Prim woke up in her bed, wondering what had happened.
She remembered going up to the roof, and looking up at the stars. She also remembered being held in his arms. She shivered at the thought. She knew she couldn't fall for her mentor, but she was scared that she had fallen already.
She got ready, and put her training outfit on. She put her hair in a braid, and walked into the dining room.
She sat down in silence, only grabbing a piece of toast and orange juice.
She saw Haymitch eating a pancake, avoiding eye contact.
Prim dipped her head low, and stopped eating. She excused herself, and went to the Training Center early.
After a few minutes, Peeta arrived, and started to train.
The Careers were already there, and only a few other tributes were there. They had been early, getting more training time in. Prim and Peeta decided to stick with each other during the Training Day, helping each other with different stations.
A few hours later, Rue walked up to Prim and Peeta.
She smiled shyly, and said, "Hi, I'm Rue, from District 11."
Prim smiled, and responded, "Hello, Rue! I'm Prim, and this is my District partner, Peeta." Thresh walked over to the group, having a dangerous look in his eyes.
"I'm Thresh." Peeta nodded respectively, and continued a conversation with Thresh, while Prim and Rue had a different conversation.
Afterwards, Prim and Rue separated from Peeta and Thresh, and went to the climbing station.
Rue excelled at the station, while Prim had a tough time. She had fallen twice, and spraining her wrist. She had cursed herself for not being more careful; she knew that Haymitch and Effie will be angry at her for injuring herself two days before the games. Prim succeeded with some help with Rue, and was disappointed that she wasn't given more time to practice.
The duo had moved onto the camouflage station, with Prim being painted head to toe in a mixture of herbal paints. Once she had cleaned herself up, they separated, and went back to their District partners.
Prim moved to go to talk to Peeta, but Cato blocked her path.
"Where are you going, Twelve?" Prim cowered beneath him. She hated to be put in this situation.
"N-N-Nothing." Cato smirked, and roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. He pressed her against his chest, and whispered in her ear.
"Keep one eye open during the games. You can never be too careful; especially with a Career, like myself looking to kill you in your sleep." Cato pulled back, and evily grinned.
He walked away, with Peeta replacing his spot.
"What did he want from you?" Prim couldn't believe she was on a priority to a Career to kill.
"He threatened me."
Haymitch had gone ballistic.
"What the hell do you mean 'he threatened' you?" Prim cowered.
"He t-told me to keep one e-eye open." Haymitch huffed.
Prim wasn't even in the arena yet, and she was already being threatened. Damn it. He was already concerned about whether or not she could survive for five minutes, and now she was being threatened by one of the deadliest tributes.
Prim sat by Peeta, with her head low. Cinna and Effie sat on the couch beside them, eyeing Haymitch.
Haymitch worried that if Prim was a target of Cato's, then she was a target of every other tribute. Haymitch massaged the bridge of his nose.
"Haymitch! Lower your voice, for goodness sake!" Haymitch looked at Effie incredously.
"This isn't a problem that can be fixed with shopping, or a waxing! This is a problem that will be solved with Prim's death or an alliance; both of which are horrible." Prim's eyes brimmed with tears. She stood, avoiding any eye contact.
"Excuse me." She walked away, going to her room. Peeta followed her, trying to comfort her.
When she entered her room, she broke down crying. Peeta rubbed her back, and hugged her tightly.
"Shh, shh, It's fine. Everything is going to be okay. You're going to be alright." Prim pulled back. She looked at him menacingly.
"How dare you say that? We are about to be thrown in an arena where one, or both of us will die. Stop feeding me lies! I'm sick of everybody telling me that it will be okay! Things will never be okay with an event where twenty four people are chosen to be put in an arena to fight until death! It's not okay! Everything about this is wrong! It's inhumane to give someone false hope. The minute I was reaped, I was sentenced to death. I need to come to the terms that I will die."
Peeta was speechless.
Haymitch, Effie, and Cinna had overheard the entire conversation.
Haymitch couldn't help flinching at Prim's last sentence. He mentally cursed the Capitol. She was right about everything. The Capitol called the Hunger Games entertainment. He was disgusted by the Capitol. President Snow. The Hunger Games. Everything.
Peeta exited Prim's room with a ghostly look. He went to his room, and stayed there all night. Haymitch stood, and went to Prim's room.
He peeked the door open, and saw Prim hugging her knees on the bed. She was silently crying, rocking herself back and forth. Haymitch sighed, and moved towards the bed.
He carefully slid onto the bed, and sat by Prim. He put an arm around her, and shushed her cries.
"I-I-I'm going to die." Haymitch felt something tug on his heart. He hated to see her like this.
"No your not." Prim sniffled, and looked Haymitch in the eye. "How can you say that? I-I-I'm the youngest tribute this year. Even the girl from District 11 is older than me. I have no chance at winning. I can't kill. E-E-Even i-i-if I win, I'll be crushed with the guilt of all of the children that died. I can't barely get by if I accidentally hurt an animal." Haymitch sighed at how innocent Prim was. She didn't deserve to be in the games; no one did.
"You have to want to live, Prim. You have something to live for; Katniss, your mother, Lady, and Buttercup. You have something to live for. I need you to live." The minute that exited Haymitch's mouth, he regretted it.
Prim was uncertain of how to respond. After a few minutes, she rested next to him. She was held with his right arm, with him sitting upright. She inched closer to him, melting beneath the heat radiating off of him.
Haymitch sat there, not daring to move. He didn't know how to react when she moved closer to him. She nestled in the crook of his arm, enjoying the moment.
Haymitch cleared his throat, and moved to leave. Once she registered what he was doing, she gently grabbed him by the arm, and said, "Please stay. I don't want to be alone right now."
Haymitch melted into her words, and sat back where he was.
Haymitch remembered how he was before the games. He was scared, and fearing that he would die within twenty four hours. He had experienced what Prim and Peeta were going through. He knew what the guilt from killing a person did to someone. He also knew that he would've done anything to talk to a person he cared about.
Prim smiled at a memory.
"My Daddy used to take Katniss and I in the woods, and tried to teach us how to shoot. I remember how Katniss loved the bow and arrow, whilst, I looked for herbs," Prim snuggled closer to Haymitch, "I never liked the idea of hunting. Once, Katniss shot a mama bird. I climbed the tree, and saw three tiny eggs from the mama. Katniss wanted to cook them, but I begged her not to. I put them in a blanket, and warmed them by the fire every night. They hatched a few weeks after. We set them free a month from then. Daddy had always said I would make a good Doctor."
She murmured, "I guess I didn't quite make it." Haymitch's heart broke.
He knew that only one thing could cheer her up.
He said, "When my brother came home from hunting, he had caught a rabbit in a snare. He wanted to make a stew out of it, but I had something much more fun in mind. When my mother went to sleep, we had put the rabbit in her pillow. When she laid her head back on the pillow, the rabbit jumped out of the pillow, and hopped around the entire room. When she found out that we were ones responsible, we had to catch that stupid rabbit, and get it out of her room. That thing hopped all over the house. It took us hours to catch that wretched thing." Prim laughed. Haymitch smiled at the way she laughed. He loved that about her.
After a few minutes, she took her hand, and held his; her hand was so small compared to his. His was rough, but hers were soft.
"Haymitch?" He looked down at her. "Could you please stay the night?" Haymitch sighed.
"Now, sweetheart, I don't think that would do either of us any good." Prim frowned.
"Please? I-I can't be alone right now. Please." Haymitch sighed in defeat.
"Alright, sweetheart." She had crawled under the covers, and held onto Haymitch tightly. He told her that he wouldn't be sleeping under the covers; he didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea if someone were to come in. She held onto his chest, and laid her head in the crook of his arm.
I'm going to hell.
"Up! Up! Up! Come on! Today is a big big big day!"
Haymitch opened his eyes, mentally cursing Effie.
He looked around, seeing Prim under the covers, still sleeping. They hadn't moved an inch. He didn't want to make any sudden movements, so he carefully pulled his right arm back from being around Prim's neck, and gently shook her.
She mumbled something inaudible. Haymitch sighed, and shook her again. She groaned, and looked up at him, confused.
"Haymitch?" He nodded.
"Yes, sweetheart. I'll leave so you can get ready." Prim nodded.
Haymitch left her room, and saw Effie and Cinna nearly drop their forks. They hadn't seen Haymitch come back from Prim's night from the night before, so they had assumed he had left later in the night; they were surprised to see that Haymitch slept in Prim's room.
Haymitch saw their expression, and mumbled, "She couldn't sleep. Don't make any assumptions." Effie and Cinna instantly felt guilty for assuming such a thing.
After a few minutes, Prim and Peeta came out with their training outfit.
Once the sat down, Haymitch said, "Today is when the Gamemakers will call you individually, and evaluate your skills. Show them what you can do with weapons. Prim, you will show them your knife throwing. Peeta, you'll show them your swordmanship. I'm not sure how to put this; make them remember you."
After about two hours of training, they were called into the hall.
Prim and Peeta were last, so they had to wait the longest. When Prim was called, Peeta said, "Good luck." Prim smiled, and opened the door to where the private sessions were kept.
She went to stand in the middle of the floor, and said, "Primrose Everdeen, District 12." The Gamemakers nodded, signaling her to begin.
She went over to the knife throwing station, and picked up two up. She through both of them, both making it into the heart of the dummy.
When she looked up at the Gamemakers, they were busy chatting, and eating. Rage soon overcame her. She took a dummy, and painted the name 'Snow' on it.
She grabbed several knives, and threw them repeatedly at the dummy. The Gamemakers soon realized what she was doing; they were speechless.
She exited the room, feeling a sense of pride.
"Do you realize that what you did reflects bad on all of us!?" Prim cowered beneath Effie. When Haymitch entered the room, Effie turned to him.
"Maybe you can shed some light on this situation." Haymitch just laughed. He turned to Prim and said, "You definitely took my advice."
Effie huffed, and said, "What about manners? What if they decide to punish them when they get into the arena!?" Haymitch grumbled.
"In case you haven't noticed, they have already punished them for putting the two of them in an arena to fight to the death."
Effie sneered, and sat down on the sofa, with Cinna, Peeta, and Prim.
When the result show came on, Caesar Flickerman started to read off the scores.
The Careers all scored a ten, except Glimmer; she got a nine. Rue scored a seven, and Thresh a ten.
When Prim appeared on the screen, she had her fingers crossed.
"Primrose Everdeen; ten." The entire erupted with laughter, and claps.
"Peeta Mellark; ten." The entire team hugged each other praising their scores.
Only a spark of hope is needed.
A/N: Review! :D