All rights belong to the Amazing Suzanne Collins!!

un-cringe pt. 2

Chapter 2

President Snow reminds me of a snake. He has large puffy lips and almost no nose. His lips look too puffy. Too much botox. "I think we'll make this situation a lot simpler by agreeing not to lie to each other," he says. "What do you think?"

I think my tongue has frozen, making speech impossible, so I surprise myself by answering back in a steady voice, "Yes, I think that would save time."

"My advisors were concerned you would be difficult, but you are not planning on being difficult, are you?" he asks.

"No," at least, not at the moment. A half-truth.

"That's what I told them. I said that any girl who goes to such lengths to preserve her life isn't going to be interested in throwing it away with both hands. And then there's her family to think of; Her mother, her sister, and all those... cousins. Not to mention the newfound love of her life." I can tell by the way he lingers on the word "cousins" he knows Gale and I don't share a family tree. But even more, the mention of Peeta causes me to sit up straighter, on even higher alert.

"I have a problem Ms. Everdeen," President Snow says. "A problem that began the moment you pulled out those poisonous berries in the arena." The moment when I realized that I loved Peeta and couldn't live without him.

"If the Head Gamemaker, Seneca Crane had any brains, he'd have blown you to dust right then. But he had an unfortunate sentimental streak. So here you are. Can you guess where he is?" he asks.

I nod because, by the way he says it, it is clear that Seneca Crane is no longer with us.

"Not everyone in the districts believes you love Peeta. The people in the Capitol were quite convinced, though." He catches me off guard, and I'm sure my face registers it because he addresses it.

"This, of course, you don't know. You have no information about the mood in other districts. In several of them, however. People viewed your little trick as an act of defiance, not an act of love. And if a girl from District 12 of all places can defy the Capitol and walk away unharmed, what is to stop them from doing the same?" He says.

"What is to prevent, say, an uprising?" It takes a moment for his last sentence to sink in.

"There have been uprisings?" I am both chilled and somewhat elated by the possibility. Freedom is such an odd concept but a welcome one at that.

"Not yet. But the other Districts will follow if circumstances don't change. And uprisings have been known to lead to revolution." He says with a tone of disgust. Yes, A does tend to be followed by B. My annoyance must read on my face.

"Do you have any idea what that would mean? How many people would die? What conditions would those left have to face? Whatever problems you may have with the Capitol, believe me when I say that if it released its grip on the districts for even a short time, the entire system would collapse."

I'm surprised by the directness and even sincerity of his speech. I am calm and almost as cold as he sounds on TV when I speak. "It must be very fragile if a hand full of berries can bring it down."

He examines me and then says, "it is fragile but not in the way you suppose."

There's a knock at the door, and the Capitol man sticks his head in the door. "Her mother wants to know if you want tea."

"I would. I would like tea." Says the president.

My mother comes in with her wedding china, the only finery of our past. "Place it right here." President Snow says, tapping a place on the desk with a book.

"What a welcome sight. You know, it's funny how often people forget that presidents like to eat, too." President Snow says charmingly. It seems to relax mother.

"Can I get you anything else? I can cook something more substantial if you are hungry," Mother offers.

"No, this could not be more perfect. Thank you," Snow says, dismissing her. My mother nods, shoots me a glance and goes. Surely knowing this isn't normal but not knowing the cause for the President of Panem to be meeting with her 16 year old, she chides me as such a child.

"I didn't mean to start any uprisings," I tell him.

"I believe you. It doesn't matter. Your stylist turned out to be prophetic in his wardrobe choice. Katniss Everdeen, the girl who was on fire, you have provided a spark which left unattended may grow to an inferno that destroys Panem."

"Why don't you just kill me now," I blurt out. I am on a roll on not shutting up.

"Publicly?" he asks, somewhat laughing, what I assume he considers one. "That will only add fuel to the flames."

"Arrange an accident, then," I am almost commanding, almost, despite my attempt to sound authoritative.

"Who would buy it?" He asks. "Not you, if you were watching."

"Then tell me what to do. I'll do it." I tell him matter-of-factly.

"If only it were that simple." He picks up one of Peeta's cookies and examines it. "Lovely, your mother made these?"

"Peeta, they are pretty, aren't they?" I ask nicely. He always decorates the cakes and cookies. Now that we have money after school, Prim and I will go to the bakery to buy cookies and chat with Peeta's family. Despite Peeta's instance that we can have them for free. His mother still isn't exactly fond of us, but his father and brothers seem to have to take a liking towards us.

"Yes, Peeta, how is the love of your life?" He gives whatever he must consider a smile at the end, which makes me want to wrinkle my nose in disgust.

"We are doing great," I tell, smiling at him awkwardly. Why is the president asking me about my love life?

"Oh." He says, looking at my face again. "How's the handsome cousin?" He asks. Oh, I see; he thinks I like Gale.

"Fine, I presume, making his way through the merchant girls when he's not in the mines." I roll my eyes.

"Truly Miss Everdeen? I can solve that. I can easily kill him off if we don't come to a happy resolution. You'll never have to wonder about a wandering eye of his again." He says it plainly as if he didn't just polt a murder.

"President Snow, I do not care what he does in his time." I feel like I am talking to a wall.

"You aren't doing him a favor by disappearing into the woods with him every Sunday."

That, however, brings me up on a pause. What does he know? And how does he know it? Many people could tell him that Gale and I spend our Sundays hunting. Don't we show up at the of each one loaded with game? Haven't we for years?

The real question is what he thinks goes in the woods beyond District 12. Surely they haven't been tracking us in there, or have they? Could we have been followed? That seems impossible. At least by a person. Cameras? That never occurred to me until now. The woods have always been my place of safety, a place beyond the reach of the Capitol.

It only happened once. It was weeks after I got home. We hunted all day just as usual. I was starting to think that things with Gale would never change. We were going to the hob, and I told him I would go home. Then he kissed me. I smacked him on the head.

"What?" Gale yelled, shocked at my reaction.

"Has it occurred to you that I have a boyfriend?" I had asked him annoyed.

"Mellark?" He had responded, confused.

"Yeah. Did you watch any of the Games?" I asked him, dumbfounded about how he didn't realize this one.

"It wasn't fake was it?" He asked with a frown.

"No, it wasn't," I said and took off in the other direction. I told Peeta about it. That was the first night he stayed.

"Please don't hurt Gale," I whisper. "He's just my friend. He's been my friend for years. That's all that's between us. Besides, everyone thinks we're cousins now."

"I'm only interested in how it affects your dynamic with Peeta thereby affecting the mood in the districts, thereby affecting me."

"Gale doesn't affect us at all," I answer honestly, trying to sound as earnest as possible so he will have no reason to doubt me this time.

"You have to be head over heels in love with Peeta if you are to convince the districts though." He says.

"I already am." I give him another honest answer. The president shakes his head. "Aim higher in case you fall short."

"What do you mean by that," I ask confused.

"Convince me if you care about your family and friends, that is." He says with a small smile. When he walks to the door, he whispers in my ear, "By the way, I know about the kiss."

I want to scream that I don't care for Gale, but the door clicks shut behind him.

Thanks for reading! Let me know of any mistakes!

~K.D. Howell