Crossing Paths

Chapter 11

Katniss

                  Peeta and I wait for Jay to turn around, pass out, go into shock, anything! But she just stands there trying to process everything. I give Peeta a nervous glance but he doesn’t notice. He stares at Jay with a stone hard face. Finally I can’t take it anymore and I’m about to make Peeta lay her down on the couch when she turns to face us. I’m surprised when I don’t see fear but to see determination on her face.

                  “When do we start?” she asks us in a monotone voice.

                  “When are you ready to start?” I ask her feeling the pride of her bravery bubble up inside of me.

                  “I’m ready when you are,” she replies.

                  “We only have three days so sooner’s better than latter,” I tell her. She nods and for the first time I don’t see her as a small helpless little girl anymore. I now see her as a brave young woman who has the capability of wining the Games.

                  “I’ll be in my room. Call me when you’re ready.” She strides out of the room. Peeta and I sit in silence until he breaks the thin layer of stone that seems to be covering his body and speaks.

                  “We need a training plan for her.”

                  “Right. Any brilliant ideas?” I ask him hoping that he already has it thought through and ready to put into action. And of course, he does.

                  “Okay so I’m thinking since I’ve never been good at the whole fighting thing,” I roll my eyes and he frowns. “Katniss you know what I mean. Anyways I think that you should handle the fighting skills. I’ll teach her the survival tips that I can remember and you fill in what I left out. Does that sound good?”

                  “Okay. Are we just going to alternate days?” He considers this for a moment before answering.

                  “I’ll take today that way you’ll have time to prepare what you’re going to teach her tomorrow. We’ll split the last day in half. Half for you, half for me.” I smile wearily at him and he gives my hand a squeeze as he smiles back.

                  “You should go if you want to have enough light to see where you’re going.” I pause realizing that I don’t know what he’s going to do with her.“What’re you going to do?” A grin flashes across his face.

                  “I’m going to take her to the bakery,” I should have known, camouflage. That was his technique in the Games after Cato wounded him.

                  “To paint herself in frosting or to make her carry around tons of flour?” I asked sarcastically.

                  “Who knows? Maybe a little bit of both.” He winks at me and then leaves the room to get Jay.

                                                  Jay

                  I hear Papa call my name and I quickly sit up on my bed. I tried to cry so I could get it out of the way but no tears came. I get off the bed and smooth the covers over just before he knocks on my door.

                  “Come in,” Damn it! My voice sounds like I’m on the verge of tears. If I start crying I’m going to be some kind of mad! He opens the door and gives me an encouraging smile.

                  “You ready?”

                  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I sigh as I go over to him. He puts his arm around me and guides me downstairs. “So where are we going?” I finally ask once we’re out of the house.

                  “The bakery,” he casually answers.

                  “The bakery?” Of all places he chooses to take me to the bakery? He’s supposed to teach me ways to stay alive not teach me how to bake a cake, which I already know how to do thank you very much!

                  “Yeah, the bakery,” he repeats just as casual as the last time but this time I catch a glint of amusement in his eyes.

                  “What good is that going to me?!” It’s not like I’m going to cover myself in frosting in the arena cuz last time I checked there’s no such thing as a frosting tree!” He takes me by surprise and laughs out loud. I frown. “This isn’t funny!” I exclaim a bit exasperated that he won’t cooperate.

                  “Oh Jay if only you knew,” he says to me in an amused, and more or less loving, voice once he’s stopped laughing. We go through the back door of the bakery and he makes me sit at the decorating station. He gets out all the colors of frosting he can find, pulls two paintbrushes out of his pocket, and takes a seat next to me.

                  “Still not seeing how this will help,” I tell him and this time he actually answers.

                  “Do you remember when your mother found me in our first Games?” I suddenly see where this is going and I decide I’m okay with the whole frosting thing.

                  “Yeah you camouflaged yourself into a rock next to a river.” He smiles, happy that I now understand.

                  “That’s right. And I did a pretty darn good job if I do say so myself.”

                  “Yeah you almost gave her a heart attack in the process,” I add. He smiles again but moves on so he can get to the point.

                  “I’m going to show you how to camouflage yourself. It kept me alive long enough for your mother to find me.” His smile disappears as he tried to shake the thought of death away. He looks around the room and his eyes finally fall on the tree that stands just outside of the window. “Let’s start with a tree.” He takes my left arm and sticks his paintbrush into a grayish brown frosting. As the minutes tick by I watch him turn my hand and wrist into tree bark. I stare down in amazement and he grins at me. “Come on let’s test it and then you can try,” I follow him out to the tree. I put my hand up to the bark and it disappears within a blink of an eye. My eyes widen as I take my hand off and then hold it back up to the tree.

                  “Whoa! How did you do that?”

                  “Years of decorating cakes. Come on it’s your turn to try,” I follow him back into the kitchen and for the next two hours I try to copy what he did. Just as the sun is going down I get it right and when I go to test it my entire arm disappears into the tree.