Mockingjay - 4 weeks after Peeta's rescue

19. Effie

“Katniss, Peeta good I find you! I got an answer.” Effie shouts excited.

“What answer, Effie?” Peeta asks.

“Oh yes, sure, I didn’t tell you.” She looks embarrassed. “After your engagement I called Venia in the Capitol and gave her the order to search for something. Here is the answer isn’t it wonderful in Cinna’s old Atelier she found all your wedding gowns he designed for you, Katniss. So you can choose one for your wedding.”

“NO!” Katniss screams and runs into the house.

Peeta stares at Effie “Great, thank you Effie!” Peeta says sarcastic turns and follows Katniss.

All the joy disappears of her face and she looks shocked after Peeta leaving.

She turns and walks back home to find Haymitch in the kitchen. When she enters he realizes that something had happen.

“What’s wrong, Effie?” He asks.

“I – I don’t know. I just walked over to tell Katniss how wonderful it is that she can choose one of the wedding gowns Cinna made for her. Venia found them in his old Atelier. A-and Katniss jelled at me and ran away, Peeta also was not happy about the news. I don’t understand their reaction.” Effie sniffles.

“You did what?” Haymitch rolls his eyes. “At last I thought you got it. You understand what the Games mean to the children. Oh, Effie, everything reminds them of the Arena, the Capitol and of Snow, who tried to kill them twice. The Capitol people always saw it only on screen, but it was real.”

Effie sobs loudly and drops on the next chair. “Since I was a little girl the Games were a part of my life and everybody told me it’s a good TV Show. Yes, after I’ve been the escort for Peeta and Katniss there was a sort of relationship with these two kids and I realized how bad the Games were. But I don’t know why everything of the Capitol is that bad it’s only a gown and it’s so beautiful.”

“You’ll never understand the feeling of survivors, because you never made this experience and it’s ok but you have to think twice before talking about Capitol things or acting like a Capitol girl you used to in front of Peeta and Katniss. They’ve been through so much worse.” Haymitch tries not to sound mean. “And these wedding gowns reminds her not only of Snow and how he made her wear it at the interviews, no it reminds her also of Cinna’s dead.”

He walks over and starts clumsy padding her shoulder while her sobbing gets louder.

“Hey, come here” he takes her into his arms. “Let them some time and forget the wedding gowns.”

“I only wanted to make them happy.” She wipes away her tears. “But you’re right I take me back and don’t force myself on them anymore.”

When Peeta runs after Katniss he’s held up by her mother standing in the kitchen door.

“What is it?” She asks him.

“Effie came up with her Capitol stuff.” He growls and heads upstairs to be with his fiancé.

He knows she’ll need him now.

After a night with more than one nightmare and a lot of soothing words from Peeta Katniss feels better and she goes for a walk at the beach with Prim and Karen while Peeta has to prepare some last things at the bakery.

“Prim do you really have to leave tomorrow?” Katniss asks her sister with a sad look in her eyes.

“Yes. But now you’re living here in Four and I can jump on the train every time to be here in 2 hours.  Katniss don’t look so sad. I like it in Eleven and in about one and a half year I’m a nurse. I love to help people and after I’ve finished the training I can work in a hospital, maybe here in Four.” Prim smiles and gets light red cheeks.

“Prim, you didn’t tell us everything aren’t you? I can see it.” Karen looks curious.

Prim sits down in the sand and draws lines in the sand with her fingers.

“Well, there is someone in my class….I-I like him very much.” She murmurs hardly loud enough for her family.

“Really? Prim, that’s great and he’s there to be a male nurse?” Katniss shouts realizing her sister getting older.

“His name is Thomas and he’ll be a male nurse but we only met twice and I don’t know … Oh Katniss, let me a bit more time. I’ll tell you as soon as there is something to tell. I promise.” She answers.

“Now let us talk about you and Peeta” Prim grabs her hand with the ring. “When do I have to come back for the wedding?”