Hey everyone! Happy Holidays! I hope y'all had a very merry Christmas! And just a reminder, reviews are GREATLY appreciated!

Sincerely,

Katonissss

Chapter 3: The Game Changer

I walked into the doors and carried on till I saw Haymitch in a drunken stupor yelling at the wall for being too grey. In his strange anger, he threw his glass full of rum at the wall and then began to yell at it for breaking the glass. I almost felt bad for the wall. Bu then again. It's a wall. I continue to walk by when I hear a knife go flying through the air and in the process barely miss my cheek. Dammit. I turn my back around and see Haymitch laughing at the fact that it didn't kill me. I just simply walk off.

When I get to my room, I am surprised by a note on my bed.

"Meet me by the willow in the garden at 6:30 sharp."

~O

I didn't even try to think about who it was from. I was too tired.

When I got up the next morning I saw the note and decided to give it a go. I went to my closet and got a robe. I put it on and went on my way.

When I reached the garden on the roof, I saw a figure in the tree, a small girl that was at least 14. She came out of the tree and over to me.

"Well, it took you long enough!" she giggled a little and that is when I noticed that she had her hair in a braid just like mine. "Nice to meet you my name is Opal. I am Snow's granddaughter. He told me to tell you that you need to come to his office stat."

"Well, then why would he send you?" I replied in fear that I was in trouble for some stupid reason like almost killing Cato.

"Two reasons, you're my idol, and he said that he didn't want it to be public!"

"Okay..." she grabbed my hand and ran me towards the elevator, into this strange car, and off we were to Snow's manor.

I walked through two white French doors into another white room with roses as an accessory. It was awful! I never thought that roses could smell that bad, they smelled of death and pain.

He walked into the room dressed in black and it made him standout well. Maybe that was why he did this to his house.

"Miss Everdeen, please, have a seat, we have some matter to discuss concerning your stay in the capitol. Your little stunt in the training center yesterday was highly unappreciated. As your punishment, you will have no contact with anyone until the games begin. You will be separated from everyone, and you will have to deal with meeting people in the arena. You will still go to the normal occasions for the games, but no stupid ideas please. That will be all. Goodbye." I am lifted away by 3 peacekeepers and taken back to the car to go to my "personal quarters," what the hell. *&#$ Snow, *&#$ capitol citizens *&#$ Cato, *&#$ life.

The games prequel goes on as normal. On the last two day, the really big things happen, the chariot and the interviews.

CInna put Peeta and me into flammable skin suits that had a trail of fire behind us and on the horses. In our hair were replicas of the victor crowns, but in flames, it was amazing.

Later that day, we were tested on our skills, I waited for 3 hours in a separate room, compliments of Snow, to wait for my turn. When the bell finally rang, I walked in to the training center and saw the bow and arrows right in front of me. There was a rose mixed in with the arrows and I saw Snow to my left in a large room that had at least 20 people in it. This was my chance to get back at him. I faced towards the targets and quickly hit each of the targets straight in the bull's eye. I look back and they weren't even paying attention, they were glad I wasn't done. I aimed at Snow's glass cup and my arrow went flying straight through the glass into Seneca Crane's glass and into the wall. Then I shot another at the pig's apple, and everyone was looking at me.

"Thank you, for your consideration."

I walked straight out, bow and all and just before I left, I shot the rest of my arrows into one bull's eye and through the arrow with a pointed tip at the end right at the head of the same target. I looked at Snow, straight in the eye and walked on.

I see my TV turn on and the scores come up. I was the only one that got a 12, great, Career meat. I can see Snow smirking through the TV.

I get up early the next day to get ready for the interviews. Cinna had this "extraordinary idea" that he wanted me to try. He was so excited about this dress that I could hear it over the phone. Cinna is my only real friend here other than little Rue. I get into the limo and I am on my way. Again, I have to dress in my own room. This is so stupid. I get my body waxed. Again. And I go to hair and makeup. They do my hair into this beautiful up-do and then apply at least 10 pounds of makeup to my face.

I put on to the dress. It is a gorgeous red that gracefully changed to orange. It was strapless, sweet heart neckline and it had a low v to it. I had gems for sleeves and across my chest except for the v. I spun around just to see the dress. But my flames were visible. Cinna had out done himself, again. I hugged him and Effie escorted me into the line of tributes. Ran to Peeta and hugged him. I needed to see someone I knew. Then I felt little hands around my waist. Rue. I looked down at her and hugged her and Peeta at the same time. I was amazing. I let go of Rue as Ceaser began to talk, but I still held Peeta's hand. We watched the district one tributes with no caution. So I told him why I was placed away from the condo. He was shocked. When the district two tributes came up. We watched carefully. Clove was vicious as always and was talking about how she was so ready to when the games. Just before Cato left for the stage. Peeta kissed me on the cheek and I was in a state of shock. I was about to slap him when Cato stopped me and said, "Save it for the games." He smirked and then walked off. When he walked on stage, the crowd roared.

Peeta and I played extreme attention to the scheme that Cato may accidently reveal. And just like every boy in the games, Ceaser asks the famous question of "Who is that special someone?" and that was when my whole plan for the games changed. Everything I thought may happen was lost in the past, and new plans were forming in my head.

"Well, Cato, tell me, with a build like yours and a face like that, there has to be some one that is special back in district 2, eh?"

"Well Ceaser, you see, there is this one girl that, ah, and she has no clue about it either." The whole female population of the capital about passes out. Damn, the people think they really are something don't they?

"Cato, please do tell, I'm sure this special someone would want to know?" he says raising an eye and blinking at the audience. They all sigh.

"I'm pretty sure it would be better that she didn't know. She is actually here today, but I don't know." At this point, at least 200 capital citizens have passed out and there are a few cat fights breaking out over who has Cato's heart. It's insane, it's probably Glimmer anyway.

"Cato, you only have a minute and they are running out of medical hands! Please take them out of their misery!" everyone laughs except for the already passed out people.

"Well, here goes nothing, Girl on Fire. I don't know how to handle this, I don't want to have to fight you in the arena, and I want to protect you. Please let me do this in the arena, that way we can at least spend our last days together." The women are either aweing or passing out I think I am the only one other that is pissed. Well, other than Glimmer. I am just about to charge on the stage, but Peeta holds me back and I see that everyone is already staring at me. Shit. As Cato leaves the stage and the other tributes begin to go through with their interviews, it becomes my time to get on stage, who knows what shit I will get now.

I walk on stage and I here chant and anger all at the same time. I hate it. I blank out. I hear murmuring from Ceaser, but I can't make it out. He taps me on the shoulder and I zone back in. "Hello?"

"Sorry Ceaser, I'm just ah, - "

"Nervous?" he and the audience laugh, so I giggle a little.

"That is one way to put it." And everyone laughs, again.

"Well, Katniss, Girl on Fire! What did you think of your little entrance a few days ago?"

"Well, this is even more nerve wracking then the fire that was on my whole body." And every one laughs, it wasn't even that funny. "Actually, want to see them?" I see him nod, I look to Cinna, and he nods in approval. I get up and spin a few times before sitting down because I am so dizzy. Then, he pops the question.

"Katniss, Cato has confessed his interest in you, what is your response to that?" he says with his famous smirk.

"Well, he has good taste." I smile a little at the joke and there is a roar of laughter through the crowd.

"I guess the real question is, do you like him back?" Shit. This can't be good.

"I barely know him." There is an apparent frown in the audience.

"Are you going to take his offer?" I look at Haymitch. He nods in approval. Why?

"How can I pass on good protection and good weapons?"

"There is the spirit!" He seemingly screams at me.

I am escorted off stage to the president's room. He agrees to let me have my last night in the condo. I walk back out to the main lobby to see Effie, and she is so jumpy. I watch Peeta enter the stage and casually sit down like he could care less that his death is inevitable. He and Ceaser have this strangely witty connection where they can relate on everything, they could have their own TV show from the looks of it. They talk about Peeta's stay at the capitol and how he misses home. But then Ceaser drops the question. "Well, you know what I am going to ask, so, who is she?"

"Well, Ceaser, there is this one girl."

'Who?!" he is like a child I swear.

"There isn't any point in her knowing."

"Why?"

"Well, she traveled here to the games as my partner" he says with the straightest face known to man. -The whole crowd gasps in the fact that the other most attractive mal- wait! I can't think like this! I need to win these games for Prim! I can't have a distraction!

When Peeta comes back I just look at him the way an ex-girlfriend would when she found you cheating on her. The look of being pissed without saying anything.

We go back to the condos, and I put a bikini on and head down for the pool, I needed some stress relief, and other than my bow and arrows, the pool was the closest thing to nature I had. I swam for an hour or two and then headed back up, but then I saw him, the boy who will make my life in the games a living hell.

Cato.

Hey guys! Sorry for the really late update for the story, but since it took so long, I made it a little longer. I was up north in Pittsburgh, PA for a family emergency, but all is well! Once again so sorry!

Thanks for reading!

-Katonissss

P. S. – reviews are greatly appreciated!