After we have dinner, in which Katniss still avoids my gaze, obviously still mad at me, I go back to my room and fall asleep, but not for long.
I'm in a forest, the arena? I run around shouting, "Katniss!" I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about her not being with me. I run around frantically for what seems like hours, but must only be about twenty minutes, until I run into a clearing. It seems empty until I hear a scream for help, Katniss!
"Katniss!" I shout, trying to find where the noise came from.
I finally find her on the floor, under her attacker, I see the man's blonde hair, Cato.
He tilts is head ever so slightly at me, even though his face and sly grin are covered in blood I am still able to see who it is.
It isn't Cato.
It's me.
I wake up to see Effie's face straight in front of me, and like I did with Rye on the day of the reaping,
my head collides with her forehead. I wish people would stop waking me up like this!
"Oh Peeta! Look at what you did! I'm gonna be the laughing stock of Panem!" She shrieks.
"You don't need a bruise to do that." I mumble.
"What was that Peeta?"
"Nothing, why did you wake me up anyway?" I ask.
"It's a big, big day! It is the interviews silly! How did you forget?"
"Well, people tend to forget things, when they have just been woken up by someone centimetres away from their faces!"
"Yes well, just get ready! Breakfast in half an hour." We hear screams from down the hall.
"Is that Katniss?" I ask, half-shocked.
"Yes, she tends to have nightmares it seems. Usually wakes up screaming in the middle of the night. I'll go wake her up now!"
"Just don't wake her up the same way. She is already scared, don't want to give her a heart attack as well."
Effie just nods and leaves the room.
That woman is nuts!
I arrive at the breakfast table with Haymitch already there. He just smiles and nods his head.
He must really like my idea! And Rye said I was dumb.
I sit down at the table just as Katniss arrives, she looks a little shocked.
I'm not sure if it is from the nightmare or Effie.
After breakfast we are all whisked away to get ready for the interviews.
When I enter the preparation room, I'm surprised to find my prep team nowhere in site. Thank goodness!
I only see Portia silently waiting on the couch.
"Hello Peeta. Great to see you again!" She says with a calming smile on her face.
"You too." I reply.
"I bet you are nervous for tomorrow right?" She asks. Of course, I'm going in the arena tomorrow, with Katniss.
"Yeah, a little bit." I reply with a frown clearly dominating my face. She touches my arm in a calming way.
"I'm sorry, if I had my way the games would never have started in the first place."
"Then, if you don't mind me asking, are you a stylist for them?" I ask.
"I love designing, and being a good stylist helps tributes get sponsors to survive. So in my own little way I'm trying to help tributes survive. I know it isn't a great reason, but the costumes do help in terms of sponsors."
"They do Portia. You and Cinna really helped us with those fire costumes. Thank you." She nods instead of saying 'your welcome'. I like Portia, she doesn't see the games as entertainment, she sees it for what it is.
Murder.
At 4:00pm, we meet at the District twelve elevator. I see Katniss in the most beautiful red dress, everytime she moves, even just slightly, it looks like a wall of flames engulf her whole body. I'm just glad we our costumes aren't exactly alike, I don't think I could pull that ensemble off. Being a guy.
I'm dressed in a black suit with flame details around it. Much better than a dress.
Once we reach the bottom floor, I see all of the other tributes lined up next to the stage. Before we know it, we are all taking our place on the stage opposite the now midnight blue Caesar Flickerman. At least he isn't as scary this year, last year he was crimson and I could swear he was bleeding!
He welcomes the audience like every year and starts doing a few jokes to warm them up for us. They are all cheering, just waiting to see us.
Each tributes goes on the stage, talks with Caesar and leaves. That is it, not much else. We are only allowed three minutes until we have to sit down again, and unlike the training centre the girl goes before the male. Leaving me last. Perfect.
All of the tributes go along with what their looks show perfectly, Glimmer: Sexy. Cato: Cocky. Thresh: Silent but deadly. By the time we get to little Rue, the room falls silent. She looks like a bird just ready to take off, with white fluttery wings already extending as if she is just waiting for the right wind to pick her up and take her away from here.
Caesar goes the extra mile to be extra friendly and comforting to her. But she seems fine, sy, but not overly upset or anything. I'm becoming more and more impressed by this little girl by the second.
Three minutes after Rue graces the stage, Katniss' name is called out. Her and Caesar talk a little bit, he asks her the best thing about the Capitol and Katniss says the lamb and dried plum stew. I quite liked that myself. She spins her dress a little, he asks her about her training score, in which she reveals nothing. She just seems like an average girl. Until she talks about Prim, in which she goes into a protective mode.
Her time is up and I'm called onto the stage.
It's now or never, I just hope it goes well.
I see Haymitch nod to me from the stands, he'll kill me if I mess it up.
"Hello Peeta."
"Hello Caesar."
"So how are you faring here in the Capitol, what is your favorite thing so far?"
"Fine, my favorite thing? The scents in the showers. Tell me do I smell like roses to you?" I put my arm towards him to smell.
"Oh you do!" He exclaims, "I just tried a new scent. I is supposed to smell like pine." I smell his arm.
"Unfortunately, I have never smelled pine. The wood is closed off in District twelve."
"Oh of course. To be honest I don't know what pine smells like either!"
We keep talking, throwing jokes back and forth until he asks what I was hoping for.
"So Peeta. Handsome fella like you, do you have a lady waiting for you back home?"
I shake my head, glad where this is heading.
"Really! Is there anyone you like?"
"Yes there is, but I'm afraid she hasn't noticed me until the reaping."
"Does she have a fella back home."
"Not that I know of, but a lot of guys like her."
"Well, this is what you do. You will win the Games and she'll be so impressed she will practically run to you."
"I don't think that will work in my case."
"Why ever not?"
"Be- be- because she came here with me."
