Chapter 8- Whispers

Prim POV

Nankeen, Basil, and Madden showed up to prep me for the sponsor/mentor/Game Maker party around five PM. I exchanged hellos with them as they started to examine what needed to be done. "You're looking really good," Madden complimented me.

"Thanks so are you," I said. He is in a bright yellow suit, but wearing dark blue shoes, a fashion I don't quite get.

"Have you been using that cream I gave you?" Nankeen asked me. I nodded.

"Yes. It's a way better alternative to hair ripping," I said honestly.

"I know!" she squealed and hugged me, apparently happy that I was using something she gave me. I accepted the hug.

"Do we need to hose her?" Basil interjected as Nankeen pulled away.

"No, we can just send her to the showers," Madden suggested.

"Okay. Hurry up and shower little missy, we'll be right in your room," I have a room here, but it isn't used much. I just really only keep my clothes there. We blitzed, they went to my room and I headed to the bathroom. As I was on my way, my feet lost contact with the ground. I laughed, "Sen, come on I have to shower or else Nankeen and them won't be happy."

Seneca grinned, "I think they'll forgive me, but you're right, you do need to wash. Come and he carried me off.

Haymitch POV

I sat at the table in the center of the eating area in the penthouse. I needed to hold off the booze, until this whole damn thing was over. How the hell was I supposed to last that long? I'd be lucky not to walk out of here at least with a drink in a to-go cup. But Effie made me swear to help these tributes as best I could.

Was I clear minded when I agreed?

Probably the answer was no.

I saw Portia come in to the room with Peeta, who was dressed to make me look like shit. He was all fancied up in a black suit, hair slicked behind him. A natural charmer he was.

Of course Effie picked now to enter. She looked at Peeta in approval, then her gaze turned to me and she shrieked in horror: "We're leaving in an hour and you're not even ready!"

"Cool your wig," I snapped.

"Humph," she stuck up her nose and pretended that I wasn't there. Good. Now I had a better chance of escaping attendance to this party. God, I wanted that booze. Just me and the drink. Haymitch is always happy when he has his drink.

Nicki POV

I lay under my covers shivering.

I could never sleep now, and I might not be able to ever again. In three days' time, I'll be dead. There's no other way to put it. So why close my eyes when they'll be closed permanently soon anyways?

Seneca POV

"You're so beautiful Prim," I said as I zipped up the green dress she was wearing that had a sling over strap on one of her shoulders.

She blushed, "Not real…" Before she could say really, I cut her off with a kiss on her lips.

"Really," I finished her thought for her.

"Hey, where'd my prep team go?" she looked around for them this way and that way, but found nothing. She looked confused.

"I told them I could handle you until the event and thanked them for all they did," I said casually.

"We could just stay here," she mused.

"But this is very important, love, we need to see who we're talking about for sponsors. We have some very promising tributes this year. But I'll tell you what, we can come home early."

She leaned against me and murmured, 'Deal,' and I couldn't help smiling.

Katniss POV

Okay, I was apparently underestimating the whole lavishness of the sponsor/mentor social. Tables with food of all kinds I'd loved back home and some I had loved ever since moving here were on each table. Peeta and I were looking around as a few people came to talk about sponsoring.

"I just loved little Juniper. She seems so sweet," one woman said to me.

"She's very sweet and shy," I said.

"I'm betting on her. District 12 has been having good tributes the past few years," the woman said off handedly.

"Yes, we have," I agreed. No need to mention that all those said tributes were lost to the cruel Games.

"Well I will certainly talk all those I know in to sponsoring the 12 tributes," she said as she took a bit of a lamb chop and turned to walk away.

"Thank you,' I said as she walked away. I hoisted up my yellow dress (something Effie surely would've blown my head off for) so I wouldn't trip as I meandered over to where all these breads were. Of course I found Peeta over by here, examining each type. "See any you like?' I asked.

"A lot actually. I had two people come up and tell me they were planning on sponsoring Boggs," he told me, apparently proud.

"Ooh the odds are in your favor," I said teasingly as I looked over at Effie, who was across the room talking to some chick in the biggest hat I'd ever seen.

"Yeah, and Portia said she might see about sponsoring," he offered as I took another sip of my wine in my hand.

"Cinna said the same when I saw him as I walked in. Hey, have you seen my sister?" I wondered.

"Katniss!" I turned to see my little sister in this beautiful green dress and her hair was in a waterfall style. I saw her let go of Seneca's hand as she skipped over. Prim looked so much what I'd seen my mom look like back when she was younger, it was crazy.

"Gotten any sponsors?" Peeta asked her. She was here to try and get Nicki some sponsors.

"A few actually said they were interested in her and are betting on her."

"Hey, what's the arena like for this year? Do you know?" this might give a better indication in to the chances of survival that all the tributes had. Some tributes are just better in some arenas, or so I've found out.

"Seneca has hinted at a few things, but I'm still guessing," she shrugged. Shit, that backfired.

"Oh. Are you coming to the apartment after this?'

"I'll stop by in the morning," she said as someone came up to talk to her.

'Be careful!" I called after her, and we both laughed.

"What was that all about?' Peeta asked, wondering about the last comment I had made to Prim.

"Sister Thing," I said, not really caring to explain.

"Oh, Katniss, I forgot to tell you. Gale's due in ton on the morning before the Games."

'What for?"

"He's talking of an… uprising."