Chapter 6: The Peanut Section
Peeta's POV
I wake early on the morning of the first day of the Games coverage, rudely shaken by the banging on my bedroom door from my mother.
"Get up, you lazy boy with your head in the clouds! Watch that girl you are so in love with die!"
Mom has always known I am in love with Katniss Everdeen. And it has repulsed her to no end. No son of hers will ever marry a Seam woman, she has vowed.
But today, I ignore her mockery as I wordlessly get dressed. It has been made very clear that Katniss does not return my feelings of love. I don't know if there is any man who might strike her fancy. Although, I thought I saw something between her and that Peacekeeper, Darius. When I raced into the Hob the day Gale was whipped, it looked like they were about to kiss or something...
The thought makes me shudder, and rises a fire of jealously within me. I don't know what Katniss would see in a Peacekeeper, when she has always seemed like such a rebellious spirit. And she has never seemed open to marriage or children, though in attempting to woo her, I had hoped to change her feelings on raising a family in time, should my wooing have been successful.
But it wasn't. And if it is true that she has been seduced by Darius, then maybe it is better if she does not come back alive. It would be torture to watch her win, only to come back and become romantically involved with, possibly even marry, another man.
My father, mother, brothers and I now arrive in the square before the Justice Building. We have only had to come here in the evenings the past four days or so, while the tributes were in training and conducting their media interviews. Katniss pulled an 11 during her training, outclassing even the Careers, so she has an excellent chance of actually becoming Victor. I don't want her to die, but not if I lose her forever in another way and prove my mother right.
My thoughts are interrupted as I bump into Gale Hawthorne. I used to think that he was the main rival for Katniss's affections, but upon further scrutiny, I have come to believe they were only close friends in the platonic way. And with Darius possibly now in the mix...
"Any word on her?" I ask him.
"A lot of chatter," he reports. "The Capitol is absolutely fascinated by her. They like her chances."
"I'm nervous," I admit to him almost sheepishly.
Gale stares at me with something resembling pity. My face grows hot as I begin to wonder how obvious my feelings for the Seam huntress are. Soon, we are joined by others. Two ginger Peacekeepers saunter up: Purnia and... Darius.
I try to remain neutral and polite as I regard a possible threat to Katniss's affections. "Are you two on patrol?"
"For the crowds," Darius smiles down at me, unaware that I might harbor any jealousy or ill will towards him. "Purnia and I have jurisdiction over this left section." We are on the left side of the square, near the front of the crowd, with an unencumbered view of the Jumbotron screens.
"Well, if you are stationed here anyway, do you want to watch with us?" Gale offers. He seems to be directing the question more to Purnia than to Darius. She looks taken aback, but pleased too.
"All right," she smiles. Darius nods his appreciation to Gale, who only returns it cordially.
As Darius and Purnia turn to face the screens and survey the rest of the district checking in, Gale and I look at each other. Somehow, from the look in his eyes, I can tell there is no love lost between him and Darius. I think about asking him if he knows of something going on between Katniss and Darius. Perhaps he is aware of a relationship and does not approve, out of protectiveness towards his friend. But I can't find it within me to raise the issue, and certainly not with Darius standing right there.
Near us in the crowd, I spy yet another head of red hair. "Hey, Delly!" I wave over.
Right away, I notice that she is not her usual bubbly self as she sidles over. "Hey, Peeta." She has trouble looking directly at me. Well, not that she ever had trouble with that before; it's just that her averted glance has more of a melancholy countenance to it now.
I remember how Delly walked in on Katniss and I kissing the night before the Reaping. Interrupting such a moment, no matter the circumstances surrounding consent, would be awkward for anybody. I feel compelled to apologize to Delly over what she witnessed, but don't know how to broach the subject, or if it would be appropriate to do so. I decide to try and make it up to her another way.
"Gale Hawthorne and Darius and Purnia and I are going to watch the Games together. Would you like to join us?"
Like Purnia, Delly seems surprised by my offer. But also touched. "OK."
The five of us stand together, discussing Katniss's and that Zachary Tyler's chances ourselves, since listening to the talking heads and waiting for 10 AM is too stressful. At one point, Mom approaches me, a look of disapproval on her face.
"Peeta! What are you doing with this riff raff?" We do look a motley crew: two Merchant kids, two Peacekeepers and a Seam miner.
"They're my friends," I say coolly, which is true, even if I am in the process of re-evaluating my relationship with Darius.
Mom surprisingly leaves me alone after that, perhaps wary of the presence of Peacekeepers and comforted that at least Delly is with me. I wonder if she is hoping I will eventually cast Katniss aside and marry someone like Delly instead. In her eyes, the match would be an appropriate one within class lines.
10 A.M. arrives and the screens come on to reveal a dense forest. My heart hammers in my chest with both fear and hope, as I spy Katniss just before the gong goes off.
"She has done remarkably well," Darius observes to me.
We are two weeks into the 74th Hunger Games, and Katniss is one of only three competitors still alive.
13 tributes died that first day in the Bloodbath. Zachary Tyler and Katniss were amongst the survivors and, despite being from across class lines teamed up. Over the next week, the pair heard a few more cannons: the boy from 3. The boy from 10 with a bad leg. The little girl from 11. Katniss suspected that the Careers were tracking and killing the weaker tributes one by one, before setting their sights on bigger kills. So she and Zachary, now in the Final Eight, circled back to the Cornucopia to spy on the Careers - Marvel, Glimmer, Cato and Clove.
On the night of the tenth day, Clove was killed in her sleep by mutant pink birds with sharp beaks. When her allies found her body with her throat slit the next morning, they suspected foul play and went in search of the perpetrator, little realizing that our tributes were tailing them. When the Careers discovered Thresh, the boy from 11, he killed Glimmer, the girl from 1. Seeing this as mistaken proof that Thresh must have killed Clove, the Career boys tortured Thresh to death as the District 12 tributes watched from the shadows. In revenge, Zachary bravely lobbed a tracker jacker nest in their midst; the insects stung Marvel, the boy from 1, to death while Cato barely escaped with his life. Now in the Final Four, Zachary and Katniss parted ways. On the thirteenth night, Zachary was torn apart by wolf-like mutts.
Which brings us to where we are now: Katniss up against the boy from 2, Cato, and the sneaky girl from 5, whom Katniss has nicknamed Foxface.
Foxface runs and steals, instead of fights. She is redheaded like Darius and Purnia and Delly, so she sticks out in the greenery. If drawn into a fight with Katniss, the Seam huntress would beat her easily to battle for the Crown with Cato.
However, Gale is not putting his hopes too high. Certainly not as high as Darius's or mine.
"Get real! Even if Katniss outlasts Foxface, she will be going up against a Career. In 73 years, only Emmanuelle Southard and Haymitch Abernathy have come back to Twelve alive after barely beating Careers who were comparatively weaker than Cato!"
"Maybe if there was a way to see how Emmanuelle and Haymitch did it, we could find a way to communicate our findings to Katniss," I suggest.
"Doubtful, Peeta. That would mean accessing Games videotapes in Archives that only Capitol officials are allowed to see. Besides, Emmanuelle and Haymitch had outside elements that helped them in their Top Two fights - elements that Katniss does not have available to her. In Emmanuelle's day, the arena walls were actually durable and more unorthodox weapons were to be had. Haymitch had a varied and unique landscape at his disposal. Besides, even if we could send Katniss some advice, the spike in prices have all but plugged up sponsor gifts coming through."
The rest of us stare at Darius in incredulity. "How do you know that?" I gawk.
"Well, I've been reading too, you know," Darius shrugs. "Those books on the Games aren't just for you in school."
Purnia suddenly shushes us. "It's Foxface!"
On screen, Foxface is stealing a knife from Katniss's backpack while the huntress is sound asleep. I want to scream for my love to wake up, but Foxface is still not looking to kill just yet. She turns to run...
... and carelessly steps on a twig. Katniss springs awake and tackles her. The girls fight with nothing left to lose, but Katniss manages to wrest back her knife and stab Foxface. The cannon sounds.
"She's in the Top Two. It's her and Cato," Gale says grimly.
Delly nudges me. "Peeta, I have to go to the restroom. Will you hold my spot?"
Relieving yourself is the only legitimate excuse for leaving during mandatory programming like the Games. And even then, there are Port-a-Pottys lining the square. But they all look occupied as I scan them.
"I'll let you in the bakery and escort you back." I accompany Delly back home and let her use my bathroom. As we traipse down the hall on our way back, she says quietly:
"If Katniss wins, will you marry her?"
Oh, how I would love to, but I feel that is a door no longer open to me. I glance at my feet.
"She doesn't love me back. What you saw... she didn't want me to kiss her. She might even love someone else."
Delly looks surprised, and oddly more relaxed. But still pained by my admission. "I'm sorry," she whispers.
That's when it hits me like a ton of bricks. All the puzzle pieces fall into place. Delly is in love with me. And I broke her heart without meaning to. I guess we have both been rejected in some measure, and this kinship makes me feel pity for her as she turns away.
"Delly."
"What?" She murmurs as she spins back to me. But she can't say anything else before I cup her face in my hands and kiss her on the lips.
Fireworks. A sensation I have only ever felt when I kissed Katniss. Delly leaps into my arms and ravages my mouth in return. Opening my lips to her, we begin to kiss more passionately. Delly is not a bad kisser, quite skilled, actually. And she loves me...
We break apart after a few moments with a new shift in our relationship and a new understanding. "Come on. The others will be wondering where we are."
There is excited chatter and murmur as Delly and I join our friends back in the square. "What's happened?"
"Katniss and Cato are fighting on the Cornucopia!" Purnia reports tightly.
Indeed, Cato has Katniss pinned to the horn, trying to push her back towards dog mutts below. Katniss's bow is off to one side. Hands flailing, Katniss suddenly gets her grip on a stray arrow and pierces Cato through the neck.
"AHHH!" The last Career roars in pain, as Katniss kicks him off of her, off the horn and to the mutts below. It isn't long before the last cannon sounds.
Bedlam in the square. We have our third Victor and first in two dozen years.
"She did it! She did it!" Purnia squeals. And in a fit of euphoria, she kisses Gale's face off.
A tense moment as Gale stares at Purnia, thunderstruck. Then, he grabs her and kisses her back.
Grinning in amusement, I peck Delly's temple. None of us notice Darius's relief.
Katniss's POV
After my final interview with Caesar Flickerman, I board the train home for District 12. On the ride back, Haymitch reports to me that Thread has bee ousted for undisclosed reasons and Darius and Purnia have been appointed Head Peacekeeper and Vice Peacekeeper, respectively, in his place.
Darius is the first person I encounter when I get off the train. Launching myself into his arms, I let him kiss me passionately and I kiss him back as our shocked District erupts into further cheers. And as Darius and I kiss, as the man who I wish to be my husband strokes and fondles me through my clothes, fireworks whizz and explode in the nighttime sky above us, above District 12, to celebrate my Victory. No doubt Mother is the most shocked of all, as I later present the engagement ring Darius slipped on my finger.
Darius (the Head Peacekeeper) and I (District 12's third Victor) begin preparations for our wedding and Toasting immediately. And we are not alone. I am stunned to learn that Gale, a lowly Seam miner, will marry Vice Peacekeeper Purnia. And I feel tranquility wash over me when I learn that Delly Cartwright and Peeta are to wed. I always suspected that Delly pined after Peeta, just as he once pined for me.
Two months after I return home, Darius and I sign the marriage papers in the Justice Building. Darius moves from the Peacekeeper Barracks to my mansion in Victors' Village, where we hold our Toasting. By the light of the fire, I nearly swoon as Darius kisses me, his bride. I never thought I would wear Mother's wedding dress, and yet here I am, now a wife. By year's end, we have attended Gale and Purnia's wedding, as well as Delly and Peeta's. Ever night, as I kiss my handsome Peacekeeper husband, and he kisses me back, we make passionate love in our marriage bed.
The following January, I embark on my Victory Tour.