"It's a big, big, big day!" I groan at the sound of Effie Trinket's voice pulling me from my sleep. I open my eyes to be greeted by big beautiful blue eyes that somehow never manage to take my breath away. He looks at me with a cheesy grin plastered on his face. What on earth did he have to be so happy about?
"Time to get up, Kat." Before I can respond he's slid out of the bed and scooped me into his arms like I weigh no more than a small child. Although to him, that's probably all I feel like.
"Show off." I mutter which causes his grin to widen. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face." I cross my arms but can't help laughing. Only him and Prim could bring a real smile out of me. The only two people in this world I love. Well, I suppose I loved my mother too, but it wasn't the right kind of love. There was no trust behind it, unlike Peeta and Prim.
"Oh there you two are." Effie trills happily as Peeta walks us into the dinning room. He uses his right ankle to slide a chair out from under the table and easily sets me down. I roll my eyes and contain a laugh as he sits next to me. Haymitch looks between us as if he's studying something.
"What?" I snap, his smirk only widens at this.
"I thought maybe you two were pretending." I feel my mouth drop open.
"Why the hell would we pretend?" I cross my arms defensively glowering at Haymitch. Peeta just chuckles beside me. "And what did we do that suddenly made you believe otherwise? Other than everything we've done since we were reaped." My tone is harsh and accusing but he doesn't seem to care.
"Katniss, wheres your manners?" I turn to her shooting a sharp glare in Effie's directions. She purses her lips at my expression. I really wanted to ask her where her manners were, because sending kids off to killing each other isn't very polite either but I decide against it.
"Well, you two sleeping together, and well the look in your eyes. When you look at him, and he looks at you it reminds me of the look Charlotte had in her eyes when she looked at me." I'm taken back by this.
"Wait, who's Charlotte?" Peeta and Effie watch silently eating their food.
"Oh, my girlfriend. Well, she was my girlfriend. She had been for three years until I was reaped. We were completely in love. I wanted to propose to her that night, but when I was reaped well obviously I couldn't. When I got back from winning, I had two weeks with her and my family before they...died." He chooses his words carefully and I feel a lump rise in my throat.
"How'd they die?" I can't help but be curious.
"Well, I did something that showed up the Capitol, and well they killed them." This brings me up short. My eyes flit to Peeta who's looking at his plate of food. I take in his flawless face. The pale skin, his bright blue eye, the long blonde eyelashes that perfectly frame those blue eyes, his light thin pink lips, and his blonde curls that fall haphazardly on his forehead, just reaching his eyebrows. What if the Capitol took him from me? I shove the thought out of my mind and look away shyly when he looks up at me.
"So, you two had better leave the getting you both out alive to me, do something rebellious and both your families could be dead in the matter of minutes." I wonder idly if there's cameras around, but there's mustn't be if he's speaking so freely like this.
"Aren't there cameras?" I blurt out.
"Cinna had a friend who is playing a tape so it looks like the dinning room is empty. We can say whatever we want for about the next thirty minutes." I nod.
"Why are you helping us? Why do you care?" I can't help asking. Peeta's hand slips into mine, and I look over at him with a sad smile.
"Because, I know what it's like to have loved and lost. I don't want to see either of you have to experience the lost part. Hence, why I always drink." I stare at our mentor in complete shock. Underneath the drunken bastard of a guy was so much more. I hadn't taken the time to learn because honestly I could care less.
"Thank you." I breathe out. Peeta squeezes my hand and Haymitch gives me a sad smile.
"Well, onto today's schedule. So you two will go down to training at exactly 10. Then, you'll break for lunch at noon. Then you go back for training until four. Once that's done you come back here. It'll be like that for the next three days." I let out a frustrated sigh. Effie's Capitol accent was starting to drive me crazy. I have to remind myself she probably has more to her, just like Haymitch.
"Now, when you're in training. I want you two to remain at each other's side the entire time. Got it?" I turn my gaze back to Haymitch.
"Easy." I didn't see a problem with this, other than that fact that maybe Peeta and I should work on different things, since we're not exactly good at the same things.
"What are your skills?" I stab my food onto my fork and place in my mouth before answering.
"I'm decent with a bow and arrow." I give my shoulders a slight shrug stabbing some more food onto my fork. The Capitol may be awful, but their food was purely amazing.
"Don't be modest. You're amazing with a bow and arrow. Every time you hit an animal it's always a clean shot in the eye." I snap my head in Peeta's direction.
"What about you? You're strong. You can lift a hundred pound sack of flour like it weighs nothing. Hell you can toss me over your shoulder like I weigh nothing more than a baby. You took second place in the school's wrestling competition only after Rye." I notice his blue eyes dancing with amusement.
"Wow, you really pay attention to each other don't you?" We both look away and back at Haymitch who's watching use curiously. I feel my cheeks heat up and bow my head letting my hair fall to cover them.
"Well, we've been friends since we were twelve, and got together just before she turned fifteen. I myself though have been in love with her since I was five. It's hard not to pay attention to someone you've loved that long. Hard not to know every little detail about them. Like he way her eyes light up when she brings down games, or the way she smiles the moment she sees me. Or how she leaves her hair down just to please me." I fee the heat burning even more in my cheeks now.
"Or the way her eyes dance with happiness when I tell her I love her. The way she rolls her eyes when I compliment her. I notice everything." I feel a wide smile spreading across my lips.
"Seriously, you two are going to make me start drinking again. But, I suppose I get where you're coming from. I was like the with Charlotte." I look up and glance between Haymitch and Effie. Effie's eyes are watery with tears from Peeta's little speech, and Haymitch looks sad and tired.
"Well, anyways. You know our strengths, now what?" I quickly change the topic of the conversation. Maybe, Peeta was okay with getting all mushy in front of people but I wasn't. I could barley say things like that to just him.
"Katniss, you stay away from the bow and arrows and Peeta you stay away from the weights. Save that for your private sessions, impress the gamemakers then. Until then, try to pick up new skills and not be completely useless. You're both dismissed. Your stylists will be waiting for you in you your rooms. Hurry along."
The first half of training goes by quickly. Peeta and I spend it at the fire and knot tying stations. I look around at the other tributes trying to size up the competition. The pair from two, the boy from eleven, and naturally the young girl from eleven stand out the most to me. Other's do too such as the pair from one, and the girl from five who reminds me of a fox.
"How do you think she ended up with no one volunteering to take her place?" I ask Peeta quietly jerking my head in the direction of Rue. Peeta looks up from his lunch and notices who I'm talking about.
"Because she doesn't have an amazing big sister like Prim." I know he's telling me what he thinks but I roll my eyes.
"Whatever you say." I mumble and pick at a piece of bread. He slides his hand across the table and takes one of mine in his.
"It's true. Plus, what you did is not something most people do. Family bond only goes so far for most people when it comes to the reaping. You're just extraordinary." I feel my cheeks heat up and I look down at my food. I let out a soft sigh. "Kat, what's wrong?"
"I'm afraid something will happen to you in the arena." I reply honestly and softly. He lets out a breathy chuckle and I look up questioningly.
"Kat, don't worry about me. Please. Worry about yourself." This causes me to scowl. He knows very well I put him and Prim before I put myself.
"No, Peeta. End of discussion." I drop his hand and go back to eating my food silently. He sighs. I know he means to protect me, but it just bugs me. I wish he would open his eyes and see that without him I'd become my mother and that's not something I ever want to become. Ever.
The next two days fly by quickly. As we walk back to the apartment from our last day our training I feel my stomach twist. Three days. Our private training sessions, a day to prepare for interviews, and then the interviews. Then it's off to the arena. Three days to be safely with Peeta. Three days before I could end up with a knife in the back. I suddenly fell awful for letting our argument get to me these past couple days and being colder with him.
I stop in front of the elevator and dive into his arms hugging him tightly, burying my face in his shoulder. I wasn't shutting him out, I was just being snippy and irritable towards him. All because a silly little argument over who I shoulder worry about. His arms wrap around me instantly and without hesitation.
"What's wrong?" He strokes my hair softly and soothingly.
"I'm sorry, Peeta. We have three days left to just be here and be together and I've been acting like a bitch." His lips press to the top of my head.
"No you haven't. Kat, I know you. You're freaking out about the games. When you freak out you tend to act cold towards me. I don't know why, but you do." He knew me so well. Like the back of his hand. I pull away slightly and lean up kissing him softly on the lips.
"I love you, Peeta so much. Ignore me when I act like that, I'm sorry." He smiles down at me.
"I love you too, Katniss. Trust me I don't take it personally anymore." He grins and I can't help but laugh. "Come on, let's go up before Effie has a fit."