Thankfully, Katniss seemed to be on board with the plan and diffusing the leftover tension that Haymitch was obviously still feeling. So many things were riding on the Games, and Prim didn't want to let one bad night, hours before the start, ruin their chances of making it out alive as a group. Aside from the four of them, there were others to think about as well, and Prim was sure that Johanna and Finnick, or Beetee and Wiress weren't currently about to punch their mentors for reminding them of their place. All too suddenly, Prim understood why Haymitch had been kept partially in the dark, and why Katniss had been told nothing. After that display, Snow was going to be looking at them under a microscope.
The climb to the roof didn't take very long, just up a stairwell and through one final door before the four of them got their first taste of the outside world since the parade. That event seemed like a lifetime ago to Prim, and it was hard to realize that they had all changed in the last two weeks, that they were stronger and more cohesive, capable of actually getting to the end. Prim took a deep breath of the night air as her blue eyes focused on the sky, the setting sun setting the horizon ablaze with rich colors. In a way, it reminded her of home—those times back in the Seam when everything had been so much more simple.
While the moods of the others seemed to have lifted, Haymitch was still thinking about Peeta. Although he wasn't usually one for apologies, he felt that he owed the baker that. Talking about the Games, drawing attention to himself felt like a mistake, even if it was the only opportunity that Haymitch had to show Snow that he couldn't get away with everything. Still, Haymitch's intentions had never been to jeopardize the plan or make Peeta's work harder for him by opening his mouth. Sighing, the former Victor raked his fingers through his hair, watching as Prim and Katniss popped the cork on the bottle and had a drink between them. At least they were bonding.
“There probably won't be as much as the first time,” Haymitch said, trying to anticipate the moves of the Gamemakers based on the last Quell. “They know you're the best archer, so there's going to be a bow. If you don't get it first, you better hope that someone who likes you does.” That more or less went for all of them—although Haymitch didn't think that anyone would go for a weapon they were unfamiliar with, stranger things had happened. “Just try to be fast,” he advised. This wasn't going to be like the other years where Haymitch warned against the bloodbath, they would all have to work to get what they wanted.
The conversation was quick to move on, but Haymitch didn't think that discussing couples was a pertinent use of their time. “We have to try and stick together tomorrow,” Haymitch said before the bottle was passed to him from Gale. Sparkling anything was never his drink of choice, and something harder to shake off those pre-arena jitters would have been ideal. Still, Haymitch took a drink and settled with the bottle in his hand for a moment. “The career pack is going to be twice as big, and they won't break off until they have to turn on each other. We find Johanna and Finnick tomorrow and stay close.”
To Prim, that sounded like wishful thinking. “What about Beetee and Wiress?” she asked, but Haymitch seemed to have forgotten about them. A group of eight people was hard to manage, even more painstaking in an unfamiliar environment and unlike the careers, none of them were out to win the games. Trying to stay together seemed like the best option but seven days was a long time and it was hard to believe that the Gamemakers, even Plutarch, wouldn't try and break them up just for the sake of throwing Snow off. Talking to Peeta before the Games was starting to seem more urgent and Prim hoped that the baker would fill in she and Gale before they were isolated inside the Capitol's playroom.
“Yeah, them too, I guess,” Haymitch answered and took another drink before passing the bottle back to Katniss. He hadn't meant to put a damper on everyone's mood, but being realistic was better than ignoring what was going to happen in the morning. There was a very good chance that despite Peeta's plan, they could all be dead soon.
Even with the last minutes of the sunset, things had turned serious once more. Prim looked around at her friends, from Haymitch to Katniss, whom she loved so much and then to Gale who had become so much more than just a comfort. “No matter what happens,” she said, also attempting to be realistic, “I'm glad we all had some time together. It's not easy, but if I have to be here, I'm glad it's with you guys.” Then again, the blonde couldn't help but feel the same kind of guilt, that feeling that said if she had just gone and died the year before, none of this would be happening now. The only way to repay Katniss for what she had done was to get her out of the arena and away from the Capitol alive.
“Anyway,” she said, shrugging as she looked down at her shoes, which were starting to get uncomfortable again. “I'm not letting any of you out of my sight tomorrow.” With a small smile, Prim slipped her shoes off and sighed with relief once her feet were back on flat ground.
The climb to the roof didn't take very long, just up a stairwell and through one final door before the four of them got their first taste of the outside world since the parade. That event seemed like a lifetime ago to Prim, and it was hard to realize that they had all changed in the last two weeks, that they were stronger and more cohesive, capable of actually getting to the end. Prim took a deep breath of the night air as her blue eyes focused on the sky, the setting sun setting the horizon ablaze with rich colors. In a way, it reminded her of home—those times back in the Seam when everything had been so much more simple.
While the moods of the others seemed to have lifted, Haymitch was still thinking about Peeta. Although he wasn't usually one for apologies, he felt that he owed the baker that. Talking about the Games, drawing attention to himself felt like a mistake, even if it was the only opportunity that Haymitch had to show Snow that he couldn't get away with everything. Still, Haymitch's intentions had never been to jeopardize the plan or make Peeta's work harder for him by opening his mouth. Sighing, the former Victor raked his fingers through his hair, watching as Prim and Katniss popped the cork on the bottle and had a drink between them. At least they were bonding.
“There probably won't be as much as the first time,” Haymitch said, trying to anticipate the moves of the Gamemakers based on the last Quell. “They know you're the best archer, so there's going to be a bow. If you don't get it first, you better hope that someone who likes you does.” That more or less went for all of them—although Haymitch didn't think that anyone would go for a weapon they were unfamiliar with, stranger things had happened. “Just try to be fast,” he advised. This wasn't going to be like the other years where Haymitch warned against the bloodbath, they would all have to work to get what they wanted.
The conversation was quick to move on, but Haymitch didn't think that discussing couples was a pertinent use of their time. “We have to try and stick together tomorrow,” Haymitch said before the bottle was passed to him from Gale. Sparkling anything was never his drink of choice, and something harder to shake off those pre-arena jitters would have been ideal. Still, Haymitch took a drink and settled with the bottle in his hand for a moment. “The career pack is going to be twice as big, and they won't break off until they have to turn on each other. We find Johanna and Finnick tomorrow and stay close.”
To Prim, that sounded like wishful thinking. “What about Beetee and Wiress?” she asked, but Haymitch seemed to have forgotten about them. A group of eight people was hard to manage, even more painstaking in an unfamiliar environment and unlike the careers, none of them were out to win the games. Trying to stay together seemed like the best option but seven days was a long time and it was hard to believe that the Gamemakers, even Plutarch, wouldn't try and break them up just for the sake of throwing Snow off. Talking to Peeta before the Games was starting to seem more urgent and Prim hoped that the baker would fill in she and Gale before they were isolated inside the Capitol's playroom.
“Yeah, them too, I guess,” Haymitch answered and took another drink before passing the bottle back to Katniss. He hadn't meant to put a damper on everyone's mood, but being realistic was better than ignoring what was going to happen in the morning. There was a very good chance that despite Peeta's plan, they could all be dead soon.
Even with the last minutes of the sunset, things had turned serious once more. Prim looked around at her friends, from Haymitch to Katniss, whom she loved so much and then to Gale who had become so much more than just a comfort. “No matter what happens,” she said, also attempting to be realistic, “I'm glad we all had some time together. It's not easy, but if I have to be here, I'm glad it's with you guys.” Then again, the blonde couldn't help but feel the same kind of guilt, that feeling that said if she had just gone and died the year before, none of this would be happening now. The only way to repay Katniss for what she had done was to get her out of the arena and away from the Capitol alive.
“Anyway,” she said, shrugging as she looked down at her shoes, which were starting to get uncomfortable again. “I'm not letting any of you out of my sight tomorrow.” With a small smile, Prim slipped her shoes off and sighed with relief once her feet were back on flat ground.