I stopped just inside the door as it slid closed behind me, the click sounding like the toll of a death bell.

I watched as Katniss and Peeta took in the interior of the train car. I wonder if that's the expression I had last year?

Haymitch of course was MIA. Katniss and Peeta sat down awkwardly and sat in silence. Peeta looked over at me, sorry clear in his eyes.

"Aces, come sit down?" I slowly blinked and said nothing back.

"Is she okay?" Katniss asked him, and I was sure I was the only one who noticed the panicked blush on his ears.

"Heh, maybe?" He replied, rubbing his neck.

I started crying again.

"Aces!" Peeta exclaimed, stumbling when he quickly stood up. Katniss looked surprised as she sat there.

"It's okay! Don't cry... please." Peeta put his hands on my shoulders and bent to look me in the eye. "Stop crying, it's alright, you're okay-"

"Stop!" I sobbed. "It's not okaaaaaay!" I hiccoughed and threw my head back, tears flowing down my face.

"Aces please, you don't need to cry!" He tried again but it didn't work. "Don't make me!" He threatened.

"M-make you wh-what?" I hiccoughed.

"Don't make me hug you!" He said, his voice wobbling no matter how he tried to stay strong. I sniffled and glared at him.

"Don't you d-dare!" I warned, still crying.

He sighed and pursed his mouth. "You've left me no choice. Aces, stop crying or I'll hug you until you do."

"You w-wouldn't."

"I would, and you know it."

Oh, Peeta. I thought. Always there to help me. But not for long...

I started crying harder, causing him to wrap his arms tightly around me.

I squeaked and squirmed, trying to escape, but damnit this boy was too strong.

"N-no! Let go of meeee!" I wailed. "I hate hugs!"

And then I could have sworn that Katniss laughed. But she covered it with a cough and I wasn't sure anymore.

"Not until you stop crying!" Peeta said as if he hadn't also heard the Maybe laugh. I know he did, because no matter what's going on, his every sense is trained on that oblivious girl.

"F-fine!" I said, pouting and trying to stop crying. Unfortunately that also meant I had to hold my breath, which made my face really red.

"Hey! I said stop crying, not stop breathing! I swear, you're hopeless!"

I narrowed my eyes at him, challenging him to try anything. I knew I probably looked like an overgrown five year old with my tear stained, red cheeks puffed out as I held my breath and my challenging scowl, but I was beyond caring.

My best friend was going to die.

I groaned and sucked in some air just as Haymitch decided to grace us with his presence.

"Where's the alcohol?" He grumbled. I frowned at him.

"Have you finally decided to come and give us some advice?" Peeta said angrily. I was a bit surprised at his tone of voice.

Haymitch laughed. "You want some advice? Stay alive."

"W-what? How is that supposed to help?"

Haymitch grabbed some more liquor and left.

Katniss grumbled something to herself that I didn't catch, but could guess along the lines.

I let Peeta lead to me to one of the chairs before curling into a ball as deep in the cusions as I could get.

"What about you? Do you have any advice for us?" She asked. I gulped and met her gaze.

"Well..." I thought back to my games, trying not to hyperventilate. "I don't know how I won. Don't trust what you see? Ohhh, I'm so bad at this!" I wailed, crying again.

Katniss looked very uncomfortable, and a little guilty.

"It's alright, Aces." Peeta murmured, looking out the window at the blurs of color. I saw his fingers twitch and cried harder at the thought of him never getting to paint it.

I was a mess, and I needed to pull myself together.

"D-don't... Don't go to the Cornicopia." I mumbled, trying hard to think of anything. I had to help them, I had to get Katniss home.

For Gale...

What if I wasn't able to save her? What if I came home without either of them? What would I do? What would Gale do? Everyone knows he's in love with Katniss- I've always known I had no chance- what would he do if I failed to keep her alive?

"You have to... to make people like you." By now the sobs were gone, and only a few tears rolled silently down my face. I stared numbly off into space and Peeta rubbed circles at the base of my neck to try and calm me down. "That's how you get sponsors. And sponsors get you... Stuff."

Katniss frowned. "And if I can't get them to like me?"

"Well, that's for Haymitch and I to muddle through, I guess."

"You'll be fine, Katniss." Peeta offered quietly. I gagged.

"Why do you always have to be so optimistic? It makes me wanna throw up. Or cry... Yeah, cry in the corner of my too big closet until I can't cry anymore, and then I still won't leave and I'll die of dehydration. Good plan, Aces." I said, starting off by talking to Peeta before having a full blown conversation with myself.

Much to my surprise, and Peeta's, Katniss let out a strangled laugh. Short, but a laugh. "No wonder you like Gale." She said simply. I blinked at her.

"Wha?" I slurred. Crying always made me feel drunk.

Not that I would know what that feels like...

"You're both, you know... Pessimistic and introverted?" Katniss tried, cringing.

Peeta laughed. "You should have seen her up until a few years ago. This one could talk your ear off about how one day we'd all rule the world from a throne of butterflies."

I scoffed and feebly hit his arm. "I did not."

"Did too." He shot back.

I looked at Katniss and said, "Don't listen to him. He's clearly deranged. I think it might be shock." I raised my eyebrows at her conspiratorially. "Shooock-ah." I giggled.

Katniss blinked at me in confusion and looked back at Peeta, who blushed again.

"She's a handful."

"Tell me about it." He muttered shyly. "She's my usually so... Drunk?"

I gasped. "Did you just call me drunk?"

He paled and put his hands up in surrender. "No. No I did not. No one's calling you drunk, I don't- I don't know what you're talking about." He stammered.

I hummed and turned to Katniss again. "He's a terrible liar. I don't know how he's kept-" I was cut off as Peeta lunges over the arm rests and put his hand over my mouth.

"Wah or ouu doi? Wah oy goi se da ouu akule lie ku ant da cays." *what are you doing? Was only going to say that you actually like to paint the cakes.*

Katniss looked confused and Peeta laughed awkwardly as he stood up, dragging me out of the chair.

"I think she needs to sleep off the tears. I'm going to make sure she gets to bed." With another awkward laugh, he dragged me from the room.

KPOV

I watched Peeta drag Aces from the room in confusion. I don't think I had ever seen him move so fast, outside of a wrestling match that is, as when he lunged at Aces just now.

What had he thought she was going to say that was so bad?

I sighed and decided that some sleep didn't sound so bad. I could use all the sleep I could get before the games.

Awe, oblivious Katniss is the best. Sad, but cute and smol bean like. Am I right?

Review, comment, or favorite, they all result in a heart attack of happiness!

Also, I'll be in Germany for nineteen days starting the first of August, and I probably won't have any internet so it'll be a while before I can update anything.

Sorry guys!