Oh wow, long time no update – sorry guys. Sequoia (Your name reminds me of Disneyland Paris, just so you know), MeganWray and noctuas – thank you so much for your lovely reviews! They mean a lot! So without any further ado, onto the next chapter! Enjoy it everyone!
The next couple of days drag along, bringing boredom with them. Nothing much happens; the power is still unreliable so we are in darkness more often than not. Rare moments of gloomy power bring little activity. Mostly people move around the bunker so their joints don't cramp up. It isn't a fun experience for anyone. Plus Buttercup went crazy and didn't leave his den from under the bed for a full day when Haymitch accidently stood on his tail. Prim wasn't too happy with Haymitch for standing on her beloved cat, but it was one of the rare times the rest of us had a little enjoyment down in the bunker – albeit at Buttercup's expense.
Once Haymitch had finished moaning about Buttercup the power went down again and we retired to our assigned beds, mattresses or whatever else we have been forced to camp on in this situation. It doesn't take long for our overcrowded bunker to get a little restless. Prim and my mother are sometimes called to work, but even then the chatter doesn't disappear all together. Prim may be the main culprit by starting off every single conversation, but once she goes we continue onwards in our aimless chatting.
It may be aimless, but it does have a good effect. I've learnt more about Effie in two days than I have over the best part of a year. During her school years she was the fastest person in her class, she first started been an escort during the 65th Hunger Games – the same year Finnick won and (amongst other things) she hates cats because she got clawed by one as a child. Seeing as I hate cats and Haymitch now does because of the Buttercup accident, we all spend a while discussing why cats are the 'worst animals in existence' as Effie put it. It's probably the most normal conversation I've participated in with both my former mentor and escort. It was a nice change.
It was in that moment, discussing the numerous things we hate about cats, that a new activity was born. I was simply clicking the torch on and off, and for the first time since Haymitch stood on him, Buttercup leapt from under the bed and attempted to grab the light. Seeing as he darted from under the bed I was sitting on and zoomed under my feet, it took me by surprise and I dropped the torch. Confused, Buttercup sulked away.
So I picked up the torch and flicked the light on again. Rapidly, Buttercup leapt for the light but I flicked the switch off. In the darkness I could hear Buttercup let out a muddled meow and Haymitch and Effie laughing at the sight of Buttercup. "That's one crazy cat…" Haymitch muttered as I flicked the torch back on and Buttercup leapt for it.
"What are you doing?" Prim asked, returning to our compartment after her medical assistance was no longer needed.
"We're playing… Crazy Cat…" I tell her, moving myself further up the bed so Prim can sit down.
"Crazy Cat? What's that?" Prim asked, squinting to find Buttercup on the floor in the darkness.
"Watch," I say, aiming the Torch for the wall and flicking the switch on. Immediately Buttercup hisses and leaps for the light, hitting the wall with a thud. Before Prim can complain about the treatment of Buttercup I flash the light out of our compartment and onto the floor in front of another compartment. Not intruding their privacy, but I wouldn't be surprised if they could see the light streaming through. Instantly Buttercup chases after it and a child's laughter makes all of us stand up and rush from the room to see what trouble Buttercup as caused. Instead we find him lying on his back, attempting to turn his self over and back onto four legs.
"Do that again!" The child who laughed asks me. She can't be any older than six, and her wide eyes are begging me to do the Crazy Cat thing for her again. I look to her parents, who don't seem too happy about the intrusion of Buttercup and me, but I hand her the torch and tell her to aim it in any direction. She follows my instructions and is soon laughing again at Buttercup's attempt to catch it. "He is a funny cat!" She laughs before running back to her parents who welcome her with open arms.
Soon Crazy Cat is an activity enjoyed by all. I'm even given a special batch of batteries to use up on the game. However it can get a little boring watching silly, little Buttercup bounce for the beam of light streaming from the torch. The residents of the bunker don't think that way, but they aren't the ones doing all the work and aiming the torch for Buttercup. With every leap performed by the ginger mass of hair there is a collected choir of laughter from the assembled people of the bunker.
"Here," I say, passing the torch over to Effie, "You have a go, just flick the switch and you'll be fine,"
Timidly she takes the torch from me and when Buttercup begins to purr she flashes it close to a group of young girls, when Buttercup pounces they jump back and begin to laugh at the superstar cat. One of them even strokes him. I turn to talk to Effie but I stop when I see Haymitch wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close to him. As her body moves closer to him she flicks the switch again and jumps at the click it makes, making a soft smile form on Haymitch's lips. Buttercup leaps once again but she turns off the torch before he can claim success.
"You jumped more than Buttercup did just then Effie," Haymitch tells her, which brings a small smile to her lips.
"I… it just made me… jump…" Effie mumbles, her head moving to rest on Haymitch's shoulder.
"Obviously," Haymitch says, moving his hand up and down her back in a reassuring fashion.
"I didn't expect it to make… such a loud noise…" Effie admits with a small smile when Haymitch's hand comes to a rest on her back.
"Scary thing those torches, aren't they Effie?" Haymitch says with a small smirk, a glint of something I haven't seen inhabit Haymitch before.
"Shut up Haymitch," she mumbles, not able to remove her rare smile.
"How's my favorite little Trinket?" Finnick asks, swooping into action before I can glare at him in an attempt to stop him. Ruining the moment is obviously something Finnick excels in.
"Good thanks," She tells him, her head not leaving Haymitch's shoulder.
"What about you Haymitch?" He asks, running a hand through Effie's already messy hair and placing it in a more atrocious state.
"I'm fine, to say I'm in a bunker deep underground," Haymitch replies, running his hand across Effie's hair in an attempt to make it lie flat on her head again. If anything it makes it worse. I doubt Effie notices this, she is too busy flicking the switch on and off for Buttercup to chase.
"Katniss, can I have a word?" Finnick asks, smirking at the state of Effie's hair.
"What, don't I get a 'how are you?'" I ask.
"No, because I know you'll lie or be sarcastic," he grins, "Come on, it's urgent," he adds before I can reply to his previous comment. Sighing I stand up and follow him into a corner away from the Crazy Cat crew.
"What do you want Finnick?" I ask, demanding an answer from him.
"Do you think Haymitch and Effie are…you know…?"
"No, I don't know. Expand please," I sigh.
"You know! Together?" Finnick asks.
"No. They aren't!" I say, "They aren't like that, I've seen them together before this, and they are at each other's throats more often than not,"
"Look at them now though, Katniss," Finnick says, grabbing my shoulders and spinning me around. "Do they look like an argumentative twosome?"
No, the answer is no. It's a peaceful scene between the two of them. Effie resting her head on Haymitch's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her comfortingly. "Well, they are good friends aren't they?" I shrug.
"Yeah, and I'm the Mockingjay. Look Katniss, something has to be going on. Has Effie said anything to you?" Finnick asks.
"Since when have you been such a gossip?" I ask Finnick, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, Katniss, I just want to make sure she is okay. I mean, Haymitch is a nice guy, but we both know what Effie has just been through. I'm sure I'm not the only one who doesn't want her getting hurt," Finnick says softly.
"No you're not," I say, "We both want her to be okay, and so does Haymitch,"
"I know that Katniss, but she's fragile and she needs someone to help her,"
"I'm helping her"
"So am I, so's Prim and so is Haymitch," Finnick says, "If you ask me, he does love her-"
"Of course he loves her, but not like-"
"You know what I mean by that Katniss…" He sighs.
"Come on, we'd best get back to them before they suspect anything," I say so we don't have to talk about it. Nodding Finnick joins me and we head back to them.
"You missed us?" Finnick asks with a grin, giving the impression nothing of importance was said between us.
"Didn't notice you were gone," Haymitch shrugs. At Finnick's shocked face he grins and pushes his shoulder slightly, "Calm down pretty boy, I may not have missed you but Effie wondered where you were,"
"Do you want a go Finnick?" Effie asks, handing Finnick the torch. With the smile, Finnick takes the torch and begins to flash it on and off much to the amusement of the crowd. Standing up suddenly, thoughts from my conversation with Finnick are threatening to spill out. My rash decision to jump up startles Effie who turns to look at me with an open mouth.
"Are you okay Katniss?" She asks in shock.
"Yeah, I'm fine Effie," I say, putting on a smile for her. "I need to talk to Prim though, I'll be right back," I tell her, before setting off to find my sister. It doesn't take long; she is sitting next to a girl around the same age as her.
"Prim, can I have a word please?" I ask. Nodding my little sister stands up immediately and follows me back to our compartment and we sit on the mattress together.
"What's wrong Katniss?" She asks me, reaching out and taking my hand.
"Prim, what do you think is going on between Haymitch and Effie?" I ask, wanting answers I couldn't ask Finnick for. Why my sister would be able to deliver them, I don't know…
This is long in an attempt to apologize for how long it has taken me to publish this. I hope you like it, and if you reviewed I would love you forever and bake you brownies… or something…
Megan.