A drunk Haymitch stumbled out of his house, not caring if anyone saw him. He was a mean and sarcastic drunk.
He held a bottle of scotch in one hand, and a bag full of coins in the other. He walked down the dirt road, and soon reached The Hob.
He remembered his time there before he was reaped. He would help Greasy Sae by providing squirrel and venison for her soups, and getting portions of soup for his mother and brother.
Haymitch walked drunkenly towards the liquor stand, and gave the man the entire bag of coins, and grabbed a bottle of bourbon on the table. He turned around, and moved to leave, but heard a muffled scream coming from deeper within The Hob.
He turned back around, and walked towards where the scream originated from, and found a man holding a girl down, kissing her roughly.
Haymitch knew the girl wasn't returning the man's affection, so he pulled the man away from her, and punched him several times in the face. When the man started to not fight back, Haymitch threw carelessly on the ground, and looked over to see the girl. She had long blond hair, and wore rags that were somehow considered clothing. She moved to get up, but tripped. Haymitch caught her, and waited until she could walk. Tears brimmed her eyes, but keeping her eyes fixating her eyes on the ground.
She sniffed, and said, "Thank you."
Haymitch stiffly nodded, turned and walked away. He didn't want some girl to ruin his buzz. He walked back to his house, and toppled onto the couch, too drunk to make it to the bedroom.
"A man did what to you? Where is he? I'm going to kill him!" Katniss paced around the bedroom she and her sister shared, livid about what happened to Prim at The Hob. Prim tried to calm her down, claiming not to know the indentity of her attacker.
When Katniss somewhat composed herself, she asked, "Who saved you?"
Prim replied, "The Victor, Haymitch. He was the only one that heard my scream." Katniss nodded.
"Alright, I'm going to see Gale. I'll be back by dinner." Prim nodded, and stayed on the bed.
She wanted to thank Haymitch, and tell him how thankful she and her family was. She sighed, trying to think of a gift to give him. She found it extremely hard since he was the Victor, and had everything.
She huffed, and stood. She saw her mother in a chair, holding Buttercup. Prim sadly smiled, and put her boots on.
She left their shack, and walked towards Victor's Village; wanting to tell Haymitch how grateful she was. She walked up the steps, awing at how beautiful his home was.
The door was left open, so she called out, "Hello? Mr. Abernathy?" When no one answered, she timidly stepped into the house, and instantly smelt the distinct stench of alcohol, and an unclean household.
She walked around, and saw Haymitch passed out on the couch. She sighed, and walked farther into the mansion. She awed at how big it was, and stepped into the kitchen. She wrinkled her nose at the smell. There were plates littering the counters, and bowls stacked in the sink. She decided that she could clean up a little while waiting for Haymitch to wake up.
She cleaned the kitchen, and then moved into the dining room. The dining room wasn't really messy, but there were several empty bottles on the table. She wiped the table and chairs down, and then moved to the living room. She didn't want to make much noise, so she threw away the obvious trash, and cleaned the coffee table.
She wet a cloth, and put it on Haymitch's forehead, and then walked back into the kitchen. She mixed different herbs together, and then put it into a cup. She re-entered the living room, and set the cup down on the table. Haymitch stirred a bit, eyes fluttering open. He groaned, and moved to get up, but laid back down due to his headache.
"What are you doin' here?" Prim squirmed uncomfortably.
"I wanted to come, and tell you how grateful I am for what you did earlier today," she grabbed the cup full of herbs, "Drink this. It'll help with your headache, and nausea." She put the cup to his lips, and set the cup back down.
She grabbed the cloth on his forehead, and went to the kitchen to re-wet it. She came back, and sat at the edge of the couch. She dabbed the cloth around his face, and made him take another sip of the herbs.
She grabbed the cup, and and walked back into the kitchen. She rinsed the cup out, and moved to leave.
"What's your name?" Prim turned to Haymitch.
"Prim."
The next day, Prim sat on the grass with her friend, Rory. They were sharing warm bread, that Rory had traded for four squirrels.
"Are you worried?" Prim ate a small amount of her portion, saving the rest for Katniss and her mother.
"Yes. I'm only in there four times, but it's still nerve stopping. " Rory nodded, and took out a big chunk of bread, and chewed it, ungraciously.
Prim remembered Katniss' reaction when she told her that she had applied for three teserae. She had gone balistic, screaming, and yelling.
"I'm in there six times, and Gale's in there fourty-two times." Something bothered Prim; if Gale was reaped, would Rory volunteer? There hadn't been a single person to volunteer as tribute in District 12. What if Katniss is reaped? Would I volunteer? Prim knew that if she was reaped, she would be sentenced to death. She was frail from being malnurished. She couldnt even hurt a fly if she tried.
Katniss and Prim made a pact, promising that if either was reaped, the other wouldn't volunteer. Katniss would have a fair chance at winning, since she has a bow and arrow. Prim only knew plants, and medicinal herbs.
Prim sighed, saddened by the fact that if she was reaped, she might as well be thrown into a pit with poisonous snakes.
"Reaping day is tomorrow, Rory. What will happen if you or Gale is reaped?" Rory stayed silent, not wanting to decide what would happen if he or Gale was reaped. He knew that Gale would volunteer for him in a heartbeat, but he didn't know if he could say the same.
It is Reaping Day.
Prim woke up in the bed she shared with Katniss, terrified of what the day would bring. Katniss was no where to be found, not surprising Prim. She slipped her shoes on, and walked into the kitchen, peeking into her mother's room; she was still asleep on the bed.
She grabbed a pot, and started a small fire to heat the water. She took the time to go into her mother's room, and lay her reaping dress on the bed. She gently shook her awake, and said, "Good morning, Momma."
Her mother smiled, and sat up. "Good morning, dear."
Prim left the room, and brought her mother back a cup of water. She handed it to her, and went to check on the boiling water. She took the pot, and pour it into the tub, along with cool water.
She undressed, and stepped into the tub. She scrubbed in between her toes, wanting to relish the feeling of warm water while she could. After washing her hair with soap, she dried herself with a cloth, and put on her reaping dress.
Katniss walked in, and smiled.
"Come here, little duck." Prim walked towards Katniss, and turned her back to Katniss. She fixed the tail on Prim's dress, and said, "I have some squirrel for you to skin tonight. We'll have meat, and some grain tonight." Prim sadly smiled. She liked how Katniss would always assume nothing bad would happen to them.
"I heated some water for you. I think it's still warm." Katniss nodded, and went to the tub. Prim walked into the living room, and saw her mother waiting for her with a brush and a band.
"Come here, sweetheart." Prim let her mother braid her hair, wanting to savor the moment of having a mother. Since her father had died, her mother shrivelled away into nothing, being constantly depressed, and not eating, even when they had food.
When Katniss stepped into the room, she gasped, "You look beautiful!" Prim smiled, and said, "I wish I looked like you."
Katniss shook her head, and said, "Oh, no, little duck, I wish I looked I like you." Prim smiled.
Once Katniss had her hair done, they walked towards the Hall of Justice, and checked in.
Katniss and Prim seperated, and went to their designated area.
Prim stood by a small girl, biting her nails viciously . Prim saw Effie Trinket, their district's escort giving the same speech they give every year. She saw many peace keepers standing by the stage, and guarding the rows of children. She also say Haymitch sitting in one of the Victor seats. He looked drunk, and disoriented. Prim couldn't blame him; he had seen his partner get attacked, and killed. She felt sorry for him; having the Capitol kill his entire family, along with his girlfriend only because he had used the force field for personal gain, ultimately naming him Victor.
"Happy Hunger Games! And my the odds be ever in your favor!"
Effie adjusted her gloves, and walks up to the two glass bowls. She smiled, and said, "Ladies first!"
Prim could hear her own heartbeat, looking around nervously. Her breathing slowed, and almost stopped. She locked eyes with Katniss, and let a tear slip.
Effie pulled out a slip, and read clearly.
"Primrose Everdeen!"
A/N: This is going to a multi chapter story, loosely based off of Not the Only One by coldfusion9797.
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