THEY WERE WAITING FOR THE RESULTS FROM THE INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENTS. Leia and Finnick were sitting in his room because all of the pacing outside was stressing out, and the others said they would call them when it was their time. However, Finnick still seemed really anxious, and his leg was bouncing like crazy.

"I'm sure you did amazing," she assured him, trying to calm him down. It was not the end of the world if he got a bad score either. There were plenty of people that rooted for the underdog and tried to support them.

"They thought I was pathetic. I could see it on their faces," he groaned, and he looked like he wanted to kick something. He stood up, and she stared up at him as he began pacing back and forth in front of her while biting his nails. They looked at me like I was a little kid."

She was sure that he was overreacting, but even if he was not, she still did not believe that he was totally screwed. He himself had said that he was skilled with a spear, which would be very helpful in the arena. "That gives you an advantage. If everyone thinks you're just a kid, they won't expect you to be a threat."

"Finnick! Little girl! We're on! We're on!" Dayta shouted from the main room of the suite. Their heads whipped around to look at each other. Leia jumped up, and they rushed toward the door.

They entered the room to see Isla's face on the screen and her score next to it. "Isla Angler with a nice 8 on her individual assessment." They all cheered and patted her on the back. It was a pretty good score, and it would stand out to any allies that she might want. The Calore girl turned to Finnick who was playing with his fingers.

"It's okay. No matter what the score is, it will be okay," she reminded him. She had told him a dozen times, but she wanted to make sure that he knew.

His face appeared on the screen, and they awaited the reveal of his score. A box spun, creating suspense, and they all leaned forward in their seats. Finally, the box stopped turning, and a number appeared on the screen. Their jaws all dropped at the sight of it.

"And Finnick Odair with a stunning 11!"

The room erupted in cheers for him because none of them had been expecting such a good score other than Leia and Mags. The old woman patted her mentee on the shoulder, letting him know that she was proud. Finnick spun around to the Calore girl and threw his arms around. She smiled as she hugged him back, and she whispered in his ear, "You did good."

《✵》

IT WAS TIME FOR THE MOST ESSENTIAL PART — THE INTERVIEWS. The interviews were when the audience decided whether they adored or despised a candidate. They usually loved the outgoing, charismatic people, sending them tons of gifts and cheering loudly, and they usually hated the quiet or aggressive ones. The Careers were usually the Capitol favorites because they had been training for every single part of the games for years, even the interviews.

Caesar Flickerman was sitting in his chair in front of thousands of adoring fans and tons of cameras that were broadcasting to the entire nation. Everyone was watching eagerly, and Leia knew that a ton of them were hoping that at least one person would fall on their face or embarrass himself. She just really hoped that it was not Finnick. Speaking of, Isla had just stepped off the stage.

"Next, we have our youngest tribute this year, Finnick Odair!" Caesar announced, and he held his arm up. Leia watched from backstage as Finnick walked briskly onto stage. He had his striking smile on his face as he waved to all of the fans cheering for him. He did not look nervous at all, and Leia admired how well he could hide his nerves. "Hello, Finnick."

He sat down in the chair opposite the Flickerman man and shook his hand before leaning back and crossing his legs. He looked attractive and confident, which was exactly what Dayta had told him to do. "Hi, Caesar."

"How are you feeling?" the older man questioned curiously. It was not often that the youngest tribute came out so excited and carefree. There were almost always nervous wrecks. But Leia knew that Finnick was different. He was smart, and he knew how to play the game.

The Odair boy nodded with a cocky smirk. He responded, "Pretty good, actually."

"Yes, you got a magnificent score on your individual assessment," Caesar pointed out, but everyone already knew that. Someone under sixteen had never done so well, at least not in a long time. It was something that really stood out. "Forgive me for saying this, but that was not something I was expecting."

"It's all right, Caesar. A lot of people underestimate me," Finnick replied, and he sounded like he was insinuating something. Whatever he was doing, the crowd was eating it up. There was a chorus of laughs and cheers throughout the room, and it looked like people were really enjoying him.

"You're funny," the Flickerman chuckled out, shaking his head. He then leaned forward in his chair, glancing at the camera and then abc at Finnick. "Now, the people want to know more about you. We all know that you're young and clearly very skilled, but what are some of your hobbies?"

The young boy seemed to be prepared for the question, so he answered swiftly and smoothly. "Well, back in District Four, I would fish, swim, and — my personal favorite — talk to the ladies." Leia's heart dropped to her stomach, and her smile wavered a little bit. She just shook it off after a moment because it was not about her. It was about people liking Finnick, and they clearly did.

"Ha! I think we can all admit that you are a very attractive young man." After that comment, Finnick looked uncomfortable, but it was barely noticeable. Leia felt awful because the entire crowd was fawning over him like he was not a fourteen-year-old boy. "That's all we have time for folks, but it was great to talk to you, Finnick," Caesar told him after checking his watch.

"You too, Caesar," Finnick replied. He shook the man's hand again before blowing a kiss to the crowd. They started booing because they did not want him to go, and he kept grinning at them and flashing his intense stare until he was sure that he was out of sight. Leia turned and watched his smile be replaced with a real one when his eyes landed on her. He walked over to her. "How did I do?"

She was still a bit bothered by what he said about his hobbies back home, but she had to brush it off again. "Really good. They loved you."

"You know, I made up the part about the girls. Dayta just told me that saying that would get me more sponsors," he informed her, and she ignored the feeling of relief that washed over her at the words. She did not like Finnick. She just hated the idea of him being sexualized like that.

"Definitely. You look desirable," she assured him. She knew what Dayta's plan had been in the beginning, and it definitely worked. "It just sucks that you have to have grown women falling in love with you to do it."

He just shrugged with a sigh, even though he did not seem happy or okay with it. "Whatever keeps me alive."