"Primrose Everdeen!" the overly ecstatic Effie Trinket cried.
I have to go up at some point, I thought. As I walked forward, I became aware of Katniss running forward, screaming, "No!" and pushing me behind her.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Katniss said to Effie and the rest of District Twelve.
No one really knew what to do about her volunteering as a tribute, since in District Twelve, volunteering is synonymous with a death sentence.
While I was thinking Effie Trinket said something about volunteering, but she wasn't very sure of herself.
The Mayor asked why it mattered, and said to let her come onto the stage.
I started screaming hysterically, and I wrapped my arms around Katniss, but she just said harshly, "Prim, let go! Let go!" I could tell that she was upset and trying not to cry.
Gale came forward and picked me up, but I was thrashing around like a snake and resisting.
"Up you go, Catnip," he said while trying to keep himself from crying.
When Katniss was on the stage, Effie asked, "What is your name?"
"Katniss Everdeen," she replied to Effie.
"I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all of the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" Effie Trinket trilled.
Not a single person in District Twelve applauded to Effie.
Then something unexpected happened. First one, then another, then almost everyone in the City Square put their three middle fingers to their lips, and held them out to Katniss.
It is an old and almost never used (except for at funerals) gesture from our district. It means thanks, admiration, and goodbye to someone you love.
Just as I could see that Katniss was about to cry, Haymitch Abernathy, a former victor of the Hunger Games, came up and placed his arm around Katniss.
He hollered, "Look at her. Look at this one! I like her! Lots of..." we waited as he tried to find the right word, "Spunk!" he triumphantly said. "More than you!" he released Katniss and went to the front of the stage. "More than you!" he shouted while pointing to the camera.
Then he fell off of the stage and knocked himself unconscious.
Haymitch was taken away on a stretcher, as Effie Trinket exclaimed, "What an exciting day! There's more excitement to come! It's time to pick out our male tribute!"
She reached into the ball containing the boys' names, zipped back to the podium, and cried, "Peeta Mellark!"
As Peeta came up, the Mayor then recited the dreary Treaty of Treason and had Katniss and Peeta shake hands.
After they shook hands, Katniss and Peeta were rushed into the Justice Building, followed by a squad of Peacekeepers.
My mom and I were the first ones to visit Katniss. I sat in her lap, and mom sat beside of us.
Katniss told us the things that we needed to do since she would no longer be there to do them herself. Things like me not taking any Tesserae and putting my name into the reaping any more than required. She also told me to stay in school.
Then she turned to mom, and told her that she had to stay with me, and not clock out of life, no matter what happened to her.
I told her that she had to be careful, too, and that maybe she could win the Games.
She said that she would try to win, but I heard doubt in her voice. Then it was time for us to leave, and she said that she loved us.
We only got a glimpse of her when she boarded the train and I knew from watching past Games, that I wouldn't see her again until it was time for the Tributes Parade when the tributes enter the Training Center to train until the pre-Games interviews with Caesar Flickerman. Then after the interview, she will go into the arena where the Hunger Games are hosted.
In District Twelve, things went back to normal for about three days, while the tributes traveled to the Capitol of Panem. Then they were clothed in elaborate costumes and styled to perfection. It is now time for the Tributes Parade.
The music began and the tributes from Districts One-Eleven came out in their chariots. Then, you could hear the crowd gasping as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark came out. The crowds searched their programs for their names, and the shouted, "Katniss! Peeta!"
This year our tributes were dressed in black unitards, that covered them from ankle to neck, and shiny leather boots that lace at their knees, but it's the flowing cape, made of orange, yellow, and red, with a matching headpiece that was on fire, that made the crowd gasp and look for their names on the programs.
I can see Katniss waving, smiling, holding hands with Peeta, and blowing kisses to the crowd, while they scream her name and throw flowers to her.
The horses pull the chariots to a halt in front of the President's mansion, while President Snow came out on the balcony to welcome them as the music ended.
The camera cut to the faces of each of the tributes while the President gave his speech. I think that Katniss and Peeta were given more than equal airtime. I can't blame them. The darker it got, the harder it got to take your eyes off of the flickering costumes of the District Twelve tributes.
The chariots circled around the city and entered the Training Center.
Four days later, it was time to get the training scores! The tributes from One-Four got in the eight to ten range, most everyone else averaged a five, the twelve year old girl from Eleven got a seven, Peeta scored an eight, and Katniss scored ...
"Eleven! She scored ELEVEN!" I cried so loud that I'm pretty sure they heard it on the other side of District Twelve. I also heard the other families screaming excitedly that one of our tributes scored the highest of all. Gale wasn't with us that night, but he spent most of the Games with us.
"I can't wait to see the interviews and see the amazing outfit that she will have!" I told my mom.
The next night, it was time for the pre-Games interviews.
The Districts One-Eleven zipped through fast as I waited to see Katniss. Then it was time for Katniss.
She was dressed in a red, yellow, and white dress, with flecks of blue on was made in a flame design, and it was covered with reflective precious gems. Her skin shimmered, and her eyes flashed. The slightest movement gave the impression that Katniss was engulfed in flames.
"So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?" Caesar asked.
She stammered, "The lamb stew." Caesar and some of the crowd laughed. Then Caesar made a joke about how much of it he eats.
After his joke, he got serious and asked Katniss what she thought about the outfit for the opening dress.
She said, "You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" she asked.
The crowd laughed at that.
"Yes, start then." Caesar laughed.
"I thought that Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this either. I mean, look at it!" she lifted her skirt and spread it out. As the crowd oohed and ahed she twirled and it was an immediate reaction. They wanted her to do it again, so she did and when she stopped, they wanted her to keep going.
"Don't stop," Caesar Flickerman told her.
"II have to, I'm dizzy!" she giggled.
"Don't worry, I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps and falling down, now can we?" Caesar joked.
Caesar wrapped his arm around her protectively, and said, "It's all right. She's safe with me. Now, how about that training score. Eleven. Give us a hint as to what happened in there."
She looked at the Gamemakers on the balcony and I could see her bite her lip. "Um... all I can say is, I think it was a first."
The camera turned to the Gamemakers, who were chuckling and nodding.
When they turned back, Caesar said, "You're killing us. Details. Details."
Katniss looked at the balcony, "I'm not supposed to talk about it, right."
"She's not," one of them called back.
"Thank you my lips are sealed." she replied.
Caesar then asked about me.
"Her name's Prim. She's just twelve, and I love her more than anything." Katniss confided.
"What did she say to you? After the reaping?"
"She asked me to try to win." I could tell that the audience followed her every move and hung on to her every word.
"What did you say?" Caesar prompted.
"I swore that I would," she told the crowd.
"I bet you did." Caesar told her, while giving her a squeeze. "Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District Twelve."
When Peeta came up, in his black suit with the fiery pattern on it, he joked around with Caesar Flickerman about the Capitol's showers, and the tributes and bread.
Then Caesar asked if he had a girlfriend back in District Twelve.
In reply, Peeta gave an unconvincing shake of his head.
"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on. What's her name?" Caesar insisted.
"Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember." Peeta sighed. "I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping."
"She have another fellow?" Caesar asked.
"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," Peeta replied.
"Here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" said Caesar encouragingly.
"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning... won't help in my case."
"Why ever not?" Caesar asked, clearly mystified.
Peeta blushed and stammered, "Because...because...she came here with me."
The cameras held on Peeta for a moment as what he said sank in.
The cameras turned to Katniss, and she opened her mouth, closed it, looked down, and blushed.
"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar said with real sadness in his voice.
"It's not good," Peeta agreed.
"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?"
"Not until now," Peeta shook his head.
"Wouldn't you just love to pull her back out here and get a response? Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."
When the audience calmed down, Peeta said a quiet thank you and returned to his seat.
When he got to his seat, the tributes stood up as the anthem of Panem played, and Katniss raised up her head. I could tell that she saw Peeta and herself together and didn't like it.