Getting to know you,
Getting to know all about you.
Getting to like you,
Getting to hope you like me

-"Getting to Know You" from The King and I

Penny was feeling lonely.

The first night after she was revived, she was glad to be alone on her floor. It would give her some time to decompress and process things. But she did wish for a companion.

So the next morning, she directed the windows of the fourth floor of the Training Center, where she was staying, to a horse's stable. She was comforted by the sights of some of her beloved horses, and couldn't wait to ride them again. She decided to spend some time in the game room and lounge on the first floor. There, she met some of the other tributes from her Games, the pair from 6, Janaya and Jason, and the pair from 4, Marina and Sebastian. The four others welcomed her, and they talked for a little while getting to know each other. They asked each other about their ages – all 16, except for 12-year-old Sebastian and 15-year-old Penny – and their home lives from before the Games. Then Penny asked, "What floors are you guys staying at?"

"I'm on the 2nd floor," said Jason.

"The rest of us are on the 3rd floor," said Marina. "Are you on the 4th floor?"

"Yeah," said Penny. "I heard that the floors are based on where we're going by the end of this. So I guess most of you guys are going to the same district."

"That's nice," said Janaya.

"I hope we're going to 4," added Sebastian. "I wanna go home."

Over the course of that afternoon, the five slowly became closer friends, playing games and hanging out. When Penny went back to her floor that night, she felt much more comfortable now that she had friends there.

Date: September 22, HG90

Location: Training Center, The Capitol

Penny woke up to the sound of the elevator dinging. She was pretty sure she knew what that meant – a new companion who would be staying on her floor. She hoped it would be someone she would like.

Penny quickly got dressed and headed into the common room. There, she found a tribute that she was sure she would like, sweet little Rue. Penny immediately gave the little one a hug, who shyly returned it.

"I'm sure you have no idea who I am," said Penny gently. "I'm Penny Robins."

"Hi," replied Rue, a little coldly. "I'm Rue."

"I know. Most of us in the Games were really unhappy to see you enter them. But I'm so glad that you're safe now. Are you feeling all right? When did you wake up?"

"I'm feeling fine, just a bit confused. I woke up around 3 this morning, but they kept me downstairs for a bit." Rue was clearly not interested in talking at that point. She was looking around wildly, almost expecting something to come out and get her. Penny decided to leave her alone for a little bit. She went back into her room to do her long auburn hair in her trademark double braids, and then brushed her teeth and washed her face. She then requested a cheese omelet and hash browns and brought the plate it came on back into the common room. She found Rue the same way she was earlier, nervously sitting on the couch. Penny decided to leave her alone, but didn't want to leave her on the floor alone. So she decided to focus on her breakfast, and watched through the window at the horses.

"Rue, do you want anything for breakfast?"

Rue didn't respond, so Penny ordered Rue a waffle and set it on the table. When the two finished eating, Penny said, "Do you want to go to the lounge?"

"OK." Rue followed Penny over to the elevator, and the two rode down to the game room area. When they got there, Rue settled onto a couch, a little exhausted. Penny went over to join the cluster of former tributes from the 3rd floor. Sebastian was missing, but she noticed a new face.

"Penny, this is Hazel from 7. Hazel, this is Penny from 10," Marina said.

"Good to meet you!" Penny bowed her head, as if she was taking off a cowboy hat.

"You as well," said Hazel. The conversation played out much like it had the day before, in the form of standard questions like "How old are you?" (Hazel was 17) and "What do you do at home?"

That is, until they heard the scream.

"NO! NO! NO! DON'T! KATNISS, HELP!" screamed Rue, still sound asleep. All four other girls ran to her side and shook her awake. Her hands were clammy, her lips were dry, and her skin felt a bit warm to the touch.

"Rue, are you OK?" asked Marina.

"No. Don't touch me!" Marina approached Rue, who curled up into a tighter ball, and whimpered a little bit.

The girls looked at each other. "Whose floor is she on?" Hazel asked.

"Mine," replied Penny. Hazel nodded and stepped next to Rue.

"Rue, honey. I know that the Games are hard, and that you're really upset. And that the memories make you unhappy, and that you're scared of people. But if you don't open up to me and Penny and Marina and Janaya, nobody can help you get better and maybe even forget. You're young enough that you can forget and recover. We just need your help to get there."

Rue looked around. Her deep brown eyes first met Hazel's hazel eyes, then Penny's light brown ones, and then Marina's sea-green ones. Rue nodded carefully. "I fell asleep," she began, "and then Marvel was there, with the spear, and I was in the net, and…" Rue burst into tears. "I don't feel like I can trust them."

Hazel scooped the younger girl up and rocked her in her lap. "Shh. It's OK. I feel you. I get you. But you're safe with Penny and with us." Hazel kept Rue in her lap until the little one stopped crying. She was patient, letting Rue cry out everything in her system. When Rue finished, she looked up at Hazel, her deep brown eyes lined with red. "Better?" Hazel asked gently.

"Yeah," said Rue shyly. "Thank you." She then glanced at Penny.

"It's OK, Rue. I get it. These Games are hard. And you lasted the longest of anyone currently alive. I can't even imagine," Penny replied. "Do you want to start on a clean slate?"

Rue nodded. "Hi, my name is Rue."

"I'm Penny." The two shared a cautionary embrace. Penny knew it would take some time for Rue to trust her. But she was willing to take the time to get to know her younger companion.

"Can I have a bit more time to myself?" asked Rue.

"Of course. Whenever you're ready, you can come join us over there."

The older girls left Rue alone for a little bit. "Thank you Hazel," said Penny.

"You're welcome."

"How long will it take for her to heal?"

"I don't know. She'll respond to some people earlier than others, that's for sure."

It surprised Hazel that it only took Rue 30 minutes to rejoin the other girls. She sat in between Penny and Hazel, and didn't really talk, but they kept trying to include her in their conversation. By the second afternoon after Rue was revived, she was finally able to speak for longer in front of the others, and became much more bubbly around the other girls.

That night, when everyone returned to their floors, Rue and Penny saw a little white square hanging on the wall. On it was a big black number 23, with the word "Saturday" on top of it and the word "September" under it.

"What is it?" asked Rue.

"I think it's a calendar. Today is September 23, right?"

"I don't know. You would know that more than I would. I still don't know what time it is." Rue yawned. "I'm kinda tired."

"Let's have dinner first, and then you can go to sleep."

Rue nodded. After a quick meal, Penny tucked Rue under the covers, and the little girl slowly went to sleep.

The next morning, Penny woke up again to the ding of the elevator. Uch, she thought. Why do people always have to come onto our floor in the morning? Penny dragged herself out of bed, and as she came to the common room, noticed that Rue's door was still asleep.

But when Penny came out into the common area, and saw Glimmer sitting on a couch, she became really glad that she had woken up before Rue.