Shades of Gold and Blue | Finnick Odair

Nine

I wake up to the sound of gulls and the feel of the sun coursing through the room. I prop myself up and look around at the bedroom that I'm to call my own for the time that I'm here. It's nothing special, it's a room that could belong to anyone from anywhere – but the fact that it's here, in District Four is what makes it the most magical place in the world to me.

I briefly look through the notifications coming through on my communicuff and find messages from my friends, my sister and my mother; all congratulating me on my speech. I've yet to hear from Grandfather.

I head over to the desk sitting in front of the window and decide to make a list of what I want to get done today. Number one, I want to go into the town and explore. Number two, I need to buy some sweet treats to be sent to Father – he'll need cheering up, I'm sure. And number three, I must absolutely go to the ocean.

From my window I can see the patio of the Victor's Village – it's a large open space with some planters containing various flowers, there's a barbecue and a snug looking seating area and some children's play equipment likely for the young children that I met yesterday.

It had been strange arriving to the Victor's Village last night – I had been introduced to some parents of the children at the training center and so I had stayed longer than the victors had. When I had finally made it to the village, they were talking and laughing around the barbecue and I was most definitely an unwelcome intruder. They quickly disbanded into their homes before I could so much as think about joining them. Mags gave me a small wave but was swiftly steered home by her husband. No sign of Finnick to be seen though.

He was here now though; he was sat with the two daughters of Iris Arten - Marina and Heidi - on the steps of one of the houses. The youngest girl sitting on his shoulders trying to shape his hair into multiple points as though he were a hedgehog and the older girl playing some sort of clapping game with him. He laughed as she missed his hands and grabbed her up in his arms, spinning both little girls around in the air. I smiled watching, realising I had never seen him so relaxed and free. But then I suppose, I had never seen him at home before.

For some reason Finnick Odair confounded me. Every time I thought I understood him, even just a little bit, it's like another piece of a jigsaw came into place and the whole thing needed to be rearranged to fit.

It's getting closer to noon by the time I manage to sneak away from my entourage and leave the house in the Victor's Village. Dimitri is on a conference call with my Father and had left Barnabas in charge, but then Barnabas had received a phone call from my Mother about a guest list for something happening back home and he had left the prep team in charge.

It didn't take much to sneak away from those three – I had told them that I was taking a nap and locked the door and now here I am sliding down the drain pipe on the side of the house.

I'm half way down when I hear a loud laugh, "What are you doing you mad woman?"

I spin my head round quickly and see Finnick standing with a clearly amused Mags by his side. I huff in annoyance at the level of his voice and continue on my descent down the drain pipe, hoping he hasn't alerted anyone inside to my escape.

Finnick holds the gate open for me at the end of the garden and I walk out of it to meet him and Mags. "Is the door not good enough for you?"

I roll my eyes, "I'm escaping so if you would kindly lower your voice then that'd be great Finnick."

He puts his hand up to his head in mock salute, "Anything for you Angel."

I turn to Mags who's watching the interaction with a look of mischief in her eyes, "Morning Mags."

She smiles and gives my cheek a little squeeze, just like my Ama does. She makes a series of gestures and although I think I get most of it, I look to Finnick just to be sure.

"She's wondering where you're escaping to."

"Oh!" I smile, "I'm going to go see the town I think. I didn't get to see much of it yesterday what with it being the first day."

"It's a Sunday."

I stare back at him with a blank expression on my face.

"Pretty much everything is closed on a Sunday."

"Oh. Maybe I could go watch the boats?"

He and Mags share a little laugh at that, "You'd have a hard time getting any of the boys onto a boat on a Sunday. Don't you know that the Kelpies come out on Sundays?"

"Is that some kind of fish?"

A new voice joins in our conversation, "It's a horse." I turn and see little Heidi, a wooden horse in between her legs as she gallops around me. "They come out to look for sailors every Sunday, and if they find you, they'll knock you from your boat and pull you down into the dark depths of the ocean and you'll be drowned. Then you're doomed to live down there forever and ever until the whole world ends and the ocean turns to fire."

I stare horrified at the small child, "Lovely." I look back up to Finnick and Mags who're eyeing me once again with amusement. "No boats then. Is anything open or should I just go back inside before they realise I've left?"

"Well," Heidi's voice chimes, "there's the bar by the docks but you don't want to go there because my Mummy says they eat girls like me and you alive and it's only your first day here so you don't want to get eaten."

I laugh at her, "What type of girl is that?"

Finnick picks the girl up and tickles her, "The pretty type I suppose, hmm Miss Heidi?"

I ignore the way the butterflies take off at that – I'm being ridiculous. He's talking about the girl, not you.

"Anywhere else then Heidi?"

"The orphanage is always open because the boys there are crazy. I think I'd lose my mind if I had to live with those demon children. That's probably why Mrs Griffin is crazy."

Mags taps the girl on the shoulder and gives her a look of admonishment, Heidi turns to me looking forlorn, "Sorry Miss Snow. I shouldn't have said that, I suppose it's not her fault she's crazy." And off she goes galloping on her horse.

The three of us are holding in our laughter as we look at each other and I'm the first to speak, "She seems very sweet."

Mags snorts and puts her fingers to her head as if making two devil horns and I laugh at her, "No Mags, I don't believe you! She's the picture of innocence. I might have to make her my tour guide, she seems very well informed about the area." I look back to the house and check there's no one watching, "Anyway, I better go before they find me out here. I've got to see this Mrs Griffin for myself now."

I give them both a smile and start walking towards the village gate leading down to the main town.

Finnick calls from behind, "I'd take Heidi's advice and stay away from the docks today Cassia. I don't think you're quite ready to listen to the kind of things that come out of a drunken sailor's mouth."

I laugh, "I think you'd be surprised at what I can handle."

He smiles and shakes his head, "Nevertheless, I'd feel a lot better if you stayed away from there. At least for today?"

I look back at him, a little shocked at his sudden care for my well being, "Okay, thank you Finnick."

He smiles, letting Mags lean on him as they walk away towards one of the houses and I wander off down the sandy path towards the town, delighting in the feel of the warm sand dusting my feet through my sandals.

Thank you so much for reading - I hope you liked this chapter.

C