The Strings To My Heart

6

"I'm going to go check on Katniss," I told Prim. "Keep up the good work! Remember to shade the bottom of the eyes."

Prim was too focused on her work to reply, so I smiled and left the room.

"Katniss!" I called. "Are you all right?"

I poked my head in her (our?) room, but it was empty. Frowning, I conducted a more thorough search, but it proved to be in vain when I could not find her anywhere. Then, I noticed that the bathroom door was closed and there was a light on inside.

"Katniss?" I asked, knocking gently on the door. "Hey, are you okay in there?"

My question was answered with silence, but there was no mistaking the shadow of a person sitting right against the door. I tried opening the door, but it was locked.

"Katniss..." I said. "Please will you let me in?"

There was a sound of someone standing up and a little clink as she unlocked the bolt lock. I recognized this as permission to enter, and when I did, I was met with a rather pathetic sight. Katniss was huddled up on the ground next to the cabinet, clutching what looked like a thermometer in her right hand. Her face was buried under her arms, and from what I could tell, she was trembling.

"Katniss!" I said, concerned. "What happened?"

She muttered something indistinct and flinched when I laid a hand on her shoulder. At this point I became increasingly worried and sat down next to her. "Katniss," I said gently. "Will you please tell me what happened? Or if you don't want to, do you wanna just talk?"

"I'm scared you'll leave if I tell you," she said in a strangled voice.

My heart started racing as my mind flooded with awful ideas. Was it something I did?

"I... won't leave," I said finally. "I promise that whatever happens, I won't leave."

She finally pulled her head out, and my heart nearly broke at the sight of it. Her face was red and blotchy, while tears leaked out of her eyes. She looked as though she'd been crying for quite a while now.

"Katniss!" I exclaimed softly. I pulled her into my arms and held her tight, rocking back and forth while stroking her hair.

"Peeta, I'm pregnant," she said bluntly.

I froze.

"I-I'm so sorry," she said, starting to cry again. "I remembered just now that m-my depression m-meds can sometimes c-cancel out the effect. I d-didn't think about it..."

Depression meds?

I stood up abruptly, and whispered, "I have to go."

I didn't even bother to check her reaction, and instead ran out of the bathroom and into the living room, where I threw on a pair of shoes and told Prim that I had to go get something. I ran, ran as fast as I could, as far as I could from Katniss's house and tried not to think about her reaction and what would follow. Eventually, I grew tired and realized that I didn't have a destination in mind. Where could I go and be safe?

Then it hit me.

I ran, ran as fast as I could towards Effie and Haymitch's home, where I didn't even bother to knock and instead threw the unlocked door open. Effie and Haymitch were sitting on the couch, watching Jaws and eating popcorn. They both froze and stared at me while Quint was howling and being eaten.

"Peeta?" Effie asked incredulously. For a minute, Quint's screams were the only sound. Then I said gruffly, "Can we talk?"

"Of course, dear!" Effie said, while Haymitch paused the movie.