The smell of it almost brings my food up again. Me and Katniss exchange a glance, and she feels the same thing. But Effie's right..once we're in the arena, Haymitch is our only hope. He's all we've got.
We help him up to his feet, while he says, "I tripped? Smells bad." He wipes his hand on his face, covering his face with vomit. I offered to go back to the room, and clean him up a bit. We did, and Katniss' nose wrinkles in disgust as we haul him in the bathtub and turn the shower on him.
I said, "It's okay, I'll take it from here." Her expressions changes to gratitude, and says "All right. I can send one of the Capitol people to help you." I replied, "No, I don't want them." She nods, and leaves. While giving Haymitch a bath, I can't help but wonder what happened to him.
He won the 50th Hunger Games, or the Quarter Quell at the age of sixteen. He had the fame, the fortune, everything. What happened? Why is he like this? Alone..always drunk. Why? Then suddenly, Haymitch says some words which make no sense. I help him up from the bath tub, and dress him up to prepare to sleep. He wobbly walks out of my room to get to his own.
I automatically went on my bed..I wasn't that ready to sleep somewhere far, far away from home, but it was a somewhat comfortable night's sleep.
The next day, the first thing I hear is, "Wake up! UP!" Probably Effie. "It's going to be a busy day!"
I go to the dining car, seeing Haymitch with his face puffy and red, chucking. I sit down and notice Katniss wasn't there yet. I grab a roll, and start to eat.
After a few minutes, Katniss arrives, and Haymitch immediately screams, "Sit down! Sit down!" And when she does, food is served. Eggs, potatoes, ham, all kinds of fruits. And juices, cups of coffee, hot chocolate. All things you can imagine, or what they call "Capitol Food." Neither of any of the districts never get to taste this kind of luxury.
Katniss and I finish the hot chocolate at the same time. There was dead silence until Katniss said, "You're supposed to give us advice." Haymitch said, "Here's some advice. Stay alive." I said, "That's very funny." Then I lashed the glass in his hand, and let it shatter on the floor. "Only not to us."
Haymitch stares at it for a moment, then punches me in the jaw, knocking me off my chair. I fight back, until Katniss drives a knife into the table between Haymitch's hand and another bottle. Katniss protects herself to defend herself from Haymitch's next hit, but it doesn't come.
Instead he sits and squints at us, and says, "Well, what's this? Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?" I rise from the floor with ice from the fruit tureen. I put it unto the red mark on my jaw. Haymitch put my hand down and said, "Let the bruise show. The audience would think you've mixed it up with another tribute before you even made it to the arena." "That's against the rules," I say.
Haymitch said, "Only if they catch you. That bruise will say you fought, you weren't caught, even better." He turns to Katniss and says, "Can you hit anything with that knife besides a table?"
Katniss got the knife, then threw it against the wall across the room. It lands in the seam between two panels, and I realized Katniss was far better than I am. Haymitch orders us to stand before him, checking our muscles, examining our faces, and says, "Well, you're not entirely hopeless. Seem fit, and once the stylists get hold of you, you'll be attractive enough."
Katniss and I knew that the Hunger Games wasn't a beauty contest, but the best-looking tributes get the most out of sponsors.
"All right, I'll make a deal with you. You don't interfere with my drinking, and I'll stay sober enough to help you," says Haymitch. "But you have to do exactly what I say." I said, "Fine." while Katniss said, "So help us. When we get to the arena, what's the best strategy at the Cornucopia for someone-" and Haymitch replied, "One thing at a time. In a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the station. You'll be put in the hands of your stylists. You're not going to like what they do to you. But no matter what it is, don't resist." Katniss protests, "But-" Haymitch silenced her, "No buts. Don't resist." He takes the bottles from the table and leaves.