Hey guys! This chapter will be the interviews and hopefully I will start the Games as well! That will make it a really long chapter, probably my longest yet. I'm so excited to start this section of the books and see what you all think of my interpretation. Especially because I had an idea about the end of the Games that I am looking forward to writing :) So I hope you guys enjoy it and please review!
"Flora, this is ridiculous." I say in exasperation. All morning, I've been trapped in this room with Flora. I went through this last year so I thought she would go a little easier on me as I already know hat I'm doing, but I couldn't have been more wrong. She is being harder on me then ever because she says it is more important this time. However, instead of coaching me on things that I could actually use in my interview, she is teaching me table manners or smiling. And while I can use these skills in everyday life, I don't see a use for them in today's interviews.
Flora gives me a disapproving look, "These are all important skills."
I roll my eyes, "Not for the interviews they aren't." I argue back.
She sighs in defeat, surprising me. Flora never gives up on anything, no matter how trivial, "All right fine. Then I guess we're done here. You are free until Allison decides she wants to talk to you." She stomps out of the room as best as she can in her platform heels.
What she doesn't know is that Allison has already given me the afternoon off, for one thing saying that I'll need it after Flora is done with me. She also feels that I can handle myself just fine without spending hours being babysat by her, trying to learn something I've been doing for over a year. I just let Flora leave and enjoy the fact that I have the rest of the day off. I head to the dining room and get something to eat. Slowly, the enjoyment of peace and quiet is trumped by boredom. I end up going back to my room to take a nap. I'll need as much sleep as I can get before the arena and I already know I won't get any tomorrow night. When I wake up the sun is setting, forming a gorgeous scene of reds and oranges outside my window.
That night, I head up to the roof, tired of being stuck inside all day, and when I do, I see Peeta sitting up there, gazing out over the Capitol city.
I sit down next to him quietly, "Why is it that every time I find you, you're up here?" I ask.
He shrugs, "I like it up here."
"Yeah, it's nice after being stuck inside all day." I say in agreement.
Peeta chuckles softly, "I had the day off. I've been up here all day. With Katniss."
I smile at him, "I had most of the afternoon off too. So do you have a plan for the interviews?" I ask.
He hesitates but nods. He doesn't say anything else but I look at him questioningly and he sighs.
"Okay, I'm trying to get sponsor money for her. For Katniss." he says.
"What about yourself?" I ask.
He shakes his head, "I never had any intentions of keeping myself alive. I even convinced Haymitch not to volunteer for me if I was picked. So I could go in and protect her."
I smile softly at him. What he is doing is exactly like what Cato is doing to me. Going back in to protect Katniss just like he is going back in to protect me. The thought makes me admire him. His courage in going back into that hellhole to protect the girl he loves. But it also makes me sad. I wish I could tell him everything I know about the rebellion. About there being more than one Victor. But I can't. They aren't to know any of the rebellion.
"So what are you going to do?" I ask him quietly.
"I'm telling them we're already married." he says quietly. My eyes widen but I sense that he still has more to say. He takes a deep breath, "And I'm going to tell them she's pregnant."
I jump up, "What! She's not actually pregnant is she?" I ask loudly.
He shakes his head, "No, sit back down. She's not pregnant. I just need the sponsor money. And them believing that she's carrying our child into the arena is the best way to do that."
I sit down next to him again. That is genius. The people in the Capitol will eat that up. It's like the last hope of the star crossed lovers is fading, slipping right out of their grasp. It's perfect. But I know he doesn't like it. He wants all of this to be real. He thinks Katniss doesn't love him but he can't see what I see. I know she does. I'm not sure if she loves him like he loves her or more similar to the way I loved Max but I know she does. I can't tell him that though. She has to figure it out for herself. Besides, he wouldn't believe me anyway.
"What about you?" he asks me.
I shrug, "I don't know yet. I'll figure it out onstage."
He laughs softly,"Good plan." he says sarcastically.
I can tell he wants to be left alone so I squeeze his hand gently and stand up, "I think I'm gong to go to bed." I say.
He nods, "Good luck tomorrow." he says blandly, already losing himself in thought.
I nod, "You too." I say softly, but I don't think he hears me. I head into my room and fall asleep immediately.
The next day is a blur of waking up early so the prep team can get to work on preparing my body for a 3 minute interview. It takes all day and by the end I am about ready to gouge my own eyes out with a pair of their long tweezers. When Annabeth walks in, I can't help the smile that spreads across my face.
What do you have for me this year Annabeth?" I ask playfully.
She slips the dress over my head and when I turn to look in the mirror, I am dazzled as always by her work. The dress is strapless and black from the ribs up. The waist down is a skirt that falls to my knees in the front but to the floor in the back and is varying shades of blue to black. The prettiest being a deep midnight blue that resembles the night sky. It is paired with sliver flats that match the silver accents in my makeup. My hair falls in long ringlets down my back that are dusted with a powder that shimmers brightly.
"This is gorgeous." I say softly, unable to say anything else.
She smiles at me, "Thank you."
She leads me down to the big hallway outside the stage. It is crowded with other Victors milling around talking to each other. Annabeth wishes me luck then heads out into the audience to sit with the other stylists.
Suddenly, I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind, "You look beautiful." his deep voice whispers into my ear.
I turn to face him taking in his dark suit and blond hair that they have left messy, the way I like it, "Thank you." I say softly, "Are you ready for this?"
He gives an indifferent shrug and nods, "Nothing to be nervous about. We'll be fine Avery."
I nod, although it is mainly to convince myself he is right. I am nervous about Peeta's fake confession. Well, more about how Katniss will react when she hears it. I know she couldn't possibly be in on this plan. I also know that Cato is only so content because he has it set in his mind that he will die in this arena to save me.
I on the other hand, have set in my mind that that isn't going to happen.
In a few minutes, we are quickly ushered onto the stage, encouraged by the thunderous applause of the Capitol spectators. I try to put on a smile and wave politely as I take my seat. Cashmere is called up to begin the interviews and as they slip by, I notice a pattern. Each Victor is appealing to the Capitol audience in a different way but all have the same thought in mind. All are placing the same thought in the head of every Capitol citizen.
Guilt.
Guilt for throwing the Victors back into an area. They are targeting the relationships each Victor has with the Capitol and are illustrating how each will be ripped apart if we die in this arena. Cato really sets everyone off talking about how he is going to make sure I come out of the arena, even if it's at the expense of his own life. The Capitol go crazy over the four of us and that was the perfect way to start.
By the time I step onstage, people are really starting to freak out about us going back in. They don't want to lose us, although I highly doubt they will hold onto that thought when the first cannon goes off.
I shake hands with Caesar and as I sit down he asks, "So, Avery, you've heard Cato tell us that his goal is to get you out of the arena alive. How do you react to that?"
I laugh softly, "It's not news to me. I knew from he minute he volunteered what his priorities are. Unfortunately, they don't exactly line up with mine."
He widens his eyes at me, "Oh? Your own priorities aren't to keep yourself alive?"
"I don't know Ceasar." I say with a sigh. Time to put on the show, "If I win, it means Peeta will die. Katniss will die. Finnick will die. And, worst of all, Cato will die. I've come to know these people and now think of them as very close to me. If I am a Victor, I will be alone. And I most definitely cannot let Cato die for me. I need him. I love him." I am speaking the truth but the way I say it caues the audience to go into hysterics. Their worst nightmares are being confirmed and it is evident they aren't taking it well. I wrap it up with Caesar and take my seat again. The interviews continue and by the time Peeta takes the stage, people are even calling out for change, to prevent the Games from happening.
Peeta's interview goes smoothly until he drops the bomb of Katniss's pregnancy. Then people in the audience actually scream and cry out with despair. Several actually faint at the thought of not only Katniss and Peeta, but their unborn child dying in the arena. Peeta takes his seat with a quiet thank you. I glance over at Katniss and, to my surprise, she is not angry. On the contrary, she gives him a small smile, successfully pulling off his lie.
She takes the stage next bringing and amazing and unexpected finale to the interviews when her tragic wedding dress catches on fire around her and melts off to reveal a hidden costume underneath. As she raises the long sleeves tentatively, I catch the glimpses of white underneath. She has transformed into the symbol of the rebellion, the Mockingjay.
We are quickly ushered out of the theater after that stunt. Pulled into cars and swept back to the training center, out of eye of all the Capitol citizens who are in an uproar. Allison tells me they cancelled the replay of the interviews on television tonight but it doesn't matter. The damage has already been done.
That night, sleep doesn't come easy. I wake up screaming from a nightmare and see that Cato has come into my room. He gently climbs in next to me and holds me until I stop shaking and fall back asleep. Later on in the night I feel him jolt up next to me. I open my eyes slowly and feel his arms wrap around me tightly.
"Cato-" I mumble sleepily.
"Sorry I woke you up," he whispers, "Just go back to bed."
"Cato what was your nightmare about?" I ask. It is rare for him to be so panicked after one.
He shakes his head, "It's fine. Don't worry about it." he says. He is still sitting up though, not even making an effort to sleep. I look at him quizically and he says, "I can't sleep anymore."
I sit up next to him, "Talk to me." I say softly. That's never been his strong suit but I want to know what he's going through too. I want to be able to help him like he helps me.
He sighs, "Fine, you want to know what I see in my nightmares?" he pauses for a minute, "You. Just you. You drowning in the lake. You dying in the fire. You almost dying on me when that bastard from 11 stabbed you. Worst of all, when you jumped off the Cornucopia."
"Cato-" I start.
H cuts me off, "You know I was conscious the whole time? I could hear you screaming...and I couldn't do anything. I just listened to you. For hours. I listened to them tear you apart."
"It's not real Cato. Those nightmares aren't real-"
"Yes they are!" his voice booms, "They were all real."
I shake my head, "No, because I didn't die. I'm right here. I always will be." I say gently. His dark expression softens as he looks at me and finally, his shoulders slump and he lays back down. He pulls me close to him without a word and eventually, I fall back asleep.
The next morning is strangely silent. No last words of advice, no wishes of good luck, and no whispers that everything is going to be okay. For that I am honestly glad. I don't want to be told things are okay when they aren't. I know where I am going and I don't need to be treated like a child about it. I say a quiet goodbye to Allison before boarding the hovercraft. If our breakout plan works, as I am so desperately hoping it does, I will be seeing her again. When we get to the cavern underneath the arena, waves of nausea begin to roll over me. Annabeth coaxes me into eating small bites of food and taking slow sips from a glass of water but it only makes the nausea worse so I stop. Finally, the voice resonates over the intercom saying that it is time to prepare fro launch. I give Annabeth a hug and step onto the platform, shaking. She nods to me slowly as if if to tell me that I can do this. The voice counts down as the glass tube slides don, encasing me on my platform. It slowly rises ans I am blinded by bright light.
The first hing I see is water. Actually, that's all I see, just water, rippling in blue waves on all sides. I immediately think of Finnick and how he must be happy right now. Then I think of all the other tributes who probably don't even know how to swim, including me. I mean, I know how to roughly but I didn't have much practice in the transportation district. I turn and see Finnick to the left of me. He raises an eyebrow and gestures toward the water, silently asking if I can make it. I shake my head slowly and he nods. I can see Peeta a few platforms over but I can't see Cato, or Katniss. The Cornucopia is perched in the center of a small sandy island with sand strips jutting out of it like spokes on a wheel. Behind us is more water that washes up onto a beach ringed by jungle.
The gong goes off and Finnick is in the water next to my platform before I can even process it. He pulls me into the water and, with his help, I make it safely to the Cornucopia. We get up and run to the other side, to the mouth of the Cornucopia and almost run into Katniss. Her and Finnick eye each other, however, I know that he has no intention of killing her.
I see Finnick flash her a gold bracelet around his wrist. It must mean something to Katniss because she nods her head and walks over to join us. We split up and scan the Cornucopia but I don't see any food, water, supplies, nothing.
Except weapons.
"Nothing but weapons!" I hear Katniss call out.
Finnick and I call out in agreement. Then I hear the other two yelling. I get up and try to run to help them but end up ducking just in time to avoid Cashmere's knife. I throw a knife right back at her but she dodges it and jumps back into the water. I curse under my breath and spin around only to slam into Cato. He is fuming and I can only guess he saw what Cashmere just did.
"I'm going to kill her." Cato growls under his breath. I know he is protective of me, especially after he talked to me about his nightmares last night.
We head around the Cornucopia and see Katniss waiting on the shore while Finnick goes out to get Peeta. Clearly he has the same struggle I do in water. After he pulls Peeta in, I mentally tally our growing group. Me, Cato, Finnick, Peeta, Katniss, and the elderly Mags who just joined us. That's a big group but the bigger the better this year.
The more chance we have of getting out alive.
Okay I know I didn't do much of the Games but this was the only way of getting this chapter out tonight so I hope you liked it! Please review!
Here are the review responses:
ionilove: oh yes, the rebellion is in full swing. You will see more of that as Avery goes through the arena. I hope you liked this chapter!
tacolover3000: Your reviews lately have really been making my day. You give the best compliments that really encourage me to try to get the next chapter out. I'm gad you are enjoying this story and I hope you continue to review!