The Boy With The Bread

Chapter 46

A/N
This chapter will be mostly dialogue :)

Katniss POV

"Hey, Katniss?" Prim taps my shoulder after everyone leaves. "Can I stay with you tonight?" Moving into Victor's Village was pretty easy, seeing that we had no furniture in the first place and our new home was completely furnished already. Prim and I had our own rooms now, and they were both large and luxurious. I preferred our little shack back in the Seam, so of course I allowed Prim to slip into my unnecessarily big bed.

I cover Prim's tiny body with the soft sheets and blankets and kiss her forehead. "Hey Prim, I'm right here. I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. I can't believe you're here right now." I nod and stroke her hair, which is damp from our new shower. "I really like our new house," Prim giggles. "The first thing I want to do tomorrow is use the telephone!" In the living room, Effie had installed a shiny black telephone. She wanted the new, diamond encrusted rainbow telephone but Cinna said it was either the black telephone or no telephone. Thank god for Cinna.

"Katniss?"

"Hm?" I yawn and pull her closer to me.

"How come you don't like Gale?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Because today you yelled at him and stuff."
"But I kissed him."
"No, he kissed you, and you hated it. You hated it during the Games, too." Little Prim was always so wise. I think she's secretly a 300 year old in a 12 year old girl's body. I sigh. "Is he mean to you?"
"No!"
"Then why don't you like your current relationship with him?"
"Look, Prim, you can't tell anyone this. Not even Mom or anyone. Our relationship is fake."
"Thought so."
"Anyway, because I was so rebellious during the Games, President Snow hates me. Ha. And the Captiol citizens, being the silly ostriches they are, think Gale and I are adorable, President Snow had to let both of us win. Or the Gamemakers I don't really know, but all I'm sure of is that the districts are uprising and there's talk of rebellion, thanks to me and my fellow tributes. So the only thing that's keeping Gale and me alive is our relationship, which is failing. It's complicated, I know."

"I understand it. I'm really sorry about all of this. But rebellion is good right?"

"I guess it is, but it will endanger so many people's lives. I know for a fact that if there was indeed a civil war that millions of people would die. We would kill ourselves off."

"Oh. Wow. I just thought that once you won the Games, they were over. Now you have to go through all these interviews being lovers and then mentors. Katniss, you will always have to be with Gale." I never considered that. Gosh, Gale and I will be going on the Victory Tour, and then all these celebrations in the Capitol. Then we'll be mentors, and we'll have to present ourselves as sickly sweet lovers every. single. year. I groan loudly. "It's okay Katniss." Prim pats my head lovingly and I let out a small laugh. Prim, my little sister, is comforting me. It's nice actually.

"You're right. I just thought, maybe, well, that Gale and I could just be friends? But the Capitol citizens don't want just friends. They want boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Yeah..."

"So, Prim, did anything good happen to you when I was gone?"

"Yeah! I made two really good friends, Peeta and Sali! They're nice, huh?"

"I guess so... I'm tired," I fake yawn. Just talking about Peeta gives me that weird sensation I felt not long ago.

"No you're not," Prim pokes my arm, laughing. "You're such a bad actress Katniss, I wonder how even Gale thought you were in love with him." For some reason, I laugh too. Prim is the light in my dark world, the rainbow after the storm, and she never fails to make me feel better.

"He's pretty dim, huh?" I joke, even though it's kinda mean. But Gale deserves it I guess. "Am I really that bad of an actress?"

"Yeah, your smiles are way too large and when you yawned, you looked like a fish!" I hit her with one of the soft pillows, and we laugh until we can't anymore.

"Girls GO TO SLEEP!" My mother shouts from across the hallway. We burst into another fit of quiet giggles and close our eyes for a (hopefully) peaceful slumber.
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"Primrose Everdeen," Effie Trinket, the Capitol escort announces the girl tribute for the 74th annual Hunger Games. I run up to Prim to stop her, to volunteer, but Peacekeepeers hold me back.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" I shriek, thrashing in the Peacekeepers' tight grip. "Let me go!" Effie Trinket welcomes a shaky Prim on stage. "No! NO!!!" Peacekeepers soon take Prim away too, along with the boy tribute. The boy is tall yet has a stocky build, and he has the brightest, most captivating blue eyes. Cato? The boy turns to face me.

"I'll take care of her Katniss, don't you worry." It's...Peeta... I drop my flailing arms in surprise as Peeta and Prim get taken away. The Peacekeeper's that hold me growl at me.

"He's lying. The boy is lying! He can't protect your sister, like you couldn't protect us!" I whip my head around, and the Peackeepers' faces transform into Rue, Clove, Cato and more, including Levia.

"Katniss. You're useless. You're a liar. You promised us, and you broke it. Maybe it's time to break you. Katniss, Katniss, Katniss..." They chant. I continue flailing around, kicking and screaming for Prim. "Katniss, Katniss..."

"Katniss!" Something, or someone, shakes me violently. I scream, "Get off me! Get off me!" It's dark, and I don't know who could be trying to kidnap me in the middle of the night but I use my defense reflexes and hit the person as hard as I can.

"Katniss.... It's me..." Someone groans. Prim? I switch the light on and I find Prim crumpled on the bed, cradling her head in her hands.

"Oh my goodness Prim!! I am so sorry!" I reach out to look at her forehead, which sports a new purpling bruise. Oops. "Oh my gosh.."

"It's fine, it's fine. Nightmare?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay. I love you."

"I love you too Prim." Suddenly, she starts laughing crazily. I raise my eyebrows in question.

"Hazelle bought a cake for celebration and it's a long story, but I kind of smeared cake on Rory and Vick's beds as revenge." We both laugh, and although I have no idea why Prim did that, I high five her. That's my girl.

"Do you like Peeta?" Prim asks. I am still bleary with sleep and delirious from my nightmare, so that is my excuse for saying what I did.

"Yes, I do like Peeta."