Forget: an Everlark fanfic

Chapter 24

As if on cue, the entire room floods with light and noise. Effie pounces on me, chattering in a hurry.

"Katniss! You are a celebrity! A public figure! You can't be seen rambling down sidemstreets of the most prominent city in Panem," Effie squeaks.

Its funny how Effie seems to care more about the public view of me than my actual safety. Peeta looks like a wounded animal in the corner, tightly hugging onto Rose. Isaac seems excited, shouting "HOW WAS IT? WHAT DID YOU DO?"

Out of the corner of my eye I see Annie, sitting quietly on my bed. She seems like the best escape from effies rampage.

"Hey," I say timidly, sitting down next to her.

"Hi,Katniss," She responds lightly.

"Nice to see you in your element again,"

She touches the bow and arrows on my back. Annie seems out-of-the-room in thought right now, so I try for conversation on more recent events.

"How was it when I was gone?" I ask her, hoping for an honesty story.

"Madness."

I nod, respectively, hoping for more information. But that is all she says.

Annie seems to be waiting, though, for a response from me. "I know they won't let me leave, but-"

She finishes my sentence completely. "You need to keep your family safe."

I nod . "And yours, too, Annie." I put my hands on hers, holding the rope braclet on her wrist. Knots that could only have been tied by Finnick's hands.

The crowd is converging on me now, and I know my solitude is over. Annie turns to me and manages to add in one more sentence.

"I'll help you, Katniss."

Our hands depart and I am dragged into the meeting room they kept me from before my departure. Everybody sits around an expensive oak table in uniform chairs. I was so evil to Peeta, leaving him behind, that there is no way he would want to sit with me. But as I pass by him, he pulls the chair out next to him.

"I'm not doing this," he says quietly but firmly.

"Doing what?"

"You playing victim. Trying to distance yourself from me," he pauses with a long sigh. "I love you, Katniss. Always still."

My heart melts at the look in his eyes.

The meeting begins, and I look around the table for my daughter.

"Where's Rose?" I blurt in the middle of the conversation.

It is actually Peeta who speaks out first. "Rose is not of age or mind state to attend this meeting. We even cut out the other kids, no Finn, Mist, or Isaac."

I stand up out of my chair, acting on instinct. "You can't leave her out. She has good ideas. Amazing ideas, actually."

Instant objections are raised, but I am already moving towards the door. Haymitch stand in the door, but I toss him aside like a rag doll. All the kids are right outside the door, clearly trying to listen in. Rose has a proud grin on her face at the sight of me.

I take her by the arm and drag her in the room. Everybody is standing now, watching us. I offer Rose my seat, but she saunters right past and sits at the head of the table, pulling the seat next to her out for me to sit. Everybody silently complies, and Haymitch replaces Peetas spot. He seems to have left the room, probably for the bathroom.

"So, little Katniss-" Haymitch begins.

"Rose, Uncle Haymitch"

"Sorry, Rose. You want to tell us about your little expidenture so we can send you three," He gestures to ROse, Johanna, and myself "Out of the room from the real planning?"

I can feel my blood boiling at this statement.

"No, thanks," she says bluntly. Haymitch gives her the death glare. He looks to Johanna.

"Not a chance, Hay-witch" she says with her fiery sarcasm.

He growls irritably. Haymitch knows my answer, but asks anyway.

"Katniss?"

I don't think, just do. There is a painting on the wall of Effie, posing with a basket of fruit. In the middle is a shiny red apple. Quick as a mouse I string my bow and shoot the painting, nailing the apple. The room explodes in a frenzy, and Rose, Johanna, and I make our way out the door. We dash to the window I entered, which is still open. Johanna quickly jumps, and safely lands below.

"You know I can't take you," I say, turning to Rose.

She bows her head. "I know."

I kiss her on the cheek and quickly relay some instructions, she nods, and I am flying out the window. The asphalt burns, but I can feel the adreneline. Hitting the ground running goes literally in this case. Johanna and I sprint for the gate, and already I can see people spilling out of the house. There is no way they can catch us though, with our natural ability. By the time they got near us we'd be off the property, no doubt. And they can't risk getting caught by Gale. At the gate I see a security camera on Effie's house pointed straight at me. Surely, someone is watching. Haymitch, hopefully. He would get a kick out of what I was going to do. I stop, dead in my tracks, and turn to the camera. Eyes to the lens, I take a deep swooping bow, just as I had for the game makers, and blow a kiss.

Authors note:

Sorry for the delay, here's a longer chapter. Please vote, give feedback, ect. Thanks! I love comments so much :)

Julia