Never In Your Favor - Finnick Odair

1

Kaianna Rivers, spat out blood as she ran, the pure taste of iron burning in her mouth. Her bones seared achingly, and her pride and honor, had been diminished into nothing but, fear and regret. How could she do this to herself? She had already disconnected so thoroughly from the girl she was two weeks ago. The girl who rose her hand gleefully, and almost skipped onto the reaping stage out of excitement.

"Come on Kay," Her heart sunk at the sound of her district partner's voice, "let's give them all the show that they came for, what do you say?"

She could've laughed at the idea that they had almost switched positions entirely. Maybe she would've, if the situation permitted. Fresh after the reaping, her district partner Hayden, had been the one who was terrified. Almost too scared to speak.

She had finally started to pry information out of the eighteen year old, about three days into their stay at the capitol. They had grown close. Too close. She wouldn't call him a friend. She couldn't, for friendship was the best way to lose the games. The quickest way to die, was to be attached to someone. So they refused to call what they had a friendship, let alone anything more.

"Kaianna," His voice latched onto the anger that was seeping in. He too wanted the games to be over but, in a different sense. There were only two routes to take when it came to the arena. You either give up your inner peace, or you let the thought of trying to stay the same, eat you alive, until there's nothing left but a shell, "come on jellyfish!"

The memory hit her instantly with the nickname. It had started out as friendly banter. Her receiving the pet name due to the quick-witted, light-hearted insults she hurled his way. He called them her stingers. Of course, anyone from the ocean based district would recognize the nickname, as a taunt. They knew the hurtful intention behind his words.

Kaianna had concealed herself behind a tree, giving her the view of him that he lacked of her. She could've thrown up at the way he twirled his chosen weapon in his hands seamlessly. If she'd only had anything in her stomach. He knew what to do with it, and she remembered the fact that that was her fault, all too well.

"What the hell do you mean you don't know how to use a spear," She laughed genuinely, "you're from the fishing district, and you don't know how to fish! How sad is that?"

Henry rolled his eyes but, there was a hint of humor glinting in them, "Of course I've fished you ass! Just- never with one of those."

He looked at the sharp object, distastefully. The only time he'd ever laid eyes on one was when he caught his peers training to kill each other with it. He decided then and there that he'd never pick one up because to train was to be prepared, and to be prepared, was to expect. Hayden never wanted to expect being reaped. The games were the very last place he had ever wanted to be. The brunette couldn't help but notice, the discomfort that clouded her partner's pupils.

"Relax," She breathed out calmly, "I'll show you how to use it fish breath."

She was surprised it had taken this long for her kindness to bite her in the back. She had regretted the decision once she realized that there was a good chance it'd get down to the two of them. No one ever wanted to think that far ahead. Not even the capital. The fate of two people being pinned against each other, when they had been living together, eating together, and training together, was one that even the blindest eye could see was pitiful, and tragic. However, pitiful and tragic is what gave these games their life. Their excitement.

The teenager was so lost in thought the she had complete failed to notice the branch that would set everything into motion. It came out of nowhere. In fact, Kaianna could've sworn it wasn't there even a second ago.

Her heart sank as the snap echoed, everyone watching letting out gasps, or other verbal forms of dismay. Everyone loved her. She was the favorite because, she did everything right. So, why did it all feel so wrong?

As she slipped, she accidentally kicked a stone, which within seconds had sent itself back to her, causing her to remember that moment after the tribute parade. She had overheard district three's mentor Beetee Latier, convey to his tributes a vital piece of information about the force field in the arena. The mentor of the fourteen year old boy, she had been forced to kill with her bare hands, had unknowingly given her a chance. An out. So, it began.

It all happened so quickly. One minute, and twenty-seven seconds to be exact but, that one minute, and twenty-seven seconds was the slowest one minute, and twenty-seven seconds that Kaianna would ever face. It would of course be the last for the towhead blonde who fell for her trap, all too easily. He had always been too naive. He had always been too trusting. Trust leads to demise. A lesson she learned very well that day.

She sent out one last "I love you" to her mother, and her six-year old sister. As well as one last curse to her father, who had talked her into volunteering in the first place. She then, stepped out into the open, leaving both her's and Hayden's fates, in the hands of her reflexes, and whether or not they'd follow through. He hurled the hunting tool, as fast, and as strong as he could. The victorious grin not even having enough time to leave his face, and his crystal blue eyes not even having the time to close, before Kaianna threw her body out of the way.

Her movement warranted the spear to deflect off of the almost invisible barrier, and send itself back at the boy, with almost three times the force. Her eyes shut tightly, and she tried to block out the sound the spear made, when it had hit it's unexpected target. However, she wasn't fast enough. So instead, she imagined that she was back in her district, catching dinner for her family, and that the weapon had lodged into the stomach of a fish, and not the heart of her former ally.

Her body shook back and forth, and she couldn't stop hoping that it was a dream. Any minute she'd wake up, and the dream would save her from volunteering in the first place. Maybe the odds would be in her favor after all but, no. That possibility was long gone. For, whether it's your choice or not, the moment you are reaped, the odds are never in your favor, ever again. The only thing that brought her back to reality, was the sound of the final cannon.

"Ladies and gentlemen," If she were back home, she would've smiled at the voice that came from above, telling her mom that she had talked to God but, she wasn't back home. She was far from district four, and her faith in any God, had been obliterated the moment she stepped off of her pedestal, and witnessed the first kill, "may I present to you, your victor of the 64th annual hunger games: Kaianna Rivers!"

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A couple notes: This story will be based off of the movies, sorry if that disappoints or if anything is inaccurate. Also, the mc's name is Kaianna (Kye-anna) Rivers. She was fifteen years old when she won, which at the time, gave her the title of the youngest victor in history. A record that would be broken by Finnick Odair, the very next year. I really hope this book is more enjoyable than anything else. It's really just an idea that I wanted to put down.