Chapter Three
When the anthem ends, we are taken into custody by the Peacekeepers. They lead us to the Justice Building in a steady, far too proper march. I guess they're trying to over compensate for the other embarrassments we've displayed to then entirity of Panem today. When we finally get inside, the huge doors slam shut behind us. I'm lead away from Katniss into a very... high class room. I plop down on the velet covered bed before staring at the door.
Since it takes them a few minutes to get here, I suspect for a few minutes that my family simply isn't coming. It would be like them to just continue their days like nothing ever happened and I never existed. If my father wasn't around, that's exactly what would have happened.
My father lead in my mother, his face looking grave and far beyond his age. His arms wrap around me in one of the rare hugs that I haven't really received since childhood. I let a few tears run down my cheeks, since I know this is the last time I'd see any of them. Those stopped when my mother smacked me in the arm and told me to toughen up.
With a smile, she looked out of the old, cracked window in my room. "You know... Dictrict Twelve might finally have another victor. She's a fighter, that one is." Her voice showed her awe and delight with the fact that Katniss had been chosen. I knew it was her, since I hadn't missed that my mother specified "she". And with that, Mom left without even giving me a second glance. I was always the son she saw as expendable. I wouldn't be much of a loss to her.
"Son..." My father's voice cracked slightly. "Good luck." The Peacekeepers arrived to lead him away, and send in the next visitor. I didn't think there would be one, but then Delly Cartwright stood in the door apprehensively.
"I'm sorry this happened to you." Delly whispered, and I immediately knew what she was talking about. Delly was the only one that wasn't in my family who knew about my crush on Katniss. I had been confiding in her for years, so she knew the way I probably felt. She knew the pain I would be going through in the games as I fought to keep the one I loved alive.
Suddenly, I found slightly pudgy arms wrapping around my body. Her family was rich, so she could afford to eat the fattening foods than none of us could. "May the odds be ever in your favor, Peeta..." She mumbled before I hugged her back.
"And a Happy Hunger Games to you, too." My voice was slightly sarcastic, but hers had been joking, trying to lighten the mood. There was no hope for the mood, though. It wasn't going to raise from utterly depressing just because of a few jokes.
"Try to make it as far as you can." Delly smiled before pecking my cheek. Her own were burning the brightest of reds, but I just smiled. Her kiss was to say good bye. Because we both knew I had absolutely no chance of coming back. Never again would I walk the streets of District Twelve, or frost one of the cakes in the bakery. And life would move right on without me, as it did every year after a tribute died. It was just the way it had to be.
"Good bye, Delly." I smiled as she left, but her good bye was rushed as the Peacekeepers forced her out the door. And that would be the last time I would see any of my friends. I doubt the other's parents would allow them to join me in the Justice Building. In a few weeks, they would be forced to act like I never existed.
It takes no more than five minutes before we are forced to leave the Justice Building and head to the train station. Katniss looks like shes trying hard not to cry when she sits next to me, but I let my emotions flow. The capitol wants to see the agony and pain in our eyes, and who am I to deny them what they wanted. The car drove us quickly to the station, which was swarming with the camera men.
The cameras attack us with streams of pictures and videos, asking us questions even though they really aren't supposed to. I keep my mouth shut and just walk into the doorway of the train, where we are forced to stand while they gobble up our images once more. Then, the doors seal shut and the train speeds off immediately.
Unused to the speed, it feels like all the blood is rushing to my head at first. I walk over to one of the chairs and drop down into it, not enjoying the feeling of being light headed at all.
I watch as Katniss goes off to her room before exploring the train for myself. I don't go to my room at first, since I want to see all the rooms. The first, which contains a very drunk Haymitch, is a room that has been completely modified to look like a bar. Of course, I think, this is just where one would find our alcoholic life-line.
"She's got spunk." He mumbled, obviously still living the moments we lived hours ago. "Gonna... gonna nap... nap, yeah..." He staggered out of the bar room, but the door slipped shut to the sound of puking. Wincing, I moved on, not ready to face something like that.
The bartender offered me a drink, but I turned down the Capitol worker. I really can't stand any of them. They're perky and bright and they just can't wait to watch us all kill each other in the Hunger Games. They all want blood... and blood they will get.
I walked through the next room only to be greeted by an overly perky Effie Trinket.
"Oh, Peeta, my dear! You should go freshen up, dinner will be served in just a little while." And with that, she pushed me into another room that, apparently, was my room. I huffed before sitting down on the overly expensive bed. I could smell the rose scented powder rise up around me as I sat, nearly gagging me with it's scent.
"Awful." I sigh, speaking my feelings out loud. I couldn't believe this day was real. Leaning back in the bed, the powder was visible as it rose up around me in a rather large cloud. This brought on an attack of coughs and gags before it cleared thanks to the air conditioning system.
After looking at my clothes and realizing they were covered in a massive layer of the scented powder, I stripped down naked before opening one of the many closet doors. Everything seemed to have been made in my size, as impossible as that sounds.
I pulled on a deep red button-up shirt and black dress pants that seemed to look just like my own but... more expensive. If I knew the names of Capitol designers, I could probably find on of their names on the tag in the back. It annoyed me to no end that some people could be so narcissistic and materialistic. Even in the place like the Capitol, it seemed just... unneeded.
"Peeta~ Dinner time~" I heard Effie's voice come in over one of the speaker systems and I sighed before heading back out again. I didn't want to tough through a meal with both drunken Haymitch and uptight Effie Trinket. It was a recipe for disaster.