Hunger Games 1

Chapter 52
The interview took place in the foyer at the end of the hall, where enough space has been cleared and the lovers' sofa has been moved in, adorned with red and pink roses.Only a few cameras filmed the interview, and there was no audience during the live broadcast.

Kaiser Flickman hugged me warmly when I walked in. "Congratulations, Katniss, how are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm nervous about the interview," I said.

"Don't be nervous, our conversation will be very pleasant!" He said, patting my face lightly as if comforting me.

"I'm not good at talking about myself," I said.

"Nothing you say can be wrong," he said.

I thought, "Oh, Caesar, if only that were the case. Actually, President Snow is waiting for me to have an accident."

Peeta, who was sitting nearby, looked handsome in red and white, pulled me closer and said, "It's hard for me to see you, Haymitch always seems to be trying to keep us apart."

Haymitch wants us to live, but there are so many ears around, so I just say, "Yeah, Haymitch has been very responsible lately."

"So that's the only activity left, and when we get home, he can't keep looking at us," Peeta said.

I couldn't help but shiver, and didn't have time to analyze why, because they had already prepared it for us.We sat down more formally on the lovers couch, ready to start, but Caesar said, "Oh, no, just snuggle up to him if you want, it looks sweet." So I put my legs on the couch, skin Ta pulls me closer to him too.

Countdown, start!Our program will be broadcast live nationwide from now on.Caesar Flickman, he gags, jokes, improvises.He and Peeta had a lot of good-natured banter, and their rapport was built on the night of the first interview.I just smiled and said as little as possible.Talk about it, of course, but turn the conversation over to Peeta whenever possible.

At the end of the interview, however, Caesar asked his questions to be answered more fully and completely. "So, Peeta, your love for her began at first sight, at what age, five?" Caesar asked.

"From the first moment I set eyes on her," Peeta said.

"So, Katniss, what was your relationship like? I think for the audience, what's really exciting is seeing you fall in love. When did you realize you were in love with him?" Caesar asked.

"Oh, this question is difficult to answer..." I smiled slightly shyly, then looked down at my hands.help!

"Well, what I remember most is when you called his name from the tree that night."

"Thank you, Caesar!" I thought, and followed him.

"Yeah, I think that's when. Before that, to be honest, I couldn't tell what I felt about him. If I really liked him, it would only make things worse. But, at that moment , that moment in the tree, everything changed," I said.

"Then, what kind of change do you think this is?" Caesar continued to ask.

"Maybe...I feel like I'm getting a chance to...be with him for the first time," I said.

I saw Haymitch let out a slight sigh of relief behind the camera, and I knew I was right.Caesar was so moved that he took out a handkerchief and wiped away his tears.Peeta rested his forehead on my temple and asked, "Now that you have me, what are you going to do to me?"

I turned my head and looked at him, "Hide you in a place where you can never be harmed".There were sentimental sighs from the room as he kissed me.

From here, Caesar naturally brings the conversation to our adventures in the arena, how we were burned, how we were stung by bees, and what other injuries we suffered.But until I get to the wild dogs, I always remember that I'm sitting in front of the camera.When Caesar asked Peeta how his "new legs" were, I couldn't help myself.

"New legs?" I said.Involuntarily, I reach out and lift Peeta's pants. "Oh, no," I whispered. His leg had been replaced with a metal and plastic prosthesis.

"Did no one tell you?" Caesar asked in a soft voice.I shake my head.

"I haven't had a chance to tell her," Peeta said, shrugging slightly.

"It's my fault for using a tourniquet," I said.

"Yeah, it's your fault that I'm still alive," Peeta said.

"He's right," Caesar said, "without the tourniquet he would have bled to death."

I think it is, but I still feel uneasy, and tears are coming to my eyes.But the whole country was watching me, so I buried my face in Peeta's shirt, and it took them a minute or two to talk me over.Better to bury my face in Peeta's shirt so no one can see me.When I was a little calmer, Caesar asked me no more questions, but left me alone for a while, until finally he asked about the berries.

"Katniss, I know you're a little emotional right now, but I'm going to ask you anyway. What were you thinking when you took out the berries? . . . huh?" he asked.

For a while, I couldn't answer right away, and I wanted to try my best to sort out my messy threads.It seemed like only a long, dramatic speech could answer the question fully, but I murmured, almost inaudibly, "I can't tell, I just...can't bear...losing him. "

"Peeta, is there anything else you want to add?" Caesar asked.

"No, it's our shared thinking," he said.

Caesar signaled the end, and the show ended here.Some of us cried, some laughed, and some hugged us.I still feel uneasy.I asked Haymitch softly, "Can I?"

"It's perfect," he replied.

I went back to my room to gather my things and found that I had nothing left to take except for the Mockingjay brooch March had given me.Someone left it in my room after the game.They drove us through town with black-coated windows.The train is waiting for us.We barely had time to say goodbye to Cinna and Portia.We'll see them again in a few months, as we celebrate the victors in the districts.That's how the Capitol tells people that the Hunger Games aren't quite over, that we'll be given all kinds of useless souvenirs, and that people will pretend they love us.

The train starts to move, and soon we will be entering the dark tunnel again.After emerging from the tunnel, I breathed a deep sigh of relief, breathing freely for the first time since the Harvest ceremony.Effie will accompany us back to District [-], and of course, Haymitch.We had a big meal and then watched the tapes of the interview quietly in front of the TV.As the Capitol drifted away, I started thinking about everything at home, about Prim, Mom, and Gale.I found an excuse, changed my clothes, and put on ordinary clothes.When I carefully and thoroughly washed off the make-up from my face and put my hair back into its original braid, I was the old me again—Katniss Everdeen, the one who lived in the "Sandwich" in the woods A girl who hunts and trades in the black market.I looked at myself in the mirror and carefully remembered who I was and who I wasn't.When I was among them again, Peeta's arm on my shoulder looked so foreign.The train stopped for refueling, we could go out for some fresh air, and there was no longer any need to keep an eye on us.Peeta and I walked hand in hand down the track, and I had nothing to say when we were alone.He stopped and picked an armful of wild flowers for me and offered them to me, and I tried to look happy because he didn't know that the pink and white wild flowers were the flowers of wild onions, and these flowers reminded me only of the The time when I picked wild flowers together.

Gail, only a few hours to see Gail and my heart is churning.But why?I can't figure it out, I just feel like I've lied to someone I trust, or rather, two people.I kept it hidden until now because of the Hunger Games.But when I got home, there was no Hunger Games shelter for me.

"What's wrong?" Peeta asked.

"Nothing." I replied.We continued walking until we reached the end of the train. I knew there was no way a camera could be hidden in the bushes next to the railway, but I still had no words.

Haymitch's hand on my shoulder startled me.Even now, with the game over, his voice is muffled, "Good job, you two. Keep that up in District [-] until the cameras are completely removed. We should be fine." .I see him walking toward the car, avoiding Peeta's eyes.

"What does he mean?" Peeta asked me.

"It's the Capitol, they didn't like the scene when we ate the berries," I blurted out.

"What? What are you talking about?" he said.

"That seemed so rebellious, so Haymitch spent the last few days teaching me how to do it so I didn't screw it up," I said.

"Taught you? Not me," Peeta said.

"He knows you're smart enough to handle it," I said.

"I don't know what to deal with at all," Peeta said. "So, these last days you're talking about, oh, I guess, and being in the arena, were planned by the two of you."

"No, look, I can't talk to him at all in the arena, can I?" I stammered.

"But you know he wants you to, don't you?" Peeta says, and I bite my lip. "Katniss?" he said, throwing my hand away, and I couldn't help but take a step forward, as if trying to steady my heels.

"It's all about the Hunger Games," Peeta said. "You did a great job."

"Not exactly." I said, clenching the flowers in my hand even more.

"So how much is there? Oh, never mind, my concern is how much is left at home?" he said.

"I don't know. The closer I get to District [-], the more confused I get," I said.He waited, waiting for me to explain further, but I couldn't say anything more.

"So, tell me when you came up with this idea," he said, pain in his voice.

I knew my ears had healed, and despite the noise of the train engine, I could clearly hear his heavy footsteps as he walked back to the carriage.When I got back to the car, Peeta had already gone to bed.I didn't see him the next morning either.In fact, when I saw him again, the train had already reached the [-]th arrondissement and was about to pull in.He nodded at me, his face expressionless.

I wanted to tell him it wasn't fair, we were strangers then.I'm doing it just so I can live, for the both of us to live.I can't explain my relationship with Gail because I can't explain it myself.It doesn't matter if Peeta loves me because I won't get married; if he hates me now, he won't hate me again; family, there will be no children.How can he do this?How could he be like this after all we've been through together?
I wanted to tell him how much I missed him and that it wasn't fair for him to do that.

However, we just stood quietly, watching the small dark station in the [-]th district approach a little bit.Through the car window, I saw many cameras on the platform, and everyone was looking forward to our return home.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Peeta reaching out, and I look at him, not sure what to do. "Do it again? For the audience?" he said.His voice wasn't angry, just hollow, which was worse.The boy who brought me the bread is gradually drifting away from me.

I take his hand, hold it tight, ready for the camera; but secretly, I ache at having to finally let go of Peeta's hand.

(End of this chapter)