𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 · 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐈

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

Andi's talking about how exciting it is to be to have escorted such legendary Victors. Good for him.

"Okay, so you'll go to eat, and then Lino's going to get you ready to watch the recap," Finnick tells me, taking me under his arm.

"That's today?" I ask. I'd forgotten about the recap. Or maybe I just wished I would.

"Yeah. You've been out for a long time. And then there's the Victor's Banquet after that, and then one last interview, and then...home."

"Okay," is all I say. It'll all be over soon, I think to myself over and over again, clenching and unclenching my fist.

"Oh. One more thing." Finnick reaches into his pocket and pulls out Jake's rope bracelet. My district token. I hold out my wrist and Finnick reties it. Just another thing stained with the blood of the arena. "They took it off when they were operating on you. I had to do a lot of yelling to get it back."

"Thank you," I say.

"You're welcome. Now, we have to get back to the Tribute Tower soon, or else we're going to be in trouble."

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My prep team is ecstatic.

After having picking out the settings and having me shower, they set to work on me but will not shut up about the Games and how cool it was to watch me and how awesome it was to have played a role in getting me there. They loved watching me 'follow in Finnick's footsteps'. They also tell me I and another victor now hold the record for the most directly caused intentional deaths. 7. 7 people I murdered. What a lovely thing to be remembered for.

I stop listening to them because I am going to get angry, or worse, and I just don't want to feel anything right now, so I just stop. Go numb.

Once they've finished my make-up, they move onto my hair and nails, working rapidly. They have me get dressed in a dark green dress and pair of black heels.

They've straightened my hair, even though it was pretty much already straight, and let it fall over my shoulders. This time, the eyeliner is black. Like the other times, nothing else really stands out. Just the eyeliner. They painted my nails a gold that goes very well with dark, emerald color of the dress.

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"Look, they tried to make you not short," Finnick comments when he sees me.

Of course that's the first thing he says. I roll my eyes.

The prep team takes their place on a metal plate that will rise from underneath the stage so they can be introduced. Then Andi will go, then Finnick, and then me.

I can hear the crowd applauding the prep team as they appear onstage. I begin clenching and unclenching my fist as Andi gets on the plate next. Finnick puts a hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes. "You'll be fine," he tells me.

Andi rises up through the stage and another round of applause begins.

Finnick steps onto the plate. This will be his second time mentoring a victor since he mentored Linden as well. Of course, the crowd goes absolutely wild for him. As the plate descends back down, empty, the screaming continues.

I take my spot on the plate. I'm still unsteady on my one leg, which is still broken and mangled, so they had to reinforce the cast. The doctors apparently wanted me on crutches, but the Gamemaker's decided it would be an eyesore. All this walking around and standing has not helped. When the plate rises, I very nearly lose my balance and fall.

I catch myself, though, and straighten up as I appear before the crowd. The crowd goes insane as I take my seat in the Victor's chair, my leg wobbling slightly beneath me.

They have the mentor and victor sit next to each other while the rest of the team is offstage. This is a special arrangement. The mentor is usually offstage as well. Caesar Flickerman sits across from me.

Caesar Flickerman congratulates me and makes a little small talk before the 3 hour special begins. Then, I watch as the most horrific parts of the Games play again. Bellamy dying, my betrayal, that last fight...I hate reliving it. At some point early on, Finnick takes my hand and keeps me grounded. By the end of it, I am sick to my stomach.

Afterwards, there's the Victory Banquet, which is somewhat better. It's full of drunken sponsors and old men making grabs for me, but nobody makes me watch as I kill my district partner. After and old man tries to grab my waist, I spend the rest of the night basically hiding behind Finnick.

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hey loves!

only one more chapter left :(((

xx

maddie