It's been two days since the deaths of Marvel and Rue. In that time, I have not slept one minute. I just stare into the valley, watching the days go by. Yesterday, Claudius Templesmith announced that there could be two victors if they were from the same district. I'm screwed.

Katniss caught up to me yesterday, and has been trying to get me to eat and sleep, but I feel neither hunger nor exhaustion. Right now, I am watching the sun rise as it paints streaks of pink, yellow, and orange across the sky like a canvas.

Interrupting the eerie stillness of the morning, Katniss taps my shoulder lightly, a melancholy but slightly-irritated look on her face. "Come on. We've got to find Peeta. Plus you've been out here all night and you haven't slept. You need your rest," she huffs, tugging my arm. Since when did she care about the amount of sleep I get? She must've read my facial expression because her face hardens. "Fuck it," she sighs in frustration. "I'm leaving. If you don't want to follow me, that's your deal." That's more like her.

I stare into the rising sun for a good three minutes until I finally decide to follow Katniss. When I get to the tree she had been resting in, however, I discover she's gone. Typical, I think, shaking my head. I follow the direction of the creek—which I know she followed—taking in the peaceful nature of the sunlight peeking through the trees. It seems like a crime to have this beautiful of a scene in such a hideous situation.

I walk until it is almost noon. The sun scorches my back, causing me to remove the standard-issue hunter-green button-down from my body. I rub some alone onto my arms, which are always the first to get burnt, until I stumble straight into a pile of huge, bloodstained rocks. Next to the stains, I see muddy bootprints that can only be Katniss's. This must be my first clue. I climb the rocks, and, almost as through a miracle, I stumble upon the sparkling creek. A grin can't control itself from spreading across my face when I spot Katniss squatting over Peeta in the distance.

I begin to shriek maniacally, sprinting towards them until my smile falls. Peeta lies sopping wet and naked, half in the stream and half out. An enormous gash (which is an understatement) begins at his knee and rips all the way up to his pelvis, bone, blood, and pus clearly showing. He attempts to suppress the pain while Katniss calmly tries to come up with a makeshift treatment for him

"Oh my g…" I trail off. Tears dot my eyes as I cry out, "Who did this to you?"

Peeta raises a large hand as a sign for me to calm down. "It's really not that bad…" he lies through his teeth in a raspy, weak voice. His face is deathly pale, devoid of nutrition and gaunt. While I stare at him in disbelief, Katniss gives me a look that tells me to keep my mouth shut and bandages his leg.

They exchange a slightly flirtatious banter, which sort of kills me inside, but then Katniss suddenly interjects, "Peeta, we've got to go now."

"Go?" He looks up under his long blond eyelashes wearily. "Go where?"

She looks around as though she is searching for a legitimate answer. "Away from here. Downstream maybe—"

"Somewhere we can hide you until you're stronger, Peeta," I interrupt quietly, resting my hand on his hot back. I hand him his boxers back, and Katniss hoists him up. He pales when he puts his weight on his leg, and Katniss urges, "Come on. You can do this."

"Let me help," I suggest, already propping his arm around me. Just what he wants, a big triangle of love. He looks at me shyly with those bright blue eyes as though he could read exactly what was on my mind. Is my face really that expressive?

We reach a cozy cave, where we set Peeta down and Katniss gently brushes the wavy blond hair from his face. He stares at her in pure admiration. Quietly, he says, "Katniss, thanks for finding me."

"You would have found me if you could," she replies softly but quickly, touching the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Yes. Look if I don't make it back—" he tries.

I rush over to him and look him directly in the eyes. "Don't talk like that, Peeta. She didn't fix up your leg for nothing."

He stares back at me, wide-eyed, but then glances down. "I know. But just in case I don't—"

Not even giving him a chance to finish, Katniss closes her eyes and interrupts him. "No, Peeta. I don't even want to discuss it." She places a long, slim finger over his lips.

"But I—"

As quickly as the arrow that pierced Marvel's neck, she kisses Peeta. It's not really romantic, but more hurried. Rushed. I try not to show the hurt that is inevitably etched onto my face.

She pushes away from him and grabs his unnaturally pink face. "You're not going to die. I forbid it. All right?"

"All right," he whispers softly, staring at her in awe. He catches my glance, and in return gives me a sheepish look that says, Sorry. I kind of really love her.

I nod my head back at him in a sad understanding. My fingers find their way to his and lace themselves with his. His feverishly hot hand squeezes mine, letting me know that he still cares for me. Suddenly, he pulls my ear close to his lips. "If it weren't a life-of-death matter," he begins softly, "I would've picked you, honey."

My heart drops ten thousand stories as I stare at him sadly, afraid that I might not ever see him again. Doing what we both know would've happened eventually, I leave the cave. I leave him. I leave Katniss. I leave a brief chapter of my life and head off into the rain, hooded in my thick, black jacket.