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Chapter 7: She's mine
Effie's knocking at the door, reminding me there's another "big, big, big day!" ahead. Tomorrow night will be our televised interviews. I guess the whole team will have their hands full readying us for that.
I get up and take a quick shower, and head down to the dining room. Peeta, Effie and Haymitch are huddled around the table, talking in hushed voices. The seams odd, but hunger wins out over curiosity and I load up my plate with breakfast before I join them.
The stew's made with tender chunks of lamb and dried plums today. Perfect on the bed of wild rice. I've shovelled about halfway through the mound when I realise no-one's talking. I take a big gulp of my hot chocolate and wipe my mouth. "So what's going on? You're coaching us for our interviews today right?"
"That's right" says Haymitch.
"You don't have to wait for me to finish. I can listen and eat at the same time" I say.
"Well, there's been a change of plans. About our current approach" says Haymitch.
"What's that?" I ask. I'm not sure what our current approach is.
Haymitch shrugs, "Peeta's asked to be coached separately."
"What" I yell, pushing my plate of food away from me at the same time. "You're joking right?" I ask.
"No, he's not. I don't want to be coached with you any more Katniss" Peeta says.
I hear them calling me to sit down and come back but I don't. I keep walking towards the elevator resisting the urge to go back. The elevator doors open on floor 2 and a confused Enobaria looks at me.
"What are you doing here?" Enobaria snaps at me.
"I'm here to see Cato or Clove" I say.
"Well neither of them are awake yet, I've allowed them an extra hour sleep" she says, looking from me to the elevator doors. Silently telling me to go away.
"I need to see them" I say. Pushing past her and walking into the room that would have been mine if it was on my floor. A sleeping Cato is sprawled out over the bed entangled in the covers. His hair was wild and all over the place. I walk into his bathroom and fill a cup with freezing cold water, laughing inwardly at my imagined expression that will be plastered over his face once I do what I'm planning on doing. Walking over to his bed again I throw the water over him. Immediately he springs up wide awake, his face looks furious, water dripping off his chin. "Morning beautiful" I say cheerfully.
"What the hell was that for" he replies angrily.
"I needed to talk to you and you was asleep." I reply.
"And you didn't think of waiting for me to wake up" he asks, still annoyed. He swings his legs over the edge of the bed and stands up letting the covers fall to his feet. Clearly he's forgotten that he's fallen asleep in nothing but a pair of black boxers. He flexes his muscles and yawns. I can't help but run my eyes over his defined abs. "See something you like fire girl?" he smirks.
"Don't be ridiculous Cato. Anyway, I want to speak to you about Peeta" I say, avoiding eye contact.
"I wasn't be ridiculous, it's not my fault you can't keep your eyes to yourself" he says, still smirking. "He's not being in the alliance, even if he did get an eight" he continues.
"Shut up, and I don't want him to be in it either. I wanted to ask if I could be the one to kill him" I say sharply.
Shock is written all over Cato's face. I knew for a fact that he wasn't expecting that. "Why would you want to kill him fire girl" he asks.
"Because he betrayed me." I reply. Knowing how hypocritical I must sound. I was moaning about Peeta betraying me, yet I was the one leaving him to become a career. "And if I do it I know it will be quick and painless"
"Always so polite" Cato laughs. He gestures for me to come closer to him. I pretend I don't realise and just keep standing where I am. It doesn't work out because instead he walks towards me. He keeps walking even when he's stood in front of me. He backs me up against the wall and places his hands either side of my head. Trapping me. Not that I really care. Wait. Do I have feelings for a career? He places his lips on mine. I fight him for dominance, but lose. I try to pull away but I can't without hitting my head on the wall. His tongue traces along my bottom lip and I open my mouth allowing him to enter. Our tongues dance still fighting for dominance. Cato pull away and smiles at me.
"What?" I laugh, blushing.
"Nothing. Girl on fire" he winks and steps away from me. Allowing me time to get away from the wall. "You've got to go, I've got to prepare for my interview tomorrow"
That was Cato's way of telling me to go away. "Alright, I've got mine to do as well I suppose" my smile drops and I begin to walk out of his door.
"Are we going for a jog tonight?" he asks.
"I can't be bothered" I reply without turning around to see his reaction.
"Whatever then" he says as I close the door. Clove waves to me as I walk past her and Enobaria. I smile back before going to the elevator and back to my room.
Cato POV
I stumbled into the bathroom and had a quick shower. Getting dressed in normal clothes for once, not the usual training attire. I was told to meet Enobaria and Clove in the other room ten minutes ago, but with Katniss still here I couldn't.
"Nice of you to join us" Enobaria says as I sit down next to Clove.
"So what's happening then?" I ask her.
"Clove's going to go with acting humble about her ten, you're going to be gloating; and then you'll say what we discussed." Enobaria explains. Tomorrow night I was being told to declare my love for Katniss live on air. Two enemies that fall in love? That was sure to get sponsors.
"Shouldn't be too hard, even for you Cato" Clove winks sarcastically.
I turn to Enobaria again, "What if it doesn't work?" I say.
"Kill her the first chance you get" Enobaria says bluntly, gaining a laugh from Clove. "You're stylist wants you Clove" she says. Clove walks off into her room and her stylist follows.
"Come with me Cato" Enobaria says as Clove goes. She stands up and walks to the elevator.
"Where are we going?" I ask her while following behind.
"To the roof" she replies hitting the button with the number '13' on it. The elevator doors open, revealing what looks like a massive balcony. A clear glass rail borders the edge, not that it's needed. Enobaria explained to me before that there's a force field that springs you back up if you jump off. "Cato, you need to stop growing feelings for that scum bag. This was not part of the plan. Making her fall in love with you to get sponsors was. You need to find out what your priorities are Cato." she snaps at me.
"I am not falling for her. She means nothing to me." I growl back to her.
"You'd better be right Cato." she says walking off, leaving me alone.
I walked over to the edge and slumped down against the glass. I don't know what I was going to do. I knew for a fact that I didn't like 12, I just needed the sponsors. It seamed only fair. She took them away from me, and she was going to get them back for me. She just doesn't know it.
"Well well well 2" someone calls from the shadows. He comes into view and I can see that's it's Peeta.
"What do you want 12" I growl, "I'm really not in the mood for you"
"She's just for sponsors is she? I wonder what she'll say when she finds out" he growls back to me.
Without thinking I stand up and lunge at him, pinning him against the wall with my arm against his throat. "Don't even bother. If you do, you'll be the first one I kill. I swear." I spit at him.
He scrambles at my arm with his hand, "Well, you'll just have to see who she chooses tomorrow night then wont you. Someone who saved her life, or someone who wants to end it" he says between chokes.
"She wont choose you. Katniss is mine. Don't you ever forget it" I growl, releasing him from my grip.
Katniss POV
"Katniss, I need to speak to you" Peeta says as I take my seat at the table.
"About what? How you don't want to train with me any more? How you betrayed me?" I snap at him. It was the first time I'd seen him since yesterday. How dare he.
"Don't go getting in a mood with me, you're the one who went off with the careers." he snaps back.
"You know what I'm not hungry any more" I stand up, knocking my chair backwards a little.
"Katniss come back, I didn't mean it" he says just before I slam the door. Blocking him from my sight. I hit my bed just as the tears come, sobbing myself to sleep.
In the morning I'm woken up by my prep team hanging over me. This is the day that I belong to Cinna. He's my last hope. Maybe he will make me look so wonderful, no-one will care what comes out of my mouth.
The team work on me until late afternoon, turning my skin to glowing satin, stencilling patterns on my arms, painting flame designs on my twenty perfect nails. Then Venia goes to work on my hair, weaving strands of red into a pattern that begins at my left ear, wraps around my head, and then falls in one braid down my right shoulder. They erase my face with a layer of pale make-up and draw my features back out. Huge dark eyes, full red lips, lashes that throw off bits of light when I blink. Finally, they cover my entire body in a powder that makes me shimmer in gold dust.
Then Cinna enters with what I assume is my dress, but I can't really see it because it's covered "Close your eyes" he orders.
I can feel the silken inside as they slip it down over my naked body, then the weight. It must be twenty kilos. I clutch Cinna's hand as I blindly step into my shoes, glad to find that they are at least five centimetres lower than the ones Effie had me practise in. there's some adjusting and fidgeting. Then silence.
"Can I open my eyes?" I ask.
"Yes" says Cinna, "Open them"
The creature standing before me is from another world. Her skin shimmers and eyes flash, her dress is made of jewels. Because what my prep team has done is unimaginable. My dress is completely covered in reflective precious gems, red and yellow and white with bits of blue that ascent the tips of the flame design. The slightest movement gives the impression that I am engulfed in fire.
I am as radiant as the sun.
"Thank you so much" I say to them all.
"Twirl for me" Cinna says. I hold out my arms and spin in a circle. The prep team screams in admiration.
Cinna dismisses the team and has me move around in the dress and shoes, which are infinitely more manageable that Effie's. The dress hangs in such a way that I don't have to lift the skirt when I walk.
"Come on then, I'll escort you down if you'd like?" he says.
"I'd love you too" I say.
"Are you all ready for the interview then?" he asks, I can see by his expression that he knows I'm not.
"I'm awful, I just can't be one of those people they all want me to be" I say.
"Well why don't you try being yourself?" he says after a moments silence.
He walks out of the door and I follow him. We meet up with the rest of the District 12 lot and I'm overcome with stage fright. I can't do this. Be myself? How can I be myself? I'm not a girl who wears pretty dresses and gets set on fire. I'm a girl who breaks the law everyday just to put food on the table. I'm the girl who scrapes by with just enough food to escape starvation. I am not the girl they want me to be.
Thank you for reading this. Unfortunately I'm going back to school tomorrow (05.09.12) so i wont be able to update everyday like i have been. hopefully i will be able to update once a week or more. I'm so sorry, but it's not my fault, it's the schools! i love you all. and thank you Strawberryluv for your amazing ideas as usual! x x x
