You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

The Impact of District 4

"As long as we don't die, this is gonna be one hell of a story."
— Unknown

...

Coral Newport and Quarie Mares are ten years old. Cora wears her strawberry blonde hair in double braids, her favorite hairstyle. Quarie wears her blonde hair in a waterfall braid, making her look soft and effortlessly adorable. The girls are in class, history class to be specific. Reef Newport sits in the back of class, messing around with a few other boys.

The Newport twins are known for getting into trouble. Reef gets into the kind of trouble that makes the other kids laugh. Cora gets into the kind of trouble that draws crowds and leaves her knuckles bruised.

Most of District 4's teachers know to keep the two separated while class is in session. It minimizes distractions and damage to not have two human wrecking balls placed together at all times.

Quarie, despite not being a close friend of Cora, is good at keeping the green-eyed girl from getting into fights. Teachers notice this and often seat the girls together.

The history teacher, Mr. Wells, is one teacher that does this. Cora and Quarie have been seated next to each other in his class. However, he's not as observant as the other teachers. If he was, he wouldn't have seated Finnick Odair on Coral Newport's other side.

"We'll be doing a project in groups of three today," Mr. Wells announces. "You will be researching and making a display about District 4's impact on the Hunger Games and, by extent, Panem."

Cora crosses her fingers that her group will be her, Quarie, and Cavern Rizons (the boy that sits on the other side of Quarie).

"The third group is Odair, Newport, and Mares. The fourth group is..."

Wonderful.

"Hello, Newport," Finnick says in a sing-song voice.

"Odair," Cora glares.

Quarie rolls her eyes at her friend and looks at Finnick with a small smile, blush rising to her cheeks. "Hi, Finnick."

"Hi, Quarie," the boy smiles, amicably. He's not as affected by her as she is by him.

"Let's just get to work," Cora says, pulling out a big history book. The girl doesn't like school, but the sooner the project is done, the sooner she can stop interacting with Finnick.

"Sorry about her," the blonde girl apologizes to the boy. "She doesn't mean to be mean to you."

"Yes I do."

Quarie's eyes widen. "Oh."

Cora starts going through and writing down points. Quarie, who's more artistically gifted, begins to draw things out and make them pretty for the display. Finnick just crumples up paper, occasionally throwing it at Cora.

Eventually the strawberry blonde's head snaps up and she glares at the bronze boy. Before she can say anything, Quarie stops her.

"He's fine," she whispers. "Don't make a scene."

"You only say that because you like him," Cora accuses back, also whispering.

"I mean, look at him. He's so pretty!"

Cora rolls her eyes and turns to Finnick. "Odair, are you gonna help or are you too pretty?" She looks at Quarie for the last part.

"I'm too pretty," he grins.

"I don't know, that black eye's pretty gross to look at."

"What black eye?"

"The one I'm about to give you if you don't start helping."

Quarie scolds Cora with her eyes, but the strawberry blonde has succeeded in getting the boy to start pulling his weight.

By the end, they have a display with the following words (Quarie, who knows big words made it sound grown-up):

District 4 has done a lot for the Hunger Games. Its tributes are some of the strongest in the arena, as well as some of the most beautiful. Growing up on the ocean tends to have that result.

However, the tributes themselves tend to be a little unpredictable. No matter how strong or how weak, District 4's tributes have been wildcards. Noticeably different from the rest in looks and in personality.

Maybe it's their beauty that gives them the freedom to act as they do. Maybe the ever-changing and unpredictable ocean acts as a role model for the tributes, ensuring their depth of character.

The Victors of District 4 were as strong as the oceans they fought. As strong as the hurricanes that destroyed their shorelines. They were strong people, no matter what got thrown their way.

So, when Plutarch Heavensbee organized a meeting on the roof of the tributes' hotel to ask for their help in a rebellion against the Capitol, Finnick and Cora agreed at once.

They were used to fighting water. Now they would get to fight Snow.

...

Cora and Finnick's job was to ally themselves with Katniss and Peeta. Katniss had already expressed a small wish to ally with Cora, but still disliked Finnick. Haymitch gave Finnick a golden bangle, saying that Katniss would understand what it meant.

Johanna would stay with Blight, Wiress, and Beetee (Katniss wanted to ally with the last two).

Eventually, they would all meet up. If everything went to plan, District 13 (Cora had laughed when Plutarch brought it up, thinking he was joking. The district was supposed to be long dead. Apparently not.) would intervene and rescue them. They wouldn't have to die.

Cora felt determination coursing through her veins that night. She could save Finnick and Johanna, two of the people she loved most, and live in the process.

Even better was when she found out that Xena, Percy, and Klavien were in on it. Mags as well. They would meet her in District 13 when everything was said and done, where Katniss was supposed to lead the rebellion.

Cora also managed to negotiate the rescue of her loved ones back in District 4, just in case Snow took them. So Annie, Blue, Crane, Lyrie, and Mr. & Mrs. Marin would be safe.

It was a great plan. It just had to work.