Lia was only ten years old when her brother's name was drawn for the 65th Hunger Games.
Lia remembers everything about it. She remembers the fear that went through her entire body when she heard his name that never went away. The way she hoped with everything in her it was a mistake. The fear in her brother's eyes as he walked onto the stage.
The goodbye that seemed too short. The not sleeping or moving from the couch in front of the TV the entire time Finnick was in the games scared if she did she would miss seeing him one last time.
The relief when he won and the guilt for being happy he was alive. The tears when she saw him again knowing that the boy she once knew died in the games.
Finnick was all Lia had. Their parents were murdered when she was five and Finnick was nine. Even though they were raised by Mags it still didn't heal the whole life in their hearts. The two only had each other.
Finnick was Cordelia's weakness and Cordelia's was Finnick.
That's why when Finnick told Snow no to becoming his "worker" Cordelia's name was drawn at only the age of fourteen. The same as her brother.
Cordelia Odair.
The girl who would never go fishing because she didn't want to hurt the fish was made to enter the games.
And for the first time in his life, Finnick didn't know how to protect his sister.
He couldn't volunteer for her.
He couldn't tell Snow he would do anything if he let his sister live, even though he did try.
He could only watch. He could only prepare her. Warn her.
But Finnick knew the outcome.
His sister would die.
Or she would live and be deemed desirable.
Neither was an option that Finnick wanted to consider.
And so Cordelia Odair entered the games at the age of fourteen.
The once innocent and always smiling little girl left and what returned was someone broken. Someone who had a heartbeat but died.
A monster.
Cordelia Odair died the day her name was chosen and the Capital's Princess was born.
Finnick would do anything for his sister even make her play the games.
Because no one ever truly wins.
They never truly stop playing.
They are just no longer in the arena.
And Cordelia Odair chose to continue playing. Playing until she finally truly won.
That was the only thing that kept Cordelia sane hoping that maybe one day it was all just finally end. That maybe the ocean will finally wipe it all away and everything she's done.
And maybe it finally did come in the form of Peeta Mellark.
The boy who was picked for the 74th Hunger Games.
The one who truly knew how to play the capital.
And the one who somehow the the cold thing inside of Lia warm and sped up with a simple smile and joke.
Lia Odair knew not to. She knew that love would only be her downfall. That falling for the boy who was part of the Capital's star-crossed lovers was not an option.
But she never fell inside she drowned in Peeta Mellark's smiles. In his laughter. And these blue eyes that reminded her of the ocean.
And Peeta fell just as hard for the girl who everyone believed was perfect. He saw the demons. The sadness. The guilt.
And all he wanted to do was hold her and somehow put her back together. Even if he had to break himself apart to do it.
But love is never easy especially love in Panem. For love was a weakness. Something to extort out of others. Something to use to break someone.
But how much can you break something that is already beyond fixable?
For if you hit it just right, it can and will destroy everything.
And Cordelia Odair will.
✧･: *✧･ ──────────
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