Allies (Katniss Everdeen & Finnick Odair)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Finnick and I continue with our deal the rest of the week. During all of these training hours I've gotten to know him a little bit and he has changed the idea I had of him. He tells me about his life in District 4, about his best friend Annie Cresta (who also won the Hunger Games), and about his love for the ocean, which coming from someone from District 4, is not much of a surprise.

One day during the hour we spend training with the bow and arrow he begins to ask me a lot of questions.

"So, where did you learn to shoot?" he says, staring at me while I aim.

"Uh… my dad taught me. We used to hunt." I say.

"Do you still do it?"

"Yeah. Me and my friend Gale used to go hunting almost every day but then he turned eighteen and had to begin working at the mines so now I only see him on Sundays."

"And this Gale guy… how did you meet him?"

"Well, both of our dads died in the same mining accident, and afterwards we both needed to take care of our families so one day when I was attempting to hunt in the woods, I met him and we sort of became friends because of the similarities of our situations." I give Finnick an arrow. "You can talk and shoot, you know?"

He smiles. "And what does Peeta think of Gale?"

I frown a little. "Um… they don't really have much interaction…"

"That's not what I mean. I mean what does he think of you being friends with him?"

"I've been friends with Gale since I was eleven, I wouldn't really care if Peeta didn't like me hanging out with him." I say, coldly.

Finnick smiles again and shoots his arrow. Hi misses the target by inches. "And what does Peeta think of you hanging out with me?"  

"We both agreed to train with other tributes to see if we would make alliances." I say, a bit startled by his question.

"Mhm… well he must be a very secure guy." He says, with a smirk.

Peeta is not a secure guy, because of Gale mostly but, nothing's ever happened with Gale. Things got confusing for a while but I think we both are better off remaining just friends. And I know Peeta doesn't feel secure because there's nothing to be secure about. We're on-screen lovers. Off-screen, we're friends but he knows I don't feel the same way he feels about me, but I guess, he still has a sort of fear to lose me as an on-screen lover as well.

I decide to change the subject to him instead of me because I feel my cheeks getting warm.

"So, how many girlfriends do you have?"

He laughs. "None. I know it's surprising for you but, I'm a bit insecure." I raise my eyebrows. "Not because there's anything wrong with me but I'm insecure about trusting people. Mags and Annie are the only two people who understand me and love me, no matter what."

"I have trouble trusting people as well." I say, in a shy voice.

Our training time ends and Finnick and I put down our bows.

He puts his hand on my back and I feel goosebumps. "So, I guess this is where our private training sessions end. It was fun, Katniss."

"Yeah… although you're not as good as you thought with the bow." I say.

"Oh yeah? You should see yourself with the trident, honey. Looks like you're scaring away a fly with it."

I laugh a bit loudly, obtaining some looks from the other tributes. I don't usually laugh a lot but Finnick gets laughs out of me very easily.