For a moment, the cameras hold on Peeta's downcast eyes as what he says sinks in. Then I can see my face, my jaw dropped in a mix of surprise and protest, magnified on every screen as I realize, Katniss! He means Katniss!
"Oh that is a piece of bad luck," says Caesar, and there's a real edge of pain in his voice. The crowd is murmuring in agreement, a few even have agonized cries.
"It's not good," agrees Peeta.
"Well I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady," says Caesar. "She didn't know?"
Peeta shakes his head. "Not until now."
I allow my eyes to flicker up to the screen long enough to see that my face is pale.
"Wouldn't you like to pull her sister back out here and get a response?" Caesar asks the audience. The crowd cheers for me to get back out there. "Sadly, rules are rules and Primrose Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck to you, Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say that our hearts are with yours."
The roar of the crowd is deafening. Peeta has absolutely wiped the rest of us off the map with his declaration of love for Katniss. When the audience finally settles down, he chokes out a quiet "Thank you" and returns to his seat. We stand for the anthem. I have to raise my head out the required respect and cannot avoid seeing that every screen is now dominated by a shot of Peeta and me, separated by a few feet that in the viewers' head can never be breached. Poor Peeta.
I had no idea that he was in love with Katniss.
After the anthem, the tributes file back into the Training Center lobby and onto the elevators. I get in the same car as Peeta. We don't say anything to each other. Peeta has only just stepped from the car when I embrace him in a hug. He looks shocked. Peeta returns the hug.
"What was that for?" he asks, surprised.
"I had no idea! You're in love with Katniss!" I say.
Now the elevators are open and Effie, Haymitch, Cinna, and Portia is there.
"Primrose, why are you hugging Peeta?" says Effie.
"I was wondering the same thing," says Peeta as Effie and Cinna pull me away from him.
Haymitch turns on me. "Why are you hugging him?"
"Because he said he was in love with Katniss! It's so nice!" I answer.
"It was an idea," says Peeta. "Haymitch said I could say it."
"Wait, you didn't mean it?" I say.
"Sweetheart, I don't know. It was to create a connection between the two of you. You guys were sort of awkward!" says Haymitch.
"But he said-''
"Who cares? It's all a big show. Your interview was good, but you two are undeniably awkward when you're around each other. We needed an excuse for why you two are like that!"
Portia comes over and puts an arm around me. "He's right, Prim."
I'm so confused. "Well somebody should have told me so I wasn't so confused."
"No, you're reaction was perfect," says Cinna.
"Prim is just happy that someone wants to date Katniss," says Peeta.
My cheeks burn. I must have looked so foolish hugging Peeta the way I did. "Okay, so maybe I was."
"It's fine," says Peeta. "And her boyfriend has nothing to worry about. I won't be coming back anyways."
The words are sinking in. Anger is starting to flare up. Who was he talking about? Katniss and I tell each other everything. Maybe Peeta was talking about Gale?
"I'm sorry I hugged you," I say.
"It doesn't matter," he shrugs. "Although it's technically illegal to touch another tribute for the games begin."
I laugh.
In the silence that follows, delicious smells of our dinner waft from the dining room. "Come on, let's eat," says Haymitch. We all follow him to the dining room and take our places.
After dinner, we watch the replay in the sitting room. I am pleased to see that I looked confident enough. Peeta is charming.
When the anthem ends and the screen darkens, a hush falls over the room. Tomorrow at dawn, we will be roused and prepared for the arena. The actual games don't start until ten because so many of the Capitol citizens wake up so late. Peeta and I need to get an early start because there's no telling how far we will have to travel to get to the arena.
I know Haymitch and Effie will not be going with us. As soon as they leave here, they'll be at the Game's Headquarters, hopefully madly signing up our sponsors, working out a strategy of how and when to get our food to us. Still, final goodbyes must be said here.
Effie takes us both by the hand and with actual tears in her eyes, wishes us well. Thanks us for being the best tributes she has ever had the privilege to sposor. Then, she says "I wouldn't be surprised If I actually get promoted to a decent district next year!"
Then she kisses each of us on the cheek and hurries out, overcome with either the emotional parting or possible improvement of her fortunes.
Haymitch crosses his arm and looks both of us over.
"Any final words of advice?" asks Peeta.
"When the gong sounds, get out of there. You're neither of you up to the blood bath at the Cornucopia. Just clear out, put as much distance between yourselves and the others, and find a good source of water," he says.
"And after that?" I ask.
"Stay alive," says Haymitch.
When I head to my room, Peeta lingers to talk to Portia. I'm glad. I don't want to talk to him now.
I take a shower and scrub all the paint, the makeup, and the scent beauty from my body. I leave the nail polish on.
I pull on a thin night gown and climb into bed. It takes me about twenty five minutes of trying to drift off to realize I'm not going to fall asleep.
It's no good. I lay in bed for one hour and I just can't fall asleep. I wonder what the arena will be. A desert? A swamp? I have no idea. I'm hoping for trees, though, because it's the only place I could be potentially safe.
Finally, I give up on sleep and pace around the room. It's too small though, even though the room is huge. I need fresh air.
I head to the roof. I see a figure leaning against a wall.
I move across the tiles soundlessly. "Why aren't you asleep?" I ask.
He turns to face me. "Why would I want to miss out on all this?" he replies.
I keep my distance from him. His height is frightening to me. "Are they having a party for us?"
"Yeah," Cato answers. "There's always a party for the tributes. Why aren't you asleep, little girl?"
"I'm not a little girl," I say.
"How old are you?" he asks.
"I'm twelve," I admit. "That's not that young. And I'm going to be thirteen soon."
"A twelve year old girl is a little girl," he says. "Even if you're almost thirteen."'
"Well how old are you?" I say.
He hesitates. "I just turned eighteen."
"Oh," I say.
"Rose, why are you talking to me? Aren't you scared of me?" he asks. I shake my head. "Why not? Everyone else is."
I bite my lip. Why am I not scared of him? I'm not sure. "I don't know. I mean, you're going to kill people right?" I ask.
"Of course. That's what I'm supposed to do. That's how you play the game," says Cato.
"But don't you think it's wrong? To kill innocent people?" I say.
"No. That's how it's always been," he insists.
"Not always… there had to be a time where the games didn't go on… it's only been going on seventy-four years," I say.
"It doesn't matter. The Hunger Games are all I care about," he says angrily. His blue eyes are locked on mine. I can there's something quite not right and I question his sanity.
I take a step forward. "Don't you care about your family?" I ask.
"Just leave me alone, Rose," he says.
That hurt. I don't know why I care so much about Cato. "Fine. If that's what you really want," I say.
"Wait," says Cato. "Have you given any more thought to joining our alliance?"
"Not a chance," I say. Then I turn and leave the roof.
I spend the rest of the night wide awake imagining Cato killing people. Cato. I know killing will be nothing for him. He'll probably go crazy, killing five people in a matter of a minute. I wouldn't be surprised.
I don't see Peeta in the morning. Cinna comes to me before dawn and gives me my clothes. I am escorted into a hovercraft. A woman takes my arm and plunges a syringe into it. "This is just your tracker, Primrose," she says.
I am taken to the launch room.
Cinna pulls the Primrose ring that Seraphina gave me out of his pocket. He slides it on my index finger.
I sit quietly waiting for the countdown to start.
"Do you want to talk, Prim?" Cinna asks. I'm crying now, so I just shake my head. I have got to pull myself together. If I go into that arena looking like a crying mess, I'll be targeted by the careers.
When I step into the cylinder, the countdown begins. I am now being pushed up into the arena. I see bright sunlight and pine trees.
Then I hear the voice of legendary announcer, Claudius Templesmith, as his voice booms around me.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games begin!"