Peeta's Story- The Hunger Games

Chapter 21

Katniss shuffles onstage, where the lights bounce off of her dress, encasing the whole room in shards of colored light. She looks confident, but I can tell that underneath her mask, she is nervous. She gulps as she shakes Caesar's hand and she clings on to it longer than necessary.

She backs into her chair, resolutely looking upwards, sideways, but she never makes eye contact with the crowd. Caesar takes a drink of water and leans forward, his hands clasped on his knees. "So Katniss," he says in an easygoing tone of voice, "I expect the Capitol is a lot different than what you're normally used to. What has impressed the most since you've gotten here?"

She blinks at him blankly and wipes her hands on her bejeweled dress. She brings her hand up to her mouth and bites her nail nervously before quickly sitting on her hands. She's going to be in for a long scolding about manners from Effie. Katniss has her head tilted sideways, as if she's thinking. "Hmmm..." she says calmly, but her eyes are scanning the crowd, looking for someone. For a split second, her intense gray eyes lock with mine and we stare at each other before she breaks it and continues looking for someone behind me.

In that one second, I suddenly realize how badly I want her to love me back. I wonder if she has feelings for me, but even if she does, they won't run as deep as mine do for her. However, I'll settle for anything now because my time is running out. The Games are about to start and need to know how she truly feels about me before I die. I become vaguely aware of the audience laughing heartily at one of Katniss's responses as I cross my fingers and hope that Caesar will ask her the one question I want to hear her answer.

I snap out of my reverie to hear him say, "...the opening ceremony, you looked amazing. It took my breath away. What did you think of the costume?"

Katniss raises an eyebrow and quizzically asks, "You mean after I finally realized I wasn't going to be burnt to a crisp?" The audience laughs and she seems to sit a bit straighter, more confident than before.

"Of course," Caesar says smoothly, chuckling and leaning over to pat her shoulder. "You have a good sense of humor, you know that."

She tilts her head to the side and scrunches her eyebrows up in concentration. "Well," she begins, "I was just amazed at the talent of Cinna for coming up with something so original. He's one of the most brilliant people I've ever met because he manages to make everything so wonderful." A smile forms on her face as she continues, "I just couldn't believe I was wearing something so gorgeous. I mean, I can't even believe I'm wearing this right now!" She stands up and shows the audience her dress as they ooh and ahh appreciatively. "Normally, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a dress, but the way Cinna designs it just makes it seem much more bearable." The audience chuckles as she turns around in a circle.

They seem entranced as her skirt billows up, flying around her in a whirlwind of fiery color. Her hair spins in a curtain of bouncing curls and the audience claps, wanting more. There is just something about her that seems to charm everyone.

Caesar beams and woops with the crowd and Katniss giggles giddily, stumbling back into her chair. Her cheeks are flushed pink and her eyes sparkle from excitement.

"The opening ceremony was definitely marvelous, no doubt because of your stylist's creativity, but there is something else I bet all of us are curious about." Katniss frowns and looks confused while Caesar leans forward and says, "You were holding hands with Peeta. Are you two partners?"

YES! I almost jump out of my seat in excitement. This is what I have been waiting for him to ask, and now my questions will finally be answered. I lean forward in anticipation and I swear Caesar winks at me inconspicuously.

Katniss blushes and seems to be contemplating the question. "Well," she begins tentatively, "of course we are!" My heart jumps in joy and she continues, "After all, we're from the same district, right? We have to be united and he'd make a darn good ally." I am still smiling broadly as the confusion slowly sinks in.

She is basically saying that she is only using me so she'll have more allies in the Games. She doesn't love me or even care for me in the slightest. Or maybe she does and she's just trying to hide her true feelings? "That's close to impossible, though," I tell myself, but I can't help but get my hopes up.

"Such a politically correct answer," Caesar says. He addresses the audience. "This girl here would make such a good speaker . She's smart and always knows what to say." He settles back into the cushions of his chair and adopts a more somber tone.

"So I bet you were surprised to get your score from the Gamemakers. Eleven. That's a whopping high score! Can you tell us what you did to get it?"

I tense in my seat at the same time Katniss does. She can't tell them, because if she does, she'll start a full on riot, but to my relief, she answers coyly, saying "Now I can't tell you, can I?" mischievously.

Caesar groans and I feel like smirking. "Come on!" he says, and she shakes her head no.

He humphs and falls back into his chair. "The day of the reaping, your sister got drawn. You took her place. Tell us about her."

I watch her stiffen and see the pain flash through her face. She steels herself, masking her face with a blank, unreadable expression. "Her name is Prim. She's twelve, and I love her to pieces," she says rather curtly. The whole room is hushed, clinging on to her every word.

"And what did she say to you after the reaping?" Caesar prompts.

"She told me to win."

"And what did you say?"

There is a tense silence and no one seems to move for fear of breaking it. After a few seconds, Katniss says in a hushed voice, "I swore I would."

The buzzer sounds, breaking the spell of the previous few seconds and everyone begins fidgeting and talking amongst themselves. The tense atmosphere of before disappears, and Katniss sits down next to me.

I stare at her, but I can't decipher her expression. She clenches her fists and picks at her dress as I get up and walk towards the center of the stage.

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um, so i didn't proofread this, so my apologies if this pisses you off in any way. shape, or form. i honestly have lkie no time to write

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