I wake to feel something heavy draped across my stomach, I peel my eye lids open, but immediately shut them groaning. This is why I don't get drunk very often, I honestly don't understand how Haymitch does it everyday. The something on my stomach shifts and slightly snores, that's when I know it's Peeta. I crack my eyes open slightly to see a blond head resting on my stomach along with one of his very muscular arms pinning my legs to the mattress.
"Peeta" I croak, my throat feeling like sand paper
He just snores lightly in response
I poke the back of his head, "Peeta!"
He groans and turns his face towards me, he cracks one eye open
"What!" He groans
"Well, one, we will be arriving in the Capitol in about half an hour and two, I'm pretty sure that I can hear Effie coming towards your room and Im scared she might kill me for messing up Fenton's face!" I widen my eyes in fake fear
Peeta looks at me, then toward the door and back at me before bursting out laughing unable to control myself I join in, only for it to be cut short by a persistent pounding on Peeta's bedroom door
"KATNISS EVERDEEN, I KNOW YOUR IN THERE, COME OUT AT ONCE!" Effie screeches
"Peeta, pretend I'm not here" I whisper as we both silently get to our feet
"No, you have to deal with her at some point, get it over with!" He says loudly
"Your dead you know that right, the minute she goes, your gonna get it!" I snarl
Peeta just smiles and shrugs, probably cause he used to my somewhat empty threats when it comes to him
"Sure, whatever you say Kat!" He laughs as I storm over to the door and yank it open, promptly shutting up Effie's angry ramblings
"Yes, Effie?"
"Don't go all innocent on me Katniss Everdeen, you young lady have some serious explaining to do, why on earth would you do that to Fenton, he is such a lovely boy, it's such BAD MANNERS!"
"Effie, actually look at me, can't you see that I was only defending myself, havent you seen that state of my face!" I snap
She blinks rapidly and finally looks at me properly
"Oh my..."
"That's not all!" I yank my t-shirt up revealing my bruised and cut stomach and ribs
"Oh Katniss, your back!?" Effie gasps, one of her hands going up to cover her mouth
I yank my t-shirt back down, scolding myself mentally for being so stupid, I feel Peeta come up behind me and wrap his arms around my shoulders
"Katniss, what happened to you?" She asks before lifting her hand to touch my face, I quickly step out of her reach taking Peeta with me
"It's none of your business!" I snap
Effie looks hurt by my harsh tone and instantly feel bad
"I'm sorry for snapping Effie, if you really want to know go and ask uncle Haymitch, just tell him I said it's ok to tell you"
"Oh, Katniss, I'll do that, now take it easy, but please be in the dinning room in ten minutes, we still have a schedule to keep, the same goes to you Peeta!" Effie chirps, then practically runs towards Haymitch's.
" I'm going to head to my room and get dressed, I'll meet you in the dinning room in five minutes, ok?"
"Yep, sure, Kat, just don't start fighting with Fenton, before I get there ok!?" He winks before heading toward his bathroom
Well, here I am standing on a Capitol train ready to walk out into the open, with hundreds of colourful eccentrics scrambling over each other to get a glimpse of district twelves very first volunteer. To be honest I'd rather have Fenton kill me now that have to step off the train to be looked at like prey.
"Right, kiddies, listen up, cause I'm only going to say this once!" Haymitch bellows
"When you walk out there smile, wave, look as though your happy to be there, because that will land you sponsors, which results in staying alive once in the arena, got it? Good!, let go" he finishes before stepping off the train with Peeta, who is followed by Effie
I can hear an obnoxious reporter commentating just outside the train, he voice stands out amongst the many, as he is currently commenting on how well Fenton, who has just stepped off the train, will do in the games. I listen as I start to step of the train and follow the others toward the Remake Centre.
"He comes district twelves male tribute, Fenton Hills, well doesn't he look like something special people?"
"I mean he's tall, muscular and handsome, something you don't expect from a lower district especially from district twelve!" He laughs
I grit my teeth as I step of the train, my eyes instantly zeroing on the reporter, he looks similar to Caesar Flickerman, but he has green hair and has facial tattoos
"Oh, I wonder what happened to Fenton's face, he looks like he's taken a pretty good beating, if you ask me, I wonder if his mentors Peeta or Haymitch have had to teach him a lesson?"
I smirk, wait until you look at my face
"Fenton, is surly to get passed the bloodbath, whereas the district twelves female tribute, Katniss Everdeen, who has just stepped of the train, won't make it in my opinion!" He says into the camera not even looking my way
I glare at him, as he turns around, he blinks and takes in the state of my face, as I walk past him
"Oh, my, my, my, the plot thickens, it looks as though Mr Hills and Miss Everdeen have to at each other's throats, oh, look at her face. I believe this years Hunger Games are going to be very exciting!" He practically squeaks
I'm nearly at the entrance to the Remake Centre, when he makes a comment that makes me see red
"I must admit that it looks as though Miss Everdeen truly did a number on Fenton, but unfortunately it doesn't deter from the fact she comes from the lowest of the low within district twelve, she's scrum and I won't be surprised if she's the first to go in the bloodbath!" He laughs obviously pleased with himself
I whirl around throwing my knife towards his direction, he screams diving out of the way. It isn't necessary as it hits it's mark, straight through the lens of one of his cameras to the hilt
I stalk over, like a predator stalking prey, I leap over the barrier separating us from them
I grab him by the collar of his suit and drag him to his feet, well aware that his other camera is now trained on me and that peacekeepers are making there way slowly towards us, probably waiting to see what I'm going to do
"I'll let you into a little secret, I'm not what I seem and you should bare that in mind and with the fact I managed to execute a perfect throw and smash one your expensive shiny cameras from over thirty feet away, before making assumptions about myself or my district, do I'm make myself clear?" I growl
He nods, still shaking from head to toe
I grip the end of my knife and yank it out of the camera sending sparks and shards of glass everywhere
I turn, shoving my knife into my jeans, then leap back over the barrier, I start to walk toward Haymitch and the others
"Oh, and by the way, I did that to Fenton's face, not Haymitch or Peeta!" I shout, then laugh when gasps and some cheers run through the crowd
"You aren't allowed weapons, it's against the rules" the reporter manages to shout
"I've never been one for rules!" I laugh
"In fact, I have a habit of breaking them...frequently!" I laugh again before stepping into the Remake Centre
I catch up with Peeta who's at the back of our group
"Your in so much trouble, when we get to the training centre, you know that right, Haymitch is going to kill you!"
"I know, don't worry it's all part of my plan, you trust me right?"
"Yes, of cause"
"Ok, then, keep Haymitch and the others distracted until you get into the elevator and up to our floor!"
"Sure, but your not going to see him are you?" Peeta looks at me with widen eyes
"No, just another part of my plan" I state shaking my head
With that I slip into an empty elevator and press the button marked, 1, where tributes one and two are prepared for the tribute parade. I just hope I get to speak to Brutus without running into Cato, I can't handle seeing him right now.
It might have been the ding of the elevator stopping or maybe perhaps it was the fact that I was met with the face of Clove glaring at me that brought me out of my thoughts of Cato.
"WHAT THE HELL, do you think your doing here, twelve?" Clove practically spits in my face
I've had enough people spitting and getting in my face, so I spin around taking Clove with me and slamming her face into the now closed elevator doors and dig my knee into the middle of her back
"Listen very closely because I won't be telling you again, I'm here because I want to be. Now I'm not one for playing games, so don't try with me, because I can assure you I will win!" I whisper into her ear, I hear her gulp, which gives me great satisfaction
"Well, well, well, what do we have here!"
I smirk, I would know that voice anywhere. I turn to find Lyme, Brutus' wife and also a previous district two victor, casually leaning against the wall
She smiles and winks at me
"Would you mind releasing my tribute, I need her for the next couple of weeks, but feel free to do whatever you want with her when you get into the arena!"
I realise Clove throwing her to the floor. She gets up and starts to lunge but Lyme, steps into her path
"Sit down, shut up and wait for your prep team Clove!" Lyme commands
Clove growls, muttering under her breath, but does as she's told
Lyme turns back to me, keeping her face passive
"What do you want twelve, I assume your not lost?" She asks raising an eyebrow
"Haymitch sent me to get Brutus, he was mumbling something about, the new training equipment being and I quote 'fucked up', so here I am!" I shrug
"Right, well Brutus is busy so, I'll speak to Abernathy"
I turn to head toward the elevator, when Lyme speaks up
"I saw your arrival Everdeen, I must say quite impressive, may I have a look at your knife?" She asks hand already stretched out
While I pass my knife over, I see Clove glance over, her eyes sparkle when they land on my knife and not in a good way, more of a possessive way. I'll have to keep an eye on it as it was a gift from Cato it's made from a very rare metal and diamond infusion and has an engraved message from Cato on it, which would blow my whole plan if someone was to read it.
"What an exquisite knife, very rare, there only about eight people in the whole of Panem that owns a piece of weaponry that made out of this diamond infused metal. You Everdeen, must be one very special young women" Lyme shares a subtle smile with me
"Could you demonstrate, I've heard the blade can cut through almost anything!"
"Yes, sure" I say taking my knife back
I turn towards the elevator doors, which has President Snow's face embossed onto it, I aim and throw and watch as it hits it's mark, right between the eyes
"What an amazing arm Everdeen, especially when you come from a lower district"
"Well I do try! Shall we go before Haymitch passes out drunk?"
"Lead the way"
We stop in front of the elevator doors, as I collect my knife, I hear the footsteps of Brutus and Cato, they both falter for a second. I grip the blade of my knife the pain keeping me from turning around and totally losing it.
"Lyme, where are you going and why is a district twelve tribute here on our floor?" Brutus basically grunts, allowing his victor persona shine through
"Haymitch, needs me, something about training equipment!" Lyme answers
"What's this scum doing here?"
I grip the knife so hard, when I hear Cato speak, hard enough to draw blood that is now dripping onto the floor.
"Because I want to be, do you have a problem with that two?" I speak with no other emotions expect for disgust and a little bit of rage.