"
He sounds awkward and kind of upset. Nothing like the usual confident Finnick Odair.
Not really even friends, I sign back. Just allies. He was someone to trust, though. He died for me.
"Good," Finnick nods, looking deep in thought. "That's good."
He takes my hand in his.
Maybe we'll be okay.
