Pregnant in the Quell | ✔️

Chapter 4

Training starts after the opening ceremony, and then after a few days, we have our private sessions with the gamemakers. Peeta and I make Hunger Games history, each of us scoring a 12. No one congratulates us though. The next day, we have the day to ourselves. Haymitch told us he thought we could handle ourselves in front of a crowd. Peeta takes me up to the roof, where we just hang out and talk. We go to dinner and then go to bed.

The next day is all prep for the interviews with Caesar. After Flavius, Venia, and Octavia are done with prep, Cinna comes in. He is carrying a bag. "What are we wearing tonight?" I ask.

He unzips the bag and takes out a plain, black dress. It flows down to the ground. "Oh, Cinna... it's beautiful." He helps me dress into it. "Will I be spinning again?" I ask.

"Yes. If Caesar doesn't ask you, suggest it yourself," He says. I nod.

I go backstage where all of the other tributes are lined up. I get in line in front of Peeta, since "ladies first!" Effie always says. Everyone manages to either make the crowd cry or faint. When I am introduced, the crowd is crying.

"Good evening, Katniss," Caesar says.

"Good evening, Caesar," I respond.

"That's a lovely dress you have on there," he says.

"Thank you."

We chat until it's almost time for the buzzer to go off and I ask, "Do you want to see me twirl?"

"Well, of course!" Caesar says with a smile. I start to spin and I see smoke rising. I panic, but I keep twirling and twirling. I stop, and I see my dress has become made of feathers. I raise my arms to see wings.

Cinna has turned me into a mockingjay.

Caesar looks at the dress in wonder. "Feathers," says Caesar. "You're like a bird."

"A mockingjay, I think. It's the bird on the pin I wear as a token." The buzzer goes off and I walk backstage.

Peeta doesn't meet my eyes. He walks on stage and they start talking. Caesar and Peeta always had this sort of weird bond. They talk for a while and then Caesar asks him a question. I don't hear it over the screaming of the crowd from before. It must have been about the Quell and happiness because he makes a cheeky face and says, "If it weren't for the baby." The crowd screams and I sigh. I rest my forehead on my hands.

Why does he have to be so difficult?

I can feel everyone's eyes on me as the buzzer goes off. We can hear Caesar trying to calm the crowd, but it's no use. They are a wreck. I grab Peeta's arm and pull him past everyone.

"What were you thinking????" I ask him.

"I was trying to get you out of the Games so then I could win and then we could be happy together." It seems he was prepared for that question.

"Dammit Peeta, why do you have to be this way?"

He makes that cheeky face again. "I don't know, you tell me." I slap him and stomp away. Everyone is staring at me. Great, now I made a scene.

I go into one of the elevators and jam the button that says 12. The door closes and I'm alone with my thoughts. Never a good idea, really.

I hate Peeta. I hate Peeta and his stupid face. I hate him and his stupid blue eyes that look like ice shards on a cold winter... oh my god I am actually in love with him.

Shit.