Katniss walks right up to the training instructor and introduces us. "I'm Katniss Everdeen, and this is Peeta Mellark."

The instructor raises his hand to silence her. "I know who you are. Girls to the left; boys to the right. Get moving."

"Wait, you can't separate us," she argues angrily. "Peeta needs my help."

"You two are here to learn how to fight in a war, not to be coddled." He pulls us apart and shoves me into the boys' line. "Ten laps!"

I fall behind within the first lap or so due to my prosthetic leg. I had hoped to prove myself by keeping up with the other boys, but I had forgotten how slow I really am. I'm running alongside an out of shape younger boy. He tries to pass me but can't manage it.

The two of us are the last to make it back to the instructor. The younger boy is dismissed, but I am forced to explain myself. I lift up my pant leg to show him my prosthetic. This doesn't seem to satisfy him. "If you can't talk and you can't run, can you at least shoot?"

I'm handed a gun and told to fire at nearby targets. The bullets come out faster than I expected, and I soon realize that I can't control it. The noise hurts my ears, and the heavy object feels strange in my hands. I don't like it.

The gun is yanked away from me before I can protest. "It seems that you can't shoot either. What can you do?"

I want to ask why he is picking on me instead of training me, but my notepad is out of my reach. I set it down when I started running the ten laps. Without it, I can't communicate with anyone other than Katniss. I begin to panic. He wants an answer that I'm not capable of giving.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue?"

That was cruel. Do all the higher-ups in this district hate me? As I blink away tears, two men approach us. One of them is visibly upset and the other is angry.

"What the hell are you doing?" the angry man asks. The other one places a comforting hand on my shoulder.

The instructor is taken aback. "Teaching this kid how to fight. It's none of your business how I go about training my students, Castor."

Castor clenches his fists and takes a threatening step forward. "We've been watching you. All you've done is treat this poor kid like he's worthless. You even had the nerve to separate him from his only sense of security in the entire district!"

The other man makes some of the strangest hand gestures I've ever seen. Castor nods in agreement and speaks again. "Treating him differently than the others is considered bullying, not training. We'll be leaving now."

I'm gently lead away by the two strangers. Once we're out of earshot, Castor turns to me and introduces himself. "I'm Castor. This is my brother Pollux. He's like you."

Like me? I take a good look a Pollux and realize that he hasn't spoken a word this entire time. Is he also missing his tongue? I suddenly feel very calm around them. They came to my rescue when no one else would.

"And you must be Peeta," he says with a smile. "We were Katniss' cameramen for the propaganda videos. We would have met sooner if Coin had allowed us to film you this morning."

Pollux hands me my notepad, and I scribble the words 'thank you' on a blank page.

"It's no problem," Castor assures me. "We'll swing by your place later and show you an easier way to communicate."

'See you later.' I wave to them as they return to their work. It's nice to know that there are other people willing to stand up for me.

I make my way over to Katniss, who has collapsed onto the ground. She doesn't look up when I sit beside her and pull her into my arms. "Peeta," she mumbles. "My legs feel like pudding."

I undo her braid and begin brushing her hair with my fingers. My actions bring a small smile to her face. She looks so worn out. It must have been awhile since she did anything this strenuous. 'I met Castor and Pollux,' I tell her.

"You did?" She shifts into a sitting position.

'They will be coming over later to help me. I like them.'

She tilts her head back in order to see my face. "Me too."

We leave training early because Katniss wants to show me something. It turns out that I have a bigger support system than I realized. Finnick is glad to see me and doesn't seem repulsed by my condition. He is a little unstable without Annie, but he promises to do anything he can to help me. My childhood friend, Delly, acts as if nothing has changed. She has always been kind to me.

"You're not alone, Peeta," Katniss whispers to me. "You have friends who are going to help you through this."

'And I have you.'

She gives me a genuine smile. "And you have me."

I wouldn't be able to do this without her. She has been my biggest supporter from day one. Because of her, I know that there are people who care about me for who I am, not what I can offer them. The important thing is that I'm alive and surrounded by friends.

Even so, it still bothers me that I can't talk. It will always bother me, but I will learn to live with it. I can't change the past or fix what they have done, but I can change the way I look at it. On the bright side, I won't have to worry about saying something I might regret.

As we are walking back to our apartment, President Coin steps out of her office and blocks our path. "We're airing the propo tonight. If all goes well, we will start working on another one tomorrow."

Katniss shakes her head. "Can't you leave Peeta out of this?"

"I'm afraid I can't, Ms. Everdeen. His condition is proof of the Capitol's cruelty," she says.

Speaking of cruelty, there are still people being tortured by the Capitol at this very moment. One of those people is Annie, the District 4 victor who is loved by Finnick. Katniss and I visited Finnick not too long ago, and he is falling apart without her. I had been tortured alongside her in the Capitol, and it pains me that she is still there and I am here. I write her name on my notepad and nudge Katniss.

"Peeta wants to know when you plan on rescuing Annie," she tells Coin.

Coin sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose. "We do not have soldiers to waste on a rescue mission for some unimportant girl."

Her response stirs something akin to rage inside of me. Annie is important to Finnick! How can Coin deny the poor girl a rescue simply because she is unknown in this district?

Katniss voices my thoughts. "She isn't unimportant! Your stupid rebellion caused all of this! It's your fault Peeta was captured; it's your fault Annie is still a captive. You should feel obligated to save her."

"I've had enough of you, Ms. Everdeen. Mr. Mellark will report to me tomorrow morning, and you will continue your training alone." She promptly spins on her heel and retreats into her office.