Part 1: The Shattering
Chapter 1: What Are You Learning Today?
"Shh, don't wake her up!"
"I'm not trying to doofus!"
"Kids, quiet! Your mother is a light sleeper!"
"I'm surprised she's not awake yet actually." This voice is wry and sarcastic. I roll my eyes. Haymitch. What're you gonna do?
"Okay, okay, enough," Dad says. "Come on, on three. One, two, three—"
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!" Her eyes fly open, sitting upright immediately. A smile breaks across her face, taking in the cake and our smiling faces, but I saw that flash of fear in her eyes. I didn't think Dad would allow us to surprise her like this actually, but he did, and hence, we did.
"Oh it's beautiful. Thank you!" she gushes, pulling me and Jay onto the bed. And indeed it is. Jay (being the better baker) and Dad worked on it for days, even though it looks so simple. Frills of white around the side, with blue flowers decorating the edges on top. The message on it simply read: "Happy Birthday, to our beloved Katniss."
Dad sets it nicely on her lap, still under the covers. Haymitch settles himself onto the bedside table. Then we begin to sing. She laughs and claps happily, and so do we. It's nice being together as a family like this. Not that these moments are rare, but I long for them a lot. I don't know what I'd do if they would cease to exist.
The cake is then cut and we eat it happily, right in Mom and Dad's room. The soft, creamy texture rolls around in my mouth, the sweet, tingly taste lingering after each bite. Dad and Jay have done it again. I don't think I'd ever be able to bake like either of them, even if I worked at it for years. I'm more of a hunter, like Mom. Jay can't shoot for nuts.
The celebrations left everything in a good mood as me and Jay get ready for school. Plus, today is the first day of spring, so festivities will probably be going on in the Square, which makes everything even more exciting. Mom and Dad says we can head over there once school ends at midday. It usually ends later, but everything's been scheduled to end earlier for the Spring Festival. Even Haymitch has declared to stop drinking for today, just so he can join in the festivities, and actually remember them.
"We can leave our gloves at home now right?" Jay asks eagerly as we're heading out. Mom smiles, rolling her eyes.
"Sure sport," Dad replies, ruffling his hair, smiling too. The phone rings suddenly, and Dad goes to pick it up. Almost instantly, the smile vanishes, wiped clean off his face. He exchanges a worried look with Mom, who's not smiling anymore either. I give them a curious look.
"What's wrong?" I ask. Both attempt feeble smiles at my question.
"It's nothing honey, come on," Dad says, shaking it off, walking towards the car. Haymitch says there was a time when there were no such things as cars in anywhere but the Capitol. Now, I need Haymitch to tell me what's going on.
"I think I'll just hang back for a while," I reply, already heading towards Haymitch's house, right next to ours. "You know, check on Haymitch. I'll be in school on time, I promise."
They look conflicted, but do not protest. It took but two minutes to get Haymitch to tell me what's happening.
"Rumours were going around about people from the old Panem standing up and rebelling against this new government. If you recall me telling you, those who still supported President Snow were either banished or jailed. Well, they checked out those rumours. Turns out they're true. That call was probably to give a heads up that they might just attack today." Haymitch says this all so nonchalantly, I almost didn't believe him. My eyes widen as it all sinks in.
"But that's not possible! I mean, a bunch of pampered Capitolites? Attacking the district?"
"Districts, with an 's'. And I didn't say Capitolites, did I? Hard to believe it, but there were some district people who supported the Snow regime."
"Career districts…" I murmur wryly. Haymitch just shrugs. I sit on his dirtied couch, thinking about it for a few more moments. It makes sense to attack today, with the Spring Festival going on. More people would be coming and going in and out of the districts, which means more people could get hurt – if that was the plan. And anyone could just slip by the checkpoints; with so many people coming and leaving, officials will have to afford be a little less thorough. But tiny numbers of "rebels"? Going against the forces Mockingjay possess?
I still think about it on the way to school, when Haymitch finally manages to shoo me out of the house. Throughout the entire day, I am wary of anything suspicious, any cause to be worried. But as midday draws closer, with the buzz of school finally ending to make way for the Spring Festival heightening every minute, and the general peace of the school and town, I begin to doubt the idea of an "attack" occurring in the district.
The bell will ring in about 5 minutes, and we will all be free. The teacher drones on about the Geography of the district. The door swings open. He is wearing black; boots steeled around the sole. He looks straight at me.
"Well hello there lovelies," he says, grinning evilly. "What are you all learning today?"