Even if there were more visitors or waiting to see me, the Peacekeepers don't let me see them. They're too upset about the Gale-sneaking-out thing. They grab me by the neck of my dress and drag me out the door.
I end up in a sleek, luxurious vehicle that's to take us to the Capitol. I'm relieved when they shove Gale in as well. If government authority does plan to separate us, they're not doing it yet.
We end up in a car of the vehicle loaded with food. Gale and I stand awkwardly by the entrance, not knowing if we're expected to eat something or not. Effie Trinket, the audacious woman who reaped us into the situation, sits at the table, perkily nibbling at a buttered roll.
"Please, sit!" she calls, and I wonder if all of her sentences end in exclamation points.
Gale, characteristically, doesn't move, and I do the same.
Effie rolls her eyes. "Wonderful. I get the stubborn district this year."
"Let's just go," I whisper to Gale.
He doesn't respond before Effie cuts in. "You two sure do whisper a lot. I don't like it."
"I don't like your hairdo," Gale retorts, "but I deal with it."
I nudge him in the ribs. He chuckles.
"Just eat," Effie sighs. "I mean, look at the two of you. It looks like you don't do a lot of it."
"Tell that to your home district," I spit, but she doesn't reply.
I'd like to continue standing and stiffly and with my arms across my chest, but the food is rather inviting. I take a step toward the table and Gale grabs at my arm.
"Not eating now won't win us any battles," I tell him over my shoulder.
He stares at me heavily, but eventually lets go of my arm and follows me to the table. Effie smiles warmly as we approach and I want to puke.
I take a seat near the corner of the table and Gale sits down beside me. I reach for food first, opting for a particularly succulent-looking piece of stake. I grab it with my fingers and Effie makes a choking sound. Gale and I look up at her, several chairs away, puzzled.
"What are you doing?" Effie croaks.
"Getting food?"
"Use the fork, you savage!"
I move my hand away and pick up the fork with it. I'm not used to forks. They don't usually pick up the things you want them to. Fingers are considerably more reliable. Nevertheless, I grasp it into a fist and jab it into the meat. Effie still isn't pleased, it appears, and her face falls into her hands.
Gale shrugs and just reaches for a piece of meat with his hands. I keep up trying to use the fork, stabbing more things with it, even things I'm probably not supposed to use forks for. True savagery.
"So, what's the plan?" Gale asks me.
We're talking with our mouths full, and it seems Effie is about to have a fit. I shrug. "I don't know. Survival seems a good a plan as any."
"But there's a kink in that plan," Gale notes.
"What?"
"Only one of us can."
I scowl at him. "Gale, you know full well I don't want to talk about this."
"Not talking about it won't change the fact that—"
"Yeah, well, talking about it won't either," I interrupt.
"You know what?" Effie chimes in. "I think I liked you two better when you whispered and didn't eat."
"You should try it," Gale suggests.
"Gale!" I exclaim.
"Are these our hopeful champions?" we hear from behind us.
We turn in our chairs to see Haymitch, looking disinterested, unimpressed, and obviously intoxicated, especially considering the bottle of alcohol he's clutching in his hand. Effie's face falls, as of the presence of all of u in close proximity has disintegrated her faith in classiness.
"Kinda skinny, aren't they?" he points out before reaching right over Gale's head for a roll, then sitting right beside him.
"You're our mentor, right?" Gale asks cautiously.
"In the flesh," he grins sardonically, his cheeks stuffed with dough.
"You're supposed to teach us how to win?" I ask off of Gale's comment.
"Supposedly," he shrugs.
"Well . . . how?" Gale questions further.
Haymitch starts chewing slower. He eyeballs Gale suspiciously. "Are you going to try?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Gale frowns.
His gaze flips between the two of us. "You guys are friends, aren't you? Besties? I heard you pulled a stunt back in the Justice Building."
Gale shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "So?"
"If you want to win," Haymitch starts, "whilst maintaining a shred of dignity, don't pull things like that. You can be friends, but I hope you to realize this is a killing competition. The friend thing is fabulous. People will probably love it. Hearts will probably break left and right for you. Before one or both of you dies."
Neither Gale nor I respond.
"That's what I thought," Haymitch rolls his eyes. "You know what could get your mind off of that?" He shoves his bottle into Gale's hands, grabs a handful of rolls, and stands up again. He probably wants to find a replacement.
"Martyrdom doesn't win the Hunger Games, kiddies," Haymitch explains as he leaves. "Savagery does. You both might as well get used to the idea of living without the other one."
Gale's gaze suddenly flips down to my dress, particularly his pin that I've pinned there. His expression doesn't change, but his words suggest that something changed within him.
"Looks like someone already has."
Yes, it is kind of unfair for Gale to be upset about Katniss wearing the pin he gave her.
Thought I'd let you know I'm aware, although I might touch upon it next chapter.
Maybe.
Thanks for reviews!
