Chapter 11

"You did what?" Haymitch yelled at me.

I frowned at him. "What did I do wrong?"

"You disobeyed me! I said do not do anything that could reveal a talent!"

"Talent? That was all an accident." I said. Peeta had given him an update about the whole training day and apparently Haymitch felt that I had been a little too good at the swords to have just miraculously learned it all in a few hours.

"Don't tell those lies to me. I know when I see a liar. Just like your sister." The last part was muttered.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Your whole family is just destined to be a huge problem, isn't it?" he said, still talking to himself.

"I did nothing wrong." I said, ignoring his rambling.

"Oh, 'nothing wrong.'" he mocked. "I distinctly remember that your sister was a very skilled swordsman and now, oh look at that. Her little sister can handle a sword like the boy who's trained his whole life?"
I swallowed. "She might have taught me a little."
"A little. Of course." Sarcasm dripped from each word. He pushed some hair off of his face. "You're just as reckless as her."
"Reckless? You want us to hide everything and then we're singled out as targets. The weak ones always go first." I said.

"Not the truly brave and the playing weak. Don't think I haven't learned something over the years. I know full well what the other tributes do. They act really helpless and they look like dolls. That District Eleven girl? Please, she's not helpless. She's playing helpless. She's using a well known, but hard to detect strategy."

"So why can't I used a different strategy?"
"Because you can't pull it off!" he yelled, pulling at his hair.

"Then what do you want me to do. Pretend it was a fluke. Beginner's luck?"
He sighed, seeming to get a little calmer. "No. Don't show off anymore, but don't stop practicing. You need to show them you're strong. Now that they know you have a special little talent, they'll gage how strong it is. If you prove you're just as good as that other boy, they might leave you alone. They'll be scared you'll kill them off. But if you show you're good, but now too good, then they'll single you out. You'll be considered a threat, so they'll kill you off quickly."

I sighed. "Fine. I still have other talents, though. I'm not just good with a blade."

"I'm sure you do. But don't screw that up too. Stick to the sword and then wow them later with something else." he barked.

I nodded. "Can I leave now?"

He glared at me for a few seconds before swinging his arm at the door. He took a swig from the bottle that was sitting on the clear glass table. I heard him slump down onto the plushy couch as I turned by back on him. I was about to open the door when he started talking again.

"You really are like her." he said.

I stopped, hand on the cold round doorknob.

"You remember her?" I whispered, I was sure he could barely hear me.

"Of course. It's hard to forget a girl like her. Lots of fire, spunk. She was so certain she was going home, going home to you and your family. I was just as sure as she was. I knew what she was like. She wasn't like the other lost poor children that were reaped out of the bowls. She had a chance and I expected her to win. I gave her all the help I could." he said. I heard him take another drink.

"But the thing is," he continued. "She was too sure of herself. She was arrogant or too certain. She let that tribute sneak up on her; she should have been more alert. You know, she was seeking out another tribute to kill. She thought she was so great."

I sighed. "I know."

"Really? I thought you'd be angry with me for telling you this. I expected you to defend her, being her sister and everything."

I shook my head, leaning against the door with my back towards him. The hard, smooth wood was acting as a safety rope, keeping me grounded.

"No, I knew. I knew even then. I was only five, but I remember thinking, 'Wren, what are you doing? You're practically gliding through this competition and you're becoming too proud.'"

"Well, you should know that the boy that actually won was a friend of your sisters. For a few days at least. He was very unhappy when she died. I don't know if they showed the footage, I don't really remember much, but I remember sitting in the Control Room looking at all the different screens. And when they blew that cannon, he stopped and listened, hoping to get a hint as to who had just died. And that night when they flashed her face through the sky, he cried along with you and your family."
I had pressed my face into the wood by then, almost as if I was banging my head into the door.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked into the door. I was fighting tears.

"Because the same thing is happening to you."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, a little harsh.

"You think I don't see? Peeta. Tell me about him."
And then all the sadness evaporated. It was replaced with rage. Red, hot fiery rage at only one person. Haymitch.

"You're an idiot." I lashed out. I turned around to face him, brushing away the loose hairs around my face. "You don't know a thing. I only get along with Peeta because you told us to. And if I remember correctly, you have a deal with both of us about your drinking habits. Just because you've been used to being drunk for the past twenty three years doesn't mean I'll put up with it."

"I see I've hit a nerve." he replied coolly.

"And I'm sure this will hit one of your nerves. You've been drunk for the past twenty-three years and now there are forty-six children dead. Maybe it was your fault, maybe not. Either way, they were under your care. I don't plan on being number forty-seven."
It looked like I'd slapped him in the face for a second, before he took another sip from the bottle.

"It'll take more than that, Terra, to hit a nerve." he said, but we both knew he was lying.

I actually growled like an animal and left him in the room, getting drunk as usual. I'd make sure he was sober if it was the last thing I did. I was not going to have his stupid habits get Peeta and me killed.

"Hey, Terra." Peeta said. He was walking down the hallway, smiling an annoyingly goofy smile until he saw my face. "What happened?"

"You told him about training?" I hissed, pulling him away from the door and a little ways down the hallway, between doors.

"He asked, why?"
"Well Haymitch wasn't so happy about my sudden talent with swords."

"Oh, but you're just good at it. It's like I guess I was born with the gift of being good at frosting cakes. It's not like you chose to be good at it."

I laughed coldly. "Peeta, you are so naïve."

He frowned. "You trained before?"

I gave him a look. I was sure the hallways were bugged with cameras and microphones. "Of course not. When could I have trained? We were in District Twelve, not Two where they train them to be killers."

He understood immediately. "Yeah. True."

"Ready for dinner?"

"Always. The meals here are the best. I'll really miss them."
I nodded and forced a fake smile onto my face when I saw Venia and Octavia walking down the hall towards us. I waved and hook my arm through Peeta's and walked and started to laugh like a schoolgirl at something I pretended Peeta had said. He fell into the act easily.

"I'm telling the truth. He walked in with his goat and it started to eat the parchment paper. My mom was so mad at him." he said, laughing too.

When we walking into the foyer we met Effie there and she led us to the living room where we would watch some updates on the Games. The announcers, Claudius Templesmith and Livida Hecklet were talking about the training day. There wasn't any footage of us really training, just some basic stuff. Us listening to the lady that had been talking in the beginning, the District Four group tying knots, Cato slashing a few dummies (they showed a lot of him), his partner throwing knives as targets, Rue building a fire. It was all pretty simple. They commented on Cato and his fellow district tribute, saying they were both very talented with weapons.

I took this time to just think a little. I was caught up on the moment in the hallway when Peeta had automatically adapted to my lie of a happy time. If I won, would those moments become my life? Always afraid of being overheard, always afraid of being punished for a few wrong words. I couldn't imagine that but I was pretty sure all the Victors were pretending they were something they weren't really. They were all just actors really. Actors and murders. I didn't want to be that person that was being shown all over the screens and having to pose and act perfect all the time. Maybe Haymitch was smarter than he looked. If he were drunk all the time they would leave him alone. They wanted to entertain people, not disgust them.

I wasn't really paying attention until Peeta nudged me and I glanced up to see my face on the screen. I paid attention then.

"Livida, what do you think of this girl?"
"Well, Claudius, I certainly think she had potential. Watch her in this next shot."
And there I was, slashing and stabbing at the dummies. They made it look really dramatic, close ups on my sweaty face and of this cold look of concentration on my face. I could see Peeta in the background, practicing and then watching me. I also saw Cato watching me from the corner of his eye. But I was mostly focused on me, and the sword in my hand. Could I win this? I slapped myself mentally; I shouldn't get cocky. That was what Wren did wrong. Anyways, if Cato and I were to fight, I'd be dead.

"Wow, that girl's defiantly going to make it far into the Games." Claudius said.

"You never know. She could just as easily die off in the beginning." Livida countered.

"These are the Hunger Games. But I still think she has a good chance."
She laughed. "They all have a chance. That's what got them here in the first place."
"Very true."

"What I was watching the second I watched this clip was the boy in the background." The screen behind them zoomed in and sharpened on Peeta's face.

"Isn't he handsome?"

"And it looks like they were sticking together the whole time during training. Ever heard of that?"

"No, how unusual."

"Yes, very true. I wonder what they'll do in the Games."

He smiled charmingly. "What goes on in and outside of the Area is very different."

She nodded. "Join us tomorrow night when we give you another update on the status of our tributes. Only three more days until the interviews!"

"I can't wait to hear from all of them personally."
Livida flashed a shining, pearly white, perfect row of teeth at the camera.

"Thank you and good night, Panem!"

I rolled my eyes and then looked at all their expressions. They were all looking at me.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

Then Cinna clapped, slow and steady. "I guess we do have a Girl on Fire amongst us." he said, smiling. "Let's go to dinner to celebrate."
He pointed a look at me and I felt a fake smile spread across my face. I wondered why he was helping me. He didn't really know me, but I knew well enough that everyone was just a little on edge around me. They were suspicious. I just decided not to know how to pick up a sword and then I did that to a bunch of defenseless dummies. Cinna was helping me dig a hole out of the mountain I'd created for myself.

"Yes, we have a special dinner planned because of your first day of training. It will help boost your energy, you'll need it in the area." Effie said, smiling again.

I smiled back, fake. Was this going to be the rest of my life? Fake smiles? Or would I just not get a 'rest of' and have it end here with a lot of glitter and make up?

We walked to the dining room in a group, but I lingered in the back. Peeta stayed in the back too, but he didn't try to speak to me. He knew better than that I guess. He was staying a good distance away, but I could see him looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I was looking at him too so I guess I shouldn't be the one criticizing him. I wonder what he thought of me now.

When we got to the dining room, the plates and dishes were already laid out; apparently the staff had expected us soon. We sat down to a meal that began with a refreshing cold soup with potatoes and small perfectly circular slices of vegetables of all colors. I had a particular fondness for the bright purple ones. Then we each had a seasoned fillet of fish served that I couldn't get enough of. Each bite was like heaven and it melted in my mouth. The next course was a vegetable and pasta mix, both very small, but left me wanting more of their creamy richness. The dinner courses ended with a thick lamb stew with large chunks of celery and carrots mixed throughout it.

When I thought it couldn't possibly get any better they brought out dessert. It was a large purple and chocolate swirled pie with a blackish crust. I smiled when they lit it on fire, keeping up with the theme. Across the table, I saw Peeta looking at me through the flames. The glow of the flames cast an eerie on his face, making him look more devilish. I frowned, thinking about how I must look. We each got a huge slice of the pie.

After dinner, everybody seemed to silently agree to head to bed early. I saw good night to Cinna, making sure to make eye contact with him. I hope he understood I meant to thank him for saving me back in the living room. He was more observant than I gave him credit for. He wasn't like the other Capitals either. They were all so shallow while he seemed to be able to remain in their ranks while still seeming somewhat human. I wondered if the Victors from the past years have changed or if they've managed to do the same. Or if they're crazy. I know some of them don't know what to do with the money and waste it on frivolous things and others can't take the pressure and reduce themselves to drugs and alcohol. Much like Haymitch.

"Good night, Terra." Cinna replied, nodding a little when he saw the look I gave him. I don't think anybody else noticed.

As I turned to head to my room, I was surprised to see that Peeta hadn't just left. I sighed, but walked next to him to our rooms.

"Good night, Terra." he said, smiling softly.

I nodded. "Night, Peeta."

I was turning to go when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and turned to look up at him. I never noticed how tall he was.

"What?" I asked.

"I think your sister would be proud of you right now." he said.

I was tongue tied, suddenly unable to come up with a witty comeback. I was pretty sure that he knew about my sister being in the Hunger Games, but I didn't want his pity. It was what I had to deal with personally. I didn't need him.

I was silent and just nodded before slipping into my room.