Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 7

Again, Taiya was flaked out on Romulus' couch whilst he and Kenna whispered about her in the next room.

She acted as though she didn't know what they were doing, but she did. She wasn't that out of it, she just didn't care. They couldn't do anything to help her besides let her sleep when she got to the apartment, so joining in on their whispering and brainstorming sessions was a waste of time.

She'd turned on the television so that her friends would think her brain and mind were more active than it was. In reality, she was staring at a spot on the wall above the television. She really didn't care what was on. She was just too emotionally drained.

"Look, she's worse than she was last time," Kenna whispered. "She's just getting worse. We have to do something."

"She said she doesn't want to talk," Romulus argued his point. "Look, she has next to no autonomy as soon as she leaves here, we can't take away her power to decide how she wants to handle this here, the only time she can make her own decision."

"But I know her better. She's a notoriously crap decision-maker. I still think throwing her in the bath is the best way to go."

"That's just... weird and seems borderline like torture," Romulus shook his head.

"The others would be on board," Kenna grumbled, crossing her arms. Kenna couldn't quite convince him that throwing their vulnerable friend in a cold bath would be therapeutic. She missed her friends from 4, they wouldn't even think twice. The water reset button was the go-to any time someone got stroppy.

By this stage, Taiya wasn't even listening. She was staring at Peeta, whose face was currently on the screen.

He looked horrible, much worse than the last time she'd seen him. His face was thin, his cheekbones jutting out, his eyes angry and unfocused. She'd last seen him when they had their joint interview. He looked so devoid of life, it hurt her to look at him. Sweet, kind Peeta, he'd been broken.

Then all of a sudden the screen switched and Katniss was in the living room with them, her face blown up on the screen.

Romulus and Kenna immediately ended their quiet conversation and rushed to the couch to watch.

It only lasted a few seconds before Peeta was back, looking confused and dazed. He'd seen her too.

"Was that..."

"Yep," Kenna nodded. "That was her. The rebels, they're breaking into the broadcast."

Peeta's body jerked slightly as he was clearly urged to continue. "The bombing of the water purification plant is..." he began before being cut off again.

"The whole nation fell in love with her. Rue. She was young. So innocent, and murdered so cruelly. That is what the Capitol is to the Districts. A cruel entity that murders our children."

It was him. It was him. It was him.

"Turn it off," Taiya forcefully demanded. Kenna and Romulus froze as they looked at her. Finnick was on the screen. It was him there, talking about Rue, and yet she wanted to shut it off. "Didn't you hear me! Turn it off!" she panicked her eyes filled with tears.

Kenna quickly leapt forward and hit the power button, killing the signal and removing his face from the screen.

"Tay, what was..."

"Don't want to talk about it," Taiya cut her friend off sharply as she turned around to stare at the couch cushion. "It could be him," Taiya muttered to herself as she rocked backwards and forwards. "But the rebels could fake it. What if they're right? What if he's dead and this is all a lie? He's dead. They said he was killed."