A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry that I haven't updated as quickly as I would've liked to but I've had a really crappy day at school and I think that writing some fanfiction will make me feel better :) so here is chapter 17!
Judging by the look on her face, I would say that Katniss is just about sick of trying on wedding dresses.
Everyone is trying to keep her spirits up by complimenting her on her appearance and telling her just how gorgeous she looks which most definitely is not a lie. She looks absolutely stunning and I can't help but envy her natural beauty. I'm relieved that Haymitch told the Capitol that under no circumstances should she have any alterations, it would've completely ruined her and she would've absolutely hated them. Haymitch.
I look over my shoulder and see him slumped in a chair at the back of the room with a glass of liquor dangling limply over the arm of the chair. He seems completely caught up in his own world, only looking up when Katniss returns in a new dress and even that seems extremely disinteresting to him. I don't feel bad for dragging him here, after all, he has said in the past that he thinks of Katniss and Peeta like his own children so I think it only fitting that he is here on such a momentous occasion.
Peeta isn't here; it is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding after all. A wedding that is non-existent as of yet.
I stop scrawling notes on my schedule and look up as Katniss steps into the room wearing the silk dress that I fell in love with in Cinna's design studio. She occasionally fidgets with it and I send her a glare across the room.
"Doesn't she look wonderful?" I say excitedly and take a step back towards Haymitch, only to receive a grunt in return.
I sigh and roll my eyes. "You could at least pretend to be happy for them."
"Why?" he asks, more fixated on the rim of his glass than on me.
"Well, because it will be the happiest day of their lives."
"No it won't. This was Katniss' idea, Peeta doesn't want this. Well, of course he does but hell – not like this."
He's right, the night of the party at the Presidents mansion; he had taken me up on the roof and explained everything. The wedding was Katniss' idea to stop the president from breathing down her neck about her 'cousin' Gale Hawthorne.
I reach over and take the almost empty glass from Haymitch and he gives me an irritated look. "No more of this for you today." I say and walk towards the kitchen, he soon follows.
I take a small sip and pour the rest down the sink much to Haymitch's disapproval.
"What the fuck, sweetheart?"
I tut, "Language, Haymitch. I think Katniss is finding it hard enough today without having to deal with her drunken former mentor."
He mutters something uncouth under his breath and I follow him back into the living room.
We watch the rest of the photo shoot in silence apart from when I tell Katniss to stop fiddling with her hair which, I assure her, looks very pretty. She however, still seems unconvinced.
Once all of the photos have been taken and Katniss is back in her simplistic element, Haymitch and I are handed the camera and instructed to select the photos that will be used for the public vote. I usher everyone out of Katniss' house to give the girl some peace after such a long day.
Haymitch and I head back to his house to sort through the photos which I can see will be a very trying and lengthy experience.
I immediately slip off my shoes upon arrival losing four inches and collapse on the sofa. I see that the fire has been lit and there is a basket of freshly baked bread on the coffee table so I figure that Peeta must have come round while we were out.
"How long is this going to take?" Asks Haymitch slumping down next to me.
"Well, it's not going to be over in five minutes. Shall we get started?"
We have a system worked out. If he helps me for five minutes then he can have a glass of liquor but if he complains, I get it. Since we have just over sixty photos to sort through, I end up drinking the most out of the two of us.
"I swear this is blackmail." Haymitch mutters under his breath.
"No, it's called a compromise. It's to stop you from getting wasted." I say though at this point in time I am far from steady.
"Sweetheart, you're getting wasted."
"That counts as a complaint." I hold out my empty glass and he looks at me as if I have just lost my mind.
"You can have some water; you need to sober up… Actually no, put your coat on you need to be at the train in-" he looks at the clock "- Shit, five minutes. Come on" he attempts to get me to stand up but I slap his hand away.
"I'm not finished and neither are you. I was instructed not to leave until I am finished." I try to sound stern but I end up trailing off towards the end of the sentence.
"That's a lie. Don't make me carry you."
"Don't you dare-Haymitch!" I yell at him as he picks me up and slings me over his shoulder like some sort of sack of flour. I manage to grab onto the end of the banister hard enough for him to stop moving.
"Please put me down." I moan into his shoulder and he obliges.
"Sweetheart, if I don't get you back to the Capitol on time it's going to be my head-" he continues talking but all I can concentrate on is the nausea slowly building up from my stomach. My legs react before my mind has time to and I sprint to one of the bathrooms. I get there just in time before I throw up an appetizing mix of bread, alcohol and breakfast.
I sit down by the side of the toilet and out of the corner of my eye I see Haymitch leaning on the doorframe wearing that infuriating smirk of his.
"Well this is an interesting role reversal."
"Shut up, Haymitch. You're lucky that wasn't down your back." He chuckles and I want to throw something at him.
"Come on, I'll take you to bed." He helps me up off the floor and takes me into one of the spare bedrooms. The same one I dressed in the last time I was here.
I sit down on the edge of the bed and he leaves the room without a word. I'm about to shout at him when he returns with an extra pillow and a damp washcloth.
"Why are you taking care of me?" I ask while he places the pillow on top of the one that is already at the top of the bed.
"Because I don't particularly want you to choke on your own vomit in your sleep."
I smile at this. "That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
He chuckles and begins wiping the makeup from my face successfully brushing off the comment all together. Only when he finishes does he look me in the eye.
"Well, you've successfully missed your train. Do you want me to phone the others?" I nod and so does he. "How do you feel?"
"Tired." I say plainly and he smirks.
"Get some sleep." He says this, gets up and walks out of the room closing the door behind him softly.
I'm oddly disappointed by this and huff as I take off the thin jacket that offered nothing but appeal to the eye. He could've at least offered to stay until I was asleep but I suppose I must be grateful for what little comfort I receive.
I crawl into the covers having removed everything but my underwear and lie for a moment staring at the ceiling in the dark, revelling in the quiet that cannot be found in the Capitol.
I'm not sure if it's the remaining alcohol in my system or the tiredness that pulls me under first but either way, I fall into a long, deep and dreamless sleep and the best night's rest I've had in the past few weeks.
When I wake, I can tell by the light streaming in through the open curtains that it is mid-morning and the first thing I notice is a glass of water and a little red pill on the bedside table which I waste no time in taking.
I get out of bed almost instantaneously, knowing that the best cure for a hangover in my books is to get up and get on.
I pull my clothes off the floor and frown when I realise that they have been screwed up all night. It's a good thing Haymitch couldn't care less about my appearance. As I get dressed in the previous day's clothes, I realise that I don't have any makeup with me and feel as if I could die right there on the spot. I just had to throw up… I could be home right now in clean clothes looking relatively presentable.
After I have made myself look as satisfactory as possible considering the circumstances, I head downstairs and find no form of life other than myself.
"Haymitch?" I call out and he appears out of the kitchen, bottle in hand.
"Starting early I see."
"You do know what day it is today right or has that alcohol done something to your brain?" I try to rack my brain for the date. I want to hit myself when I realise what today is. Today they will announce the third Quarter Quell.
"Oh my God, Haymitch, I'm sorry-" He waves his hand dismissively but I can see the pain behind eyes.
There is an awkward pause as he goes to sit down on the sofa but eventually I speak, "Did you speak to someone last night regarding my whereabouts?"
"Yes, I spoke to Portia who didn't take the news too lightly. I think I am still partially deaf in one ear, I'm beginning to think that all you Capitol ladies do is shout." I send him a glare but he doesn't see it, much to my annoyance.
"Did she say anything about how I was going to get home?"
"Oh yeah," I roll my eyes "she said that she was gonna speak to someone about it and that there would be a train waiting in the station."
"Thank you, Haymitch. For everything."
"No problem, Princess. S'pose it's just payback anyway for all the times you've dealt with me."
I'm not too sure how to respond to this so I just kiss him on the cheek, bid him goodbye and leave for the train station not forgetting to take the camera and my notes with me.
The journey is shorter than normal which I am glad for considering that it is just me on the train. I can't help but notice that we skip districts four, seven, eight and eleven altogether. Maybe this is where the uprisings are or the uncontrollable ones anyway.
By the time I arrive back in the Capitol it is about two in the afternoon but already people are beginning to wait around by the large screens dotted around various locations for tonight's announcement. The crowd will also get the first look at Katniss' wedding dresses which reminds me, I need to inform Cinna on the final decisions.
He is glad to see that I am back, whether that is because he needed the photos quickly or whether he was concerned for my whereabouts. Probably both because it's Cinna.
I get to my apartment within the hour, with much difficulty as the streets are thickly lined as they are on the first day of the Games.
Home comes as a welcome sight and I am just about to change out of the day old clothes when I smell something odd. It smells so sickly sweet that I think the contents of my stomach might make a reappearance as it did yesterday.
I follow the smell into the living room until it almost becomes unbearable and that's when I see it.
A small envelope made with delicate looking deep red paper leaning against a small white rose bud.
A/N: Again guys, sorry for the lateness but I've been preparing for A LOT of controlled assessments coming in the next few weeks. Also, the first draft I did of this chapter I really didn't like so that is another excuse for my appalling lateness :P Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it and I will try and update relatively quickly seen as it is one hell of a cliffhanger ;) Continue to review and generally be the amazing people you are and I will see you in chapter 18!
~H x