The Other Slip

Chapter 5

I drift into consciousness as I feel Peeta's arms draped around me. His slowed heartbeat leads me to think he is still asleep. I get up as carefully as possible as to not wake him. I stand on the cold concrete floor and just stare at him, rethinking what happened last evening. It was small, but extremely significant. I don't want to give him some sort of hope when I'm preparing to enter the arena again. A knock at the door pulls me out of my thoughts. I tiptoe towards the sound and twist the doorknob. The Avox girl greets me with a nod and hands me a note. I recognize Effie's careful handwriting on the small letter. She and Haymitch had decided that I need no particular training for the interview tonight. Extremely relieved, I thank the girl and slowly close the door. I hear the sheets shifting and notice Peeta starting to sit up.

-"Hey." I turn around to face him. He rubs his eyes.

-"Hey."

-"I'm free all day. Haymitch and Effie let me out of interview training." I say, handing him the note.

-"Oh...um...what are you planning to do all day?" He looks nervous.

-"I was hoping to spend it with you?"

-"Yeah, of course, I'm just going to go take a shower in my room."

He leaves and I decide to go take a shower as well. For once I am actually careful with the shower settings I choose, and I let the elaborate shower scrub me with soap.

Once I am ready, I walk across the hallway to Peeta's room and we decide to go up to the roof. We bring food and drinks up with us and set a striped picnic blanket on the ground. We talk, we laugh, we use the force field for our entertainment. It's almost as if I'm not going to head into an arena with skilled killers who want me dead in the next few days. I feel Peeta shake me awake and I open my eyes to a beautiful sunset.

-"That's your favorite color." I say, looking at Peeta.

-"Yeah," he smiles "That's the one."

Many shades of orange meddled with pinks and yellows decorate the sky as the sun sets on the Capitol. I sit up and lean my head on Peeta's shoulder as we continue to admire the view.