Chapter Seven: Crazy Katniss Plays the Crowd

I feel very awkward at breakfast. Very awkward indeed.

Effie, Haymitch, and Peeta don't know why, of course. I don't feel like divulging much more personal information with any of them right now. I can tell Doughy knows what's wrong, though. He keeps looking over at me, trying to make eye contact, and silently asking me what I've done.

I forcefully keep my gaze away from him and remain silent for the entire breakfast. I pick away at my large helping of some kind of breakfast cake, and no one attempts to make conversation with me.

As if on cue, Effie and Haymitch both make excuses to leave before it's time for us to go to our stylists, and Peeta and I are left alone. They are barely out the doorway before Peeta looks back over at me.

He seems a little tentative, like he's still a little afraid of how I acted yesterday, but he asks anyway. "What happened?"

"You will not believe what happened last night," I say vaguely.

So he asks it again. "What happened, Katniss?"

"I woke up in Thresh's bathroom," I say. I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to continue. "Yes, the guy from Eleven's bathroom. And he came in only wearing his underwear."

I drop my head into my hands just to avoid Peeta's look of horror. "That's… not good."

"I know!" I moan. "What if he tells someone that I was trying to kill him or something? And Rue saw me in the hallway! God, I could get in so much trouble!"

"This is getting out of hand, Katniss," Peeta says evenly. "You need to get help. Like serious help."

I groan into my hands. "It's a little too late for seeking help, Peeta. We'll be in the arena before we know it."

Peeta doesn't get a chance to respond before Effie sticks her head in the door. She seems completely oblivious to the awkwardness hanging in the air and smiles like nothing has happened. "Come, dears! It's time for your styling!"

I drag myself out of my chair and follow Effie to the elevators. I don't want to face the interviews tonight in case any of my sleepwalking escapades leak into the Capitol gossip. I have no doubt that all three of the guys that have seen me would throw me under the bus without question. I mean, I literally sprinted out of Thresh's bathroom less than five hours ago. I've basically just handed my head over on a silver platter with a little note that says, "Gosh, I'm so sorry."

My prep team is overly excited to see me. They scrub me down and make my skin all nice and healthy-looking. They fix up my nails and paint little fires on them. Flavius, the man, covers me in gold dust while Venia draws my features back on with makeup and Octavia gets to work on my hair. She braids it over one shoulder with red and gold strands woven in.

That takes most of the morning and afternoon, and, at that point, I'm so fed up with their excitement over the Games that I could beat them all up. I restrain myself for the sake of whatever's left of my public image and wait for Cinna to show up.

Close to the time of the interviews, Cinna comes in with my dress. It's inside a large garment bag, but I can still see flashes of red and gold peeking out from the bottom.

"Hello, girl on fire," he says brightly. "How are you?"

He's completely oblivious to my terrible mood. I have to forcefully stop myself from reminding him where the restrain button is located on the wall in case he has to use it later.

I growl out, "Fine."

Cinna rolls his eyes at my pessimism. "Close your eyes. I have something that might improve your mood."

I do as I'm told even though shutting your eyes with little clothing on is a definitely a no-no in the Seam. I am once again reminded how far away from home I am, and it almost makes me physically sick. Before that becomes too overwhelming, I feel my prep team lowering a heavy dress over me. Once it's zipped on me, I swear it weighs more than me. I almost fall over as Cinna adjusts it around me.

"Can I open yet?" I ask.

"Open," Cinna says.

The person in the mirror cannot possibly be me. Cannot possibly be me.

If a fire could be made completely of jewels, then that's what I'm wearing. The whole gown seems to be bedazzled with sparkling red, orange, yellow, and blue gems. My skin is pale yet real-looking. My hair is braided to perfection. I look simply perfect.

That's when my prep team bursts into tears. They're screaming and wailing, but all I can do is look at Cinna. He can't possibly know how relieved this dress's effect makes me. If anything can save my favor with the sponsors, it's this dress.

"Thank you," I say. I hope he knows that I mean it.

"You're very welcome, Katniss," he replies. "Are you all ready for your interview?"

"No," I say darkly. "Haymitch says I'll be awful, and I think I agree."

"Don't think like that," Cinna says. "You're a perfectly interesting and charming girl."

"That's not what Haymitch said," I reply. "He said I'm hostile."

"Well, you are hostile… when you're with Haymitch," he replies. "But when you're around certain people, you're different. You shine like the sun. The whole Capitol is simply taken by your spirit."

My spirit. Hazelle Hawthorne once told me I have spirit. And I suppose I do. How else could I have gotten the highest training scores?

"Just imagine you're with your best friend, Katniss," Cinna says. "Who's your best friend in the world?"

My response is instantaneous. "Gale."

"Then imagine you're talking with Gale," Cinna says supportively.

But that doesn't work in my mind at all. "I wouldn't be telling Gale any of these things," I say, feeling homesick once again. "He already knows everything about me."

"Then you must have other friends," Cinna says, smiling.

"Madge," I answer. "You."

Cinna looks flattered. "Then pretend you're talking to me. I'll be down in the front row. Just find me when you're asked a question and answer honestly."

"But what if my answer is horrible?" I say. Most of my thoughts directed at the Capitol are highly treasonous or at least offensive.

"Say it," Cinna nods. "Especially if it's horrible."

I find myself suddenly filled with a tremendous amount of nerves. This moment is truly the make it or break it moment for me. I may have made an impression, but if the sponsors don't like my personality, they won't stick around.

"Cinna…" I breathe.

"Remember, they already love you," he says. "Just be yourself and do your best. That's all you can do."

Suddenly, the door bursts open, and Effie comes bustling in. She tosses a pair of shoes onto the ground in front of me and gestures for us to follow. Thankfully, the heels she's given me aren't as high as the ones she made me practice in, so I can actually walk.

We meet up with the rest of the District Twelve crew down by the Training Center. For once, Peeta and I aren't dressed alike. That's the last thing District Twelve needs— cross-dressing tributes. Anyway, Peeta's wearing a black suit with flame accents that sort of match my dress. He looks quite dashing, but I'm too mad at him to compliment him.

The rest of the tributes are already lining up to walk on stage. The nerves return, and I start to feel a little shaky, but I force some confidence to my exterior and walk right over to get in line behind Thresh (since girls preceded guys this time around).

Thresh turns his back to me immediately.

I am once again reminded that these interviews could tank my image. Not only that, but I'm sitting between a guy who hates my guts and a guy whose guts I hate.

After only a moment or two, the anthem plays, and all the tributes start filing out to our seats. My heart starts to pound a little bit harder as the applause pick up outside. By the time I'm walking out onto the stage, the clapping is deafening.

I manage to exude confidence. I walk without tripping. My smile never leaves my face. My hand never stops waving. I blow kisses to the audience.

As soon as I sit down, though, I become nervous once again. There must be a millions ways for me to screw this up. My hands start to sweat, but I still smile like the sun. I can only hope that it looks genuine.

/

The tributes file out onto the stage, smiling and waving, already playing up the audience. I can tell immediately from their outfits and demeanor what card their playing. What they're really like. I look instinctively to my right to discuss with Katniss, but it's Prim who's sitting at my side.

Katniss is on stage, a million miles away, trapped so close behind the TV screen. Her confidence fills the room, and whatever fear she has hidden inside is covered up by a few brilliant smiles. And she looks beautiful.

I find beautiful to be a hard adjective to use on Katniss Everdeen, but in this moment it seems fitting. She's beautiful.

She looks like she's on fire, and, for once, a tribute stumps me. I have no idea what Katniss will be like in her interview. I don't know what card she'll play or if she'll play a card at all. I could just be blinded by the jewels on her dress, but just like everyone else in the entire country of Panem, I am blinded by her spirit as well. Katniss has always been a tough nut to crack, and now is no exception.

I tear my eyes from the screen to look at Mrs. Everdeen, and she looks completely mesmerized by her daughter. And yet she looks so incredibly sad. We all know that beneath the beauty of all the tributes right now, it's just a game. It's just the Capitol showing off their pawns.

Posy, who is too young to understand that, looks at Katniss like she's something from a fairy tale.

The camera follows Katniss until she's in her seat, and only then does the screen find Caesar Flickerman. It's rather terrifying that besides his hair color, he looks precisely the same as he did eighteen years ago when I saw my first Hunger Games.

He beams at the audience and tells a few lame jokes to warm up the audience. The camera pans across the tributes while the audience laughs. All the way from the girl from One to Katniss. The camera lingers on Katniss for a moment longer than everyone else, and she looks perfectly composed.

The girl from One, Glimmer, takes the stage first. She's sexy all the way with her short skirt and low neckline. I find myself momentarily distracted by all the exposed skin, and that's exactly what she's going for. The male sponsors will be lining up around the block. She starts flirting with Caesar, and he pretends to be flattered. Besides that, she's an airhead. She might be a Career, but she'll die early. No common sense.

The guy from One plays bloodthirsty— he doesn't really play. The girl from Two is intense and dangerous. The guy from Two is arrogant, but he plays the audience, telling them that he's ready for anything. Caesar makes sure that the Careers are unforgettable.

I don't pay much attention to the rest of the tributes. No one shows that particular quality that tells me that they'll go far. There's a girl from Five that is clever enough to survive for a while, but she slips under the radar. I think she got a 7 in training, not that it matters.

Occasionally the camera will flash from the stage to the lines of tributes, and I find myself particularly distracted by the girl who's on fire.

/

I get more and more nervous as the interviews go on. I find myself wishing that District Twelve went first instead of last so that I would just have gotten it out of the way, but, unfortunately, we're dead last. I am forced to sit through twenty two other perfect interviews in complete mental agony. Caesar makes everyone look good as we go along, and I can only hope that he'll save some charm for me.

I try to wipe my sweaty hands off on my dress, but the jewels just cause them to slide right off.

I try to calm myself down by analyzing the other tributes like Gale and I used to do, but it only gives me a moment or two of comfort. I tune into the boy from Seven's interview for about ten seconds before I realize that Gale's watching me right now. Analyzing me. Trying to read me.

That makes me more nervous than before, and I just want to disappear. I have to keep forcing myself to sit like a lady just as Effie instructed, but my dress seems to get heavier and heavier by the minute.

The boy from Eight mounts the stage next, and I know it's almost my turn. My heart beat goes out of control.

"So it must be quite an honor being here, representing your District?" Caesar asks from the stage.

The boy from Eight smiles. "Of course."

They go on like that for a while, and I assume that Caesar's going to play the sympathy card and try to get the boy to talk about his crippled leg, but he doesn't.

"So, have you enjoyed the Capitol?" Caesar asks swiftly.

"Oh, yes," the boy says. "It's wonderful here. Everything is so fancy and the Training Center is amazing."

"What has been your favorite part about living here these past few days?" Caesars asks.

The boy from Eight smiles deviously at the audience and handles his answer like it's nothing but an offhand comment. "Oh, I'd have to say my favorite part has been the other tributes and all the drama they've stirred up."

My heart stops. Here it comes. This is when my reputation gets torn down before my very eyes. This is the moment when I lose my chance to secure sponsors.

Caesar turns and winks at the audience. "What drama?" he asks.

"I won't go into much detail," the boy from Eight says. For a second, I think he's going to spare me, but of course that's too much to ask. "However, I will tell you that most of it surrounds District Twelve's Katniss Everdeen."

That's when I really think my heart stops beating. I know all the cameras are glued to me now, waiting for my response. I try my best to pull off a look of complete shock because that's the only thing that can save me now. I start to mouth, "What? He's lying!" but I soon realize that it's pointless when I feel the stares burning into the sides of my face.

Out of my peripheral vision, I can see that Marvel, Cato, Thresh, and Peeta are all glaring at me with fierce hate, and it's all I can do not to crumble.

/

Mrs. Everdeen looks shocked. Her hand creeps up to her mouth as she watches her daughter on the screen. Katniss adamantly denies that any scandal has arisen, but we can all see the slight blush of her cheeks that gives it away.

She's done something.

I have to marvel at the nerve of the boy from Eight. Most of the drama that occurs in the Capitol is hushed up, and this kid could be seriously endangering himself by putting this out there. He could be endangering Katniss as well.

"Would you please elaborate?" Caesar asks, reigning in the audience once again. He smiles and leans closer to the boy from Eight, like they're sharing a secret, just the two of them.

The boy from Eight smiles a cunning smile. "I won't say much… Let's just say that I caught Katniss doing something on an elevator with one of the four guys glaring at her right now."

The camera flips away from them once again and focuses on the line of tributes again. The heads of several male tributes snap away from Katniss to stare at the cameras. District One, District Two, District Eleven, and our very own Peeta Mellark. In between them, Katniss has turned bright red.

All five of them start denying it. "Nothing happened!" they all mouth at the camera. Katniss keeps insisting that it's a lie, but no one seems to believe her.

She doesn't fool me, anyway. But the fact that she's done something with another guy to stir up drama does throw me for a loop. Catnip, who has never once shown interest in a guy ever, is suddenly throwing herself to four guys. It never occurred to me that she would ever want to be with a guy— she could've been lesbian for all I would've known. We've never spent time analyzing each other's personal lives… until I started dating Tulip. Then, suddenly Katniss was interested. Just like I'm interested now.

Why? That's my question about those last two thoughts. Why are we both suddenly interested? I think back to my mother and Tulip both bringing up the fact that Katniss might be jealous, and that makes me even more confused.

That would imply that I am jealous. Which I'm not.

The crowd is in such hysterics over this whole thing that Caesar isn't able to pull them back in before the boy from Eight's time is up. The boy seems satisfied, though, and walks off stage like he's just had the most legendary interview in Hunger Games history. He's basking in the drama he just stirred up.

However, his confidence seems to dissipate a little when he sees that the four largest male tributes are staring him down. The camera flashes to Katniss for a second, and she catches the boy from Eight's eyes. She gives him a deadly look and mouths, "I will kill you." The cameras flash away before she makes a gesture at her throat.

Caesars smiles excitedly out at the audience. "Don't you just wish we could call up some tributes together to get the full story, but rules are rules!"

I'm still reeling because Katniss's death threat just makes it seem like this whole drama thing is true. God, why would Katniss suddenly throw herself to all these guys?

I suppose one would get rather desperate if one's life was on the line.

That thought repulses me— that Katniss would want to be with as many guys as possible before her life is threatened. That makes me feel sick. I am filled with a sudden desire to grab Katniss and scream at her for all of this, but that's impossible. She's locked away in the Capitol where I can't see her.

Where I can't go all protective-older-brother on her.

Where I can't save her anymore.

/

My only distraction from my embarrassment and panic is the fact that Rue does really well with Caesar. Since she reminds me so much of Prim, I find comfort in the fact that her interview goes well because it means she has a chance at sponsors. She's naturally sweet, and that at least calms the audience down a little. She tells Caesar not to "count her out", and he says that he would never consider it.

That comfort is short-lived because Thresh takes the stage next, and the intense murmuring in the crowd takes up again. Undoubtedly, he will be asked about his involvement in this scandal, and the attention will fall back on me.

Thresh doesn't smile as he walks onto the stage. He doesn't shake Caesar's hand; he doesn't act charming. I must say, I am jealous of his ability to get away with that act.

"So, Thresh, what was your life like in District Eleven?" Caesar asks. It's hard not to notice the use of the past tense.

"Good," Thresh replies. Everyone waits for more, but that's his answer. And he gets away with it.

That's basically how the beginning of his interview goes. Caesar asks a question, and Thresh gives a one word reply. It's getting almost boring to listen to when Caesar finally pulls out the question everyone's waiting for.

"So, Thresh, we're dying to know," he says, grinning from ear to ear. "Was it you and Miss Everdeen in the elevator?"

And the attention is back to me. Haymitch probably just left to get a drink.

"No," Thresh replies in a tight voice.

The cameras are all on me when the buzzer goes off for the end of his interview. Thresh gives me a withered look as he takes his seat, and I know that's my cue to go on stage.

They're calling my name.

I've never been more nervous in my life. The sponsors could already have lost interest in me, thinking that I'm not worth anything now that I'm just stirring up drama. This interview is going to have to be perfect.

Then, it's like someone else takes over my body, and I walk up to the stage with all the grace in the world. My legs don't shake. I don't trip. My dress sparkles, and so does my smile. I shake Caesar's hand. He smiles. We sit.

"So Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a difference from home, right?" Caesar asks. "What have you enjoyed the most?"

I search out Cinna's face in the audience, and I give a genuine smile. "I'd have to say the toothpaste," I say with sweet honesty. It gets a chuckle from the audience, and that gives me confidence. "And the chocolate molten lava cake! I've been ordering it like crazy from the kitchens!"

Caesar and the audience laugh. Really laugh.

"Now, Katniss, when you came out on that chariot at the parade, I think my heart stopped. Did anyone else feel that way?" Caesar addresses the audience and gets a roar of assent from everyone in the room.

I giggle, actually giggle— something I've done maybe never in my life— and smile genuinely, "Did you really? I felt the same way!"

I look at Cinna again. He mouths, "Keep going. Gush."

I turn to Caesar and take his hand, "I simply couldn't believe that I was wearing something that beautiful! Cinna, my stylist, is just wonderful. He made me feel great! I mean, look at this dress."

The audience swoons and cries. I run my hands down the length of my jeweled gown, and Cinna twirls his fingers in a circle. Twirl for me.

I turn back towards Caesar and lean in. "Caesar, do you want to see something amazing?" I ask excitedly.

"Of course," Caesar says genially.

I get to my feet, and the whole room falls into silence. And then I twirl. I twirl and I twirl and I twirl. The skirt of my dress fans out, and flames (yes, real flames) engulf me. For a couple dizzying seconds, I am the girl on fire one again. Not the girl who stirred up scandal.

I stop spinning and clutch at Caesar's arm, a drunken smile forming on my face. My head spins, and the audience tilts at alarming angles, but a laugh escapes my lips.

"Oh, don't stop!" Caesar says brightly.

I laugh, giggle. "I'm so dizzy!"

Caesar laughs. I laugh. The Gamemakers laugh. The audience laughs.

I teeter a little, and Caesar puts his arm around me, lowering me back into my seat. "I've got you. It's alright," he says.

I sit down, still beaming.

"So, how about your training score!" Caesar says, redirecting the interview. "An E-lev-en!"

The audience goes wild, and I am filled with another rush of confidence. I wonder if I've distracted them completely yet.

"Tell us, Katniss! What did you do?" Caesar asks.

I smile slightly teasingly. "I'm not allowed to say.

"Oh, you're killing us! Details!"

"My lips are sealed," I say. "But I definitely think what I did was a first!"

The audience cheers, and I wonder if my time it almost up. It seems like I've been on stage for an eternity.

"Fine, we'll talk about something else," Caesar says. "The Reaping… You were the first volunteer in District Twelve in a long time. Tell us why you volunteered, would you?"

I pause a moment. It could seem like I'm just taking a moment to sort through my feelings, but I'm really just trying to think of an appropriate answer. The truth would be that I just want Gale to be happy, but that definitely would not fly in the Capitol. I guess I'll have to go for vague again, just like I did at the reaping.

"Like I said at the reaping… It was too hard for me to watch my friend suffer," I say. I see Gale behind my eyelids every time I blink, and it makes me feel sick. "I… I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I hadn't volunteered."

Caesar shakes his head sympathetically. "It was such an emotionally charged reaping… We were all feeling for you, dear."

"Thank you, Caesar," I say, looking down at my feet for effect. "I was just so scared…"

"Well, you definitely have a chance of winning, my dear," he says gently.

"Thank you," I say. A smile graces my lips. "You're so kind."

He smiles, and I smile back, but all I can see is Gale and Blondey.

Caesar's mood changes immediately. He looks at me suggestively, and I start to panic. My heart rate picks up, and I pray that the timer will go off. I had almost gotten away without talking about this scandal, and now it'll be my closer for sure.

"I simply must ask…" Caesar says roguishly. "What is all this drama that's been talked about?"

I force the blush away from my face, and my mind whirs. A million answers fly through my head— answers to cover up and hide all this scandal. But then I glance out at the audience, and they're hanging on the silence with bated breath. It occurs to me that maybe this drama isn't such a bad thing. It has them interested… Maybe they'll like me more now because I'm stirring the pot.

A tinkling laugh falls from my lips without permission. "Oh, Caesar," I say in a flirtatious voice. "That's a secret!"

He smiles, leaning towards me. "You can share it with me! I can keep a secret!"

I laugh again, and it sounds like bells. My mouth opens to give another elusive response, but the buzzer cuts me off. I am filled with instant relief, but I try not to let it show, for the act's sake.

Caesar looks disappointed. "How I wish we had more time!"

"Oh, me, too!" I reply. "It was wonderful!"

He smiles thankfully and stands up, taking my hand. "Katniss Everdeen of District 12!"

The applause is deafening. I take my seat, basking in the glory.

/

I don't know how to react.

I have a hard time believing that that was Katniss Everdeen on stage and not some Capitol robot. She is completely unlike herself in every possible way, and she is wholly unreadable. Her charm, her smile, her demeanor. It all seems so natural but so very alien.

Nothing about her interview seemed forced, but I know for a fact that most of it was the most fake, high glossed lies that I have ever heard.

There are parts that I wouldn't doubt (such as her enjoying the cake and the toothpaste), but the rest of it… It was like Effie Trinket was feeding her lines.

She wasn't Katniss.

I know she was just playing the game, like any sane tribute would do, but it makes me feel like I've lost her. Like they're already forcing her to be the pawn. Like even if she comes home alive, my Katniss Everdeen will be gone forever.

Especially when she answered Caesar's question about the scandal by saying, "That's a secret!" with the most uncharacteristic giggles that sound alien coming out of her mouth. Either Katniss was putting up a really big act for some stupid strategy, or she really has lost it enough to stir up drama for the sake of fun.

When she twirled and giggled for them, I just felt sad.

When she started talking about the reaping, it ached.

No one else could possibly know the true reason why Katniss volunteered, and, for that fleeting moment, I had the real Katniss back. The superficial Capitol citizens would never have seen the fragility of that moment, but I know Katniss well enough to see the disguised truth. In a way, she was admitting that it would've killed her to see me hurt, and my heart sunk into my stomach.

And now she's taking her seat again, and I'm left to wonder whether that interview went well or not. The Capitol is cheering so loudly for her that I have to force myself to think that it went well. At least the sponsors are interested in her.

Before I can put any more thought into that, Peeta Mellark is taking the stage. He is confident and charming, and it's much less of an act for him. He actually seems totally natural after Katniss's complete fakeness.

They begin the interview with Peeta telling a story about the perils of the Capitol showers and how they compare to home. The audience can't get enough of him when he asks Caesar if he smells like roses. After that, the audience is laughing hysterically, and they're completely enthralled. Caesar asks Peeta what it's like to work in the bakery back home, and Peeta talks about icing the cakes and how the frosting "talks" to him. Everyone starts laughing again.

When Caesar finally composes himself again, he asks Peeta the strangest question. "Peeta, is there a special girl at home?"

Peeta laughs awkwardly and shakes his head. "No."

"Surely, a handsome boy like you has several girls after him!" Caesar says teasingly. "So, tell me, Peeta, who's the special girl?"

Peeta looks down into his lap for a moment and then says, "There is one girl. I've liked her for a long time, but I don't think she noticed me until the Reaping…"

Caesar and the audience sigh in sympathy, swooning at his feet, but just about everyone else knows it's just a sob story to make the rich people of the Capitol feel sorry for him.

"Well, you need to win for her, don't you?" Caesar says emphatically.

Peeta lets out a sheepish, half-hearted laugh. "I don't think winning will help in my case."

"Well, of course it will!" Caesar says. "She'll see how strong and powerful you are, Peeta! You need to win for her!"

"No because…" Peeta trails off, turning red. "Well, you see… she came here with me."

It takes everyone less than half a second to realize who he's talking about.

My own heart seems to stop for a second. The universe seems to be crashing out of order completely now since I have obviously lost all control over anything that happens to Katniss.

I've always been protective of Katniss since she's practically my sister, but I've never had to deal with guys going after her before. She's a thousand miles away now where I can reach out and protect her from going after the wrong guys.

Peeta can't have feelings for Katniss.

He can't, but for the life of me, I can't come up with any reasons why. I know nothing about Peeta Mellark except for the sole fact that he's going die within the next week or so— but shouldn't that be reason enough to keep Katniss away from him?

In some corner of my mind, it occurs to me that I could be jealous that Peeta actually has a chance.

That thought is so strange and repulsive, but it fits so well. But I can't possibly be jealous. That wouldn't make any sense—

"Oh, Peeta," Caesar says over the panic of the audience. "That's… such bad luck."

"Yeah," Peeta sighs. He looks at his feet.

"She didn't know until now?" Caesar asks. There's actual concern in his voice.

"No, she knew before," Peeta says quietly. "We…"

The camera finally finds Katniss's face in the line of tributes. Her mouth is slightly opened, and she looks completely shocked. Her reaction doesn't seem to fit with what Peeta just said about her knowing before, but it could just be the shock of him outing all of this.

Or maybe she doesn't love him back.

Caesar's mood changes immediately. "Does this have anything to do with the drama that's circling?"

Peeta looks up at Caesar shyly. "Yes… I… I kissed Katniss last night on the elevator."

I feel slightly dead inside when he says that, but the way he phrased the sentence seems odd. He made it very clear that the actions were his, not necessarily Katniss's.

The camera's back on Katniss in an instant, and a deep blush passes over her face (something that almost never happens to her). She buries her face in her hands, and my hope of her not returning the feelings are dashed.

It's true, then. She likes him back.

Something constricts in my chest. There's almost no chance for star-crossed lovers in the Hunger Games. This will weaken Katniss in the arena. It will make her vulnerable because she'll want to protect Peeta…

"What?" Prim asks in disbelief.

I want to tell her to be quiet, even though there's nothing happening on screen. Caesar can't control the audience since they're over the moon about the explanation of the scandal.

The buzzer sounds after a couple failed attempts at reigning in the audience, and Caesar says goodbye to Peeta. My best friend's supposed boyfriend makes his way back to his seat in the line. All the tributes stand as soon as he's back, and they begin to file back towards the Training Center.

Even though every tribute should be given equal camera time, the camera never leaves Katniss. She's firmly facing away from Peeta, and I see a fierce sort of resolve in her eyes that at least says she wasn't okay with their relationship being announced on camera. She matches her fiery dress now, and it all seems much more natural.

"She's beautiful," Prim says quietly, watching the screen in awe.

An answer falls out of my mouth without permission. "Yeah… she is."

At first, that doesn't seem odd, but then we both seem to realize that that was a bit of a strange answer coming from me. Prim looks up at me, slightly puzzled.

"We're friends," I say, trying to seem as though my answer wasn't startling to me as well. "I'm allowed to say that."

Prim accepts that easily and shrugs. She turns back to look at the television just as the screen goes blank. The room sort of deflates as soon as it goes black, and I sink back in my seat, letting out a harsh breath. Everyone else sort of remains still, processing what just happened on screen.

My mom, however, turns and looks at me. She raises an eyebrow, a slight smirk on her face.

Jealous? she asks without words.

No. I reply, and I stand up to leave before she can gather otherwise.


A/N: How'd you like? Sorry it took so long to get this one up... We'll try to be better about that. As usual, thanks for reviewing and all that jazz! You guys are great. We really appreciate it