Crossing Paths

Chapter 14

Katniss

                  “Katniss please talk to me. It hasn’t even been a day and you’re already worrying me.” Peeta and I sit on the bed in our bedroom. Well, he’s sitting on the bed. I’m piled under the covers trying to pretend everything that’s happened is a bad dream.

                  I thought I could handle this. I thought I’d be okay. I thought I’d watch the Games and not act like Jay’s already dead. I told myself that I wouldn’t do this to Peeta. We talked about being there for one another when Jay was in the arena. I promised myself that I wouldn’t take my shell out of the closet and hide in it. But here I am, trying to hide from the world. It’s just what I did when Peeta was held captive by Snow and just what I did when Prim died. Peeta can’t worry about both me and Jay. I can’t do this to him. I’ve had my time to mope and feel sorry. I’ve got to get up.

                  I groan and slowly unwrap myself from the covers. Peeta sighs in relief when he sees my face. “See that wasn’t so hard now was it?”

                  I shrug. “It wasn’t fun either.” I don’t want to return to a world full of pain and loss. But as long as Peeta’s there with me I guess I can try to live through it. He pushes some hair off of my forehead and kisses it.

                  “I know.” He pauses for a moment to try and find something else to talk about. “I watched the tribute overview.”

                  “Oh yeah?” I’m afraid to ask if anyone else we know is a tribute and by the look on Peeta’s face I can tell he isn’t going to go into great depth.

                  “Yeah. Her picture looks good. It makes her look like a tribute with a good chance of winning.” He’s about to say something else but the phone cuts him off. He reaches over to the nightstand and answers it. “Hello? ........ Yeah……. Not very well but she’s talking again……. Um I don’t know since we got home…… No she didn’t but I did……I know…… You what?!...... That’s pretty ambitious. Who’s with you? ..... That’s a good number….. Really? Who? …… I don’t know…… Yeah I know she’s going to want to but that doesn’t make it…… Of course I’d have a say in it! It affects both of us! Our daughter…… Okay fine. But we’ll have to call you back with the final decision…. Okay here she is.” He hands me the phone and I take it.

                  “Hello?” I ask.

                  “Hey Katniss it’s Gale.”

                  “Oh Gale! Where are you? Did you watch? Do you think you’ll…”

                  “Yes I watched. I’m on a train to District Thirteen.”

                  “Why?”

                  “People aren’t happy and we want to do something about it. Melody can’t stay in power…”

                  “We?”

‘                 “Yes. We. A former rebellion leader called me and told me to come to Thirteen. His son is in the Games. He wants Melody out of power and the Games to be stopped; hopefully before the kids reach the arena. I doubt we’ll figure out a plan before then but we can still save the ones that last. When he called he wanted me to ask you and Peeta if you’d help. He’s got weapons, trained military officials, and other former rebel leaders on our side. What do you think Katniss? You want to help get Jay out?”

                                                      Jay

                  “Ow!” I lay on a long table in a white room with demented people surrounding me from every corner. They say they’re “trying to make me look prettier” but since they’ve been ripping hair off of me and scrubbing my skin until it looks like plastic all morning I highly doubt that’s what they’re doing. The worst part of it is that I’m in a room full of weird strangers without a stitch of clothing on! Let me just say I’d rather be in the arena fighting to stay alive. The only thing that keeps my body on this table is one of my mother’s last pieces of advice.