Falling For You

Chapter 13

After sleeping in until noon, I crawl out of bed, and stumble into the kitchen. The sun streaming through the windows burns my eyes at first, but I get used to it after a while. I open the first drawer I see, and pull out a spoon. Then I open the cabinet and get out the jar of peanut butter. Peeta walks in as I'm shoving spoonfuls of peanut butter in my mouth and I set the jar down as he wraps his arms around me and I wrap my own arms around his neck, not bothering to put my spoon down. I don't need to question it. I know why. It's reaping day.

We only get about a half hour of alone time before our prep teams arrive, but it's long enough for me to finish my peanut butter and some bread. I go with my prep team into the bathroom, get undressed, and wrap my robe around myself. "We're going to have you take a shower, but you have to make it quick since we're short on time. Here's a razor since you only have to be shaved for a short time, and here's your outfit for the day." Octavia tells me, handing me a stack of perfectly folded clothes with a razor on top. "Thank you." I set the clothes on the counter after they leave. I take the razor with me to the shower and start up the water, removing my robe. I climb in and my muscles instantly relax under the hot rain. I carefully shave my armpits and set the razor down on the edge of the bathtub. There's no reason for me to shave my legs since I'll be wearing pants. I thoroughly rub the shampoo onto my scalp, taking my time. I know they wanted me to hurry but I figure the longer I take the less chatting I'll have to listen to since they'll be busy working. I wash my body just as slowly as my hair.

I get dressed in the clothes they gave me, a pair of black skinny jeans, a loose grey tank top, and boots. I let them into the bathroom again, and sit down on the toilet seat so they can do my hair and makeup. It's doesn't take long for them to surround me, curling my hair, coating my face with makeup and painting my nails. I let them do their job without complaining, thankfully they talk among themselves instead of to me for once.

We walk on stage, along with Haymitch, like we have in the years before. As if they didn't already know who we are Effie introduces us to the crowd. Then we go stand in our assigned places with the other important people in district twelve. I stare down at the floor, wishing to be anywhere but here. "Ladies first." Effie's voice, made worse with the microphone, is loud and chirpy. Peeta takes my hand and squeezes it. I can feel him looking at me, but I don't look up at him. I watch a beautiful blonde girl walk up onto the stage and stand by Effie, but I didn't catch her name. I glance at Peeta and I know he's been watching. A boy walks up shortly after her, I think his name is Nathaniel, but I've been trying not to listen. I don't want to know their names. I don't want to know them at all.

They sit across from Peeta and I, the girl I now know as Brooke, and the boy, Nathaniel. Everytime I look at her all I can think of is Peeta and I's child. She has long curly blonde hair that hangs down to her waist, and dark blue eyes. She's fifteen, only a few years younger than me, but her baby face and height makes her seem like she could be twelve. The boy is the exact opposite. He has short, messy, dark brown hair and bright grey eyes, definitely from the seam. He's seventeen, only a year younger than me and Peeta. "And what can you do?" Peeta asks the girl. The boy knows how to throw knives, but not very well. He used to do it recreationally with his brothers using his mother's kitchen knives. She bites her lip. I can tell she doesn't want to tell us the answer. "I... Don't have any skills, really." She looks to me and then to Peeta. I can tell just by looking at her that she's from one of the richer families in district twelve. "That's okay. We can find you something. You've still got training to learn some things and I'll help you practice camouflage when we have time, okay?" She smiles at Peeta. "Okay. Thank you." She looks over at me. "We can talk about this more over dinner. You guys can go take a shower or whatever you need to do." He says, looking over to me, making sure it's okay. I nod looking between the two kids in front of me. I don't know how to help them, but I know I need to try.

After dinner, Peeta and I lay together on the couch, with my head on his chest and his arms around me. His fingers slowly make their way across my waist and back, making it nearly impossible to concentrate on anything but his hands on me. I feel his eyes on me but I don't look away from the couch cushion I've been staring at for the past ten minutes we've been laying here. Finally, I can't stand to stay in this position any longer, so I turn over on my side. Brooke and Nathaniel are sitting on the couch across from us, as far from each other as possible. Something tells me they know each other but I don't want to ask. Perhaps they went to school together. I've been trying to think of something I can do to help them. Something that will give them some sort of advantage over the other tributes. But I've got nothing. I wonder if this is how Haymitch felt. This strong feeling of helplessness that never seems to go away. I feel bad for him. He had to know, love, and watch nearly fifty kids die before he mentored Peeta and I. I take one last look at them and bury my face deeper into Peeta's chest, so they don't have to see me cry.

A/N: I didn't expect to update so quickly but it didn't take me very long to finish editing this chapter. I guess there weren't very many mistakes. Please vote and comment and tell me what you think of the new tributes?