The Perfect Truth: A Finnick Odair Novel

Chapter 1

A/N: lovely filler chapter oh well

Warnings: lmfao idk, swearing, semi ptsd, trauma

Word count: 1072

I sit on my scruffy sofa, alone in my house in Victor's Village, District Twelve. I should be lonely, but I'm not. I should also be with my family, but I'm not. After I won the Hunger Games three years ago, I haven't really connected with them since. Yes, a few exchanges, but nothing truly real. I was picked when I was seventeen, and I was in the Arena for my eighteenth birthday. I killed on my birthday. Like some sort of sick initiation to adulthood. As I was an adult when I won the Games - much like Katniss mainly did, by sneaking around and staying alone - I got a house of my own in Victor's Village. I couldn't have let Mum, Kat and Prim live with me if I tried. Honestly, I've stayed in this house, buried in my books and writing, until every year, I drag myself out of my humble abode to mentor the District Twelve tributes. And also drag Haymitch out of his inebriated state. Or try. Last year, I mentored Kat after she volunteered in place of Prim. I understand why. If victors were allowed to volunteer, I would have done it for Prim too.

I focus my eyes on the TV screen for the mandatory viewing. Caesar Flickerman waffles on about Kat's wedding dresses. She's to be married to Peeta Mellark, the baker's son. She can trick every other person in the world, but not me. She's not as madly in love with Peeta as she has to show. He's growing on her, but he's given up. And it's awful, absolutely fucking awful, of President Snow to force her to pretend she loves him before she's gotten her bearings, simply to dispel a rebellion which is already going on. Not to mention all the other shit he's done. Like forcing Finnick Odair to kill when he was hardly fourteen -

Don't think about it. Don't think about his bronze hair. Don't think about his haunting sea green eyes. You're done with him.

Caesar Flickerman continues talking on and on about the previous Quarter Quells. He opens a box, lifting up the card and handing it to President Snow, who reads it out loud.

'On the seventy fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol, the male and female tributes will be reaped from their existing pool of victors.'

My blood runs cold. But not for me. For Kat. I'm already far gone. As addicted to my literature as Haymitch is to his drink. I'm only four years older than her, but she can still be saved. She didn't kill like I did. Didn't purposely seek out tributes during her Games to take them down with her bow, the way our father taught us to hunt rabbits. I know her inside out. So I know she'll have run for the woods, only to be stopped by the now electrified fence. Leaving Mum and Prim behind. So with heavy feet, I let myself outside, barely noticing the coal dusted snow beneath my bare feet, making my way next door.

When I open the door, I hear Mum call out as she hears it.

'Katniss?'

'No, it's me, Mum.'

'Aderyn?' I can hear the surprise in her voice. I've been avoiding them ever since I won. Because I don't deserve to see them. I'm a murderer.

'Yeah.' I yell back as I enter the house. 'It's me.'

Prim runs over to me, her young face, aged by the whipped men she's seen as her mother treats them, aged by the consequences of the Capitol's luxury, streaked with tears. It breaks my heart, how even though I've pushed them away, she still trusts me enough to tighten her arms around my waist and look up at me with glistening eyes.

'Where's Katniss?'

'She'll turn up,' I tell her gently. 'She won't be gone long.'

'What - what will you do?' My youngest sister gulps tearfully.

'I don't know,' I sigh. 'I don't know, but I swear on my life that Kat won't be going into that hell hole again.'

~

Effie has to fish around in the forlornly empty bowl before her shaking fingers get a good grip on the paper. Slowly, she opens it.

'K - Katniss Everdeen!'

Before Kat can even move a step forward, I raise my voice, just as she did for Prim last year.

'I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!'

'Why, Addie?' She asks softly. I turn to her.

'I love you, Kat, Prim, Mum. Promise me you'll stay safe.'

'W - we promise,' Kat replies quietly. Suddenly, she wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes tightly. I almost pull away, my instincts screaming, but it's only a hug. She whispers in my ear. 'Thank you. Thank you.'

I prize her arms from around me and look her hard in the eye. 'You look after Mum and Prim, okay?' And then I pull away, not daring to turn back in case I start crying.

Slowly, I walk through the crowd, head up, shoulders thrown back. I glare right into one of the cameras, and my hateful gaze is aimed at President Snow. For all he's done. For all he's doing. For all he will do. A ripple of mutters go through the crowd of District Twelves. Aderyn Everdeen, the cold one, the odd one, the murderer, volunteering for her sister? Isn't that what kind, kind, Katniss Everdeen is supposed to do? I feel eyes on my skin, but one in particular. I turn and meet them. Grey, normal Seam eyes, and dark hair. But the face. Gale, the boy who Kat and I used to hunt with. His eyes are so thankful they're almost melting. Another of the males that are hopelessly in love with my younger sister.

Haymitch is picked, and as we all expect, Peeta volunteers, because he's selfless like that, the baker's son. I nod at him curtly, and he half smiles back. We both know we're dreading our return to the Arena. We both know we're only going to save others. To save the people we love.

~

Cinna, the man who was Kat's stylist, has my outfit ready.

'Why did you volunteer for her?'

I level my gaze with his, forcing any tremor from my voice, any weakness, out.

'The same reason she volunteered for Prim.'