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"Congratulations, Katniss!" I caught over the cheers as I smiled and waved at the throng of people lining the way to the office that I'd been assigned to for the competition. I clutched my gold cup to my chest, feeling how real it is. I finally made my way back to my room, and managed to squeeze in before anyone else could follow me. I sighed and leaned against the door, jumping when I saw Haymitch, Effie, Delly and Peeta sitting around waiting for me. Effie hopped up and scurried over to me, talking a mile a minute.
"Darling you did so well! I'm so proud of you, congratulations! I couldn't believe the costume! It was magnificent, the skirt nearly catching fire in your spin and then your hair! It was unbelievable! The crowd went wild!"
Haymitch grinned at me from his seat, giving me a thumbs up and a "nicely done, sweetheart." Delly and Peeta stood, giving me hugs and praise as well, and I smiled at each of them.
"We're here to help you get cleaned up before we go out and face... The Press." I could hear Delly's aversion to the media, and I couldn't help but share the sentiment. The media is very helpful for a short period of time, mostly just invasive.
"You did great, Katniss." Peeta smiled warmly at me and I blushed, thanking him again.
"Alright, we have a schedule to stick to, let's get moving!" Effie started to scribble on her clipboard, all business once more. The quick switches between excited Effie and my manager Effie were hard to get used to at first, but now just make sense.
I sighed, grabbing my street clothes and bag of cleansers and hairbrushes to get myself back to plain, ordinary Katniss. Delly followed, unzipping the back of my costume before I went behind the screen set up for me to change. The office has no closets or dressing areas, so I guess I should just be grateful they isn't make me dress in the open. But somehow, despite the height and dark fabric on the wooden frame, it felt less private than the rest of the room. I peeled off my costume and tossed it over the top if the screen as I pulled on my jeans and hoodie.
I emerged a few minutes later, noticing Effie left, probably to make sure the car was ready to pick us up. Delly had gone with her, since I didn't need to do anything else with my nails. Haymitch lounged behind the desk, with his feet propped up, watching replays on his tablet and making notes to himself for our next practice session. He's in his own world for now.
Peeta was rummaging through his bags pulling out products that I can only hope will remove my makeup.
"Peeta?"
"You ready to get all that off your face?" He asked me brightly. I nodded, and he sat me down in the chair I'd been in earlier.
"I guess we don't have time to teach you to skate after all." I noted as he carefully peeled off my eyelashes.
He shrugged.
"That's okay, I don't think I could get skates here anyway."
I agreed. He worked in silence, gently wiping off my makeup with a whole slew of different removers. I could never be a makeup artist or the simple reason that I'd never remember which bottle does what. He finally stepped back, making sure it was all off and I stared back, unsure of what was next.
"Okay, you're good. Do you want to leave your hair up or should I take it down for you?"
"Down, please." Despite the care Peeta seemed to put into not hurting me, the heaviness of the style was starting to give me a headache. I sighed gratefully as the last pins were out, and ran my fingers over my scalp, massaging the aching skin.
"Used to just a bun for competitions?"
I laughed and nodded. His hands replaced mine, untangling the waves and rubbing my scalp. It felt so good...
"Okay kids, enough with whatever the heck that is, Effie's waiting with the car, lets go..." Haymitch swung his feet off the desk and pulled me up from the chair as Peeta shoved everything back in his bag. I snagged my own things on the way out the door, running my hand nervously through my hair as we joined reality.
I don't think I'll ever get used to so much publicity. With the Olympics coming up, I'm more in demand than ever, and it couldn't possibly be more unwelcome. Support is all very well and good, but it's not worth the hate that comes with it.
We met up with Effie, and with her leading the way, we made it back to the hotel, where Delly and Peeta had a car coming to pick them up.
"Hey Peeta, you did a great job, I'd like you to come back for my next performance." I told him.
"I'd love to. Just give me a call, Effie knows where to find me."
"Maybe we can get you on the ice then, too." I smiled at him while he looked at me doubtfully.
"Yeah sure..."
I said goodbye to him and Delly as they tossed their bags into the trunk and sat in the backseat. Effie ushered my back to my room as they drove off.
"What was that, sweetheart?" Haymitch asked, sounding somewhere between amused and repulsed.
"What was what?"
"That little thing between you and the kid."
"Peeta? Nothing happened, Haymitch."
"But would it have- no the question is, will it?"
"I-I don't know, I only met him today."
"Do you want something to happen with him?"
I bit my lip. Do I?
"Kinda? He's just... He's really cute, and I like him."
"Mhm. Well just don't let it distract you from doing your best in your competitions. If having him around messes you up, I'm sorry but he'll have to go until competition season is over."
"Okay. I won't let myself get distracted."
xXx
"Straighten that back leg!" Haymitch called from the other end of the ice. "Lift, lift, you're weightless, gravity doesn't exist in your world."
He skated up to me, lifting my leg a little higher. Just ten more minutes, then our session is over... Ten more...
"You gotta give it your all."
I gave my last ounces of energy to end in a graceful position.
"I'm sorry, I'm just really tired. There's only ten left on the clock, can we cut out for the day?"
"Yeah yeah. You're too beat for ten minutes to be helpful anyway. Go stretch." He skated behind me as I stepped off the rink. In his day, Haymitch was a champion skater himself. Unlike most, he was able to translate his skills into useful suggestions to coach younger skaters. He's been my coach from the very start of my competitive career. Effie came on as my manager shortly afterward, when Haymitch was too busy working with me to handle the more technical side of competing. They're my family, and I don't know what I'd do without them.
I put my skate guards on and sat on the bench to unlace my skates. Effie bounced up, as excited as usual.
"Oh Katniss, I have just wonderful news. There's another competition that just opened in the capital, it's for the most elite skaters, which of course means you! I'll enter you right away." I smiled halfheartedly. After tough practices like this, I really don't want to even think about competing. But after performing, I wonder how I could ever dislike them.
"Okay, Effie. Is everything set to go with Cinna on Tuesday?" I asked from against my legs, where my face pressed against my knees.
"Of course! I think a few new costumes will really freshen up your look." She offered her hand to hoist me up out of my position.
We left Haymitch to work on some new choreography he's trying out and headed back to our apartment.
"So, Katniss. I hear you were rather taken with Peeta Mellark, your last makeup artist."
"Uh, yeah, he was really sweet."
"I got him again to do your makeup for the next exhibit."
"Thanks! Um, yeah, I-I thought he did a... really good job."
Effie laughed lightly.
"Well, I agree with you. He did a fantastic job. You looked stunning." She pulled the elastic from the bottom of my braid and detangled the strands of hair.
"From what I can see, he's a lovely young man. And he looked very interested in you as well, my dear."
I smiled, very uncomfortable talking about my feelings in general, but mainly just realizing I have feelings. It's entirely new and not quite welcome.
"What makes you say that?"
"Oh... I can just tell. I recognize the looks he gives you from back when I was your age... Believe it or not, I actually did have a few suitors."
I laughed.
"I'm sure you did." Despite her current avant garde style and fashion forward lifestyle, she's really an lovely woman, and it's no surprise that men saw it.
"So how did you end up with Haymitch?"
She sighed.
"Haymitch... Well, dear, he sort of snuck up on me. We did pairs skating for two seasons before I injured my spine, and he took up coaching, said he didn't want to slate without me. We were quite the couple, let me tell you. I couldn't stand him for the longest time, he was such a slob and constantly flirted. But I guess I got rather used to it, and eventually we realized we loved each other."
"You would never think you two would end up together."
"What can I say, Katniss, I have a thing for tall, dark and brooding."