Three

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Sidney and Finnick didn't leave the train's bedroom until they arrived at the Capitol. They had no need to talk to anyone except each other. They mostly spent the whole time cuddling together as an attempt to comfort each other.

They waved to Capitol people out the window and pretended to be happy. Sponsors were still important.

Before the Reaping, they both knew that if they were to go back into the Games, their top priority was to protect Katniss and Peeta and keep them both alive. But now, that all changed.

Finnick and Sidney both swore to themselves to keep the other alive at whatever costs.

In Sidney's mind, if Finnick died, she would have nothing. Nobody else she cared about as much. She would never recover from his death. Neither would Annie or Mags, and Sidney would never be able to forgive herself. Finnick deserved to live. If Sidney died, he could still move on and have a normal life. He would be happy with Annie.

They got off the train, Sidney squished up against Finnick's side, trying to keep from being touched by all of the Capitol men in the crowd.

Sidney looked up at Finnick and saw his smiling face as he greeted the Capitol citizens. She knew this look was fake, however, as she could see how his fingers trembled. Sidney placed her usual cocky grin on her face, trying to keep up the facade as they left the train station and entered the Training Center.

Finnick and Sidney were quickly whisked away from each other, taken to be cleaned up and prepared for the parade. Finnick looked over his shoulder at Sidney as he was being taken away to be cleaned up, seeing that Sidney was already looking at him. She gave him a single nod before turning back around. Finnick was grateful for that nod, feeling reassured.


Sidney was laid down on one of the beds in the square room. It was barely a room, though, as the walls were made of curtains.

The stylists waxed her from head to toe and cut the ends of her hair. They threaded her eyebrows and scrubbed her body until a layer of skin came off. Sidney was then brought into a small, dark room where her stylist would find her.

Sidney got a feeling of major deja vu as she watched the door open and her stylist walk in.

The outfit was complicated and a lot less revealing than in the 68th Hunger Games.

The outfit was two pieces. The top was a tube top design made of scales that was tight around her chest. The top went down just far enough to cover her breasts but it revealed her stomach.

The second piece was a skirt of nets that reached just above her knees, but it had a slit running up the right side that reached her upper thigh. She was given heeled sandals as shoes in an attempt to make a beach feeling.

More stylists later came in to do her makeup and hair. They made a large mermaid braid that fell over her right shoulder. They then gave her light blue eye shadow and winged eye liner, along with a pink-colored lipstick nearly the same shade as her actual lips. She looked beautiful.

Sidney was sent out of the room and into the area with the rest of the tributes where they waited before the parade. All eyes were on her when she walked in, the Capitol citizens screaming her name as they watched her from above.


Sidney and Finnick made their way over to a woman who was barking at some parade coordinators.

"There's my favorite fellow victor!" Sidney smirked, Finnick gave her a small look. "That isn't from my own district." She added after, causing him to turn his attention back to Johanna.

Johanna turned away from the people she was just yelling at to see Sidney and Finnick smirking at her. "I would say it's nice to see some familiar faces but . . . you know."

"Sass and humor's still there, that's great." Finnick said in response to Johanna's weird form of a greeting.

"I hope we can remain allies." Johanna spoke.

"We do too." Sidney said with an exhale, looking over Finnick's shoulder to see Haymitch standing there. "Hey, I'll be right back." She told Finnick and Johanna before they resumed talking, she made her way over to Haymitch.

"How are you?" Haymitch asked with a slight smile.

"I've been better." Sidney grumbled in response.

"I'm really sorry this happened to the two of you." Haymitch spoke.

"You have to understand, Haymitch," Sidney began. "I don't have much, Finnick is my best friend and the closet thing I have had to family in a long time. Katniss and Peeta don't matter to me."

"I do, I understand." Haymitch nodded. "But you have to understand that this is bigger than yourselves. Katniss is the rebellion."

"Then what is Peter?" Sidney asked.

"Peeta is the rebellion's rock." Haymitch explained while correcting her. "If he goes, Katniss will go insane and we can't afford that."

"And what do you think will happen to me if Finnick dies?" Sidney questioned with a small head tilt. "You keep us alive, we'll keep them alive." She nodded toward where Katniss and Peeta were standing. "Clear?"

"Crystal," Haymitch smiled. "Now go make friends."

Sidney rolled her eyes while turning around, moving her mouth while shaking her head in a making manner. She then walked over toward Katniss and Peeta. The two stopped talking when they noticed Sidney walking toward them.

"Sidney Gage." Sidney held her hand out for Katniss and Peeta to shake. They both took her hand, Peeta smiling while Katniss' face was unreadable.

"You're the girl who set-" Katniss cut herself off.

"A couple people on fire?" Sidney asked, finishing for Katniss. Katniss nodded. "I suppose you could base me off that alone. After my district partner died in front of me, I guess I lost it a little bit. That tends to turn a person a little crazy." Sidney's eyelids slightly opened to emphasize, a sarcastic smile spreading across her cheeks. Katniss' eyes flashed sympathy. "I mean, what would these Games be if they didn't change people? Right?" Sidney asked. Peeta and Katniss nodded, understanding.

Peeta and Katniss instantly liked Sidney. They had respect for how forward and real she was. They would like to call her an ally.

"Would you like a sugar cube?" Finnick asked, walking up to the group with a sugar cube in hand, Sidney held back a laugh and snickered. "They're meant for the horses but they have years to eat these. Whereas if we see something sweet we better grab it."

"Finnick Odair, right?" Peeta asked Finnick, raising a brow. Finnick nodded with a smile.

Katniss looked Finnick up and down. "I'd love to borrow that outfit someday."

"You look pretty terrifying in that get-up." Finnick shot back. "What happen to the pretty little girl dresses?"

"I outgrew them."

"You certainly did." He grinned. "You both could've made out like bandits in the Capitol. Gold, jewels, anything you wanted." Finnick said, being his cocky self. Sidney knew this side of him came out when he wanted information from people.

"We already have more money than we need," Katniss spoke. "And how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?" Katniss asked, looking back and forth between Sidney and Finnick.

Sidney let out a shaky breath with a mix between a scoff and small laugh. If only Katniss realized the truth that they were forced to spend their nights with Capitol citizens. Sidney figured Katniss must dislike the two for the fact that she believed they sold their bodies willingly.

Johanna knew Sidney and Finnick were forced into prostitution as she had almost met the same fate. But she refused, and she paid dearly for it.

"With secrets." Finnick smiled.

Sidney tipped her head in. "How about you two, huh?" Her eyes flickered between Katniss and Peeta. "Any secrets worth our time?"

It takes a moment for either of them to reply. "No, we're, uh, open books." Katniss spoke. "Everybody seems to know my secrets before I know them myself."

Sidney's grin closed into a tight-lipped smile. "Unfortunately, I think that's true." She let out a long sigh. "Sorry you two had to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must be for you." She pouted.

"I suppose we should be going. Have a good day." Finnick popped the sugar cube into his mouth before turning and leaving with Sidney by his side.


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