Haven't done a Hunger Games story in a while! This will be different, a bit darker but I'll try to make it fun and update it as often as possible.
I'm reimagining Bryce Dallas Howard as Mrs Everdeen, she won't be as nonexistent like in the movies.
Contains some sexual content and language!
"Excuse me!" Prim shouted at the cameraman who was aiming his lens at her mother's cleavage, she stepped in front of the camera and made sure her face was blocking the money shot, "My mother's face is up here!" she pointed upwards, sternly flexing her thick brows.
She couldn't believe the number of people at their tiny home; it could hardly hold a family of three let alone a whole film crew. Prim's mother Evelyn signed a contract without telling her or her sister Katniss about it, it gave the Capitol permission to film some stupid reality show. Prim and her sister were at opposite ends of the kitchen, separated by all of this equipment and cables running along the floor like some construction zone. Katniss saw her sister's worried face and stuck out her tongue to make her laugh, it worked. Prim looked up to her older sister more than their mother who had buried herself into a deep depression ever since their father died in the mine explosion; this had to be one of the worst decisions she ever made, everyone knew not to trust these people but once they promised money and food all of her morals went out the window.
"Why aren't you two in hair and makeup?!" whaled Effie Trinket, the glamorous creator slash producer slash fashionista slash businesswoman slash Bimbo showed up that morning dressed up like some kind of clown at least with all of that white caked on makeup and that yellow and pink dress that made her look huge. She snapped her fingers at the male and female makeup artists, they ran over to her and whispered into both her ears, "THEY HAVEN'T SIGNED IT YET?
Prim was almost 19, Katniss was 24, neither needed their mother's permission to bail on this freakshow circus. After seeing what hair and makeup did to their mother they wanted no part, they kept her faded blue dress on for authenticity but then made sure as many buttons were undone as possible and gave her some pushup bra to 'Hoist those puppies up!' as Effie put it and her makeup looked so overdone, and cheap.
Effie took Evelyn outside, "Just a little talk with your mother, girls! No need to fret!" But Katniss and Prim could hear her bark orders at their mother, they never saw her look so unsure and scared in their lives. Katniss took Prim's hand, the younger sister didn't realize just how nervous she was, she was actually shaking.
"Hey," said Katniss, placing a firm hand on her shoulder, making Prim look at her, "Everything's going to be fine. This is just another one of her mistakes. Eventually they'll get bored and move on."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Prim said, feeling a little better; their lives really weren't that exciting, not for some crummy reality tv show.
Katniss raised an eyebrow, "Probably?" She gave Prim a playful shove, Prim did the same back to her, this stopped when Effie and Evelyn returned. Effie marched over to them with Evelyn cowering behind her, Katniss folded her arms and gave her a smug look, Prim copied her.
"Listen...young lady," Effie swallowed the insults she wanted to throw at the tall brunette, "Don't you think you'd like to make your mother happy and sign that contract? You'd be helping out your family a lot," she strained herself to act nice saying this, Katniss could see her lip quiver, she was about to snap.
Katniss saw a picture of her father still mounted on the wall just behind Effie, a proud working man in a mining hat, she knew what he'd say about all of this, "No way."
Prim giggled when she saw the expression on Effie's face change; she messed with the wrong girl. Effie scared Prim by aiming a finger at her, telling her she'd live to regret that.
"Hey! Don't you threaten her!" Katniss had to be held back by crew, she was about to beat this clown to a pulp.
The rest of the day was a disaster, almost no footage could be used, only of Evelyn and most of that was video from the confession room.
She hung her head and said, "I think I failed as a mother."
"Could you say that with a little more feeling? Like not sad about it?" Effie chimed in from behind the door.
Evelyn took a deep breath and smiled, "I think I failed as a mother!"
"That's much better!"
Katniss and Prim snuck in the room at different times just to mess with them, knowing they couldn't use any footage, Prim just sat perfectly still not saying a word for a few minutes followed by making faces at the lens, Katniss pretended she was an opera singer, going on for an uncomfortable time before ending her serenade with a belch.
Effie sat down late that evening with Evelyn, both were exhausted, a bottle of scotch open between them.
"So...I'm guessing this isn't going to work out?" She asked with slight hope she'd get something for her trouble.
Effie ignored the glass set for her to drink and gulped the stuff straight from the bottle, "Looks like it. But I might be able to save this show with one last ditch effort."
Evelyn was on the edge of her chair, "How?"
Effie smiled, "Well it's not exactly something we use very often but I'm sure my bosses will approve."
Evelyn's eyes widened, "Anything, I'm in, Effie."
"It involves a bit more manipulation. I could use it on both girls but...well I know the studio likes Prim, they like how naïve she is and well Katniss is her older sister after all and looks like she'll do whatever she says so that means hot for TV," Evelyn had no idea what she was babbling about but she didn't want to look stupid, "I have a lot of ideas for those two. When you told me that story about how when they were younger and Katniss always tucked in the back of her dress..."
Evelyn smiled, recalling it, 'Tuck your tail in, little duck!'
"Yes quite sweet and looks like your daughter has developed quite the badonkadonk."
Evelyn titled her head and frowned, "Badonkadonk?"
"Don't worry about it."
Evelyn knew Katniss would be an issue, she was always so stubborn, she thought even she would know just how important this show would be.
"Reality TV is always what we wish our reality was," Effie said, "Don't let anyone tell you different. By the time you reach stardom you will think your life was always this way. You won't even recognize the boring woman in the mirror...er...no offense."
"None taken," Evelyn, said, drinking some more scotch, she let it splash down her throat and sit a moment before she asked, "So what will be done with Katniss?"
Effie smiled deviously, "Well, I could wait for approval but I know my bosses," she chuckled, "Just give me a minute," she got on her phone and texted her makeup team for a code: 'Scarlet' to be done on Katniss, "There all good. Now we wait."
Evelyn raised her glass, Effie clinked it with the almost empty bottle.
Katniss and Prim finished hunting and picking berries, they were upset to see crew vans still on the property.
"Hey, you get ready for bed. I'll go talk to them."
"Are you sure? You don't think they'll try anything do you?"
Prim always worried, Katniss knew she could handle some hired goons.
"Can't if we don't sign the contract," Katniss smiled.
"You're the best," Prim said, hugging her nice and tight.
Katniss went inside the front door while Prim disappeared around back, she threw a fit when she saw people smoking close to some dry grass.
Prim was worried when Katniss didn't come see her, she was absent for an awfully long time, over an hour, she was just about to turn in when she heard a knock at the door, it was Katniss finally but something about her seemed off, not like she was sad or anything, it was that she was too perky.
"Katniss? What happened?"
"No need to worry, Prim," she said, smiling ear to ear, Prim checked the hallway to see if there was anyone around. Why else would she be talking this way? Prim closed the door, Katniss sat down on her bed and looked all around the room from the ceiling to the floor like this was the first time she'd seen it. She patted down the empty side of the bed and winked at her. Prim giggled, unsure if this was some kind of joke, she sat down ready to hear what she missed.
"Ok, I didn't hear any yelling so what happened? I bet Effie was pissed when you told her we're not doing the show," Prim's smile was wider than Katniss'.
Katniss smiled and shook her head, she pulled out from a pocket a signed copy of the contract, Prim was floored, "Katniss? Y-you d-din't...Why?"
Katniss didn't stop smiling, the longer Prim looked into her eyes she noticed that it didn't have that lively spark, "Because, Prim, I want to help Mom," Prim felt weird feeling in the pit of her stomach, "Don't you?"
"I-I do yes but I mean you know how she is, she does things without thinking about them and..."
Katniss placed a hand firmly on her shoulder like she did earlier that day, "Prim this is one of those times where we don't have to think. It's an easy decision. They want to film here for three weeks and then we'll have all the food and money we could ask for."
"Yes but..."
"And they're not even asking us to do anything that bad."
"What are they asking us to do?"
Katniss caressed the bottom of Prim's chin, "Really nothing. If anything it's going to make us all closer after."
Prim was getting frustrated, she almost snapped at her, "What is it?"
Katniss wasn't even taken aback, "Oh well we're going to dress in some new clothes, I've seen them, colorful, brand new," she said this quite animated, she was too cheery, too optimistic like a parasite had attached to her brain.
Prim shrugged, "I mean I guess that isn't so bad."
"Yeah they want us to act differently than we do. It'll be like we're putting on a play."
"But what will we be doing?"
Katniss paused, still smiling, no frowns, "They seem really eager to get you and I to kiss."
Prim wasn't sure if she heard that correctly, "Wait...kiss?"
"Yup. Like kiss-kiss," she said as if this was grade school, "Like passionate."
Prim made a face, "Wait..Why? That sounds...," she scrunched up her face.
"It's honestly not that bad. I was the same way when they first told me but it's actually going to be a lot of fun. Plus they really like you, the producers think you could be a star."
"Star?" Prim didn't really understand the whole celebrity thing especially in these times.
"I certainly think so."
"But..."
"What is it, Little Duck?" Katniss said, moving strands of stray hair away from her face.
"We're sisters."
"Yes but this is what sisters do."
"Huh?"
"I mean in the Capitol they do this all the time."
"T-they do?"
Katniss nodded, she looked a tad more serious than before, "Scout's honor," she crossed her heart.
"Well the Capitol is pretty weird."
"Yes," Katniss grinned, "But I kind of like some of what they do there."
"Y-you do?" As far as Prim could recall, Katniss hated the Capitol, everything about them, she especially thought their outfits were ridiculous and their makeup absurd.
Katniss nodded, "They're really starting to grow on me," she caressed Prim's arm, Prim shivered at the feeling, "Ok, Little Duck?"
Prim grinned, "Yeah, it's just, you haven't called me that in a long time."
"Well, I'd say it's time that changed," she leaned in and kissed Prim on the cheek, Prim liked it but was a little shocked she did that, "I love you so much."
"I...I love you too."
"I'll be with you every step of the way. If you don't feel comfortable then I'll tell Effie to back off," she said this with a playful scowl, "I'd kick her ass!"
Prim snickered, she thought that was going to happen today for sure, she did feel more relieved now seeing Katniss was going to make sure this wasn't the worst experience ever.
"Wait," Prim said, realizing something, "Does that mean I'll have to kiss Mom on the lips too?"
Katniss looked only slightly worried when she brought this up, "Maybe but this will be hilarious."
"How? People from every District will see this...I..I don't know, Katniss, this whole thing just seems..."
"I've already told Gale and Peeta, everyone what's going on, most people aren't even going to watch. They're our friends, we can trust them to boycott the show."
"Really? I mean that's cool, I'd rather not have everyone see me do that," she laughed, a bit more relieved.
"This will be something we'll all laugh about when it's all over."
Prim shrugged, "I guess so," Prim just had trouble understanding why anyone would want to see them do things like that, "What's the point of any of it? I mean we're a family, they really want to watch us doing that?"
"I think it's kind of sweet in a way," Katniss smiled and shrugged.
"Sweet?"
"Yeah, I mean, I get what you mean, it is weird, but it's only weird because we've never done that before. It's different, yes, but it's not like we're hurting each other. We're simply showing each other we care more than we normally would."
Prim was dizzy from all the hoops Katniss just jumped through to explain why this needed to happen, could be that she was tired too.
"I mean...I guess," Prim said, holding her head, "I'm just worried I mean, I bet I'm not even as good a kisser as you."
Katniss shook her head, "Don't be ridiculous."
"I mean, I've never even been kissed."
Katniss' ears perked up, "Well, I think it's time we change that," she moved in closer to her, Prim was a little nervous.
"Whoa, are you sure?"
"We should get practice in anyway. Before the cameras start rolling again you know?"
Prim felt safe enough to try, Katniss would never deceive her, she smiled back at her and moved in closer herself to give this a try.
"Make sure to wet your lips," she instructed.
Prim did so.
"And close your eyes."
Prim did so.
"Follow my lead."
Prim did so.
A whole new world opened up to her, Prim felt Katniss' warm and wet open mouth, she held onto the back of her head gently and moved her head to make sure she got a good taste of her, make sure that she felt it. Prim was blown away when Katniss drew back, it was so personal, so raw, Prim finally understood why kissing was so good, she realized why they needed to kiss in front of the cameras.
"How did I do?" Prim asked innocently, not blinking; she could feel her heart racing.
"You were amazing," Katniss smiled, "Those idiots won't know what hit them."
Katniss took out some more paper, it was Prim's contract, she handed Prim a pen. Prim bit her lip, she was still on the edge, was this really right? She looked at Katniss again, she gave that blank, reassuring glance; she wanted to read over the contract, she wanted to check for anything that might be fishy, know that there wasn't some catch.
"I read it over myself. Pretty straight forward."
Prim went for it, signed her signature at the bottom of the page, feeling like she was signing her life away, Katniss took it and flipped to a different page.
"Down here too."
Prim did so and Katniss pulled the contract right out of her hands before she could look at it again.
"I'm so proud of you."
Prim watched Katniss walk to the door, she was so robotic, so calculated in her steps, "Sleep tight. I'll wake you in the morning. Sweet dreams, Little Duck," she blew her a kiss and shut the door.
Prim lied back in bed, wondering what she had just agreed to, good or bad things were defiantly going to be different around here that was for sure. She wondered if she should find that confessional booth, she had some things to get off her chest about that little kiss she just had.
Thank you for reading!
To be continued!