Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 6

1.5 years later

"Left!" Finnick yelled as she blocked his attack. "Right," he yelled again and she blocked his attack from the other side with a grunt.

"Easy!" she growled.

"Duck!"

"Duck?" she asked confused. "Ow!" she exclaimed as he boxed her over the ears lightly. "What the hell Finnick?" she groaned as she rubbed her ear. "I wasn't expecting that, you're not playing fair."

"If you're in the Hunger Games people won't be yelling out their attacks before they swing Taiya. You have to be prepared."

"You didn't have to hit me though," she grumbled.

Finnick sighed and looked at her, "I know. I'm sorry, that was too far. But you need the practise Taiya. I won't apologise for trying to help you."

"You want to help me? Why don't you talk to Theo?" Taiya suggested as she sat down on the edge of Finnick's private dock. "Why are you two even fighting? You've barely spoken to each other in a year."

"It's complicated."

"Well explain it to me," Taiya pleaded.

"You wouldn't understand," Finnick said, blowing her off.

"That's rubbish Finn and you know it."

"Are you coming tomorrow night?" Finnick asked, changing the subject. "My mom wants to know how many to cook for."

"Yeah, of course, I'm coming. It's not every day my best friend turns 16," she smiled as she nudged him. "Who else is coming?"

"It's just my mom, dad, you and Mags. Do you want to invite your parents?" he asked.

"No I don't think so," Taiya said looking back out at the water. "My mom's not doing well."

"She'll come around Tay," Finnick promised as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I just wish I could've known her before her sister died. I wish I could've known the real her. Dad says she'll improve when there's no chance of me being reaped. I'm not so sure," Taiya sighed. "And besides, I guess by then it'll be too late to even have a proper relationship with her."

"You'll always have me though," Finnick smiled as he swung his arm around her.

"Ew," she laughed, "get off me, you're sweaty," she joked shoving his arm off.

"So are you!" Finnick smirked.

Taiya's mouth fell open, "you didn't!"

"I did," he smiled.

"You ass. You're going in," she laughed as she shoved him into the water. Finnick fell off the dock and straight into the water.

After a few seconds he came back up laughing, "right, that's it. You're so going to get it."

"Don't you dare, don't you dare," she warned, but it was too late, Finnick had grabbed her legs and hauled her into the water with him.

"That'll teach you to mess with me," Finnick smiled as she came back up to the surface.

"Oh it's on Odair," Taiya smiled as she lunged at him, trying to push him under as they both laughed.

*********************

"Where have you been!" Taiya's mother demanded as she walked into her house. "You're soaking wet."

"We live in District 4 mom, we're right next to the beach."

"Were you with Finnick?" Azalea asked.

"Yes I was mom."

"I don't want you hanging around that brat Taiya and that's final."