As always, a huge thank you to everyone following along with my story. I know some people might have been wondering if I'm going to keep going with the story, so I'm going to reiterate what I've said earlier. No matter how long it takes between chapters sometimes, I'm not going to quit until the story is done! I hate it when I get on a good story then suddenly it stops and I never find out what happens. I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!
-Pneuma
The moment the audience catches sight of our fiery entrance, the noise is overwhelming. I had never been to a major sports game before I got to Panem, but I imagine that the noise of the audience as they watch the flames whip out behind us and stream back from my face would have rivaled or surpassed it. Seconds after the door opens, Peeta has my hand in his. I realize that with my eyes closed I didn't get the memo to present a united front. I'm glad Peeta did, because I might not have remembered. The chariot moves forward and I recognize my name, and Peeta's, being shouted down at us.
Cinna's voice flashes through my head. Smile. All of my insecurity seems to have been burnt away by these fake flames, the flames that engulf the right side of my face over my scars. I give the audience the biggest, most genuine smile I've ever let cross my face since I got to Panem, and they go wild. I see the screens reflecting our images back and am stunned by how radiant Peeta and I look. He is also smiling, and I can't help but look over at him. As if he feels my gaze, he turns his head to look back at me, and his smile widens. He's proud of me. Then we both turn our attention back to the audience.
Flowers are falling down on us like rain, and I reach out to catch one. It's a rose, and I remember that after Katniss caught one, she blew a kiss to the audience. I do the same. The screaming amplifies and I wonder how the people in charge of sound know how loud the music needs to be so that it can still be heard. I blow more kisses to the crowd. Peeta squeezes my hand and I look over at him. His blue eyes are lit up by the fire all around us, and I'm surprised at the intensity of his gaze.
My eyes widen as he lifts the hands that are joined together, and presses a kiss to the back of mine. This time, I can't hear the music because the audience has gone so wild. Every one of them is standing now, and the flowers flow down as freely and thick as rain. I feel my face grow hot, and not from the fire. He turns his face back to the audience, his smile bigger than before, looking subtly triumphant. I too turn back to the audience, waving and blowing kisses once again. I think my smile is bigger too.
Our chariot stops in front of President Snow's mansion, and it is only a moment before the music ends. President Snow himself appears and welcomes us to the Capitol, and although I'm sure it's a very insincere welcome, the audience clearly believes him. I try to look serious as the anthem plays, but as I notice us taking over the majority of screen time I can't help but see a hint of pride reflected in the eyes of both Peeta and me. After the anthem finishes, all the chariots move back into the Remake Center where everyone is getting down from the chariots.
When we stop, Portia walks to us and extinguishes the flames on our capes. She hesitates before my face, and Cinna comes over sprays some of the liquid until it makes a foam on his hand, and dabs the flames away gently. All the other tributes are staring at us now. The ones from poor districts like ours wear expressions of awe. The Careers wear expressions of complete loathing. We've already made enemies. I have to force myself to look away, because the temptation to smile back flippantly is nearly overwhelming. It seems I really have overcome my fear of smiles if I'm having to fight to keep myself from smiling.
Peeta and I hop down from the chariot and release the grip that was keeping our hands together. I open and close mine, trying to encourage feeling back into my fingers. I look up at him and unleash the smile I've held back from the Careers, only for Peeta its kind.
"Nice move back there," I tell him. "The audience went completely insane when you kissed my hand." Realization washes over me in waves as the words so did I float into my head. It wasn't supposed to happen this way. I know Peeta likes Katniss, so this new awareness scorches through my heart painfully. But it's okay. Because the plan was never to end up with Peeta. The plan was, and is, to keep him alive so he can return to District 12, and to eliminate myself in the process. In the end, maybe this is perfect. I'll work even harder to make sure he comes out of that arena victorious.
"Well that smile of yours was driving them crazy enough that I'm sure it wasn't necessary," he tells me with a grin. I roll my eyes.
"You're good at this aren't you?" I say. His eyebrows pull together.
"Good at what?" he asks me as our stylists shepherd us into a hallway that I know will take us to the training center where we will be staying. Their praise is swirling all around us, but none of it can quite reach my ears.
"Flattery. Working an audience." I tell him.
"Not really," he says with a shrug. "I'm just saying what I think." We're entering cars now, limousines, and I make sure to sit across from him. Put distance between us, making sure to keep the atmosphere friendly and light. But that doesn't stop me from blushing and looking down when I catch the gentle smile he offers me.
I recognize the Training Center as a skyscraper, knowing it has to be over twelve stories high to fit in the twelve floors for each district, as well as the training areas. A minimum of thirteen. I don't feel like counting to find out the exact number, so I just go along with Effie and the other stylists as she scoots us into the glass elevator that will take us to the top level. I look out at the city shining with bright lights and flashing colors, wondering how the training will go. I find that I'm actually a little excited to see watch the Careers show off because it means that I can analyze their fighting styles before actually facing them in the arena.
Effie is ecstatic. I am startled out of my reverie by a hug, and then watch as she then hugs Peeta. She tells us about how hard she's been working in between compliments of our flashy entrance. After explaining that she's got quite a few interested potential sponsors, but that Haymitch in her opinion hasn't been making enough effort in sealing deals, her eyes mist over.
"You two really are quite the pair, already winning people over without even training yet. I've never had a duo so successful, really you're both quite amazing," she tells us.
"Thanks Effie, but we couldn't have done it without everyone. Really, none of that would ever have been possible without the hard work you all put into us," I say.
"It's true, if we had gone in the way we started out when we got here, there is no way anybody would have given us a second glance," Peeta adds, confirming my statement. There are actual tears in Effie's eyes now, but she manages to keep them in check. I think I honestly like Effie. Even though she's strange and somewhat clueless, it seems like she actually cares about us.
We get to our floor and I head off to my room, eager to wash off the makeup and get out of the jumpsuit and boots. While it looks good, the outfit isn't exactly comfortable, and I'm starting to feel hot in it. The shower here is even better than the one in the train, and since it's only the second real shower I've had since Panem, I spend so much time in there that I'm pruny. I step out onto the dryer mat, then rest my hand on the hair dryer. It's still very long, reaching down to my lower back. They've only cut off one or two inches. I'm surprised that the split ends weren't worse. I look around for some way to put it up, and find a couple hair elastics.
I consider putting it into another braid style that my stylists taught me, but decide on a simple high ponytail. It feels more like me, and I'd like to stay that way for a little while longer. It's so shiny and silky that I can't help but run my fingers through it a few times before it's up and out of my face. Then I walk to the massive closet and pick out an outfit that I know Effie will approve of but that is still comfortable.
Effie is at the door announcing dinner right as I finish putting on a pair of boots that go up to the middle of my shins. I'm surprised by this, but also grateful because I'm starving. I guess I was in that shower longer than I thought.
I'm happy to see Cinna and Portia because for some reason all of these people in the Capitol, even though they're getting me ready to die and I haven't known them for very long, feel like family. In district 12, there were only a couple of people who actually liked me. Suddenly here there are people who care about me, even if it is just for a little while. I guess I'm desperate for affection, any kind of it. Maybe that's why I like Peeta, because he noticed me and was my sort of friend even when everybody else pushed me away as some kind of disease. Back in the district, I was a pariah. Here, I'm not.
We move into the dining room and I take a seat between Cinna and Peeta, my mouth watering in anticipation of good food. Haymitch gets to the table just as the meal is being served. He takes a glass of wine and I watch him take a couple swigs of it, then dig into the soup. I'd wondered if Peeta and I pulled it off right in the train, but the fact that he's not glutting himself on alcohol during this meal seems to confirm that it's all going in the right direction. He looks much cleaner and more presentable than usual, which is a good thing. Since from now on he's going to be chatting up sponsors, it's best if he looks authoritative. I wonder absentmindedly to myself if he'll wear a red power tie at some point.
We get through the meal on small talk, and even though I take note of the red haired Avox girl, I don't say anything about it. The blazing cake is the highlight of the meal, in my opinion. I've seen flaming meat, flaming onions, but not a flaming cake. Plus, it's chocolate again.
After we eat, all of us move to the couches to watch the opening ceremonies. I never got to fully see the other costumes, and am interested to see the looks styled for each district. Some of them look pretty cool, others look sadly pathetic. I watch the audience reactions to each pair, trying to figure out which ones are more likely to gain sponsors. Then we come out.
I can't believe how wide the gap between those who came out before us and our dramatic entrance is. They're nothing compared to us, with our flaming costumes and my face on fire. The audience's reaction to us is completely different as well, and I wonder if the other tributes are watching this too. I smirk as I picture the Careers watching us literally outshine them. The camera pans in on Peeta kissing my hand. They caught the scene perfectly. Our eyes locked onto each other, then my hand raised to his lips as flowers fall all around us. The blush that tinges my face. His smile. My smile.
"Who came up with that?" Haymitch asks, sounding extremely impressed.
"Cinna told them to hold hands," Portia says.
"And the kiss?" Haymitch presses. Nobody speaks, because none of us are quite sure what to say.
"That was…spontaneous," Peeta mutters finally, looking down at the plush grey carpet fixedly.
"Well done. Very well done," Haymitch praises. "Anyways, you two get to bed while the adults talk. We'll discuss how I'm going to have you work your training tomorrow at breakfast."
Peeta and I walk towards our rooms, and I'm almost to my door when he stops and turns towards me. I wonder what he wants. There wasn't any mention of 'Delly' at the dinner table, so I don't know why he would want to talk to me. If that's what this is about.
"Cinna showed me the roof it's really cool. Would you like to go check it out?" he asks. I'm curious.
"Sure, I'm not that tired anyways," I reply. I follow him up a flight of stairs and think to myself that there are now at least fourteen stories to this building. He leads me out to the garden and we sit on a bench. The air is cool and whips around us, toying with my hair. I wonder again what he wants.
"Why are you here?" he asks. "I had a feeling…that you were planning to volunteer. Why would you do that?" I gaze out to the city around us, the lights twinkling like little jewels under a flashlight. It's beautiful, although I wonder how much electricity it takes to power just one of those little lights and how many light bulbs in the district would light up with the same amount of power.
"To me, it doesn't really matter whether I'm alone in the district or dead in the arena. Nobody will miss me," I say, still staring out at the city below. He doesn't say anything for a long time, and I start to think that he isn't going to respond.
"I would have missed you," he tells me. I look away from the view and to his face. He's not smiling, and his eyes have the intensity back that they held when he kissed my hand.
"Until you ended up here too," I say bitterly.