Against All Odds (Finnick Odair love story) (1)

Chapter 45

I sit in Mags kitchen silently waiting/expect Mags to raise her voice at me. My eyes are glued to the island in front of me waiting for a disappointed sigh or anything not daring myself to look up.
Instead of getting any of those thing. Mags starts laughing making my eyes snap to her delicate face. She seems thoroughly amused chuckling as she cooks.
"Calm down you little delinquent you." Finnick's voice sounds as he sits next to me on the stool.
I groan of course Finnick knows.
"Sent out not even 10 minutes into your first class? You beat my own personal record." Finnick teases nudging my shoulders.
"You aren't upset with me?" I ask her quietly.
"No dear no one is upset with you Flower. I insisted he let me speak with the principle. She set the record straight." Mags tells me gently her face softening.
I feel a hand on my back I flinch before realizing it's Finnick. He rubs circles comfortingly.
"Could I ask you what happened so I know for sure?" She asks me.
"I was wondering what to write under guardian since I don't have one. So I asked him. He started talking down to me like I'm stupid. Insisting I tell him who I live with. I told him no one. He didn't believe me. I explained to him that i could live by myself because the Capitol sees me as an adult now. I guess me responding made him angrier because he told me if I was an adult then I had no reason to be in his class then he sent me out." I tell them half ashamed half in frustration.
"You'd think he's a teacher that he would encourage questions." Mags mutters as she stirs dinner.
"Even more than that... for a government teacher he is very uninformed about how the hunger games/government works." Finnick mutter to me making me giggle.
"She also mentioned that you are in all AP classes." Mags says serving three plates.
"I didn't know you took AP classes Kar." Finnick mutters.
"I'm in the medical program so I have to be in all AP to graduate."I tell them.
"I remembering you mentioning that. I know it's difficult but how does it work?" Mags asks me curiously as we file into the dinning room.
"If you take on level in both medical courses anatomy and medical terminology from 12-18 you can be a nurse or nursing assistant even managing that is difficult. While if you take AP from 12-16 and do a work study with the hospital for two years and keep up with the work from your core classes. Then if you passed the test the hospital gives you become a medical doctor." I tell them as we start eating the smothered pork and rice.
They look at each other smiling.
"What's the graduating rate for AP medicine?" Finnick asks looking at me.
"Well our classes started with 45 students. Now we have 26." I tell them cutting a piece of pork.
"Wow that's crazy." Mags says looking at me.
"You have to pass a test given before even entering the medical program as well. Most people don't make it through that. Some years no one graduates or passes the tests. Meaning they don't get the doctorate. It's insanely difficult to become a doctor we get one or two every ten years." I estimate shrugging.
"Sounds very competitive." They comment.
"Definitely the kids are very stuck up. Most AP kids are." I tell them laughing softly.
"How many kids from the slum are in the program?" Mags wonders.
"Maybe one in each year." I say after a moment of thinking about it.
"I didn't realize you were this academic." Mags says neutrally.
"I have always loved school it's a lot of work but I wanted to make a life for myself." I tell them honestly.
"That's amazing Kara. We know you are going to do amazing." Finnick tells me smiling softly.

Finnick's POV
It's like everyday Kara never fails to surprise and inspire me. I've heard horror stories about the grueling medical program. Even thinking about doing it was laughable. Even growing up in a middle class working household with two of the best parents a child could ask for. I wouldn't have even attempted the program.
"How was work Fin?" Mags wonders after a few minutes of eating in silence.
"The ocean was tougher than usual today. The new kid I'm training got sick." I say my lips turning up remembering.
"Have sympathy not everyone grew up on a boat like you." Kara chimes in her tone neutral.
"I know that silly. I found it funny because he was talking a mess of confidence before hand about how he's going to run the crew on his first day." I tell her challengingly.
"Hmmm a mess of confidence? Who does that sound like?" She mutters to Mags. Who fights a smile.
"I don't know what your talking about love." I tell her quickly.
"Don't get all defensive on me Odair." She jokes her face becoming red.
I roll my eyes at the pale girl.
She shakes her head her eyes shining with amusement.
"I'm not the one who got sent out of the classroom today." I joke getting a huff from her.
"Wasn't my fault." She tells me.
"Whose defensive now?" I question she looks at me her lips pressed together.
"Still you." Is her muttered reply. Mags looks at me her eyes happy. I know how much she loves having Kara around. She was like the missing puzzle piece of our family.
The one thing I could never wrap my mind around how talented and hard working she is. Even training her it's clear she wasn't perfect. But not once did a complain leave her lips. Even when she was about to pass out from exhaustion she still got up and worked even harder.
She's obviously beautiful and talented at many things. But the only major fault she has is that she isn't very self aware. She only pays attention to her flaws. She sees herself as average.
"I got a call today." I tell Kara knowing I would to tell her at some point. Mags sends me a sad look. I had already mentioned it.
"Really?" Her voice is soft.
"I'm going to be going to the Capitol for a week for business." I tell them
"Oh okay. When do you leave?" She asks smiling but I can tell she's not thrilled by the news.
"In a week." I reply.
"That's great enjoy your... business." She says her blue eyes meeting mine making me tap my foot. When she looks at me like that I feel she's looking through me. It makes my heart race.
Like she knows all of my secrets. I hate lying to her. Keeping these secrets but they keep her safe and happy. If that means being best friends and going running every morning with her. Or never talking to her again if she is happy then I'm content. As long as she and Mags are okay I'll die a happy man.