I awake with a fright to see a very tired looking Alexander kneeling next to me with a worried look on his face.
"Wha- What's wrong?"
"You were screaming all night, did you have a bad dream?" He asks with care.
"Oh, uh, y-yeah I did. I'm sorry Alexander."
"It's alright, Haymitch tried to pick you up to put you in your room but you punched him in the eye! He tried to take me into mine but I said I would keep watch over you and make sure you were okay instead, so he went to drink more alcohol to 'drown you out'."
"Ow that must have hurt, I need to find him and apologise." I attempt to get up quickly.
"It's alright I did it for you… Come and have breakfast, it's on the table in the cart next door!" He says excitedly, eyes widening.
I walk in to find a bruised Haymitch, energetic Effie and no Rosedale.
"Where's Rosedale?" I ask curiously.
"I sent her home to the Capitol on another train last night, when we stopped for fuel." Effie replies
"I am really sorry Haymitch!" I squeak trying but not trying to be heard.
"It's okay… I was asking for it, messing with an Everdeen!"
"Is your eye saw? Because I know how to fix things like this, my mother taught me how to."
"Here we go again with the Everdeen traits!" He chuckles.
"Charley why don't you have something to eat." Alex says loudly, interrupting the banter between Haymitch and myself.
"Yes darling that's a good idea." Effie replies.
"I am not really in the mood for food right now."
"I will force feed you!" Haymitch suddenly shouts.
"Do you want me to kick that other eye in as well?"
We all laugh.
"Really sweetie you need to eat because you are meeting your stylists in a few days and we need to fatten you up a bit because, let's face it, in District 12 you eat nothing." Effie tells me, clearly not noticing that we don't have food in the Districts.
"Stylists?" I ask, clearly confused.
"To make you look acceptable." Effie replies bluntly.
"Who is my stylist?" I ask curiously, ignoring her obvious disgust in the way we look.
"Joba!" She answers way too loudly.
"Joba?"
"Yes he is Cinna, your mums' stylists', son!"
"Oh, Joba..."
"Enough talking about Joba EAT SOMETHING!" Haymitch screams "Or else I'll eat it for you!"
And with that he left.
"Don't mind him honey, woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Effie explains.
I decide I had better eat something, so I grab a plate and fill it with turkey… Turkey is a delicacy in District 12 because we hardly have any apart from thanksgiving when there is only one turkey to feed the whole entire district. So I saw this as a very big treat.
"Pace yourself!" Alex laughs.
"What?"
"Pace yourself! You look like you have never seen food before!" He laughs at me again.
I give a smirk as a reply.
"You two get on well then." Effie adds.
"Yeah, it's easy to get on with someone like her." Alexander replies honestly.
Sat there going red I carry on eating. The way he spoke about me like I wasn't even in the room made me go red, and seen as I haven't met him before and I kept him up all night with my screaming, he is very nice to me.
After breakfast I go into the lounge cart and sit staring into space for a while by myself then Haymitch appears and sits next to me.
"Well, well, well I never knew your mum to be quiet!"
"My father is though..." I reason.
"Ah yes, your Mellark side is showing now."
I stayed silent, thinking about my family, but Haymitch pressed on.
"We need to talks tactics"
"And advice from you!" I add.
"Do you want to be trained together or not?"
"Trained together?"
"I know you need to work as a team but maybe you want to show off some cool things your parents taught you?"
"My parents didn't teach me a lot apart from baking…"
"Oh." He says disappointedly.
"Wait there might be a few things." I suddenly remember.
"Yes!" Shouted Haymitch
"I throw knives in the kitchen when my father isn't around, my mum never taught me archery but I taught myself and there is one thing that I don't know if it will help or not."
"What's that?" Haymitch asks eagerly,
"Well I used to like to pick on my brother when I was younger, I used to punch and kick him… he called me a warrior." I explain
"Well I think I might put you down for separate-"
"I want Alexander to decide." I butt in.
"Okay… I will speak to him promptly."
"You're drunk aren't you?" His tone of voice changes as he answers.
"So what if I am!" He snaps.
As he started his last sentence Alexander walked in.
"Surely that's no way to talk to a lady, am I right?"
Once again he made me turn red.
"Speak of the devil" Haymitch snarls, "Little miss Mellark was telling me that it is up to you whether you train together or not!"
"Well I don't want there to be any trust issues, so I guess together."
"I guess together." Haymitch answers in a girly voice.
"What?" Alex replies.
"Well soon enough you will be referring to her as sweetheart, like I did for her mother! Gosh you are so lovey-dovey and girly for a boy."
"Well maybe I will start referring to her as sweetheart! Would you like that?"
"They both look over at me."
"Don't look at me like that, I am not getting involved in your stupid, petty arguments!" I say, next Alex shouts.
"I will call her sweetheart and show you that nothing is happening between us."
He walks away and Haymitch barks out.
"Go on run away, maybe your little sweetheart will come and give you a pet-talk telling you not to worry because you have her!"
"Why don't you just not talk to him so there is no more conflict, just until we arrive at the Capitol?"
"Okay, but I am not promising! If says anything I will most probably reply!" Haymitch finishes the conversation as he gets up and staggers back to the bar cart.
For the next few days Haymitch takes my advice and there is no more arguing.