Chapter 9

The mines stay closed for two weeks. By then most of the District is starving. I would make bread, and give it out, hoping it would make a difference. I see kids signing up for tesserae, to get food. The mines reopen, and I hear the conditions for the workers are worse than before. The new torture devices are used, almost every day.

Gale goes back home. Haymitch hired Hazelle as a housekeeper, thanks to Katniss. Now Haymitch's house is always clean, and smells decent. But, I don't think Haymitch notices. Even though Katniss and I rationed Haymitch's liquor, he's almost out.

People start avoiding me. So, I stop making bread. One day, I got mad at Gale, for no reason, and burnt every painting of him, except his whipping and Katniss by him at the table. The rest of the paintings just made me feel bad about myself, anyway.

For the most part, I don't go into town. I paint my nightmares when I can't sleep. And I paint random things, a tree, the night sky, a sunset. My mission is to paint a rainbow. But they come and go so quickly.

I hear a knock on my door. When I open the door, I find Haymitch. "Hey, kid. I think it would be good for us to leave our houses for a while. Do you want to go to Katniss's?" he says.

I nod. "Okay?" We went to Katniss's house last night, too.

Iris greets us at the door. "Hello. Katniss isn't home, but you're welcome to come in and wait for her." she says.

I look at Haymitch. "Thank you." he says. We both sit in rockers, and Haymitch insists we play a game of chess while we wait for Katniss. Someone knocks on the door.

Iris opens it to find two Peacekeepers. Haymitch and I stand up and stand by Iris. "Is there anything I can help you with," she asks.

Prim comes downstairs. "Yes. We need to speak with Katniss Everdeen. Is she here?" one asks.

I look at Iris, she looks frightened. "No. She went out. I don't know where, she never tells me anything." she says. "She should be back soon, though."

The Peacekeepers move to the doorway of the kitchen. "That's fine, we'll wait for her." says the other. Haymitch sits back in the rocker, and I follow. We continue our game.

Hours pass by. We have played over ten games of chess. And I don't ever want to see a chess board again. I notice a cat in the corner of the room. "Oh, who's that?" I ask Prim.

Prim stands up. "Who?" she asks, confused. I motion toward the cat. "Oh! That's my cat, Buttercup. Hasn't Katniss mentioned him?" I shake my head. "Oh, well this is Buttercup. You know my goat Lady, right?" she asks.

I nod by head. "I've heard about her, in the arena."

In the Games, when I wasn't feeling very well, because the wound on my leg, I asked Katniss to tell me a story, about the happiest day she could remember. And she told me about now she got Lady for Prim's birthday.

Prim nods. "You'll have to officially meet Lady someday." she says.

I nod. "Of course."

Prim smiles. "But you can meet Buttercup now. If you want." she says.

I nod. "Sure,"

Prim picks Buttercup up and sets him on my lap. "Buttercup, this is Peeta, Peeta this is Buttercup." she says with a giggle.

"Uh, hi." I say awkwardly to the cat.

"Go ahead and pet him." says Prim. So I pet the cat awkwardly.

Haymitch clears his throat. "I hate to interrupt your cat time, Peeta, but we're in the middle of a game," he says.

Prim laughs to herself and gently picks the cat up. "Sorry." she says. I frown and concentrate again on the game.

Iris laughs. "She should be here for dinner any minute now."

One Peacekeeper laughs. "Mrs. Everdeen, I don't think your daughter is coming back." she says. I look at the Peacekeeper. "Did you know, we just started electrifying the fence that surrounds the district, earlier today." she says. I turn away and put my head in my hands. If Katniss went into the woods today, she could be stuck out there. Or she ran away. Maybe with Gale.

"Where is that daughter of yours?" says the other Peacekeeper. "Perhaps we should send a squad to search for her."

Iris approaches the Peacekeepers. "No need. I said my daughter will be here!"

"For your sake, Mrs. Everdeen, I hope she does come." says the girl Peacekeeper.

Nearly moments after the Peacekeeper has spoken the door opens.

"Hello," says Katniss.

I let out a breath. "Here she is, just in time for dinner," says Iris from the kitchen.

I watch as Katniss takes off her jacket and shakes the snow from her hair. "Can I help you with something?" Katniss asks the Peacekeepers.

"Head Peacekeeper Thread sent us with a message for you," says the woman.

"They've been waiting for hours," says Iris.

Katniss smiles. "Must be important message," she says.

The Peacekeeper nods. "May we ask where you've been, Miss Everdeen?"

Katniss laughs. "Easier to ask where I haven't been,"

"So where haven't you been?" says Haymitch.

Katniss sighs. "Well, I haven't been talking to the Goat Man about getting Prim's goat pregnant, because someone gave me completely inaccurate information as to where he lives," she says.

Prim takes a deep breath. "No, I didn't. I told you exactly."

Katniss rolls her eyes. "You said he lives beside the west entrance to the mine,"

"The east entrance," says Prim.

"You distinctly said the west, because then I said, 'Next to the slag heap?' and you said, 'Yeah,'" says Katniss.

"The slag heap next to the east entrance," says Prim.

Katniss frowns. "No. When did you say that?"

"Last night," says Haymitch, Katniss glares at Haymitch.

When we came over yesterday, I do remember Prim saying the east. "It was definitely the east," I say, and look at Haymitch, we both start laughing. Katniss glares at both of us now. "I'm sorry, but it's like I've been saying. You don't listen when people talk to you." she says.

"Bet people told you he didn't live there today and you didn't listen again," says Haymitch.

"Shut up, Haymitch." she says, indicating Haymitch was right. We laugh again. "Fine. Somebody else can arrange to get the stupid goat knocked up," says Katniss, causing us to laugh even harder.

"What's in the bag?" the Peacekeeper asks.

I stop Katniss and watch her dump out the bag. "See for yourself." I notice a bag of candy.

"Oh good. We're running low on bandages." says Iris.

I walk to the table and open the candy bag. "Ooh, peppermints," I say, shoving one in my mouth.

"They're mine." says Katniss, as she moves to take the bag away from me, but I quickly toss the bag to Haymitch. He stuffs a fist full of the candy into his mouth, and passes it to Prim. "None of you deserves candy!" says Katniss.

I smile. "What, because we're right?" I say wrapping my arm around Katniss. She yelps in pain, and tries to cover the sound up. But I know she's hurt. I frown. "Okay, Prim said west. I distinctly heard west. And we're all idiots. How's that?" I say.

"Better," she says. I remember the Peacekeepers think we're getting married. So I lean in for a kiss, and she accepts it.

I watch as she looks back at the Peacekeepers. "You have a message for me?" she asks.

The Peacekeeper tells Katniss the fence is electrified full time, and they leave. Iris locks the door behind them. I realize the Peacekeeper probably thought Katniss was in the woods. And they were going to punish her in someway. And she probably was in the woods because she's hurt. Katniss slumps against the table.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Oh, I banged up my left foot. The heel. And my tailbone's had a bad day, too." she says.

I help Katniss over to the rocker I was in, and she slowly sits down. Iris removes boots. "What happened?" she asks examining the foot.

"I slipped and fell," says Katniss. We look at her, because we don't believe her excuse. "On some ice."

Katniss winces as Iris does something to her foot. "There might be a break," says Iris, then checks the other foot. "This one seems all right." she examines Katniss's tailbone. "It's badly bruised." Prim gets Katniss's pajamas. She is changed and fed.

Prim sits next to Katniss. "How was school?" Katniss asks her.

"All right. We learned about coal by- products," says Prim. I smile. "Are you going to try on your wedding dresses?" Prim asks. My eyes widen. Katniss has already been sent wedding dresses?

"Not tonight. Tomorrow probably," says Katniss.

"Wait until I get home, okay?" says Prim.

"Sure." says Katniss.

Iris gives Katniss something that must have sleep syrup, because her eyelids start to fall. Sleep syrup makes you fall asleep. I remember in the arena, Katniss gave me some sleep syrup, so she could sneak off to the Cornucopia. She came back with a wound on her forehead.

Iris wraps Katniss's foot, and I volunteer to take Katniss to her room. I have to pick her up. I tuck her in, say good night, and start to walk away. But Katniss grabs my hand. "Don't go yet. Not until I fall asleep." she says.

I smile, and sit down next to her, holding her hand in both of mine. "Almost thought you'd changed your mind today. When you were late for dinner." I say.

Katniss yawns. "No, I'd have told you," She pulls my hand up to her face and leans her check against it. "Stay with me." she says.

Without hesitating, I whisper, "Always."