Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 8

"That's gross," Taiya groaned as she wiped her mouth.

"But effective," Johanna smiled sadly.

Taiya looked around the room and found a couch in the corner that was currently empty.

"Two more drinks," she requested. "But not those again. Two mojitos please."

"What do you want Ambersnow?" Johanna sighed.

"We are going to sit on that couch over there," Taiya nodded her head in the direction.

"Do I have to? I've spent tonight scaring people away so I'd be left alone."

"Because Johanna," Taiya smiled as she took the two drinks off the bar. "You're going to have to come back here every year. And I do too. You may as well have a friend."

Johanna clearly decided to follow, because when Taiya sat down, Johanna plonked down next to her and took one of the drinks.

"Are all the parties like this? So suffocating?"

"Some are worse. This is when the Capitol people are on their best behaviour. Only gets worse," Taiya said as she sipped her drink.

"I could use an axe right about now," Johanna muttered making Taiya snort in amusement. "Look if you're going to threaten me or say you hate me for killing your tributes, I really don't care."

"I don't hate you. Especially not for that. The thing is once you're victor and out of the Games, no one cares what you did in there. Because we've done it too. We've killed each other's tributes in the arena, there's no point being resentful. We're all victims," she whispered at the end.

"What are you even doing with that Capitol pig?" Johanna asked as she leaned closer, obviously knowing they needed to be quiet.

Taiya looked around the room anxiously. They couldn't be heard. Taking a deep breath Taiya decided to subtly warn her. "Snow has certain expectations of his victors, if you don't follow through, there's punishment."

"Snow wants you to date that loser? Why?"

Taiya's hands started shaking, they were in a secluded area, but on the chance anyone overheard, it was over. For her and for Finnick.

"Influence over the Games," she realised on her own, not needing Taiya to voice it. Taiya ran a hand through her hair as she quickly nodded. "What a sneaky son of a bitch. Do you actually like him?"

Taiya looked around the room and saw the back of Finnick's head. If she wanted to be friends with this girl, she wouldn't lie. "I've got my eye on someone else," she smiled.

Johanna followed her line of sight and sighed when she realised. "Great. Two golden-haired fish sticks."

*********************

Taiya shoved Finnick's shoulder as they walked along the pier outside their house. They'd taken that long-awaited swim and would dry off before heading to Mags'.

"You did not beat me," she disputed.

"I won fair and square."

"You can't win 'fair and square' if you pull me backwards by my ankle!"

"Who touched the pier first?"

"Well you, but..."

"There are no buts," he laughed as he covered her mouth. "What's that?" he asked, looking toward the house, immediately making her tense up.

They could vaguely hear yelling coming from Victor's Village.

Taiya raced over and grabbed her dress and threw it on as both of them ran up to the house, through the house and then out the front door. As they came to stand in the middle of the village they could see Taiya's cousin Shark running toward them.