Here's the chapter guys. I know it's late but it's a long one. I was really busy when I got home from vacay (which was awesome BTW. Butterbeer is so great you should all try it, it felt like I was really in Hogwarts and Hogsmeade!) so I couldn't post the chapter right when I got back. But remember, it will all be finished BEFORE the 24th. After this chapter there is only two more and the epilogue.
Chapter 25
"Catnip!" is the first sound that reaches my ears after the helicopter lands on the dry ground where Myra and I still stand. After all the things I've been through since I stepped into the arena, not this time, but the very first time when I was just sixteen, hearing that voice is exactly what I need. It reminds me that life wasn't always this insane. It was always a struggle, and always sufferable especially after my father died, but even after that it wasn't as terrible as participating in the Hunger Games for three consecutive years.
The voice helps me realize that there was a simpler time. A time where we lazed by the river while on break from hunting in the woods. When we provided meals to sustain our families, split our profits down the middle, and were always there for each other. It was a time before fake or real romances, complicated notions, or girls next door who love strawberries. A time of a plain and trusting friendship that was truer than any other I have ever known. And, then and there, I decide that I want that friendship back.
My reminisces and revelations only last for the fraction of a second of shock that I feel while fully figuring out that my friends have come here to rescue me. After that one moment I remember the Peacekeepers, who are advancing on me from all sides. Without thinking, I fire some arrows at the closest few and, without bothering to check the damage, I race forward to cover the distance in an instant between me and the rescuers.
The person who called my name stands in front of everyone else. I can tell that he has been through battles because one of his eyes is bruised and dark and there are scrapes on his neck. And that's just his face. His left arm is in a cast from wrist to elbow as well.
I teeter on the brink of some invisible line trying to force myself to believe that this is all really real and they are all legitimately here and aren't some figment of my imagination as I'm desperate to escape the arena. They are really here though. There's no question when Gale opens his arms and I launch myself into them.
"Gale!" I finally respond to his call. I press myself into him and suck up his warmth.
Suddenly he pulls away from me a little and holds me at arm's length to look me over.
"You're hurt," he implores, as if I wasn't already aware.
Peacekeepers and tributes alike are battling in every direction I look. The only reason why Gale and I can sustain a normal conversation is the other rescuers and Myra who are throwing knives and shooting arrows every which way at random.
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said on the phone," Gale says quickly. "You don't always think about yourself." He stares into my eyes sincerely but I look down.
"I do sometimes," I say. And it's true.
Gale stoops over and tilts my chin up so I have to look into his grey eyes.
"Look, Katniss, I love you." he says slowly.
Here we go, I think dejectedly. But for some reason I say, "I love you, too. You know that." I don't know why I say it but it is true. I do love Gale. It's just that I also love Peeta. I feel like Gale and I are on the verge of something, and whatever it is we better get there soon so I can join the fight.
The other rescuers are hovering behind our display. I can see Peeta and Madge standing together with looks of understanding on their faces like they're thinking we knew this would happen. Some part of me longs to run over to Peeta just to make sure he's really there and to let him comfort me but I know I can't. I have to work through this Gale blockage before I do anything else.
We stare at each other for a few more seconds that feel more like days and then, simultaneously, we both blurt out a sentence.
"I love Peeta!" is mine while Gale says "I love Madge!" We look at each other and grin. I hold out a hand for him to shake.
"Just friends again?" I ask with a smile.
"Friends," he agrees and wrings my hand up and down once.
"Best friends." I correct.
Just then, Gale leans in to me and kisses me right on the lips! I pull away almost immediately and slap him.
"Gale!" I protest. "Do you remember two seconds ago when we agreed to go back to being just friends?"
Seriously, Gale really confuses me sometimes. But even the kiss was not as confusing as the circumstances. I don't think we have much more time to chat before a Peacekeeper succeeds in reaching us.
"I know we said that, Katniss," Gale tells me. "But don't you think we should try to kiss one more time just to make sure?"
I roll my eyes at him. "This is ridiculous, Gale." I deadpan, but then lean in and I kiss him this time. I figure that this is Gale and he's not going to give up. After this we can finally fight the battle and I won't ever have a doubt about choosing Peeta. So I part my lips and softly place them on Gale's. He gently tugs at my bottom lip with both of his own and then pulls away.
I stare at him. "There. Feel anything?" I look down.
Gale looks confused as he ponders this. "No," he says uncertainly. "Did you?"
I look up at him. "No."
Then I am so happy that things aren't completely confusing anymore between us that I'm about to jump up to hug Gale again, but I feel a tap on my shoulder. I whirl around, with an arrow ready, to see who it is but it's just another familiar, yet bewildered, face.
"Katniss, there is no time for you to have chatty conversations with everyone!" Haymitch says exasperatedly. "The only reason you should be getting your affairs in order is if you are expecting to die. And the only reason you will die is if you're not on your guard. So get on it, because I'm not having another tribute of mine die! I was a mentor for twenty four years and none of my kids ever won. You are going to win."
I look up at Haymitch and nod stiffly. He's not the most caring mentor you could ask for but he tells it like it is. And he's Haymitch. I care about him.
"We're all winning." I state clearly, looking at the people who surround me. My troops have rallied over here and made a human wall, shielding us from the opposing forces. Jameson rushed over as soon as he saw Johanna exit the copter and he brought Prim and the others with him. "The Capitol has ruled over the Districts for too long. Today, we're going to shatter that fact."
The others have mixed emotions on their faces. Some, like Prim, look absolutely terrified at the prospect of shattering anything. Others, like Johanna, look excited. Some, like Taint and Roger, look bewildered at why they are even being included in this mission. There are so many people here who have somehow influenced the rebellion. Haymitch, Madge, Gale, Prim, Maysilee, Myra, Johanna, Jameson, Taint, Roger, Beetee even. And Peeta.
Maysilee and Haymitch silently stare at each other with expressions of mingled understanding, betrayal and longing. I know that there is a lot of history behind those expressions, there is even a lot that I personally should know but I don't. My fate was decided by those people. Maysilee decided I was the only girl in District 12 that could win the Hunger Games, and so she forced me into them. Haymitch had a different kind of rebellion in mind and kept me alive. But I can't pay attention to them now because Peeta is speaking.
"Katniss is right," he says quietly. "The reason the Capitol can control our every move is that they have kept us separated for all these years. Alone, each district is powerless. But together, we can stand strong. That was proven in the Quarter Quell. But sometimes strength isn't enough. Even our best fighters can be wounded."
His eyes stay rested on me for a lingering second. I know that my bandages are bloody. My injuries do hurt, but I will not stop trying. I reach out to take Peeta's hand. He squeezes it gratefully and continues speaking in a low undertone to Haymitch only.
"Do you have the medicine?" he asks softly. I can only assume that "the medicine" is for me and my stomach wound. I remember Jameson and Maysilee's conversation that one day after I was injured. They said I only have a week to live then, but I heard them talking later that it may be less than that. The Hunger Games is not a place to recover easily. I could go any day now if I don't get "the medicine" but that is the least of my troubles right now. The battle still rages on everywhere and I long to join it. I can't let people I love get hurt and people I love are out fighting right now, instead of me.
"No," Haymitch replies. "I told you we didn't have any in stock."
Peeta's eyes flash hard for a second but, if he has a temper, he forces it to stay in check. I can tell he's looking for words to say or a way to keep me alive. Right now I'd be happier if he worried for his safety and not mine.
"Peeta, I'm fine," I say softly, looking up into his blue eyes. "Really, I am."
Peeta looks down at me with a tiny smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I don't buy it, Katniss," he laughs. "You're still a really bad liar."
Then I let him pull me into a tight embrace. I press my face into his chest and wish with everything I have that I could just stay there forever and we could forget the battle entirely. But I can't do that. I'm Katniss Everdeen. I'm a realist and a fighter. I'm a survivalist. I pull away from Peeta, only keeping his hand, and turn to address the group. However, before I can speak, someone else does.
"Honestly, you guys just stop talking!" Myra shouts. "This is a battle if you haven't noticed and battles mean fighting, We have to start fighting! I wanna see some carnage!"
We all stare at her as Johanna smiles.
"You know," she says wryly to Jameson. "I think I like her. Can we adopt her?"
Myra looks confusedly at her. "You know, I have an uncle right?" she asks. Beetee nods.
"ENOUGH!" shouts Haymitch and all of us are startled. "We can't hold off the Peacekeepers for much longer we need to do something."
"Bonnie and I will take crowd control. We can talk the spectators into being on our side so we can have more fighters," Madge puts in from where she is hugging her mom. When I look over at her I see that, indeed, Bonnie, the girl I met in the woods, is here. I remember back at the Underground how she said she wanted to be a soldier. I guess she got her wish. I have an uneasy feeling about this.
"Well that's all fine and good but we need someone to take Prim and the others away from here in the helicopter. I can't let the Peacekeepers get her," I say.
"I'll do it," Maysilee says. "I could fly a helicopter pretty well back in the good old days."
Now normally I would think the sentence "I could fly a helicopter," to be a bit unsettling, especially when it was my sister who was going to ride in it, but today I will just be happy if I can force her away from the battle field.
"Roger, Taint, you should go with them," I address the boys. "I really appreciate how much you've helped us so far."
They nod sheepishly and go to stand with Maysilee. It's a good thing they didn't put up much of a hassle because someone else definitely is.
"Myra, we're going with them." Beetee says soundly. "I don't think I can hold up in a fight anymore, and I'm not taking any chances with you."
Myra puts up a steady fight with a lot of reasons why she should get to stay but eventually Jameson forces her into the copter with the others. I suspect the only reason she didn't scream, curse, or even start hitting us to get her way is because of the severity of this situation.
"All right, your turn Prim," I say to my sister. I will be much more at peace when I know she is out of harm's way.
"No." she says stoutly. "I want to fight too."
This cannot be happening. Prim can't want to fight. This is Prim. She wouldn't hurt a fly. I can't allow this, I just can't. If Prim gets hurt or...anything else, I'll have it on my conscious forever.
"No way, Prim." I say. "Not today, not ever."
"You can't boss me around, Katniss," she counters and it puts an incredulous look on my face. Then she turns to Peeta and says, "Peeta, tell Katniss to let me fight." He shakes his blonde head immediately.
"No, Prim. You know none of us could stand it if you got hurt. Not me, not Katniss, not anybody."
"Well maybe I can't stand it if any of you get hurt!" she shouts and the tears start falling.
"Shh, Prim, we won't get hurt, we're pros at this staying alive thing by now," I try to soothe her, but it doesn't work. As soon as I try to touch her arm she turns away from me and won't even meet my gaze. Only Gale can knock some sense into her.
"Don't worry Prim," he consoles after kissing her forehead. "It'll all work out fine in the end. Maybe later Maysilee can even fly you back here to see how we're doing."
Maysilee nods and says "Yes," while I am mouthing a big "NO" to Gale over Prim's tiny head. But of course Gale does not listen to me. People rarely do.
"How does that sound Primster?" he says to her.
Prim wipes her nose on her sleeve and looks up at him, "Sounds good." she says quietly. "But you only give Katniss a nickname."
"Well," says Gale down to her. "Now you have one too."
I watch Prim retreat into the helicopter and smile at Gale despite his inadequate promise to Prim. Madge takes Gale's hand and squeezes it. I think she knows he's going to make a good dad. Maysilee obviously wants Madge to come with her in the helicopter, safely away from the battle. But Madge politely declined. It didn't take much for Maysilee to agree with her. Maybe she sees some of the Mockingjay Society in us. Because these are the new dark days, and we are the young ones now.
"Annie, go with them," Finnick says quietly to Annie. He's obviously deduced that that is the safest option. "I'm going to fight. We need some man power around here."
Johanna, Jameson, and Peeta all promptly decide that they will fight too. Myra wanted to but Uncle Beetee flatly refused. All the fighters go out to, uh, fight but I am reluctant to let Peeta go.
"I have to do something, Katniss," he says to me softly but firmly. I can tell it will take a lot to overturn his decision.
"But you don't have to do this," I plead. "There are plenty of other things you can do,"
"Like what?" he asks blatantly.
"Like..." I try hurriedly to invent something that isn't dangerous.
"Exactly," Peeta says during my silent struggle.
"Then I'm fighting too!" I counter.
"No you're not!" Haymitch decides. "Not until you get some medicine.
"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET SOME IF THERE ISN'T ANY?" I yell at him. Haymitch looks at me in such a calm way that I am nearly infuriated. Then he sighs and looks like he's about to say something. What that something is I never find out.
A shadow overtakes our spot on the playing field. I look up and see that it's yet another helicopter is here before ours has even taken off yet. All the innocents are waiting for our helicopter to take off, except Maysilee still hasn't boarded it. She stands beside Haymitch looking up at the new helicopter. But is the new helicopter on our side or theirs? Could they have sent in for more Peacekeepers? For back up, even though we are having a tough enough time staying away from the ones who are here already. I quickly look at Haymitch.
"Is that more troops coming?" I ask weakly.
He shakes his head, "Ours was the only copter that worked. But there is a slim possibility that they fixed the others back in the Underground."
"Yeah, well," I say grimly. "I don't usually have faith in slim possibilities."
All of us left on the ground raise our weapons and get in position to strike as soon as the possibly enemies touchdown. I am so stressed about everything that I almost don't notice the fleets of more Peacekeepers running up behind us. Why would they be running over here if more backup was going to arrive? Certainly they wouldn't just greet the newcomers. The people in the helicopter must be on our side. But who?
The others have also come to my same conclusion. We're slowly lowering our weapons and straining our eyes to see who will emerge from the copter and how they can help us in the fight.
Aren't I surprised when the first person out is my mother.
"Mom," I gasp at her.
"Katniss," she replies lovingly. "Katniss I brought your medicine." she shakes a green bag that must hold the medicine I need to stay alive after the week is up.
After hugging me shortly she walks over to the spot where Haymitch and Maysilee still stand. They just stand there in a sort of triangle for a long moment. I suppose they are thinking about all the plans for rebellion they made back before I was even born. All the fights they had. All the letters Madylin had planned for them. My mother puts a hand on each of their shoulders and Maysilee and Haymitch grasp each other's hands for a second.
"We're going to do this for Madylin," Maysilee says. "I know her methods were wrong, and I'm sorry I ruined life for your daughter Pricilla,"
I look down at my feet. As the Mockingjay Society's members are talking to one another, more people are getting out of the helicopter. I suppose my mother brought them to fight but I only recognize one. Hazelle, Gale's mother. He is standing with her and quietly asking if Rory, Vick, and Posy are alright. She is quietly telling him that, yes, they are while she looks from Gale to me to Madge a little confusedly.
"I can never forgive you for that, Maysilee," my mom says with a glance backwards at me. "But I am hoping we can bring down the Capitol for killing your sister. She was my friend,"
I remember that time my mother told me about her friend who had to go into the Quarter Quell and how she gave her the yellow canary that used to be her pet. I never saw that canary, it must have died before I was born, just like I never saw Madylin.
"She shouldn't have died," Haymitch says gruffly. "It should have been me. It should always have been me."
The three old friends look at each other for one more second and then let go of each other, going back to each of their tasks at hand. Maysilee lets herself into the helicopter and takes off. My mom walks over to me and starts taking the medicine out of the green bag.
"Here we go, Katniss," she says pulling out a long, thin syringe. "You just have to –AHH!"
A giant Peacekeeper has appeared from behind the helicopter and grabbed my mother from behind. She still holds the medicine in the green bag and has a look of terror on her face. I am so shocked that the first person to run up and try to save her is not me, it's Haymitch. Soon Haymitch, Peeta, Gale, Johanna, Jameson, Madge, Finnick and I are all trying to take her back from the Peacekeeper's grasp. But more Peacekeepers are arriving and they outnumber us five to one. We can't fight them. The big one is taking away my mother. Pulling her away from me in the direction of the stands and leaving us here to fight the throng that is now upon us.
"I have to go save her!" I shout through the madness.
"I'll come with you!" Gale shouts back.
I quickly and silently agree, and then Gale and I depart from the group to chase the Peacekeeper who has my mom. Looking over my shoulder as I run I stare into Peeta's eyes and he stares into mine. I try to convey don't die, as best as I can and I see him mimicking it. Haymitch is fighting alongside him and shoots me a look of support. Peeta, Haymitch, and I are a team, but Gale and I were a time first and that is why I need his help today.
We run after the Peacekeeper as fast as I can go, given my injury. After a while when Gale is frustrated of slowing down for me he scoops me up and keeps running. I am getting tired of being carried by now and I think that after we save my mother that medicine will come in real handy. As we run I see Jessi, the girl who agreed to help me after I caught her attempting to kill Finnick. Well I don't see her exactly. I see her dead body. Killed by a Peacekeeper, no doubt. I sharply draw a breath. It is my fault, as is everything else. But I can't deal with this now so I just yet the usual numbness associated with death envelope me.
"Gale, stop running!" I shout quickly when I see the Peacekeeper and my mom slow down. He is talking to her, I think he's trying to get the medicine so I can't recover. Dropped from Gale's hold, I race over to them.
"Let go of her!" I demand fiercely.
The Peacekeeper only smirks. He holds a knife to my mother's throat. "If you try to swipe that medicine I'll kill her," he says to me. "Now," to my mother. "Please give me the medicine."
My mom whimpers and I look at her, silently telling her to give him the medicine. She obliges by slowly handing the green bag to the Peacekeeper, but at the last second pulls it away from him. The Peacekeeper is angry and strikes to kill her but she ducks quickly out of the way and runs to me. With Gale fighting off the Peacekeeper my mom forces me to lie down and takes out the syringe again.
She lifts up my shirt and rips off the bandages, there isn't enough time to do it in a less painful way. My wound looks very deadly without it's coverings. The dark splotch attacks my entire stomach. My mother pulls back the syringe and jabs it into my wound. I stifle a cry of pain but I don't have to for long. The hurt in my stomach is disappearing rapidly and the edges of the wound are starting to grow new skin right before my eyes. Wherever my mother got this medicine it is very advanced. I button my shirt over the healing wound and my mother is already treating my injured leg with the same stuff. With two needles I am as good as new.
"Thank you," I say to her with round eyes. I rarely thanked her for anything back home because I always did everything for myself. I could never quite forgive her for flying off the handle when my father was blown up in the mine accident because it left Prim's life in danger. But now she has saved my life. Without her, there would be no me.
My mother and I stare at each other for a long time until I hear her sharp intake of breath. She squeezes her eyes together tight and then opens them again, looking into my own and starting to shake, drawing a hand to her chest she wraps her hand around the arrow that has pierced it. I look down, terrified, and see the blood starting to expand from the place of puncture.
"Mom. Mom are you okay?" I start asking hysterically. "Mom!"
Gale whips around from in front of me where he is still fighting the Peacekeeper. The Peacekeeper uses his moment of indifference to take a swipe at him which Gale deflects without even looking. He looks at my bleeding mother and me and immediately kills the big Peacekeeper, who makes a reverberating thud when he hits the ground.
I hold my mother close to me and see that her eyelids are still fluttering and she's taking ragged breaths, her bosom rising and falling preciously with only moments to spare. Without taking a hand off my mother, I slowly turn around to see who shot the arrow that killed her. I gasp when I see that it's Plutarch and his sorry look can't redeem him in my eyes.
"You," I say as loudly as I can muster with a trembling bottom lip. "Why you?" I ask, trying to make sense of it all myself.
"I'm sorry Katniss," he says loudly, almost business like. "But if I didn't join their side, they were going to kill me."
Anger flashes in my eyes. "Then you should have died! Why did you betray us? All this time has it been a lie?" This is Plutarch. He has saved my life multiple times.
"No it was real. I just can't work against the Capitol any longer. They have my family as hostages. They wanted me on their side. To kill your allies."
"SHE'S NOT MY ALLY; SHE'S MY MOM!" I shout into the arena and for a moment all the other battles go silent and ours is the only still spot in the arena.
"Katniss I'm-" Plutarch begins but stops as a knife plunges through his back. He falls to the ground like a chess piece and reveals Cinna to be standing behind him. Cinna killed Plutarch because Plutarch killed my mom. Or did he?
I turn back to my mother and she is still breathing a little. I am struck by a sudden idea. The medicine! I fish the green bag out of her frozen hand and pull out the syringe.
"No, Katniss," my mother says sadly. "There was only enough fluid to help you. It's gone now."
No, I think, it can't just be gone. Things don't just run out. It can't be gone!
My mother watches the struggle on my face, "I love you Katniss," she says.
Oh no, I think again. She can't be saying I love you. That's what people say when they're about to die. She can't be about to die. There's so many things we never did together. I just started appreciating her again. She hasn't even talked to Prim. Poor Prim, she will be crushed. We already lost our father. Cinna is watching the scene from a few meters away and I see an expression of pity on his face, with tears mingling with the gold eyeliner he wears.
"Katniss," my mother says to me and then after some decision. "Gale. It's up to you and your friends now to stop the injustice of the Capitol. My friends have died in the process of it, and I know that some of yours have too."
I think of Rue, and Darius, and the Avox girl and know that she is right.
"Your fathers tried to start a rebellion and the Capitol had them killed in that mine on purpose. So do it for them."
"We will mom!" I say. "But you can help us, you can stay strong we will get you medicine!"
My mother laughs a weary little laugh full of sorrow and a little pity at my naivety. "I couldn't help you if I tried Katniss," she says sadly. "And we both know I haven't tried very hard since your father was taken from us,"
"That wasn't your fault, mom. You were sad. You were-" my tears are falling onto her chest as she shushes me.
"I love you and your sister both. I would tell you to take care of Prim, but you have been doing that effortlessly for a long while. Just remember...to say..."
She stops breathing. I can't accept this, this can't be true! I yank the syringe out of the green bag and press it into her. It must work. It has to work.
It isn't working. Nothing's working. I can't bring her back. She's gone. I am an orphan.
"NO!" I am crying hysterically. This is not allowed. My family is not supposed to mix with the rebellion and the Games. They are always supposed to be watching, from the outside looking in, never actually involved.
Gale is trying to calm me down, his hand is reaching out to my shoulder but not actually touching it. I don't let him touch it. I won't let him touch it. I turn away from him, wanting to be alone. I want to be alone in an arena full of people dying, people crying, and people killing each other. I wonder if they all want to be alone too. If we all want to be alone why don't we stop fighting? Why can't we stop fighting? Why can't the fighting end?
I stand up. I need to get away from my mom's body. But I can't just leave it here, what can I do with it?
"Katniss," Gale says softly to me, trying to put an arm around my shivering body. I shove him away from me.
"Go away Gale!" I say to him loudly. "Don't you get it? If you are close to me you will die. They kill the people I love. The people I love die."
"I'll take my chances," Gale begins. He's trying to hug me again.
"Well I'm done with chances!" I shout, the tears streaming down my face and making my neck uncomfortably wet. "I'm done with odds! They are never in my favour, Gale and they never will be. You have to get away from me."
"Is there anything I can do?" he asks for a final time.
"JUST TAKE HER BODY AWAY!" I scream at him, and then more quietly still, "I can't handle this." And it is true. I can't.
Gale gently carried my mother away from me. I watched him climb the stands and put her on a topmost bench, where some other bodies were. The bodies people cared about had been laid out on the top bench and even the Peacekeepers weren't disturbing them because some of their friends' corpses were there too. Jessi body isn't there. Did no one care enough about her to bring her lifeless form out of the thick of weapons and fighting?
Is her corpse lying helplessly amidst the battle, accidentally being stepped on, no one caring? I don't like to think about that. I need to get her body and carry it to the stands. I don't want her to be alone. No one should be alone, even in death.
I turn away from the sight of the sad scene and start running. I don't know where I'm running to, I just want to stumble upon Jessi's body and to carry it to the stands. I run until I hit a wall. My vision is so blurry from tears and from the fact that I don't even want to see anything that I ran into something. It's a human wall. I look up at the wall's face. It's Cinna.
He grabs me and holds me tight and will not give up like Gale did. Eventually I stop struggling and fall limp in his arms, letting him tell me happy lies like "She has a good life," and "It's all going to be okay," and "There's nothing you could've done." There was something I could have done. I used up the medicine that could have saved her. It was my life in exchange for hers.
Sometimes I wonder if I should've given up on living years ago. If I should've jumped off my tribute plate to go to the Cornucopia early and gotten blown up like my father in the mine. Whenever these times arise I remember a reason to keep going like "Do it for Prim's sake," or "Mom would be devastated," or "Peeta." Today I can't force myself to think of a reason.
"Cinna?" I ask him quietly, looking up into the brown eyes and holding the hand that kept me steady through two Hunger Games and countless public appearances. "What happens when you pour water on a fire?"
Cinna looks puzzled and offers the obvious answer, "It puts the fire out."
"Exactly," I say. "Look at me," I wipe some of the many tears out from under my eyes. "I'm all wet, Cinna. They put me out. I can't be the girl on fire anymore."
Cinna puts a hand on each of my shoulders and bends down a little to look me in the eyes. "Yes you can," he says confidently. "They can never put you out, Katniss," Then he tilts my chin up to him, surveys my face, and repeats the advice he often gives me. "Remember, chin up, smile proud," he states but I can't do it. "Come on Katniss. At least you're not wearing mascara because it would be running by now,"
I know that Cinna thinks my mother's death is a serious matter and he is also sad. They were sort of friends after all. Cinna's just trying to cheer me up for now, and maybe I should take his word for it. I'll have plenty of time to grieve after I kill the President and finish what I started.
I hit Cinna playfully in the side and get my chin up, smiling proud. Cinna puts a familiar arm around me, shakes me once, "Now are you ready to go make them pay for this?" he asks.
"Yes." I said. Yes I was.
Please, please, please review despite my lateness!