AFTERGLOW // finnick odair

fourteen

Felt like a goodbye. 

The sweat leaked through her eyelashes and her eyes itched in response. Her hand scrubbed them quite harshly like the sun that burned her back. It was hard to believe that they were just a couple hours in.

Deep in the jungle, Alivia didn't stand by her first thought anymore; about how the arena was the surprise those sponsors kept teasing Finnick. Aside from the beach, none of this was a pleasant surprise but then again, neither were those people.

Her head lolled to the side, meeting Johanna, Wiress, Beetee and Blight.

Finnick and her had parted ways at dawn. Not even Finnick's charm could get them to ride together to the arena. Alivia tried to convince herself it was fine, they had said goodbye to each other in the building. At least Alivia had said goodbye, the response of Finnick was, "Hey, it's not goodbye, I'll see you in a sec."

Sitting there, no Finnick in sight, it definitely felt like a goodbye. She kept going back to what had happened and what she could've done better. The sun was burning her head just like it was doing right now but there was a loud countdown that kept her heart on edge.

The start deafened her ears, or it was probably the water she dived into; whatever, that didn't matter. Her goal was to get to the cornucopia, where she promised to meet Finnick.  Their paths finally crossed again, the water was a clear advantage to their district. Not everyone knew how to swim as skillfully as Finnick.

"Hey, come here often?"

Alivia rolled her eyes with hidden tenderness, hurrying a teasing Finnick as she shook off some excess water in her suit. Finnick stayed put to meet Katniss, and Alivia rounded the cornucopia to find Peeta. After being alerted, they all made their way to help Peeta. Alivia fell last place in line when she heard a blade filing up, immediately whirling right around to face a nonchalant Gloss.

Unaware of this, Finnick and Katniss kept running away from where she stood.

"Hello Alivia, do you want to join us? It's not too late to change your mind, sweetheart."

She braced herself, slowly reaching a defensive posture. "I'm good."

A sigh escaped Gloss, like she was actually inconveniencing him. "What a shame."

He pondered for a second until a knife was thrown at her. As a warning, as a way of taunting her, as a way to separate her from Finnick. He threw another, this one closer; and another one, this one leaving a trail of blood on her arm. A fight was not what she was looking for and would be exactly what she would find if she didn't turn around and leave.

The rest of the careers were just around the corner, so she dived in the water once again, swimming further and further away from Gloss and inevitably also from Finnick.

She tried to shake off the sand that was forming into mud with her hands but it kept getting clumpy so she eventually gave up. Not too far but far enough, was Finnick looking at his surroundings until his eyes finally landed on her. The damp strands of hair barely moved when she shook her head. They wouldn't make it, not unless they faced the Careers and that was not a risk they had to take so early on.

They weren't there to kill people–as ironic as that sounded– they were there to keep Katniss and Peeta alive. Finnick didn't need Alivia to do that, if one of them could get them out alive it was him; and that was all Alivia needed to remind herself. Stop for no one, Finnick had said to her in the morning, she didn't imagine it would apply to each other. 

Johanna stomped up to shore with Blight, Wiress and Beetee in tow.

"Thank fuck. I know you," she said, exasperated. "Where is Finnick?"