64th Hunger Games

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"And you're sure your feeling better dear? The nausea is all gone?" Effie asked the following morning at breakfast.

Today was the last day before the games. Peter and Mary made sure they would stuff themselves silly all day, it would be the last full day of meals for potentially weeks. Tonight was the big interview with Caesar Flickerman. A very flamboyant host. His charisma almost frightened Mary. Perhaps the audience would hate her and boo her off the stage.

"I feel better I promise. I- I'm not sure what came over me yesterday." Mary assured the pink-haired woman.

"It was just nerves sweetheart. You look a lot less pale today." Haymitch nodded.

Between the two, Peter and Mary had eaten 13 pieces of bacon, 7 eggs, 4 cups of orange juice, 9 sausage links, and 6 pieces of toast. By the end of breakfast, Mary felt her cotton shirt nearly burst at the seams. They weren't going to let any bit of food go to waste.

"What should we expect with the interview?" Peter asked after finishing his last helping of eggs.

"My suggestion is to play up your romance. I know I'm sure it's humiliating and uncomfortable, I get it it's your private relationship. But exploiting yourself could mean the difference between life or death. I cannot emphasize this enough, the capital loves Star crossed lovers. Give them that. Burst into tears at the thought of each other dying. Gain their sympathy. It's the biggest night to win over sponsors. But at the same time be yourself. Let them get to know you, so they can like you as an individual and a couple."

"Okay." Peter nodded.

Mary was lost in thought. Tonight could very well be her last night ever. The last night she could hold Peter close. The last night to truly be relaxed. As if she could, knowing what awaited her in the morning.

"You understand Mary?" Haymitch asked

"Yes. Exploit our relationship and be me." She nodded slowly to confirm with him.

"Correct." Haymitch rubbed his forehead.

Mary spent the rest of the day going over possible scenarios in her head. What she was going to say or do. She never entertained people before. She was never one for conversation, especially as a form of entertainment. The dinner parties her father would have tended to be downright dreadful. During these parties, she refused to participate in any conversations. They were not things she felt well suited to talk about. Capital politics, starvation, what kind of dessert was being served. Rather, she couldn't wait to be excused. Knowing Peter would be just outside waiting for her.

She'd throw off her fancy clothes as fast as she could. Throwing her luxury clothing all around her room and replacing it with her 'out door' clothes as Tony would call it. These outfits mainly consisted of fabrics that wouldn't stain so easily or were already stained enough that Tony wouldn't fret about them getting dirty. Climbing her tree with Peter tended to leave stains on her clothes as Tony would find out after she started to spend a lot of time with the boy.

The thought of her 'outdoor' clothes reminded her of a time when she was in school. Normally she'd dress in decent fabrics and patterns. Clothing the little girls in the seam could only dream of owning. Dresses with beautifully stitched flowers on them. Colors other than grey or white. Her favorite was the light pink with strawberries on it. Mary was only 13 at the time, she hadn't quite realized that all the other girls in her class were jealous of her. To her, they were just her clothes, nothing special.

It happened on the day Peter promised to take her to the woods after school. She had told her father of this plan and his response was to give her a gun. Tony understood the Peace-Keepers weren't going to bother two children going into the woods. He knew if he told her no and kept her home, she'd most likely sneak out anyway. So his solution was to bestow her a gun, in hopes she'd be able to fend for herself if she were put in a dangerous situation. He had made her take lessons on how to use a gun previously so she was prepared. And though Tony would never admit it, she did have a helluva aim.