I storm down the hallway towards the elevators. At the end of the wing where my living quarters are, I am confronted by two guards.

"Let me out!"

"Sorry, Ms. Everdeen, we are not allowed to let you leave without an escort."

"I need to talk with President Coin," I seethe, "let me go!"

"We do not have permission to -"

"She's with me." says a voice. It's Plutarch.

The guards immediately stand aside and we make our way towards the elevators. It's a silent ride down to HQ, but I'm really in no mood to talk.

"Whose fucking idea was it?" I scream the minute I see Coin. She looks slightly taken aback at my introduction, but she puts down her pen and gazes towards me.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." she says cooly.

"Aiden! I thought that we were just gonna shoot some propos and thats it. I did not agree to build a relationship with him!" I splutter.

"Will you sit down please." says Coin.

I look down at the hard chair Coin is gesturing to. "No."

"Alright then, let me just get straight to the point. As Haymitch said, you preform better when you are yourself. We want you to get closer to Aiden so that your interaction on screen will be as good as possible." Coin leans in closer, resting her hand on her chin, "Ms. Everdeen, we need these propos to be real."

"You're asking too much of me," I say, suppressing angry tears, "I can't protect Aiden, I can't get any closer to him, I can't . . ."

"You want to save Peeta, right?" interjects Coin, standing up.

I gulp as Coin places a firm hand on my shoulder, "Then the propos are our only way to unite the districts without Snow hurting Peeta."

...

I stay cooped up in my room that night. Thankfully Libby doesn't bring Aiden around again. It's just as well. Coin's words echo in my mind: without Snow hurting Peeta.

The boy with the bread, the one who was supposed to live. Now, who knows what is happening to him in the Capitol at the merciless hand of Snow? Am I really doing the right thing to save - no but it's not just about him. It's about the whole of Panem.

I know that I won't be sleeping much tonight, with all these confusing thoughts rejuvenated by my conversation with Coin. It's hard for me to give up control, having others dictate my actions for the propos.

Yet somewhere inside me, I know that it's the best shot I have at saving Peeta.