I am numb as my prep team comes in a few minutes after Dr. West leaves. I don't even notice them as they start to "beautify" me.
District 12 is gone. My family, my friends, everyone I ever knew, is dead. I can't even process it.
Why, I think, why would Snow do this?
But I know why. Snow and the Capitol are evil and cruel and the murder of the innocent is nothing to them. They have proven this over and over with the Hunger Games. Suddenly I am furious. This has to stop. Now. There can't be a cease-fire. The rebels must end this. Snow must die.
I am about to call off the stupid interview, but I'm reminded that this might possibly save Katniss and myself. I can't risk her safety. But how much damage will I do to the rebel cause if I do call for the cease-fire. I can only hope that no one will listen to me.
Despair fills me. There is no winning. Even if I refuse the interview now, Dr. West certainly has a way to persuade me to do it. If I don't do it willingly there is no hope to save Katniss, but if I do the rebels will suffer.
I am so consumed by my thoughts that I don't notice that Portia has come into the room. I look at her and I break. The tears begin to fall silently down my face.
"Oh, Peeta," she sighs and rushes over to me, "I'm so sorry about District 12."
"When did it happen?" I ask, my voice thick with tears. Portia shoos the rest of my prep team out.
"Just after the end of the games," she replies, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder. I nod. I figured as much but I just had to know for sure.
Portia goes to sit at the table and motions for me to join her. When I walk over to her I'm struck by how disheveled she looks. She is usually well dressed and neat looking, but now she has bags under her eyes and she is wearing all black. Surely she isn't this upset by District 12. While she is one of the nicest people I know I don't think this is why she is grief-stricken.
"What's wrong, Portia?" I ask, as I sit down next to her.
"Cinna is dead." She says and then begins cry as well.
So for the next half hour we take turns comforting each other. She tells me how Cinna died and about what has been happening in the Capitol since the end of the games. Finally we dry it up and Portia gets me ready for the interview.
When I get to where the interview takes place the first thing I notice is that there is no live audience. The only people watching are the camera crew and Dr. West. So the interview is going to be recorded and played to the audience when Snow feels it necessary. Also I bet it's being recorded so that they can edit out whatever I say that they don't like.
Dr. West stalks over to me. Again, I try not to cringe away from her. She is wearing all black today, but instead of making her look sad like it did Portia, it just made her look ominous.
"Well Peeta, I think we need to go over a few last minute details," she says.
"Okay," I reply, though I think I know what she is about to tell me.
"First of all, no funny business. As you can see there is no one watching this so I can stop it at any time." She looks at me.
"Got it, no funny business," I say.
"Secondly, the entire point of this is for you to call the cease-fire," Dr. West continues, ignoring my sarcasm. "If you fail to do so I will make you do this all over again. And trust me you won't like it if I have to make you do this again. Understand."
I nod. I have no doubt she will punish me for messing this up.
"Okay then," she says brightly, flashing her fangs at me, "let's get started."
Caesar Flickerman walks into the room at that point and goes sit down. The camera crew positions me in my spot across from him and the interview begins.
AN: Yes, it's a short chapter but the next one starts into Peeta's torture and subsequent insanity. So enjoy normal Peeta while you can and please review this chapter. Thanks!