Catching Fire: Peeta's POV

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

I walk to the elevator and push the button impatiently. As soon as the doors open, I step in and hit the button for the twelfth floor. When the doors open, I'm hit with questions from Effie.

"How did it go?" she asks anxiously.

"The boy did just fine last year. I'm sure he did the same this year," Haymitch grumbles from his seat.

"But it was harder this year with the Gamemakers just seeing him last year," Effie insists.

"It went fine, Effie," I assure her.

She sighs, unsatisfied with my answer, but she lets it go for now. I take a seat on the couch waiting for Katniss.

After twenty minutes, Katniss still hasn't shown up. Haymitch and Effie have already gone off to their rooms to get ready for dinner. I slowly get up and follow their lead and get ready for supper myself. I guess I could use a shower. It might help get the stained paints off my hands.

In the shower, I scrub at my hands for twenty minutes before I give up. My hands are stained with the colors I used. I quickly get out of the shower and pull on the first set of clothes I grab. I glance at the clock and realize it's time for dinner. Everyone must be waiting for me now.

As we all gather to eat, I notice Katniss is back. She must have come up while I was in the shower.

As soon as each of us has our bowl of soup, Haymitch begins talking. "All right, so how did your private sessions go?"

Katniss looks at me. "You first," she directs to me. "It must have been really special. I had to wait for forty minutes to go in."

So that's what took her so long. "Well, I--I did the camouflage thing, like you suggested, Katniss." I hesitate before continuing. "Not exactly camouflage. I mean, I used the dyes."

"To do what?" Portia pipes up from her seat next to me.

"You painted something, didn't you? A picture," Katniss questions me.

"Did you see it?" I ask.

"No. But they'd made a real point of covering it up," she responds.

"Well, that would be standard. They can't let one Tribute know what the other did," Effie says not noticing Katniss and mine reluctance at sharing what we did. "Was it a picture a Katniss?"

"Why would he paint a picture of me, Effie?" Katniss asks, annoyed.

"To show he's going to do everything he can to defend you. That's what everyone in the Capitol's expecting, anyway. Didn't he volunteer to go in with you?" Effie says still unconcerned.

"Actually, I painted a picture of Rue," I say simply and quietly. "How she looked after Katniss had covered her in flowers."

There is a long pause when I'm doing speaking. "And what exactly were you trying to accomplish?" Haymitch asks breaking the silence.

"I'm not sure. I just wanted to hold them accountable, if only for a moment. For killing that little girl," I whisper the end.

"This is dreadful," Effie says close to tears. "That sort of thinking . . . it's forbidden, Peeta. Absolutely. You'll only bring down more trouble on yourself and Katniss."

"I have to agree with Effie on this one," Haymitch chimes in.

Portia and Cinna stay quiet with serious faces.

"I guess this is a bad time to mention I hung a dummy and painted Seneca Crane's name on it," Katniss says, admitting what went on during her session.