2.
My mind is exploding right now about Peeta. I had a feeling something bad was going to happen today but I didnt expect this. My sister almost went into the games, I almost went into the games with the person that scared me the most, If nobody had volunteered my baby sister would have gone into the games with Eric of all people and now its the worst thing of all, I'm going in with Peeta. After this the only way that we can be together is if we both die, which at the moment seems like the better option.
A sofa, thats the only thing I get in my goodbye room, and something tells me that Peeta's is probably the same. I find myself at the fogged out window, looking at the small glimpses of trees outside, my knuckles turning white from my grip on the small bit of wood that makes the windowsill. Then a picture forms in my head of me standing at my bathroom window every morning, watching Prim feed Lady early in the morning. The thought makes me want to cry but I cant, not today, not infront of anyone.
Suddenly the door opens behind me and my head turns away from the window and away from the memory that will never again be a reality. "You have 5 minutes." I hear someone say before someone flies at me and my face is covered in blonde hair. I cant let myself enjoy it though because I cant let it ditract me from what I need to do. So I push her away, ignoring the hurt on her face and hold her at arms length. "Prim listen to me, we dont have much time." I say and she nods through the tears. "Dont take Tesserae, it isnt worth putting your name in more times. Gale will bring you game and you can sell cheese from your goat." The last bit comes out squeeky as I feel a single tear fall from my eyes.
"But you'll come back right Katniss, maybe you can both come back?" She asks even though she knows the truth. But then again in these sitations, people dont listen to the truth.
"I think we both know that cant happen Prim." I say, feeling my head duck towards the floor, I cant look at her and tell her that I might not be coming back. Of course I'm gonna try but at then end of the day I cant come back to this place without Peeta. "I'm sorry Prim." I dont need to say anymore because she already knows. So I turn to my mother instead. "You cant tune out again. I wont be there anymore, you're all she has." I say, holding her at arms length.
"I wont." She whispers, brushing it off like its nothing but infact this is everything. Everything I ever lived for.
"No you cant." Thats when the tears start falling from my eyes, the realisation that this will be the last time that I ever talk to my mother and after how badly I've treated her. I pull her into my arms and hold her tight because she might have been ignoring us since my father died but this past year she has really been making an effort and she really help me get through everything that happened. "Dont cry. I love you. Look after Peeta when he gets back." I whisper so that Prim doesnt hear. I expect her to say something, instead she just nods because at the end of everything she is the only person that would know what he is going through.
Thats when the peacekeeper appears again, dragging them out. "I love you. I promise Prim." I'm not sure what I'm promising her or wether I'm gonna keep that Promise but it seems like a good thing to say.
I drag myself over to the sofa whilst I cry and drop down onto it, my head in my hands. The door opens again but I dont look up to see who it is, that is until I hear a voice, a voice I havent heard since I was a kid. The last time I saw her would have been 7 years ago. "Now, I dont want any crying at our big reunion." I can tell by the sound of her voice that she is crying too.
Just seeing her makes me cry even more. "Eva?" I whisper and within seconds we are hugging. "I am so glad you came." I say into her shoulder. She is still slightly taller than me but I'm catching up really quickly. When we where younger she was a lot taller than me.
"I couldnt let you go to the games without telling you that I love you now could I?" She says with a small laugh. "I am so sorry that I never came to saw you over the years. They didnt let me out before I was 16 and after that I spent too much time trying to find a job." I nod in understanding. "So whats going on with you and Peeta Mellark? Yes I know him."
I smile as I pull away. "We have been together since my birthday. He is so amazing." Then she nods.
"And what about you and that Eric guy? You looked pretty terrified when he was picked." She asks.
"We have a very bad history. I cant say, its too bad. You went to school with him, you know what he's like."
She nods. "Anyway, I think that there is something you should know that I'm pretty sure you havent been told because he seems to always forget to make it clear to people. Infact I dont even think he knows you know me." My eyebros crease. "I just needed you to know. But Leaven Mellark and I have been dating for 4 years." Now that I was not expecting. "I'm sorry you didnt know but I could never sneak away long enough to come to the bakery to tell you and I knew he wouldnt."
Then something pops into my head, something that Peeta told me once about Lev. "Wait where you the girl that he had in his room once and you got kicked out by his mother?" I ask with a small laugh.
By her laugh, I can tell it was her. "Yeh that was me. Her mother is such a bitch, she hasnt hurt you has she?"
"Actually I stood in the way once and you see this scar?" I ask her, pointing to a small one on my wrist. She nods. "She hit me with a rolling pin when I got inbetween her and Peeta. She broke his wrist. That was only over a week ago. Peeta still has the bandage on his wrist."
"Yeh I saw that at the reaping, what did-" Then the peacekeeper arrives and I give her one last hug before she dissapears out the door.
I'm alone now, thinking about my ex-bestfriend who I havent seen since we where kids and how she actually came to see me before I am sent to my death. I never thought she would come and see me if that happened. I know that she is in the reaping every year, well this year was her last but I've looked for her every year, the people at the orphanage must cart them in and then straight back out because I think I saw her in the 15 year old girl pen 3 years ago but I didnt see her afterwards. Neither did I see the woman who owns the orphanage before or after the reaping.
The door opens behind me, pulling me out of my thoughts and Gale and Delly walk in. Differences aside, I walk straight into his open arms. It feels so good to have him near me again. That is until he roughly pushes me away. "Katniss, you can win this thing!" He says and I feel myself lose any hope that I ever had about these games.
"No, Not without Peeta." I say, glancing at Delly who stands motionless near the door. She's crying which probably means she just came from Peeta. "If anyone comes home, its him. If he dies, I die too."
He still holds me by the shoulders, stopping me from moving. "Katniss, please. You have to try, your family need you... I need you..." His voice falters slightly but I just stare at him unconvinced. "Look, I know what its like to love someone that much and I completely understand where you are coming from but you cant leave everyone that needs you behind just for one person."
Still I just stare at him. And so he just stares at me. So I decide to talk. "I'm not strong enough Gale. I'll be my mother if I ever came back." I whisper, my eyes falling to the floor.
"You are stronger than your mother, you know that." I'm about to say something back but Delly sort of pushes him aside because we all know that their time with me is almost up.
She smiles at me, stroking my right arm. "I know I havent known you for that long but I do know everything about you and I know that Peeta loves you so very much and would in no way allow himself to come back from these Games alone. There's only one winner and I want you to promise me that if Peeta... dies, that you'll come back to us no matter what? He wouldnt want you throwing your life away just because he's gone."
I find myself nodding. "I promise Delly." I know its a lie because Peeta is not going to die, not on my watch. If he does, there is no way I would ever be able to set foot in this district again.
The peacekeeper arrives and takes them away, replacing them almost immediately with Madge Undersee. Its not much of a conversation, she hands me a pin, a Mockingjay to be more precise, one she said that her mothers sister used to wear, whoever she is. My District Token. Then she is gone and I'm left alone for a couple of minutes. I dont think there is anyone left I want to see other than the Mellarks, if they are up to it after seeing Peeta. I would understand if they wherent, I just want to say goodbye.
Next thing I know, the door flies open and I'm being grabbed by someone, someone blonde. When my eyes have truly focused I see Rye. "Katniss! I am so sorry, you dont know how sorry I am! I was going to volunteer, I swear I was. When I saw Eric walk up there, I knew he couldnt go into the games with you and I had to stop him but then Peeta volunteered and everything fell apart. I couldnt volunteer for Peeta, I made a promise, a promise Katniss, one between brothers, I couldnt break it. 'Dont volunteer for me' he said and I knew that he would have never forgiven me but I should have done. I could have died and you could have come home and lived with Peeta."
His eyes look crazed and this is the first time I notice Masan and Leaven standing near the door, watching with tears in their eyes, obviously from seeing Peeta. "Rye, no, its fine. I'm glad you didnt volunteer. Dont worry, you will get your brother back." Somehow the thought of him getting Peeta back makes him cry more.
"But what about you?" He asks. I've never seen him like this. Rye is the district joker, the last person you would ever expect to cry.
"There is only one winner Rye, and its gonna be Peeta. I'm gonna make sure of it." He drops his hold on me and falls onto the sofa behind me.
Leaven steps forward. "Katniss, I'm not stupid enough to try and change your mind because I know I cant but thank you for everything you have done for us this past year. You saved all of our lives and I'll never get to repay you for that." He doesnt say anything else and just hugs me.
Masan on the other hand, doesnt say a word, just wraps me up in his arms that remind me so much of Peeta's. I dont think Mrs Mellark realises just how lucky she is. Infact she definitely doesnt considering Peeta is going into the games with a broken wrist because of her.
When they leave, nobody else comes to see me. So instead I imagine how Peeta is dealing with this whole situation, If I know him as well as I think I do, he's probably freaking out and circling the room, running his hands through his hair, like he always does when he is worried.
(PEETAS POV)
I'm left alone in a room by the peacekeeper that escorted me here. The sound of birds chirping is drifting in through the thin, broken glass of the window. it actually relaxes me. If I close my eyes I can imagine that I'm just sitting in the woods with Katniss. Of course that picture is shattered by a crazed lunatic flying out the tree line ready to kill us. Just like all my nightmares recently, looks like they are actually coming true.
I'm surprised to find that my first visitor is my mother, by herself. "I'm not here to say goodbye or beg you to forgive me if thats what youre thinking. I came because I was forced by your father... I'll never understand that man."
"Then why are you here?" I ask harshly. "How could you possibly bring me any lower?"
She laughs slightly. "I came to give you a bit of a pick me up actually." My eyes narrow. "It seems that District 12 might finally have a winner." Could she really be giving me a compliment. "She's a survivor that one." I guess not.
"Well I guess you can tell her yourself when she wins the games." I say because she will, I will make sure of it.
Mum nods. "I will. Goodbye Peeta." Her voice is that cold that it brings me shivers. I dont understand how anyone can be so horrible. Not to her own child. When she leaves, I find myself crying. I was trying to hold it in for Katniss' sake but who cared anymore, there isnt anyone else here, just me, all alone.
When the rest of my family come through, I'm a wreck, I can only imagine how Katniss dealt with seeing Prim for the last time. "Peet..." Someone whispers and I'm embraced by my father, the arms of the man who comforted me so many times in the past because of mother. The only ones I felt right in, until Katniss came along. "I am so sorry that this happened."
I ignore his comment and push him away, I have things to say before they leave. "Dad, listen, you have to promise me one last thing, promise me that you wont let Prim starve, if by any chance that I fail to keep Katniss alive, someone needs to keep her sister alive. Her mum too."
He nods with tears in his eyes. "I promise son."
When dad moves aside, I catch sight of Rye who is strangely enough, crying. I have only ever seen him cry once when I was a kid and that was the first time mum ever hit him. He hasnt cried infront of me since, so this is new territory for me. "I'll miss you bro. All arguing and teasing aside, you where the best friend I ever had." He gives me a quick one armed hug and stands beside me.
"Peet, I know you dont plan on coming home but please promise me that you will try. I might not have had much to do with you when we where growing up, me being a lot older than you but you are still my baby brother and we need you here."
I want to say that I promise but I cant lie to him the last time I will ever see him. "Lev, you and I both know that I'm not coming back without Katniss and considering there is only one winner, I'm not coming back at all. If she dies, I'll have nothing." I tell him.
"You have us Peet." Rye says from my side.
I nod in his direction. "I know and I love that I have you guys but do you really think I'm gonna care much about anything if I came back without her? I wouldnt even be the same person."
"We know bro, its okay." Lev says and hugs me. This isnt a normal hug though, its different, he's saying goodbye. He knows I'm not coming back. "I'll see you eventually, in a better place."
"Yeh, just hopefully not too soon." I smile and he smiles back. "I love you guys and I would never say that. Just remember that I'll always be there no matter what." They all nod and then get dragged out by a peacekeeper who has been stood on the other side of the door this whole time.
I cant believe I just said goodbye to my family for the final time because there is no way that I am coming home, personally I think I could probably win the games if I tried but trying is out of the question now that Katniss is going in. She will be coming out and I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens. Between the two of us I'm sure we can make that happen.
"Peeta?" I dont hear them come in but someone is in the room. I turn around and see Delly and Gale standing there. I'm surprised that Gale came.
"Delly." I say and she flies into my arms. "Thank you for coming." I say to her, burying my face into her hair.
When she pulls away she doesnt have time to talk as Gale speaks up. "Peeta, listen to me, we've just been with Katniss, she's refusing to come home. She says that if you die then she's gonna die too and you cant let that happen, she's needed here. Her family, me." He looks like he's gonna cry but I know that Gale would never cry, not even in this situation. Not when there are people to see atleast.
I nod in understanding. "Trust me Gale, I will not allow her to die. She means more to me than anything in this world." I say.
"Yeh, I completely understand that but Katniss is-" I cut him off, knowing what he's going to say.
"- Stubborn I know." We both laugh about it. "You have to promise me when she comes back that you will look after her, I know she will be broken because of the games and because of me and she's going to need you. She loves you so much Gale and dont forget you. She's been different whilst she hasnt been talking to you, depressed."
He smiles at me. "I'll look after her. You can trust me with that. I'll tie her up and force her to smile if I have to." He says, causing us both to laugh.
"Thank you Gale. That means a lot." I give him a quick awkward hug with a small pat on the back and he returns it which makes me smile slightly. Of course me and Gale would put our differences aside when I'm about to die. "This doesnt mean I like you Hawthorne." I say with a small smile.
"I wouldnt dream of it Mellark." He smiles at me and gives me a small nod of appreciation and then leaves.
I'm fully crying when my last visitors show up. Evie and Prim. I try to wipe away my tears but then I see Prim crying and I know just how Katniss must be feeling. Little Primrose, the little girl who is never going to get on with her life if Katniss dies in that arena. She walks over almost immediately and hugs me. She not tall enough for me to hug properly so I end up picking her up off the ground and hugging her. "Its gonna be okay Prim." I say even though nothing is ever going to be okay again.
"Just promise me that you will look after you both and that atleast one of you will come back?" She asks into my shoulder.
"I promise Prim." I reply. She lets go and stands infront of me. "You will get Katniss back."
That seems to shock her. "But what about you?"
"Well it looks like this is goodbye." I reply. Everyone knows that if Katniss comes home then I wont be. I hate to say goodbye to Prim but I have to "I'm sorry."
She throws her arms around my middle again and more tears fall from my eyes. "I love you Peeta." She says and I swear I feel my heart stop momentarily. I never expected them words to come out of Prims mouth. I didnt even know she felt so stronger about me. I know I do about her, she feels like the little sister that I always wanted.
"And I love you too Primrose." I say to her and I see her smile.
When she moves aside I get to talk to Evie. "I dont have much to say Peeta because I honestly dont know what I can say but just remember that whatever goes on at your house, you will still have a mother that cares for you and loves you, all you have to do is come round." She smiles at me and I wrap my arms around her shoulders. I always knew that she would be so kind to me but I never expected her to say anything like that.
"Thank you so much." I say, tears leaving my eyes.
When they leave, I'm alone for about 10 minutes before someone comes in and takes me out. I can see Katniss behind me walking side by side with a peacekeeper. She's obviously been crying a lot. Whilst we are walking towards the back door, we walk past a small waiting area that holds everyone. My family, Katniss's, Madge, Sarah, Delly and Gale. I give them all one last smile and me and Katniss are guided out the back door and into a car where none other than Effie Trinket waits for us. There I take Katniss into my arms and hope for the best that she will be back in this car in a month.
So Katniss saw her old friend. I wanted to bring her in eventually considering I had mentioned her in the first story but I promise you that she will be in it again, not giving anything away on who wins the games because you will be very surprised. Get ready for something very different than the original story. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought about it?