The Hunger Games - Raining Fire [[EDITING]]

Chapter 12

"Maybe it's on sale!" Peeta says, trying to lighten the mood. t's not working, and everyone knows it.

I tell him, "Forget it. I already checked clearly enough for it not to be on sale! Face it guys, no wedding dress-" I stopped myself from speaking before I'd hurt anyone, especially Peeta.

"I know!" Haymitch exclaims.

"Uh oh," Annie complains, "Please don't tell me..." He's got a plan, but he's drunk.

"-no!" Haymitch yells back, "It actually might work," Everyone starts 'oooh-ing' and 'aahing'.

He suggested that we should stall the clerk, whilst he goes back to his home since he has a little safe with some money he usually saves for alcohol, then comes back and we pay.

I ask, "But how are we gonna do that?!"

"You hold the dress for a while, then try it on and take forever making decisions. Keep holding the dress when lining up to the till and pretend you've just remembered that you need more money, then stall them and wait." replies Haymitch and Peeta in unison.

Effie and Annie burst into laughter.

"Ho ho ho, hahaha. Priceless! So what's the real plan?" says Annie.

"That IS the real plan!" Peeta shouts.

Effie questions, "Oh, Haymitch. Do you think it'll actually work??"

"Yeah, she does have a point." I add with agreement.

"It could do. Probably. But why be so doubtful and bashful?!" he answers. I glare and roll my eyes.

"You never know what may happen, Haymitch!" I exclaim. Thinking of this changes my mood from neutral to negative. I bite my lip as we walk onwards.

The boys yell, "So, shall we do it?"

"Well, since I have no other option...yes." I say.

"OK. We're going! We should be about, twenty minutes. Be prepared and ready to distract them! You're the actress now." they shout as they run into the car, jumping in.

I am in deep doubtfulness of the outcome being great! Good, at least. If they ask me why I'm taking so long, there lots of excuses but not occuring to my situation. Even if it did, it's silly and won't be excepted by people like them! I wander if it'll really take them twenty minutes just for them to get here...

Peeta's POV

I feel so sorry for Katniss right now. I wonder how she feels to be in this position. I've been in similar situations but for her, it's worse. At first, I couldn't believe it was just under fifty dollars that she needed and she couldn't get it. It is so shameful and appauling to me, I didn't earn enough.

Exactly, it's all my fault! I can't help but feel sorry for myself that it is me who caused this problem. But right now, it isn't about me, it is about Katniss.

"So, uuh, Haymitch. What will we be doing?" I say, curious to find out.

He replies, "What do you mean?!"

"It'll take a lot less time than twenty minutes to get to your house and back! So, why did ya lie??" I ask, again.

"Well..." he starts off. I have a feeling he's up to something. He probably wants alcohol.

I clear my throat intentionally. He explains why, and I except his reason, which being, he wanted to sneak a beer down his throat, and of course, alcoholic! Without Effie or any other female, I can finally have 'guy time' a couple of days before my marriage, it's gonna be great.

"Uh oh, he comes traffic." Haymitch says.

I yell, "What? I never thought people would come here!"

"Now I can't drink! It isn't fair." he moans, like a three-year-old boy.

"C'mon, Haymitch!! It is not about you now. Think about Katniss,"

He replies, "OK." I'm not truly convinced, but I've known Haymitch for a while to know that he is trusted and can be. That he looks out for us and cares. That he always knew, someday, Katniss and I would marry.