14I want everyone to know I don't speak Portuguese. But I didn't feel right not trying, especially since some of the story will be taking place in Brazil. I used travel books, Google Translate, a Portuguese iphone app. Still I would like to apologize in advice if I butchered the language. Good new is it's not a lot because the characters are bilingual. Hope you like it! Un-beta'd
The door slams and it makes her jump. Her sister stomps into the room. That's great, nothing like a pissed off teen to complete her day. Ever since they moved in with Flora and Haymitch, Prim had become moody. It's only when Flora goes for long visits with her family that Katniss sees a glimpse of the happy Prim she remembers.
"Oi patinha" Prim rolls her eyes at the use of her nickname. "Voce esta bem?"
"No, I'm not fine!" she yells as she hands Katniss a sandwich and takes a bite of hers. Talking with her mouth full she said "Flora with her stupid comments while I was making these." She waves her sandwich around "Comendo toda sua comida. Like we really eat up all her food and going on about how she's not getting enough money to put up with us."
"Eu sinto muito" Katniss tells her. Flora is relentlessly on their case about everything, food, laundry, chores and most of all money, they do their best but it's never enough for her. She treats them like unwanted guests. Prim's getting the worst of it while Katniss and Haymitch are at work.
"You don't need to be sorry" her anger deflating at the look of concern on Katniss face. Prim sits next to her on the bed "it's not your fault she's a bitter puta."
"Language" she reprimands, though she can't help but laugh.
Prim's eye widen as she takes in the image on the screen. "Uau!, is that him? My god Katniss he's hot" Katniss hurries to change the picture, embarrassed as if she was caught looking at porn. She hands Prim her tablet and lets her go through his profile and shows her the information that Mr. Boggs sent. She doesn't hide anything from Prim. They are in this together and at 14, Prim is old enough to know what's going on.
"Doesn't seem like he has much luck with women" Prim says "Maybe that'll change with you?" she nudges Katniss on the shoulder with a knowing smirk.
"We'll see when we meet him" she reply's. "Although more than likely he's going to meet up with other potential brides. Remember Maura picked 3 guys for the meet and senhor Boggs was here to see her and another girl." She could feel a tightness in her chest at the thought of Mr. Mellark not picking her and she hasn't even met him yet.
"Are you sure about this, Katniss? I can drop out of school; find work, so we can get a place of our own." This is not the first time Prim has offered this.
"Our parents wouldn't want that and neither do I. The savings they left us is running out, Prim. The money I make waitressing at Sae's is barely covering Flora's room and board"
"They wouldn't want this either" Prim pointed at the screen "and what about uncle Haymitch?" her lower lip beginning to tremble "Will we ever see him again?" Prim sees him like a second father and she hates the idea of leaving him behind.
"I'm sure we will and you can call him everyday." she reminds her.
"To bad we can't take him with us. You should have put him down as part of your condition" she chuckles "He'll finally be able to divorce that cow and I'm sure he'll come looking for us" she can hear the hope in her sisters voice.
"He'll be knocking at our door before you know it." She tells Prim "We'll make is work. Ok"
"Esta bem" Prim goes back to the tablet and scrolls to the picture Katniss was gawking at earlier. "This picture though Katniss, Wow!" Heat rushes to her cheeks. "Oh my god you're actually blushing" Prim squeals and just like that Prim is back to an annoying teen gushing over a guy. Rolling your eyes she grabs the tablet and logs out of the Cupid website.
"Come on do your school work and then get ready for bed, before Flora start complaining about the electricity" she huffs. On seeing Prim's mischievous expression she know she'll be teasing her until its time to go to bed.
She was dozing off when the phone smacks her on the face. Merda she startles. Like a true stalker she had been googling him to see what else she could find, which wasn't much. She also saved an occasional picture here and there. Well, he was fucking fine.
She climbs out of bed trying not to bump into Prim. She can't seem to turn her mind off. She'll be dragging her little sister from their home to another country, their mother's country. Is she doing the right thing? The only place she can afford is in the 'favelas' and she will have to find a second job. She needs to do what she can to keep Prim out of the slums.
She heads down to the kitchen for a cup of water, checking on her email. She sees one from Mail Order Cupid reminding her of the dates and times for the meet. She spots her uncle Haymitch sleeping on the table. Flora had demanded he send them to an orphanage as soon as they moved in, he refused, so now all they do is fight. It's been taking a toll on all of them. Flora wasn't always like this but her jealousy has turned her into a crazy bitch. She sees the bottle of white liquor and rolls her eyes. Haymitch's drinking isn't helping either.
"Haymitch, acorde" I shake him to wake up.
"O que se passa, sweetheart?"
"Nothing is going on; you need to go to bed" Haymitch Abernathy just like her father, was born to a Brazilian mother and American father.
"Sofa" he slurs, getting up and heads towards the couch, white liquor in hand.
She follows behind him and drops next to him.
"Jimena from family court called, the papers are ready" Haymitch said. He received sole custody of them when her parents died but the day she turned 18 they went to court and added Katniss as joint guardian of Prim. She can't get sole custody because of her income. So when she gets married Haymitch will have to write a letter approving for Prim to move out of the country with Katniss.
"I'll pick them up tomorrow after I drop Prim off at school and swing by the bank to put them in the safe deposit box" One day she caught Flora going through their room looking for any paperwork that proves they had received money from their parents death.
"When's he coming?" he asks "What's his name?"
"The meet up is at the end of the week. His name's Peeta Mellark"
"Why couldn't you just wait until I get a divorced?"
"Maybe you can save your marriage once we're gone" he shakes his head
"Not going to happen, sweetheart"
"Besides she'll use us against you in court." Every time the word divorce comes up during their fights Flora threatens him. "She'll make false accusations and we'll loss custody of Prim at least while they do an investigation. I can't risk that."
"I want to meet him" Haymitch said "Before the family meeting." If the groom and bride decide they are a good match, the last part of the meet up will be with family. Maura didn't have any family so she invited them to meet with Mr. Boggs. Haymitch, really liked him.
"I don't think so; I need to make a good impression. I want him to pick me and not another girl." There's that tug on her chest again. Her hand goes to the spot and she rubs it as if it's something she can soothe away. "Your sour face will scare him off" He glares at her and she snorts pointing at his face. "Yup that's the one."
"I won't sign anything until I meet with him, Katniss" she nods because she knows. Prim and Haymitch are her only family and she wants their approval.
"You have a picture?" he asks. She unlocks her phone goes to her picture folder and is careful not to pull up the half naked one. Picking instead one where he's wearing a pale blue polo shirt that makes his cerulean blue eyes stand out. He grabs her phone and texts the picture to himself.
"Hey! What are you doing?" she snaps at him as she takes her phone back before he starts scrolling through her pictures. He shrugs his shoulders.
"What about Prim?"
"She'll meet him with me because she's part of my condition. I want to make sure they get along"
"I hope you know what you're getting into, sweetheart" yeah so does she. She gets up to go back to her room.
"Boa noite, Haymitch"
"Night, sweetheart"
She's in the kitchen preparing Prim's school lunch. She'll stop by the padaria for some sweet bread and hot chocolate for their breakfast. She's hoping they can get going before Flora wakes up. Then she hears the bedroom door opening. Just great, she takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the argument and Flora never disappoints. Coming into the kitchen she starts on her right away.
"Voce precisa me dar mais dinheiro." Flora says. Always asking for more money, Flora's bleeding her dry.
"Bom dia para voce tambem e nao, eu te dou bastante" she said, No reason to be rude with a good morning to you too and no I give you plenty as a responses.
"Se nao me de o dinherio estou chutando ambos para fora" Katniss has her back to her so she rolls her eyes, right like Haymitch will let her kick us out if she doesn't give her more money. Most likely he'll be pissed if he knew that she gave Flora most of her pay.
Prim bounces into the kitchen before it escalates any further. "Ready to go" Katniss asks.
"Let's get the hell out of here, Tchau Flora" Prim calls grabbing her lunch and rushing out the door.
"Esta conversa nao terminou" Flora tells her, of course this conversation isn't over it's the same shit every fucking time they see each other.
"Tchau" she says. Two more days she tells herself, two more until the meet and hopefully she'll be able to get them away from here. She prays it's not into a worst situation.
All the errands she needed to do this morning have caused her to be late for work, again. Not that Sae will ever fire her she's the only one that speaks fluent English and she needs her during the tourist seasons. Its winter in Brazil right now so they should be slow.
Her phone rings and she looks at the screen and it's a call from the Cupid agency, she groans what now. Last time Effie called she wanted to give her a makeover complaining the pictures she uploaded where to plain if not downright ugly.
"Ola" she answers.
"Hello dear, it's Effie Trinket from Mail Order Cupid" she said with a flourish.
"Hello Effie" she met Effie at the agency when she went to sign up.
"The reason for my call is that you closed out your availability for selection yesterday and my dear we have had several calls asking for you. Your age and virginity status has made you a hot commodity" Effie chirped.
"You got to be kidding me, right? Like my virginity is a prize to be won." she spat feeling disgusted. "That's kind of disturbing. Don't you think?" She only put it down because Effie insisted upon it but she could care less. She would have slept with her ex-boyfriend Julian just to loss it. They had been heading that way anyways but then her parents died and she had to move so they broke up. With the way things have been going for her this year dating and sex have been the last thing on her mind, until now that is.
"Yes dear but even so" Effie said as if she was talking to a dimwit "You have only made one selection and there's no guarantee he will pick you." Her hand absentmindedly rubs at her chest.
"I'll take my chances Effie" she snaps.
"Well just think about it darling and if during our romance tour meet up you happen to change your mind you let me know" she trills and hangs up. God now she's really late, she rushes into Sae's.
"Desculpa Sae" she calls out an apology as she heads towards the back to change for her shift.
He looks at the sign above the agency door. It has Mail Order Cupid in bright pink letters. He hates that Katniss feels she has to do this but she's right. Flora will refuse to give him a quick and easy divorce. Accuse him of abusing the girls and Prim will be taken away. He's seen it happen before so he knows she's not lying. Blinded by her hatred she will sacrifice everything and everyone in order to get her way. He has been married to her for 5 years and the minute she asked him to send the girls to the orphanage he was done.
He feels he's letting his best friend James down by not being able to take care of his girls. The least he can do is check up on this Peeta Mellark. Katniss doesn't know but he was been in contact with Boggs and once the girls make it to the states, Boggs will be keeping tabs on them and report back to him. For now it's up to him.
Going in, he's greeted by the bright pink interior. He rolls his eye and wonders what idiot thought that neon pink was a good idea.
He walks up to the receptionist. "Eu preciso falar com seu gerente" he said asking to speak to the manager.
"Voce tem um compromisso?" the receptionist asked if he had an appointment.
"Nao, sweetheart" her eyebrows shoot up.
"You speak English?" she asks.
"Yes, now may I speak your manager" he asks again. She gives him her best fake smile that's more of a grimace. She rings up Effie and puts her on speaker.
"Venia I'm kinda busy here. Can't believe Sabino call in, now I'm short a driver and we are going to have a busy weekend" he hears her complain. Thank you, Sabino he thinks.
"This is your lucky day, sweetheart, I'm a driver" he said loud enough for her to hear him over her whining.
"Oh my and you speak English too! Fantastic, send him in Venia" she warbles.