A/N - Hiya!I've attempted to continue on from The Hunger Games. By no means have I taken any ideas from outstanding authors, and anyone who had an imput (ie. ideas, ways of phrasing things, names ect.) will be credited at the end of the chapter. Feel free to leave a review, as that would make me awfully happy.
May the odds be ever in your favour.
Chapter 1.
I woke up to a hammering on the front door.
I was home alone, mum had gone into the woods, dad was down in the bakers and Finn was out playing with his friend.
I stomped across the room, unimpressed with my wakening, yanked my robe off of the door and pulled it over my arms, wrapping it around my body.
After unlocking several locks that trailed down the door, my dad had placed there for 'safety', I opened the door to find both a man in his early fifties and a younger man maybe in his early to mid twenties.
"Hello, sweetie. I'm Cesar Flickman and this here is my son, Jackson Flickman." They both held out their hands, so I reached out and shook them, why did the name Cesar Flickman ring a bell? "We're looking for your parents, Katniss and Peeta, are they home?" Cesar continued.
I leant backwards to glance at the clock in the living room. "They aren't, however mum should be back in twenty minutes, dad's in the bakery all day today. Is there anything I could help you with?" I was hoping that they'd realise that I was offering an empty gesture. Unfortunately, they didn't read it very well. Both Cesar and Jackson looked at each other and then glanced at their watches, almost simultaneously.
"We can wait for twenty minutes, can't we?" I opened the door wider, not only inviting Cesar and his son in, but also the bitter early spring air that rushed through, causing goose bumps to form on my arms and legs. "It's been a long time since I spoke to your mother and father," Cesar announced as he welcomed himself into my home, encouraging his son to do so too. I was still wary of who this man was and why I recognised him. I know for certain that I've never seen his son before, so he couldn't be a new resident of District 12.
"I hate to be rude, Mr Flickman but would you mind enlightening me on the matter of who you are?" I tried to sound polite, although I may have come across more sarcastic than anything else.
Cesar chuckled as he patted the couch opposite me, beckoning his son to sit down although Jackson seemed hesitant. "Please, make yourself at home, Jackson." I say to him, smiling hoping he'd try not to hard to think I was impolite, unfortunately I have the same confidence and mannerisms as my mother. Finn got all the friendly, outgoing genes.
"Ah, sweetie-" "My name's Annie," I interrupt. I don't like being called 'sweetie' it's so patronising. "My apologies, Annie. I was the interviewer and host of The Hunger Games for several years. I interviewed your mother and father in fact. Your father was one of the best tributes I've interviewed!" I could tell at this point, we would be reminiscing very soon.
"Dad, I'm sure Peeta or Katniss have told Annie about the interview," Jackson interrupted, trying to avoid the conversation Cesar was willing to have.
"Actually, they haven't. What interview?" I was oddly concerned. Being a 17-year-old girl, my interest in my parents' teen romance often made me a little queasy, but this was one thing they hadn't told me, and mum barely ever tells me about her past. But, one thing was for sure, I was intrigued with was Cesar had to say.
"The interview before The 74th Hunger Games. What a night that was. Your mother's stylist Cinna and the prep team did a fantast job. How often do you see someone wearing a dress that is set a light when she twirled around on stage? Well, you never did see a dress like that, until after the games. After the games those igniting dresses sold like merchandise." Cesar trailed off to a point of what seemed a disgruntled rant about the dresses and the Capitol.
Jackson cleared his throat with intention of bringing his father back into reality and shot an apologetic look at me. I just smiled.
"Oh, yes. The interview. Well, Katniss was the first to be interviewed from District 12, ladies first and all that jazz and although her interview was fantastic, it was Peeta's that sent the audience and myself into complete awe with the both of them. I remember asking Peeta if he had a love interest back in his District, and his reply and the following statements he gave were astounding. Almost show stopping. His first reply was 'not exactly, well there is this one girl I have a crush on', this was an invitation for me to ask more, so following my instincts I did. I told him that, if he was to go out there and win the Games, she would have to marry him and his reply threw everyone watching. This was when he admitted it was your mother, Katniss he had, had a crush on for a long time. He admitted this in front of not only District 12 and the Capitol, but District 1 all the way through to District 12. The whole of Panem had found a place in their hearts for the 'Star-Crossed Lovers from District 12'."
Ah, I remember Uncle Haymitch often greeted mum and dad when he was drunk as 'the star-crossed lovers' when he stumbled through our front door on occasion, when he realised he was too incapable of caring for himself over night.
"Wow. That must have been something." I smiled at both Cesar and Jackson.
"What was something? Wait, Annie, honey, who are you talking to?" mum called as she slammed the door shut. I stood up and head for the hall where mum was carrying her bow; she'd obviously had no luck in the woods today.
"Cesar Flickman and his son are here. They wanted to see you and dad," I noticed my voice started to sound somewhat excited about this, now I'm aware of the first time my father had declared his love for my mother. Okay, now I was feeling a bit queasy.
"WHAT?" my mother is the only person who can successfully shout and whisper at the same time, something I'm yet to master. She looked in the mirror and fixed her hair, and straightened out her jacket as she head for the living room. Both Cesar and Jackson were stood awaiting my mother's presence.
"Well, if it isn't Cesar Flickman!" my mother was a convincing liar. I remember now where I'd hear his name. He presents shows on TV. He's quite often on the news.
"Ah, Katniss! You look well," Cesar picked up my mother's hand and kissed the back of it.
"What can I help you with, Cesar?" my mother asked, genuinely interested this time.
"Ah, well. The Capitol would like to feature your family and maybe interview you and Peeta again, just like old times!" Cesar nudged Jackson on the shoulder, as if what he just said contained a punch line somewhere between all of the nonsense that tumbled from his mouth.
"No. Never in a million years. I want nothing to do with the Capitol. Do you not remember everything I went through to make sure that message was successfully carried through?" the tone in her voice was stern.
I heard a faint meowing coming from the cupboard. I head over to the cupboard under the stairs, and opened the door and out crawled Prim and Rue, our ratty little cats Buttercup left behind when I was a baby. Rue was excessively pregnant and that means more horrid little creatures living in our house. Fantastic.
"Katniss, I understand you're upset with our offer, why don't you and Peeta consider it, then give us a call?" Cesar stood up and began exiting the living room, but crouching down to Prim and stroking her. "Aw, she's gorgeous," Prim rolled over onto her back, allowing Cesar to rub her belly. I couldn't help but laugh at Cesar's remark. Prim is not gorgeous. I can't think of one reason for Prim to be even considered as gorgeous. I don't even get why my mother was so keen for calling her Prim. "What's her name?" Cesar seemed to be enjoying fussing Prim too much. He could keep her if he liked, I wouldn't care.
"Prim," I said. "And the other one's Rue," I picked Rue up. I didn't mind Rue she was a softy, never scratched, or bit anyone. The most non-violent cat I'd ever come across, although she occassionally hissed at me.
"Oh really, that's awfully cute for your mother to want to name one of your cats after her own sister,"
What was he talking about? "Sister?" This was all news to me. Me head started spinning, so I made my way into the kitchen, to ask my mother of this sister of hers. "Who was Prim? Why didn't you tell me you had a sister?" I was shouting at this point.
My mother left the room, hurrying Cesar and Jackson out of the house and once they were in their car, I could hear her call, "I will not be doing that interview, so don't bother calling again!" I could tell by this, someone said something they shouldn't have and everything was going to unravel, maybe not now and maybe not tomorrow. I was used to my mother keeping things from me, but this was on a whole new scale.
Prim would have been my auntie.
I need to know who Prim was.