HEY! Ok first off I've had loads of peole commenting that they just read the whole thing from chapters 1-8. Even I get bored reading this story after about half-way down the first chapter so bravo to you guys, and everyone who has stuck with me so far! Oh and to 'sunshinemeg82' and anyone else who got a bit confused I only say 'british' version because the page numbers are different, so if u wanted to find the quote in the american version it wouldn't be on the same page, the stories are exactly the same. Oh and to whoever sent the anonymous review which asked if I was 'british' yes I am XD XD sorry I should probably have mentioned that earlier. So please ignore some of the spelling and 'british' words such as grey, mum, colour, through, bin, trousers, pavement...etc. Thanks for the nice reviews! Well I'm gonna shut up now, ENJOY!
If you haven't seen an overweight, middle aged man chasing a flock of geese around his garden whilst screaming at the top of his lungs, then you my friend are missing out on something so funny I honestly thought I would die.
"Your laughing isn't helping the situation." Peeta says nudging my side, but when I look up there's a huge smile on his face too.
"Well he isn't exactly making much progress, remind me again why we got him the geese?" I ask raising an eyebrow, watching as Haymitch manages to corner the flock against the wall of his garden.
"The alcohols run out, I thought we could distract him." He shrugs.
"With geese?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"YES THERE'S A FREAKING PROBLEM!" Haymitch cried out as one of them pecked at his hand, he kicked away the bird, then pulled tee damaged hand to his mouth away and sucked up the blood, "Can I get some help?" Rolling his eyes Peeta walks over to help try and herd the geese into the pen.
"I'll see you back at base." I call over, Peeta nods in response, then gets to work.
I make my way through the back gate and out into the victors village which for once is brimming with life. Last week all the coal reserves in the Capitol ran out, so they've re-opened up the mines. This means most the District has come back, as well as a few from 13. Thom informs me that they've brought in a new lift, improved the support of the cave walls and managed to get some electric lighting down there. I wish could say these mean no one else will have to die down there, but I'm sure it doesn't. Next week they're going to be opening the town centre again. Peeta will be going back to the Bakery and I'll probably have to start hunting regularly. They're cutting off the victors from our 'winnings', which doesn't really bother me in the slightest, it means they're putting the money to good uses in other places. These last few months money hasn't meant anything to anyone. The Capitol trains come filled with food and everyone takes their fair share. Absently I kick a rock off the road and in trundles along for a bit, before being stopped by the bottom of a lamppost.
Outside the house the primroses Peeta planted 10 months ago are in full bloom, bright and yellow they seem to shine down on all the dull green grass that surround them. One in particular catches my eye, it's a little smaller than the others and by the looks of things it has only just opened out it's petals to the bright sun. I tilt my head and smile at the late blooming primrose, then turning to make sure no one is watching, as if I'm doing an illegal act, I reach down and pluck the tiny flower from its stem, then hold it out in my palm so I can look down on it. Carefully I carry it into the house where I place it down on the desk and start to look for the book. My father used to do this all the time with specimens, press the flower with the book paper so that it would preserve for a longer time and could be placed between the pages easily.
I search for a good while, but I can't find it. My mind wanders to where we were last using it, probably in the living room. I'm about to go down and check when I find something I don't recognise at first, infact I probably wouldn't have recognised at all if I hadn't found the name 'Ryan Mellark' followed by '1st place.' Engraved on the bottom. The metal looks like it's been through the wars a bit, it's missing the blue and white ribbon necklace it used to have, and it's starting to go a little rusty. I think about how on earth it could have made its way here to my draws when I hear Peeta and Haymitch come through the door.
"Katniss?" Peeta calls up to me.
"In here." I shout down to him. He starts to make his way upstairs, leaving Haymitch in the living room to relax after his ordeal with the geese. When he comes in I glance up and find him smiling widely, though his hair is windswept and his hand is covered in goose bites.
"What are you doing up here?" He asks.
"I wanted to put a primrose in the book." I say, coming forwards to meet him, "But I couldn't find it."
"Oh yeah it's in the bedroom, I was doing some sketches last night when I couldn't sleep." He answers, "So what's are you holding?" In silence I press the medal down into his hand, when he sees what it is a nostalgic smile spreads over his face as he runs a finger over the engraving. "Someone from the Capitol sent it a few weeks ago." He tells me, "They found it in the arena."
"What was it doing in the arena?" He looks surprised for a second, like I was asking a really stupid question, which maybe I was.
"It was my token." He says and I can see a few tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. "My brother gave it to me. He said it was mine to remind me that I was going to come first. It fell from my pocket when I was finding somewhere to keep safe after my leg was injured. Luckily the cameras caught where it fell, so they were able to find it pretty quickly. I didn't ask them to, but the guy in the letter said they wanted to find it for me, said it was the least they could do." Once again I can't believe how little I know about the boy with the bread, when he knows everything about me. I place a comforting hand on his shoulder as he wipes away a stray tear from his cheek. Gently he places the medal back down on the desk, next to the primrose, then pulls me into a quick hug. His body heat briefly warming me before he lets go. "Come on, I think Haymitch is ready for his tea." He takes my hand as we start climbing down the stairs.
"What is for tea?" I ask.
"Well Haymitch accidently stepped on one of the geese..."
"Goose it is." I say smiling, he smiles back.
"Goose it is."
'cos I can't imagine Peeta didnt have a token with him. I considerd saying he was given a shoelace from Delly who couldnt find anything else, so she took it from her shoe so that he'd remember her in the arena but I thought maybe that would have been too romancey. The reason I said he lost it is because I'm sure if he'd been wearing it, or it had been in his pocket Katniss would have noticed when she washed her trousers. I still need baby names! Keep 'em coming! Also if you have any ideas you'd like to see in future chapters let me know!
