Of Ocean Eyes and Fractured Minds

Chapter 1

Finnick

"Good job, Finnick. You're free to go for today!"

My father congratulated as we reached the docks of District 4 on my family's boat, The Marigold.

After I had helped my father dock the boat, I jumped off, running through the streets of the marketplace of District 4. The streets were lined with wooden stands that sold apples and oranges and men pulled carts full of fish. Chatter filled the square with children chasing each other, fishermen sharing beers, and women bargaining with merchants. The square itself had two story buildings made of bricks and doors colorfully painted reds and blues and greens.

Finally I reached the outskirts of town and to the fishermen's houses, or as the merchants called it, Fishmonger Town. I sped down a narrow path to a secluded area of the beach surrounded by towering pine trees, broad red cedar trees, and thick redwoods.

I suddenly came to a halt when I saw that someone was already in my special area of the beach.

She looked to be about twelve—a year younger than me—with flowing reddish-brown hair and pale skin, the mark of a merchant. She seemed to be sat in the sand looking out to the sea, her blue skirt rippling in the wind.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded, crossing my arms in frustration.

At once she scrambled to her feet, turning to look at me and I was met with dark sea green eyes, like the color of the ocean in a storm.

"I'm sorry!" She quickly apologized, "It's just—I was walking on the beach—and I came across this place—and—wait a second," she paused, furrowing her eyebrows, "This place doesn't belong to you either!"

I smiled slightly at her words "No, but this is Fishmonger Town and you're clearly a merchant's kid."

Her freckled cheeks turned a light pink but she stood her ground, "It still doesn't mean this place belongs to you."

We stared at each other for a few seconds before I let out a laugh. "I like you, Merchant Girl."

"My name's Annie." She instantly corrected, crossing her arms firmly.

"Well I'm still calling you Merchant Girl." I smirked, sitting down on the sand. Hesitantly, Annie took a seat next to me. "So, Merchant Girl, what did you think of this year's Games?"

Two weeks ago the 64th Hunger Games ended and a girl from District 1 named Cashmere was crowned Victor. "Horrible. As usual." Annie answered bitterly.

"Don't let the Peacekeepers hear you," I joked although there was truth behind my words. If a Peacekeeper heard her, her family would at the very least be fined.

A silence fell between us until Annie broke it. "You're Finnick Odair, aren't you?"

At once my eyebrows furrowed. "How did you know?"

Annie smiled, "You're really popular at school," her green eyes twinkled. "At least for a Fishmonger."

"You never seize to make me smile, Merchant Girl." I retorted with a chuckle.

The rest of the afternoon flew by as we talked. As we exchanged stories, seagulls flew overhead and the waves of the small beach stretched closer to our barefeet. The sky slowly went from bright blue to a light pink as the sun began to set and we soon realized just how long we had been in our little sanctuary.

"Well, I better get home for dinner and you've got a long walk to Merchant City," I professed, standing up.

"'Merchant City?'" Annie asked as she stood up, dusting off the sand from her skirt.

"You think you Merchants are the only ones with nicknames?" I smirked as we reached the road that led on the left to Merchant City and the right deeper into Fishmonger Town. "See you around Merchant Girl."

Annie smiled as she walked away, "Goodbye Fishmonger Boy."

Annie

"So you spent the afternoon with the Finnick Odair?"

I was now sat with my friends in the lush courtyard at school for lunch. The courtyard itself was probably only ten meters by twenty meters with grass and buttercups growing next to wooden benches. Many people came here for lunch and spread out in the grass and benches, boys and girls sitting with friends and relaxing for a short period of time from their tedious schoolwork.

"I did, Amelia." I confirmed calmly.

"Oh my gosh!" My friends, Amelia and Pearl exclaimed at the same time, sharing wide-eyed glances.

"Is he even more handsome up close?" Pearl persisted, leaning forward excitedly, her hands almost shaking with anticipation.

Of course, about half the school was head over heals in love with Finnick Odair. He was tall, athletic, with tanned skin, bronze hair, and especially stunning sea green eyes. Girls who were older than Finnick were in love with him. I hated to admit it, but even I found him attractive but I had never understood why there was so much fuss about it.

"I guess," I answered awkwardly, taking a bite out of the sandwich my mother had packed me.

"But what was he like?" Amelia pressed on, pushing her light brown hair out of her face.

"Like every other fishmonger I've ever met." I answered, although I had to admit, Finnick was a lot less arrogant than I had expected.

"He is so not like every other fishmonger!" Amelia cried out, outraged as if I had offended her. "Oh look, he's coming!"

I turned around and saw that Finnick was in fact entering the courtyard surrounded by his usual group of boys made up of the children of fishermen and merchants alike.

Several girls, like Pearl and Amelia, were now whispering to each other excitedly, gossiping over what the Finnick Odair was up to.

I knew Amelia and Pearl wouldn't stop talking about him for a while so I moved slightly away from them and took out a book I had found in my house's attic that I think was from before the Dark Days.

"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. "Which road do I take?" She asked. "Where do you want to go?" Was his response, "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter-"

"Hey Merchant Girl." Finnick's voice brought me back to reality and out of my book.

His sea green eyes were looking intently at me and his gang of boys were hanging back behind him, unsure of what FInnick was up to.

"Hey Fishmonger Boy." I acknowledged with a small smile, and out of the corner of my eyes I could see Pearl and Amelia's wide eyes.

"What are you reading?" Finnick inquired looking down at the book.

"A book." I answered shortly, hiding the cover.

Finnick rolled his eyes. "Obviously."

"So why is the popular fishmonger talking to the unpopular merchant girl?" I jibed, raising my eyebrows and holding back a grin.

"Oh you know," Finnick gave me his confident smile that I had now become familiar with, "Just wanted to say hi,"

"That's it?" I asked plainly, unimpressed by the reasoning behind his grand appearance.

"And tell you if you want you can stop by my spot on the beach later." Finnick revealed. With that he began to turn away before adding, "I would also tell your friends to stop drooling."

I laughed as he walked away, his gang of boys following closely behind.

At once Pearl and Amelia turned to me. "What did he say?"

I smiled. "Just that you two were drooling."

This story is set in The Hunger Games universe and contains a small exert from Alice in Wonderland