Peeta's Story- The Hunger Games

Chapter 23

There is a moment of spellbound silence as my words sink it. Katniss's head is bowed, her curls falling over her face and hiding her expression. She slowly looks up and makes eye contact with me, a fierce look in her eyes. She quickly jerks her head back down, but not before I see the blush slowly creeping across her cheeks.

The audience starts chattering in excitement again and Caesar looks at me with a pained expression. "I'm so sorry," he sighs. "That's just a real piece of bad luck." The audience agrees, and I hear someone cry out, as if in pain.

For some reason, I feel lightheaded and happy after revealing my secret, as if a heavy weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Instead of sounding somber, I surprise my self by replying with a rather cheery tone of voice. "Yup, I think fate must hate me or something."

"She is such a charming young lady though, so I can see why you fell for her." The audience agrees heartily, clapping and cheering. They are so volatile, changing emotions faster than a mouse will run away from a cat. "Does she know?" Caesar asks.

I chance another glance at Katniss, who is glaring at the TV screen at the back of the room. Right now, it is projecting a slideshow of the opening ceremony, where Katniss and I are holding hands, our bodies separated by a mere few inches of air. Her face is still red and she is resolutely not looking at me so I sigh. "No, not until today."

Caesar says, "Do you have anything so say to-" He is cut off as the buzzer goes off. "Well sorry, but your time is up. I'm think I'm speaking for everyone in Panem when I say good luck and may the odds ever be in your favor!"

The crowd goes wild and I can't help but feel touched by their support. Sure, they might be ignorant mindless robots, but they're so touched by my declaration of love that I feel a bit of affection for them. When the stomping and clapping finally dies down, I whisper "Thank you," quietly and meekly return to my seat.

Next to me, Katniss has stiffened, her face averted in the opposite direction. When we stand up to leave the room, she keeps a good 3 feet away and I suddenly feel scared. Have I lost her friendship because of my stupid mouth? I lose her in the crowd of people and she disappears. The crowd pushes me into an elevator full of stylists, tributes, and other people that I neither know or care about, but they are all congratulating me on the wonderful reception I got. The girl from District 1 stops to flirt with me before I ask her if she has seen Katniss. After I say this, she gives me halfhearted smile and shuts up.

When the elevator stops at Level 12, I take a deep breath, preparing to confront Katniss and talk to her. I have barely taken one step outside the elevator when I see a mass of brown hair flying at me. Her hands push me backwards, and unprepared, I lose my balance, falling on top of a vase that shatters immediately. I feel a sharp pain in my hands and look down. The glass vase has cut them and they are bleeding. I can barely think above the pain of my hands being cut open. "What was that for?" I shout at her.

Just then, the elevator dings and the stylists step out with Effie and Haymitch. They are chatting and laughing, but stop in their tracks as they take in the scene before them. Katniss hasn't noticed them yet and is in a rage, fuming. She looks slightly crazy as she screams, "Why did you say that about me? You humiliated me! You had no right to do that!"

Effie runs between us and tries to separate us. She flinches as Katniss bats her away and she backs up a warily. "Stop yelling, Katniss!" she cries. She sounds hysterical as she turns to me. "Did you fall?"

I want to snap at her. What do you think? Katniss is crazy, yelling at me, and I'm bloody. Did I fall? Of course not! Instead, I take a deep breath in and say, "She pushed me."