AFTERGLOW // finnick odair

sixteen

We stay together.

They walked through the jungle path just like they were on their way to meet death. It certainly felt like it, for all they knew, they could all die in a couple of minutes. Alivia wanted to say something to Finnick–No, she needed to say something. If they didn't make it, Alivia could possibly regret never doing so.

The preparation was done, Beetee did most, if not all, of the work while everybody else stood guard. It could not have been more than 20 minutes and it still felt like an eternity.

"Finnick," she said, "before anything gets out of control, I wanted to say goodbye–"

Finnick perceived the tone of the conversation like a bucket of ice thrown at his head. He placed his trident firmly on the ground and dismissed all of it. "Hey, this isn't goodbye."

"But if it is–"

"It's not. We'll find each other. I'll find you."

He sounded so convinced Alivia almost bought it; almost.

"Please, I need to say it," she urged.

The desperation in her voice was embarrassing, perhaps that was the reason Finnick finally closed his mouth and allowed her to keep going. Alivia was throwing off the confidence he kept trying to cling on and it was not a nice feeling at all.

"Thank you. For everything. And I–" she paused, taking in the odds and Finnick's expectant face then drew in a breath. "I'm glad we are friends."

That last comment eased the tension that was forming on Finnick's shoulders. He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Beetee's instructions. They all had it very clear, they could not let Peeta and Katniss leave on their own.

Beetee hadn't even finished dividing tasks when Peeta announced he was going to join Katniss as a guard. Johanna immediately rolled her eyes in annoyance as Katniss bargained to follow through their own plan. So far, she didn't accomplish what she was expecting to.

"Then Alivia and Finnick should split too, it's only fair," Katniss almost spitted out.

Johanna groaned loudly.

"Oh, come on! Less whining, more moving."

Alivia looked back at Finnick and nodded. That was the plan. Split. The implication that Katniss barked out flew over Alivia's head completely. No other word said, she turned around to leave. Finnick took two large strides, almost offended with that poor farewell, and pulled Alivia in a tight hug.

He whispered once he was close enough, "If anything gets out of control, you turn around and run, alright? I'll be alert."

She bumped her forehead against his shoulder, hoping that would be enough of a response.

"Goodbye, Finnick," she murmured one last time.

"Chop, chop. We don't have all day," Johanna said.

They walked in line, trying to follow the exact same path they had previously walked on. Katniss kept muttering something under her breath. Johanna kept resisting the urge to tell her to shut it. Alivia walked awkwardly in between the two, trying to just stick to the plan. The subtle sound the wire produced from being pulled suddenly stopped, and all three of them were forced to look back. The wire got stuck, Katniss fell a few steps behind until it snapped.

Johanna hit Katniss a little bit too hard, she might've enjoyed it a little bit too much. Enobaria was balancing herself over the rocks with increasing speed. The cut Johanna made on Katniss' wrist was necessary but it didn't make it less painful, it felt like betrayal, even though both Johanna and Alivia knew they were doing this for the greater good.