Catching Fire

Part I: "The Spark"

1

I awake in my new house in Victor's Village. I head over to the bakery to do some work with my family before any reporters show up. The bakery is like my safe house. During the games I had often wished I could be in this very spot. The smell of baking bread, the feel of flour on my hands, the sound of my brothers laughing and joking. My witch of a mother has even let up on beating me since I came home alive. I guess the thought of me dying and never being with my family again really changed her outlook. I finish up the last batch of bread and head home to get ready for the camera crews.

I stand in the shower for longer than I should. I just can't imagine what this Victory Tour is going to be like. It was all a show, Katniss didn't actually love me during the games. Every kiss was one big lie to get more sponsors. I loved her, I truly did. And now I have to go to every district of those tributes that died so we could win, to the capitol full of those fake people that wanted to watch us kill in the first place. And worst of all I have to pretend that Katniss and I are truly, madly, deeply in love; when really I'm the only one that has ever felt that way.

I force myself to get dressed and head over to Haymitch's house about an hour before we need to catch our train. The smell of his filth is unbearable the second I walk through the door. I head to his bedroom to find that Katniss is already there.

I walk in as she says, "Look, if you wanted to be babied, you should have asked Peeta."

"Asked me what?" I'm slightly offended by that comment, but I won't let it show. Even after all that's happened I care to much about her to upset her.

I walk over to the table to set a fresh loaf a bread down that I brought for him. I feel Katniss's eyes on me the entire time.

"Asked you to wake me without giving me pneumonia," Haymitch says with some bitterness in his voice. He has never been good at being waken up, and it makes it especially hard since he has slept with a knife ever since he won his games.

Haymitch hands me his filthy knife and without having to ask I pour some of his clear liquor on it and wipe it clean on my shirt. I begin slicing the bread and offer some up to Katniss too. "Would you like a piece?"

"No, I ate at the Hob, but thank you." Her voice hasn't sounded the same when she's spoken to me since the cameras left. It's far too formal for her.

"You're welcome," My voice doesn't sound very welcoming either.

"Brrr. You two have a lot of warming up to do before showtime." I almost forgot Haymitch was in the room with us.

Of course, the Capitol is expecting the lovesick, star-crossed lovers that won the Games. It's really hard to act like that when you truly did feel that love and the one you loved, risked your life for, won the games with, doesn't actually love you back.

All Katniss says to Haymitch is "Take a bath," and then she hops right out of the window. She still amazes me at how good she is at climbing.

I say goodbye to Haymitch and tell him to get ready, then leave (using the front door). I can't do crazy things like jumping out of the window like Katniss does. Especially after the games when I lost my leg and got this big metal this to replace it.

My house is quiet. I sit in the kitchen and eat a cheese bun left over from last night's dinner. There's not much to do now but wait for the tour to start.