A Tale of a Boy and His Flower

Real or Not Real

I've never seen Boggs so angry before. 

Finnick and Zach are by my side as we watch Boggs take a short walk with Katniss trying to reassure her Coin isn't trying to kill her. 

Finnick turns to me. "What do you think of this whole thing?" 

I shrug. "How would I know what's going on." 

Finnick continues. "Come on, you're one of the smartest people I've ever met. You can read people easily. I know you can figure it out." 

I sigh. "Well I've never liked Coin so it isn't a surprise that she's doing this. She doesn't like Katniss. She never did. It was Peeta she wanted rescued from the arena, but no one else agreed. It made matters worse when Katniss forced her to give the other victors immunity. But even that could be overlooked in view of how well Katniss has performed." 

"Then what is it?" Finnick insists. 

"Sometime in the near future, this war will be resolved. A new leader will be chosen," I say, "And while Katniss isn't going to be the new one she'll have to throw support to someone. whether it be President Coin is debatable. Perhaps someone else. But either way if her immediate answer isn't Coin, then she's a threat. She's the face of the rebellion. Katniss may have more influence than any other single person," I take a breath. "Besides she needs a good martyr to gain more support. Who better to do it than the Mockingjay herself." 

"The last thing she could do to add fire to the rebellion." Zach finishes for me. 

I nod. "Die." 

I see Katniss and Peeta sitting together. It was her turn to be on watch for him. I glance at Finnick and he seems to be thinking the same thing as me. We walk over and join them. 

"These last couple of years must have been exhausting for you.Trying to decide whether to kill me or not. Back and forth. Back and forth."

"I never wanted to kill you. Except when I thought you were helping the Careers kill me.After that, I always thought of you as...an ally." 

 "Ally." Peeta says the word slowly, tasting it. "Friend. Lover. Victor. Enemy. Fiancee. Target. Mutt. Neighbor. Hunter. Tribute. Ally. I'll add it to the list of words I use to try to figure you out." He weaves the rope in and out of his fingers. "The problem is, I can't tell what's real anymore, and what's made up." 

 Finnick's voice rises from a bundle in the shadows. "Then you should ask, Peeta. That's what Annie does." 

"Ask who?" Peeta says. "Who can I trust?" 

"Well, us for starters. We're your squad," I say. More people join our little circle. 

"You're my guards," he points out.

 "That, too," Jackson says. "But you saved a lot of lives in Thirteen. It's not the kind of thing we forget." 

A few minutes later Peeta turns to Katniss. "Your favorite color...it's green?" 

"That's right." She says. "And yours is orange."

 "Orange?" He seems unconvinced. 

"Not bright orange. But soft. Like the sunset," She says. "At least, that's what you told me once."

"Oh." He closes his eyes briefly, maybe trying to conjure up that sunset, then nods his head.

"Thank you." 

But more words tumble out of Katniss. "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea.And you always double-knot your shoelaces."