panem et circenses II Finnick Odair

~VIII~ Gilded cage

Andromeda wasn't allowed to look in on any more training sessions. Since no more shows were planned until the reveal of the tributes' rankings, Caesar felt like taking her to the training center would be a waste of time. Not that he wasn't there every day, consuming more wine than a lot of people in the Districts have ever seen. 

And so, for the first time since the Reaping, the girl had nothing to do. The school was still suspended no one needed her, and she couldn't risk another trip to see Finnick. On top of that, even though all she wanted was some fresh air, she couldn't stomach the thought of leaving the house. 

She tried it the day she talked to her best friend. Having been dropped off by the dark limo, she ran outside to get rid of the colorful outfit and clean off the makeup that clung to her skin. The second she felt like herself again, she put on an unassuming, dark coat, put her hair up into a ponytail, and took the elevator downstairs. 

What she didn't know was that people noticed the recognizable car stopping in front of her building and quickly spread the word around the Capitol. By the time she walked through the door, there were at least thirty people crowded around the entrance, with more already walking through the various streets to get closer. They screamed when she opened the door. They took pictures of her shocked expression and laughed as she stumbled over her words. 

Her first instinct was to turn around and disappear from their sight. But, of course, that didn't sound like something the person she needed them to believe she was. So she forced a smile onto her tired face and waved to the fans. What followed was the second worst hour of her life, filled with photos, fake compliments, and an ungodly amount of noise. It was beaten only by the singular moment of Finnick's name being read out by Bellair during the Reaping. 

Now, she avoided the outside of her apartment. She didn't even open the windows, too scared that someone would take note of which ones belonged to her. 

The building had a doorman who sat in the lobby and kept the inhabitants safe from the hoards lurking outside. He had clear instructions not to let anyone in and did a great job of keeping the unwanted guests out but every so often someone came up to him with a story just convincing enough to warrant a call. 

So far, she had sent everyone away. And now the intercom was ringing once more. 

"Hello, who is it this time?" she asked, her voice defeated. 

"A few kids, miss. They seem to be about your age and claim to be your friends," the man explained. "They insist that when you hear who they are, you'll agree to let them in."

That got her attention. She was almost certain that it was another desperate soul looking to back in her newfound stardom but she held onto the shred of hope that maybe, just maybe, this time it wouldn't be the case.

"Did they introduce themselves?"

"Yes, it's Euphemia Price, Orion Crane, and Feline Gaul."

For once, the hope paid off. 

"Let them in," she said immediately. "Only them, I don't want to see anyone else."

Then, she waited by the door like a child on a Holiday morning. The thought of feeling safe for just one moment filled her with much more happiness than she would ever expected it to. 

Orion was the first one to walk out of the elevator. There she was, waiting for him, the girl he couldn't force out of his mind, no matter how desperately he tried. The girl he believed he could grow to love if she ever gave him the chance to. 

To his surprise, she ran toward him and clung to him like he was the only person that could save her. He loved the feeling of being needed by her. He never wanted her to stop needing him.