Mentors

16

Kolton won't dare act out in front of me, he thinks for a while before answering any question I ask.
It is the last day of their training, and then the individual assessments.
We have lunch with Finnick, and head back to the training center top floor to wait for them to get back. Finnick tags along.
"So, have you figured out who you're saving yet?" Finnick asks.
"The girl," I say, without much thought.
"I want to save the boy in my district this year. The girls a snob," he replies, lifting his feet onto the coffee table.
"Our female tribute wants to meet you." Peeta tells him.
"And she wants you to paint her a picture." I inform Peeta.
"Of what?" he questions.
I shrug.

A loud knock on the door disturbs our conversation.
"I'll get it." says Peeta. I crawl off his lap so he can rise from the sofa.
In comes storming Johanna Mason.
"Well, water boy. Looks like you've found some friends. How are you all doing?" She looks at me with intensity.
I can never tell just exactly how negative her feelings are toward me.
"We're fine, how about yourself?" I ask.
"I've been better." she scoffs.
The longer she's up here, the more she makes herself comfortable. I find myself in a depth conversation with her. After a while she says,

"I should be going, the real reason I came here was to tell the fish out of water something important because I heard he was here, but it actually really was nice talking to you. Don't expect us to be friends, though."
"I wasn't counting on it." I roll my eyes.

As she gets to the door to leave, she waves along Finnick.
"You coming?"
"I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."
She rolls her eyes and slams the door.
A few moments after the door closes it opens and the tributes slump into the room exhausted.
Raina looks like she's been crying, and right away I know something went wrong in training.
"Raina, this is Finnick Odair." Peeta rushes over to her, to keep her from falling over from tiredness.
She stands up straight and wipes her eyes.
"Hello, it's really nice to meet you." She smiles.
"Pleasure is all mine, looks like training did you well." Finnick shakes her hand.
They talk for a few minutes, and she looks overwhelmed with happiness. I hope that what ever type of day she had, this made it better.
Raina and Kolton are called to supper by Effie, and they say goodbye.
"Thanks for making her feel better." I blurt.
"Hey, she's a sweet little girl. Anytime." he smiles and bids us goodbye, retreating to his own tributes on the forth floor.
We meet them at the table, Raina doesn't talk, and I decide to stay out of it. Whatever problem occurred, I'm sure she'll tell me if she wants me to know.
The games start in a few days, and I don't want them to leave. I know that one or none of them will make it out. President snow won't allow that mistake of two victors again.
I get lost in thought and start biting my nails.
I blur back into vision and see that Haymitch is trying to speak to me.
"What's with you, sweetheart?"
"Just bored," I lie. Being bored would be the least of my concerns.
Now Peeta must know I'm not really bored.
"Here, let me take you to the art room. It'll make you less bored." he says, as we get to the end of our last dinner course.
What art room?
He offers me his hand and leads me to a small room behind a closed off hallway.
We walk in, and it's full of paintings and art easels. Right away I know it was Peeta who painted these pictures as I skim through them.
"Did you bring these from the train?" I ask.
"Some of them," he answers,
"I want to teach you how to paint. You said Raina would like a painting. We should send it to her as a sponsor gift. I know how much you care about her well being."
"How will it help her in the arena?" I question.
"It will be her token since she doesn't have one." he answers, and pulls out a miniature canvas.
He takes out his paints, which are organized by shades of color. They don't look used at all, although I know he has painted with them, and I feel as if I were to touch one I would destroy it.
He takes a green tube of paint and unscrews the cap, placing it down to get a paintbrush.
"Pick a color, we can start with the basics." he says.
"I don't want to ruin your paints. They mean a lot to you." I admire how once again how perfectly placed they are.
"Katniss, you mean a lot more to me than just some paints. Paints are replaceable, you're not. So pick a tube of paint to use."
"Really? You sure you trust me?" I smile.
"Yeah sure, what's the worst that could happen?" he jokes.
He examines me as I place my hand in my chin, searching through the colors.
The various shades of green are beautiful, they really catch my eye. But I look up at him and instantly bring myself to pick out the most perfect orange.
I hold it out to him and he hands me a paintbrush.
"Nice color choice," he laughs, "Unscrew the cap."

We start with basic shapes, like circles and rectangles. We end up creating a bouquet of flowers after he believes I've mastered the "easy part."
"Here, you hold the brush like this," Peeta stands behind me, taking his hand and holding it over mine. His small breaths on my neck.
He shows me how to stroke the brush to make pedals and I catch along, him encouraging me to keep going. After a while, he says to pick other new colors and we add them to the canvas.
"You really have been doubting yourself on your talent." he remarks.
"Easy for you to say, you're good at everything." I take a break, sitting on the floor against the wall. He sits next to me.
"That's not true. Some things you're way better at. Take hunting for example. Or your determination. Don't forget that you're way better at kissing." he says, which I smile.
"Are you calling that a challenge?" I turn to him.
Before he can say anything witty or charming, I stop his lips from forming words with a kiss.