The Hunger Games: The Rebellion

Chapter 6

"There's a special Command Meeting that President Coin wants you to come to during Reflection," Gale said to Katniss during breakfast that morning. Katniss didn't touch her Oat Beer or Screw Driver so she gave it to Gale who eagerly gulped it down. Haymitch was sitting with them and looked menacingly at Katniss.

"You could have given that to me," he growled.

Katniss sighed. "You'll have plenty of time for drinking during Happy Hour!"

"That doesn't start for another 3 1/2 hours!" he moaned. "And President Coin refuses to let me dip into the secret supply. She says I'm too drunk right now as it is, and it's only 7:15. I don't know if I can wait that long."

"Maybe they'll let you have a drink at the Command Meeting," Katniss said with annoyance.

"They won't. I know they won't. "Haymitch sadly replied then got up and left.

"Why does she want me there?" Katniss asked Gale.

"You'll see." He winked at her and got up to leave.

Katniss pinched herself to see if this was all some bizarre dream. She felt pain. Nope, I'm really here, she thought miserably.

Katniss walked into the Command Room. There, she found Finnick, Boggs, Plutarch, Haymitch, Gale, and a woman Katniss assumed must be President Coin. She was a very unattractive woman in her mid-50s. Finnick was naked as usual. Boggs was still in his thong, sitting next to Finnick who looked very uncomfortable. Gale was sitting next to Haymitch. President Coin stood up.

"Hello, Katniss. I'm President Alma Coin. Please have a seat." She ushered for Katniss to sit down in a chair right next to her.

President Coin briefly explained her story to Katniss.

Alma Coin and President Snow had once been married. Coin quickly realized that Snow never would have married her had he not been drunk because of how ugly she was. She bore him a child, but during that whole time she made sure that Snow was never sober. One day the unthinkable happened. Snow only drank 25 beers instead of his usual 60 so he was not as drunk as he usually was. Snow quickly realized how ugly Coin really was and banished her to District 13. He wanted her to take the child with her, but she wasn't really the motherly type so she refused. It would get in the way of her drinking. Snow left them alone because they had the materials to produce nuclear weapons and could always retaliate. However, Coin and the citizens of 13 never even bothered to learn how to use them because they all enjoyed their alcohol too much. They were fine for a while, relying on Boggs traveling to the other districts for their booze, until Plutarch realized a few years back about Snow's plan to ban alcohol in the districts.

"Why the hell wasn't I informed back then?" Haymitch demanded.

Coin sighed in exasperation. "What are you talking about, Haymitch? You were the one that suggested the rebellion!"

"No! I just learned about it a few weeks ago, when Snow made that announcement on the television!" Haymitch exclaimed.

Coins shook her head and popped in a tape from 2 years earlier. In it, she, Haymitch, Plutarch, and Boggs are sitting in the Command Room.

"THEY WILL NOT TAKE OUR ALCOHOL AWAY FROM US!" Haymitch exclaimed. "We need to kill Snow!"

"Snow hasn't made any official plans yet, though," replied Plutarch. "He wants to make sure the Capitol has enough alcohol before he bans it from the Districts. It could take a few years before he makes the official announcement."

So we have no strategy as to how to invade the Capitol .I say we start planning now for this. Nobody here is trained in combat. We need to be prepared," Coin said. Boggs is sitting next to her, but passed out and snoring loudly.

"I don't have time for this!" Haymitch yelled. "I'm missing valuable drinking time!" He walks out of the room as the tape ends.

"You really don't remember that?" Coin asked Haymitch, glaring.

"No!" Haymitch yelled. Coin rolled her eyes. Finnick kept pushing Boggs' hand away from his leg.

"Can we switch places?" Finnick asked Gale.

"Would this help?" Boggs suggested seductively as he stripped off his thong and was naked like Finnick.

"Odair and Boggs, go put some damn clothes on!" Coin yelled. "Plutarch, go escort Boggs back to his room." Finnick glanced at her gratefully as he stood up and left. Boggs looked miserable as Plutarch guided him out of the room. Boggs tried to follow Finnick but Plutarch yanked his arm and pulled him away.

"So you knew about this for a few years? And you still never came up with a strategy on how to invade the Capitol or how to use the weapons?"Katniss demanded.

"Well, no," Coin replied, a little embarrassed. "We were too busy drinking."

"Why do you even need me here?" Katniss cried. "I've only been drunk once and I don't think it'll ever happen again." Haymitch glared at her.

"Winning the Games has really messed with your brain, girl. Not that you had good judgment to begin with," Haymitch muttered nastily to her. "We'll fix that after we kill Snow."

"We need you because you're the only one who knows how to use a weapon, your famous bow and arrow," Coin replied to her.

"What about Gale?" Katniss asked. "He's a good hunter too."

"I'll be too drunk to be of any use," Gale replied solemnly.

"WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?" Katniss screamed at him.

"Quiet down, Boozer Everdeen," Coin reprimanded.

"Boozer?" Katniss cried.

"That's our title for our citizens. Everyone here is referred to as Boozer. Isn't that right, Boozer Hawthorne?" Coin asked, smiling at him. Before he could reply, Boggs and Plutarch walked back into the room. Boggs was clothed, but he was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of him and Finnick on it. Katniss gasped. Finnick was in a wedding dress and Boggs was in a tuxedo. Boggs noticed Katniss staring.

"I made it myself," he replied proudly.

"Well, that's SOMEWHAT better, Boozer Boggs." Coin declared.

Boggs sighed unhappily as he took his seat next to Plutarch. "Why didn't Finnick come back?"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Boggs? Finnick has a girlfriend," Plutarch gently reminded him. Boggs pressed his hands against his ears and moaned.

"Can I PLEASE have a drink now?" Haymitch begged.

"Haymitch you already drank 30 beers before breakfast," Coin snapped. "And Happy Hour starts in 5 minutes."

"I don't know if I can last that long," he sobbed. Coin got out her chair and smacked him. Katniss laughed.

"Fine. This meeting is adjourned." Coin declared.

Haymitch jumped out his seat. "It's about damn time!"

"We didn't accomplish anything!" Katniss cried out in exasperation.

"No time for that! It's Happy Hour now!" Haymitch happily exclaimed as he ran out the door.