Rose

On display

I wake up in a bed just as soft as mine, but it's not my bed. I sit up in surprise as I see Finnick sleeping next to me, but as the memory of the previous night returns to me, I feel bile rise in my throat.

I throw off the covers and run too the small bathroom connected to Finnicks room.

As I vomit up stomach acid into the porcelain toilet I feel Finnicks soft hands holding my hair and rubbing my back.

"It's ok Tia, just breathe." His morning voice is rough but it still soothes me.

He helps me to the sink once I'm finished. I wash my hands and mouth, struggling from how badly I'm shaking.

Finnick convinces me to come with him to get breakfast.

Once I enter the main area, scanning it for signs of Atlas, I find out he's been confined to his room.

I also find out that Henry has been sat outside his door the entire night to make sure he couldn't leave.

"I'm sorry." Is all I can utter. My throat is dry and sore, not from vomiting but from the bruise in the shape of a hand that has formed around my neck.

"Don't apologise Celestia, none of this is your fault." Henry says as he rubs my arm.

We eat breakfast in a heavy silence, not even Tiara speaks.

Once we finish eating Henry retreats to Atlas's room to talk to him about the interview while I sit on the couch with Finnick.

"Today will be hard. You have to put on your brightest smile and pretend you the happiest person in the world to be there." Finnicks voice is very serious, which almost makes me laugh. Almost.

"You need to find an angle, something to portray yourself as."

"It seems like my stylist is trying to portray me as 'sexy'" I say as I recall the revealing dress I wore in the tribute parade.

Finnick's eyes go dark, but only for a moment.

"I was thinking more, caring older sister who will do anything to get back to her younger sister."

His idea is good, I must admit.

I nod in response.

"Ok, so you need to emphasise your love for your sister, what's her name?"

"Lily." Whatever happiness left in me rushes away as I think of her. I hope she's doing well. I hope dads taking care of her as he promised me he would.

"Talk about her a lot. You could also bring up that your mother was a victor, that'll get you lots of attention. Don't mention how she died." I've never seen Finnick so serious as he speaks.

My mind isn't on Finnick though.

It's on my family.

Coming up with a lie for my mother would be easy enough, as my father had always simply said she died in a fishing accident whenever Lily brought it up. She was too young to remember. But I wasn't. I allowed the lie, as I thought maybe one day I would come to believe too.

"Ok." I say.

After what is not nearly enough mentoring on the interview, Tiara comes and rushes us out of the apartment and towards the stylist. I remind myself to thank her as she takes the mind to make us leave in seperate groups.

The events of last night are still fresh in my mind and I imagine they'd become much fresher once I saw him.

I'm once again stripped naked and throughly washed and prepped.