Chapter 7
"Katniss, why aren't you wearing a dress? I laid out that lovely green one on your bed. It really complements your skin tone," Mom says as I come down the stairs in my jean shorts and t-shirt.
Cato tries to hide a snigger as I sigh and tie my hair into a braid. Even at twenty-eight years old my mother still feels the need to dress me.
"Mom, it's a small summer carnival. I don't want to be running around in a dress," I reply.
Mom lets out an exaggerated huff.
"The carnival is the event of the summer. Everyone else's daughters will be in pretty dresses. Why can't you do this one thing for me?" Mom pleads.
"Going to the carnival was the one thing I was supposed to be doing for you. If I had my way we'd already be back in New York," I say.
A flash of pain crosses Mom's eyes and I immediately feel guilty for sounding harsh. She's only had this one visit in the last nine years and she doesn't know when she will get another one.
But the truth is I have no reasonto stay in Panem any longer. Cato realised pretty quick that there is not much to see or do here and has become a bit restless due to the slow pace of life in this town. All we have done this week is take a few country walks and vistited various family friends for dinner. I can tell Cato is tired of all the small town gossip and the inability to buy a decent cup of coffee. He's already planning our next trip abroad as an antidote for this rather insipid life.
Peeta has even signed the divorce papers. It was a bittersweet moment. I have wanted this for the last nine years but seeing his name signed next to mine I felt an unexpected pang of sadness. He was such a big part of my life for so long and it made me a little sad to know that part of my life is definitely over. But Cato's happy and he spent several hours showing me his appreciation the night I picked up the papers. Seeing his joy forced me to remember why I got the divorce in the first place; to make a future with him.
We are both eager to get back to our lives in New York but Mom insisted that we stay for the annual summer carnival. The carnival vans arrived in Panem last night and Mom is determined that we attend and say a proper goodbye to everyone.
Aside from the harvest festival, the carnival is the biggest event the town holds every year. Everyone gathers together on the first Saturday in July to celebrate the summer weather and engage in general merriment. As a kid I loved the carnival and all the rides and excitement it brought with it but as I grew older I became bored of the same attractions year after year. I would sulk every year I was forced to go until a group of us finally realised it was a good excuse to sneak in alcohol and drink under our parents' noses. I dread going now as an adult.
"Let's just go and enjoy the carnival. I will even let you take me to the pottery making stand," I say walking over to Mom.
I may not want to go but I love Mom enough to make an effort for her. She looks back at me with a grateful smile and places a hand on my arm.
"I'd like that. And y'all better vote for my pecan pie in the pie contest," she says tipping her head in our direction.
I laugh lightly and put an arm around her shoulder.
"You win that contest every year, Mom," I say with a big grin.
Mom's smile widens and Dad looks at both of us fondly.
"Well it helps being close with the Mellarks, of course," she replies.
Both Dad and I let out a small laugh. The Mellarks judge the annual pie making competition and favouritism has definitely played a part in all the years Mom has won.
"We better get moving if you're going to pick up that trophy," I say.
Mom smiles up at me and gently touches my cheek with her hand. She knows how bored I get staying here and she appreciates that I stayed long enough to attendthe festival with her today.
"Thank you for coming," she says softly.
She smiles up at me warmly before dropping her hand and moving away. I feel a little bad for planning to leave on Monday with no plans to return.
I watch her solemnly for a moment as she talks to herself while gathering up all the items she needs for the carnival. Cato moves up behind me and puts an arm around my waist. I turn up to him with a small smile.
"I wish I enjoyed these things more for her. It's not my idea of fun but it makes her happy," I say to him.
Cato smiles down at me sympathetically. He leans in to place a kiss on the top of my head as I continue to watch Mom scuttle around Dad, asking him questions about where certain items are while he stands about looking a bit bewildered.
"The two of you are so different. Seeing you here it makes me wonder where you got your sense of adventure from," he replies.
I turn back to face him with a smile.
"I've always been more like Dad. He used to read me all these adventure stories when I was little and show me all these amazing pictures of places in the atlas. Apparently he was due to leave the town just after he graduated but then fell in love with my mom and couldn't leave," I reply.
"He's a romantic then," Cato says.
I smile and shake my head.
"I think he was crazy. I could never love someone enough to stay in this town," I reply.
Cato smiles down at me softly.
"I'm certainly glad that you decided to leave," he says as he gives my waist a gentle squeeze.
I smile brightly at him as Mom finally finishes gathering her stuff and declares that she is ready to leave. Cato and I share a smile before we follow my parents out the door.
Panem's summer carnival is loud, bright and gaudy. The shrill sounds of the fairground rides can be heard from a couple of miles out and bright lights flash and almost blind us under the hot sun. The Threads' field is covered in a variety of colourful tents filled with everything from tarot reading to beer tasting. The whole place is overrun with small screeching children, faces smeared with candy floss as they run between rides. Cato's eyes widen in surprise when he sees it.
"I thought carnivals like this only existed in the 50s," he says.
"I've always told you Panem is a little behind the times," I reply.
Cato laughs lightly as he slips his hand into mine. I know he won't really want to leave me today. He has had enough of small town people to last him a lifetime.
Mom immediately darts off to check on her pie in the baking tent and Dad gives us a smile before sneaking off to join Haymitch Abernathy in the beer tent. As I look around the crowded and faded tents seeing a teenager genuinely getting excited by the appearance of the whack a mole game, I can't help be glad that this is no longer the highlight of my year.
Gale and Madge spot us and give us big smiles as they make their way towards us with little Noah toddling behind them. Gale looks ridiculous in a denim shirt with the sleeves cut off and one too many buttons undone. I look at him with a disapproving shake of the head.
"What the hell are you wearing, Gale?" I ask.
Gale gives me a cheeky smile as he raises his arms up and flexes his muscles.
"What? Y'all don't like my lucky shirt? I gotta wear something that shows off my guns and intimidates the competition. I am the defending champion of the Mr Panem competition," he replies.
Madge stands beside him with a smile on her face but Cato frowns in confusion. Gale and Madge are some of the few people Cato can tolerate in this town and we have had dinner with them on a couple of occasions but I can tell Gale's current get up confuses him. No one dresses like that in New York.
I'm not surprised that Gale won the Mr Panem trophy last year. It is a contest that pitches the young men of Panem against each other as a way to prove who is the manliest. The events include lawn mower racing, pie eating, arm wrestling, shooting and a track race. Every event is geared to show off all their masculine traits and is the centre piece of the summer carnival.
"Gale is taking part in the Mr Panem competition. He's hoping his biceps make up for the lack of brain cells," I explain to Cato.
Gale scowls and playfully punches me in the arm.
"Hey! You're just jealous you can't take part. You're probably more masculine than any man here," he replies.
It is my turn to scowl and both Cato and Madge laugh. I cross my arms across my chest and let out a loud exhale as I turn to face Madge.
"I can't believe you let him leave the house dressed like that," I say to her.
Madge just grins wider and turns to tip her head up to look at her husband. She reaches up to gently rub the scruff on his chin as his hand immediately draws her in and rests against her swollen belly.
"I was the envy of all the wives last year. I've gotta do something to show them that I still have the most attractive husband in Panem," she says with a smile.
Gale smiles at her fondly as he ducks his head down to lean his forehead against hers. They go into their own little world and forget everyone else around them.
"Eurgh! I'm glad I left before you two got together. You're nauseating," I exclaim.
They both break away from each other as Madge turns to look at both Cato and I again. Noah has been busy this whole time playing with a bit of long grass he found and seems oblivious to all the adults around him.
"Believe me. We had to witness a lot worse with you and Peeta. We even walked in on you guys that one time," Madge replies.
I blush and Cato tenses next to me. Even though I've got the papers signed he still feels a little threatened by Peeta. He doesn't like the idea of another man having me. Wanting to change the subject of conversation I bend down to talk to Noah.
"Your parents are mean, Noah. I don't know if I want to be friends with them anymore," I say.
Noah turns to me with a toothy smile and offers me a dandelion that he holds in his hand. I smile at him as I happily accept it and thank him for the weed. Madge and Gale look down at us with happy smiles on their faces.
"Are you trying to turn my son against us? Only really special people get Noah's dandelions," Madge says.
I turn to look up them with a grin.
"He knows I feed him candy," I reply.
Madge narrows her eyes at me.
"I knew you were sneaking him candy under the dinner table on Wednesday! I couldn't get him asleep until 10 o'clock!" she exclaims.
I laugh as I straighten my back and stand up. Noah watches me as stand and then Cato catches his attention. He gets up unsteadily onto his feet and totters over to my fiancé. He sticks out his chubby hand and shoves another dandelion in front of Cato. Cato looks startled by this and steps away from Noah. Noah's face falls a little and I have to swoop down and accept the weed off him. I give him a kind smile before turning back to his parents. Cato looks relieved that any interaction with Noah has been avoided.
"I'm sorry, okay? I couldn't resist those big grey eyes. How about I take him for a few hours today to make up for it?" I say.
Noah is slowly getting over his shyness and we even got to playing together when I was last round at the Hawthornes'. I really don't mind entertaining him for a couple of hours, especially when I think about wanting my own kids in the near future.
"You only offer because you know Noah is the most placid kid here. I swear I saw Delly's kids already trying to let the sheep escape," Madge replies.
I grin and tell her I certainly wouldn't be making the same offer to Delly. Both Gale and Madge smile in return and tell me that that their son is all mine for the next couple of hours. Cato looks mildly appalled by the idea but I turn to Noah with a goofy smile. He giggles as I bend down again to ask him if he minds spending some time with me. He just smiles back up and offers me another dandelion before I take his hand so we can explore the carnival.
Cato and I leave Gale and Madge to prepare for the Mr Panem competition while we take Noah to see the petting zoo.
"Are we really going to have to drag a kid around for two hours? This place is busy enough without having to keep an eye on him," Cato says.
I turn round to him with a frown. I know Cato hasn't spent much time around kids and kept his distance from Noah when we had dinner at the Hawthornes but I really didn't think he would mind looking after him for only a couple of hours.
"It's only for a little while. Nothing will go wrong," I reply.
"But I don't know what to do with a baby," Cato wails.
"He's three. It's not that hard. Just ask him about his favourite teddy bear and make sure he doesn't eat too much candy," I say.
Cato lets out a loud sigh as we carry on walking. Noah sticks his thumb in his mouth and takes in all the sights and sounds around him. Cato looks down at him warily.
"I just didn't expect to be stuck babysitting today," he grumbles.
Once again I frown. I am surprised by his reluctance. I thought kids were on the horizon for both of us in a couple of years. This will be good practice for us both. But maybe it's because Noah isn't his own kid.
We take Noah to the petting zoo and his eyes light up when he sees the baby goats and pigs. Cato stands back as I bend down with Noah so he can stick out his chubby hands to pet the animals. He squeals in delight when the goat leans forward to lick him on the cheek. I can't stop the smile spreading across my face as I watch Noah enjoy the animals while Cato stands back awkwardly.
After the petting zoo we take Noah down to the small race track where the first event for the Mr Panem competition is taking place. I buy him a little green flag and write the name Daddy on it so he can cheer on Gale. We approach the track and Noah waves enthusiastically when he spots his parents. Madge greets him with a big smile as she sticks out her hands to take him out of my arms. I notice Cato look a little relieved that we seemed to have finished babysitting duties.
"Did Katniss buy you this flag? Daddy is going to be so proud to see you waving it!" Madge exclaims as she strokes the hair on top of his head.
"Daddy's gonna win!" Noah replies almost poking Madge in the eye with the flag.
Madge puts her hand up to shield her face and gently push the flag back down. Gale is just at the start of the race track with the other competitors and gives his son a little wave. I spy both Darius and Thom on the start line as well as an oily Peeta bending down to fiddle with something on his lawn mower.
The first event of the competition is lawn mower racing and the men have to complete three laps of the circular track with only hay bales for barriers. Normally at least five lawn mowers end up on the scrap heap by the end of the race.
Cato studies the track carefully and I can tell he is dumbfounded that events like this actually take place.
"I thought lawn mower racing was just a myth that they used in television programmes," he says.
I turn to him with a smile.
"It gets pretty serious. Some guys spend a lot of money making their mowers faster," I reply.
Cato raises an eyebrow and I nod my head in confirmation. He raises his eyebrows again in surprise before turning back to look at the track with a shake of the head.
"You wanna go? There's not much to it and it gets the adrenaline pumping," Gale says making his way to us.
Peeta gets up from his lawn mower and looks over at us with a frown as he wipes the oil off his hands. Several of the other guys are watching us carefully, intrigued to see if the yankee will take the challenge. Cato is studying the track again and I can tell he is seriously contemplating it. He always likes a challenge and even though I find it stupid I know he is interested.
As his eyes scan the track they eventually come to land on Peeta who is still watching us carefully. Cato's eyes harden and it seems to be Peeta's presence that determines his answer.
"Count me in," he replies keeping his eyes on Peeta. "Katniss and I rode mopeds when we were in Rome. It can't be too different."
Peeta narrows his eyes back at Cato and the two stare at each other intently until I step in between them and put a stop to it.
"Cato you don't have to race," I say.
I need to convince Cato to not get involved. I can already tell him entering the race is going to end badly. He is too competitive for his own good and I am a little worried what he and Peeta will do if Cato does compete.
Cato frowns at me.
"I want to ride. Show these people that not all New Yorkers are soft push overs," Cato says turning his gaze to look at Peeta. Peeta's eyes harden.
I let out an exasperated sigh.
"Fine. Go and play. But don't just do this as a way to prove you are good enough for me," I say.
Cato frowns a little annoyed.
"This isn't about you," he replies.
I sigh again and think that while it might have nothing to do with me, this competition might have something to do with Peeta. I don't want it to become some sort of grudge match. But I also don't want to argue in the middle of the carnival where everyone can see us. I'll just have to stay and watch and hope things don't get too hostile.
I let Cato go off to get a lawn mower and he bends down as Gale shows him how to turn the thing on and get it to increase speed. Peeta watches on carefully as Bran helps him make adjustments to his own lawn mower. Both men keep shooting each other glares as the other works.
Madge looks at me with a sympathetic smile as Noah sticks his thumb in his mouth and leans his head against her shoulder.
"Men and their egos. It's amazing that we ever want to go out with one," she says.
I force a small smile before turning back to look at Cato who sits on top of the lawn mower testing out the accelerator. While I am watching him, Rye Mellark saunters over to us with a baby strapped to the front of his chest and a five year old blonde girl wearing a boy's t-shirt and sneakers tagging along behind him. He gives me a warm smile as he approaches.
"I'm surprised no one has got the rule book out to check out if a yank can compete," he says once he has stopped beside us.
"Unlikely. They all want a chance to prove they are better than a big wig New Yorker," Madge replies with a smile.
Rye laughs loudly and disturbs the sleeping baby strapped to his front. The baby starts to cry and Rye immediately leans forward to soothe the screaming child. I look at him with a shake of the head.
"I'm surprised you're not out there competing. You were always bragging that you would be the undefeated champ of Mr Panem when you were old enough to compete," I reply.
The baby stops crying and Rye looks back up at me with a cheeky grin.
"Poor shoulder you see. Violet banned me from competing in case of further injury," he says patting the back of his injured shoulder. "Haven't even been able to farm these last three months. I'm back working in the bakery under baby bro."
"So you're stuck babysitting then," I say tipping my head towards the two young children.
The older girl has found a stick and clambered on top of the wooden fence to brandish it in the air. Her blond hair is a matted mess and her face is rounder than Rye's but there is no mistaking the brilliant blue Mellark eyes.
"I can't believe you're a dad. You were still putting cellophane on the toilet seat when I left," I say.
Rye grins wider as he shifts the baby slightly.
"Yeah. Violet wasn't impressed when I taught Daisy that trick. Babysitting today is punishment for teaching her how to give someone a box of crickets for a present," he replies.
I shake my head at him. I get the feeling he probably acts more immature than his children.
"It doesn't surprise me that you use your children as an excuse to act like a kid yourself," I say.
"Why else would you have kids?" Rye says playfully.
Both Madge and I laugh and the baby lets out a small squeal but one touch from her father quietens her down.
"Molly here is getting christened tomorrow. Y'all should come," Rye says once he finishes soothing his daughter.
I shift about on my feet as his suggestion makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.
"I don't know, Rye. I don't think Bran or Peeta would like me intruding on a family event," I say.
Bran has still not forgiven me for what I did to Peeta. I am very aware of the cold glares he is shooting in my direction as I speak to Rye. He clearly thinks it is inappropriate for us to be friendly.
Rye lets out a loud huff as he flicks his eyes towards Bran and Peeta on the track.
"I know we haven't seen much of each other these last few years but you're family. You're like my annoying little sister and I want you there. Bran can just suck it up," he says.
I chew on my bottom lip as I contemplate my answer. Rye looks sincere when he says he genuinely wants me there and for so long I saw him as family. I just don't want to step on any toes by going tomorrow.
"I really don't think anyone would mind, Katniss and Peeta's accepted things between you two now. I don't think it would be awkward," Madge adds.
I turn to look at her and she gives me an encouraging smile. I am happy for Rye and if he wants me there I can't really refuse. I take a deep breath before I turn back to face Rye to give him an answer.
"Sure," I reply. "I'll be there."
Rye's grin broadens and he pulls me in for a hug, squishing his daughter between us. Daisy then takes a rather energetic sweep in the air with the stick and begins to wobble slightly from her perch on the fence. Rye has to rush forward to steady her.
"Thank you, Daddy," the little girl says before she begins striking the stick in the air again pretending to be a knight on a horse.
Rye lets out a small sigh of relief as he straightens back up. The look of love he has in his eyes for his daughter is one I never thought I would see on his face.
Our attention is turned back to the start of the race as the men all begin to take their places on the start line. Cato shoots me a wide smile as he rolls his lawn mower to his starting place. I smile back but a feeling of dread settles in my stomach. I don't like his reasons for doing this.
I stare at Cato for a few moments as he checks everything is working with the lawn mower before turning back to face Rye
"So you're here to support your brothers then?" I ask. "And by support I mean make fun of them from the side lines."
Rye gives me a cheeky grin.
"You know me so well. I actually have a bet on Hawthorne winning today. He's one fine specimen of a man if you don't mind me saying, Madge," he replies.
Madge smiles.
"I don't mind at all. I'm well aware of just how much of a man Gale is," she says.
I roll my eyes at them both as their grins grow wider.
"I mean it's a tradition, Katniss. I stand at the side lines giving them crap while you stand scolding me every time I say anything bad about Peeta," Rye says.
I shake my head at him with a smile. Part of growing up with the Mellarks meant we gave each a lot of shit over the years but it was always good natured and came from a place of love. But I was rather protective over Peeta and would hit Rye whenever he tried to distract him at his wrestling meets. It was just another part of family life.
"I'm not supporting Peeta today," I say as I turn back to look at Cato.
He is bending down to pick something up off the ground and as he gets back up, he doesn't see Peeta who steps back into him. Peeta stumbles slightly and turns back to face Cato with a hard glare. Things are getting angsty between them already and the competition hasn't even started yet.
Rye watches the interaction carefully and turns back to me with a glint in his eye.
"I suppose not. Just makes things today a lot more interesting," he replies.
My face falls as the feeling of dread returns again.
Rye is not wrong. From the moment Cato barges Peeta's lawn mower off the track I know things are going to be bad between them. Peeta is normally a very cordial person but he gets angry if he thinks there are injustices. He glares at Cato as he inspects the damage done to his lawn mower and from that moment on his nice guy act is gone.
The whole competition becomes about them and they forget about everyone else as they try to outdo each other. The other competitors are mere spectators as Cato and Peeta tussle together to try and prove who the best man is.
But Mr Panem is not the real competition. Throughout all the events the competition morphs into one to prove who knows me the best. Throughout each event Cato and Peeta argue about everything about me from my favourite colour to my SAT score. During every lull in the competition one or the other keeps throwing bits of information about me out there. Some of it is very personal and I am sure my parents would never want to know it.
I am mortified.
The day drags on and I am increasingly more and more embarrassed as they try to one up each other. At first I try to intervene and remove Cato from the situation but that just proves to be more ammunition and leads to a discussion about the people I like to spend time with. Both say snide remarks that don't endear me to either of them. The only thing that keeps me from leaving is to ensure things don't get physical between them, something that looks increasingly more likely at the events go on. The pair of them get closer and closer into each other's personal space.
Cato beats Peeta in the lawn mower racing. Peeta wins the shooting. Cato thrashes Peeta in the pie eating contest but Peeta surprisingly annihilates Cato in the arm wrestling. Things are pretty even as they go into the final round tied in first place.
I am glad for the last event to take place so that I can finally drag Cato away. He's revealed a side to him today that I have never seen before and don't appreciate. I can't take much more of this pissing contest between them.
The last event is a run round the carnival grounds. With a New York marathon under his belt, Cato is feeling pretty confident. He jogs up to me with a cocky swagger and throws an arm around my shoulder.
"Last event. I think I've got this one in the bag," he says.
I am too pissed at him to come up with any appropriate response. I just want it to be over so we can leave. I shrug out of Cato's grip and he looks at me a little surprised. Peeta lets a satisfied smirk cross his face and I turn to him with a scowl. He drops the smirk from his face instantly like a chastised child.
Cato sighs and leans in to place a kiss on my cheek. I accept it reluctantly as he prepares for the race.
"Wish me luck," he says but I barely look at him as he walks away to the start line.
Gale stands beside Madge,getting his own kiss for luck. Both he and Madge look at my sympathetically as we watch Cato walk away.
"I didn't even know Peeta had this side to him," Madge says as she watches Peeta chat to his brothers not far away.
"Oh, come on. Do you remember how jealous he got when he thought Darius was flirting with Katniss? It's the only time I ever seen him throw a punch," Gale says.
I sigh again not wanting to remember the time in junior year when Peeta gave Darius a black eye after he playfully teased me. Though I think I preferred that incident to the one that has unfolded today.
Gale bends down to give both Madge and Noah a kiss before rubbing a loving hand across Madge's pregnant belly and jogging over to the start line. I wait impatiently for it all to be over.
As Gale leaves Peeta's mom comes up behind us holding a Tupperware box. She smiles at her two sons competing before she stops next to Madge and me.
"So I haven't missed the last race then?" she asks.
"Unfortunately not. I just want this day to be over," I reply.
The smile falls from Carolyn's face as she sees my despondency.
"I heard it has been a bit of a tussle between my son and your fiancé. I take it that has made things difficult for you," she says.
I sigh and nod my head. I often found it easier to talk to Carolyn than my own mom. She isn't quite as excitable as Mom and always has good honest advice. I have missed her calming influence these last few years.
Carolyn smiles at my sympathetically and hands me the Tupperware box.
"I saved you a cheese bun from the baking tent. I hope it's still your favourite," she says.
I smile at her gratefully as I take the box and pop open the lid to smell the cheesy goodness inside. For once I'm glad that some things don't change as I inhale the familiar scent.
All the men are at the start line leaning forward to start the race. Cato throws a smile in my direction before he turns again to focus on the front of the race and wait for the starter gun. Everything goes deafly quiet as Joel Donner walks up to the start line and raises the starter gun. There is a short pause before he pulls the trigger and all the men dart off and set a steady pace.
The run around the whole carnival is about three miles so they need to set a steady pace to not use up too much energy. The crowd cheers as they run past and many children hold up homemade banners showing their support for their dads and uncles. Cato throws a few cocky smiles in the direction of the well-wishers as he runs. He is not running at the speed I know he can run at to get a good time and seems to be content in keeping pace with the pack before bursting away at the end. Peeta keeps his eye on him and runs just a little bit behind as he finds his rhythm.
Soon the men all disappear round the corner and while some of the children try to run after them I stay put knowing we won't see them again until the sprint finish at the end.
Half an hour later I am a little bored as I stand chatting to Madge and Mrs Mellark. But suddenly I hear some cheering not too far away and know the leaders of the race must be close. Everyone turns in the direction of the sound waiting to catch the first glimpse of the leader. The wave of noise gets closer as the minutes tick by and suddenly I catch a glimpse of the first mop of blond hair rounding the corner.
Much to my surprise Peeta is in the lead and his arms and legs are pumping furiously. He turns his head back round to check on his nearest challenger but there is none in sight at the moment. Facing forward his eyes narrow on the finish line as he kick starts his last boost of energy.
Just as he sprints down the home straight Cato comes barrelling along the track. He's covered in mud and his eyes are filled with intensity as he desperately tries to catch up with Peeta. The crowd cheers on their home boy as Cato begins to close the distance behind Peeta. Peeta senses from the roar of the crowd that Cato is close and he puts his head down pushing forwards to the end of the line.
My heart thumps loudly in my chest and I wait with bated breath as Peeta closes in on the finish line. My eyes are glued to him as Cato continues to close the gap and Peeta uses up every last reserve of his energy. The crowd's cheers grow louder spurring Peeta on.
He looks like he is about to drop dead but then he turns slightly and catches my eye giving me a small smile before lunging forward and breaking the white tape across the line. Peeta collapses on the ground and closes his eyes as he breathes heavily. The crowd roars triumphantly before Cato jogs over the line seconds later.
Rye and Carolyn rush over to Peeta with a bottle of cold water and pull him back up onto his feet with a pat on the back. The remaining competitors appear round the corner and all start crossing the finishing line. Cato walks over to me breathing heavily with his hands on his hips.
"The bastard knew all the short cuts and then he tripped me and I went flying into the mud," Cato pants.
I give him a small sympathetic smile but after his display today am not in the mood to be overly understanding. I'm hoping to put this day behind me and make a swift exit when I hear Peeta's voice float over the crowd.
He's managed to regain his breath and is standing surrounded by his family and friends with a triumphant smile on his face.
"I'm buying everyone a drink to celebrate. Katniss is a Yuengling still you favourite?" Peeta asks with his gaze fixed in my direction.
My skin prickles. Why can't he just let me go? Does he really need to prove to Cato that he knows my beer preference?
I stop and turn to face him again. Cato has tensed beside me and fires Peeta a cold glare.
"Actually, Katniss is more of an old fashioned bourbon drinker now. She only drinks the best from Kentucky," Cato replies as he takes a step towards Peeta.
Peeta breaks away from his family to come and meet Cato halfway. Carolyn tries to stick her hand out to stop him but he ignores her completely as he comes to a stop in front of Cato. Both men stand facing each other with hard glares.
"I believe Katniss can answer for herself. She hates when people speak on her behalf," Peeta replies.
"She also hates it when people make assumptions about her. Her taste in drink has matured and become more sophisticated since she left," Cato says.
"Just because she's travelled the world and tried new things doesn't mean she has forgotten everything completely. Even with new tastes she can still enjoy the old ones," Peeta replies.
Cato lets out a small amused laugh as he takes another step towards Peeta. Now their chests are practically touching and I am worried that a punch is going to be thrown soon. Everyone in the near vicinity has stopped to watch the interaction and only the sounds of the fairground rides and the occasional shriek of a child can be heard. I watch the whole thing with dread and anger.
"You really don't know Katniss anymore. She has spent the last nine years trying to erase every part of Panem from her life," Cato says cruelly.
There is a sharp gasp from the crowd when they hear Cato's words. They don't like the implication that I possibly could hate this town.
My own temper flares at the last words. I know this is what everyone is going to be talking about for months. Once again I have been humiliated and I hate that they both talk about me like I am not here. Like I am too simple to speak for myself.
I barge my way over and stand looking between them angrily.
"Stop it. That is enough. I am not going to stand and watch you two argue over me any longer. I am not some trophy you can win!" I declare.
Both Cato and Peeta snap their heads round to look at me. At least they both have the decency to look a bit ashamed about what they have done.
"I have had to watch all afternoon as you've tussled to prove who knows me the best. But now I am thinking that neither of you know me because then you would have both known that I didn't want to see this. You haven't thought about my feelings all day. You have just embarrassed me," I say.
Peeta looks down at his feet ashamed and Cato tries to say something but I cut him off with a glare. He cowers back slightly when he sees the intensity behind it.
"I'm sick of watching your male jealousies and I won't be watching this pissing contest between you both any longer. Come and find me when you have both grown up a bit," I say before turning and leaving them both standing in the middle of the ground.
The crowd parts for me wordlessly as I make my way through the carnival. How can two men who supposedly care for me embarrass me in such a way?
A/N: Oh dear. Things aren't getting any easier for Katniss.
Thanks to everyone that is supporting the story. You'll see that I have made quite a few deviations from the original movie so even if you have seen that you won't necessarily know how this story ends.
Finally thanks to my beta, LavenderVanilla who fixes my mistakes and straightens things out.