Thanks to nb1998, FireBreadandSnares, Emmileeblue and cutiemarie-chan for reviewing! I hope you all like this chapter :D.

A promise I can't keep:

I'm about to knock on Johanna's door, but she opens it before I get the chance. She's holding an umbrella so I'm guessing she was going to my house, or to buy alcohol. Both are equally possible.

''You're not going back to the arena'' I say as I walk in.

''Nike, you're dripping wet!'' she says not paying any attention to what I'm saying. ''You're going to get sick''

''I don't care. You're not going back into the games!''

''At least let me give you a towel'' She says again, not paying any attention.

''Johanna!'' I say a little harshly taking her by the shoulders so she looks at me ''You can't go back to the arena!''

''Nike, I have to.'' She says. She sounds so calm and relaxed… It bugs me ''It's not like I have a choice''

''Yes, you do!'' I say trying to find a way to get her out of the games ''W-we could…could… Run off again, like when we were younger and live in the woods!''

''What?'' she says with a slight laugh ''We were like 10 when that happened! And you remembered how that turned out…''

''I don't care! I don't mind saving your life over and over again, I don't mind as long as you don't have to face all that again!''

''Nike, I'm not running off with you again!''

''Then we'll hide you! Fake you're on death's door, anything!'' I say shaking her shoulders.

''I'll have to go to the arena, Nike, there's nothing we can do about it''

''Then I'll volunteer'' I say.

''You can't volunteer for me'' she says smiling.

''No, but I can volunteer for whoever is chosen so that I can be with you in the arena''

''No'' she says, looking serious all of a sudden instead of relaxed like before.

''I will go, I need to help you out, you can't be there all by yourself. Not again''

''No, Nike'' she says ''I can't let you go just because of me''

''Why not? You're going because of me''

''What? How am I going because of you? I'm going because the Capitol is filled with douche bags''

''I agree, the Capitol is filled with douche bags, but you went into the games because of my stupidity'' What I'm saying is something I've been thinking about for a very long time, but I never said aloud to anyone ''If I hadn't attempted to save Dante, or if I hadn't mention you and my dad and Douglas or if I hadn't told them how much you mean to me, or if I had just died in that fucking arena then you might've never gone to the games, and maybe my dad and Douglas would still be alive…''

I sit down on one of the kitchen chairs after I say that and look at my hands. Ever since my dad was killed in that stupid accident/murder, I've been regretting that day, the day I tried to save Dante's life on that cliff. It's weird, I regret it, but it is one of the only things about my games that I don't feel bad about. It was the right thing to do, but it cost me so much… So many people, so may lives, all because I said something I shouldn't have said. Johanna sits down beside me and she puts a towel around my shoulders, I hadn't even noticed how cold I felt.

''I don't blame you'' she says ''I have never even thought about blaming you, I feel like I would've gone into the games anyway, I don't think I've ever had a choice. But you do have a choice, if somebody else is chosen you don't have to take their place, you can mentor me, help me from afar, besides I doubt our plan will be stopped because of this, we can still meet, in the other district''

''I can't let you go alone…'' I whisper almost to myself.

''You'll have to!'' she says ''In fact, promise. Promise you won't volunteer, promise you won't go into the arena unless you're actually reaped''

I look at her beautiful brown eyes and I know she won't ever let me go with her, she'll never let me risk my life like that, it looks like I'll have to, I'll have to promise ''Fine,'' I say ''I promise. I promise I won't volunteer''

''Thank you, Nike'' she says taking my hand and giving it a light squeeze.

''But I'll train you''

''You what?''

''I'll train you, I'll teach you how to use a sword, how to improve hand to hand combat, how to run through woods quietly and quickly, how to hunt, how to light a fire'' I say ''I never stopped training after my games for a reason, you'll need all the help you can get and I'm going to teach you everything I know and you're going to do everything I tell you!''

''Ugh, I don't like you when you get all serious and bossy…'' she says rolling her eyes. Still I stare at her waiting for an answer ''Fine'' she says ''I'll let you train me''

''Thanks''

''And really, I thought you never stopped training because you wanted to pick up chicks''' she says and I stare at her with my best 'Are you freaking kidding me?' face. She just laughs.

''I'll go see Blight'' I say after a moment of silence ''I'm worried he might've drowned in alcohol after the announcement''

''There's a pretty big chance of that happening…'' she says walking with me to the door. I'm about to leave when she takes my arm and says ''But… Could you, like, come here again when you're done? Spent the night?''. She sounded shy, which is weird in Johanna, I guess she doesn't want me to think she's nervous, which I know she is.

''Of course'' I say giving her a reassuring smile ''I'll come here in about an hour ''

I walk slowly to Blight's house, thinking about Johanna, and the promise I made. I know she just doesn't want me to get hurt and to risk my life because of her, but I can't stop thinking about her games, about how much it hurt whenever something bad happened to her, it even hurt to hear her crazy ideas like her strategy for the games…

It is reaping day. Blight and I are sitting in the stools on the stage waiting for the reaping to start. Nova walks up to the middle of the stage and starts her speech. I really don't listen to that part; ever since I won I only care about the female reaping and about Johanna. Finally she finishes her speech and she goes to the big glass ball with all the female names slips. I'm having a very bad feeling and I don't know why. It feels like it's taking Nova forever to read the damn name she finally says ''Johanna Mason!''.

I feel even worse than when my own name was called. I can't describe the pain I'm feeling. The crowd gasps, because they know Johanna, they know she's my closest friend. Johanna does the most un-Johanna thing ever. She starts to cry and she cries all the way up the stage, sobbing and everything. ''What the hell are you doing?!'' I want to tell her. Johanna doesn't cry, ever, what's going through her mind? I don't even pay attention to who the male tribute is. I'm still trying to figure out what Johanna is doing, I'm already thinking about strategies, what weapon she should use, how to get sponsors even with her crying in the reaping.

They take Johanna and the other kid to the justice building. I go after them and I wait. The Peacekeepers take Alex and Johanna's mom out of the little room claiming times over. Alex is crying. I look at him in the eye and say with the most serious tone I have ''I will bring her back, Alex, I swear''

''I wanna see Johanna Mason'' I tell the Peacekeeper in the front desk.

''Sorry, Mr. Midas, I can't allow a mentor to see a tribute at this time''

''I don't care, now let me in!''

''Sir, there's nothing I can…'' he tries to say.

''You can open the fucking door and let me talk with my tribute!''

The Peacekeepers look at each other and shrug. ''Only 5 minutes'' he says opening the door for me.

Johanna is in there and she looks up surprised when I walk in. Her eyes are red and puffy and I still don't understand why she is crying so much. I go up to her and hug her tightly for a moment. When we break apart I take her by the shoulders and look at her in the eye ''Why the hell are you crying?'' I ask her very seriously.

''Oh, I'm not crying'' she says waving her hand dismissively ''I'm acting, did it look believable?''

''What the-? Why are you fake crying?''

''That'll be my angle for the games'' she explains like it's the simplest thing ever.

''What?!'' I say loudly ''Johanna you can't do that! What kind of angle is that? You won't get any sponsors, sponsors are the difference between life and death!''

''They might be, but a sword through the chest can also be the difference between life and death'' she says ''I'll act like a weakling, get a low score on the training, maybe cry in the interview, and then during the games I'll show everybody what I can do. And I don't worry about sponsors, I'm your best friend, right? There are a lot of Nike fans out there that are gonna want to keep me alive''

''Jo, that's crazy…''

''I know it'll work'' she says ''Trust me''

I decided to trust her back then, and it work. But this is a totally different situation is not like a strategy for the arena, is whether or not I'll be there to help her, to protect her and to make sure nothing happens. I care too much about Johanna to just let her go alone, facing all the dangers that this new arena will have. I make a decision, I'm gonna break my promise. Finally I arrive to Blight's door and I knock on it. He opens it about 5 minutes later. Blight looks significantly older than before, and his state is worse too, he drinks more and he started taking some morphing. Still he is a little less insane than most victors.

''Blondie!'' he says with a voice tone that clearly marks his drunk state ''Come in! Come in, have a drink!''

''Hey, Blight'' I say ''Do you have any scotch?''

''Sure, sure, come with me''

We both sit down on his kitchen table and drink for a while as he talks to me. ''Oh, Blondie'' he starts to say ''This Quarter Quell might be the end of me! If I have to go back, there's a huge chance of me dying! I'm not what I used to be, you know. Even with the rebe- I mean plan, I won't leave! I gotta say is a little scary''

''And Johanna! I don't want her to go! Much less with me! A drunken, fat, old man! I'll be just another problem for her…'' he finishes his drink and leans on me ''You smell weird.'' He says, drunk Blight is weird as hell…

''Yeah'' I say pushing him away a little ''Hear me out Blight, you won't have to go the arena''

''Really? Why?''

''I'll go, I'll volunteer''

''No, no, no, no'' he says very quickly ''I don't want you there again''

''I don't want to go either, but I need to protect Johanna, I can't let her go alone'' I say ''And I need you to be my mentor again''

''I see'' he says and he stays quiet for a pretty long time ''Alright, I'll do it, I'll mentor you and Johanna''

''Thanks, Blight'' I say feeling slightly relieved ''Just don't say a word from this to Johanna, alright?''

''Yeah, yeah''

That night I'm staying in Johanna's house, just like I said I would. It's past midnight and Johanna is already asleep, but I can't stop thinking about my promise. Johanna will be pissed when I volunteer, she'll probably hate me, but it's for the best, still I promised and I've never broken a promise in my life. I sigh, never make a promise you can't keep.

I don't know why, but I really like writing this chapter… I was, I don't know, easy and entertaining, to write at least. I hope you guys feel the same way when you read it! Please review when you're done reading, even if it's just one word or if it's a criticism I accept everything! I'll update next Saturday, so until then :D.