The End of the New Beginning (a hunger games fan fiction)

Chapter 7

Hey guys, it’s been awhile! once again I’m so so so sorry that it took so long to upload, but I posted a message that should explain everything why. Please Please please leave comments!! c’mon, it only takes a few seconds!! I love you guys, and here it is chapter 7!! Enjoy!!

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I take a long shower. I think about so much. Basically about my whole life. I said I would never have children, and now I have them at such a young age. 26. But I have to remind myself every day to thank Peeta for convincing me. I guess I had been through so much damage, pain, scarring experiences, that I wanted happiness right away. I wanted to marry Peeta right away. Because I knew it would make me happy. And Peeta had always been saying what joy children would be, and I needed it. Happiness. And I'm so glad I went through that, for Peeta, for myself. And I love the children, but they worry me so much. I keep thinking I would lose them.

Because I lost almost everything that made me happy.

Except my dandelion in the spring.

I snap out of it, and step out of the shower and dry myself off. I braid my hair and throw on a robe. I look at myself in the mirror. I went from the starving girl with clothes too big for me to the young woman glowing with health wearing a fluffy bath robe. I will still always be the Girl on Fire, though. I step out of the bathroom.

"SURPRISE!!" My prep team yells. My prep team! I thought they were blown up. Executed. Like everyone else.

Flavius, Venia, and Octavia run to hug me. They take off my robe and begin to inspect me. I still can't believe this is a normal action. They mumble scolding words about my leg hair and eyebrows. I ignore them.

"My goodness, we have been working so hard to make the perfect dress for you! But without Cinna's help its been so hard..." Venia says. That makes me tilt my head down, hearing about Cinna. I've tried so hard to forget about that incident....and Venia brought it up again. But I know what Cinna would want me to do.

Chin up.

So I do.

I guess Octavia notices my reaction, and she gives me a light hug. She takes my face in her hands so my eyes can meet hers.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. I'm sure that seeing the new dress will cheer you up!" she says cheerfully. "Oh yes, and I'm sure Peeta will love it too!" Flavius says. They all begin giggling like little school girls, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's show her the dress!" Venia squeals. They help me back into my robe.

Octavia takes my hand and leads me down the stairs, with Venia and Flavius chatting about something, but they follow close behind. We walk to the living room, and Peeta is already dressed. He is wearing a soft orange shirt like his favorite color. It is long sleeved and has a collar, with buttons down. Like the kind of shirt that men might have worn to work in the 2000s. And I love it. It’s simple, yet formal. His hair is combed, but in its natural ashy waves. He looks charming, like his personality.

"You clean up nice, Peeta." I say with a smile. He walks over to me and wraps his arms around me. "You do, too!" he says, even though I'm still in my bathrobe. I roll my eyes and we both laugh. He kisses the top of my head and lets me go so I can get dressed.

"Close your eyes." Flavius says. I close them and he leads me to a room, which he says is the bathroom. He sits me down on a chair, my eyes still shut, and I can feel the prep team plucking hair from my eyebrows and legs. I feel them do my hair and makeup. I still don't know how they do magnificent work in such a short period of time. Flavius finally says it’s time to put on the dress.

I begin to open my eyes, and Venia squeals. "Don't open them!" she shrieks. "How am I supposed to put on a dress with my eyes closed?" I say with a hint of frustration in my voice. "If you can win 2 Hunger Games and win a rebellion, I think you can put on a dress with your eyes closed." Flavius laughs. "Now we’re gonna leave, but don't open your eyes until you have the dress on and step out of the bathroom with it on." he says. He hands me the dress. I hear them leave and shut the door.

I feel the dress. It’s strapless, so I easily step into it and pull it up. I step out of the bathroom and open my eyes.

Haymitch, Peeta, Pieta’s new prep team, and my prep team are waiting outside the door. Everyone gasps, and my prep team squeals, and Peeta's eyes widen. "Wow." Peeta says, taking my hand and leading me to a mirror. I step in front of the mirror, and Peeta's right. Wow.

The dress falls a little higher than my knees. It's a soft orange, like Peeta's shirt. Red, orange, and yellow feathers with a touch of glitter wrap around my waist like a belt. The whole dress shimmers when I walk. My makeup is beauty base zero, with a few touch ups. Full red lips, long eyelashes that are perfectly separated. My eye shadow is soft sunset colors, resembling, well, a sunset.

My hair is also spectacular. It is down in beachy waves, with a lovely French braid starting above my forehead. The braid goes along one side of my head, stopping in the middle of the back, with the tail blending naturally within the waves of the rest of my hair. "Oh," I whisper in astonishment. "Thank you." My prep team smiles. "Ready to go?" Peeta asks. I start to nod, but then stop. "Wait! One more thing." I say. I run upstairs to Peeta and I's bedroom.

I look in the corner, and I see the shiny object. I pick up my little Mockingjay pin and fasten it to my dress. I take a deep breath and walk downstairs. I see the prep team trying to fasten something to Peeta's shirt, and he tries to get away from them but both prep teams surround him. They finally fasten it to his shirt, a sad and angry look in Peeta's eyes. I look closely and gasp at the object.

A white rose.

I run to him and rip the rose from his shirt and throw it on the ground. I run out the door, angry tears silently rolling down my face. Wow. This is the second time I have done this in two days. I sit on the grass, picking at blades of grass. I wipe the tears away. I know how upset it would make the prep team if I messed up my makeup. A few seconds later, I hear footsteps behind me. Peeta sits next to me and takes my hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't try to argue better. I knew the rose would upset you." he says. I turn to look at him, and I put my hand on the small hole I made in his shirt sadly. He laughs. "It’s fine." he says, looking down. I do also, and notice a lone dandelion next to the tip of my toe. I pluck it carefully, and fasten it to the hole on Peeta's shirt. "There." I say, adjusting it. "I like it better that way." I say. Peeta smiles. "Me, too."