You Are My Sunshine // A Finnick Fanfic

Chapter Thirty-Three - The Real Mockingjay

   "People of Panem, we fight, we dare, we..." she said it so slowly, stopping it abruptly. I couldn't help but wince with the second hand embarrassment.

   "Does she know the line?" Plutarch asked but Katniss answered for herself.

   "I know, I know it. I got it." She told him with an annoyed tang to her voice.

   "Okay, alright."

   "I got it, I'm sorry."

   "Let's do it again." Plutarch told her.

   "She's warming up." Effie said positively but I didn't say anything because I knew this wasn't going to work.

   "Alright, with energy." Plutarch said as Katniss got back down on one knee. "Go."

   "People of Panem we fight, we dare to end this hunger for justice." She said but I couldn't help but laugh which got a swift elbow to the ribs from Effie.

   "YOU'VE JUST BEEN IN BATTLE!" Plutarch shouted through the radio. "I'm sorry, excuse my outburst. You've just been in battle. Let's try it again."

   "Oh this is going to be a long hour." I said and Effie gave me a glare, the thing is, she didn't disagree.

   Again, Katniss repeated her lines, all correct but again there was no motivation, there was no emotion or feeling to it. There was a long silence in the room, everyone seeming to not be so sure on how to take of this. She was the Mockingjay yet she was doing a terrible job. That wasn't her fault of course, but we needed to do something about it quickly.

   Suddenly, out of the dark corner of the room, a loud slow clap filled that eerie silence. Out of that darkness came Haymitch, looking like crap as he usually did. He stared at Katniss and Katniss glared at him, probably still holding a grudge against him because of Peeta.

   "And that, my friends, is how a revolution dies." He said loudly so that all could hear him. He then walked towards the girl but she still glared at him with such hatred. "Hello Katniss." Silence. "Is this how you greet an old friend?"

   "Maybe I don't recognise you sober." She shot at him coldly but the man didn't seem to care.

   "Then I guess it looks as bad as it feels." He said and they still stared at each other.

   "A long hour indeed." Effie said to me and I nodded.

   "Permission to speak freely?" I asked as I stood behind Boggs in his chair. We had just finished watching Katniss's propaganda clip and I had a few notes.

   "Granted." Coin nodded and I nodded in return.

   "This video, it's shit." I flat out said which got a gasp from Effie, a certain look from Boggs, and a laugh from Haymitch in the corner of the room.

   "Umm, madam President." Haymitch said, getting out of his seat. "Indulge me for a moment, if you would. Let's everyone think of one incident where Katniss Everdeen genuinely moved you. Not where you were jealous of her hairstyle or her dress went up in flames, or she made a halfway decent shot with an arrow. And not where Peeta made you like her. No, I'd like you all to think of one moment where she made you feel something real."

   "Oh!" Effie was the first to raise her hand. "When she volunteered for her sister at the Reaping." Effie said and Haymitch nodded.

   "Excellent example." Haymitch applauded, exiting out of some documents on the screen so he could write. "I hope that wasn't important." He wrote down what Effie said, then turned back to face the rest of us. "Okay, what else."