Do and Die

Prove Me Wrong

I could feel Peeta’s eyes boring into the side of my head. My eyes were red and puffy, I was so sure. I kept my eyes and gaze out the window and watched as the scenery passed by. It was hard to ignore the paranoid feeling that Peeta’s gaze gave me.

Finally, the feeling got to strong and I had to look. As soon as I turned, Peeta turned the other way. Effie Trinket was babbling on about how wonderful the Capitol was. The more she talked, the more I was reminded of why I enjoyed imitating her so much. The Capitol accent was oddly entertaining. Effie’s voice was the only thing that filled the silence of the car all the way to the train station.

The bullet train was longer than the main road of the Seam. This would be the train that would take me and Peeta to the Capitol. Effie led us to the diner car and had us sit down in seats across from each other at a table. The outside of the train did not do the elegance of the inside any justice.

Velvet reds and browns made the train car feel warm. The white table cloths covered the tables and the silverware seemed to contrast with the wine glasses that looked like crystals.

Effie left us to go find Annalise and Haymitch. She said they were somewhere on the train.

Once she walked from the train car, the train began to move and quickly accelerate. No matter how fast the train went, I couldn’t feel it riding over the bumpy terrain.

“You were crying?” I jumped at the voice. It must have been Peeta. He was the only one in the dining car with me.

I looked at the tableware, “That’s personal, don’t you think?”

Peeta sighed, “We’ll it’s not like we can keep many personal things to ourselves as of right now.”

I rolled my eyes and looked at him, “Well, I’d rather keep what I can to myself. The cameras can’t be everywhere.” I couldn’t guarantee that. They were probably everywhere.

“Keeping the fact that you were crying to yourself isn’t going to be easy since your face was red and your eyes are still puffy,” Peeta stated. I knew I should have hid my face better.

I narrowed my eyes at him, “I didn’t ask you.”

Peeta seemed unaffected by my gaze, “You didn’t need to.”

His voice didn’t seem hostile at all. It sounded…friendly, like he wanted to coax me into telling him why I broke down in my private room. And it irked me. I’d have to kill him soon, or he’d have to kill me. I’m sure that when the time comes, Peeta’s teddy bear act will be only that. An act.

Before I could ask him any questions, Effie’s heels thumped onto the carpet of the diner car. Behind her was Annalise.

“You didn’t find Haymitch?” Peeta questioned.

Annalise sat down at the table next to Peeta, took a napkin off the table and folded it in her lap. “He threw up in his bedroom and passed out into his own throw up,” She turned to Effie, “Do me a favor and tell a waiter that I would like a berry-chicken salad.”

Effie left to go find a chef or something.

Peeta and I stared at Annalise while she picked at her nails. I guess she felt our gazes and finally looked up, “Problem?”

My eyebrow rose, “Aren’t you supposed to give us advice?”

Annalise stopped playing with her nails, set her left elbow on the table, and placed her face on her left hand. She looked bored. “Kid, we just got on the train and you already want to learn everything? Take some time to relax, talk to each other. That’s the easiest alliance you can make-your fellow District 12 tribute. They may save your life.”