Catching Fire: The New Story

Chapter 72

Katniss's POV

I wake up already with a headache, and nausea rising. I run to the bathroom, catching myself before I completely slipped on the gray rug. I feel Peeta pick up my hair instantly as I throw up for what seems like forever. I am very tired of this morning-sickness. I am very tired in general. I pull back and Peeta lets my hair fall down my shoulders. I wipe my mouth with a towel and wash my face. Peeta flushes everything I ate in the past day down the toilet and helps me to bed again. I wish this morning sickness would just be over with. It should stop soon, but I wish it stopped now. Peeta gently lays my head on his chest and I close my eyes, concealing them from the bright morning sun. Morning?

I sit up, confused if this was a dream or reality. The knock at the door comes right after, I don't even move. Peeta's and my prep teams enter the room. His arms wrap around me protectively as our prep teams try to pull us apart. I start to sob uncontrollably. I hold onto Peeta shirt so tightly, my hands are burning. Peeta's out of my grasp in a second and I scream at the top of my lungs. Everyone has now entered the room, I run to Peeta as he is pulled out of our room by Portia and his prep team.

"No!" I scream. I reach out my hand to grab his, they intwine tightly. They tug each other as we struggle under everyone's grasps on us. The hallway echoes our struggling groans to never let go. Our pleading to stop and let us be go unheard as we scream to everyone. I free from Haymitch's grip on my waist and run to Peeta, only meters away. I jump into his arms, letting my tears fall over.

"Come on sweetheart." Haymitch says. His hands go to my waist to pull me off Peeta, I scream at the top of my lungs and struggle while Peeta tries to hold onto me. Haymitch's hand covers my mouth while I continue to scream and kick and fight as I try my hardest to keep Peeta's hand safely in mine. They have us too tight, our hold soon becomes too much for both of us. Our fingers soon begin to slip from the once tight grasp. I scream when our pinkies are the last ones touching. Haymitch has me in his grasp, and our fingers fly away from each other. I look back at Peeta and struggle to be released from Haymitch's hold on me. He drops me when we reach another room with clothes to wear on the hovercraft. I refuse to change, I refuse. I cross my arms and refuse to do anything unless I get Peeta.

"I knew you'd do something like this, so I planned ahead. Just wait here." Haymitch says. He leaves, pissed off at me. Grumbling how he should've went in with me inside of 'the boy.' I sit on the floor carefully, crossing my legs. My hands fly to my stomach and rub it gentle while I continue to cry. Next time I see Peeta, we'd be in the arena. My prep team looks down at me, tears threatening to slip down their painted, tattooed cheeks.

"Could you stop giving me the sad, depressed look and just sit and cry with me?" I say, looking down at the floor. My voice is hoarse and dry and cracking. I hear the clicking of their shoes as they move around on the floor and sit with me, laying against the wall. Their tears fall, but I keep mine in. I don't want to cry anymore. It's going to waist all of my energy. I need it for the hours and days ahead of me. I slowly close my eyes, fatigue making my body slump to the right where Octivia was sitting. Her head was on my shoulder, crying. Flavius on my left along with Venia.

Haymitch comes barging through the door, followed by a sleepy Peeta being pulled by his night shirt. I slowly sit up, with the help of my prep team, and walk to Peeta. We wrap our arms around each other gently and wait for someone to rip us apart. To continue the screams of our tantrum. "I knew you two would be inseparable this morning, so I planned last night to wake you two up earlier then expected. I guess it worked, we still have two hours 'til." Which means me and Peeta only slept for at least an hour or so. Me and Peeta keep our hold for a while. Then Peeta sits down besides my prep team, pulling me on his lap. Effie and Haymitch sit on two makeup chairs, while Peeta's wacky prep team sit besides us too. We all sit the silence for an hour. Still another until we should seriously get ready.