Real - An Everlark Fanfiction

- Chapter Fifteen -

I crumple up my fourth piece of paper and toss it into the trash. Just more bad ideas. Writing vows is awful. Torture, even. Especially when you love someone so much that you can't express it on paper. Peeta will find a way. He always does. He's going to have everyone's full attention while I'm standing next to him tripping over my own dress.

I really need to get this right. I never tell Peeta how much I love him. How grateful I am to have him in my life. I just assume he knows. Which he does. But I owe him. I've owed him for years. He deserves to hear how much he means to me.

I take out the ring that I bought for Peeta and play with it between my fingers, taking extreme caution not to drop it. I wouldn't want to go back to the store to buy Peeta another one. Not that I would mind. As long as Sapphire was there, I'd be more than okay with it.

I've visited her a few times since I bought the ring. Sapphire. She calms me down. Reminds me of reality. Kind of like Peeta. But a lot smaller. And Wiser. I learned a lot more about her life during our visits. And she learned a lot more about me.

Her brother's name was Alto. He was a handsome and youthful 14 year old boy. Sapphire showed me a couple of pictures. She had such a beautiful family. Gorgeous mother. Proud father. Perfect children. Everyone all dressed up for the photograph. My family and I never took a family photo together. I regret that now. More than anything in the world.

I remember Sapphire telling me about the day her brother died. I wasn't really listening, though. I was too busy thinking about Prim. She said something about Alto starving. There was no food where the two were hiding. And Sapphire knew they wouldn't last much longer. She would tell him to wait a few more days. Then the war would be over and they could flee somewhere far from the Capitol. Somewhere with peace. Freedom. And happiness.

But Alto couldn't wait. Being from the Capital, he probably couldn't stand the familiar pain of an empty stomach for over a couple of days. Poor boy. Be was told to go to Snow's mansion. Where he was guaranteed food and shelter. A death trap, though, was all it was. The parachutes went off as soon as he arrived. If only he had waited a little bit longer...

"Katniss," a muffled voice says from behind the door. I hide my pencil as Effie walks into the room.

"I heard you were having some trouble with your... vows," she whispers.

"Where did you hear that?" I say.

"From Haymitch..." She says, looking down at her shoes.

"You two were in the same room... alone?" I tease, "And you're still alive?"

"Surprisingly yes," Effie gulps, "It was actually kind of nice. To talk to Haymitch." I nod, taking out another piece of paper reminding Effie that, yes, I do need help with my vows. And she's the best helper that I can get. Besides Peeta, of course. But I figure Effie has been writing cue cards, speeches, and formal letters for all of her life. Wedding vows should be a cinch for her.

"What did you have in mind?" She asks with a smile, sitting down on my bed with her legs crossed. I recite to her my ideas, but she just frowns.

"Not very... romantic," she says, biting her lip.

"This isn't what I'm good at, Effie," I say. "I'm not good at anything when it comes to marriage,"

"You certainly are good at picking out rings!" She gasps, pointing at the gold jewelry in my palm, "Is this for Peeta?"
I nod and hold out the ring for her to see.

"I bought it from a woman named Sapphire. From her shop. Do you know her?"

"Sapphire... Sapphire Yule?" And the names definitely sounds familiar.

"Yes," I answer.

"Sapphire. How could I forget her," Effie says, placing her chin in her palms. "When she was a teenager she would go around telling everyone how horrid the games were. How unfair and awful the Capitol treated people in the districts. She was almost killed tens of times. I don't know how she survived it all. I never asked. She wasn't exactly a huge fan of me," Effie explains, frowning. I can't believe that a quiet young woman like Sapphire would rebel against the Capitol on her own. I, at least, had a whole army behind me.

"I want her at the wedding." I say to Effie. She has to come. She's my new friend. And I know that I'm always very calm and happy when I'm around her. That's how I want to feel on my special day.

"Katniss! It's only in three days an-"

"I want her at my wedding," I say a little louder.

"Fine," she sighs, taking out a pen and writing down Sapphire's name on a sticky note. Always prepared, as always.

"Back to your vows!" Effie says, encouraging me to keep writing.

After over half an hour of crossing out and throwing out more paper, Effie hovering over my shoulder, I finally give up.

"Effie please just write the beginning... I'll pick up where you leave off," I say, pleading. Effie sighs and takes the paper out of my hands.

~•~

In 15 minutes flat, Effie is done with the beginning of the vows. They're written to perfection, but do they mean anything if I didn't write them? No. Of course not. I'm wasting Effie's time.

"Thank you," I say, reviewing the papers again. "I'm alright from here. Why don't you go and check on Peeta. Is he downstairs?"

"Yes. Good luck, Katniss," Effie says, taking my hand and giving it a squeeze. I nod as she leaves the room. I slide the vows under a stack of books. I won't use those. It'd be stupid. Peeta would agree.

I think for awhile. About me. About Peeta. About the vows. How I won't be able to finish them. Maybe I'll just wing it. Tell Peeta how I feel right then and there. No papers. No rehearsing. It'll probably better that way. I'll take a few notes to read off of. But I usually don't do too well reading off of a script. And plus, I know exactly how much I love Peeta. And when the moment comes, I'll be able to express it perfectly. Hopefully.

I wonder what Peeta' been doing downstairs all day. He's not checking on me, that's for sure. It's weird how we're both planning the ultimate day of love... and we're barely talking to each other anymore. This will change, I know. I've learned from experience that I can't last too long without the boy with the bread.

I decide to take out one last piece of paper. To write down small notes for the wedding. I can't imagine how many trees that I've killed today. How many animals I've let down. Their homes... destroyed. I hate paper.

You're the boy with the bread.

You saved my life.

You're my dandelion in the spring.

I owe you.

I love you.

And that's all I write. That's all I'll need. Not that I could ever, in a million years, forget any of those things. Just in case.

Just three more days. Three more days... And I can't believe it. I've been with Peeta for such a long time. He's been with me his whole life. We've just been through to much together I don't think either of us could ever have imagined the day that we got married. And it's happening so soon. Three days. And I'm ready.

I hope you enjoyed! Be sure to vote, comment, and follow me! Thank you!

-Melanie 🦁