I watch her yell Prim's name, a name I've heard a thousand times before. And even though it's from the same lips, the name sounds different. It's strangled, painful. I comprehend what has happened. I run, as she climbs the few steps onto the stage. I pull the crying Prim off her, as she screams. In a voice as steady as I can make it I say, "Up you go, Catnip."
Catnips eyes are like a jungle
When she smiles it's like the radio
She whispers songs into the window
In words that no buddy knows
The Mayor says something, followed by a comment by Effie Trinket. Haymitch walks over, falls off the stage. It's all a blur. I stay, fixated on Katniss's face. She's holding back tears. Effie skips over the boy's glass bowl, and draws a name. I almost hope that it's mine. It's not.
"Peeta Mellark."
There's pretty boys on every corner
Their watching as she's walking home
Saying "Does she know?"
Will you ever know?
The mayor saying other things and his speech ends. Katniss and Peeta are led into the Justice Building. I stand in the short line of people waiting the see them. I line for Katniss consists of Prim and her mother, who get called in first, then Madge and oddly enough Peeta's father. Minutes tick by. Prim and her mother come back out, crying, clutching to each other. There will be time to talk to them later.
I wait a while and finally they let me into her. She's sitting in a fancy room, her face covered by her hands. I merely open my arms, and she enters them. I feel like crying, kissing, consoling. I just stand there though, holding her.
You're beautiful
Every little piece, love
Don't you know you're really gonna be someone
Ask anyone.
"Listen, getting a knife should be pretty easy, but you've got to get your hands on a bow. That's your best chance." I whisper to her.
"They don't always have bows." She looks up at me.
"Then make one. Even a weak bow is better than no bow at all."
"I don't even know if there'll be wood." She sounds exasperated. I think of the one year where there was nothing but rocky terrain. We watched as the tributes starve or freeze to death.
"There's almost always wood." I smile, unwillingly at her. "Since that year half of them died of cold. Not much entertainment in that."
She seems to think about this. "Yes there's usually some."
"Katniss, it's just hunting. You're the best hunter I know."
She looks like she doesn't quite believe me. "It's not just hunting. They're armed. They think."
"So do you. And you've got more practice. Real practice. You know how to kill."
She looks hurt, but I'm not completely sure why. "Not people." she says.
I look at her, grimly. "How different can it be, really?"
I want to say more. I want to tell her more. The guards are telling me my time is up. She crys out to me.
"Don't let then starve!"
"I won't. You know I won't!" I yell back.
And when you find
Everything you looked for
I hope you life
Leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don't
Stay Beautiful
The guards begin to pull me away, I want to scream. Instead I say one last thing.
"Remember I-" They pull me out of the room before I can finish. The door closes, and I whisper to no one in particular. "Remember that I love you."
The next few days are a blur. I speak very little, and spend my free time hunting. But it's not the joy filled, exciting hunt with Katniss. It's lonely, and I come away with half of my usual haul. This won't do, I have two families to feed now. The recap of the reapings are shown and I make note of a couple of them. There's a boy from District 2 who could take Katniss out with his fists. Another large boy from 11, who could probably rip her head off. I see Katniss volunteer, and me pulling Prim off the stage.
The day of the opening ceremonies arrive, and I'm excited to see her. The other District's carriages pull into the Capitol square. I wait patiently, for her too to enter. She does and I burst into laughter. She's on fire, but she's not burning. A cape flows behind her, looking as if it's on fire.
Catnip finds another way
To be the highlight of my day
I'm taking pictures in my mind
So I can save them for a rainy day
It's hard to make a conversation
When she's taking my breath away
I should say, hey by the way
But then I notice something that doesn't sit well with me. Her and Peeta are holding hands? I stare at the scream and it's true. She's gripping his hand tightly. I hope that this was something Effie Trinket made them do, or someone like that. I hope with all my heart that it was not her own idea. After I reassure myself that it wasn't, I take another look at her costume. It's amazing really. She looks like she's having fun. She blows a kiss into the crowd, I reach my hand out to catch it.
You're beautiful
Every little piece, love
Don't you know you're really gonna be someone
Ask anyone.
Though normally I watch only the mandatory TV, I find myself keeping it on. Hoping to catch a small glimpse of her. I always do. She's on every channel, everyone's excited about the splash she made at the opening ceremonies. I hope it helps keep her alive.
And when you find
Everything you looked for
I hope you life
Leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don't
Stay Beautiful
They talk about the training going on for the tributes. They don't mention anything about Katniss. Surely Katniss is saving shooting until her private session. Then the day to announce scores is here. I stare expectedly at the TV. All the other tributes go first, and by the time her name is shown, I'm worried. But it's okay, it's more than okay. She's gotten an eleven! I let a sound escape my mouth. A mix between a elation and a whimper. I realize that while the score could get her more sponsors, it also makes her the one to kill.
You and I are a story
That never gets told
If what you are is a daydream
I never get to hold
At least you'll know
Finally, the day of the interviews come. I'll here her voice, listen to her words. I watch the other tributes silently with her mother, Prim, my mother, Vick, Rory and Posy. Prim occasionally lets out a small cry. I do little to comfort her, though Posy does squeeze her way next to her. And after twenty- two other tributes, Katniss Everdeen mounts the stage to sit beside Cesar Flickerman. She's dressed in a dress, that shimmers and gives the idea of fire. Katniss is still burning. I stare at the screen in awe. She's as radiant as the sun.
You're beautiful
Every little piece, love
Don't you know you're really gonna be someone
Ask anyone.
"So Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you the most since you arrived here?" Cesar asks. It feels strange, having someone else say her name. Someone from the Capitol with their funny Capitol accents.
"The lamb stew." She says. I laugh, and even Prim lets out a small giggle.
"The one with dried plums? Oh. I eat it by the bucket full! It doesn't show, does it?" The audience laughs, but I only want to hear more from Katniss.
"Now, Katniss," Ugh. I hate it when he says her name. "When you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of that costume?"
"You mean after I've gotten over my fear of being burned alive?" Katniss asks. I laugh again. Now even Katniss's mother smiles a bit.
"Yes, start then." Cesar says.
"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it." I hang on to her every word. I've never been one for fashion, but after hearing her talk about it like that, I think I have a new hobby. She continues talking, as I fantasize about taking those gorgeous clothes off her. "I can't believe I'm wearing this either. I mean, look at it!" She gets up and begins to twirl. She looks as if she's glowing. I can't help but have a stupid grin on my face.
"Oh do it again!" Cesar laughs. She spins and spins. "Don't stop!" He says as she begins to slow down.
"I have to, I'm dizzy!" Katniss giggles. She giggles? I have never heard Katniss giggle and I never wish to again. It's unnatural, scary even.
"Don't worry I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentors footsteps." Cesar puts an arm around her. I don't like him touching her like that. "It's alright she's safe with me." Cesar says. Safe? Going off to her almost certain death, and he says she's safe.
"So how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint what happened in there." Cesar looks questioningly. But I already know.
All she says is, "Um… all I can say is I think it was a first." The Gamemakers chuckle and nod. This spikes my curiosity. Surely other tributes have shot a bow and arrow before.
"You're killing us. Details. Details." I agree with Cesar when he says this.
Katniss smiles and looks at the Gamemakers. "I'm not supposed to talk about it, right?"
A tall, goofy one answers. "She's not!"
"Thank you, my lips are sealed." Katniss says.
Cesar looks disappointed. "Lets go back then, to the moment they called your sisters name at the reaping. And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"
"Her name's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything." Katniss says. I nudge Prim. And she smiles a bit at her name.
"What did she say to you, after the reaping?" Cesar asks.
Katniss looks sadly at him. "She asked me to try really hard to win."
"What did you say?" Cesar prompts.
"I swore I would." She says, as the buzzer goes off. I don't want her to leave the stage. To leave me. Cesar says something, but I'm not paying attention anymore. I fixated on Katniss, as she leaves the stage.
And when you find
Everything you looked for
I hope you life
Leads you back to my door
Oh, but if it don't
Will you stay beautiful?
A beautiful, beautiful
Beautiful
A beautiful, beautiful?
The beginning of Peeta's interview is lost with my thoughts of Katniss. I hear laughter. Then Cesar asks Peeta if he's got a girl. He says he doesn't, but that he likes someone. I think about who that might be as Cesar tells Peeta to win, and go home to win her heart. Peeta says that won't help. I'm perplexed. Maybe it's a girl who's against violence. But I'm wrong when Peeta says.
"Because she came here with me." It takes me a second to comprehend. He means Katniss. Jealousy rages though me. I see Katniss on scream, blushes. She's hiding her face in her dress. For a second I almost believe that she likes him too.
Oh, but if it don't
Stay Beautiful
Stay Beautiful
A/N I hope you liked it! It's my first ever songfic. I was thinking about maybe adding other chapters with different songs. Tell me what you think.