The characters belong to Suzanne Collins The Amazing!

only slight cringe pt 3

Chapter 3

Right after he leaves my mother walks in, her brows creased and her and finicky. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. He was just wishing me good luck for the victory tour." I say trying not to worry her.

"Well, that's good. I was worried something was wrong." Mother says.

"The only thing wrong will be when the prep team sees how my eyebrows have grown back." Mother and I both laugh. Oh, everything is just a perfect picture, mother.

"Do you want me to run you a bath?"

"Yes," I say.

I walk upstairs to the bathroom and step into the tub. My mother must have put something in here because it is slippery. The water is hot. In our old house, we didn't have hot water unless we boiled it. We didn't even have much water to use. Now we have a limitless supply of water from the tap. I go through phases where I think it is excessive to use it, then others where I know I've paid for it in blood. Today I think I've earned it.

I lean my head into the tub and pretend I'm swimming. I used to go to a pond with my father all the time. I've gone there a couple of times, but it never felt the same without him. I never even took Gale there the place always felt like I belonged to my father and me. No one else.

From the water, I can hear doors slamming, and greetings exchanged downstairs. The signal that my entourage has arrived. I barely have time to towel off before they walk in.

"Katniss! Your eyebrows!" Octavia exclaims. We all laugh but then they get to work. By the time they are finished, I have soft silky hair and look pretty. I am dressed nicely but have to wear earmuffs. I hate earmuffs, they stifle most of the sound a good hunter should always be able to pick up. Especially if the hunter is also the prey, which is the only thing I feel like right now.

I go downstairs to see Prim. She got out of school early and is now being interviewed. She has her arms out and bam! It feels like someone hit me. Which of course no one did. Prim just looked like Rue. I think about going upstairs but remember that they are filming my "talent." Every victor is supposed to have one. It's mainly to show people that we can move on and be normal people. I can't. But Peeta actually has a talent; painting. I hate what he paints, but he paints it well.

"Everyone! We have to stay on schedule!" My old escort, Effie Trinket says.

"Oh, one second, I almost forgot." Mother runs off to get something, her shoes clicking down the hall. She comes back with my Mockingjay pin.

"For good luck." She says, smiling proudly.

"We really do have to go now!" She pushes me to the door and then out it. No exaggeration.

I spot Peeta and run right to him. He spins me around, but then we fall into the snow with me on top of him. He still hasn't mastered his prosthetic leg yet. We laugh and kiss. I'm pretty sure I hear some of the cameramen cooing, but I'm trying to ignore them. This is too awkward with people watching. I am a private person, and this is the furthest thing from private possible, but it is what Snow wants.

I grab Peeta's hand, pull him up, put my arm through his, and skip to the car. We laugh most of the way there. We have to take a car to the train station and then the tour begins. Once we get on the train I go to my room and change into something more comfortable. Soon we are called to go eat. The food is amazing, as any food in the Capitol is.

Peeta and I lay around watching shows on television after dinner. There is not much to do on the train besides sleep and at the moment it does not sound too appealing. Especially with President Snow's message replaying in my head. Despite the ridiculousness of it, I am worried he may have put a snake or something to kill me in my bed.

"Katniss, I've got an idea," Peeta says.

"What?"

"Let's go to the back car. You know the one that allows us to see out it?" Peeta is already standing and gesturing for me to come along.

"Yeah but let me get dressed in something warmer first," I say.

"Okay, I'll met you in the hall in a minute." I smile and nod my head.

I get dressed in comfy warm clothes. I can't help but think that later tonight I'll have to tell Haymitch and Peeta what President Snow said. Peeta will comfort me and Haymitch will grab a drink. I walk into the hall when Peeta pops up from behind me. He covers my mouth, so I don't scream from fright. I can not see him but I know it's him. I will always be able to hear him coming with that bad leg of his, and even before but even still I humor him.

"Did I just scare the Katniss Everdeen?" He asks uncovering my mouth.

"Yes. But don't tell anybody that." I say. He pretends to lock his mouth like a five-year-old. I roll my eyes.

"What are you two doing," Haymitch says, opening his door.

"The train is stuffy; we were going to the open car."

"Oh, I know what you need." He slurs. Haymitch walks to the closest door and opens it. Luckily we are getting gas or we would all be dead. An attendant comes to help us but Peeta tells her we've got him. Haymitch walks all the way to the last car. Exactly where we were going, except now, we are on the ground.

He turns around and says "What? I could see you had something to say, sweetheart."

"How do you know I have something to say?"

"I can tell you are all jittery. I'm betting Peeta was too scared to ask what was going through your sweet little head." Haymitch says. Peeta just shrugs. Did not know I was that easy to read. Through my annoyance I tell them what was going through my head.

"He won't hurt you Katniss." Peeta is sympathetic, like how I was when I told Prim she wouldn't get reaped.

"It's not a choice Peeta. He's the president he hurts who he wants. You and I were just players in the games, and even though we are out, we are still players trying to stay alive."

"Katniss you need to be so much better in public, Sweetheart! You are nicer off camera than on! And that is not going to help this situation!" Haymitch points his finger at me accusingly; I bet if I could see his face it would be red.

I agree with Haymitch, as awful as that is to think, but I am not good on camera. "Haymitch, I suck at being on camera!"

"Well, I bet lover boy would be glad to give you some lessons on it. Our lives depend on your camera likability, we are all going to die." He says but mumbles the last part as he walks off.

"Stop calling him that." The thought of the nickname that the Careers gave him while I was up a tree about to die doesn't settle well. I turn to him to find his body against the train with his head in his hands. I tentatively wrap my arms around him and place my head against his arms.

"I just can not believe that once again we have to fight for our lives." He chuckles, almost sounding exhausted with the situation we have gotten ourselves in; correction: that I have gotten us in.

The train blows the whistle and Peeta and I run to the car we got off hand-n-hand.

"I am so tired, let 's just go to bed," I yawn, almost as if my body subconsciously is saying yes.

"I second that," Peeta responds taking his shirt off. If he left it on, it would be drenched in sweat from nightmares. I get dressed in the bathroom and climb into bed.

"What would Effie think if she saw us like this?"

Peeta begins to laugh. "She would be giving us a talk. The talk."

I laugh at the image of Effie seeing us in here like this is beyond funny. Even more so her face as she would no doubt go over the proper etiquette of dating. It's not like we are doing anything, Peeta has his arm around me, but that and kisses are as far as we have ventured and I'm still certain that would cause her to implode.

"I wonder what my mother would say." If it would be the healer Everdeen or my mother that addressed me.

Peeta laughs, "She would be ready to hang me."

"She would have killed me on the spot," I state. Despite going through what is most likely the worst thing your child could have to do, my mother seems to be determined to parent me for all of those years she missed out on. Whereas Peeta's have done the opposite and decided he's an adult.

"Then I would be happy to die if I could not live with you." He kisses me on the head.

"Good night Katniss. I love you so much." He says.

"And I love you more than anyone else in the world," I move closer.

"Wake up! Breakfast is ready!" Effie shouts. I sit straight up, breathing deeply.

"Are you okay, Katniss?" Peeta asks me.

"Effie just scared me," I say. I was having a peaceful sleep for once, and Effie interrupts it. Go figure.

"Effie is always scaring me. With her wigs and everything, how could she not?" Peeta exclaims, and we both laugh.

"I better go get dressed," Peeta says.

"Bye Peeta," I call from the bed not wanting to leave its loving embrace. The train and the Capitol both suck, but the luxury of the beds is not something I feel like complaining about.

I get dressed in a brownish shirt and a pair of black pants. I walk to the dining car with the smell of food wafts through the air.

"Nice to see you today, Sweetheart," Haymitch smiles at me when I sit down. He is being nice. I saw him last night, he's hungover. Which doesn't make you happy, I personally know. Haymitch isn't even a happy drunk, so why did he just say it is nice to see me? Peeta walks in looking handsome, narrowing his eyes at Haymitch.

"Peeta, come and sit with us," Haymitch pats the chair next to him, beckoning Peeta over.

"What do you want Haymitch?" I finally say after a while.

"I want to know why there was laughter coming from your bedroom last night, Katniss," Haymitch says. He must want to know he called me my name instead of 'sweetheart.'

"Are you serious? Out of all the times, we needed someone to be serious with us during the training last year; you chose right now to decide to be serious with us?" I am infuriated the President threatened me last night, and Haymitch spends his time thinking about there being a boy in my room. Peeta catches my eye and shakes his head, warning me that is not a road to go down.

Haymitch looks at me his eyes squinting, he seems mad but when is he not mad at me?

"The closeness of us sleeping together keeps away the nightmares. You already know I go to Katniss' house every night." Peeta says. Haymitch looks me up and down, probably trying to read me since I can't lie as well as Peeta.

"Huh, ok," he turns his attention from me to his food.

When I'm almost finished eating Effie walks in.

"Katniss you have to go to your prep team." She says.

"Okay, Effie." My mouth is full, and she shakes her head and raises her eyebrows, I'm sure this isn't very ladylike in her book.

They dress me in a pretty gown, but if it's by Cinna, it will be pretty. Too soon, I'm on stage in District 11. I wanted to start in any other district since this is Rue's. I couldn't write a speech, so I just let Peeta talk for the both of us. I look to Rue's side of the crowd she has her parents whose faces are fresh with grief and her three sisters. The oldest out of them could be a dead ringer for Rue.

On Thresh's side, a woman I assume is his sister is there and someone else and elderly woman who is bent over a cane. His grandmother? I look back at Rue's family once again and the oldest, now, isn't happy. She has her arms crossed and is staring at me. Is it because I let Rue die? No, it's because I didn't thank her. The mayor is walking up to the podium now, but I interrupt that.

"Wait. I would like to thank Rue. She was smarter than three-fourths of the people in that arena, but she was only twelve. I see her in everything pretty and mainly my sister. I would like to thank Thresh. I only spoke to him once. Enough time for him to spare my life. The careers originally wanted him, but he refused. I didn't know him but I respected him for that. Thank you for your children." I say and walk back to Peeta's side.

They give us each a bouquet of flowers and a plaque. Someone whistles Rue's three-note whistle. By the end, I have found the person who did it. An elderly man with grayish hair. First, a couple of people, then the whole crowd put their three middle fingers to their lips. The last goodbye I gave Rue. This could move me to tears if I didn't know the danger we were in.

This is the kind of thing I'm supposed to try to stop.

And here I am, causing it.

Peeta and I walk back to the dining area when I remember my flowers. "I forgot my flowers."

"I'll go get them." He offers, putting a hand on my arm and walking back to the stage.

"Thank you." Before he can even make it out the door, they start shutting them. But before they do entirely, you can see the man who whistled, being forced on his knees by Peacekeepers and shot through the head.

Please comment!! Someone comment I want to know if people hate it or love it!

~K.D. Howell