I'm so sorry for making you guys wait for more than two weeks! I will make it up to you! Happy reading!

Prim's POV:

"I.. I don't know." I answered Peeta. When I kissed him, it felt like I was just powered up by a battery, but when I kissed Cato, it felt like I had been powered by the entire electricity company.

"You don't know what?" he asks me, his eyes searching my entire face, desperate for a positive answer.

"I don't know how I felt," I mumbled.

Peeta frowns and takes a step back. "About the kiss or about me?" He asks.

I shrug, avoiding the burning gaze that I was receiving by piercing blue eyes. How do I tell him that it wasn't enough? I can't just come out and say 'it wasn't enough'.

"About all of this," I say, finally making my eyes meet his, "it just didn't feel like there was enough."

Peeta nods once, his brows loosely furrowed. "Are you sure?"

I nod, keeping my mouth shut so as not to say something that could possibly offend him. I wanted nothing more than to try and make him feel content, but it just wasn't there, and I really could not force it.

"I'm sure."

Peeta plasters on a sad smile and nods again. "That's okay. At least we tried," he says sadly.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," I apologize.

"No, it's okay. Just because it didn't work out now doesn't mean that I won't stop trying," he says.

I frowned and looked away. If he didn't stop trying, that means that one way or another, Cato is going to find out, and I know for a fact that he is not going to be happy about it.

I have to figure out a way to stop him from trying, especially when Cato is around. It's going to be a tough mission.

Time to strap on my thinking cap.

"Well, um, I have to get ready now," I said, fiddling with my thumbs and avoiding his gaze again. I don't know why I was feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Right. Okay, well I'll see you in a bit." I feel his lips brush against my cheek and I feel the heat flushing through my face.

Peeta turns on his heels and walks out of my room, closing the door behind him. As soon as he's gone, I let out the huge breath that I had been holding, relieved that it was finally over.

I fan my face and turn to put on the jumpsuit for my assessment. I was hoping that this assessment would help me take my mind off of everything that has happened today, and yesterday, and everything else in my life for that matter.

I peeled my clothes off of my sticky body, unaware of the fact that I was sweating, and went to take a quick, and cold, shower, using the vanilla scent that I used before. I really love the smell of warm vanilla. It helps me calm my nerves by swooning me.

After my shower, I slowly pull the tight black jumpsuit over my body. It accents curves that I've just developed, which always makes me uncomfortable for some reason. I left my hair down my back, parting it on the left side of my face and letting it flow in blond ringlets.

I pulled on the shoes that come with the jumpsuit and took a deep breath before walking out of my room, careful not to run into Peeta right now.

It was scaring me that I had kissed him, first because of Katniss, but also because there is the possibility that Cato would find out. I don't think that I could face him knowing that I had done some dirty work. I felt like I cheated on him, even though we aren't even together. I don't even think we're ever going to be official.

I walked to the elevator and waited for it to rise up to my level. Once it pinged and the door opened, I stepped in and quickly pressed the lobby button, extremely relieved that I was able to avoid Peeta for a least a little while.

I stood in the elevator alone, silently waiting for it to reach the lobby.

Suddenly, the elevator stopped on the floor for District 10 and the doors slide open, letting a girl walk in.

She walked in swiftly and turned around to face the doors, her light brown hair swinging slightly. It fell in loose curls to her shoulders, almost as if she had just taken braids out of them. She glanced at me quickly before averting her eyes and turning back to me once again.

"You District 12?" She asks as the doors close and the elevator moves down once again.

I took a quick look at her and was immediately swayed by her eyes. They were a dark brown color, but I could see flecks of a light blue, completely bringing color to her pale white skin.

My gaze fell down to her entire body. She was skinny, very skinny, but had a nice figure nonetheless. She was a very beautiful girl, unlike me.

"Um, yeah," I say after a while.

"I'm Cherche, District 10," she states, glancing quickly and turning away again.

"Prim," I answer back. She nods once and smiles.

"Like the flower?"

I nod, smiling lightly.

"Nice."

The elevator stops again at District 7 and another girl comes in, but she crosses her arms, pushing past us and standing in the corner. Cherche rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to me.

"How old are you?" She asks me.

"14 today, you?"

"Happy birthday. And I'm 15."

I nod and the elevator doors open, bringing us to a closed space with rows of benches. Not that many people from the Districts were here so I sat next to Cherche and we began talking.

Cherche was very nice person. She wasn't very loud, like me, and she had a voice that could soothe all of the nerves that tried to build up in my body. She told me about how she was mostly an angry person, but with me, she was calm.

We could relate on so many different levels, and I think that in the 30 minutes or more that we talked, I became very comfortable with being around her. We talked about everything: our families, friends, fears, the Games.. We constantly talked. Me and Cherche were so involved that we didn't notice the tributes piling into the room and taking their seats in the District order.

"Cherche, aren't you nervous to be here? You don't look it," I ask her. She was so calm that it almost seemed as if she was bored with being here.

Cherche frowns at me for a moment. "Of course I'm scared to be here, but I'm not going to show it. It's better to appear confident than afraid, I guess," she answers. I would definitely be showing my fear if I was her.

"Do you think that you would actually kill someone?" I ask. She doesn't seem like the type to be willing to kill someone, unlike Cato.

Cherche shrugs nonchalantly. "I definitely am not thrilled about it, but if I have to kill someone, I will," she says. "Wouldn't you?"

I nod. "Yeah, I'm just afraid that as soon as it happens, I'm not going to be the same person ever again."

Cherche just nods and stays silent, glancing around at the other tributes.

"Aren't you afraid that being here will change who you are?" I ask.

"Yeah, of course. But I also know that the moment I was chosen for these Games, I wasn't the same person anymore. We just have to accept that we can't be who we used to be, and learn to be happy about it, even though we're technically killers," she says very philosophically.

I nod, consuming everything that she has just said, and knowing that she's completely right, I don't try to further any questioning.

After our talking, Cherche had to move to her position next to her District member.

"So, I was thinking, why not try out being allies? We can help each other out, have each other's back..?" She asks, standing up.

I smiled wide. "That'd be great. I think that we would make a gr-" My eyes were drawn to the elevator, where I saw Cato emerge, all big and broad shoulders, with his District member.

I flushed and turned my attention back to Cherche, who was waiting patiently for what I was going to say.

"We would make a great team," Cherche says, finishing my sentence, and I nod, flushing even more. "Great, well, see ya soon," she says, waving once and taking her seat on the bench in front of me.

I watch Cato as he strolls confidently to his seat in the near front, and he glances at me quickly and smiles before turning around and takes a seat.

My mind wanders to the flowers and the note, and I begin to imagine him sitting down at a desk, pen in hand, pondering over what to write in his note. He would be biting his lip and frowning furiously, trying to come up with the right words.

Those thoughts brought giddiness into me, but then my mind started to wander to the kiss I shared with Peeta, and I began to frown. It felt as if I had something completely horrible to him or something. It gnawed at my chest and my heart constantly.

I was just in a heated debate with myself over whether I should tell Cato or not when I felt a hand on my knee.

I jumped and glanced up, seeing Peeta take a seat next to me.

"Whatcha thinking about?" He asks, studying my face.

I quickly shake my head. "Just about what I'm going to do for my assessment, and how the judge's will react," I lied quickly. I hate lying, but my real thoughts had to remain inside the box in my head and tightly chained and locked, the key thrown in the deepest abyss in the entire universe.

Technically, it wasn't a lie, but it actually was. I was a bit afraid of what I was going to do and the score that I was going to get. I know that I'm going to use the bow and arrows, but what can I actually do with it?

I hope I figure it out before I walk into that room. I'm the very last to go so hopefully I come up with something, and fast.

"Oh, you'll be fine. Trust me. Just breathe and try your hardest. They'll love you," Peeta says.

I smile. "Thanks, and what about you?" I ask.

He shrugs. "I dunno, I guess I'll just figure it out." I nod once.

His kiss was burning my brain, and I had to keep taking quick glances at Cato to make sure that he didn't see Peeta's hand resting on my leg. I started to shake my other leg violently.

"Nervous?" Peeta asks. I nod and he places his arm on my shoulder, pulling me closer. I feel my cheeks burn and I gulp. Oh no.

"It'll be fine," Peeta says.

I nod and glance at Cato. He turns his head and sees Peeta's hand around me and he gets furious in one second. His face turns red and he glares at me and Peeta.

Well, looks like I upset him. When he's angry, it sort of scares me because he is so unpredictable, as I already realized when he kissed me.

I turned my face and avoided his angry gaze burning through the side of my head. I could feel his hard gaze, and it was making me uncomfortable.

Honestly, I don't see what his problem is. We kissed one time, just once. I'm not his girlfriend, nor do I think I ever will be considering the situation that we are in, so he shouldn't be upset. I should be though. I definitely did not want Peeta's hands and arms on me, but my mouth couldn't form the words to tell him to move away, so I let him be.

Soon, one by one, the tributes are called in order of District, first boy and then girl, meaning that I am the absolute last.

I'm sure that the Gamemakers will not be interested the least bit in what I could potentially show. They have to evaluate 23 others before me, which will probably become boring and repetitive, and then they'll lose focus. Which means that I have to do something that will get their attention.

Where is my thinking cap when I need it?

I rack my brain, thinking of interesting yet effective strategies to win over the Gamemakers.

Hmm.. come on brain, think!

I sit and wait, patiently and impatiently, as the tributes are called.

I didn't notice when Cato went in for his session, but I did see him walking, more like strutting, out of the double doors, glaring at every other tribute directly in the eyes. The others gulped and cowered in fear at him.

Once his eyes met mine, I rolled them unintentionally, causing him to frown and eye me down even more. I blush and turn away, embarrassed that I did that to him while he was watching. He finally walks out of the small area, and almost all of the tributes sigh with relief.

It was sort of intentional though, because he was being so cruel to the other tributes. Ones that were smaller, younger, and a lot more afraid only had more to add to their fear when he would glare at them in the way that he did. A lot of us are already scared to be here, and he's just making it worse, which I don't think it's fair.

Finally, after what seems like forever, my name is called. I stand up, wiping my shaky and sweaty palms on my pants and walk slowly to the double doors. As I am walking in, Peeta is walking out, smiling and shrugging slightly at me.

I step into the old training room and hear the doors slam shit behind me.

"Primrose Everdeen, District 12. You will have 10 minutes to complete this examination. Do whatever you need to do to earn your score. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor," a simulated voice blares through unseen speakers.

I glance up at the Gamemakers. One of them is standing on the edge, watching me with a red drink in his hand. The others aren't paying any attention to me, sitting around and talking amongst one another.

"Begin," the simulator says, and red countdown numbers appear on a screen, counting down from 10:00.

I walk over to the bow and arrows and sling it around my back, drawing an arrow and positioning it to aim at the targeted chest of a dummy. I take in a short breath and let the arrow fly, and it misses, hitting the side of the dummy's chest instead of the middle.

Shoot!

I turn to look at the Gamemakers, and now, none of them are watching me.

I turn my attention back to the dummy and draw another arrow, this time positioning it to aim at the targeted head.

I take another deep breath and let the arrow fly again, and this time, it hits the dummy in the exact center of the target on the head.

I mentally fist pump and watch the Gamemakers, but even that they didn't see. They're too busy focusing on a disgusting looking pig with an apple in its mouth.

"Hello?!" I yell up to them. No one turns or pays attention.

"Hello?!" I yell louder. Still, nothing.

The pig is sat down and they all start cheering.

I've prepared my mind so much for this assessment, and no one is going to watch me? No. They are going to pay attention to me, whether they like it or not.

I didn't get chosen for these stupid Games for nothing.

I draw another arrow and aim it at the core of the apple in the pig. My arm draws the arrow back, aiming perfectly.

Breathe in, and release.

The arrow flies fast, twirling quickly as it whirls through the air. It flies into the platform and rips through the core of the apple. The apple flies with the arrow and lodges into the wall.

I mentally fist pump again and do a mental happy dance as well before turning my attention back to the Gamemakers. Each one of them look perplexed and surprised more than anything at me.

"Can you guys please pay attention?" I yell up to them.

The one with the drink in his hand gestures for me to continue. "You have our undivided attention," he says, and he's right, because I have all eyes trained on me.

"Thank you," I say, and turn back to the dummy.

I was going to take another shot at it, but I got an even better idea.

I went to the bow and arrow simulation, hitting 'difficult' and 'realistic' in two quick movements. I step inside and watch as the doors close shut.

I know I chose the hardest levels, but I can do it. I have to. And I will.

I draw an arrow and take a few short breaths as the lights dim and the room becomes dark.

Here we go.

A/N

So I am so so sorry for making you guys wait for such a long time! I've been busy with school, with exams and preparing for university. And there's been so much family drama! I had originally had the chapter done on Tuesday but something happened and half of it got deleted so I had to redo the entire thing! I will make it up to you some way, I promise!

Everyone welcome Cherche to the story! I can't wait to see how things go with her during the Games!

Umm, so yeah. Hopefully I'll have the best chapter done in at least a week. Or maybe even earlier. I dunno.

Vote, comment, share, follow, and thank you so much for reading! It means so much! Almost to 1K readers!

Cheers

Myesha xx