Hunger Games - Extended epilogue

Chapter Four

"I better check on Haymitch, hopefully won't be too long," I tell Peeta as I place the picnic basket on the second step leading to Peeta'a house. "Leave the basket here, I'll unpack it when I get back."

"Okay, you sure you'll be alright dealing with Haymitch?" He questions seriously.

I gasp, purposely being dramatic, as the corners of his lips tug into a smile.

"Of course, I'll be just fine without your guiding help, Mellark." I roll my eyes playfully, giggling at his laughing expression.

And with that, I turn on my heels in the opposite direction and make my way up Haymitch's steps.

I knock, unreasonably as I open the door uninvited anyway.

My nose is drowned in the revolting stench of toxic alcohol and vomit. I screw my nose up in disgust and come to an idea to hold my shirt above my nose and hold my grip on it, blocking the scent out of my airways almost completely.

"Haymitch..." I call out quietly, lifting the barrier off my nose for a short second. Trailing off as I'm more focused on my surroundings in the house.

I walk slowly down his filthy hallway, searching for any signs of the, most likely, unconscious man.

It seems as though Hazelle (his house cleaner, also Gale's Mother) hasn't been here in a while to fix him up... Or his house... This suddenly makes me curious as to why she hasn't visited.

Maybe she got a better job, someone who's belongings don't reek as badly as Haymitch's do.

I keep walking, trying my best to dodge the grotty features of his house.

I stumble into the kitchen, tripping on a suitcase that sat in the middle of the hallway. I regain my balance, keeping my feet on the ground.

"Why would you leave that right there?" I mutter a little annoyed, more to myself than anyone.

I search all over his two storie house. Upstairs and down, in every corner of the house. No sign of the man.

All I could think of was how strange the whole event was. On the rare occasion that Haymitch leaves his house, why didn't he notify Peeta or me?

On the plus side, he must be somewhere sober. Well, hopefully.

As I walk down the steps of Haymitch's house, I realize how much I was really suffocating in there. The clean air fills my senses and I hum in pleasure, inhaling as deeply as I can, praying the fresh oxygen will never leave my lungs again.

I dawdle back home, finding the ground suddenly interesting. Wondering all the places Haymitch may be.

I make a mental note to myself to remember to retrieve the basket I left on the step, as I told Peeta I would.

Kicking an old coal stone, I watch as it puffs a thin cloud of dust off the ground as I do so. I observe it like a hawk as it rolls, across the ground to a new destination. Suddenly loosing interest as I reach Peeta's house.

I lightly jog up the three steps of Peeta's house, grabbing the door knob to turn it before remembering the basket. As I turn back for it, I see it's gone from the place I left it not long ago.

I assume Peeta's taken it in for me and shrug it off. I smile, mentally thanking him for doing it for me.

I enter the warm home in a gaze, impressed by the small deed Peeta did for me. Still smiling

"Hssss." Confused, I stop in my tracks, looking down to the ground where the sound came from.

It's Buttercup. Who else?

"What's your problem?" I ask, before receiving a throaty growl from the creature. I scoff in response, deciding to leave it there.

"Peeta?" I call out. Directing my attention to what's important, and not the ferrel cat.

"We're in the kitchen, Katniss!" Peeta yells back.

We? Who's we...?

A million things fly in and out of my head about who the second person may be.

Effie? Mother? Maybe Haymitch? Seeing as I couldn't find him next door.

It sounds as if it's a male voice, though I can't make out who it's owner is. Definitely not Haymitch's.

"Catnip," he says, rising to his feet to face me, "Um, uh, K-Katniss. Hi." He corrects himself, stuttering awkwardly. The look on his face seems as if he's afraid of my response.

Him and Peeta sit there, at the round, pale wooden table where we usually eat meals. Sipping on their cups of tea.

"Hi..." I reply, a little unsure. The wrinkles in my brow furrow, a little confused.

"Um, I wanted to see how things were in twelve and uh... Thought I'd drop by." He tells me, awkwardly stuttering, answering my mental question. "Sorry, I know it's getting late out there."

"Explains why Haymitchs house is in a complete mess..." I trail off, realizing what I said was unnecessary.

He tilts his head in confusion, studying my eyes.

"Your mother didn't tell you? She cleans Haymitch's house, just to gain a little more money."

"Oh." He nods, remembering what his mother told him.

"Which by the way, Peeta, Haymitch wasn't home." I tell him, to avoid the other elephant in the room.

He hums and nods his head in response, taking a sip from his cup before turning his attention to the paper on the table.

"I should probably go." Gale tells us a little uncomfortably, quickly glancing at his wristwatch.

Relief washes over me as he says this, I don't feel like talking to him like this. He can't just walk out of my life and walk back in when he feels like it. I know it's hard with Prim and all. He still thinks he was the one that killed her.

I don't feel it's right to trust him straight away. Jumping with joy that I get to see him should be my first instinct, right? Wrong?

When things got hard, he just left. He didn't bother sorting it out with me. He just gave up right there and ran off to a new district.

I spent so long trying to forget about him, he was my best friend. The one who got me through my fathers death. We saved our families together, committed crimes together. Crimes punishable by instant death.

"Can we meet again tomorrow? Just to catch up?" He asks me, fear in his eyes as he tries to read my emotions.

My heart feels like it squeezes. Worry rushes through my body, freezing me in dread.

"Oh, I don't know." I tell him, looking away to attempt to release his intense gaze, hoping he'll accept that and leave.

"Yeah... Yeah you're right. Sorry I asked," he shakes his head to himself and rubs the back of his head. "bad questions,"

He awkwardly chuckles to himself and I look to Peeta who's looking at me disappointingly. Then I feel guilty. Feel guilt, or spend a day with Gale. Guilt it is.

Gale rises from his seat, "thanks for the tea Peeta, good seeing you." He nods in my direction before walking straight past me.

What have I done?

"Wait!" I chase up to him, "when are you leaving?"

"In two days, Katniss" and with that he leaves.

Still in shock of the readers!

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