Chapter 4 – We're Off The Hook… Maybe
I wake up to the rustling of Peeta and the kids in the kitchen and suddenly the list of things I have to do today start overflowing my mind, but then I remember today is the reaping… The Hunger Games have been reinforced. I put on a simple black dress and heels to match. I can only imagine how scared Klarissa must be.
"Good morning." I say as cheery as I can to brighten the mood. "What do you want for breakfast?" Looking around at everyone.
"No need, I already fed them and we should be on our way soon." Says Peeta and points to the clock. I turn to see its quarter to two. I grab my clutch and we all hurry out the door. Peeta suggests that we walk since it's only a block or two from our house so we do. After the first few steps I start to regret this decision.
"You okay Kat?" He asks grabbing my arm to support me. Laughing I manage to slip out a yes and we keep walking. The kids are a few feet ahead of us. Klarissa is wearing the same exact reaping outfit that her Aunt Prim did at her first reaping. A feeling of sorrow fills my soul for a moment but then I realize exactly how lucky I am to be here with a great family… including Haymitch. Once we reach town square cameras are flashing everywhere and there are reporters everywhere asking us how we feel about our daughter being in the first Hunger Games since the rebellion. We both just say no comment and take our place with all the other worried parents. A few minutes pass and then the clock tower tolls signaling that it is two o'clock. Butterflies fill my stomach and I grasp Peetas hand harder than ever then a very familiar faces shows up on stage. Effie.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Effie says in her very unique way, "Welcome back to the Hunger Games!" Everyone claps not because they want to but because they need to. They continue with the opening ceremonies and then something catches my attention. I see Klarissa keep staring at a boy maybe two or three years older than her and him returning the worried looks. I nudge Peeta but he doesn't catch on. I laugh to myself in my head. Typical Peeta.
"Peeta." I whisper to him, "Look at Klarissa."
"Yes baby I know she looks really nice in Prim's outfit." He responds quickly without looking at me.
"No, well yes she does! She looks just like her aunt... but no look, her and this boy keep looking at each other." I say. There must be a sign of me worrying in my voice because he gives me a comforting hug and then studies Klarissa.
"I don't see anyth-." He stops short. I study his face now.
"Peeta?" I ask trying to get his attention.
"That's the same type of look I gave you before the games started… before Cato attacked me… before we put those berries in our mouths…" He says and his voice wears off. I try to catch on and then it finally clicks. Those look that their exchanging remind Peeta of the looks he gave me. He cared about me. Wait, he didn't only care about me he loved me and I had no clue, but Klarissa and this boy clearly have very strong feelings for each other.
"Peeta are you worried?" I ask my focus still on my daughter and that boy, but Effie's voice breaks that.
"And now to announce the tributes!" She says as if its something good happening, "Ivy Harper is our girl tribute!" Effie announces clearly. She then clomps over to the bowl holding the boy tribute names. She reaches in, grabs a piece of paper, and walks back over to the podium.
"And our boy tribute for this Game will be… Avan Natalaski!" I notice that boy. He's the boy that Klarissa was exchanging looks with before and suddenly my heart skips a beat and there's this weird feeling in my stomach. I feel Peeta grasp my hand harder knowing he has the same gut wrenching feeling that I have. We both look over to our blooming daughter Klarissa but she's not there. We look back at the stage and she's making her way up the steps.
"I… I… volunteer… as tribute…" She stammers, her voice barely audible. I can't believe this is happening. Peeta looks down at me and I meet his glance and we both have tears filling our eyes.
"Well then!" Says Effie, "I guess we have a volunteer!" She turns to my daughter who looks as pale as a ghost and asks her name. She replies with Klarissa Mellark.
"This is no surprise! You must be the daughter of Peeta and Katniss." She says pointing at us standing in the middle of the crowd, everyone suddenly staring us down. "Well she definitely has some characteristics as her mother and some of the looks of her father!" Effie finishes off.
"She did it for love." Peeta looks down at me and says as a tear rolls down his cheek. I wipe it away with my sleeve and he pulls me into a hug. We hear everyone around us saying things like 'it's just like her parents love story' and 'she must be crazy brave' or things like 'I bet those parents made her volunteer if she didn't get picked'. This enraged me. I turn and shout "Yes, I am proud of my daughter for volunteering but do you think I feel good about her being sent to pretty much her death?" The whole time I lose control I feel Peetas hand on my shoulders trying to be supportive and comforting. "Well that was a twist!" Effie screeches, "The reaping for this year has come to an end. Thank you." And with that the tributes are taken away to the rooms that Peeta and I were taken to when we were in the games.
"Come on." Peeta says to me pulling on my arm, "We have to go find Haymitch and start thinking of strategies."
"Peeta, what about Teagan?" I ask as my son looks up to me with his eyes wider than I've seen them before.
"We'll take him to see his sister and say goodbye and then we can leave him with…" His voice trails off catching on to what I was thinking about, "Who can we leave him with?"
"Haymitch is coming with us to mentor, one of us staying back is out of the question, Effie is going to be traveling with us… there's no one… except Gale." I answer him reluctantly.
"No." He walks back towards me and our worried son, "I'm not leaving him with Gale." He says strictly and quickly.
"Well who else is there sweetie?" I respond reaching out to brush his cheek. That always seems to calm him down.
"Fine." He agrees but not happily. Just as he does agree Gale shows up and we talk the whole thing over. Gale agrees to watch over Teagan while we're gone.