The Victor

4

We arrive home to District 12 in the afternoon. I'm sleep-deprived, but the cameras linger wherever I go, it seems, because when I step off the train, I smile at them and wave at the cameramen before stepping off the train and ignoring them. Already my heart yearns for Peeta, but I have the dinner tonight to get through before I can visit. My refusal of President Snow has only made things more dangerous. I know I should wait a while to protect him.And wait I do. Days pass into a week, and I busy myself with giving away all the money and medicine I have to the starving, cold poor of the Seam. This winter's been harsh on them, the snows falling thicker than usual. I pass Peeta in the street one day and it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to fall to my knees. His blue eyes seem confused when he looks at me and I just look away.On the ninth day of my return, my phone rings, the one in my own house. I've begun sleeping here against Haymitch's wishes, so he can't hear me screaming. I've lied to him everyday, telling him the nightmares are getting better, but he doesn't believe me.I answer the phone and immediately a Capitolian voice says, "Piper Lockly?""Yes, this is her." I answer, confused."President Snow would like to extend an invitation to his granddaughter's seventeen birthday."My throat closes, and I can't speak. This is a warning, a threat. President Snow telling me that I can still be the Capitol's songbird even though I refused him. I don't want to know what will happen if I refuse."Miss Lockly?"I clear my throat. "I accept." I say, my voice shaking."Very good. A train will be at the station in one day for you."The woman hangs up, and I grasp for something to hang onto. There's nothing, nothing at all. I'm on my own.I stumble out of the house, my gaze diverted downward as I tamp down the loose, powdery snow.A woman with her baby looks at me curiously but doesn't ask questions. I wait for the street to clear before ducking behind Peeta's house. I cross my fingers and knock on his window. Seconds pass and my lungs freeze with disappointment. Then it opens and a blond head pokes out. I climb inside, my arms finding him and holding him against me tightly. I don't know what will happen when I go to the Capitol. Will I be there for a night? Days? Weeks? The rest of my life?"Piper, why haven't you visited?" Peeta asks me as I release him. "It's been almost a week. I don't understand."His voice is deeper now. Four more years and he won't have to fear the Games anymore. I will. For the rest of my life, I will fear the Games."I had to make sure no one saw." I say lamely, and I hug him close again."I watched the Victory Tour. Piper, what's going on? You're even thinner then when you left. Did they do something to you?"I shake my head in a blatant lie. "No, Peeta, no, of course not."He knows I'm lying, but he just lets me pull him closer. I'm grateful for it. Some time during the past six months, he's grown up, and somehow I missed it. I don't want to miss a single second more.A few minutes later, I slip out the window again, my nerves calmed. I head back to the house to face Haymitch's coming wrath.When I walk in, he's passed out, a bottle in one hand and a knife in the other. I take both away before shouting, "Haymitch!"He jerks up, slashing wildly at me with the hand that held the knife. I step back and wait for him to come to his senses. When he does, he grunts at me as a way of saying hello."I'm leaving tomorrow." I say, and his head jerks up."Leaving to go where?""The Capitol."His reaction is what I expected it to be. He whirls at me, his eyes wide with disbelief."We just got back.""I was invited to go to President Snow's granddaughter's seventeenth birthday. It would be rude to refuse." I say slowly."Damn it, Piper, I don't care if it's treason to refuse!" Haymitch yells."I have to go."Haymitch curses again and storms into the kitchen. I hear the sound of splashing water, and he comes back dripping."Piper, if you leave, you'll never come back. Sure, you might, for a few days every month if you're lucky, but the Capitol will eat you up, cage you like a pet. You know I'm right.""I do. It's not like I want to go, Haymitch, believe me, I loath the Capitol. But the invitation comes from President Snow. If I refuse, I could place Peeta in danger, or you."Haymitch growls unhappily, but I've won the argument. "When do you leave?""Tomorrow morning.""Better pack then. The Capitol won't recognize you if you show up like that." Haymitch picks up his bottle and his knife and trudges upstairs. He doesn't say goodbye. He doesn't give me a hug. He just leaves me, and I watch him until he disappears, knowing there's so much I could say and yet nothing that will make him less worried.The next morning, I get on the train. There aren't any cameras around yet, so I walk over in my normal clothes. On the train, servants await, along with one of my prep team, Pleione. It appears that I can't be trusted to do my own makeup or dress myself. We eat dinner just the two of us. I let her chatter away, commenting in all the right places. I go to bed uncomfortably full.The next morning, I wake up at dawn after the usual nightmares. My gaze lands on the telephone and I think about dialing the number I accidently memorized so long ago. Then I shove away the feeling. I won't get friendly with Finnick Odair. It'd just add another person to protect to my list.Pleione does my face and my makeup very naturally. I'm not supposed to stand out tonight. I slip into an off-white flowing dress that feels like air. Then we pull into the Capitol.Capitolians come up to me every few minutes, asking about my dress, what I'm doing in the Capitol, wondering if they could take a picture. I oblige to it all with a smile.Night comes quickly and somehow I make my way to President Snow's mansion. Feeling naked without Haymitch and Effie, I head up the golden steps behind the hundreds of other partygoers, obviously a few minutes late. When I walk inside, I see that the guests are creating a line to meet with the little princess, seated on a throne of gold at the head of the room. She giggles at every guest with pink-painted lips and platinum blonde hair. When I finally step up and wish her the happiest of birthdays, she squeals."You were my favorite! I sponsored you!" She claps excitedly and reaches for me. When I hug her obligingly, I catch a whiff of roses and nearly gag. Her grandfather's signature scent, without the blood."Oh, it was ever so exciting, your Games. I can't wait to see you mentor this year!" She chirps, and I smile."I can't wait either." I'm dreading it."But your Games were so cute, I loved them. You and Magnus loved each other so much!"Before I can vehemently protest, the doors are cast open once more and I turn. Who should walk in but Finnick, a lady decked out in electric green on his arm. As they approach, I realize the true age of the woman staring at him with wide eyes: 50 at least."Miss Maribella." He bows to her, smiling seductively, and the girl giggles loudly."Thank you so much for coming!" She says, and he reaches for her hand, kissing it gently. I'm tempted to roll my eyes as she goes bright red.He looks at me, his face still smiling congenially. "Piper, I didn't know you were coming."The old woman on his arm whispers something to him and flounces off, joining a group of woman around her age. They cast furtive looks at Finnick and giggle."I wasn't aware of the fact until two days ago." I say, trying to ignore them."You should've called." Finnick says with another smile, but his eyes are searching mine."I've been busy. I only returned from the Victory Tour eleven days ago." I say smoothly, colder than I wanted."How are you?""I'm fine, thank you. Excuse me." I say. His friendliness is almost more than I can bear at the moment.(Finnick's POV)I watch Piper weave in and out of people as she heads for two open doors leading to an outdoor balcony. Her unexpected coldness surprised me, and though I try to brush it off, I can't. I thought that at the Victory Tour, there was something, a hint of friendship. I haven't had a friend since I entered the Games six years ago. I can feel myself sliding away, but talking to her, I almost felt human again.The 56-year-old woman who is my charge for the day bounces back over. Her teeth are filed into deadly spikes."Why are you spending so much time talking to her and not me?" She pouts, and I charm her with a smile that comes too easily after six years."You know, she is the newest victor. I could introduce you to her." I say gently to the woman, and she titters."Of course I know who she is." She says, but I can tell she's flattered. "Can you really introduce me?""I wouldn't want to disappoint you." I say, kissing her hand, and she smiles at me with her pointed teeth."I'll go find her." I say to her. "Will you stay here and wait for me?"She nods excitedly and I turn, trying to remember where Piper went. That's right, the doors that lead to the balcony. I walk towards them, trying to figure out where she might have gone.(Piper's POV)I head out into the night air, trying to ignore Finnick. It's impossible. Talking to him makes me forget about the horrible, no, not forget, but relieves it, makes me see the light at the end of this impossibly dark tunnel."It can't be Piper Lockly." A deep voice says, and I jerk out of my thoughts. A hulking man stands close to me, only a few feet away. He's not a Capitolian, I can tell that right away. He has white-blond hair, a strange look on his almost seven-feet-tall figure. I'm tiny compared to him, and I'm instantly nervous."That would be me." I say, and he smiles. It's not a pleasant look, it's one of a hunter, and I shrink back even more."President Snow said I'd find you here."The words chill me to the bone."Everyone's obsessing over the little Canary, but according to our beloved President, I'm the first to cough up enough money.""I think you've got the wrong girl." I say and the words surprise even me. I wasn't sure if I had the strength left for defiance. His eyes narrow, and I try to walk around him and get back to the party. He blocks my path."I've already paid.""Then you wasted your money. I'm not for sale." I say, and I slip past him. I think I'm free for a moment, then a rough and bruising hand closes around my wrist. I hold back a cry of pain as I'm pulled roughly back."I'm getting my money's worth." The man demands, and I kick out wildly. My leg hits him between the legs and he groans. I pull free and dash for the doors. Suddenly, I'm lifted off my feet and slammed into the wall behind me."Get off!" I cry out, thrashing wildly as the man, his face a twisted pool of rage. My nails dig into his face, and he gets angrier, letting out a growl of frustration. I can't break free of his iron grip, I'm a goner, but I keep struggling."Let her go." A voice says, and the man releases me. I fall a foot to the ground, my mouth open in a silent scream. I barely catch myself, falling back against the rough wall."I think you want to leave now." Finnick says, and in his eyes I see a hint of the fourteen-year-old boy who become victor. The man spits at him and stalks into the party without a glance back. I see blood welling on the scratches I gave him.I let out a held breath and draw another in. My lungs seem unusually tight and my wrist aches."Are you alright?" Finnick asks me, and I look at him hopelessly, unable to form an answer. He grabs my arm softly and helps me back inside, his other hand impossibly gentle as it untangles my ruffled hair."Go back to my apartment." He unearths a key from his pocket. "Spend the night there. You'll be safe."I look at him. "My train –""Will wait for you, Piper, go get some rest." Finnick presses the key into my trembling hand. I grip it so tightly it nearly cuts into my hand."What about you?" I ask, and he glances at the woman in electric green."I'm working tonight."I need to leave, but the darkness outside is terrifying. Finnick looks at my eyes and nods."Come here." He says to a doorman, and the man approaches. "Take her to my apartment. Keep her safe." The doorman nods, and walks to the door, glancing at me to make sure I'm following. Without thinking about what I'm doing, my legs walk after him into the night.