Well, none of my Derby picks won...again. Well there's always next year, I said the same things last year when Bodemeister came in second. Oh well. Anyway here is the next chapter. And if you're wondering why I'm updating this story more than Survival of the Fittest, it's because this is an extra credit project for English.
Katniss' POV
It's been five months since we've been home from the Victory tour, and nothing has returned back to normal. I've been in the woods twice since the whipping incident without being caught. Gale and I have formed a somewhat awkward friendship now, but it's better than nothing I guess.
Today, my prep team and Effie will be coming to District 12 to help me try on wedding dresses. I have a strong feeling that these dresses will have been made from the capitol and we'll have a capitol wedding. I can't stand on how they dress, I hope my make up wont' be as outrageous as their's either.
Cinna and I are upstairs and he hands me a wedding dress. This one is a white one that hugs my curves and is skin tight until you get to your hips and then it poofs out into ruffles. I strip off my shirt and pants and try it on. I pull it up and it feels a little tight and it isn't even zipped up.
"Cinna, can you zip this up?" I ask.
He walks over and turns me around so he can get the zipper. He tries a few times before he gives up. "Sorry Katniss. I think you've gained some weight since you've been home from the tour. And I haven't measured you since." I feel a little self concious and I think Cinna can tell that comment made me uncomfortable. "I'm sure it's just from having enough food to eat." He quickly says.
He has me take off that dress and hands me another one, he says this one should be a little loser because of the material. This one is fitted, but not skin tight. It's also white but has lace all over. I try on a few more dresses and show them off to Effie, the rest of my prep team, my mother, Peeta, and Prim. All of them shed some tears at point that night. The media from the capitol also came to video all of my dresses. President Snow will have the capitol citizens pick their favorite dress and the which ever one gets the most amount of votes is the one I'll wear for MY wedding. I can't even pick out my own wedding dress.
Peeta and I are sitting on our couch later that night. I'm laying down with my feet in his lap, he's rubbing them, they've been swelling a lot recently. "See Katniss, it wasn't that bad trying on all of these dresses." He says. I give him the annoyed 'I'm going to kill you' look. He chuckles. "Well Effie did say they should have the footage done by tomorrow night and we can watch it along with the Quarter Quell announcement." He says. I totally forgot about the Quell. What a great way to start off a years at mentoring by watching some sick added twist to the Games.
I just hope that whatever our tributes will be, Peeta and I don't become emotionally attached to them. Even though Gale and I still aren't back to normal, I wonder what it would be like mentoring his brother and Peeta having to mentor someone he's close with. That'd be awful. "I hate how I can't pick out MY wedding dress. I mean it's MY wedding." I say.
"We can have our own little wedding and you can wear whatever you want." He says half jokingly. He's right, the capitol won't do the toasting, so we might as well do it.
"We can do out toasting tonight. Our wedding won't be for another few months anyway." I say. Peeta's eyes light up and pulls me in for a kiss.
We end up in the kitchen baking some bread, I start the fire and Peeta and I stand in front of it. "Well, I guess this is where we say our vows, I'll go first." Peeta says. "Katniss, my dad loved your mom, and they didn't work out, and as much as I love my dad and my future mother-in-law, I'm glad they didn't because we wouldn't be standing here right now. I first loved you when I was six years old. That's an eleven year crush." I giggle at that. "I dreamed this, but never actually thought this would happen. I love you so much Katniss. You're beautiful, strong, talented, unselfish. And I can only hope I can spend the rest of my life with you. Maybe even have a few little Katniss running around our house, even though you don't want to have kids. The Hunger Games normally tears people apart, but for us, it brought us together. You saved my life during the arena, and I would have died without you to save me. I love my brothers, but they would never volunteered for me for the Games. I remember hearing Prim's name being called, I felt a mix of emotions. And I knew I would gather up the nerves to talk to you after it, but I heard you screaming to volunteer, I actually got tears in my eyes. Then my name was called, and I promised myself you'd be the one to come home. I love you so much Katniss. And whatever hell this Quell brings us, we'll always have each other."
After he was done, I was shedding happy tears that we're wiped from Peeta's caring hands. "Well, here goes nothing. I remember when my dad was still alive, he was first starting to take me out to the woods, I remember stopping by the bakery several times to trade with your dad. I just observed but I never knew this would help save my life. I would always catch glimpses of you staring at me in class, but never thought anything of it. The first few times I traded with your dad alone, I was so nervous and scared, but I would sometimes catch a glimpse in you eyes and know I'll be alright. When you gave me that bread, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I can never repay you for doing that. And then being beaten by your mother for it. When your name was reaped, all I could think about was 'not him' because I knew I could never kill you for what you did to me with the bread. And we survived the Games and here we are now. I love you so much Peeta and Haymitch was right, I could live a thousand years and still never deserve you. I don't know why you chose me someone who is selfish and mean. But please don't ever leave me. I have no idea how I could ever live without you." I say and I can see the tears slipping from his eyes, I took my hand and wiped his tears.
We fed each other the bread, and that made us a married couple. We kiss in a long, deep and passionate kiss. We eventually made our way to bed and made love to each other the first time as a married couple. Peeta said the next day we could go to the Justice Building and become legally married.
I wake up feeling fluttering in my stomach. I go to the bathroom and realize there is a blood stain on my underwear, I guess I'm finally getting my period. I put on a pad and change into some normal clothes.
I've only been inside the Justice Building once and that was before the Games saying goodbye to Prim, my mom, Gale, and Peeta's dad. Someone who worked there legally married us, now we only have the capitol wedding to go. Later that night, Peeta, My mom, Prim, Effie, my prep team, Haymitch and I sit all in my living room awaiting the Quell announcement and to see my wedding dresses.
At each dress the crowd would 'boo' and 'chant' at their favorites. Of course the first dress that was tight was the crowd's favorite so I'm sure that is the one I'll be wearing I hope Cinna can make alterations to it or I can lose a few pounds.
I hold on to Peeta's hand tightly awaiting the Quell announcement. An avox walks out and hands President Snow the envelope labeled the '75th Hunger Games: Quarter Quell'. I also notice other envelopes the say 'Century Counts' and 'Melinium Magic' which I'm assuming are the other twists like the Quarter Quell is. Whoever invented the Hunger Games obviously planned for thousands of years of the Hunger Games with all of the envelopes.
President Snow goes on and talks about the Dark Ages and how we can't overcome the power of the capitol. "And for this year's Quarter Quell, the tributes will be reaped from the living pool of victors. To remind not even the strongest can overcome the capitol." He says and the t.v. goes blank. It takes me few minutes to process the information. Until I see my mom dead silent and Prim who started to uncontrollably start to sob.
I run out of the door. The Games are still about three months away, so I still have time to enjoy my life while I can. I've already decided that Peeta will be the one to live if it's me and him who go back in. I'm already guaranteed a spot because the other female victor died ages ago. I don't really know where I'm going. I can't go into the woods because of the peace keeper's threat, and I'm sure the woods' entrance will be heavily guarded. I run down to the very last house in the Victor's Village and shatter one of the windows and climb in. All of the Victor's home in District 12 have the same floor layout so I pick a corner and pull my knees to my chest and let the tears come out.
"Katniss." I hear Peeta's voice say in the distance. "Katniss. I know you're in hear." Peeta says and I can hear his footsteps come closer and closer almost near my hiding spot. I close my eyes tighter and try to stay quiet so he doesn't find me. "Oh Katniss." Peeta says gently. "I'm so sorry."
I look up from my knees and see his eyes are glassy from his tears. "We just got married yesterday and they're trying to rip us apart. This year's Quell is too perfect Peeta. They've had to replace it with this year's original Quell." I say between tears.
"Katniss, either way, it doesn't matter. We'll both go in and the other will die trying to save the other. But Katniss, don't worry, I'm going to get you out of the Arena." He says.
"No. You can't I'm getting you out." I say, I can hear my voice crack. Peeta just shakes his head. "Yes Peeta you're going to live. You can go and marry someone else. Someone who actually deserves you." I plead.
"Katniss, without you, I'm nothing. I need you to survive. I could never move on if you died." He says back to me. I know it won't matter what I do, he'll die trying to save me, and I'll die trying to save him.
He eventually carries me back to our house and I go into a dreamless sleep. I won't be having very many more nights with Peeta so I start to enjoy them as much as possible. I can only hope we both die in the Games because none of us could live without the other.
"Up, up, up." I see Haymitch in mine and Peeta's room. I look over at the clock, it's only eight. "What the hell Haymitch?" I ask him.
"We need to start getting in shape." He says and then wakes Peeta up and orders us to get dressed. I go back into the bathroom to put on another pad and realized it's only the splotches from yesterday morning that's on my pad. That's just a little strange, but this is my first period in a long time so I guess this one will be light, short, and sweet.
After we're dressed, Peeta, Haymitch and I are in the living room. "So, I told your mom we're going to be training like careers would. She agreed to help us by making us strong and everything. But right now, we're going to be conditioning. We'll jog through the town and through the Seam and then go to Katniss' mom's house to eat and then we'll train more." Haymitch says and Peeta and I nod.
We have only jogged about half a mile when I speak up. "Guys. Wait up, I can't run any longer." I say and stop trying to catch my breath.
"Katniss, normally you could run this route with no problem. Maybe you're sick again." Peeta says with concern. He's right, normally I can run this route with no problem at all. Even though I'm dead tired, I push myself to go on. Because if Peeta is going to live, I need to be in top shape to save him from anyone.
When we're at my mom's house, I again stuff my face full of food. My mom and Haymitch stare at me for it and Peeta and Prim giggle about it. I feel embarrassed about eating this much, but I'm hungry.
After breakfast, we do some yoga, climb trees, I teach them how to shoot with a bow and arrow, Prim teaches us about plants and healing herbs, and more strength training. We do this for the next four months. Cinna phones me often to keep up with my recent weight gain to keep up with my new measurements since I've been back home, I've gained five pounds. I guess that's normal when you have a lot of food. I also spend a lot of time with Prim and Peeta knowing I won't be able to much longer. Only Haymitch knows about my plan to save Peeta. I can't tell Prim because that would break her heart in millions of pieces.
I wake up the morning of the Reaping, and prepare myself to die. And saying good bye to all of the people I love the most.
A/N: So I know that you should change your pad every few hours, but it's apart of the twist. Anyways one of the twist should be happening very soon. Like next three or four chapters. Anyway hope you're enjoying it.