Katniss looks like she may be wondering the same thing that I am. "Where did Thresh go? I mean, what's on the far side of the circle?" She asks me. Wheat/grain/grass.
"A field. As far as you can see it's full of grasses as high as my shoulders. I don't know, maybe some of them are grain. There are patches of different colors, but no paths."
"I bet some of them are grain. I bet Thresh knows which ones, too." Well, Kyra told me which ones, but I decide not to bring that up, not sure why. "Did you go in there?" She asks me. I did, but not far. Just as we got into the field the fire began. "No. Nobody really wanted to track down Thresh in the grass. It has a sinister feeling to it." It does, too. Not knowing what's around you? It's very frightening. "Everytime I look at that field, all I can think of are hidden things. Snakes, and rabid animals, and quicksand." Okay, so I didn't technically run into any of these things when we were there before, but, we also didn't get very far. Who's to say those things aren't in there? "There could be anything in there," I add on.
"Maybe there is a bread bush in that field. Maybe that's why Thresh looks better fed now than when we started the games."
"Either that or he's got very generous sponsors. I wonder what we'd have to do to get Haymitch to send us some bread." She raises her eyebrows and looks the other direction. I see a small smirk cross her face and realize she either knows and isn't telling me, or she has an idea. I sure hope so. I'd kill for bread right now. Actually, those are probably the wrong words to use right now considering where we are.
Katniss grabs my hand. "Well, he probably used up a lot of resources helping me knock you out." She does have a mischievous grin, and I'm wondering what's going on in her head. I remember the sweet tasting sleep syrup. That stuff is pretty expensive, this late in the games. "Yeah, about that, don't try something like that again."
"Or what?"
"Or…or…" Damnit! I wasn't expecting the "or what?" I look away, embarrassed, and say, "Just give me a minute." She grins again. "What's the problem?" The problem? The problem is that I was wrong. The problem is that the reason we are both still alive was because she drugged me even though I put up a fight about it. The problem is that she's known what she was doing all along in these games and I've pretty much just skated by on luck and lies.
"The problem is that we're both still alive. Which only reinforces the idea in your head that you did the right thing." Uh oh, now she's pissed. I've done it now.
"I did do the right thing!" Here we go… Maybe I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her, that part is true. But, still, I'm still a huge liability on her part. Maybe, if I had died, the anger she'd have had would have been enough to take all three of the remaining tributes out. Just maybe, if I'd have died, she'd already be on her way back to District 12. Back to her family, back to Gale. But that's not why I'm mad. I'm actually not mad at all, I'm just frustrated that she had to risk her life to save me, when I'm just a burden now. "No! Just don't, Katniss." My grip tightens without me meaning it to, and she yanks her hand away. She wets her lips before opening her mouth to what I can only assume, is yell at me, but I interrupt her.
"Don't die for me, you won't be doing my any favors, alright?" She steps back. Is she startled by me? I didn't mean to frighten her or come off as a jerk but that's the vibe I'm getting from her now: heat. "Maybe I did it for myself, Peeta. Did you think of that?" Well, no. I didn't. "Maybe you aren't the only one who…who worries about…what it would be like if…."
She struggles to carry on this argument, and I think I realize what she is saying. I wasn't complaining when she was acting affectionate with me or kissing me, but something told me it's because we are the "star-crossed lovers." But now? It seems like that wasn't entirely it. My frustration completely dissipates. "If what, Katniss?" I say, as softly as I know how to.
I need her to tell me, I need to hear it. I can't figure her out, I never could. It kills me that I don't know what she is thinking.
"That's exactly the kind of topic Haymitch told me to steer clear of." Of course, Haymitch. It doesn't surprise me in the least that he tells her to keep her guard up, to keep quiet, to act like nothing can break her, all the while he is telling me the complete opposite. I make a mental note to punch his lousy drunk self in the face if I get out of here. But I'm kidding myself, I don't think I'd be capable of that, even if he is a drunkard.
"Well, then I guess I'll have to fill in the blanks myself." I am about to go take a walk, short as it may be, to clear my head, to get the thoughts and the feelings out of the way so that we can focus on winning these games. But then I can't. She is looking at me again. In the way she did before. She's looking directly at me. Her eyes are staring so deep into mine that I'm afraid she can see right through me, like she knows everything about me, and it's incredible, it's comforting. If I can't know her, then I want her to know me.
I don't want to be afraid anymore, life is too short. Her eyelashes finally come down, but when they rise again, the same look is cutting right through me. Without thinking, I take a step forward. Then another, then another after that. I instinctively put my arms around her waist, and she backs up, just a little bit. Force of habit, I assume, but then I put my lips on hers, and at first, she is still. Then, in less than a second, she moves into me, closer to me. We're now chest to chest, nose to nose, mouth to mouth.
I realize that this is the first kiss we've had where we have both been completely conscious, and completely aware of what we are doing. And in this moment, I'm happier than I have ever been, regardless of dangerous situation that we're in, somehow, that makes it even better. The electricity returns. It starts in my hands, where they are against the small of her back. The electricity runs then from my hands, to my arms, down to every last nerve in my body, being strongest in my lips. I start to wonder if maybe this is what people are talking about when they refer to "sparks". I remember my brother Riley telling me he didn't think that any "sparks flew" between my mother and father, all these years. Is that possible? All I can think is that I'm hoping Katniss is feeling the same thing I am right now.
It's intense, and I don't want to stop, ever. Her hands are on my shoulders, and I move mine up from her back, into her hair, but then I feel it. The heel of my hand brushed briefly across her forehead, and I felt the dampness of her bandage. She was bleeding again. As much as I wanted to keep going-who knows when or if this will ever happen again- I have to stop. I don't want her to lose any more blood. I withdraw and move my head back. Her eyes are still closed, she expects me to kiss her again, and it takes everything I have not to. Instead, I just softly caress her hands, and kiss the tip of her nose lightly. She opens her eyes to ask why I've stopped. Then I tell her, "I think your wound is bleeding again." She needs to lie down. I get into the sleeping back, lying on my right side, facing away from the rock. I pat the side of the bag next to me. "Come on, it's bedtime anyway."
I don't think she wants to sleep, though. She insists that I put my jacket on, and she pulls on her socks. She tells me that she'll take the first watch, but I say no. "Katniss, look at the weather, no one will come looking for us in this. Besides, you're cold. Come here." I motion again to the sleeping bag. She climbs in the bag, and lies on her left side, facing me. I pull her head down, so that her head is resting on my right arm. I pull her closer and then put my left arm over her, keeping her close to me. Once I feel her stop shivering, I close my eyes to sleep.
It was a dreamless sleep, but it was the best sleep I've gotten since I've been here. So when she shakes me awake about three and a half hours later, I feel fine to stay up so she can rest. Before closing her eyes for the remainder of the night, she tells me, "Tomorrow, when it's dry, I'll find us a place so high in the trees we can both sleep in peace." My arm holding her feels her side rise and fall slower and slower, then I know that she is sleeping.
There isn't anything going on in the weather we're having. I simply lean my head back and watch the rain fall outside of the cave. It's beautiful. Everyone in District 12 hates this weather-especially Katniss and Gale- because they can't hunt. On these days, the Hob is closed because it's outdoors obviously. Mine workers still have to work but it's always a bad day for them because it's a long walk to the mines and by the time they get there they're soaking wet. Then the mines are cold, so a lot of mine workers get sick. My mom and brother Jacob hates the rain because business is slow. Riley hates it because he's stuck inside all day. I think my dad and I are the only ones who enjoy it. My dad will usually sit in a chair by the window and read a book while listening to the pitter patter on the roof.
On rainy days I like to put on a heavy jacket and walk through town. I have my hood on, but I don't carry an umbrella. There is something peaceful about the rain-especially the summer rain. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is, maybe it's the smell or maybe it's the way the town looks after it's gone. As I look down at Katniss now, I realize what it is. All of my good memories have always happened in the rain. The first day of school, the day when we were five, it was raining outside. When she sang when we were nine it was raining outside. When Riley and I were younger, since he was stuck in the house, he'd play with me. Sometimes I'd read with my dad next to the window with the water rolling down it. Even my mother was surprisingly calm on those days. Then, the day I threw Katniss the bread, it was raining, and now, with our first real kiss-not delusional one- it is raining.
I may have dozed off for a few minutes here and there, but before I know it, it's morning. Katniss wakes up and grimaces and sighs when she sees that it's still raining. "Ugh." She says, laying her head back down on my arm. "It's okay, Katniss. I can go out and gather anyway." I would like her to go with me, but not only does she not want to, I don't want the bandage to get wet. Still, I offer to go. My stomach growls, and her stomach then syncs up with mine. "Are you sure? I don't mind…"
"Even then, you wouldn't be able to see three feet in front of you, and we know you don't need to get sick. That's the last thing we need." I look out at the forest with the rain making everything glisten. I long to be out in it, but I know she is right. I have gotten sick countless times because of my habit of walking in the rain. So, we both get out of the sleeping bag and lean against the rocks. I unzip the sleeping bag so it's more of a blanket, then I pull her close to me and I drape it over us to keep us warm.
It bothers me that Haymitch hasn't sent us anything. All day we've been sitting here slightly cold even with the sleeping bag, and no food. We're both very hungry. I have to wonder if there was something that Katniss did that made him send her stuff. She gets on his nerves, and I know she is right when she says he likes me better but I can't understand why he has sent her everything she needed and left me to die. Maybe because that's what I planned to do anyway? I don't know, but he could have at least sent something to make it easier, like heavy painkillers.
Time passes and it's evening. All we did all day was pretty much just take turns napping. It helps keep the hunger at bay. Sometimes we'd chew mint leaves, but after the first few, I declined any more, as it just made me want to eat instead of distract me. "Peeta," Katniss says, barely above a whisper. "You said at the interview you had a crush on me forever. When did forever start?" I don't cringe at this subject, and I'm glad for something to talk about. We'd talked today, of course, but nothing real personal. Any change to grow closer to Katniss I'll take.
"Well, let's see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair…it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed you out when we were waiting to line up." Katniss seems surprised by how much I remember. I remember every detail about that first day.
"Your father? Why?"
"He said, see that little girl? I wanted to marry her mother, but she ran off with a coal miner."
"What? You're making that up!" She tells me.
"No, true story." I can only imagine what is going on at my house right now. If we're on camera right now, which, I'm sure we are, and watching is mandatory, my brothers and mother just heard this. Then I remember my mother probably saw everything: The interview where I admitted it, the protecting her, the kiss, the second, much more real kiss, and now this story. She must be pissed. It kind of half brings a smile to my face. This is my life, and my choice. My mother is a bad person for looking down on people from the Seam, and though, yes, I still love her, I mean, she's my mother-I hope this makes her think twice about taking her luck for granted. She could have very easily married a man from the Seam, or she could have easily been born into a Seam family.
I do feel bad, though. My father told me this in confidence, and while he didn't tell me not to say anything, I'm sure he didn't want my mother knowing. And my brothers, well, they'd tell her. Jacob might not, as he really doesn't care about anything, but he wouldn't try hard to keep it a secret either. Riley seems to crave drama, or action, and he'd tell her for sure. I'm sure my dad understands. He would have told Katniss' mom everything if he was in this situation with her twenty years ago. I hope he is proud of me for the choices I've made so far. I get back to my story.
"And I said, 'a coal miner? Why did she want a coal miner when she could have had you?' And he said, "Because when he sings, even the birds stop to listen.'" That's when I realize why Katniss' voice is so hypnotic- he said the same thing about her mother. Her mother and father were both harmonious singers. "That's true" Katniss begins, "They do. I mean, they did."
"So that day, in music assembly, the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you up on a stool and had you sing for us. And I swear, every bird outside the window fell silent."
"Oh, please." She says.
"No, it happened. And a few years later, the same thing happened. And I knew, right there, that just like your mother, I was a goner." I gulp. This next part it what I'm actually going to struggle with. "Then for the next eleven years, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."
"Without success." Yeah, unfortunately. "Without success," I agree, "So, in a way, my name being drawn in the reaping was a real piece of luck." Katniss looks me over, very carefully. She looks like she is trying to read me, but I've been so honest, what could she possibly be trying to see?
Finally, she says, "You have a…remarkable memory." Not with most things, but with her, yes. She is giving me the look again, the one where she stares into my eyes. "I remember everything about you," I say, tucking her hair behind her ear. I stare back into her eyes to keep the eye contact, and I smile. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention." And she wasn't, but, not that I could blame her. I know she had other things to worry about, but I'm glad she sees it now, sees me. I expect her to stay silent and just preserve the moment, but I still can't quite figure her out. She tells me, "I am now." That completely threw me off guard. Though, I'm ecstatic to hear it.
I try to joke, and it actually benefits me for once. "Well, I don't have much competition here." I say, motioning to the situation we're in. She looks me in the eyes again. "You don't have much competition anywhere." My heart jumps, and seems to just get stuck wherever it's jumped to. This time, she kisses me and I realize, if I died right here and now I'd have a smile on my face. Of course, as soon as her lips touch mine, the electricity returns- the kind that makes my heart stop, the kind I'm completely addicted to. But we don't stay liplocked for long, as Haymitch has finally sent us something. Well, about time.
I pick up the basket, and realize Katniss has her arrow drawn and pointed at the pot, like it scared her. "Don't worry," I say, "I'll share." She manages a small laugh and shakes her head while putting her arrow away. "I'm sorry," She says, with the biggest smile on her face. "I'm a little on edge."
"That's okay, so am I. Look where we are. But I am glad you're here with me." She says nothing but smiles and I knew she is happy too.
I give the basket to Katniss to do the honors. She rips off the top, and inside, there's a feast fit for a plump Capitol citizen. Our eyes widen and our mouths water at the sight and smell of it. There's everything: Cheese, bread, fruit, and the lamb stew that Katniss likes so much. I get back under the sleeping bag, and tell her, "I guess Haymitch finally got tired of watching us starve."
"I guess so."
Katniss immediately goes for the stew, no surprise to me, but after awhile I have to slow her down. "We'd better take it slow on that stew. Remember the first night on the train? The rich food made me sick and I wasn't even starving then." Which is true, I don't want her body to reject it, she needs it. She stops. "You're right. And I could just inhale the whole thing!" I give her a roll and half the apple, plus a little stew and rice. I serve myself the same amount, and we try to go as slow as possible with it. She looks at the basket when she's done. "I want more." So do I, but then, there is still the risk of us throwing it up. We can't afford to do that, every morsel counts. "Me too. Tell you what. We wait an hour, if it stays down, then we get another serving." She nods her head. "Agreed. It's going to be a long hour."
"Maybe not that long," I tell her, we just have to keep distracted and that hour will fly by. "What was that thing you were saying before the food arrived…something about me…no competition…best thing that ever happened to you." Okay, so I want to hear it again, you can't blame me. "I don't remember that last part…" she says. So she catches it, but she blushes, which is good enough for me. "Oh, that's right, that's what I was thinking." I really am hoping I'm not pushing my luck here, but what the hell, I'm in the best mood as of late. I tell her to scoot over because I'm cold, and she does. I pull the blanket up some more.
"So, when you were five, you never noticed any other girls?" She asks me. Honestly, yeah, a lot. But none were Katniss. "No, I noticed just about every girl, but the only one that made a lasting impression on me was you."
"I'm sure that would thrill your parents, you liking a girl from the Seam." Actually, my dad would probably prefer me marry a girl from the Seam, especially if it's Katniss. My mother, not so much. She'd have an embolism, figuratively, of course.
"Hardly, but I couldn't care less. Anyway, if we make it back, you won't be a girl from the seam, you'll be a girl from the Victor's Village." I actually think about this one. Would my mother approve then? Probably not. She would probably want me to marry a girl that was born into a rich or at least steady family. Still, the look on her face…classic. It would be hysterical for Katniss and I to have houses there bigger than hers. That would piss her off to no end.
"But then our only neighbor will by Haymitch!" Yes, I hadn't thought of that. It does disturb me, but though he's kind of a jerk and a drunkard, I know he looks out for her. Maybe he looks out for me too. And if I ever needed liquor, which I probably wouldn't, he'd be the guy to go to.
"Ah, that'll be nice," I say, sarcastically. "You and me and Haymitch. Very cozy. Picnics, birthdays, long winter nights around the fire retelling old Hunger Games tales."
"I told you, he hates me!"
"Only sometimes, when he's sober, I've never heard him say one negative thing about you."
"He's never sober." Okay, good point. But he doesn't hate her. I think he comes off that way because she's one of the only people he actually has respect for. Actually, probably the only person he has any speck of respect for. Surely not me. "That's right," I say, "Who am I thinking of? Oh, I know. It's Cinna who likes you. But that's mainly because you didn't try to run when he set you on fire, on the other hand, Haymitch, well, if I were you, I'd avoid Haymitch completely, he hates you." I say all of this sarcastically, but I don't think she catches it.
"I thought you said I was his favorite."
"He hates me more. I just don't think people in general is his sort of thing." Right. His sort of thing is a clear bottle of clear liquor. If it was legal to marry Vodka he'd be a happy man. I really do hope Haymitch is listening to all of this. It brings a smile to my face. Serves him right for completely ignoring me in the arena when I was dying for another person to live. He sure as hell wouldn't do something like that. "How do you think he did it?" She asks me. "Who? Did what?"
"Haymitch. How do you think he won the games?"
Well, I want to say that he just climbed up a tree and drunk himself into a week long stupor and was the only one left alive when he woke up. But, you can't have alcohol in the arena, and I'm sure Haymitch wasn't always an alcoholic. Still, I never thought about how Haymitch won his games. It is very intriguing to me. Then I figure it out. Haymitch, drunk asshole that he is, is still a very smart guy. "He outsmarted the others." She nods, and then we don't say anything for awhile, but I get a sympathetic look on her face, like she feels sorry for Haymitch. I guess it does suck narrowly surviving this traumatic event. Then, having to watch tributes from your district die on live tv, while under your direction? These tributes might have been people he'd gone to school with. They may have been neighbors at one time, he may have just seen them walking by. I don't know how I'd deal with that, and a heavy weight comes down on my shoulders now that I realize that that is exactly what Katniss and I will be doing, if we even make it out of here.
It hasn't been a whole hour, but Katniss doesn't look sick at all so I don't stop her when she goes for more food. She looks at me and I get what she wants to ask, I nod, and she begins to serve each of us some stew. While she's doing that, the anthem plays and my eyes look to the sky. The stars are now covered with the Capitol seal. I see Thresh's picture in the sky, and I don't really know how to feel. It's one less, not to mention, big, person we'll have to defeat to leave here. But Thresh? I really wish Cato had gone first, and I feel like an insensitive Capitol person for thinking it, but it's true. Thresh just wanted the same thing I want. The same thing we all want: to go home. Katniss is saying something but I interrupt. "Katniss?" When she finally looks at me I tell her that Thresh is now gone. She looks like she doesn't know how to feel either. Then she is confused because we didn't hear a cannon. "We must have missed it. Maybe it fired during the thunderstorm." She pushes me aside to get a glimpse herself, and then she slumps against the rock, staring into nothing. "You okay?"
Okay, so I hate when people ask me if I'm okay when I'm so clearly not. But, I had to say something, and that's all that came out. It takes her awhile to compose herself. "It's just…if we didn't win, I wanted Thresh to. Because of what he did, and because of Rue."
"Yeah, I know." And then I try to comfort her. "But this means we're one step closer to going home." I pass a plate of food to her and tell her to eat.
"It also means that Cato will be back to hunting us." She says. There is still the girl Katniss calls Foxface, but I don't think she is much of a threat. Cato will definitely be coming after us now. I'm sure he knows that I am weak, and he probably thinks all he'll have to do is face off Katniss. But, there's our advantage. I'm much stronger now. Not like I was, no way, but strong enough to at least put up a somewhat decent fight.
"And he's got supplies again."
"He'll be wounded, I bet." She says.
"What makes you say that?" I wonder.
"Because Thresh never would have gone down without a fight. He's strong, I mean, he was, and they were in his territory." She says they like it could have been Foxface, I know Cato is ruthless, I know Cato killed Thresh. And, as bad as it sounds, I hope Cato kills Foxface. It won't be as hard for us to kill Cato as it would be for us to kill Foxface. She has a point though. I hope Cato is severely wounded. Maybe we can actually go and seek him out.
"Good, the more wounded Cato is the better. I wonder how Foxface is making out?"
"Oh, she's fine. It will probably be easier to catch Cato than her."
"Maybe they'll catch each other and we can just go home." I can wish.
"But we better be extra careful with the watches. I may have dozed off a few times." I admit. "Me too. But not tonight."
I tell her I'll watch first. I turn the blanket back into a sleeping bag and she slips inside. I slip down with her until she falls asleep. While I'm lying there, she is facing me, and her eyes are shut, but she is mouthing something. No words are coming, but she is saying something. Then I watch her chest rise and fall, and when she's asleep, I get up. Time goes by, and every now and then I'd get up and walk around to keep myself from falling asleep against the rock. I get hungry, so after a few hours, I eat. I get half a roll and spread some cheese on it and top it with some apple slices.
After I feel like I just can't keep my eyes open anymore, I wake her up and hand her her half of the food. She seems to enjoy the concoction I've made using the bread, apple, and cheese. "We have a goat cheese and apple tart at the bakery." I tell her. "Bet that's expensive." It is, not even we can eat that, unless it's extremely old, but by then, it's no good. I tell her, "Too expensive for my family to eat. Unless it's gone very stale. Of course, nearly everything we eat is stale." This seems to surprise her. It makes me wonder what kind of life she thinks I had?
She accidentally hits me in the shoulder when she moves, and I wake up. When I open my eyes, her hair is in her face, and she has a guilty look on her face like she feels bad for waking me up. So I pull her down to kiss her. I swear, everytime we kiss, it's nostalgic. The electricity returns and takes over me everytime, but it still doesn't become routine or boring, or anything of the sort. Each time, I feel even more alive than I did before. It's like it heals me. She is the first to pull away. "We're wasting hunting time." I wish it would've lasted longer, but I remind myself there are plenty of opportunities in the future if we can just make it out of here, so I get up and prepare myself to do exactly as she tells me and fight to take us home.
We eat before we leave. I'm surprised to say the least when she divides the remainder of our food, but she tells me we'll earn it all back today. I know she's an incredible hunter, but still, I'm glad she finally notices just how good she is for herself. We poke some fun at Effie with our lack of manners, and it's our genuine way of telling her we miss her. Sure, she's the one who drew our names and sent us to our deaths, but I tend to like Effie slightly more than the Capitol citizens who watch us, and the Capitol leaders, and the gamemakers. Effie grew up on this, and while it's no excuse, she doesn't really see it as wrong, because she was raised that way. Just before we leave, I flirt with her some more and steal one more kiss before we leave the cave to hunt.
I tell her that I am afraid that Cato will be hunting us now, and that we should be careful. Then, we replenish our water and Katniss checks snares, and we come up empty. She tells me we should go to her old hunting ground and I tell her I'll do whatever she asks of me. She seems to appreciate this.
I follow her for awhile, listening and watching like she told me to, but then she whips around to face me so fast it startles me a little bit. "What?"
"You've got to move more quietly." She tells me. I hadn't noticed I was being loud, and she tells me I'll chase off everything we can eat. I tell her I'm sorry, and then I try to walk more quietly, but my leg is killing me, and I'm not sure how much longer I can walk. She turns around after about five minutes, obviously frustrated. "Can you take your boots off?" She asks me. I don't want to walk barefoot through thick terrain like this. "Here?"
"Yes, I will too. That way we'll both be quieter." I can't help but think of Gale. I'm sure he's laughing at the screen right now. Gale is bigger than me, with weight and height, yet, somehow he can tread just as light as Katniss can. He had to, it was survival for him and his family. I wish I could do that for her. I wish I could have been the one to hunt with her and help her, but I was afraid.
When we stop to rest, I suggest I go off alone, I know by the fact that we haven't had any luck that I'm being too loud, even with my boots off. She doesn't really feel okay with me going off alone because of my injured leg and Cato. So I just laugh to fool her into thinking that I'm not afraid of Cato. Truth is, I'm very afraid of Cato. But not so afraid that I'd run away if I faced him. I'd go down making sure he is as weak as possible so that Katniss can pick him off like he's just a rabbit, not a six foot killer. I tell her that I've handled him before, but it isn't a great argument since I was dying in the aftermath of my confrontation with him. She gives me a look.
Eventually, I get her to let me go off, though not too far, and gather anything I can find to eat. I leave a backpack on the ground outside the forest in the clearing by the stream. I tell her I'll meet her back here, and she agrees. In the forest, I dig up some roots like she told me too, but then on the way back, I see them. Little dark purple berries just right there in front of my face. I go up and look at them. They look incredibly juicy, and incredibly tasty, and I pick one off to pop it in my mouth. Unfortunately, my clumsiness gets the best of me and I drop it. I kick it away with my foot and decide it's better that way because I really shouldn't eat without Katniss anyway. So instead, I just gather as many as I can hold and walk back to the clearing.
I'm close to it when she calls my name frantically. I run. Immediately I think she's in trouble. So regardless of the excruciating pain I'm in, I run towards the voice. When I see her, I run past some bushes and she launches an arrow. She must have seen me at the last minute, because an arrow whirs right by me and gets stuck in a tree. By reflex, I fling the berries in the air and jump to my left away from the arrow. She stomps over to me. Of course, she almost shot me and she's still the one that's mad. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be here, not running around in the woods!"
"I found some berries," I try to say as innocently as I can.
"I whistled, why didn't you whistle back?" Oh yes, this was our agreement for her to keep in touch with me. "I didn't hear."
"I thought Cato killed you!" Now I realize her anger was just covering up her fear… of losing me. I grab her and hold onto her in a tight embrace. "Katniss?"
She pushes away from me. "If two people agree on a signal, they stay in range. Alright?" Alright, geez. "All right!" I say, a little patronized.
"All right! Because that's what happened with Rue, and I watched her die!"
Katniss is now on the verge of tears. She turns away from me before I have a chance to comfort her, and she looks at our food basket. Then, of course, she accuses me of eating without her. "What? No I didn't!" I could have eaten without her, but I chose not to after dropping that berry. I should have just ate it. "Oh, and I suppose the apples ate the cheese." I notice that the cheese is gone. "I don't know what ate the cheese." Honestly, it was probably a rabbit or something. "I've been down collecting berries, would you care for some?" I ask her. Then, as she is about to take one, her eyes grow wide. Before I can ask why, a cannon fires. Please be Cato. Please be Cato. Please be Cato. I turn the way she does, and we see a hovercraft lift Foxface's lifeless body out of the arena. Cato killed her.
Immediately, I push Katniss into a tree, she hits it kinda hard, which I feel bad for, and she gives me a look as if to say, "OW! What the hell?" I tell her to climb. Who knows how close Cato is now. Foxface was only about a hundred yards away. He is coming to kill us now. She has no urgency, and I can't figure why. "No, Peeta, she's your kill, not Cato's." What? All I did was go and collect berries. That's all she'd let me do. There's no way… "What? I haven't even seen her since the first day. How could I have killed her?" Katniss holds out the berries to answer my question.