Thank you for continuing to read my story, I hope you're enjoying it. Any feedback you may have is always appreciated!
I do not own the Hunger Games nor its characters.
Chapter Fifty-Five
The interviews are soon upon us and I'm twitchier than I've ever been. As we make our way towards our seats, Effie even slaps me across my face and tells me to calm down. I just stand there staring at her for a moment, unsure how to react.
Katniss and Peeta are wearing typical Capitol wedding attire on Snow's orders and I'm dreading the moment they get on that stage. Our infamous president is evil in more ways than I can count.
I sit down between Cinna and Effie, which is a strange feeling as I'm always sat next to Chaff at this event and passing a bottle of wine back and forth. I look down the row and even though I know all of the faces, I feel no connection towards them. Satin catches my eye and gives me a wicked smirk so I turn my head back towards the stage, ever since she won she's rubbed me up the wrong way.
"This is probably going to be the last time I see you," whispers Cinna to me.
"What?!" I snap, suddenly wondering why another one of my friends is never going to see me again.
"You'll see," he says. "I know that you can help right the wrongs of Panem, Haymitch. Please don't forget that."
I sit there in confusion and take a swig from a bottle of liquor as the interviews begin. Caesar is as effervescent as he always is but each tribute is making the whole interview incredibly difficult for him. Cashmere and Gloss act upset that the Capitolites will never see them again, Beetee even questions the legality of the Quell and Johanna and Chaff even call for the whole thing to be cancelled. Finnick, however, plays his part well and recites a love poem for a special woman in the Capitol, only everyone here is so stupid they're convinced he's talking about them and not the poor mad girl from District Four.
By the time Katniss sits down for her interview the audience is in hysterics and I realise that I don't want her to calm them down. I have no idea what her angle is but creating even more unease about these Games might not be such a bad idea.
"So, Katniss," says a slightly unnerved Caesar, "Obviously this is a very emotional night for everyone. Is there anything you'd like to say?"
"Only that I'm so sorry you won't get to be at my wedding…but I'm glad you at least get to see me in my dress. Isn't it just…the most beautiful thing?" She stands up and begins to twirl and soon her whole body is encased in smoke. The pearls from her dress fall away and when she finally stops spinning her whole dress has been transformed in to a mockingjay.
I turn to Cinna, finally realising why I'm never going to see him again. He's placed the symbol of the rebellion on national television and there's no way Snow is going to let that slide. He looks at me and simply nods before looking back at Katniss.
Effie, meanwhile is holding her breath and digging her long nails in to my skin but I don't flinch. I know that anything rebellious puts her on edge.
Caesar remarks on how beautiful the dress is and Katniss has to clarify that the mockingjay is simply the bird she wears on her token pin but she knows it means more than that, now. Cinna takes a bow and I can see the look of faint terror on Katniss' face. Cinna means so much to her.
The buzzer sounds and her time is over, meaning that it's Peeta's turn to take to the stage. I know I don't need to worry about him as he's such a natural with words, the only problem is I doubt he knew about Cinna's design and he might have to do some damage control.
"So, Peeta," begins Caesar, "What was it like when, after all you've been through, you found out about the Quell?"
"I was in shock," replies Peeta, "I mean, one minute I'm seeing Katniss looking so beautiful in all these wedding gowns, and the next…"
"You realized there was never going to be a wedding?"
Peeta doesn't speak for a moment, looking at the audience, then the floor before finally lifting his head up towards Caesar. "Do you think all our friends here can keep a secret?"
"I feel quite certain of it," says Caesar.
"We're already married."
The whole audience gasps and I suddenly feel uncomfortable. I have no idea what his plan is, I don't understand how them supposedly being married is going to help them in the arena.
"But…how can that be?" Asks Caesar.
"Oh, it's not an official marriage. We didn't go to the Justice Building or anything," he says and begins to describe the toasting. From the affection that laces his voice as he tells his made up story it's easy to imagine that he has actually fantasized about marrying Katniss.
He says that neither of them told their families, including me, and if they only did it because they would never had had the chance if they had got married in the Capitol.
"So this was before the Quell?" Says Caesar.
"Of course before the Quell. I'm sure we'd never have done it after we knew but who could've seen it coming? No one. We went through the Games, we were victors, everyone seemed so thrilled to see us together, and then out of nowhere- I mean, how could we anticipate a thing like that?"
"You couldn't, Peeta. As you say, no one could've. But I have to confess, I'm glad you two had at least a few months of happiness together."
The whole audience bursts in to applause and Katniss lifts her head to smile at them. I bet she has a thousand thoughts running through her head right now, I know I do.
"I'm not glad," says Peeta. "I wish we had waited until the whole thing was done officially."
"Surely even a brief time is better than no time?"
"Maybe I'd think that, too, Caesar, if it weren't for the baby."
The room erupts and most of the audience are on their feet, yelling how unjust the situation is and calling for Katniss to be removed from the competition. Caesar can't control the room, even when Peeta returns to his seat.
He's left me completely dumbfounded. All of this time I thought that Katniss was the rebellious one but what Peeta has just done almost rivals Katniss' actions. Have I underestimated him this whole time?
I feel Effie grab my arm and her eyes stare in to mine. I can see the same look of helplessness that I saw in Peeta last year. I've always know she's cared about them but I didn't realise how much.
"Haymitch, what are we going to do?" She asks but I can't reply because in that moment every victor on the stage has stood up and joined hands, not one of them breaking the chain. The whole thing is incredible and it doesn't take long for the screens to black out and a voice to announce over a speaker that all Capitol citizens are to go home immediately. They also announce that there will be no recaps tonight.
I don't even get the chance to say goodbye to Effie, Portia and Cinna as peacekeepers are on us within seconds and dragging them away. I try to push past but a gun is pointed at my head and I know the best thing to do is head for the apartment.
Katniss and Peeta are already there when I arrive with looks of worry on their faces.
"It's madness out there. Everyone's been sent home and they've cancelled the recap of the interviews on television."
They both run over to the window and look down on the streets. They're filled with people shouting and screaming things against the Capitol. I've never seen anything like it.
"What are they saying?" Asks Peeta, "Are they asking President Snow to stop the Games?"
"I don't think they know themselves what to ask. The whole situation is unprecedented. Even the idea of opposing the Capitol's agenda is a source of confusion for the people here," I reply, "But there's no way Snow would cancel the Games, you know that, right?"
"The others went home?" Asks Katniss.
"They were ordered to. I don't know how much luck they're having getting through the mob."
"Then we'll never see Effie again," says Peeta. "You'll give her our thanks."
"More than that," says Katniss, "Really make it special. It's Effie, after all. Tell her how appreciative we are and how she was the best escort ever and tell her…tell her we send our love."
I can't believe how crazy this night has become. There's a riot in the Capitol, I'll probably never see Cinna and Portia again and all I want to do is lock the door so that neither of my tributes has to enter that awful arena tomorrow.
"I guess this is where we say our goodbyes as well," I say.
"Any last words of advice?" Asks Peeta.
"Stay alive," I groan and give them each a hug. My emotions are definitely more intense than they were this time last year, which I didn't think would be possible. "Go to bed. You need your rest."
"You take care, Haymitch," says Peeta, who really thinks this is our final goodbye.
As I turn to leave, I stop myself. "Katniss, when you're in the arena," I pause, scowling at myself. Should I say it?
"What?" Snaps Katniss.
"You just remember who the enemy is. That's all. Now go on. Get out of here."
I don't sleep. That's a given. Instead, I stay awake all night hoping that the others can protect Katniss and Peeta and that Alma Coin comes good on her promise. When I do finally doze off I'm greeted by all of the faces of past tributes, each with blood pouring from their eyes.
Walking in to the Control Room the next day is eerie as there is no one here I want to talk to. I pour myself two shots of white liquor, one for me and one for Chaff, and down them both.
I look at the arena to see that it's a perfect circle that can easily be divided in to twelve equal sections and has a beach and jungle that reminds me of District 4. The Cornucopia sits at the centre of an island, surrounded by water, with twelve spokes attached to it. I don't even know if Katniss and Peeta can swim!
Great, I think, They're going to be dead within minutes.
The half an hour announcement is given and all of the mentors take their places at their stations but it seems like no time at all before the tributes are rising through the ground.
Katniss and Peeta are blocked from each other's view by the golden horn and as I lean in I can see that Katniss looks more distressed than I've ever seen her. What's going on? All she's doing is standing there! Unless something happened in the catacombs…
I'm broken from my thoughts by the sound of the gong and Katniss instantly dives in to the water, followed by Finnick. Katniss reaches the island first and grabs a golden bow while Finnick, swiftly grabs a trident without Katniss noticing.
However, she quickly turns around with her arrow pointed at him, if ever he needed to be charming, it's now.
"You can swim too," he says, "Where did you learn that in District Twelve?"
"We have a big bathtub," she says.
"You must. You like the arena?"
"Not particularly. But you should. They must have built it especially for you."
The bitterness in her voice is hard to miss and I'm praying that she doesn't let that arrow go. Some of the other tributes are now off their podiums and heading their way and she needs to get Peeta and clear out soon if she wants to stay alive.
"Lucky thing we're allies. Right?" He says and ever so slightly twists his wrist so that the golden bangle I gave him comes in to her eye line. I can see her thinking it over, wondering what it is I'm up to.
"Right!" She says.
"Duck!" Shouts Finnick and throws his trident at the male tribute from 5. I didn't even know him that well and yet his quick death still stings. "Don't trust One and Two."
They each take a side of the horn and inspect the supplies. Katniss shoots an arrow at an oncoming Enobaria but she ducks back under the water. She sends another arrow flying at Gloss, hitting his calf before he disappears in to the waves.
Brutus comes towards them and Finnick yells at Katniss to take him out but he blocks her arrow with the purple belt they are all wearing.
"Let's clear out!" Shouts Katniss before spotting Peeta across the water.
She runs to the edge of the water and begins to take off the weapons she's collected but Finnick stops her, saying that he should fetch Peeta because she's pregnant and shouldn't exert herself. Before she can protest he's in the water and swimming over to Peeta.
She has her arrow poised as she notices Mags bobbing along in the water but she doesn't move from her spot. Anyway, Mags is more than capable of keeping herself afloat.
Peeta and Finnick arrive back on land and the former kisses Katniss' cheek. "Hello, again," he says. "We've got allies."
"Yes. Just as Haymitch intended."
"Remind me, did we make deals with anyone else?"
"Only Mags, I think."
"Well, I can't leave Mags behind," says Finnick. "She's one of the few people who actually likes me."
They all agree that Mags should join their alliance and Finnick helps her out of the water. She tells them that the belts help them bob in the water but it's clear from the looks on Katniss' and Peeta's faces that they don't understand her so Finnick has to translate.
They divvy up some of the weapons and then head in to the jungle, leaving Beetee floating in the water while the others either flee or engage in the bloodbath. Chaff has disappeared in to the jungle without a weapon and Johanna is standing on the outskirts of the jungle, observing everyone on the beach.
They might not all be together, yet, but at least Katniss has accepted Finnick for now, which means we're well on our way to keeping our mockingjay safe and alive. I just hope this is all worth it.