𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 ☘︎ 10

All lectures forgotten, I'm soon with Cinna to get ready for the tribute parade. He preps me and puts me in a black dress with dark makeup and my hair wavy and down.

I walk over to the chariot assigned to Austin and me. When I get there, I pat the black horses. "How'd we get here, huh?"

"Willow," I hear a voice call out, and when I turn round, a semi-nude man is in front of me.

"Hello Finnick," I say, sarcasm dripping off my tongue.

"D'you want a sugar cube?" He asks me, tossing one of the many in his hand in the air then crunching it in his mouth. "There supposed to be the horses but who cares? I mean, they've got years to eat sugar whereas you and me when we see something sweet we better grab it quick."

"Shame I won't be grabbing you then, a bit too sour for my taste," I reply silkily.

Finnick smirks and I continue. "But I would love to borrow that outfit someday."

This is something of a joke, since all he's wearing is a fishing net that's strategically knotted at his groin so he's not naked. "Well you look pretty terrifying in that get up," Finnick laughs. "What happened to the pretty little girl dresses?"

"What happened to you wearing clothes?" I raise my eyebrows.

He leans close to me and smirks. I beg myself not to back away, despite the amount of uncomfortable I'm feeling right now. "I'm sorry you had to cancel your wedding. Now you, you could've made out like a bandit in the Capitol. Jewels, money, anything you wanted."

Maybe he does talk a lot of waffle, but he's right about something. Austin and I'd wedding was cancelled because of the Quell. However, I decide to say something different.

"Well I don't like jewels and I have more money than I need, so... what did you so with all your wealth, anyway?"

"I haven't dealt in anything as common as money in years," Finnick says.

"Then how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?" I didn't mean this to be genuine, in fact I'm not even enjoying myself, but he answers anyway.

"With secrets," he says, leaning close to my body. I roll my eyes openly and he chuckles. "What about you, girl on fire? You have any secrets worth my time?"

He leans back and I scrutinise him with a raised brow. "I'm an open book. Everybody always seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."

"Unfortunately, I think that's true," he smiles mischievously then pops another sugar cube in his mouth and walks away. "Austin," he says, meeting my fellow tribute as he walks towards me.

"Finnick," Austin nods, but he turns his attention to me almost immediately. "What'd he want?"

"To know all my secrets," I smile, almost laughing.

"It's time to get in line," he says, matching my smile. I take his hand just as I hear the intercom.

"Tributes mount up, tributes mount up."

Our chariot is decorated with white roses that, thank goodness, don't reek. And Cinna joins us as we walk up to it.

"No waving or smiling this time," he orders us. "I want you to look straight ahead as if the audience and this whole event is beneath you."

"Should be easy," I'm not sure where this sarcastic mood has come from, but I don't really care.

"Press this when you're ready," he hands me a button that I assume will make Austin and I burst into flames.