"Katniss? Can I talk to you?" Haymitch says. I get up and I follow him to the sitting room. He stands there with his arms crossed. I stand in front of him. He knows.
"What is this about Haymitch?" I ask stupidly. The table of chatters became quite and mute.
"You better prove me wrong Katniss." Haymitch whispers.
"What about?" I keep acting as if I don't understand.
"Stop acting dumb! Prove me wrong that you are not pregnant." Haymitch whispers angrily.
"I don't think I can..." I say looking straight into his eyes.
"You are pregnant?" Haymitch says with hurt in his voice. He does care for me, but I never thought to the point where he breaks.
"If I said no I'd be lying." I reply. He embraces me. Something he has never done before. It was like hugging a father figure that reeks of alcohol. (I didn't mind much.)
Then I feel a presence behind me. Haymitch lets me go and focuses on it. I turn around and find Cinna. Standing there smiling at me like I have done a good deed.
"Sweetheart you're giving me grey hairs! You know that right?" Haymitch says worried. I press my index finger on my lips and motion to Peeta. Haymitch mouths, "He doesn't know." And I shake my head stiffly in response. Haymitch shakes his head in disapproval. Peeta finishes his food and heads off to his room.
Haymitch and Cinna sit me down.
"Katniss you need to tell him," Cinna says in his calm voice which I admire.
"I can't. If he knows, then he will make sure he dies for me. I can't let him do that. I need him." I say selfishly.
"Katniss he will be beyond furious if you keep this secret from him. One is coming back this time. Only one of you. Frankly, I want it to be you, only because of that baby." Haymitch says.
"I can't Haymitch," I say under my breath.
"Your willing to kill yourself and that baby, for Peeta. And what if you do die. Will he never know? Will he always be oblivious?" Cinna says.
"Then no one tells him. This is my child." I demand. I know I sound selfish and conceded but I have my reasons.
"It's Peeta's child too." Haymitch responds. I look to the ground and I feel it. The first kick, it's like butterflies fluttering. I don't say anything out loud but I feel a warm tear slide down my cheek. I wipe it away and walk to my room. I fall asleep instantly.
The next two days Peeta and I finish our training for the arena. I learn more about animals and plants. While Peeta masters using the spear. I watched him throw the spear at the target that was a hundred feet away. He hits it on the bullseye exactly. The bow and arrows have been restricted from my use by Haymitch. Even though, in the last games I showed what I was capable of, Haymitch doesn't want me to try it at all. Peeta on the other hand, has some ability to shoot an arrow. It takes a few tries to get it in the dummy's body but it's better than most of these tributes. Finnick has approached me several of times showing me how to tie a proper noose and other knots. I steer clear of Johanna Mason. She is a wild child just by looking at her. And I don't feel to safe knowing we're in the same room.
The tributes aren't too bad this year. The only real intimidating tributes are District 1, District 2, and District 4. No surprise there though considering it's the Careers. But District 7 and a few tributes are top notch. Peeta tells me to control my excessive staring but I'm just scoping my enemies out. The ones Peeta and I must take down first.
Atla has made sure this year that tributes are too shy. She makes us interact with one another. I think it's the worst decision ever made considering one might become close to another tribute and be weak in the arena. Yet again it must good t.v. seeing the internal struggle of emotions within a tribute. I've tried my best to stay close to Peeta and no one else. Only Finnick and Annie are the ones that I see constantly. Finnick is a bit annoying, but Annie is the one I trust most. She's a bit off her head in certain times but she is sweet and caring. She will defiantly not make it far in these games with her soft outer shell.
Peeta, Haymitch, and I sit together in the Penthouse dining room. We eat silently and haven't even tried with small talk. Today is the private sessions with The Gamemakers. A tribute pretty much goes in to the training center alone and shows the Gamemakers how capable you are to survive. This is the time when they plan your death. The time they find your strengths but throws your weaknesses in the arena. Somehow everyone has a downfall.
"Peeta. Try to incorporate what you've learned so far. Gather everything together and show them everything. Not just one specific thing." Haymitch instructs Peeta. Peeta just nods and continues with his magenta soup. I wait for my instructions but he doesn't say.
"And me?" I force myself to say.
"We have some bad news, " Haymitch replies. What does he mean by bad news.
"Well? Say it." Peeta says for me.
"Katniss isn't being allowed to have a session," Haymitch says sighing.
"How come?" I say before Peeta beats me to it.
"Controversy. Sponsors are saying they will give you the sympathy card and give you a higher score." Haymitch says. " I tried everything but Gamemakers won't budge a bit"
"That's completely unfair. I have every right to compete as every other tribute does!" I pound my fist on the table.
"There's no possible way?" Peeta asks just hoping. Haymitch shakes his head no. "Then what score is Katniss going to get." I still sit in dismay.
"Well if you don't show them any of your skills it's obvious score is-" Haymitch begins.
"A zero." I end it for him. The three of us sit in silence and my body begins burning with rage. How can they just kill me off so fast? I haven't got a chance now. I will be known as the weakest of tributes. But wasn't I already categorized as weakest when I announced the pregnancy?
"It could work in your favor. Think about it. You're not actually pregnant, You can come blazing threw, killing them off one by one." Peeta says massaging my icy cold hands. Peeta is sent down the the training center and I stay up in the penthouse alone.
After hours of evaluation by Gamemakers they send tributes one by one back to their apartments. Leaving everyone unsure of their life-saving scores. Peeta comes back sweaty, out of breath, and covered in paint. He must have done more than expected. I smile at his dedication. He walks up to me.
"I did it for both of us. Now we wait for the scores." Peeta says to me. Peeta leaves to his room to shower and Haymitch comes out of the dark abyss he calls his room and sits on the couch with a bottle in his hand.
We all sit together and eat dinner. Effie wears a wig in the shape of my mockingjay pin. She shows to off to Portia who admires it for Effie's confidence. An Avox refills my cup over a thousand times. That's all I really ingest now. Nothing stays down anymore. No one really talks to one another.
Once everyone is done we all migrate to the couches for the scores. Ceasar Flickerman sits at a black marble table with the results in his hand. "Now we will begin to read the scores of each tribute."
"District 1: Gloss-10, Cashmere- 8
District 2: Brutus-9, Matilda- 9
District 3: Droid- 8, Brites- 7
District 4: Finnick- 10, Annie- 7
District 5: Magnus- 6, Emery- 6
District 6: Kiron- 6, Fern- 4
District 7: Oakley- 7, Johanna- 10
District 8: Wool- 4, Silk- 5
District 9: Lotus- 5, Sage- 3
District 10: Geddes-7, Brony- 2
District 11: Chaff- 8, Willow- 4
And from District 12: Peeta- 12, and Katniss- 0 ."
"Has someone ever gotten a zero for a score before?" I ask. I will instantly be dead in the arena.
"There's always a first for everything, right?" Haymitch says.
"CONGRATULATIONS PEETA!" Effie yells out loud. No one in Hunger Games history has ever gotten a twelve in training scores. And no one had every gotten a zero in Hunger Game history. Everyone cheers to Peeta's score but all I do is sit and smile over at Peeta who is getting hugs by the team. Jealously starts to bubble in my stomach and tightens my throat. Wait! No, it's vomit!
YOU ARE READING
We Remain
Fanfiction*Second Book to Elastic Heart* Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go back into the arena with Peeta Mellark. She wants to protect him but has to deal with a big surprise that might ruin her chances of living. Things begin to take a wrong turn and spiral...
