I do not own 'The Hunger Games' or anything related.


I knocked on the door.

"Boy, you still up?"

No response. I pressed my ear up against the door. No sign of any activity. I decided to open it. The boy wasn't in his room. So where could he be? I checked the dining room, but he wasn't there either. The only other place he could be was on the roof top. As I made my way there, I heard a door slam. That could have only been the girl. Had she been up as well? Had the boy and girl been on the rooftop together? Unable to sleep? Talking about tomorrow? If so, it didn't sound like it went well.

I found him on the rooftop. He was just standing there, looking out at the Capitol. Then he picked up a flower pot and threw it as hard as he could over the edge.

No no no no no no no!

I ran to the boy, knowing what he didn't. I tackled him to the ground before the pot had a chance to smash in his head. I heard it smash into a nearby wall. The boy looked at me.

"Fun fact," I panted, "If you throw something at the force field a bit too hard you may regret it."

It took me a while to catch my breath. Years of drinking had not been good for my health. I was still panting even after the boy helped me up.

After catching my breath, I asked, "Mind me asking what got you so worked up right now?"

"Nothing," Said the boy, "It's just…Katniss said something to me that really angered me."

So the girl was here.

"Haymitch, am I an idiot? For wanting to be more than just a piece in the games?"

I stared at the boy. Somehow I was more proud of him than I was before.

"No," I quietly told him, "No, you're not for thinking that."

I certainly wanted to be more than a piece in their games during my games.

"But Boy, trying to more than a piece is dangerous."

The boy laughed.

"They're already going to make my life Hell in the Arena. How more dangerous could they possibly make it for me?"

"I mean if you win."

"Well, there's a little chance of that happening."

The boy suddenly had that same look on his face when he accidentally let it slip that he had a crush on the girl.

"Don't say that!" I told him, "Don't even think that! You've got to stay alive, remember?"

"I know, and I'll do my best, but-"

"But nothing! You can't afford to think that like, cos the moment you don't think you have a chance, then you won't last as long!"

I found his defeatist attitude quite alarming, even though what I was going to ask him would affect his fate. I quickly changed the subject.

"So, the girl called you an idiot for wanting to prove that you are more than just a piece in the games?"

"She certainly made me feel that way," He told me sombrely.

I was somewhat disappointed, as I knew her old man, like me, like this boy here, if he was a tribute, would have wanted to prove he was more than a piece in their games as well. I imagine!

"Don't take it too personally," I told him, "She's spent her life trying to survive. Nobility in the face of death has probably been her least concern."

"Oh, but not for me, right? Because I'm townfolk? Because I've always had everything I needed and never had to scrape to survive?"

I wanted to change the subject. I was about to tell him about Brutus' offer, but there was something else I wanted to ask him but didn't get the chance to.

"Earlier today, you mentioned something about Katniss having a boyfriend."

Even though she denied it, but went red at the same time. I remember him telling me about some tall boy she hung around with, but I didn't think much of it at the time. I was thinking about what happened if she survived in the final eight, and the capitol did interviews for people she knew. On one hand, a love triangle would create debate, and even more interest, but on the other I really needed people to route for the boy and the girl, especially if the friend back home proved to be more attractive.

"Doesn't matter," The boy shrugged.

"Boy, I need you to tell me-"

"WHAT DOES IT MATTER? She didn't believe me! You heard everyone! 'No, your reaction was perfect!' 'After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love with him, too?' Treating my personal feelings as if it was all just a strategy, as if it - they weren't real."

The boy was in tears. I had a feeling in other circumstances he would be holding them back more. I gave him what I hoped was a sympathetic look. I patted him on the arm.

"It's probably better this way," I told him, "I mean, do you really want Katniss to think that someone who has a crush on her would be in peril in the arena?"

"No. I guess not."

He chuckled.

"It's funny. I've always imagined Katniss' reaction to when I would finally pluck up the courage to tell her how I feel. I imagined all sorts of reactions. Somehow furious never entered my imagination."

I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Then again you've never imagined that you both would be thrown into the hunger games."

"No, strangely enough no."

We both laughed.

"Did you want to ask me something besides any potential rival I've got?"

I almost forgot!

"One of the mentors for District 2 approached me earlier. He wants you to join the career pack."

The boy raised an eyebrow.

"Why? I mean, he did hear my confession of love to Katniss to all of Panem, and he thinks someone like me will be more than willing to kill her?"

"For one thing, he didn't believe your confession. Secondly, I don't know how, but he found out about Katniss's volatile reaction to your confession, and think you would want revenge. Also he thinks she won't suspect someone who expressed their love will be wanting to kill her."

"Well he's got it all wrong, doesn't he? For one thing, Katniss doesn't even believe I'm in love with her."

"Neither does he."

"So…do you want me to join the pack?"

"You know what will happen to your reputation if you do. But-"

"I'll do it."

"What?"

"If I can mislead them about Katniss, if I can keep her safe, then I'll do it."

"…Ok Boy. If that's what you want, I'll give Brutus your answer. But first you need to explain something to me. What do you see in her? I mean sure she's attractive, and she's this big hunter and all that, but from what I've seen, she hasn't been that nice to you. When you tried to compliment her the day after we got here, she acted as if you had insulted her. She clearly did not want to be around you, yet got upset at you when you wanted to be coached alone. And let's not forget how she reacted when you told everyone you had a crush on her, or how she just insulted what you wanted to do in the arena, so why are you so willing to protect someone who treats you like dirt?"

I know I was being given an easy solution here to my dilemma, but I knew boys at school who were so dedicated to their crushes even when said crushes treated them like crap. I just wanted to be sure that the boy wanted to protect her for the right reasons. The boy considered my question, then I saw the answer dawned on him.

"Because when she sings, the birds stop to listen."

I was stunned when he told me this. I knew that the girl had her old man's skin colour, hair and eye, and his hunting skills.

I had no idea she had his singing voice too. The moment the boy said this, I knew that I didn't need any further details.

"Ok," I told him, "Well then, I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah, I guess it is."

I turned away to go back to the bar. Stopping, I turned back to look at the boy.

"Peeta!"

I think this was the first time I've used his name since our first official day of mentoring.

"I-I'm sorry! About hitting you before."

Peeta seemed surprised.

"What? You mean back on the train? Haymitch, I know you only did that to make it seem like I was in a fight with another tribute!"

Is that what he thinks of me? As someone who has everything planned out?

"Right," I nodded, "Right."

I walked away. After giving Brutus Pe- the boy's answer, I returned to my quarters, and enjoyed the last drop of alcohol that I would be having for a while, as I needed my mind to be sharp for the next few weeks. I can celebrate afterwards, or drink to drown my sorrows. Probably both. And so, as I held up my last drink until the games were over, I vowed that I would do everything to keep the girl alive.


Sponsors' gifts came in two forms; money, or physical items that will prove useful to the tribute. Personally I preferred cash because then I could spend the money as I saw fit. At the morning of every start of the Hunger Games prospective sponsors would come in to sign up, and throughout the games would send their gifts. More sponsors may come throughout the games, rather through one off gifts or more would sign up every morning. Usually the desks for Districts 1, 2 and 4 would get the most sponsors. Other districts may get the occasional sponsor, but as far as I knew, no one showed up for district 12, even if I was at the desk. Effie always was out on duty. But now, for the first time ever, District 12 had the cream of the crop when it came to sponsors. The career districts were a close second, especially district 2. After them came District 11, but that might have mainly been because they had Thresh. Even the careers thought he was good enough to be in their pack. Some showed up for District 3, District 5 also. No one showed up for districts 6 to 10. I could see the envious glares from the career mentors and escorts. Much less so from the other district mentors. Perhaps they felt their chances were low, and that if anyone was to beat the careers, it might as well be 12.

Later we joined the game makers in the control room. Apparently it goes back to when they were first introduced. Each district's 'team', comprising of the mentors and escort, had a sound proofed booth, so that no one knew what each one was planning. In our booth, there were three screens and a virtual map. One screen showed the broadcast of the games. The other two were reserved for monitoring each tribute, and the map would show the nearby area that the tribute was in. Currently, all depicted the centre of the arena, the cornucopia. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the arena was indeed a temperate, wooded environment. A wry thought occurred to me that maybe it was designed specifically for the girl to win, or at least give her a fighting chance. But then I remembered how arenas were planned in advance. Now all she needed was a bow, but chances of that were slim, and –

No.

I noticed that within the cornucopia, resting on a pile of blankets, was a bow and sheath of arrows, just laying out there as if to tempt the girl. And already I could see that she was tempted to go after them.

No, Katniss, don't you dare.

Perhaps she felt that the only way she can win is with a bow and arrow. And while that's true, now was not the time to grab them. I still didn't know how to get them to her. Even with the generous offerings from sponsors, I checked that a bow and arrow was far too expensive, and that expense would only increase as the games went on. I could get her an arrow or two, but what good would that do her?

Then I noticed something else. Peeta, the boy, seemingly noticing what the girl was about to do, what she was tempted to do, caught her eye and shook his head. I was glad that someone among my tributes had sense! For a moment, I worried if I had agreed to save the wrong tribute.

The gong went.

"AND they're off!" Shouted one of the commentators.

The boy and the girl went straight towards the cornucopia. The boy I knew was part of the plan, but the girl? Even though I told her to go the opposite direction, even though I was sure she was no longer interested in the bow and arrows.

You know what, I take back what I said earlier. It's not my fault that the tributes die. They just didn't listen to me!

Well, most of them.

The girl at least had the sense to just go for one of the most outer piles. But even those were risky, as proven when the boy from District 9 went for the same backpack, and only let go because the girl from district 2 threw a knife in his back. I remember the boy and the girl telling me about her when I grilled them for information about their competition. And I remember them telling me that this girl at the knives station never missed the bullseye. The girl ran for it, and the District 2 chased after her. If she could make it for the woods, then she would be out of danger.

Come on come on come on come on!

The District 2 girl raised one of her knives and hurled it in the direction of the girl's head. My heart leapt in my rib cage.

Luckily though the girl had keen enough senses to hear the knife whistling towards her and raise the backpack she took behind her head, taking the blow. I let out a sigh of relief as she made it into the woods, out of harm's way for now.

Even though I knew she was safe at the moment, my heart kept beating. I was worried that I was going to die before either of them did, and who would help them then? Knowing that the girl was safe for now, I turned my attention towards the boy. He was right in the middle of the blood bath. I couldn't get a clear view of how he was doing. I think he let one tribute get to the supplies, only to be cruelly taken down by the District 2 boy's spear. Another tribute engaged in combat with him. The boy was able to hold his own, before his attacker was stabbed in the back by the District 4 boy. By then, nearly a dozen bodies lay sprawled and bloodied on the grassy floor, with only the careers remaining standing, including the boy, and the District 3 boy. I guess he must have gotten into the pack as well. They probably thought his intelligence, a general trait of District 3, would prove useful. I wasn't sure how at the moment, as there were hardly any devices in the arena. I didn't want to look at them. As bad as it was for anyone to look at a bunch of murdered kids, but also because I had seen so many of my own tributes in the same positions; limbs in awkward, unnatural angles, large gaping wounds with blood still pouring from them, if they weren't severed (even decapitation), and if the faces weren't destroyed beyond recognition they still showed the horror they experienced, eyes wide and staring into nothing, blood trickling out from their mouths. I had to know who was left, and they wouldn't announce the deaths until the end of the day. From what I saw, the dead included the girls from district 3 and 10, the boys from district 5 and 8, and both tributes from districts 6, 7 and 9. 10 gone. 14 remaining including my tributes and the pack. Aside from them that left the girls from district 5 and 8, the boy from 10, and both tributes from 11. I was glad that Chaff and Seeder's tributes had survived. If there was anyone I wanted to win if mine didn't make it, it was theirs. Even though I wouldn't want their tributes to kill mine. I went through what I knew of the remaining non-pack tributes. I knew virtually nothing about the girl from District 8. The boy and the girl reported nothing exceptional about her, but she may be appearing mediocre for the same reasons my tributes were told to (Then again, her score wasn't much, but I shouldn't rely too much on that). The same for the quiet boy from District 10. With his crippled foot he was lucky to survive the bloodbath, but he was unlikely to be a threat. The tribute from District 5 the girl had nicknamed 'foxface', which fitted her apparent sly and elusive nature. I remember the girl telling me she did well on the edible plants section, as well as her. This was surprising, given that District 5 was situated in a desert would have meant she would have had little opportunity to learn about foraging as the girl did in 12. That only left the District 11 tributes. The boy, call Thresh, big and strong, was likely to be a threat. The girl, Rue, on the other hand, I considered to be one of the least threatening. The girl told me she was really good at climbing (and what was likely what rewarded her a 7), but this would be more useful a skill to evade tributes and search for food rather than being used in any deadly way. It took a bit of effort to draw the information from the girl. I gathered the impression she didn't like talking about her. Was this because she reminded her so much of her sister? I doubt that she had it in her to kill anyone. Then again, I should never rule out the possibility of any tribute being a killer, even from the youngest ones, whose apparent innocence can be a disguise realised too late. Not that 12 or 13 year olds have ever won in the history of the games, but that didn't stop them from taking other tributes down with them. And who knows? I thought. The day may come when a 13 year old or even 12 win the games (14 was also considered an impossible age to win until Finnick Odair proved otherwise!).

Having now memorised who is left outside the career pack and the girl, I turned my attention to the boy.

"Thanks," He thank the District 4 tribute for aiding him, who grinned back.

"No problem."

He punched the boy so hard that he fell to the ground, before moving in for the kill.