Fatal Attraction [Catoniss - The Hunger Games]

Seven;

Katniss' POV-

"Where were you last night?" Peeta asked before I even had the chance to begin eating breakfast.

"Late night training." I shrugged as I scooped some green coloured substance onto my fork and forced myself to eat it, I didn't even want to think about what it was or what half this food even was.

"But Haymitch said--"

"Haymitch is a liar. I was training. That's all there is to it." I snapped, slamming my cutlery down on the table.

The sound of his name making my blood boil as I remembered what he had said, as I remembered that he had said neither Peeta or myself were capable of winning this; that we were going to be sent back home in a wooden box.

I never though I had a chance of winning, but his comments have made it all the more real; made the realization hit so much harder that I was never going to make out of here alive.

"Effie also said that yo--"

"Since when did you start listening to anything Effie said?" I seethed, slowly getting more and more annoyed with all the questions. I didn't have to explain myself to anyone, least of all to someone who was going to die before the end of the first day.

"Since her and Haymitch had the same story." Peeta muttered as he pushed his plate away from him, deciding that he had had enough of the crap they called food here.

"I was training. Don't listen to a word Hay--"

"Why? Because we're telling the truth?" I heard Haymitch slur from nowhere.

"Whatever. I am going downstairs." I sighed.

"No you're not. You are going to stay here, with Effie. She is going to teach you interview etiquette." Haymitch put a stop to my movement just in time as I reached for the button to call the elevator.

If only he knew that Cato and I heard both him and Brutus last night, then he wouldn't have been stood there with such a smug and proud grin on his face.

I knew his game and he wasn't going to win because, when it came to the Arena, I was going to show everyone I was more than able to win The Hunger Games; that an underfed and deprived girl from District Twelve can actually win without the need for others.

"Yay. I can't wait." I replied and I didn't even bother hiding the sarcasm.

"Well, if you will sneak around with other Tributes at night, then you will be punished." Haymitch laughed and he seemed to think I was actually bothered by this, and by the fact he thought me spending the duration with Effie was actually a punishment.

"No. If you were punishing me, then you would have made me spend the entire day with you." I muttered.

"Or he could have made you spend the day with Brutus, or perhaps Enobaria." Peeta pointed out.

"Only if he wanted me dead before the Games had even begun." I spoke quietly to myself and, when both Haymitch and Peeta looked at me as if to tell me to repeat myself louder, I simply laughed and walked over to where Effie was making sure her make-up was perfect; even though no one other than us in this room right now were going to see her until it was time for the interviews this evening.

If I was going to be stuck with her, with her telling me I was walking wrong or that my hairline was all wrong or that the words I used were too simple to make people feel sorry for me or just her telling me how useless I was and that I was never going to get myself any sponsors if I didn't start doing things her way.

"So, what first?" I asked with a lot of fake excitement just to prove the point to Haymitch that this wasn't a punishment.

"Well, we will start with how to walk on stage followed by how you're supposed to sit while Caesar is talking to you. We shall then move on to speech and pronunciation of important words, finished off with an outfit fitting, hair and make-up." Effie reeled off with a huge grin on her face, clapping her hands together on each syllable of the word she was saying.

It amazed me that she was still employed to work with District Twelve, it was even more outstanding that she hadn't moved up the ranks and was still stuck with the worst of the twelve districts.

I guess everyone has to start somewhere though.

"Well, come on. We haven't got all day." Effie urged as she walked over to the elevator and encouraged me to follow her to wherever it was that she was taking me.

This was going to be one tough day. I think being in the Arena was going to be better than spending another day with Effie Trinket, the obnoxious and eccentric figure of The Capitol.