Hunger Games Part 3

  "Soooooo, Peeta? How was it like to finally marry Katniss for real and not have to pretend, like in the Games?" Rita didn't get into the probing questions yet but Katniss was still uncomfortable.
Peeta smiled and lightly grabbed Katniss's hand. "Wonderful. And it was even more wonderful when Prim arrived to make us a family."    
 "I'm sure. Now when Prim was born, how accepting were you're parents of the young pregnancy, Katniss?" Rita shoved the microphone at Katniss.
"Uh, they were worried but supportive." Katniss stuttered.
"How is the girl? She hasn't made an on-screen appearance since she was born." Rita probed.
"We don't want cameras in our little girls face." Peeta answered. But Katniss knew the truth that nobody else knew. She was afraid someone would realize she didn't look a thing like the blonde, blue-eyed Peeta. She was surprised Peeta hadn't asked any questions yet.
 "Understandable. I have one more question before we break." Rita had a mysterious smile on her face. "I hear someone very important is back in town.. Gale Hawthorne. And I also hear he is staying at your home in the Capitol. What do you think of that, Mrs. Everdeen?" Rita lowered her glasses to the tip of her nose.
"I'm thrilled to finally see Gale after all these years." Katniss gave a very vague answer,  hoping to change the subject.
"Yes, it's been about 10 years? After everything. I'm curious to know... Did he tell you he was going to leave?" Rita's eyes flashed, indicating she had many mote questions.
"I had no idea he was going to leave." Katniss slowly breathed in and out, calming her nerves.
"Why didn't you go after him? He was your best friend, in many interviews you mentioned him and the workers of the underground District 13 have told me many interesting details."  It was just like Rita  Henshark to go snooping in places she shouldn't be...  Katniss opened her mouth to answer, but Peeta's voice was the only one heard.
"My wife doesn't feel comfortable talking about the situation." Peeta said matter of factly. "Do you have any more questions?"
"Why would she feel uncomfortable? Why would YOU say she was uncomfortable?" Rita probed.
Katniss shifted uncomfortably as the air filled with silence and Peeta pondered what to say.
"I don't feel.. Comfortable because that's a touchy subject for me." Katniss answered. Peeta squeezed her hand, obviously angry that she had answered.
"I know my wife very well, Rita. I know how she feels about the situation." Peeta said with a sharp tone, that set a even more tense atmosphere.
"Uhuh. Of course. No disrespect intended. Mrs. Everdeen, may I ask a question about your relationship with Gale?" Rita smiled her signature wolfish smile... All her watchers knew what that meant. She was about to expose Panem's trademarked "heroes". But Katniss knew very well what she was trying to do. This was the moment she prayed Gale wasn't watching.
"Go ahead." Katniss replied, with a fake-confident smile on her face. Quite different from the painful grimace that was on Peeta's.
Rita lowered her glasses to the "happy" couple. "Did you love Gale before he left for District Two? Did you love him anytime at all?" She asked, pushing her lime green cat-eye glasses back up her nose, enormous peacock-feather pen  poised over a pad of paper.
"I never loved him like I love Peeta..." Katniss said, she could feel Peeta triumphantly smiling next to her, "He was my best friend.... but nothing more. I don't know how he had ever felt about me but, I know nothing could separate Peeta and I." Her body rippled with pain as she forced the lie out. She felt like the worst person in the world. She loved Gale. She always loved him. It was killing her to play fairytale pretend with Peeta.
"I see. Have you always loved Peeta? Did you know from the very start it was him?" Rita looked skeptical of Katniss's last answer but said nothing more of it.
"Well, during the game, there were a few times where it seemed like we would never succeed, but we pulled through obviously." Katniss shot a loving smile toward Peeta, who in turn, gave her an approving nod.
"I agree full-heartedly with Katniss. No matter what the games portrayed us to be... We always knew we belonged together." Peeta said almost forcefully, making Katniss feel guilty again. Making her think her poor husband had no idea about her "feelings" for Gale, trusted her 100%, and was just so in love with her.
"You have suggested your love for each other in almost every sentence. Is this just first love passion? You must have fought sometime in your relationship? Or is it all just fake for the camera? Maybe leading to an ugly off screen life?" Rita was getting desperate. Peeta and Katniss had made it seem liked they were truly, always in love with each other. Like their life was some sort of fantasy. That just wouldn't do... She needed dirty secrets exposed to keep her viewers alert and watching... She would every measure in the book to do so.
It was Peeta who took the stage. "We have passion in our lives because we went through so much to be here. Who doesn't fight sometime? Some never resolve it, but we did, we overcame the games, so we can certainly overcome minor issues. We ARE living in fantasy except ours is real. If you don't believe it, you must not believe in love. I know what you're trying to do, Rita. We don't have any deep dark secrets. So pry all you want and we'll tell you everything."
Katniss's mouth dropped as she  listened, it sounded like something from a damn tv ad. She saw right through him. He was going too overboard in trying to prove his innocent husband act. He had suspicions; Katniss knew that much. Guilting wouldn't work anymore.
The crew gave Rita the signal to wrap it up. She nonchalantly nodded and turned back to the somewhat stirred couple. Peeta wore a content smile, certain that what he said would convince the public that he and Gale were friends. While as Katniss's lips were tight, her body tense and just a teeny bit too far away from Peeta's, making them look like e subjects of a therapy session.
"So, viewers, is the heroes' love true as light or as fake as a bad actor? You decide. This is Rita signing off with Peeta and Katniss Mellark-Everdeen."
The damage was already done.


Rita thanked them for their time with a mischievous smile, knowing she could twist this story around later that evening on her afternoon segment. Peeta smiled and started back toward their car. Rita grabbed Katniss's elbow before she could follow him.
"Katniss. I have a personal question." Rita asked, in all seriousness, not a wink of slyness marked on her face.
Katniss's guard went immediately up. "Personal? Rita, you'd just use it in another interview. I decline to answer." She took her arm away from the reporter's grip.
"No. It's not like that. I promise. Have me fired if I do." Rita swore.
Katniss looked at her, analyzing what she said. Rita wouldn't give her job up for anything in the world. She must have a hell of a question if she wants to know the answer that badly. "Are you and Peeta ok...? I don't want to see Panem's heroes split. Honestly, the whole controversy 'you decide' thing is just for show." Rita bit her lip. "I'm sorry if I went too far."
Of course she went too far. "Why does everyone think the we're the 'Panem Heroes"?! You know there were so many people that day?! They were all heroes. So does that mean  heroes have to end up happy? Because that's what happens on tv? Well. This isn't tv. This isn't a show you can watch Mondays at 8. This is real life. And people should be with whomever they love. So why does it always come down to Peeta and I? You don't know what our life is like. We'll be happy if it's right. Please... I just..." Katniss stopped as a tear ran down her cheek. She already said too much. "You promised me this wasn't for your show. So I better not see it at 9."
"Never. It was just a question." Rita promised, looking surprised at what Katniss just let out.
Katniss sighed.  "Thank you. I shouldn't have said what I just did. That was extremely personal ok? People could take it the wrong way so-"
Rita cut her off. "I know. It's safe with me." Katniss nodded and turned to go to her car. "I wish I could decipher you. It's hard." Rita laughed, but looked a bit jumpy as the green eyes that once held so much fire and determination stared back at her as a lifeless, dull shade of moss.
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"


Katniss ducked into the passenger seat of Peeta's flaming red car. Now she had to deal with him. They rode in awkward silence halfway home until Katniss broke the tension
"Why did you say that?" Katniss asked.
  "What are you referring to exactly, Katniss? There were many things said during that inter-" Peeta calmly replied until Katniss's angry voice cut through him.
  "Stop toying with me Peeta! I'm not a child!" Katniss said. "Be a man and say what you have to say, stop cutting corners... Pretending you don't have a problem with Gale. If there's something you need to say to me, go ahead and-" Peeta cut Katniss off in return.
   "Well, darling" His voice already had sarcasm oozing from it, "I did HAVE to say what I said. We can't let the people know what's truly going on here. It's not for everyone to know, Katniss.  No matter how fake it was, the viewers will eat it up in aw's about how our love is so pure and they want to name their damn babies after us because we're so damn in love. That's why the people need to like us, or else the whole jig is up and we'll become just more leaders to them. They need to like us."