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A GENTLE TAPPING ON HER SHOULDER woke Avalon up from her slumber. Her eyes slowly fluttered open, meeting eyes with Finnick. He didn't have to say anything - they both knew what day it was.
The two stood from their seats and stretched. Avalon made eye contact with Finnick for a second, then walked closer to him to embrace him in a hug. He didn't hesitate to return it, putting a hand on her hair and kissing the top of her head.
"I'll see you soon," he said, pulling away and flashing the girl a quick smile before leaving.
Avalon didn't know how Finnick wasn't visibly stressed out about their current situation. She knew just how bad the Games left him - she had been there for the nightmares. But that wasn't her main focus, so she just shrugged the thought off and continued walking.
A part of her wished that she could just overthrow the Capitol, but she knew nobody would be on her side in the act. Nobody was brave enough; and when it came to it, Avalon wasn't sure she was she was brave enough either.
She met Xanth in the room where she would be taken into the Games. He gave her a comforting smile. "You're in luck, my friend." He held up a wetsuit - just as she had in her first Games. "You won with a wetsuit last time, you'll win with a wetsuit this time."
Avalon shook her head. "I'm not so sure about that." Xanth just closed his eyes and shook his head, handing her the wetsuit as she got changed. The feeling of the wetsuit was all too familiar, and she had flashbacks from her previous Games.
She didn't feel as much anxiety as she had the first time, though she felt like she should be more anxious. She was going against experienced killers this time, not random teenagers.
Xanth tied her hair up in a high ponytail so that it would be out of her face. He stepped back a little, thing a gold chain around her neck. "You know Haymitch Abernathy?" She nodded. "He wants you to ally with twelve. Just show them the chain and you'll be good. He has a plan to break you guys out of the Games, so just watch out for that."
She turned to face him, and he sent her a small smile once more. She hugged him, thanking him repeatedly for everything he had done for her.
"Of course, sweetheart," he said, pulling away from the hug. "Now go kick some ass." The two chuckled.
Avalon nodded and turned around, walking to the tube where she was supposed to go up into the Games. As the tube closed, the all-too-familiar anxious feeling she got in the first Games came back suddenly, and she struggled to slow her breathing. Xanth waved as the platform began to move upwards.
