Голодные игры
Chapter 22
Itstrikesmethatmyownreluctancetosing,myowndismissalofmusicmightnotreallybethatIthinkit’sawasteoftime.Itmightbebecauseitremindsmetoomuchofmyfather.
"Sothatday,inmusicassembly,theteacheraskedwhoknewthevalleysong.Yourhandshotrightupintheair.Shestoodyouuponastoolandhadyousingitforus.AndIswear,everybirdoutsidethewindowsfellsilent,"Peetasays.
"Oh,please,"Isay,laughing.
"No,ithappened.Andrightwhenyoursongended,Iknew-justlikeyourmother-Iwasagoner,"Peetasays."Thenforthenextelevenyears,Itriedtoworkupthenervetotalktoyou."
"Withoutsuccess,"Iadd.
"Withoutsuccess.So,inaway,mynamebeingdrawninthereapingwasarealpieceofluck,"saysPeeta.
Foramoment,I’malmostfoolishlyhappyandthenconfusionsweepsoverme.Becausewe’resupposedtobemakingupthisstuff,playingatbeinginlovenotactuallybeinginlove.ButPeeta’sstoryhasaringoftruthtoit.Thatpartaboutmyfatherandthebirds.AndIdidsingthefirstdayofschool,althoughIdon’trememberthesong.Andthatredplaiddress.therewasone,ahand-me-downtoPrimthatgotwashedtoragsaftermyfather’sdeath.
Itwouldexplainanotherthing,too.WhyPeetatookabeatingtogivemethebreadonthatawfulhollowday.So,ifthosedetailsaretrue.coulditallbetrue?
"Youhavea.remarkablememory,"Isayhaltingly.
"Iremembereverythingaboutyou,"saysPeeta,tuckingaloosestrandofhairbehindmyear