Chapter 5 – The Penthouse
She was standing at the mine entrance. It was her first day of work. She was pushed along with the crowd into the elevator for the long ride down into the bowels of the earth. The elevator light was dim but she could see the men surrounding her, some of them as old as her father would have been if he had lived.
"You're Everdeen's daughter," one of the men said. She nodded. The squeak of the elevator car as it plunged down the shaft was unsettling. The car swayed a bit and she nearly lost her footing, bumping her shoulder into the man standing next to her. How would she be able to do this day after day, year after year?
Suddenly the lights went out. One of the men cursed. Her heart skipped a beat. It seemed to be falling even faster now. Her body felt out-of-control. She heard someone whimpering and then realized she was making the noise.
But then everything changed, instead of falling downward; she was rushing forward in the dark. Going through a tunnel. Where was the end? Where was the light? Someone was squeezing her hand, but then the person grabbed at her shoulders.
"No, let go," she screamed, flailing her arms.
"Ouch," she heard a familiar voice and she opened her eyes to see Peeta squatting down next to the couch, rubbing his palm across his jaw.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was sharp.
"You were having some kind of nightmare," he explained. "You seemed upset. I was trying to wake you up."
"Oh." She paused for a moment, and then noticed the red mark on his chin. "Did I hit you?"
"Yeah, but it's okay."
She scooted her body to the back of the couch and sat up. "I'm sorry," she muttered."
He stood up. "No need to apologize."
Katniss noticed immediately that his hairstyle had changed. It was shorter. His natural blonde waves had been slicked down. He looked different. Polished.
"Did you get a haircut?"
He grinned and rubbed his hand over the top of his head, messing it up a bit and causing a few curls to spring free. "Yeah, I had a makeover of my own this afternoon."
"Oh."
The conversation died.
"Well, I better get back and check on the food," Peeta said.
"What food?"
"I'm cooking dinner for us right now."
"What?!"
"Come see."
Peeta walked off toward the dining area and Katniss got up and followed him. When he got to the wall, he pushed and a hidden door opened revealing a large kitchen.
Katniss was amazed. She had no idea there was a kitchen behind the dining room wall. She followed Peeta into the brightly lit room. There was a big island in the center and shiny white cabinets running along two walls. Off to the side was a seating area that had small table with two chairs and a short sofa.
"I had no idea," Katniss said. "When Fulvia showed me around, she never showed me this area."
"It's fully stocked, too," Peeta pointed out, opening the refrigerator to show a glass bottle filled with milk, a basket of eggs, different cheeses covered with a clear wrapper, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. He opened the freezer door at the top of the refrigerator revealing packages wrapped in brown paper and labeled.
"Different kinds of meat," Peeta said. "I didn't see any squirrel, though."
He smiled at her and caught her eye for a moment, but she quickly turned away. She was not here to make friends with Peeta.
He didn't seem to notice her disapproval though, because he turned to the stove and lifted the lid on one of the pots that was simmering on the large eight-burner stove.
"What's that?" Katniss gasped as an indescribable smell filled the room.
"Lamb stew," Peeta said, slowly stirring the pot. "I added some dried plums to sweeten it. Would you like a taste?"
Even though she had eaten a late lunch with Cinna, the stew smelled so delicious that Katniss decided she did want a taste.
"All right."
Peeta opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a clean spoon. He dipped it into the pot, scooping up some of the broth that contained a small piece of meat, a bit of plum, and a small chunk of carrot. He blew on it softly.
"It's hot," he warned. He held out the spoon for Katniss to take a bite.
Hesitantly she stepped closer to him and opened her mouth. He gently placed the spoon in her mouth. She closed her lips around it, licking the contents off of the spoon with her tongue, as Peeta slowly pulled the spoon away.
She smiled as soon as she had swallowed the small taste of the hearty stew. "It's very good."
Peeta grinned at her compliment.
"What else are you making?" She inhaled deeply. "I smell bread."
"I'm making soda bread to go with it."
A puzzled look came over Katniss' face. Peeta explained.
"You add baking soda to the flour and yeast, also buttermilk, which is soured milk. There wasn't any here, so I added some vinegar to the fresh milk…"
"How do you know how to do all this?" Katniss interrupted.
"We make it sometimes at the bakery."
"Oh."
"I can teach you. That's why I'm here."
Katniss' mood dampened as she remembered exactly why she was here. The past two days had been so different than anything she'd ever experienced that it had been easy to put off thinking about why she was here.
A beeper sounded and Katniss jumped.
"It's the oven," Peeta explained. He pulled out the bread, which was round like a cake, instead of loaf-shaped, and set it on the counter. He also pulled out an apple pie, and placed it next to the bread.
Glancing at the pie, made Katniss remember the apple tree she's sat under behind Peeta's house, nine years earlier when she was starving. When he threw her the bread that had saved the lives of her and her family. When his simple kindness had jolted her into an understanding that she could survive. That her family would make it.
Suddenly she was very embarrassed about the way she'd been treating Peeta. He'd been nice to her even since they left District 12. It was her own pride that had refused to acknowledge that he had helped her to rescue her family so many years ago.
She was amazed he even agreed to come to the Capitol. She wondered what he getting out of all this?
"Why did you agree to teach me to bake?" she asked him, as he stirred the stew.
His face turned pink and he didn't say answer right away. "I didn't have any other choice," he blurted out, turning to face her.
"What do you mean?"
His face grew pinker. His voice lowered. "Fulvia was very clear about how things would play out if I didn't participate."
"Oh." What had Fulvia told Peeta? She didn't have time to ask him more about it because she was interrupted.
"Katniss, where are you?"
It was Fulvia. She joined them in the kitchen. At her side was Effie Trinket, the crazy woman who had come to District 12 for so many years to put her hand in the reaping bowl and call out the names of the tributes for The Hunger Games.
Effie was dressed in one of her usual outlandish getups and over-the-top wigs, although Kantiss now realized that Effie's look was somewhat refined compared to some of the other Capitol citizens she'd already seen since her arrival.
"Katniss, this is Effie Trinket," Fuvia introduced her. "She'll be training you in proper etiquette."
"Hello, my dear Katniss," Effie said, reaching out for her hand.
Startled to see the woman who was the Capitol's representative for The Hunger Games, Katniss muttered a quick "hi," and looked at the ground.
"Katniss, look into my eyes when you speak to me," Effie insisted. "If you want to win the hearts of Panem you need good manners."
Kantiss frowned. She didn't want to win anyone's heart. Reluctantly she looked into Effie's eyes.
"See, it wasn't that difficult," Effie said, smiling back at her.
"Now who is this young man?" Effie asked Fulvia, as she smiled at Peeta.
"This is Peeta Mellark. He is also from District 12. He is here to give Katniss some baking lessons."
"Wonderful," Effie said. "It looks like school has already started."
She smiled at Katniss, knowingly. "You know the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Katniss scowled.
"Isn't that right, Mr. Mellark?" Effie asked.
"I thought it was through his chest," Peeta joked, catching Katniss' eye and turning her scowl into a faint smile.
It was Effie's turn to frown.
"Looks like the food is about done," Peeta said. "We can carry everything out to eat."
"How quaint to serve ourselves," Effie said, as she carried the pie out of the kitchen and into the dining area. The others followed carrying the rest of the food, along with plates and silverware. Peeta went back into the kitchen to get glasses and a pitcher of cider.
Within minutes the four of them were eating the lamb stew, dipping the soda bread into it. When they were finished, Peeta cut the pie and everyone had a slice.
After the meal, Fulvia outlined Katniss' activities for the next few days.
"You'll be on a strict schedule. Baking lessons every morning with Peeta. Etiquette lessons after lunch with Effie. Late afternoons with Cinna who will help you develop a sense of style. We will also be doing a photo shoot during that time that will appear in one of the best magazines in Panem."
Katniss nodded, as she fiddled nervously with her napkin.
"In five days, you'll be appearing on Caesar Flickerman's t.v. interview show. He'll be introducing you to the country as the star of The Match Game. He'll also be introducing the twelve men who will be attempting to win your heart."
Katniss had been looking at Fulvia as she spoke, making eye contact just as Effie had told her to do, but she stole a quick glance at Peeta when Fulvia mentioned the twelve men who would be wooing her.
A strange look crossed his face. She couldn't tell if it was worry or jealousy or frustration, all she knew was that he didn't look very happy. But it passed quickly and his face returned to a mask of indifference.
"Do you have any questions, Katniss?" Fulvia asked.
"How long will the show last?" she asked.
"Before you meet the man of your dreams and get married in a big Capitol wedding?" Effie interrupted. "I bet you're looking forward to that."
A look of horror passed Katniss' face. "Um.., " she started but Fulvia broke in.
"Three weeks."
Peeta, who had remained quiet during the conversation, suddenly broke in. "That's awfully quick. We take things of this nature a lot slower in District 12."
Grateful to him for his argument, weak though it was, Katniss flashed him an appreciative look.
"This is television Peeta," Fulvia explained. "We're on a schedule. Anyway, Katniss has the whole rest of her life to fall in love with the husband she chooses."
A quick frown flitted cross Peeta's face.
What's he so upset about? Katniss thought. It's my problem. She wondered if she would ever fall in love with Gale. Maybe. But would he love her back or only be angry with her for involving him in the first place?
Peeta got up and cleared the table while Fulvia and Effie talked about the television show. Katniss sat and listened. After a while Effie stood up.
"I'll see you in the morning, Katniss," she said, as she headed down the hallway toward the bedrooms.
"Effie's staying here?" she questioned Fulvia.
"Yes. We thought it would be best to have a chaperone since Peeta is staying here also. We want everything to appear proper."
"Peeta is staying here too?" Katniss was surprised.
"Why of course, Fulvia said. "It seemed convenient to have him nearby for your baking lessons."
"Oh."
"Now you should probably get some rest as well," she told Katniss. "I need to talk to Peeta privately. She stood up, clearly dismissing Katniss, and walked to the kitchen.
Katniss left the table and returned to her bedroom. She entered the bathroom and saw a large stone-tiled shower. It was so much bigger than the small enclosure in the train.
Making sure both the bedroom and bathroom doors were locked, she stripped down and stood under the water for a long time, testing the various buttons that lined the wall of the shower. Each of them had a different feature, spraying water from a different direction, or shooting different kinds of soap, or perfume out at her.
Afterwards, she put on a blue nightgown made of a soft fabric that she found in the dresser in the room. She stood at the window looking down at the citizens of the Capitol. It was dark, but the streets were well lit. She stared at them a long time, wondering about the people who lived here and why they would care about the life of a girl from the Seam.