The Boy with the Bread

Chapter 3

"Where's Haymitch?" Effie asks after we all get situated for the meal. She's still wearing that bright pink wig, but has changed her clothes like the two of us. I have never seen so many variations of pink on a person before. It's quite amazing, from light rouge to magenta and every shade in between. Even her face itself has a pink tinge to it, which might have been due to her makeup, or the bright wig reflecting off her skin. Whatever the reason, I can't help but wonder if this will be a pattern with her wearing a different color of the rainbow every day. It would be quite a sight to see.

I inform her of my running into our supposed mentor on my way to the dining car.

"He said he was going to take a nap," I say. Effie looks relieved at this and I can't blame her for it. Whatever nightmares Haymitch is battling, being around him is still a hassle to deal with.

Katniss and I remain quiet as the food is brought out in courses. It's something quite foreign to me since at home, the meal is all eaten at once. It starts off with a bright orange soup which tastes like carrots and has a sprig of herbs floating on top for decoration and added flavor. Next comes a salad along with juicy pork chops and whipped mashed potatoes with a creamy gravy. I will say that the pork chops do taste good with the gravy drizzled over them, and the meat itself is quite tender. I'm still wolfing down the food when the desserts are brought out, which consists of various fresh fruits and a chocolate cake.

Chocolate cake. I had only tried chocolate once, when my dad was making batter for a cake the mayor ordered. He let me lick the mixing spoon as he put the cake in the oven, and after one lick, I couldn't get enough. We never had chocolate in the house, despite my father making chocolate cakes often. Chocolate was a luxury that we couldn't afford, so I was quite disappointed when the batter was gone and my father shooed me out of the kitchen. I thought I would never taste such a delicacy again, so I am quite excited to see that we are having it for dessert. It certainly looks amazing, with a fudge center and chocolate icing oozing down the sides. The cake itself looks light and airy.

Though I am already bursting at the seams with food, I have to at least try the cake. I take one bite and think it's delicious, but incredibly rich. After a second bite, it's too rich, which is quite a shame because had I not been stuffed already, I probably would have quite enjoyed it. After the other courses of rich food, however, this cake is almost too much. So, a bit regretfully, I put down my fork. Katniss, on the other hand, is still munching away. No surprise there, though. If I am blown away by our large meal, I'm sure she's just as stunned, if not more so. Combating against hunger is the main struggle for those from the Seam.

As the dinner wears on, Effie continues to titter away about and this and that. I try to be polite and listen to her but I can tell Katniss isn't paying attention at all. She's lost in her thoughts. That is, until Effie makes a remark about our eating habits.

"At least you two have manners," she quips. "The previous tributes from your district gorged themselves like savages, eating with their hands. It completely upset my digestion!" She wrinkles her nose in disgust and lifts her napkin up to her mouth, as if the sight was still right before her.

I stare at her, not sure what to say at first. The obvious reason for the actions of last year's tributes was that they had both been from the Seam. Whatever food they had eaten here, at this very table in this very dining car, it was probably more food than they had ever seen. Of course they'd be gobbling it up. I am trying to come up with the politest way to explain this to Effie when I see a gleam of resentment in Katniss's grey eyes. She is definitely thinking the same as me. For all I know, she could have known those two kids from last year, even. There is no doubt in my mind that she at least knows how hard their lives had been.