Chapter 2 Chapter 2 Blood and Roses

In my impression, President Snow should appear in a magnificent hall with marble columns behind him and huge flags hanging all around.When he appeared in ordinary people's homes, everything around him seemed so out of harmony with him, just like opening the lid of a pot to see a poisonous snake instead of stew. What is he doing here?I quickly thought back to the opening ceremonies of previous victory tours. In the past, there were winners and their instructors, stylists, and occasionally some high-level government officials at the opening ceremonies, but I never met President Snow. He is always at the Capitol for celebrations.That's right, it is.

If he's come all the way from the Capitol, it means only one thing: I'm in big trouble.If I'm in trouble, the family is in trouble too.I shudder at the thought of Mom and Prim within reach of this man who hates me.Yes, he will always hate me for outwitting the brutal Hunger Games, disgracing the Capitol, and crippling their grip. During the race, all I could think about was keeping Peeta and I alive, and if there was any rebellion, it was just coincidence.But if the Capitol declares that only one "tribute" can survive, and you have the guts to challenge that rule, I think it's rebellion.The only way I could protect myself was to act insane about Peeta's love.That's the only way Peeta and I could have survived, to wear the crown of victory, to go home, say goodbye to all the photojournalists, and live in peace until today.

Maybe it was new to the room, maybe it was shocking to see him, maybe we both knew he could kill me in an instant, I felt as if this was in his house and I was an uninvited intruder entrants.Therefore, I didn't welcome him or give him my seat, but I didn't say a word.In fact, I saw him as a real snake, a viper.I stood still, looking directly at him, trying to figure out what to do next. "I think it would be easier if we all agreed not to lie to each other, don't you?" he said. I expected my tongue to freeze in this situation, but to my own surprise I responded calmly, "Yes, I think it will save time."

President Snow was smiling, and that's when I noticed his lips for the first time, I thought I'd see snake-like lips, which means no lips, but what I did see were full and tight solid lips.I wonder if he had lip surgery to make himself more attractive.If that's the case, it's a waste of time and money because he's not attractive at all. "My advisors are worried that you're going to be tough, but you're not prepared to do that, are you?" he asked. "Yes." I replied. "That's what I told them too, a girl would risk her life at all costs, she wouldn't just throw it away, and besides, she has her own family, mother, sister, and those...cousins. ’ He slowed down on “cousin,” and I could tell he knew Gail and I were not related.

Well, it's all on the table, maybe it's better this way, I don't like to be in the middle of nowhere, I'd rather know how it ends. "Sit down." President Snow sat down at the end of a large, smooth wooden table, where Prim often did her homework and Mom settled accounts.He doesn't have a right to this place any more than he has a right to everything in my house, but in the end he does have a right to this place.I also sat at the table in a carved, straight-backed chair made for someone taller than me, so I could only touch the ground on my toes. "I have a question, Miss Everdeen," said President Snow, "and it comes from the moment you take out the poisoned berries in the arena."

At that critical moment, the tournament committee had to make a choice: watch me and Peeta commit suicide - which means there will be no more winners in the game, or let us both survive, and I guess they will choose the latter. "If Seneca Kling, the chairman of the tournament committee, had any brains, he should have wiped out the two of you at the time, but unfortunately, his feelings are weak, so you are not dead. You are still standing here. Can you guess Where did he go?" he asked. I nodded, judging by the tone of his voice that Seneca Kling had been executed.Now there is only a table between me and the president, and the smell of roses and blood is even stronger.President Snow had a rose pinned in his pocket, exuding a strong rose fragrance.This rose must have been a genetically modified rose, because naturally grown roses would not be as fragrant.As for where the bloody smell comes from... I don't know.

"After that, there's nothing we can do but let you go on with your little farce. You're doing pretty well, huh? That infatuated little girl, the Capitol believes in that. Unfortunately, not everyone Everyone in the district believes in your story," he said. When he said this, he paused intentionally, and there must have been a trace of doubt on my face. "Of course, you don't know about it. You have no way of knowing the mood and reactions of people in other districts, and in fact several districts see your poison berry trick as a blatant contempt for the Capitol, not A confession of love. So if only one little girl in District Twelve—and no other District—could stand up to the Capitol and come out unscathed, what would the Capitol do to prevent others from adopting the same approach? Say, a riot?" he said.

His last words were so intriguing that it took me a moment to fully appreciate them. "Is there a riot?" If there is a riot, I am both terrified and excited. "Not yet. But if things go on like this, they'll follow; and if there's a riot, there might be a revolution." President Snow pressed a point on the left eyebrow with his fingers and rubbed it gently. In this position on my head, I often feel a headache. "Have you ever wondered what this means? How many people will die for this? What will happen to the people who don't die? No matter what anyone thinks there is a problem with the Capitol, believe me, if we relax a little bit , the whole social system will fall apart.”

He spoke frankly, even sincerely, as if his main concern was the welfare of the country of Panem, which surprised me.But that's not the case at all. "If a handful of berries can destroy it, it must be very fragile," I blurted out, not knowing where I had the guts to say it. He looked at me and was silent for a long time.In the end he simply said, "It's fragile, but not as you might think." At this time, someone knocked on the door, and the Capitol guard poked his head in, "Her mother asked if you want some tea?" "Oh, I want tea, have some," said the President.

The door opened, and Mom was holding a tray of china from her marriage to the Seam. "Put it here." The president put the book on the corner of the table and said, pointing to the center of the table. Mom put the tea tray on the table with the teapot, cups, cream, sugar, and a plate of biscuits, iced and decorated with pastel-colored flowers like only Peeta could. "Oh, what a treat, you know, it's ridiculous how often people forget that the president eats too," said the president in a lighthearted tone.Mom seemed to relax a little when she heard these words. "Would you like anything else? If you're hungry, I can make you something else."

"No, that's fine, thank you," he said, clearly not needing her to stay here.Mom nodded, glanced at me, and walked away.President Snow poured us both a cup of tea, put cream and sugar in his tea, and stirred slowly.I felt as if he had finished his sentence and was waiting for my answer. "I don't want to cause a riot," I told him. "I believe in you, it's okay. Your designer was prescient in your clothing choices, Katniss Everdeen, burning girl, you have lit the first fire, the fire that has not been extinguished, it will spark A hellfire will completely destroy the Panem Kingdom," he said. "Then why don't you kill me now?" I blurted out. "Public?" he asked. "That just adds fuel to the fire." "Then arrange an accident," I said. "Who will buy it? If you are an audience, you won't either." "Then just tell me what you want me to do, and I will do it." I said. "If only it were that simple." He picked up a cookie decorated with flowers and looked at it carefully. "It's cute, your mother made it?" "Peta." He stared at me, and for the first time I couldn't stand his stare.I reached for my teacup, but heard the trembling sound of the cup hitting the saucer, and put it down again.In order to hide my panic, I quickly picked up a biscuit. "Peeta. How's your love life going?" he asked. "Good." I said. "To what extent does he sense your coldness?" he asked, dipping biscuits into his tea. "I'm not cold," I said. "But maybe you're not as enamored with that young man as you'd have people believe," he said. "Who said that?" I said. "As I said," said the President, "I wouldn't be here if I was the only one who doubted. How about that pretty cousin?" "I don't know...I don't..." Talking to President Snow about the two people I care about most and my relationship with them makes me extremely disgusted.I don't know what to say. "Come on, Miss Everdeen, if our conversation doesn't come to a pleasant agreement, I can easily kill him. You won't do him any good if you go into the woods with him every Sunday." He said Say. If he knew this, what else did he know?How did he know?A lot of people could have told him that Gail and I went hunting on Sunday.We never hide from people when we come home from a hunt, don't we?Hasn't it been like this for years?The question was how much did he know about what happened in the woods far from District 12?It should be certain they are not following us.Or, did they follow?This seems unlikely.At least not by humans.So is the camera?Until now, I never thought about this problem.The woods have always been our safest place, out of the reach of the Capitol, where we can talk about everything and be our true selves.At least that's how it was before The Hunger Games.If we've been watched since then, what have they seen?Two people hunting together, saying something rebellious against the Capitol, that's all, no love words, maybe that's what President Snow wanted to hear.We can't be accused of this unless...unless... Only one time.This was the first time, and it was an accident, but it did happen. After Peeta and I got back to District 12, I didn't see Gale alone for weeks because there were so many celebrations that had to happen.First of all, there is a celebration banquet that only high-level people are invited to. In addition, people in the whole district can enjoy a holiday, with sufficient food during the holiday, and actors sent by the Capitol to perform for everyone.And then there's the "Gift Pack Festival," the first of twelve "Gift Pack Fests" where everyone gets a goodie bag full of food, and it's my favorite festival.Poor children in the Seam who starve on days like this have applesauce, canned meat, and even sweets.There are also presents in their homes, that is, sacks of grain and barrels of cooking oil.They get gifts like this every month of the year, which is when I feel the best after winning a game. So during the ceremonies, during the various events, there were reporters recording our every move, me and Peeta were together, kissing for the audience, there was no privacy at all.After a few weeks, things calmed down, the photographers and writers withdrew, and Peeta and I returned to our previous peaceful relationship.My family moved to a new home in Victor Village.Life in the 12th District has also returned to the way it used to be-workers go down to the well, and children go to school.I waited until things were back to normal, and one Sunday morning, two hours before dawn, I got up and walked toward the woods without telling anyone. It's still warm so I don't need a jacket.I pack lots of goodies in a big bag, frozen chicken, cheese, toast, and oranges.In the old home, I changed into boots.As usual, the fence was not powered, and I easily climbed over to find the bow and arrow in the hollow tree.I went to the place where we usually meet, where we share our breakfast on Harvest morning. I waited at least two hours.While waiting, I slowly felt that after the past few weeks, he had given up the idea of ​​seeing me again, that he no longer cared about me, and even started to hate me.The thought of losing him, my best friend, the only person I could open my heart to, pained me unbearably, more than any misfortune I had ever experienced.Tears blurred my eyelids, and my heart was blocked. When I looked up, I saw him standing there, ten feet away, looking at me.Without even thinking about it, I jumped up and threw myself into his arms, crying and laughing at the same time, extremely excited.He hugged me so tightly that I couldn't even see his face.He held me for a long time and wouldn't let go, eventually holding me in his arms if I hadn't been belching unbelievably loudly and needing a drink of water. We had a day in the woods like any other day.We ate breakfast, hunted, fished, gathered wild vegetables and berries, and we talked about the people of the town, his new life down the well and my days in the arena.But we didn't talk about us, just about other things.Until later, when we came to the gap next to the fence that was closest to Hopper's Black Market, I thought it was the same as usual.I gave Gail all the prey because we have a lot of goodies now.I told him I wasn't going to the black market anymore, even though I really wanted to.Mom and sister don't even know I've gone hunting, they wonder where I've been.Just as I was about to propose that I take care of the finished condoms during the day, suddenly, he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. I was totally unprepared.I've watched him talk, laugh, and frown all day, and I think I'm already familiar with his lips.But when he put his lips close to mine, he didn't expect it to be so tender; I also never thought that these dexterous hands could catch me easily.I remember a slight gasp in my throat, and I vaguely remember curling my fingers and placing them on his chest.Then he let go of me and said, "I have to, at least this once." And he walked away. Although the sun was going to set at this time, my family must be worried about me, but I still sat down under a tree next to the fence, thinking about how I felt about his kiss, whether I liked it or hated it; but All I can remember is the feeling of Gale pressing hard on my lips and the smell of oranges on his skin.Comparing his kisses to Peeta's countless kisses is pointless, and I still don't know which of them carries the most weight.Finally, I went home. I cleaned up the daytime catch that week and gave it to Hazel, and I didn't see Gale again until Sunday.I'm ready to say something like this: I don't want a boyfriend, and I never plan to get married.But in the end I didn't say these words.Gail also acted like he never kissed me.Maybe he was waiting for my confession, or maybe I went to kiss him.However, I pretended that none of this happened.But it did happen.Gail had broken the invisible boundaries between us, and my hope of reviving our simple friendship.No matter how I pretend, it is impossible to look directly at his lips with the same state of mind. All the memories just flashed in my mind, and President Snow had already finished threatening to kill Gale, and his eyes were fixed on me, as if he wanted to see through me.How foolish I was to think that the Capitol would stop watching me once I got home!Maybe I didn't think about the possibility of riots, but I knew they hated me.I should have acted cautiously according to the situation, but what did I do?Now Gail and his family, my family, Peeta are all in danger because of my carelessness. "Please don't hurt Gail," I said softly. "He's just my friend. My friend for many years. That's all there is between us. Besides, everyone already thinks we're cousins." "I'm interested in how he's going to affect your relationship with Peeta, and thus the mood in other districts," he said. "It's going to be the same when I'm on tour, and I'm going to love Peeta the same," I said. "Like now," he corrected me. "Same as now." I said firmly. "To stop the riots, you can only do better than before. This tour will be your only chance to turn things around," he said. "I know, I will, I want everyone in every district to believe that I didn't rebel against the Capitol, I just did it out of infatuated love." I said. President Snow stood up, and gently wiped his smug lips with a napkin, "Set your goals higher, so as not to fail to meet the requirements." "What do you mean? How can I aim high?" I asked. "Let me trust you," he said.He dropped the napkin and picked up the book.I wasn't looking at him as he walked toward the door, so I was taken aback when he whispered in my ear, "By the way, I know about that kiss." With that, he closed the door behind him.