Chapter 5

Katniss wakes up to see Finn asleep on the other side of the couch. She felt guilty she was going to hurt him when she dies, he was better off when he thought she was dead. She needs to distance her self before he gets too attached and hurts him all over again. She stands and runs to her room and locks the door. Katniss leans back on the door and slides down to sit at the base.

Pretty soon tears start streaming down her face, just two days ago it was easy to just go end her life. Now someone will be hurt if she dies. She wished she had gone with the knife to the throat, because that stupid idea is making her second guess wanting to die. Last night she felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time, joy. She smiled and laughed for the first time in years. It felt amazing.

She doesn't know how long she was sitting there crying, but when she hears a knock she jumps a little. "Kat are you in there?" The voice belongs to Finnick "go away" she cries. Wishing he will just listen and leave her alone. "Kat what's wrong, did I do something wrong. Katniss please tell me I don't want you hurting." He sounded so concerned it broke her heart. "I want to be left alone." She said sounding as pathetic as she feels.

She heard faint whispers "Katniss, you open the door and talk to me or I'm coming in." Commanded Finnick. Katniss stubbornly said nothing the door digging in her back when suddenly the door jerks back causing her to fall back and hit her head on the floor. She let out a groan of pain. Finnick rushed to help her up "Katniss I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hurt you." Finnick stutters as he cradles her head to his chest "are you okay," "I'm fine," she whispered "what did I do to upset you, you looked so happy last night and now your upset."

"I woke up this morning and realized that in less then a week you have to watch me get hunted in the arena, and I know how hurt you were when you had thought I died and now you have to watch me die and you have to get hurt by me again." She spoke with tears in her eyes " Kat I want you to look me in the eyes when I tell you this," Finn said and he lifted her head so she can meet his eyes

"when they took you from me I died on the inside I'd spend hours just wishing I had one more day with you, hell even a minute with you would have been fine. Even yesterday I spent hours on the bed staring at an old photo of us holding your old doll just wishing I could see what you would have grown up to be, and I am proud of the women you've become. I also want you to know that I will fight like hell so you can come out of there alive." He stressed to her willing her to understand. Finn frowned when he brought a hand to her bruised face.

"What happened to you?" He questioned as he traced her bruises with his thumb "um...people in twelve didn't really like me. I got beat up a lot from kids at school, Mrs. Everdeen, my mother if she could be called that, blamed Mr. Everdeen's death on me and took all her anger and frustration out on me." She told him softly "you didn't deserve that, you deserve to be happy and carefree." He told her sadly as he kissed her head "come on Kat it's time to eat." He told her as he helped her up and they walked out to eat

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The past couple days flew by, when they arrived at the capital, the people we shocked to see Finn with them, but he brushed them off only to tell them the truth at the end of the line. This made them go crazy. The opening chariot ride was terrifying Cinna, her stylist lit them on fire once again winning the people of the capitals' hearts. Even training flew by Katniss and Peeta spent most of their training time together, they became inseparable. Now Katniss was standing in her dress waiting to be called up for the interview. Cinna had her in a black dress with jewels on the bottom of the dress that made it look likes it was on fire every time she walked, her bronze hair was flipped over to her left all of the bruises that cover her were all covered in makeup. The guard ushered her to the side of the stage when the guy from eleven's interview just ended.

Her heart raced, she remembered what she Finn and Haymitch worked on. She heard Caesar a announce her. She put on a smile and walked out onto the stage, Caesar who has a new yearly hair color which this year it's blue. "Hi Caesar." She greeted him sweetly " hello Katniss, our hearts stopped when you came out at the parade." "Mine did to." She admitted sheepishly. This made them laugh.

Her interview continues on like this, he keeps asking mindless unimportant questions like her favorite thing she's had in the capital. Her interview passed by uneventful, boring even. She hears Peeta's name get announced, he is charming and makes a joke about the showers in the capital, the audience roars with laughter. When they quieted Caesar asks Peeta if he has anyone special back in Twelve. Her heart stops when he asks this, she doesn't know why she cares. Of course he has a girlfriend, he's only the nicest guy in Twelve. She sees Peeta brush the question off, but Caesar insists he answers. She mentally prepares herself for his answer.

"I don't think winning is gonna help much, because," he pauses "because...she came here with me." It takes me a minute to process what he had said, I feel light headed, then nothing.