Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 9

"We're drinking," Taiya snarled as she took Johanna's hand and dragged her to the bar.

"Are you sure?" Johanna asked sceptically.

"Yep," Taiya nodded through gritted teeth. "The decision I just made is going to get someone killed. We're drinking."

Johanna's eyes only momentarily widened before they hardened. Taiya didn't need emotional support right now. She needed Johanna's carefree, hardened spirit.

"4 tequila shots!" she ordered from the bartender. "We're getting drunk."

"Cheers to that," Taiya breathed as she raised her shot. As she did she spotted Finnick watching her carefully from across the room. She kept her eyes on him as she downed her shot before picking up her second and drinking that. He didn't need words to understand something bad was going on.

"And two mojito's for the road," Johanna instructed the barman.

"Do me a favour?" Taiya whispered to Johanna.

"Of course."

"Keep me away from the Crane's for tonight. I'm drinking. I don't know what I'll say."

"On it," Johanna smiled as she handed Taiya a mojito. "Drink up. You want to talk about it?"

"Nope," Taiya popped out after she had a sip.

"Great. Then we're dancing," Johanna smirked as she grabbed Taiya's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. "Gloss!" she yelled as she spotted the hulking man on the edge of the dance floor.

"What do you want Mason?" he scowled. Johanna hadn't exactly endeared herself to the other victors. Taiya and Finnick were the only ones who she tolerated.

Johanna leant up to his ear and whispered lowly, "something happened with Taiya and Snow. We're drinking, you're not. Help play defence and keep the Crane's away from us."

Gloss' eyes widened as he looked over at Taiya's emotionless eyes. "On it," he agreed.

"Great," she smirked at him before dragging Taiya into the middle of the dance floor.

After a few minutes of dancing Taiya had finished her mojito. After the two champagnes she'd already had earlier, her head was definitely feeling lighter and her inhibitions lower. Which explains why she was so enthusiastically dancing amongst a crowd of Capitolites. She and Johanna really didn't care who was watching. They were dancing back to back, whipping their hair around wildly as they giggled.

The music then changed to the national anthem of Panem and Taiya groaned loudly, making Johanna laugh as she slapped a hand over her mouth. It was time for the Presidential welcome.

Johanna and Taiya both grouchily made their way over to the balcony to stand with the crowd. "Oo, here," Johanna smiled as she lifted two champagnes off a waiter's tray and handed one to Taiya.

They clinked glasses together and began drinking.

"You might want to slow down there," Tyler whispered as he came up behind the pair. "People are noticing."

"Who cares?" Johanna snorted.

"Tay?" Tyler asked, trying to plead with the one who was typically more reasonable.

"Who cares," she scoffed. "I want to drink."

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing I can talk about now," she snarled quietly at him. "Drop it."

"Yeah Tyler," Johanna said, emphasising his name. "It's an open bar. Let the fish stick and I enjoy it."

"Yeah Tyler," Taiya copied. "Tanbark and I want to enjoy the bar," she teased, before yelping as Johanna punched her arm.