Mentors

14

Raina asked if we could sleep in the training center tonight, rather than across the street in the victors visitation building.
I wake up to screaming, realizing that it is not my own.
"Katniss," Peeta sits up, "you're okay, do you want to talk about it?" he instantly wraps his arms around my body.
"Peeta, that's not me." I assure him, although his gesture is sweet. The screaming continues.
I throw a shirt on and walk to the door.
"Come on." I say, waiting for him to follow. He does.
We open the door to Raina's room to find her soundly sleeping. I quietly close it.
"You don't think that it's the boy, do you?" Peeta asks.
"Who else could it be?" I head towards his bedroom.
I knock aggressively on the door. I give in and open it. Kolton is not in his bed, but under it holding his face. I walk over and grab his arms and pull him out from under the mattress.
He starts to cry. I try and speak to him but he can only answer in mumbles.
"Kid, English please." I plead.
Peeta lifts him off the floor and plops him onto the bed. He sits in between us as he silently cries into his hands.
"I'm sorry." he pauses,
"That I've been a mean, stubborn, stuck up, burden to you two. You sitting here tells me that you really do care."
I take Peeta's long sleeve and use it to wipe the tears out of his eyes.
"Whatever you feel, don't feel all that bad. I can be a stubborn little bitch sometimes, I have Peeta to witness it."
"No you are not, Katniss." Peeta sighs.
I give him a glance, considering I was a stubborn bitch to him right before we went into the games. And after.
"The point is, I've met people with far worse attitudes. And I'm here to help you, only if you agree to start helping yourself." I tell Kolton. He nods his head.
"We'll talk in the morning. Go back to sleep."
As I am about to close the door, Peeta is already halfway down the hall.
"Wait!" Kolton says.
"Are you really in love with him?" he asks.
I smile.
"If I said no, then I'd be lying."

This morning was different. Kolton wasn't mean to any of us, but he wasn't abnormally nice either.
I should not become too attached to the both of them. I would be put in a Rue situation all over again. I'll be even more helpless to them watching from a screen.
"Katniss?" Peeta calls from across the table,
"Are you good over there?"
"Just trapped in my thoughts." I answer.
I don't know how much longer I can mentor. This is driving me insane.

A few days roll by, and the tributes are both being equally as nice to Peeta and I. But not to each other. The realization kicks in that we can only choose one to save.
We all gather around a coffee table in the living room and discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
"I can build shelter, and throw knives." Raina states.
Kolton says he can fight, and hunt.
Peeta and I go through the list of possible weapons that can be in the arena, and they state whether they would be able to use it or not. If not, that's what they will go to during training first.
Today is day one of physical training with the other tributes.
"Now remember, make friends." I tell them as they walk off to elevator.
"Are you sure you can't come?" Raina asks.

"Not allowed. But we will see you. Do not show the skills you know right away, wait until people are watching. Make friends first." Peeta instructs.
We recently learned that we can watch them train in a room called the Mentor's Lounge.
Where you can befriend other mentors and ally tributes together. Haymitch states he has never been up there, him asserting that socializing is a joke. He really just wanted to sit around and drink. Although I'm positive that he is friendly with other victors that are of his age, who are just as soberly unstable as he is.
I watch Raina take a deep breath before entering the doors. I take Peeta's hand and know that she'll do just fine in training.

A/n, if you start commenting on my chapters, it will probably encourage me to update sooner from now on haha
sorry for the short chapter, just really wanted to update!
:)
-j