Ben's POV

I'm Ben Martinez, and I'm a nobody, literally. When I was very young, my parents disappeared. Some Peacekeepers found me near the Justice Building wandering around lost, with no idea who I was, so they stuck into the community home with the other orphans. I gave myself a name. Taught myself how to fight. Made myself seem unapproachable, that way no one would want to mess with me. It also kept people from wanting to be my friends, but I didn't care. That just meant that when I was reaped there was no one that I had to miss, or comfort.

In my whole life, there has only been one person that I didn't feel hostile around. Celeste Jones.

It was three years ago. I was twelve, she was eleven. Three guys surrounded her.

"I told you to sit with me at lunch, Celeste." The middle guy said.

"Well, I didn't want to." She said in a small voice.

"I don't care what you want to do. If I tell you to do something, you do it!" He said punching the wall near her face.

She flinched and whimpered. I didn't understand why, but seeing her like that made me angry.

"Hey!" I called, "Leave her alone!"

"You stay out of this!"

He turns back towards the girl. I walk over to them, and stand in front of the girl.

"I said leave her alone."

"You'd be smart to leave right now, man."

"Yeah." One of the other guys said.

"Well then I guess I'm an idiot."

I push the guy in the middle. The two guys at my sides come at me, but I punch the one on my right, and kick other between the legs. When the middle guy comes after me, I grab him and put him in a headlock.

"If I ever catch you messing with this girl again, I won't be so merciful."

He pushes away, and he and his guys run. I look back at the girl, who has a stunned look on her face.

"Thank you." She said.

"No problem."

I start walking away, but she grabs my arm.

"What's your name?"

"Ben Martinez."

"I'm Celeste Jones."

"Well just tell me if those guys bother you again."

I try to walk away again.

"Wait! Why did you help me?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"But you've never helped anyone before. What was so different about me?"

"Can you please stop asking me questions?"

"But-"

"Look, I helped you because I felt like being a generous person today. Don't get used to it."

"Well you don't have to be a jerk about it."

"I wouldn't have to be a jerk if you'd just take the hint, and leave me alone!" My voice was rising now.

"Fine then, I don't need your help, anyway!"

"You won't make it without someone protecting you from those guys."

"Watch me!"

And with that she stormed away. Celeste never spoke to me after that day, and I never had the courage to go talk to her again. But I haven't stopped thinking about her since. She wasn't kidding about not needing anyone's help again either. A couple of weeks later I saw her holding her own against those guys. It really impressed me. Every once in a while she would catch me staring at her and I would quickly look away. I could never shake the weird unidentifiable feelings I had for her.

Now here we were about to be throne into the arena to kill each other. The other two tributes I will probably have no problem killing if I have to, but if it came down to having to kill Celeste... I don't know if I could do it.