Allied Hearts - Finnick Odair

Chapter 4.

Once we left the training centre all I did was plead with my father to let me go back for the next two days, his suspicions arose and at any mention of Finnick he was clearly on edge. I wasn't giving up though, I wanted to get to know him, discover what all his mystery was about. I'm desperate to believe he isn't like the other careers, maybe just to make myself feel better about the little thing I've developed for him, whatever this thing was. Every time I asked on the train he just shut me down, and eventually stopped listening to me.

Time for me to get more tactical, I'll just ask him around other people of the Capitol.
The Presidents daughter wanting to get involved with the tributes and help them, priceless for the public. There's no way he'll say no to making himself look better.

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Before I knew it I was back on the train travelling to the centre. My plan had obviously worked and my father kept up the facade of me being daddy's little girl and getting whatever she asked for.

The Capitol thought it was amazing how I wanted to get involved with the 'riff raff' as one of them said. I'll never understand their mentality and how they think they're so superior over the districts, maybe it's all the money and make up getting to their heads.

I stepped off the train with two peace makers closely following, guns at the ready. Definitely not my idea, I was very opposed to them. They're all power driven, they love how feared they are, and are just borderline cruel when it comes down to it. No surprise they hide behind their big protective helmets and snow white suits, capital cowards are what I like to think of them as.

I'm led up to the top of the training hall, a forcefield between us and the tributes. Once again they're watched by an audience, but at least no Snow today, I'm sure they'll be glad that his beady eyes aren't on them.

'I want to be down there, I didn't come to stand behind and stare, I want to speak to them.'

'You want to speak to Finnick more like Al.'

'Alia' I corrected the man who clearly thought he was a comedian by the way he chuckled at his own little joke.

The peace makers tried to follow with me but I told them to stay. It wasn't easy for a 12 year old to urge two old trigger happy men to stay put but I can be very persuasive when I want to be.

Once I stepped into the hall it was like all eyes were on me, suddenly beginning to feel self conscious I played with the end of my long blonde hair, twirling and twirling hoping the ground would swallow me up.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, I stuck out like a sore thumb. All the tributes wore the same, black leggings or trousers for the boys, they had a blue stripe going down the sides whilst the long sleeved shirts matched them perfectly, and plain black trainers.

They camouflaged whilst I was eye catching, it was an awful feeling. My black skirt and a purple top with flared sleeves began to feel like the wrong choice. At least my shoes were black sneakers, I fit in that way I guess, or at least I was thinking that to make myself feel better. It just solidified the divide between us, I was the Capitol whilst they were tributes, but I wanted to change that, I wanted to sympathise with them.

The careers stayed in their huddle looking at me curiously, no one had any idea what I was doing. No member of the capital had been down with them, especially not a Snow. The other tributes just looked distant, almost like they had no more hatred left, they had just accepted the defeat, and my relation to my father no longer mattered, it really was a smack in the face being this close to them, I could feel their sadness suffocating me.

A girl who seemed the same age as me, just by looking at her anyway approached me after what felt like forever.

'You can come over with me if you'd like, I'm practising making a fire.' I nodded my head and began to follow her small strides over to one of the stations.

We both sat as I began to watch her get to work. She started off by laying a little nest of dry grass, and then placing a stick in the centre, beginning to rapidly rub her hands against it. Fire emerged, a very smoky and little one, but she was chuffed at the sight of it. She raised her hand to give me a high five which I gladly returned, maybe I was getting somewhere with them finally.

'My names Callissa by the way' before I could even state my own name she interrupted. 'Everyone in here already knows who you are, no one knows why you're here though?'

Curiosity laced around each of her words. I wasn't even sure myself never mind to explain to another person, I think she gathered this and dropped the subject, making small talk in between her showing me various different things; what berry's are poisonous, how to cook meat, more fires and how to keep yourself warm when the temperature is dropping.

'How did you learn all of this Callisa?' So many skills come from such a young girl.

'My dad was preparing all of our siblings for if we ever got reaped, he taught us the basic things we'd need to survive. Just unlucky that now I'm having to put it into practise' She looked as if she was in denial that this was even happening to her.

It's so sad how that's what she was raised
on, whilst I was learning perfect etiquette and how to act on camera, they're out here learning how to fend for themselves in the wild as young as twelve.

'Sorry to take her away from you, but I'd love to show Miss Snow some stuff myself.' Snapping me out of my trance I heard a voice above my head.
My heart pounded as soon as I turned around and there he was, Finnick Odair. We were centimetres away, and I'm pretty sure he could hear my heart through my chest.

'Come on then, Miss Snow.'