Chapter 8 and 9 By Erin

Chapter 8

Kat runs back to her room, ignoring everyone. She is appalled by what she done, and hopes the Capital will only punish her, and not her family. She cries for an hour until Effie comes to get her for dinner. Kat picks at her food while the others make small talk, until Haymitch finally ask how bad it was. Peeta tells him he threw weights while the Gamemakers sang drinking songs. Haymitch then says “How did you do, sweetheart?” which makes Kat so mad she blurts out that she shot at the Gamemakers. Everyone gasp and Kat tells them exactly what happened. Haymitch laughs, and Effie says they deserved it for ignoring them. Haymitch says that the low scores don’t matter, that people only pay attention to the highest numbers for betting. Kat relaxes and finishes eating, then they gather around the television to get their scores. “The number, which is between one and twelve, one being irredeemably bad and twelve being unattainably high, signifies the promise of the tribute.” Kat is surprised that Rue gets a seven. Peeta’s score appears, and everyone is excited that he received an eight. Then Kat’s score appears: eleven.

Kat retreats to her room and crawls under her covers, exhausted. She wakes up as the sun is rising, and thinks about what she would be doing at home. Sunday means all day hunting and gathering with Gale, stocking up for the week. She wonders if he’s doing well, since the two of them together always make hunting easier. Kat remembers meeting Gale for the first time. She had seen a rabbit caught in one of his snares and went to examine it, when he appeared out of nowhere to stop her touching it. They agreed to exchange knowledge, Gale showing Kat snares and Kat showing him plants. Eventually she gave him one of her family’s bows. At some unspoken moment they went from strangers to partners, sharing the spoils and trade. Kat starts to miss him, and wonders whether she and Gale are more than friends. She gets up and meets everyone, except Peeta, for breakfast, but no one is talking. She keeps eating and asks what going on; interview coaching starts today. Haymitch tells her there’s been a slight change of plans. Peeta has asked to be trained separately.

Memorable Quotes

“I call him my friend, but in the last year it’s seemed too casual a word for what Gale is to me. A pang of longing shoots through my chest. If only he was with me now!”

Questions

Why do you think Peeta wants to train separately?

Chapter 9

Kat is torn about Peeta’s decision. On the one hand she’s hurt, but relieved to be able to stop pretending at the same time. She moves on, asking what they are doing today. Haymitch tells her they’re practicing for interviews, four hours with him for content and four hours with Effie for presentation. Kat is with Effie first. Effie makes her sit up straight, practicing smiling (Kat ducks her head and glowers) and the practice walking in a gown and heels. When it’s Kat’s turn with Haymitch, he tries to find an angle for her to work. Charming? Aloof? Fierce? Humble? Witty? Cocky? Funny. Sexy. Mysterious? Haymitch starts drinking about half way through, and finally tells her to just not let the audience see how much she hates them.

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Memorable Quotes

“Betrayal. That’s the first thing I feel, which is ludicrous. For there to be betrayal, there would have had to been trust first. Between Peeta and me. And trust has not been part of the agreement.”

When you’re asked a question, find me, and answer it as honestly as possible,” says Cinna.

“Even if what I think is horrible?” I ask. Because it might be, really.

“Especially if what you think is horrible,” says Cinna. “You’ll try it?”

Questions

Do you think Peeta really has a crush on Kat, or is this part of the strategy?