My world was spinning around me. My deep purple dress flutters around me as I continue to act the part of a Victor. It was absolutely absurd to be standing in heels, who puts a 14 year in heels? This elaborate dress that probably costs more than it would to have fed an entire family from the Seam for a year is all anyone can see. Disgusting. Every single vapid person in this room seems to gush over how I look and ask me to twirl, like a performer that I apparently have become. I am Katniss Everdeen, 14 year old Victor of the 72nd Hunger Games. Here I am at the Capital surrounded by wealth and power, and I am supposed to play the part of the grateful victor at the most overdone party anyone has ever seen.
I'm not stupid, I know that I was only able to get myself so far in the games until my sponsors chose my fate. I owe them so much and it fills me with dread. My father taught me everything I know about survival, archery became means to support my family. How great of a debt it is to owe another person was also an important lesson I learn from my late father. Haymitch, my mentor, only touched on how big if a deal this is that I was so well sponsored. As a Victor I have certain expectations of me and essentially we have to wait for how those will be decided as I grow into adulthood. I dread to even imagine what that cryptic explanation meant. Whispers and gossip is rampant, wondering who sent me the bow in the arena, what the burn cream costed to heal this "Girl on Fire" and how I was able to poison the final tributes food, making me the lucky Victor. Effie is on a mission to find out the identity of greater benefactors.
"Katnissss, Darling!" My escort greets me with a capital double cheek kiss. I force down a scowl and play along. She's so fake it's predictable.
"I can't believe it but there's a great deal of speciation and it seems your benefactors just may be…" She paused and looked around, then continues whispering.
"Just may be RELATIVES of President Snow, himself."
Now my head is spinning. Effie looks at me with concern. This can not be good. Effie is over the top jovial at all times. If she is concerned this is a nightmare. I have no idea what to expect but I don't want anything to do with anything and anyone related to President Snow. This is so,much worse than I thought
"I need… I-I-I need something to eat." I blurt out as I hastily bolt to the dinning room the size of our town square in district 12 with tables filled with delicacies. Of course I am inundated with capital men and women of all every kind. Bightly colored. Dyed. Aesthetically modified. Grotesque. Manicured.
My mind is racing. Is this who I OWE my victory to? Is this who saved my life?
For the first time since the arena I a see someone my age. A beautiful blonde with an elaborate side braide and kind blue eyes grabs my arm and rescues me from an especially talkative couple.
"There you are! Katness Everdeen, I'm so glad I found you!"
She greats me as if I am an old friend.
"Let's get some food!" She read my mind.
I find it so easy to talk to her, she asks me about my sister Prim. Actually she's the first one all night who mentioned Prim. She adds things she thinks I would like to my plate, babbles about what I might want to avoid. As we continue on she links our arms together.
"Peeta! I found her!" My new friend squeals as we walk over to a table with a blonde and VERY handsome boy who could easily pass for her brother.
This Peeta boy runs up to me, holding a dinner roll and envelopes me into a hug. Seam boy are very reluctant huggers so I am very caught off guard and stiffen. If he was put off by my reaction he doesn't let it show. Handing me the roll as we all sit down. He starts "Hi Katnisss! I'm so happy to finally meet you. Madge and I feel like we already know you so well, you were our favorite from the beginning!"
So Madge is her name and they are brother and sister. I can tell they're very close.
It's so easy to make conversation with Madge and Peeta. We laugh about some outrageous capital fashion. Talk about my games.
"When you volunteered for your sister I CRIED!!" Madge pipes up.
Peeta continues "I could not believe you did that! You were braver than anyone in the games before you stepped in the arena. How old is your sister?"
"Um, 12. It was her first Reaping."
I frown. It shouldn't be this way. No one should be reaped so young.
"That's why you looked out for the little one?"
I just nod. I don't want to talk about Twill. She should have lived.
I learn that Peeta and Madge have lived in the capital all their lives. They are twins and seem to come from a very prominent family. I get the idea that it's just as exhausting is it was tonight for them also. My new friends even get me to dance, which I was trying to avoid initially. This night would have gone very differently if I hadn't met them.
They also point out who I should avoid, who is a "wannabe" and I learn that there are people here who are truly dangerous.
Someone with dark hair and a strange beard heads toward us and I watch Madge and Peeta give each other a look.
Madge grabs my arm tightly and we make a quick exit up the stairs. Before I realized what's going on in continuing to be tugged and rushed through the mansion. I'm starting to get nervous.
I trust Peeta and Madge but I have no idea how to get back. Effie is going to be furious. I also haven't made any discoveries about my sponsors, although it may be this guy that we left in the dust.
"We're going to keep you safe Katniss. We can't let anything bad happen to you."
Madge says with a serious tone and a look I can't quite read. Oh boy, what does THAT mean?
I hadn't realized how late it is as I yawn. Madge and Peeta notice. Of course they do, they have been so aware of my every move since we met.
"Let's just crash here Madge?"
Peeta points to an enormous bedroom. Dripping with capital wealth. I have no idea what made me believe I should fall asleep nesseled between a brooding but every bit 14yr old Peeta and a sweet Madge clutching my hand.
Something about keeping me safe. Protecting me.
I was always protecting Primrose. It had been 3 long years of survival since I had anyone protecting ME.
Something about Peeta's brilliant blue eyes, honest, kind, protective, made me feel a little bit of my walls come down. My hunting partner, Gale has hard, angry eyes. All I really knew.
And Madge, she was clearly a girl who was used to privilege, yet she had such a refreshing grasp on reality. Her humour broke down my walls as much as her smile and ernist protective nature. One I have only felt with my own sister.
How deep this ran I would soon find out that I indeed needed protecting. I was in a different kind of an arena now.
