Heyo! My editors are back soon probably by the time I've finished this chapter, so you can expect them to talk to you soon! Anyway this is just the interviews and it goes up to the point where Caesar says goodbye and the programme would end so this won't be very long again because not much happens! Hopefully the next chapter will be much more eventful.

Chapter four

Interviews

That night I can't get to sleep the world is dark my eyes are tired but my mind is full of the days events. That little number eleven in front of Katniss's picture keeps flashing in front of my eyes.

Eventually I guess I fall asleep as mother is shaking me.
"Prim! Wake up! It's school starting again!" Of course it's the first day back. It's traditionally the first day back because all the daylight exercises of the Tributes have been completed. The next event is tonight, the interviews when everyone watches the tributes talk about him or her selves with Caesar Flickerman the interviewer. And then, then the games will truly begin.

I get up and go into the small area that is our bathroom. I climb gingerly into the cold water my mother has prepared. We never have warm water unless we boil it for tea, but seeing as we have limited supplies we save the hot water for food.

I spend a couple of minutes soaking, and when I get out Mother has put some clothes out for me. It's common knowledge that in the wealthier districts there is a school uniform but here, well, supplies are small and people just wouldn't have the money to buy things like that.

As we walk down the ashen, soot covered streets of the seam I think about what Katniss must be doing now. She'd be getting prepared for her interview having her mentor teach her about what to say. Mother and I turn round the corner and she stoops down to say goodbye. " Bye Prim I'll see you after school. I'll wait for you here ok? S when you come out just come straight over here. I love you dear. Goodbye." Then she turns around and bustles back toward the house. As I step through the school gates the children around me become quiet. Obviously not wanting to disturb me in my quiet thoughts of solitude.

When I enter the classroom of other twelve year olds you can almost see their brains whirring when they think about whether or not they should come up and comfort me or just to leave me alone to deal with myself. In the end my best friend, poppy (I've noticed that a lot of girls are named after flowers! Obviously because there is little beauty in District 12 that this is an escape and an excuse to bring more beauty by names.) Comes over and says to me,

" Hi Prim, are you ok?" her voice is quiet and hesitant as if she's wondering whether by asking this I will break down and dissolve into tears. Actually if people keep treating me like this I will burst into tears for emotional damage! Honestly sometimes I think that I seem just a bit too small and fragile, but seriously it's not as if she's gone forever, Katniss I mean, there is a chance, albeit a very slim one, that she will come home. I tell Poppy just that,

" Look, Poppy, it's not as if Katniss is gone forever is it?" without waiting for an answer I stream on, " she could still come home right? And when she does, I will not admit that I broke down for her!" Poppy just looked stunned,

" I- I'm sorry! I just thought…"

" It's ok Poppy I know you didn't know, hang on that didn't make sense… I know you didn't…" Poppy drowned out my fumbling words with her bright laughter.

"You know something Prim? You are just so funny!" she's rolling round with laughter now.

" Poppy! Poppy stop!" but she just can't for some reason I burst out laughing.

" Poppy, Primrose! Stop that at once!" it's the teacher. Oh no we're in for it now, I think.

" Right everyone. It's time for school to start so stop running round like maniacs!" the teacher, Miss willowhark, is a kind but, stern lady.
We all settled into our places and got out our books.

" Right today we will start with maths…" I went through the day like a sleepwalker not hearing or seeing. When we finally went home, I sat down on the sofa with a plate of salad, only a small helping, and started to eat. Mother wasn't home yet, so I had nothing to do. They don't give us homework everyday seeing as it costs to buy the paper and no one really has that much money. There will be nothing on the television as no signal comes through unless it's for notices from the capitol. Or if it's the Hunger Games that are live, but unless it's the weekend or at night or early I won't see it live as I'll be at school. But in the canteen we'll be forced to watch updates. At that moment Mother opens the door.

" Hey! Prim I'm back." Mother comes into the sitting room and gives me a big hug. "School ok?"

"Yeh…" I turn my head away. She sits down next to me,

" It will be ok, you know that." We sit in silence thinking about what must be happening now. Effie and Haymitch will be tutoring Katniss in preparation for tonight's event, the interviews.

We sit down in front of the battered television set ready for the next broadcast. I reach and press the on button and the screen turns a darker shade of black, then with a bright flash of light the Capitol's seal is on the screen and the anthem is playing. Caesar Flickerman steps onto the stage and into view. This year his hair and lips are a cold blue colour it looks pretty garish actually. He starts with a few jokes that make the audience laugh but I'm too tense to laugh. As usual he starts with district 1, girl. So first up is Glimmer. Her dress is gold and see through, just a little too revealing for my liking. She answers every question in a sweet voice and obviously that appeals the crowd. Phoenix is in silver shirt and white trousers. He tries to appear tough but well mannered. It's Clove's turn and you can see her mentor and stylist thought she was too tough to be sweet, dressed in black she looks strong. I listen with interest to her interview but the answer that sticks most in my mind is,

"What would be your greatest advantage in the Games?"

" Ah, now that would be telling." Her voice is cold and hard, and those six words are more threatening than anything I've ever heard before. Cato is the same. More threatening but he doesn't look as agile as Clove. District 3's interviews pass without any meaning or value. Maya and Marvin, the other Careers, aren't as terrifying as the other four but still hold power. The interviews slip by lasting what seems like seconds instead of minutes. Rue has a gossamer gown complete with wings and Caesar is very sweet with her. Again it's that one question that makes me pay attention.

" What will be your greatest advantage in the Games?"

" I'm very difficult to catch, and if they can't catch me they can't kill me, so don't count me out." She seems so earnest, but she doesn't really have a chance.

" I wouldn't in a million years."

Thresh seems just like Cato but he only answers with a Yes or a No, however hard Caesar tries to get longer answers out of him, he can't. Next up is Katniss. I really listen now. For the first time I notice what Katniss is wearing, it's a dress covered in jewels and her skin is golden.

" So Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District 12, what's impressed you most since you arrived here?" she hesitates before answering,

" The Lamb Stew." Caesar and the audience laugh.

" The one with the dried plums?" she nods, "Oh, I eat it by the bucketful!" he turns to one side and puts his hand on his stomach, " It doesn't show does it?" the audience laughs and screams there reassurance. " Now Katniss, when you came out for the opening ceremonies my heart actually stopped. What did you think of that costume?"

" You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" the audience laughs.

" Yes start then."

"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this either, I mean look at it!" she lifts the skirt up and spreads it out. The audience oohs and ahs. There's a movement on the stylist's table but I miss what it is. Katniss spins in a circle and the audience screams.

" Oh, do that again!" Caesar implores, so Katniss lifts up her arms and spins around the more she spins it seems like she's being engulfed in flames. Then she stops and clutches Caesars arm. " Don't stop!"

" I have to, I'm dizzy!" she's giggling now I can't remember her doing that ever. Caesar wraps his arm around her. " Don't worry I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentors footsteps!" as the view switches to Haymitch, I realise everyone in Panem must know about his stage diving, he waves away the camera's and points them back at Katniss. " It's alright, she's safe with me. So, how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint what happened in there." She bit her lip and glance's at the Gamemakers. " Um… all I can say is, I think it was a first." The camera view switches to the Gamemakers and we see they're nodding and chuckling.

" You're killing us! Details, details!" Caesar actually looks like he's in pain.

" I'm not supposed to talk about it right?" this is addressed to the balcony where the Gamemakers sit. One of then a tall man shook his head and looking extremely earnest says, " She's not!"

" Thank you. Sorry. My lips are sealed."

" Lets go back, then, to the moment they called your sisters name at the reaping. And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?" My grip on the chair tightens. Katniss again hesitates and in a small voice she answers,

" Her name's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything." Thanks Katniss.

" What did she say to you? After the Reaping?"

" She asked me to try really hard to win." The audience seems frozen.

" And what did you say?"

" I swore I would."

" I bet you did." Then the buzzer goes off. " Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute of District Twelve." The audience claps loudly and continues until Peeta steps up. I don't really pay attention for the first few seconds but I tune in my ears to listen to him when the audience falls quiet. Caesar has just asked him if he has a girlfriend at home, here I mean. Peeta is silent but gives a shake of head but his eyes are troubled.

" Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?"

Peeta sighs and says, " Well, there's this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't even know I was alive until the reaping." Ouch now that's sad! The crowd also murmurs their sympathy.

" She have another fellow?"

" I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," replies Peeta

" So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh? Caesar encourages

" I don't think it's going to work out. Winning… won't help my case." Replies Peeta.

" Why ever not?" You can tell that Caesar and the audience are mystified. But the pin is beginning to drop for me. Peeta blushes beetroot red and stutters his reply,

" Because… because… she came here with me."

I knew it! For a moment the camera's fix on Peeta downcast eyes, then they switch to Katniss's face her mouth is open and there's a mix of surprise and protest on her face, but she closes her mouth and stares at the floor with a definite blush on her cheeks.

" Oh, that is a piece of bad luck." Caesar sounds absolutely agonised the crowd seem the same.

" It's not good."

" Well I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?"

" Not until now." Katniss's eyes flicker upward and I see many emotions in her eyes

" Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" the audience screams, " Sadly rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say all of our hearts go with yours." The applause is deafening and Peeta chokes out a final,

"Thank you." And sits down. They stand for the anthem then file out. They screen is dominated by a view of Katniss and Peeta, they're heads are only a metre apart but that now seems miles. Then anthem finishes and the screen goes black.

A/N

Thanks for reading I know I said that would be short but it turned out long! Sorry! I lied! Anyway I hope you enjoyed that it was very similar to the book I know but I tried to make it accurate, at least I hope it is seeing as I can't find the book anywhere so this was all from memory. Sorry if some isn't the same. I hope you will keep reading and this was, by the way, my longest chapter yet! Go me anyway if you review I will update. Come on you know you want to!