~"notice how they're saying my name first?"~
The chariot pulls out into the city. There are cheers of "ODAIR!" as soon as they catch sight of us. Okay, I guess.
Reed and I do as Cinna said, joining hands and raising them above our heads. The crowd goes crazy, and after finding Reed's last name on the program, start a new chant. "Odair! Herdin! Odair! Herdin!"
I realize that this whole time my dress has slowly began lighting up. A radiant, glowing blue has been inching its way up, starting from the bottom, slowly illuminating me. It's at my knee now.
The chanting continues. "ODAIR!!! HERDIN!!!"
"Notice how they're saying my name first?" I jokingly mutter to Reed.
"Watch this," Reed mutters back. He slings an arm over my shoulder and punches a fist into the sky.
"HHEERRDDIINN!!!" The crowd screeches.
"What were you saying?" Reed asks me, flashing a smile at me.
All of a sudden, another new chant starts. "ODEN!" It takes me a second to figure out.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
"Do they know you're fourteen?" Reed asks.
"Yes. It's in the program. I don't think they care, though." I say. "Although, it didn't stop them with Finnick, so I shouldn't be surprised."
"This is messed up," Reed says.
"Yeah, well, they're not going to stop," I say. For some reason, this really upsets me.
"Well, they're probably going to get tired of chanting soon. The ride's twenty minutes."
Yeah, he's wrong. The whole rest of the ride, all the people latch on to "Oden!" and don't let go. They chant it. The. Whole. Time. And I have to stand there and smile. By the time we get to the City Circle, I'm pretty upset.
Out of respect for President Snow, they finally shut up as we come to a stop outside the presidential mansion. President Snow stands on his balcony and gives his official welcome speech after the music ends.
I've only been half-listening, so it takes me a few seconds to react to the joke Snow somehow sneaks into his speech about my brother and I. "It seems our second Odair is following in the ways of the first."
I'm stunned as laughter rings throughout the crowd. I know what he was implying. I'm not stupid. There are a couple shouts of "Oden!" to compliment the laughter. Snow's snake eyes find mine, and all of a sudden I'm filled with the urge to kill this disgusting man.
"Just ignore it," Reed says.
"I'm trying to," I reply through gritted teeth, filled with anger.
Snow finishes his speech, the national anthem plays, and our chariots pull into the Training Center.
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There's a tower dedicated to tributes and their team inside the Training Center. Each district has their own floor, and our floor is 4, since they all coordinate along with your district number.
Andi, Finnick and Linden lead Reed and I down to an elevator made of crystal that's completely see-through. As the elevator shoots up to level 4 at an exhilarating speed, nobody says anything.
Andi, who doesn't understand the tension, goes back to ecstatic escort mode as she shows us to our quarters here.
There are so many buttons and automatic contraptions that it's overwhelming. Really, I just went to take a shower to get all the make-up off, but when I go into the shower, there's a huge panel with hundreds of buttons that regulate water temperature, control different shampoos, soaps conditioners, scents, oils, and massaging sponges.
Once I get out, blow dryers come on that dry me. Then there's this box that dries and untangles my hair using a current of air.
I can program the closet for an outfit, so I do this, and make it as simple as possible. After this, I play around with the window, changing it to different views of the city and all of Panem. Eventually, I turn it off. Not sure what else to do, I kind of just sit down on the edge of my bed and do nothing.
After about ten minutes of doing nothing, the door to my room opens and my brother leans against the doorframe. "Dinner's ready," he tells me.
"Okay," I say, not getting up.
"Come on," Finnick prompts. "Let's go."
"Yeah," I say, getting up slowly.
Finnick moves out of my doorway and ushers me out.
"Would you calm down?" I say, annoyed.
"Would you stop being lazy?" Finnick snaps. I stop walking and slowly turn around.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize there's more for me to do while I wait to get killed for entertainment," I say.
"Oh, God, would you stop saying that you're going to die?"
"Why? It's true, isn't it?" I say. "I'm barely fourteen, Finnick. And there are already people with me on their hit list. And yeah, you got through the Games, but you weren't being targeted by everyone! I can't fight everyone!"
"You're not going to fight everyone Callyn, stop exaggerating."
I feel the hysteria rising in me. "Literally the minute I got down there, District One comes over to me and refers to me as the 'weaker Odair'. Take it from them. I'm dead, Finnick."
"What, you think One's going to waste their time hunting you down?" Finnick scoffs, but I can read him like a book.
"Yes, I do. And so do you."
"Well, I won. So can you."
"Weaker Odair, remember?"
"Just shut up."
"Yes, of course, I forgot you're in charge of everyone."
"Not everyone. But yeah, I'm in charge of you."
"You're my brother, not my dad," I inform him.
"In case you haven't noticed, our dad is DEAD!"
"No, I obviously haven't noticed, thanks for clearing that up!"
Linden, who's come over now that we're yelling, says, "Guys, maybe-"
"You're a brat, you know that right?" Finnick yells.
"AND YOU'RE A JERK!"
Finnick makes a movement with his arm like he's going to hit me, and Linden flies between us.
"You two need to chill," Linden says shortly, then steps out from between us and walks to the dining room.
Finnick and I look at each other. "I'm sorry. I am a jerk," Finnick says.
"No, you're not. We're both upset. It's fine."
"No, it's not. I've got to stop taking it out on you."
"That's a good idea," I say.
Finnick laughs and wraps his arms around me and gives me a quick squeeze. "I'm sorry, Cal. Really."
Somehow, I feel like he's not apologizing for yelling at me.
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Hey loves!
y'all shit's wild
finnick when callyn doesn't walk fast enough: