Chapter Four- Hope
I run back to my room, bumping into Jesse on the way. "Sorry," I yell over my shoulder and carry on running. I barge into the room, tears in my eyes and my parents bolt upright in a panic.
"What's the matter?" my mom asks, worry in her eyes.
"I-it's Finnick," I manage to choke out. "H-he's been reaped." Pain spreads across both my parents' faces.
"B-but how? I mean, who else was reaped?" my dad asks, tears in his eyes.
"I-I don't remember. There's a guy called Jeremy," I stutter.
"District 2?" my mom questions and I nod. She squeezes her eyes shut. "His dad is a victor. Snow is putting all the victor's children in," she explains.
"B-but what about Jesse? He told me he was an orphan," I reply, wiping the tears off my cheeks with shaky hands.
"We only have you and Haymitch doesn't have kids so he must have been picked like normal," my dad sighs. "Come on, let's go see who else was picked."
They get out of bed and we go to the TV room together. Jesse is sitting on the yellow sofa. I sit down next to him while my parents sit down on the pink sofa. I switch the TV on again and hold my breath. The reapings start over and we watch the screen intently, my parents only commenting on whose kid he or she is. Jeremy is reaped and this time a take a closer look at him; brown hair, blue eyes, and about three-four inches taller than me but that's just a guess. He has to be who Haymitch was talking about, I decide and sigh. Should I really team up with a career?
The screen changes to Finnick's reaping but this time I hold in my tears. "This is going to be so much harder than it was in the beginning," my mom whispers and I watch my dad take her hand and squeeze it.
"How am I- we- going to do this? Finnick and I are best friends," I say and put my head in my hands. I want to scream. I want to throw the remote at the TV. I want to rip my hair out. I want to go home.
"You could team up with him?" Jesse suggests and I shake my head.
"It would be so much harder for us if one of us died then," I reply. "I-I don't think I can do this." My voice breaks and the tears start to fall all over again. "What if Finnick and I are the last two?"
"We'll just have to hope that-" I cut my mom off.
"-Hope that someone else will kill him? How can you say that? You are friends with both Finnick and Annie!" I snap, my voice getting louder and louder.
Effie skips into the room, her good mood finally coming back. "What's all the noise about?" she squeaks. No one answers her. I glare at my mom.
"We want you to come home," she whispers and guilt spreads through me. But then I remember Jesse is sitting right next to me.
"And what about Jesse? Have you forgot about him already? Are you just going to watch him die?" I say, my voice surprisingly calm and quiet. Tears fill my parent's eyes and my dad opens his mouth to say something but Jesse beats him to it.
"It doesn't matter," he says, his voice strong. "I have nothing- no one- to come home to. Besides, look at me. Do I look like the type that would survive the bloodbath?"
No one answers. "I agree," he whispers, standing up. I do the same and follow him out. He turns around when he reaches his room. "Don't judge a book by its cover," he says and then he closes the door. I stand frozen to the spot. What does he mean by that? I don't have time to think it through because the train comes to a stop.
"Welcome to the Capitol!" Effie squeaks, coming up behind me. And for once I don't want to be here.
Katniss
Effie orders us off the train, telling us all we have to keep on schedule. Hope and I don't talk and I realise how horrible I must look to her. But she's my daughter and I love her. All I want is for her to come home and to survive. I don't even have time to day bye before her prep team is dragging her away to be beautified. I sit down next to Peeta on a comfy red sofa. "She hates me," I whisper and he takes my hand.
"She doesn't hate you," Peeta replies and I shake my head.
"She does. Did you see the look she gave me?"
"You're being stupid. She's just confused. One minute she's thinking that she's safe the next her name's being called and she's sentenced to go to hell!" Peeta yells.
"I know that, Peeta!" I yell. "But you wasn't the one she was glaring at. She wasn't glaring at you. You've always been her favourite. Cooking together and teaching her how to draw!"
"Why are you bringing the past up? Besides, she goes hunting with you all the time!" he yells back.
Now we are both glaring at each other. I crack. I break. I burst into tears. That's all I've been doing lately. Peeta is holding me straight away and whispering apologies into my ear. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"No, I am. I'm sorry that I never suspected something like this happening. I'm sorry that out baby can get hurt, that she… that she might not come home," I sob.
"Shh, it's not your fault."
"Is this going to break us, Peeta? This is only the start and we are already at each other's throat, " I ask.
"We'll be fine. We are just upset. We need to be strong for Hope. No more crying. No more yelling," he says and I nod in agreement. He wipes my tears away with his thumb and kisses me.
"There," he whispers, when my face is clear of tears. "Per-" a knock on the door cuts him off.
"Yes?" I ask, not recognising the knock. A Peacekeeper walks in and he doesn't have to open his mouth, I know what he's going to say. "Where is he?"
"At his mansion," the Peacekeeper says. "You'll watch the opening ceremonies with him." I nod, take Peeta's hand and follow the Peacekeeper into a black limo. We drive off and it doesn't take long to get there. To the mansion, the mansion where President Snow lives, the place where he is going to die. Tonight.
AN: Short, I know. Sorry!