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Shutting my eyes, I let Milama work her magic on me as she hummed a song under her breath. Leaving me with my thoughts. This year's games were going to be the bloodiest and hardest Games of all time. I was going against people I knew. People who I've spent years around. Watching them grow. Watching their families grow. Learning with them. Healing with them. That was going to be the hard part. Killing them while trying not to remember all those times we spent together. 

"You got a ten, that's amazing, you'll a hundred percent get more sponsors! Once we finish this look, you'll have your fish boy staring at you as well as half of Panem!" Milama rambled on, as her eyes scan the counter top for something.

"Milama, for the last time he's not my fish boy." I said, as she grabbed a tube of lipstick from the counter.

"Might as well be by the way that he looks at you." She says, opening the tube.

"We're best friends!" I argue, as she paints my lips red.

"Best friends who are in love with each other!" She says, giggling.

"Hush! We aren't in love and even if I did love him, it won't⎯it can't happen." I whispered, emphasizing on the word can't.

"Darn these Games! Ruining what would have been a perfect couple. When did you realize that you loved him?" She asks, making me blush.

Thinking to myself, I knew deep down that I harbored romantic feelings for Finnick. I always have and I always will. I had known the sandy blonde since the day they plucked me out of that arena. Me and him had been best friends for years and years on end. 

But with Snow forcing Finnick and myself into prostitution. Not to mention the Games tomorrow morning, it would never work. It couldn't happen, no matter how much I wanted it to. Some people aren't supposed to be together, I guess.

Staring at Finnick, my stomach rumbles but it's not from hunger, it rumbles with butterflies. It felt like a war was going on, and it terrified me. Friends weren't supposed to want to kiss each other. Friends weren't supposed to hold each other like that. But, I wanted to do all those things with Finnick. I wanted to be with him. I wanted him.

"Pixie? I think that I like Finnick. In more than a friendly way." I whispered to her with my eyes trained on Finnick as he socialized with other Victor's.

"That's great dearie. It really is, but I suggest that you be careful, I heard whispers that Snow is forcing him to⎯er⎯you know." She rambles on, her voice trailing off at the end.

Of course, I had heard whispers of it, but I thought of them as silly whisper's made by gossip articles. Gossips articles that wanted to keep the Capitol citizens entertained. Like how they gossiped about Gloss having a third toe. Which didn't make sense, but neither did half of the stuff they spoke about did.  And, I never would have thought those whisper's to be actually true. They couldn't be. They can't be.

"Snows making him sell himself?"

"What's wrong, darling?"

"Snow told me that if I continued to⎯you know⎯visit people. That Finn would be left alone." I whispered, hurt by the fact that Snow had lied to me and that Finnick hadn't uttered a word to me about the situation.

Snapping her fingers in front of my face, I blinked away the painful memory and sheepishly smiled at Milama. I can't cry. Not when she's spent this long doing my make-up. Milama would kill me if I let that happen. Forcing a smile on my face, I swallow down the feeling of pain, trying to pretend to be fine.

DANGEROUS WOMAN || THE HUNGER GAMES ²Where stories live. Discover now