Catching Fire: Peeta's POV

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

A short time later, we reach the Capitol station. It might have been hours or minutes. The time passed all too shortly with Katniss in my arms. The station is crowded with the citizens of the Capitol. All of them wanting to get glimpses of the past Victors turned Tributes again. I see a few of them close to tears with the thought of Katniss and I being back in the arena.

We are rushed into a waiting car that whisks off to our prep teams in the building we first visited only a year ago today. My prep team brings me into a room to get me prepared for the opening ceremonies. My prep team acts like they aren't crying, but I can see the unmistakable tears roll down their cheeks from the corner of my eyes. Eventually, Portia comes in the room. She dismisses my prep team before I turn to her.

She nods to a chair and takes the one across from it. I sit down as our lunch comes in. It's similar to what the Capitol served us on the train. We eat in silence, and when we're done, Portia pushes the dishes to the side.

"What's this year's opening ceremonies outfit?" I ask Portia, breaking the silence.

"You'll see," she says, taking my hand and pulling me to a chair.

Since my prep team helped me clean up this morning, (not that I needed it but the Capitol is picky like that) Portia sets work onto doing my hair. One of the nice things about Portia is that she doesn't feel the need to fill the silence with mindless chatter. The first time I met my prep team they hardly took a breath I'm sure. However, today, they were silent with my impending doom hanging over us. After my hair comes the costume. The costume is a simple black jumpsuit. Portia positions half of a black crown on top of my head. It's similar to the victor's crown that was broken in half for Katniss and I last year. The only difference is this crown in black instead of gold. I wonder if it's the same one just painted black. She presses a button on the inside wrist of my right arm. The jumpsuit begins glowing a golden color before gradually turning into a reddish orange of something burning. I look on in amazement.

"How is this even do anything like this?" I ask still watching the light shift like the burning coal the outfit is meant to represent.

"Cinna and I have spent a considerable amount of time watching fires to perfect this," she says watching the soft glowing of her handiwork.

She turns me to look in the mirror behind me so I can take in everything about the outfit. The crown casts a soft glow on my face, bringing out my features. Portia reaches for my wrist pressing the button there. The light fades away. I turn toward her, and she nods toward the chairs we sat in while eating. I follow her taking the chair once more.

"We need to talk about the ceremonies," she begins looking in my eyes to make sure I'm paying attention. "No smiling and no waving this year. Look straight ahead and don't even acknowledge the audience. Act as if they're meaningless to you. As if they're beneath you."

I nod my head. "No smiling and waving. Like there's no audience. Got it."

"Good. I have some errands to run before the ceremony. You can go downstairs and talk to the other Tributes."

I get out of my chair and follow her out the door, but I head to the elevator leading downstairs. I step off the elevator at ground level. I walk in the room holding the chariots. Unlike last year, everybody is talking to one another. I see Katniss standing by our chariot, talking to District Four's Tribute, Finnick. I start making my way over to her. As I make my way over to her, Finnick walks off to talk to the other Tributes.

"What did Finnick Odair want?" I ask coming to a halt beside Katniss.

She turns to me and puts her lips close to mine and slightly drops her eyelids. "He offered me sugar and wanted to know all my secrets."