"Okay so we need to do taste tests." Peeta tells my mother, Prim, and I. Prim rushes towards him and grabs all the cake she can. Between laughs Peeta tells her to slow down before she chokes. Her eyes light up and a small smile crosses her face. He grabs a sample of red velvet and walks towards my mother and I and hands them to us. Eagerly I take it and shove it into my mouth. Once done I tell him that this is the one that we should use and he agrees without a fight. My mother nudges my arm and I take that as a subtle hint to tell him about the dress that I found, but he must be a mind-reader because he asks me how dress shopping went.
"Really well," I explain, "I found this gorgeous dress today!" He must be able to tell how much I love the dress by the level of excitement in my voice. He hugs me and I take this as a congratulations hug.
"When do I get to see this stunning dress?" He asks me.
"Not until the wedding day!" My mother quickly cuts in, "You're not allowed to see it yet." She says, reinforcing the statement she had made only moments earlier. He rolls his eyes in disappointment and I kiss him to make up for it. Then we both remember that there are many other people in the room.
"Uh, yeah…" Peeta starts, "You guys can take the cakes and things back to the bakery." He tells them. "Oh and Prim would you mind helping?" She nods her head excitedly in agreement.
"Oh… Mrs. Everdeen, why don't yo-." She looks at us smirking and then she tells us she will be meeting with Portia and Effie for a while but I think that's just an excuse. Peeta and I have this thing where we can speak to each other without actually verbally interacting and this is one of those times. I grab his hand and rush towards the door. Once outside I feel free again and we head for the fence. We hike up to the pond and about halfway there Peeta lets me climb onto his back. The pond is different today. We get there and we see Effie, Haymitch, Portia, Cinna, and many others sitting around the edge. We keep quiet hoping to slip away but we get caught.
"Where do you think you're going?" A familiar but different voice demands. I spin on my heels to see Finnick standing there.
"Finnick!" I exclaim as I run towards him and he picks me up and spins me around. "How are you?" I ask him.
"Great." He tells Peeta and I. That's when I see a girl that looks vaguely familiar. Annie.
"Annie!" I scream, we run and embrace each other in a hug. We haven't seen each other in forever and then someone else follows her. Johanna. Oh no I think to myself. Let's see what she has to say about me now.
"You look great Katniss." Annie tells me as we walk back over to where Finnick and Peeta are in deep conversation. The five of us stand there in a little circle bringing up memories and catching up with each other when Haymitch so rudely interrupts us.
"Come sit with us." He says as he points towards empty spaces in the sun. I take hold of Peetas hand and walk over to an open sandy area in the sun. I sit on his lap while Finnick and Annie rest up against a tree while Johanna strips and jumps into the water. Then a question arises into my mind.
"Why are you all here?" I ask them, "How did you find this place?" Everyone turns to stare at me and then just looks at me like I've just grown another head.
"During the Quarter Quell when we used to take shifts guarding, you would talk in your sleep about this place." Finnick explains.
"God I thought you at least knew you talked in your sleep," Johanna blurts out, "Brainless." We all roll our eyes, used to Johanna and her rude comments by now.
"So we were all under so much stress that we decided to come here as old friends sharing memories before the weddings and things." Annie helps explain. Looking around I can see the sun shining down on everyone and I realize how lucky I am to have them here with me, especially Peeta.
"Wedding plans?" Effie announces but again it comes out more like a question. Right when she reaches for a piece of paper bombs start filling the air. Peeta grabs me and throws himself on top of me. Must still be a reflex from the rebellion? Protect me at all costs, but that's over. Looking around I see that everyone is pretty much okay with some minor wounds. Then I look up at Peeta. His baby blue eyes have been replaced with a icy cold grayish blue. His smile is gone. And the next thing I know is that this attack has not only brought back bad memories, but also another attack from the tracker jacker venom.