Never do us apart
Part I. Of Childhood, Marigold and wedding planning gone wrong.
August 1993.
I'm not very friendly. I insisted that school wasn't necessary but daddy and mommy think it is. I've been here all day and now I just want to get home but the school teachers say we are in recess so I can't go home yet.
"What's up with you?" asks a big boy looking down at me.
I don't answer because I don't think he really wants to know so I just look down again and that's when he pushes me. I fall back and it hurts really bad, so I get up fast and I'm ready to push him back when a blue eyed boy with golden hair stands in front of the other big boy and pushes him back. He seems to be very strong because I watch the bully stumble a little bit back.
"You can't do that to girls!" blue eyed boy with golden hair tells him.
"You won't tell me what I can do!" he says and that's when he punches the little boy in the face. I see him stumble back with a hand on his mouth. I prepare to go on his defense when a girl stands up in front of us and looks at the other boy.
"You punched my brother?!" she screeches and we all flinch.
"He pushed me first" he answers and I can tell that he is scared.
"Listen to me!" she yells as she punches him in the face and he falls to the ground. The girl immediately sits on the other boy's stomach holding his hands down and resumes talking. "If you ever touch him again, I will tell the teachers and my mommy and my daddy and I am going to hit you so hard that you are going to regret it, okay?!" she asks and the boy can't do anything else but to keep looking up at the blond girl with a dazed look.
"Are you okay Peety?" asks the girl turning around to where the boy is sitting now next to me. I kneel down and notice that he is bleeding.
"I'm okay Delly" he says "Just get off Thom or you are going to get in trouble" he tells her slowly.
"Apologize!" she yells and the boy under her nods.
"I'm sorry Peeta" he says slowly and Peeta, as I know he is called now, only nods with what he tries to make a smile but he can't really because he winces when his busted lip starts to bleed a little again.
"Are you okay?" Peeta asks me as his sister kneels next to us.
"I'm okay" I answer slowly. I want to tell him that I could've taken care of it but it seems ungrateful and besides I don't want Delly to hit me too.
"Are you sure?" Delly asks. I can only wonder why she isn't checking her little brother.
"I am" I nod and she gives a hand to me and the other one to Peeta.
"Come on", she says and we start walking inside. "We are going to be friends" she tells me as we sit outside the nurse's office waiting for Peeta. I just turn to look at her without saying a thing.
I don't know if I want her to be my friend. I'm actually a little bit scared.
"Will you?" she asks me and I turn to look at her. I nod. "That's good. Then you can help me take care of Peety too" she says with a smile. "My name is Delly Mellark and that one inside is my little brother Peeta Mellark"
"Like the bakery?" I ask and she nods enthusiastically.
"Yes! Yes! My mommy and Daddy own the bakery! You can come over and we can play and have tons of sweets and cakes…but we will have Peety to make them because I'm not good at that" she smiles.
"Okay" I answer. I think I will like this girl.
"Okay, I hope you know that we are going to be best friends forever" she says as she hugs me and I shrug awkwardly in her embrace. I don't think so but I let her think it anyway.
June 1997.
"Come on, come on, come oooon!" Delly is pulling Peeta's arm as she makes him come upstairs into her room. We are playing wedding and we need a groom since she doesn't want to be groom and I don't either. She takes the list and checks where it says groom as we now have him. That´s a list we made a while ago it which it says all the things that we need to have the perfect wedding.
"But that is a girls game!" says Peeta walking in front of Delly.
"That's why you will be the groom! So it will be a boys game too!" she tells her and even when I know that something like that won't convince Peeta because he is too smart for that he nods and walks into the room smiling at me. I smile back.
It turns out that even though I am on a "phase" as mommy calls it in which I do not like boys and boys don't like girls I really really like Peeta.
A couple of weeks ago Delly and I went with our mommies to a bacholette party or something like that…the mommies played games as Maysilee, my aunt, walked around with a white dress that made her look like a princess. She told stories of how she met her fiancé and my soon to be uncle Haymitch. It's a story like one of those out of the fairy tales that Delly and Peeta's parents read to us when I stay over. We decided then that we are going to find a prince too and get married in that same place where aunt Maysilee's party was held and have a happily ever after.
Ever since that day we play wedding almost every day and we make Peeta our groom. We know we are going to have to find Delly a husband….we are thinking about telling Thom. I will marry Peeta. Or that's the plan right now. Peeta does not object. He asked if he could make the cake and when I told him he could he agreed. So I'm going to marry Peeta when we grow up and we are all going to be together forever.
January 2001.
Delly fell asleep a couple of hours ago and that's when I decided I would run and be alone. I want to be alone.
I still can't believe that my daddy is gone.
The closet door opens and there is Peeta standing with my little sister Prim on his arms. His eyes are red rimmed and his cheeks blotchy but still he smiles at me.
"Prim's been looking for you" he tells me and Prim turns around fast and extends her arms towards me. She hasn't said a word since we told her that Dad has gone to heaven.
I take her in my arms as Peeta gives her to me slowly and looks to the floor. She hugs me fiercely and buries her face in the crook of my neck. I hear Peeta sniffing and I look up just as he is closing the closet door.
"Peeta?" I ask him and he looks at me. "Will you stay with us?" I ask him and he nods entering the closet and closing the door behind him. He sits on the floor and places his arm around me.
I hear Prim's even breathing and I know she fell asleep.
I'm scared. That's all I can think about. I'm scared of being alone. I'm scared of losing people. Now is my dad but…what if I lose Mom or Prim or Delly or…Peeta? What would I do? I don't want anyone to leave. Can't they stay with me…?
"Always" he answers and I turn to look at him. Did I say that aloud?
"What?"
"I will stay with you, always" he answers and that's when I feel it running down my cheek. The first tear I've shed since I found out my Dad was gone. "Don't be afraid Katniss. I won't ever leave you!"
Peeta hugs me tighter. I know Delly is my best friend and that Peeta is my friend by extension. I mean, all these years it's been her who has been in charge of taking me to her home and talking and doing all those things girls do. Even when Delly is older than me she always finds the time. Peeta is there because Delly is. We are friends but we've never talked to each other without Delly in the room or anything so he telling me this breaks me.
I bury my face in the curve of his neck and shoulder and breathe in deeply through my tears. He smells like sugar and cinnamon and something that is just Peeta and I feel better. I feel comforted and like nothing can touch me here.
I don't know how long it's been when I finally stop crying.
"Thank you" I tell him hoarsely and he shakes his head.
"That's what friends are for" he smiles.
"I don't know how you knew what to tell me when I needed it the most" I tell him wiping my nose with my sleeve.
"I just pay attention" he says slowly.
"So you saw…" I tell him and feel him nod.
"She is going to get better too…you'll see…this can't last forever"
"I'm not getting married…" I tell him. "She's…a mess Peeta and all because of being married to dad and us…and she can see him in me and that's why she won't look at me and I don't know what to do!" I rush to tell him. I didn't even tell that to Delly.
"Katniss…everything will get better. You will see. You are not alone…and stop thinking about marriage and kids…we are 12 for god's sake!" he says and I smile because he is right but I don't think how much I meant what I just said.
January 2006.
I walk the long hallway that leads to Peeta's room. Delly is worried. Ever since they found out both their parents were gone he hasn't talked to anyone or eaten or really done anything. He has been locked up in his room. I only saw him at the burial and that was it.
I can't help but to think about that day not so long ago when he told me that he would always be with me. That's why I'm walking down this hallway with a cup of tea with no sugar on my hand. As he has been with me through the years I plan to be there for him.
"Peeta?," I ask as I knock on his door. I wait a couple of seconds but hear nothing. "Peeta, please?" I beg. I wait for another couple of seconds but when nothing seems to happen I open the door. I am going to be there for him whether he wants me to or no.
The room looks empty so I walk to the adjoining bathroom and notice that it is empty too. I turn around and look to the closed closet doors.
"Of course" I mumble to myself. I walk over to the closet and open the door. He is there and he has his eyes closed so I place to tea cup in the small table next to his bed and then get in the closet closing the door behind me.
I sit on the floor of the closet and notice the uncomfortable position in which he is sleeping. I position his head on my lap somehow and start stroking his hair. Tears continue to stream down his cheeks and I wonder if he is awake but I know he isn't. I use my thumb to take the tears away and that is when he opens his eyes. They are red dimmed with dark circles under his eyes and a far off look.
"What are you doing here?" he asks in a whisper.
"This is my always" I tell him hoping he is going to understand what I'm trying to say. He nods but doesn't move his head from my lap.
We stay there in silence. The only sounds in the small closet are his small whimpers and his ragged breathing. It hurts me to see him that way.
"You need to eat something or at least drink something" I tell him and he shakes his head. "Yes you do. Come on" I tell him but he clings to my legs.
"Please" he tells me shaking his head.
"We can lie back in the bed like this" I tell him as he sits.
We get out of the closet and sitting in the bed I pass him the cup of tea.
"Thank you" he says sipping the tea.
"My mom made it" I tell him and he nods. I take the opportunity to really look at him as he sits in front of me sipping the tea. It's been a couple of days but his lack of sleep and food are noticeable. He looks pale and sick…and above all you can tell he has lost a couple of pounds.
"Thank you" he repeats and after taking what he seems to decide that is his last sip he places his head on my lap and closes his eyes.
It's weird how my stomach flutters. This isn't the moment to be feeling something like that so I push that feeling away and start stroking his hair while his eyes remain closed.
"How is Delly?" he asks.
"She's cried a lot and is keeping herself busy…you know how she is" I tell him.
"I wanted to be strong for her. I didn't want to cry…like you did. But I couldn't…I'm not strong enough…"
"You are…you are just dealing with this in a different way Peeta…there is not a book written on how to deal with a parent death, you know?"
"I know…I just…"
"Shhh! You are not weak"
We remain silent until I hear his even and deep breathing.
The door opens and there is Delly standing in the door.
"Is he asleep?" she asks me and after Peeta's opportune sigh I nod. "Thank God! He hasn't slept a wink since…you know…he has nightmares that have been keeping him awake"
I look down at Peeta sadly. I understand what he is going through. I know how close he was to his parents. I know what losing one causes to a person I can't even imagine what losing both of them can do to a person. I brush his hair off from his forehead.
"Will you stay with him?" Delly asks me her eyes glaze over. She looks exhausted.
I nod as I answer in my head: always.
May 2007.
"I'm worried" I tell her exasperated after she shakes her head.
"You are crazy! Marigold and James have been amazing!"
"I know James is…but Marigold…"
Delly shakes her head. Marigold and James are his aunt and uncle that became Delly and Peeta's tutors. Since Delly wasn't eighteen yet when her parents passed away; they needed someone to be in charge of them if they wanted to stay here.
A month after their parents died Marigold and James were named tutors and moved into their house. Mom was worried like I was at the moment but after meeting Marigold and James she felt relieved. They both were great people. It hasn't changed in regards to James. Marigold is another story.
It's not lost on me how she looks at Delly…and how differently she looks at Peeta.
Ever since they moved here Peeta's been different. He keeps his distance and is constantly alone in his room. Peeta has not been the same ever since his parents died. He acts all happy and friendly in school like nothing is wrong but it is a façade. I know it. Delly knows it.
"Why do you think there is something wrong? Peeta's been weird since my parents passed away…he is acting weird now but it's the same weird" she tells me as she continues scribbling.
"I saw bruises Delly" I tell her placing my hand on top of hers stopping her writing.
"He must have slipped or something you know he is clumsy" she says shaking me.
"Dell…you've been busy with all the things you have to do and with Thom so I understand if you haven't noticed but…"
"Kat…you barely talk to Peeta or see him anymore…how could you have possibly…" she is right. After his parents died he locked himself up but he would still talk to me all the time. He would tell me about anything or everything and even when it didn't look to the outsider like we were friends we were. He turned into a Delly for me, a secret Delly…because the only people who knew of our close friendship were him and me.
"Girls" smiles Marigold from the door with a big smile. "Dinner is ready!"
"Thank you!," Delly smiles standing up. "I'll let Peeta know"
"No, he isn't home. He is late…that kid!" she huffs frowning but she looks weird and I decide I'm not staying for dinner.
I can't sleep thinking about Peeta. Even though I know it is really late and my mom wouldn't approve I slip my shoes on and go out for a run. It's midnight and it's perfect because it's quiet and there is no sound that can trouble more my thoughts than what is already troubling them.
I jog in front of Delly's house and I notice that the lights from the basement are on. I look back again because it's really weird. All the lights in the house are off…maybe they forgot to turn them off. I jog over there and decide to turn them off from outside with the switch close to the door that leads to the basement. I remember how we used to play so much down there so their parents decided to put a door so we could get in from the garden too.
"That is not an excuse you worthless piece of shit!" I hear the loud voice and I look around wondering how is it that no one has woken up with how loud the voice is. Then I hear a loud crash and I run to the door looking through the small window next to it.
Peeta is on the floor and Marigold is standing in front of him.
"I told you!," she spats as she kicks him hard in the stomach and Peeta squeezes his eyes shut. He doesn't even make a sound. "Stand up! Be a man!" she says grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and scratching him as she pulls him up. He winces again but Marigold doesn't seem to be fazed by his pain…it's like it doesn't affect her to see him in pain, like she doesn't care…
She pulls him up again and I don't know how she does it Peeta is tall and bulky so I know it probably is no small feat.
"I don't want you to come this late ever again! Did you hear me? And least of all with the excuse of an art project…art…" she says with disdain picking up a canvas that is sort of shining…probably still fresh. "This is a piece of shit!" she yells at him and picking up a tube of paint.
"Please don't!" sounds Peeta's broken voice. He isn't standing anymore…he is on his knees and his arms are around himself like he is preventing himself from falling to pieces.
Marigold just squishes the tube of black paint and starts smearing it all over the painting definitely ruining it. She laughs at Peeta's broken expression. Marigold is just plain cruel.
"That will show you!" she says and swats his head one more time before leaving through the stairs. I hear the door slam and kneel where I am.
Now everything makes sense. The bruises…Peeta hiding…he doesn't want anyone to see…least of all Delly. Marigold has been hitting him for God knows how long. Why isn't James doing anything? I hear sniffing and I stand up again to see Peeta in the same place where she left him breathing hard and with tear stained cheeks.
I try the door and it opens.
"Peeta?" my voice sounds broken…that's how I feel at seeing him that way. It hurts.
"Katniss," he says wiping his face. "What are you doing here?" he looks at me with wide red rimmed eyes.
"I was…I just went out for a run" I tell him slowly and he nods.
"Please…" his voice begs.
"You need to tell someone" I tell him as I kneel in front of him with the first aid kit with me. He looks down and shakes his head.
"She is not like this with Delly…and they are the closest thing to a Mom and Dad that Delly has…I can't do that to her!" he tells me but I shake my head.
"You can't do this…you need to tell someone…Peeta…" I tell him as I dab on a particularly nasty head wound that probably was made before I showed up.
"No" he repeats. "I'm fine…this is nothing…" he says but he can't quite convince anyone as he winces.
"How long Peeta?" I ask him and he looks at me. I know he knows that I won't give in on this.
"Two months after they came to live here…she always brings me to the basement…where no one can hear. As long as she doesn't hurt Delly I don't care Katniss…I don't…" he says slowly but I just shake my head because I can't believe no one noticed before.
"Peeta you need to…They could name other tutors or name Delly yours…she is old enough Peeta…Things could get better!"
"They could get worse" he tells me wincing.
"You don't know that" I tell him.
"Neither do you" he answers simply and he is so full of reason that I don't say anything else.
"Promise me!" he begs. "That you won't tell anyone! I can handle it Katniss…I will leave in a year and I won't have to stand this anymore…Promise me!" he takes my hand in his and I can only nod.
"For now" I tell him, because as I am promising that I won't say a thing I am swearing to myself that If this gets worse I will tell the authorities. Of course I don't tell Peeta this. "But you have to promise that you will come to me"
He does come to me, every single time with a new bruise or bump or anything. I feel bad for him, it hurts me to see him so hurt but since I promised I stick to it. I stick to the secret.
We start spending time together again. This time I invite him over or ask Prim to do so in order to get him out of that house. It's amazing how different we are but how much time we can spend without getting bored of the other. I can only describe the feeling of being with Peeta as happiness. Prim has been teasing me about it but I just shut her up. Everything is fine…everything is as fine as can be with Peeta getting beaten by Marigold.
That is until things get out of hand.
"Open the door!" yells Prim from the couch as we hear insistent knocking.
"Why don't you do it?!" I tell her scowling but go to the door to open it myself. As soon as I open it he falls into my arms.
"Peeta?" I ask and hear him wheezing. Something is wrong. "What's wrong Peeta?" I ask him as I pull him away from me.
Prim curious as she is comes to the hall and her eyes widen as she looks at him.
"What's wrong?" she asks and turns all serious and professional. She is going to be an amazing doctor one day. She stands on the other side of Peeta and we walk him to the bathroom.
When we sit him on the toilet we both gasp at his condition. He looks terribly pale, his nose is bleeding and his lip busted. He is holding his middle and breathing with difficulty. One of his finger looks like it is in an awkward angle and his hand seems to be swollen.
"What happened to your hand?" she asks.
"She…stepped on it" he says slowly without meeting our eyes. Prim's fill with tears and mine fill with rage. How can someone be so cruel?
"Katniss go get some ice" she says as she walks out of the bathroom too.
We both run back when we hear retching and just as we get into the bathroom he starts vomiting.
I kneel next to Peeta.
"A concussion…I'm going to call mom" says Prim as she leaves the bathroom.
"I'm fine" he insists between gasping and retching and vomiting. I feel useless as I can only rub his back circularly between his shoulder blades as if to soothe him.
Mom is just getting home from her last shift and after checking Peeta out and finding the enormous bump in the back of his head we take him to the hospital.
Peeta has a concussion, an assortment of bruises, a busted lip, a bleeding nose, a couple broken fingers and a couple of cracked ribs. My mother calls child services.
"You are fine," I tell Peeta sitting next to him in his room in the hospital. He is under observation for his concussion, so he has to stay.
I hate myself right now. Why did I wait for this to happen? Why didn't I tell anyone something to prevent this?
"This isn't your fault," he tells me sleepily probably due to the pain medication they are pumping into him.
"I should've told someone Peeta…I should've done something…" I tell him as I take his good hand. He squeezes back weakly.
"You couldn't…I made you promise" he smiles with his eyes closed. "Thank you Katniss"
I stay with him the rest of the night. Not even when Delly shows up I go away.
I stay with him the rest of the time too, as he heals and as they rule Marigold unfit for tutoring. They send her to jail where she is to spend the next three years. The cruelty of her ways earning her that much time.
That night she hit Peeta she lost control. She had never quite beaten him that way. She normally aimed for places that no one would notice or that wouldn't seem suspicious. But that day she waited for him in the basement. She pushed him into the wall and started hitting him in his head with a sculpture that the same Peeta had made; she kicked him while he was on the floor disoriented due to the big hit to his head and when he tried to stand up placing his hands on the floor she stepped on his fingers until she heard them crack. She laughed at him for his pain and then proceeded to kneel in front of him and started slapping his face. As disoriented as Peeta was he managed to get up and run out of the basement.
He told me the whole story while he was in my house where Prim got in charge of nursing him back to health. We discovered in a bad way that he had nightmares about that night too and it was one of those days as he woke up shaking and crying that he told me how she hit him. Before that day every time he came to me with a new injury we would talk only about trivial things but that day he told me the whole story.
"Don't worry Peeta…I won't let her hurt you ever again" I tell him as I stroke his hair and he sleeps peacefully. "No one will ever hurt you again".
March 2008.
"Well well well…look who is here to see…"
"Me" Peeta says as he walks behind Delly and hugs me. "I invited her over for pizza and movies since you've been ditching us for Thom the whole week" he tells her and I laugh.
"You guys haven't scheduled anything with me yet…" she says smiling as she looks at her phone as if checking and imaginary schedule; Peeta takes Delly by the waist carrying her into the living room.
"Let me goo!" she says as she squirms trying to be let down. "Let me goo Peety!" she tells him as she tries to tickle him but fails.
"You are staying with us today!" he informs her. "We even got your favorite movies and all so you are telling Thom that you are staying with us"
I shake my head at their antiques. Thom, the bully who brought us together, is Delly's on and off boyfriend since God knows when. Now Delly going to College with him has taken her away from us. It's not like we are busy…it's our last year of school but still we miss her a lot. It's funny but even though I miss Delly a lot Peeta has been there all the time.
It may seem weird but we've been spending a lot of time together publicly and I've even been staying over when Delly isn't here to have projects and stuff done.
"Soooo" Delly taunts as I come back from my thoughts and Peeta tells us that he is going to make pop corn and get the beverages. "You've been spending a lot of time here…"
"You ditch us…so I have to find new company" I inform her as I take a twizzler.
"Just company?" she arches her eyebrow quizzically.
"Yeah, why? Spit it out Delly" I tell her as I sigh. I know her enough to know that she wants to tell me something that is obvious for her but that I am probably oblivious to.
"You…are different with him Katniss" she tells me serious. I know that she keeps that serious face to let me know this is not a joke. She is not teasing.
"Different how? We are friends, he is your brother…I just spend time with him because he is your brother!" I tell her defensively.
"You just spend time with him because he is my brother? Are you fucking kidding me?" she is laughing at me.
I know that is not the only reason I spend time with Peeta but I don't really want to acknowledge any other reason that may exist. I just don't want to.
"You are in denial" she laughs shaking her head. "I don't know Kat…It just…you seem different when you are together…I mean…"
"I don't know what you are talking about" I tell her as I remember how my stomach flutters whenever Peeta gets too close to me or when he smiles and that dimple shows up on his cheek or when he laughs and his eyes crinkle in a special way.
I know things are weird with Peeta because our friendship has been the gossip of school for a while now. Everyone is saying that we are together and stuff…we are not…I always deny it and Peeta stays quiet…sometimes he blushes and I wonder if he is embarrassed to be paired up with me or what.
"Katniss?," Delly looks at me knowingly.
"You know I would never be able to look at him that way…he is like my brother and besides he is not my type" I tell her as I munch on the twizzler.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't like him" I tell her with all the honesty I can muster. "I could never like someone like him"
"But I…"
"Which movie do you want to watch?" Peeta asks coming into the living room. He looks everywhere but at me and I wonder if maybe he heard our conversation.
July 2008.
I somehow lost Peeta. You can't lose something you don't have but that is how I feel when it comes to him.
He spends his time locked in his room and preparing applications and getting acceptance letters.
Today I'm heading to their home to a little reunion so we can say good bye to Peeta properly. He is leaving a whole month early so this is the perfect time to talk to him and get everything to how it used to be but throughout the party he expertly avoids me…I miss him.
I stay over but when all I seem to be doing is turning around in the bed for hours I get up. Sleep seems impossible knowing that Peeta is in the same house but I can't go talk to him or hug him or just be in the same place. I want to consult him so many things. He was always my go to person when it came to advice, Delly doesn't need to know that, but I can't now and it hurts.
I go for a glass of milk and put my robe on. I see him sitting in the living room watching some tapes. I can see his mom and his dad and Delly and him playing in the sand and laughing. He looks so little, just the way he looked when I met him.
He leaves tomorrow Katniss say something! I tell myself watching him there.
"Hey" I utter and he stiffens pausing the video. He turns around and looks at me.
"Couldn't sleep?"
"Not for long," I say. I pull the robe more securely around me. He knows that just like him I have nightmares too. He just knows so much about me.
"Want to talk about it?" he asks. I wonder if he means why I can't sleep for long or why he is avoiding me. Right that moment looking at him there just so close I shake my head.
When Peeta holds out his arms, I walk straight into them. It is the first time since he started avoiding me, since I talked with Delly that he's offered me any sort of affection. That day of the movies he stayed away from me and has been doing it ever since. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck before he tries pushing me away. Instead he pulls me in close and buries his face in my hair. Warmth radiates from the spot where his lips touch my neck, slowly spreading through the rest of me. It feels so good, so impossibly good, that I know I will not be the first to let go.
And I'm not. He is the one who lets go of me.
December 2013.
"Peeta is coming too" Delly tells me as she dips a fry in my ketchup.
"He is?!" I ask and she looks at me with a small smile.
It's been five years give or take since I last saw Peeta, since he was the one to let me go. At first I thought we would remain friends…that maybe that night had fixed things since after he let go of me we stayed talking the whole night, but it wasn't the case. As soon as he could he left the next day.
I still miss him so much to this day. No one needs to know that.
"He is living here again, I did tell you that didn't I?" she asks and I shake my head. Suddenly my mouth feels dry so I take a couple of gulps of water. "Well, he is…he is so handsome Katniss…If I do say so myself…I mean I have to say it because he is my brother but still"
"Yeah, I saw the pictures" I tell her and I know she is right. Peeta looks stunning but I can't be thinking like that now that I am getting married. How that did even happened after all the swearing I did?!
We are just having lunch because we got a call from Effie Trinket´s office, the best party planner of all times according to Delly.
We walk over there and we sit in her office while we wait for her to come in.
"So…why do you think she is calling us back?" Delly asks me as she checks the list that she has in her hands and I roll my eyes.
"Is that the list we made when we were kids?" I ask her and she smiles happily.
"Of course it is"
"I really don't know what I'm doing so I'm leaving it all in your hands" I tell her as Effie Trinket with her golden hair and her weird clothing comes into the office and sits in front of us. She is a beautiful woman but I swear she would look more beautiful if she weren't using that much make up.
"Welcome, welcome" she greets us as we sit and smiles at us. "I called you back because my secretary seems to have made a mistake" she tells us and immediately we both stiffen.
It's taken ages to plan these weddings each a week apart from the other and we have already paid for the food, the flowers and the music. We cannot change any of them now.
"What mistake?" Delly asks her tightly and Effie seems to be sweating if that's possible.
"The weddings were booked for the same day" she says simply and looks sadly at the both of us.
"WHAT?" we ask in unison. This is the worst thing that could've happened for us.
"I'm so very sorry girls". She says as she takes my hand and Delly's. I don't really see how that is going to fix any of this mess. I turn to look at Delly and see that she is thinking way too hard. I bet she's come up with a thousand different plans in the last minutes.
"The only other available date in the Panem Plaza is in June…2015" she says slowly and we both look up.
"WHAT?!" we utter in unison again. Delly looks sharply at Effie and I am pretty sure that I've got my best scowl on my face.
"I am so sorry girls. Honestly, I will compensate you in any way I can…I may have a solution…I found a last minute cancel in the Panem Plaza"
"Fine! I'll take that one!" says Delly fast, relief flooding her voice.
"It is the same date as the other one you already have…at the same time" she says slowly.
"This is stupid!" I yell as I stand up and take my briefcase. "You are supposed to be the best and you mess up like this!?"
"Katniss", Delly looks at me warningly.
"What!? Dell you know she…"
"I know this is my responsibility Miss Everdeen and I promise that I will find a solution for this" she tells me seriously. "This had never happened before and I will see to fix it as best I can" she tells us.
We part ways with Effie. She promises Delly and I that she is going to fix this.
"What do you mean that there's nothing she can do?" I look at Delly's sad face.
"She can't do anything Kat…She tried even bribing them but there is no other date in the Panem Plaza…she said that we either do the weddings the same day or one of us gets married in a year" she tells me looking at her hands.
"I…" I don't know what to do. It seems to me that we don't have another choice but to cancel one of the weddings.
"I won't cancel my wedding" she answers when she looks at me. Of course my best friend doesn't need me to say anything to know what I am thinking.
"I won't cancel either", I tell her frowning.
"Why don't you cancel it?!" she yells at me and I know that any chance of solving this amicably is lost. We are going to fight over this and I don't think any of us is going to win. "You didn't even want to get married!" she slaps her thighs.
"Why don't you?" I ask her with a scowl.
"Don't be selfish Katniss be there for me!" she tells me. "I don't have my parents just my brother and you…I need you there…" She says as she makes those puppy blue eyes that I hate so much and remind me so much of her brother. I wince. I know she is right. I look up at her ready to concede when I see her small smile.
"Don't do that Dell!" I yell at her. I know her enough to know that even if her previous statement is true she is just saying it right now because she knows that the way she always gets me to do what she wants. It's always been like that.
"What?!" she asks innocently.
"You know what…" I look sideways at her.
"I can't change the wedding and neither can you" I tell her. "We've both paid some things and you know…"
"You can cancel!" she tells me. "I'll pay for what they charge you Katniss just change the wedding please?!" she asks of me and I sigh.
"Look, I gotta go…I will have to talk about this with Gale…just let's think about this, okay?" I ask of her and she nods slowly.
I have a strange foreboding sense…something is going to go wrong.