Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 8--Lodged in their minds

"(Y/N) (Y/L/N)."

The sound of your own name spoken on the intercom from the waiting room brought a sense of relief through your system as you got up from your bench, stretching out all the cramps from your legs and making your way into the training room for your private sessions. Being the female tribute from District 12, you were scheduled and slated to go last and give your demonstration to the Gamemakers. 

Before that, though, you had to witness everyone else go up and leave the waiting room, one by one, starting with Marvel, then Glimmer, then Cato, then Clove...the list went on until you saw the female tribute from District 11 go up--a young girl of about 12 years old with a haunting aura about her. 

"I think her name's Rue," Peeta whispered to you when you were both alone.

"She's so young, though," you murmured, feeling Peeta reach over and take your hand loosely. "If only someone else from her district was able to volunteer for her."

"Not everyone's world is perfect," Peeta eventually commented, and you were able to tell in his grim voice that he was right--you had risked everything, even a possible quiet life with your mom, just by going forward to volunteer for the other girl. Primrose. 

"I only hope I made the right decision to volunteer for the other girl. Prim...rose, right?" you asked.

Peeta nodded. "Who knows, maybe the odds will be in Rue's favour. Maybe she could beat all of us and win this thing."

You only laughed hollowly at this comment. "I wouldn't bet on that just yet, but maybe she could outlast some of the other tributes."

Soon, Peeta was called in, and you had to wait for a long time before your name sounded on the intercom. Those few moments alone had been the most agonizing in your life--not counting the time before your mom came into the Justice Building to say goodbye to you.

You threw your shoulders back as you entered the training room, your eyes flitting firstly towards the Gamemakers who were sitting on a stage, shifting around in their chairs and glancing once in a while at the food behind them. It hit you that the Gamemakers were here for way too long, and that they didn't want to see anyone else perform anything anymore. Twenty-three people have gone before you, and they didn't want anymore. Back in the past you recalled how horribly District 12 had done in training, and you weren't willing to pull off that kind of performance. Which made you worry about Peeta--how did he do?

Slowly, you made your way to the knife-throwing station and grabbed a sack of the blades that you were used to training with. You then went over to the archery station, grabbed a quiver and bow, and slung them both onto your shoulder. Days of experimenting with both of them during training made you feel confident that you could offer them a good performance. 

Taking a deep breath, you approached the dummies, and then started to give your demonstration. First, you grabbed a blade and threw that at one of the dummies on the left, lodging the blade well into its heart. Then you grabbed another blade and had that whistle to a dummy behind you, and then you pulled out an arrow from your quiver and shot another dummy. Knife and arrow and knife were released from your stash until you had nothing left, then you picked up a sword and performed some expert moves as you danced right through the room, deflecting and then stabbing at the other dummies present. At long last, you flipped forward and hurled the sword towards the last dummy standing, piercing its body right through its back. 

That, you thought, was pretty satisfactory. You turned around to the stage, where a few Peacekeepers nodded at your spectacular performance. Others, however--including the Head Gamemaker--had their attention to the pig right behind them. Their dinner.