Chapter five: august 30th, 2012.
After the parade, we head to the training center. It is massive, considering each district gets a floor for the tributes and their teams, and there are twelve of us. Katniss and I get the top floor, or as Effie likes to call it, the penthouse. I think she says this to make us feel better, but it doesn’t make this feeling of terror that has been increasing quickly go away or fade.
Katniss, Effie, and I step into the elevator after entering the training center. Haymitch doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. He’s probably up in his room drinking. After all, he kept his promise--he’s been sober enough to be a responsible mentor so far. So we have to hold up our end, I suppose.
Katniss pushes the button that says “12” and the elevator zooms upwards. I’ve never ridden an elevator, not even the one in the justice building back home. It’s a funny sensation. My stomach feels sort of nervous and it feels like I’m flying...it feels dangerous. But not Hunger Games kind of dangerous. I like that I have something to distract me from it.
Effie seems very pleased with us. Enthusiastic, really.
“Oh you two were just so lovely! Well done, both of you!” she practically squeals. She is twirling her bubblegum pink hair from her wig and smiling at us excitedly.
“Not just those wonderful costumes, even though they were quite the riot! But also the way you conducted yourself was just really lovely. I just loved when you guys held hands! Oh this is going to be lovely.” Katniss and I look at each other awkwardly not knowing to say. When Effie isn’t looking I look back at Katniss again and make the face Effie always makes when she’s excited. She’s not smiling, but she’s smiling with her eyes, and her lips are all puckered and protruding. Katniss laughs out loud, and Effie gives us a funny look. The rest of the elevator right up is silent.
Now that we’ve arrived on our floor, I can understand fully why Effie likes to call it the penthouse. I don’t know if the other’s tributes floors look ours, but this unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Its unbelievable. The penthouse is fully furnished with Capitol-style furniture and wall hangings. Everything seems to be in the right place. There is a dining room table full of beautiful, unused china, and a big leather couch in the living area that is in front of a large screen that covers half the wall. I assume this is the television we will use when we watch Caesar Flickerman announce the tribute’s scores after the evaluation.
“Do you think you got us any sponsors today?” Katniss asks Effie.
“Well, I had to be very mysterious. Of course Haymitch hasn’t told me anything about your strategies, but I’ve done my best with what I had to work with. You know, you volunteering to save your sister and how you both have had to struggle immensely to overcome the barbarism of District 12.”
What’s barbaric about District 12? The hard working families? The people who live on the streets because of the “barbarism” of the Capitol? Effie is more oblivious to district life than I thought. I think Effie noticed our offended looks because she clarifies,
“Everyone has their reservations, you know. Naturally, you being from a coal district and all. But when someone was questioning why they should sponsor anyone from you two’s backgrounds, or districts for that matter, I said something very clever!” Effie being clever? This is going to be good, I thought. She continued,
“I said if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!” She looks so pleased with ourselves that Katniss and I praise her enthusiastically and compliment her wit, even though she is very wrong. Coal doesn’t turn to pearls, those come from shellfish. Maybe she meant to say they turn to diamonds, but that isn’t true either. Well, at least we know she is generally trying to help us, even if her smarts about our district aren’t top notch.
“Unfortunately, I can’t actually seal the deal on the sponsors. Only Haymitch can do that. But I’ll do everything I can to get them lined up! Now, off to bed you too. You have training in the morning!” She says and ushered us to our rooms.
Katniss and I walk up the stairway together and we get to the top she turns left to go to her room and I turn right. When I open the door I realize that my room is probably bigger than all of the rooms in the bakery combined. It is very open, and it’s style reminds me of Haymitch’s car back on the train. It’s very victorian looking. Everything is embroidered and a blood red color seems to be a common theme. The color red makes me sick. All I can think about is what I would do if I was put in a situation in the Games where I had to kill someone. I’m sure I’ll come across it, too. It’s the Hunger Games isn’t it?
I have a little bit of time to clean up and check out my room before Effie calls Katniss and I down for dinner. I head down and see Cinna and Portia talking quietly on the balcony over looking the Capitol. I want to wait for Katniss, so I come up to them and make casual conversation. After a few minutes Katniss arrives, and Cinna and Portia tell us both that tonight we will be discussing strategies with Haymitch, so tonight is very important.
We all head to the dining room. There is a man, young enough to be called a boy, even, who is dressed all in white who offers us glasses of wine. He is silent, never even opens his mouth. Right away I accept the boy’s offer, and he pours me a small glass of this wine. I look over to see if Katniss takes any. At first, she seems hesitant, but then she finally agrees. I can tell by her face after the first sip that she’s never had wine before. Her face puckers and she looks shocked. I’ve had wine many times at home, so it’s not a surprise to me.
Haymitch comes into the dining room right as dinner arrives. I am amazed at how good he looks. He’s wearing clean clothing, and he is well groomed. He also looks more sober than I could have ever imagined Haymitch being. Of course, he doesn’t turn down the offer of wine from the boy, but he only takes a sip and then starts to eat his soup. I’ve never seen Haymitch eat. I can tell tonight is going to be effective.
Cinna, Portia, Effie, and Haymitch start small talk as we all start to eat our meal. Effie and Haymitch seemed very pleased with our stylists. They keep praising them for their creativity and effectiveness in the tribute parade. I’m glad everyone is on the same page, this means more will get done to prepare Katniss and I for the Games. Dinner is delicious tonight. Mushroom soup, some greens, that I don’t particularly care for the bitterness, roast beef, noodles in a green sauce, and some mouthwatering cheese that is served with sweet grapes. Quite the feast. I notice there are more servers like the young boy, all dressed in white. None of them speak, they just move around and make sure cups and platters are full.
Cinna and Portia bring up the topic of our interview costumes and all things fashion, when Katniss interrupts the conversation, addressing one of the server’s dressed in white. A girl, with dark red hair.
“OH! I know you!” Katniss says to the young girl. The girl looks at her with terror in her eyes, as Katniss studies her face. The table has fallen silent, and now everyone is looking at Katniss awkwardly.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Katniss! How could you possibly know an Avox?” Effie snaps. “For goodness sakes.”
“What’s an Avox?” asks Katniss confusedly. She looks embarrassed, but to be honest, I don’t know either. Haymitch answers her,
“It’s someone who has committed a crime. The Capitol has cut her tongue out, that’s why they can’t speak. She’s probably a traitor or something, so it’s not very likely you’d know her. She probably just looks like someone you know.” I can see Katniss considering it in her head, but then she keeps looking at the girl and I can tell she knows her. This could be dangerous for her, if she keeps talking. I try to think of a way to ease the tension and get back on the subject of the interviews.
“Even if you did know her, you are not to speak to her! Not unless it’s to give her an order, of course. But of course, you don’t really know her.” Effie says angrily.
“No...I, I guess not. I just-” Katniss stammers, trying to find the right words to explain herself. I snap my fingers and say,
“Delly Cartwright. That’s who it is. I kept thinking she looks familiar as well, but then I realized she’s just a deadringer for her.” Katniss looks at me with relief, even though we both know Delly Cartwright looks nothing like this Avox girl.
“I think it’s the eyes, mostly.” I say. Everyone relaxes after this and we get back on topic. We all start digging in to a special cake that Cinna ordered for our success at the parade.
“Who’s idea was the hand holding?” Asks Haymitch.
“Cinna’s,” says Portia proudly. Haymitch smiles.
“Just the perfect touch. Of rebellion, that is. Very, very well done, Cinna.” Haymitch says with admiration. Cinna accepts the compliment but insists that it was all Katniss and I, for pulling it off.
“So. Tomorrow morning you two will have your first training session. Meet me down here for breakfast, we are going to go over exactly how I want you to play it,” Haymitch says to Katniss and I, “Now. Off to bed, you two. You’re going to need the sleep.” I want to stay longer and discuss strategy, but I guess now is not the time. Katniss and I say goodnight, and then head up the stairs to our quarters. I want Katniss to explain to me about the Avox girl. Who was she. When we get to her room I lean in her doorway, blocking her way slightly.
“So. Delly Cartwright’s lookalike? Imagine finding her here.” is all I say. She looks at my nervously. We just stand there in silence for a few minutes. She’s probably contemplating trusting me enough to tell me about her, so I try to make her feel better about it.
“Have you been on the roof yet?” She shakes her head. “Cinna showed me. You can see all of the Capitol. It’s beautiful, but sometimes the wind is a little loud.” To this, she thinks about it and than asks me,
“Can we just go up there?”
“Yes. Come on, let’s go.” I say. I lead the way up the stairs. When we get to the top, there is a small round door that leads to the roof. When we step outside it’s somewhat chilly and the wind blows against my face, and I shiver. I marvel at the beauty of the Capitol--I’ve never seen anything quite like it. There’s lights everywhere. The electricity back home isn’t so good, so it’s so amazing to see all the lights at once. Katniss starts walking to the railing on the roof and she looks down. I follow her eyes to the hundreds of people walking the sidewalks of the Capitol. The city is crazy right now, with all the hype of the Games.
“I asked Cinna why they let us up here.” I tell her.
“Why wouldn’t they? You mean incase a tribute would try to jump off to kill themselves?” She asks.
“Exactly. But Cinna told me it’s not possible. There is a force-field of some kind that just throws you back onto the roof.” She looks interested in this. It seems ridiculous to me, the amount of safety they put on us just to keep us safe so we can get killed in the Games later on.
“Ah. Always worried about our safety.” Katniss says sarcastically. She is silent for a moment and then asks,
“Do you think we’re being watched, now?”
“Like taped? Maybe. Come see the garden. It’s beautiful.” I lead her to the garden on the other side of the roof. There’s lots of flowers with bright colors and potted trees. There’s also hundreds of wind chimes, and every time the wind blows the garden is full of the sound. I look at her, waiting for her to tell me about the Avox girl, when suddenly she says,
“We were hunting in the woods one day, when I saw her. We were hidden, waiting for game.”
“You and your father?”
“No, my friend Gale,” she says. I feel the jealousy fill me up, but I try to ignore it. “All of the birds stopped singing except for one--it was making a loud shriek, like a warning or something. That’s when we saw her. I’m positive it was the same girl from dinner, Peeta. She was with a boy, and their clothes were torn and stained. They had dark circles under their eyes from not sleeping. They were running as fast as they could.” she says sadly. She doesn’t say anything for a while, she seems upset by this memory.
“Then, the hovercraft appeared out of nowhere. I mean, the sky was empty and then all of a sudden a net dropped down and picked up the girl. It was so fast, like the elevator. They shot the boy with some kind of spear, and then hauled him up as well. But I’m almost positive he was dead. Then the hovercraft flew off. Just vanished. And the birds began to sing again. It was like it never happened.” She finishes.
“Did they see you?” I ask worriedly.
“I don’t know, honesty. We were under a rock. Probably, not.” She says this in a tone of uncertainty, and I wonder if she’s leaving a part of the story out, but I don’t ask, because she already seems fairly upset. I notice she is shaking, and I want to just hold her and tell her it will be alright, but I know I can’t.
“You’re shivering.” I tell her. I take my jacket off and wrap it tightly around her shoulders. She tries to step back and avoid the jacket but then she changes her mind, and cuddles herself into my jacket.
“Were they from the Capitol?” I ask, “The boy and the girl from the woods?” She nods.
“Where do you suppose they were going?”
“That, I don’t know. Or why they would leave here. It seems so much better than the district life. They had everything here, didn’t they?” She responds. Everything? Not even close. I love district life. The Capitol is a joke.
“I’d leave here,” I blurt out loudly. Damn. Too loud. I try to laugh it off,
“I’d go home now, if it was an option. But I do have to admit. The food is phenomenal. Let’s go in, it’s starting to get cold.” And we walk together towards the other side of the roof.
“Your friend, Gale. He’s the one who took your sister away at the reaping, right?” I ask. Gale. The last person I want to talk to Katniss about. Why did I ask that?
“Yes. Do you know him?” Do I know him? In all honesty, I can’t say I know Gale, but I definitely know of Gale.
“Not really. The girls talk about him a lot, though. I thought he was your cousin our something, you favor each other.” I say, and I hope my jealousy couldn’t be detected/
“No, not related.” Is all she says.
“Did he say good-bye to you?”
“Yes. So did your father. He brought me cookies. They were good.” is all she says. So they were for her. I knew it.
“Really? Well. He does like you and your sister. I think he would rather have a daughter, then all us boys.” I say back, “He knew your mother, you know, when they were kids.” She looks surprised.
“Oh, really? She did grow up in town.” We finally arrived at her door. She turns to me and says,
“See you in the morning then.” What I wouldn’t give to kiss her. After all, I’ve thought about it so many times in my life, and there may not be much time left for us. In fact, there definitely isn’t much time left. But I resist, out of shyness.
“See you,” and I quickly walk down the hall to my room. When I shut the door I sit on my bed and stare out the window. Then I realize that I have fully accepted the fact that I will not win. Not a chance. How could I, when the woman I love is with me in the arena. No, I will do anything and everything to keep her safe. I will sacrifice myself to protect her. And with this thought, I go to sleep. I’ve got a long day ahead of me.
Katniss, Effie, and I step into the elevator after entering the training center. Haymitch doesn’t seem to be anywhere in sight. He’s probably up in his room drinking. After all, he kept his promise--he’s been sober enough to be a responsible mentor so far. So we have to hold up our end, I suppose.
Katniss pushes the button that says “12” and the elevator zooms upwards. I’ve never ridden an elevator, not even the one in the justice building back home. It’s a funny sensation. My stomach feels sort of nervous and it feels like I’m flying...it feels dangerous. But not Hunger Games kind of dangerous. I like that I have something to distract me from it.
Effie seems very pleased with us. Enthusiastic, really.
“Oh you two were just so lovely! Well done, both of you!” she practically squeals. She is twirling her bubblegum pink hair from her wig and smiling at us excitedly.
“Not just those wonderful costumes, even though they were quite the riot! But also the way you conducted yourself was just really lovely. I just loved when you guys held hands! Oh this is going to be lovely.” Katniss and I look at each other awkwardly not knowing to say. When Effie isn’t looking I look back at Katniss again and make the face Effie always makes when she’s excited. She’s not smiling, but she’s smiling with her eyes, and her lips are all puckered and protruding. Katniss laughs out loud, and Effie gives us a funny look. The rest of the elevator right up is silent.
Now that we’ve arrived on our floor, I can understand fully why Effie likes to call it the penthouse. I don’t know if the other’s tributes floors look ours, but this unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Its unbelievable. The penthouse is fully furnished with Capitol-style furniture and wall hangings. Everything seems to be in the right place. There is a dining room table full of beautiful, unused china, and a big leather couch in the living area that is in front of a large screen that covers half the wall. I assume this is the television we will use when we watch Caesar Flickerman announce the tribute’s scores after the evaluation.
“Do you think you got us any sponsors today?” Katniss asks Effie.
“Well, I had to be very mysterious. Of course Haymitch hasn’t told me anything about your strategies, but I’ve done my best with what I had to work with. You know, you volunteering to save your sister and how you both have had to struggle immensely to overcome the barbarism of District 12.”
What’s barbaric about District 12? The hard working families? The people who live on the streets because of the “barbarism” of the Capitol? Effie is more oblivious to district life than I thought. I think Effie noticed our offended looks because she clarifies,
“Everyone has their reservations, you know. Naturally, you being from a coal district and all. But when someone was questioning why they should sponsor anyone from you two’s backgrounds, or districts for that matter, I said something very clever!” Effie being clever? This is going to be good, I thought. She continued,
“I said if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!” She looks so pleased with ourselves that Katniss and I praise her enthusiastically and compliment her wit, even though she is very wrong. Coal doesn’t turn to pearls, those come from shellfish. Maybe she meant to say they turn to diamonds, but that isn’t true either. Well, at least we know she is generally trying to help us, even if her smarts about our district aren’t top notch.
“Unfortunately, I can’t actually seal the deal on the sponsors. Only Haymitch can do that. But I’ll do everything I can to get them lined up! Now, off to bed you too. You have training in the morning!” She says and ushered us to our rooms.
Katniss and I walk up the stairway together and we get to the top she turns left to go to her room and I turn right. When I open the door I realize that my room is probably bigger than all of the rooms in the bakery combined. It is very open, and it’s style reminds me of Haymitch’s car back on the train. It’s very victorian looking. Everything is embroidered and a blood red color seems to be a common theme. The color red makes me sick. All I can think about is what I would do if I was put in a situation in the Games where I had to kill someone. I’m sure I’ll come across it, too. It’s the Hunger Games isn’t it?
I have a little bit of time to clean up and check out my room before Effie calls Katniss and I down for dinner. I head down and see Cinna and Portia talking quietly on the balcony over looking the Capitol. I want to wait for Katniss, so I come up to them and make casual conversation. After a few minutes Katniss arrives, and Cinna and Portia tell us both that tonight we will be discussing strategies with Haymitch, so tonight is very important.
We all head to the dining room. There is a man, young enough to be called a boy, even, who is dressed all in white who offers us glasses of wine. He is silent, never even opens his mouth. Right away I accept the boy’s offer, and he pours me a small glass of this wine. I look over to see if Katniss takes any. At first, she seems hesitant, but then she finally agrees. I can tell by her face after the first sip that she’s never had wine before. Her face puckers and she looks shocked. I’ve had wine many times at home, so it’s not a surprise to me.
Haymitch comes into the dining room right as dinner arrives. I am amazed at how good he looks. He’s wearing clean clothing, and he is well groomed. He also looks more sober than I could have ever imagined Haymitch being. Of course, he doesn’t turn down the offer of wine from the boy, but he only takes a sip and then starts to eat his soup. I’ve never seen Haymitch eat. I can tell tonight is going to be effective.
Cinna, Portia, Effie, and Haymitch start small talk as we all start to eat our meal. Effie and Haymitch seemed very pleased with our stylists. They keep praising them for their creativity and effectiveness in the tribute parade. I’m glad everyone is on the same page, this means more will get done to prepare Katniss and I for the Games. Dinner is delicious tonight. Mushroom soup, some greens, that I don’t particularly care for the bitterness, roast beef, noodles in a green sauce, and some mouthwatering cheese that is served with sweet grapes. Quite the feast. I notice there are more servers like the young boy, all dressed in white. None of them speak, they just move around and make sure cups and platters are full.
Cinna and Portia bring up the topic of our interview costumes and all things fashion, when Katniss interrupts the conversation, addressing one of the server’s dressed in white. A girl, with dark red hair.
“OH! I know you!” Katniss says to the young girl. The girl looks at her with terror in her eyes, as Katniss studies her face. The table has fallen silent, and now everyone is looking at Katniss awkwardly.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Katniss! How could you possibly know an Avox?” Effie snaps. “For goodness sakes.”
“What’s an Avox?” asks Katniss confusedly. She looks embarrassed, but to be honest, I don’t know either. Haymitch answers her,
“It’s someone who has committed a crime. The Capitol has cut her tongue out, that’s why they can’t speak. She’s probably a traitor or something, so it’s not very likely you’d know her. She probably just looks like someone you know.” I can see Katniss considering it in her head, but then she keeps looking at the girl and I can tell she knows her. This could be dangerous for her, if she keeps talking. I try to think of a way to ease the tension and get back on the subject of the interviews.
“Even if you did know her, you are not to speak to her! Not unless it’s to give her an order, of course. But of course, you don’t really know her.” Effie says angrily.
“No...I, I guess not. I just-” Katniss stammers, trying to find the right words to explain herself. I snap my fingers and say,
“Delly Cartwright. That’s who it is. I kept thinking she looks familiar as well, but then I realized she’s just a deadringer for her.” Katniss looks at me with relief, even though we both know Delly Cartwright looks nothing like this Avox girl.
“I think it’s the eyes, mostly.” I say. Everyone relaxes after this and we get back on topic. We all start digging in to a special cake that Cinna ordered for our success at the parade.
“Who’s idea was the hand holding?” Asks Haymitch.
“Cinna’s,” says Portia proudly. Haymitch smiles.
“Just the perfect touch. Of rebellion, that is. Very, very well done, Cinna.” Haymitch says with admiration. Cinna accepts the compliment but insists that it was all Katniss and I, for pulling it off.
“So. Tomorrow morning you two will have your first training session. Meet me down here for breakfast, we are going to go over exactly how I want you to play it,” Haymitch says to Katniss and I, “Now. Off to bed, you two. You’re going to need the sleep.” I want to stay longer and discuss strategy, but I guess now is not the time. Katniss and I say goodnight, and then head up the stairs to our quarters. I want Katniss to explain to me about the Avox girl. Who was she. When we get to her room I lean in her doorway, blocking her way slightly.
“So. Delly Cartwright’s lookalike? Imagine finding her here.” is all I say. She looks at my nervously. We just stand there in silence for a few minutes. She’s probably contemplating trusting me enough to tell me about her, so I try to make her feel better about it.
“Have you been on the roof yet?” She shakes her head. “Cinna showed me. You can see all of the Capitol. It’s beautiful, but sometimes the wind is a little loud.” To this, she thinks about it and than asks me,
“Can we just go up there?”
“Yes. Come on, let’s go.” I say. I lead the way up the stairs. When we get to the top, there is a small round door that leads to the roof. When we step outside it’s somewhat chilly and the wind blows against my face, and I shiver. I marvel at the beauty of the Capitol--I’ve never seen anything quite like it. There’s lights everywhere. The electricity back home isn’t so good, so it’s so amazing to see all the lights at once. Katniss starts walking to the railing on the roof and she looks down. I follow her eyes to the hundreds of people walking the sidewalks of the Capitol. The city is crazy right now, with all the hype of the Games.
“I asked Cinna why they let us up here.” I tell her.
“Why wouldn’t they? You mean incase a tribute would try to jump off to kill themselves?” She asks.
“Exactly. But Cinna told me it’s not possible. There is a force-field of some kind that just throws you back onto the roof.” She looks interested in this. It seems ridiculous to me, the amount of safety they put on us just to keep us safe so we can get killed in the Games later on.
“Ah. Always worried about our safety.” Katniss says sarcastically. She is silent for a moment and then asks,
“Do you think we’re being watched, now?”
“Like taped? Maybe. Come see the garden. It’s beautiful.” I lead her to the garden on the other side of the roof. There’s lots of flowers with bright colors and potted trees. There’s also hundreds of wind chimes, and every time the wind blows the garden is full of the sound. I look at her, waiting for her to tell me about the Avox girl, when suddenly she says,
“We were hunting in the woods one day, when I saw her. We were hidden, waiting for game.”
“You and your father?”
“No, my friend Gale,” she says. I feel the jealousy fill me up, but I try to ignore it. “All of the birds stopped singing except for one--it was making a loud shriek, like a warning or something. That’s when we saw her. I’m positive it was the same girl from dinner, Peeta. She was with a boy, and their clothes were torn and stained. They had dark circles under their eyes from not sleeping. They were running as fast as they could.” she says sadly. She doesn’t say anything for a while, she seems upset by this memory.
“Then, the hovercraft appeared out of nowhere. I mean, the sky was empty and then all of a sudden a net dropped down and picked up the girl. It was so fast, like the elevator. They shot the boy with some kind of spear, and then hauled him up as well. But I’m almost positive he was dead. Then the hovercraft flew off. Just vanished. And the birds began to sing again. It was like it never happened.” She finishes.
“Did they see you?” I ask worriedly.
“I don’t know, honesty. We were under a rock. Probably, not.” She says this in a tone of uncertainty, and I wonder if she’s leaving a part of the story out, but I don’t ask, because she already seems fairly upset. I notice she is shaking, and I want to just hold her and tell her it will be alright, but I know I can’t.
“You’re shivering.” I tell her. I take my jacket off and wrap it tightly around her shoulders. She tries to step back and avoid the jacket but then she changes her mind, and cuddles herself into my jacket.
“Were they from the Capitol?” I ask, “The boy and the girl from the woods?” She nods.
“Where do you suppose they were going?”
“That, I don’t know. Or why they would leave here. It seems so much better than the district life. They had everything here, didn’t they?” She responds. Everything? Not even close. I love district life. The Capitol is a joke.
“I’d leave here,” I blurt out loudly. Damn. Too loud. I try to laugh it off,
“I’d go home now, if it was an option. But I do have to admit. The food is phenomenal. Let’s go in, it’s starting to get cold.” And we walk together towards the other side of the roof.
“Your friend, Gale. He’s the one who took your sister away at the reaping, right?” I ask. Gale. The last person I want to talk to Katniss about. Why did I ask that?
“Yes. Do you know him?” Do I know him? In all honesty, I can’t say I know Gale, but I definitely know of Gale.
“Not really. The girls talk about him a lot, though. I thought he was your cousin our something, you favor each other.” I say, and I hope my jealousy couldn’t be detected/
“No, not related.” Is all she says.
“Did he say good-bye to you?”
“Yes. So did your father. He brought me cookies. They were good.” is all she says. So they were for her. I knew it.
“Really? Well. He does like you and your sister. I think he would rather have a daughter, then all us boys.” I say back, “He knew your mother, you know, when they were kids.” She looks surprised.
“Oh, really? She did grow up in town.” We finally arrived at her door. She turns to me and says,
“See you in the morning then.” What I wouldn’t give to kiss her. After all, I’ve thought about it so many times in my life, and there may not be much time left for us. In fact, there definitely isn’t much time left. But I resist, out of shyness.
“See you,” and I quickly walk down the hall to my room. When I shut the door I sit on my bed and stare out the window. Then I realize that I have fully accepted the fact that I will not win. Not a chance. How could I, when the woman I love is with me in the arena. No, I will do anything and everything to keep her safe. I will sacrifice myself to protect her. And with this thought, I go to sleep. I’ve got a long day ahead of me.