It takes very little convincing to get Juniper interested in the party, so I leave Robin and Hugh to her and hurry back to my room. I hope the machinery won't mind me ordering a ton of food at once. It hasn't failed before, but if anything could break it, it would be this.

It gives me two arms' worth of finger food without any trouble, though, so I check my hair, load up the snacks, and make for the staircase. I go up one flight before a door slams open somewhere below me. Keeping all of the food close to my center, I peek over the railing.

"Hey, Apollo!" Athena only cranes her neck to look up at me for a second before all I can see is the tip of her ponytail. She progresses up the stairs at an alarming rate—especially considering her performance at the reaping—to catch up with me. She's still in her interview outfit, although she's slipped Widget on since. I don't think she ordered any of the same food as me, although she seems to have a small table tucked under one arm besides the refreshments. My surprise at her not falling over the handrail doubles.

"Are you ready for this?!" Her load restricts her movement, but she still bounces.

I grin, nudging the bowl of chips before it starts to tilt off my shoulder. "You bet. Let's hope we can make it up there with all of this."

"Yeah." She starts up the next few steps. "Have you run into anyone else yet?"

"No. Either they're still getting ready, or they're trying to sneak onto District 12's floor with the elevator."

"Hmm. Doesn't sound too safe."

I snort, leaning against the rail as I ascend. "Neither does this."

"True."

We make it to the roof with minimal losses, although I have to set a few bowls down to open the door.

It's surprisingly well-lit outside. Not only are the buildings around this one lit up, but there are also small orbs of light spread across the roof. Once I walk out into the middle of things, I can see Ema with an armful of them.

"Oh, Ema!" I set my food down on a table-like surface—for an air conditioner, maybe.

She turns, clearly in a better mood than the last time I saw her. "Hey. How are you?"

"Good, thanks."

Athena sets up her table and starts arranging our food, so I approach Ema. "Where did you get those?"

"The room." She looks between the two closest lights a few times before setting another one down precisely. "We have access to a whole lot of nightlights, apparently."

"Huh." I hadn't thought of that. "Need some help?"

"Well... Okay." She thrusts the rest into my arms before I'm quite ready. "You carry them." She adjusts the glasses on her head with a smile. "I'll keep placing them myself. I've worked out scientifically where to place each one to light up the rooftop with maximum efficiency."

When did she have time to do that? Did I really take that long re-gelling my hair? Maybe she's just pretty quick with this kind of stuff.

I follow her, and we get the rest of the lights set up by the time Robin has arrived with food and drink. Hugh's right behind her with more bottles and cups, while Juniper only carries a platter of fruit slices and cream cheese. Once Klavier arrives, I can't seem to locate Ema. Trucy's back in her normal—well, normal for her—garb by the time she joins us, and Jinxie comes in behind her. A few tributes are still filtering in when my district partner claims one open stretch of roof for her stage and starts to gather a crowd. Klavier sets up with a guitar on one of the raised areas, adjusting the lights nearby so he can see the instrument better. Or so we can see him better.

I grab a few things from the snack area and go to Trucy's show. Even with completely makeshift equipment, excepting the props I've already seen, she shines bright. Some card tricks, her magic panties—again—and Mr. Hat. Along with some more traditional tricks and plenty of twirling, it's quite a show.

She declares an intermission and heads for the refreshments, although she only gets a cup of punch before drifting over to Klavier. Robin, the girl from 6, and Jinxie are hanging around there already. In addition to strumming the guitar that I assume came from one of the infinite drawers in the Training Center rooms, he sings. I don't recognize the song, but it has a nice melody to it.

A clink behind me draws my attention, and I turn to see Hugh approaching with a few bottles in hand. He tosses one to Robin and waits for the end of the song before offering Klavier one.

The 7 narrows his eyes at the drink. "Is that alcoholic?"

"Clearly."

Klavier waves it away. "I'm only seventeen."

Hugh frowns. "What on earth does that have to do with anything?"

He snaps slowly as he talks. "Eighteen is drinking age in District 7."

"Perhaps a simpleton as yourself has yet to notice, but we are not in District 7."

"I realize that." He stares at the bottle in confusion for a minute before taking it. "Danke." He sets it by his side unopened and gives his guitar a few absentminded strums before smiling at the girls. "Any requests?"

"Hmm." Trucy folds her arms. "I'm not sure that I know any District 7 songs."

Had he been playing a song from his district? I wasn't paying much attention to the lyrics, but I think there was something about trees in there.

"Music transcends all borders, Fräulein Magician. Start singing something from your own district, and I can pick up on the tune."

"Me, sing?" She smiles. "But your voice is so much lovelier than mine."

"Hold on! I know!" Robin turns around, the ruffles of her fancy suit fluttering. "JUNIPEEEEER!"

And people complain about me being loud.

The girl at the refreshment area jumps. "Wh-what?"

Robin grins at us, leaning forward with her hands clasped behind her back. "Juniper's singing voice is G-R-E-A-T!" She punctuates the letters with a shake of the pointer finger.

Juniper has come to join us by now, although she's clearly not sure what's going on.

"You've heard her singing?" Trucy asks.

"Of course!" Robin loosely covers her mouth with her fingers. "We've been friends for a while, you know."

"Really?" Athena has come onto the scene now, iced cookie in hand.

"Yeah. But anyway!" Robin spins on her heel to face her district partner. "Juniper! Klavier's open to requests now, so you should totally sing something! Maybe that one song from from the harvest festival?"

"O-oh, um..." Juniper pulls the brim of her hat, which she must have gone back to get after the interviews, down over her face. "That's okay..."

"COME ON, MAAAAAAN!" Robin spins with a giggle. "It'll be fun!"

"I don't believe I've heard you sing yet." Hugh adjusts his glasses with one hand, a glint coming off the glass. "Perhaps I won't be disappointed."

"Yeah, Junie." Athena flashes her a peace sign. "You're just singing with some friends! Nothing to be scared of!"

Juniper clasps her hands together in front of her chest, her eyes flicking from side to side. "Well..."

"Now you've gotten us all curious." I smile. "I'd love to hear you sing, if it's not too hard on you."

"Okay." She drops her hands to her sides with a hesitant smile and steps toward Klavier. Athena chuckles, but when I give her a look, she just laughs harder. What is she so tickled about?

After some exchange with Klavier and a bit more hesitation, Juniper begins to sing. Robin wasn't exaggerating. She really is great. To be honest, I don't think I've heard as much music as the average person, but she still has a clearer voice than anyone I can think of.

Her final note, in a chord with the guitar, trails off, and her eyes dart around the crowd. When she glances my way, her eyes widen, and I only have time to tilt my head to the side before I'm attacked.

Knocked off-balance, I stagger to stay upright, though it's hard to stand straight with weight pressing down on my shoulders.

"Hey, Apollo! Having fun?"

I get my bearings and crane my neck to see Clay with one arm over my shoulders.

"Hey! I was wondering where you'd run off to."

He takes a step back, holding up something rectangular in his hands. "I thought I'd grab something, but it was harder to find than I thought. Could they cram any more buttons in those bedrooms?" He grins. "Kind of fun to mess with, actually. But anyway, I'm pretty sure this is a camera. Who's up for taking some dumb pictures?"

"Pretty sure?" I echo as Athena seizes his wrist. He releases his cargo, which is about the right size for a camera but unfeasibly thin.

She scrutinizes it for a minute before nodding as its screen flashes white. "It's a camera, all right." She swings it up in front of her eyes. "Say cheese, Clay!"

W-wait, I'm still in the frame!

I quickly smile and sling an arm over Clay's far shoulder since he hasn't pulled his other arm off me yet. Might as well be symmetrical.

Either the flash is slow or Athena didn't mind waiting a few seconds, but the camera clicks, and she squints at the bright screen before hopping in joy. "Great! Now it's my turn... Junie!"

"Ah?" Juniper blinks before stepping toward us. "Sure." She holds a hand out to take the camera.

"No, silly! You're going to be in it with me! Apollo, here." Athena throws me the camera, which I proceed to drop. Clay manages to snatch it before it hits my feet.

"Let's try that again." He tosses it back to me. With our hands less than a foot apart, it's a much easier catch.

"Thanks." I risk a glance around to see if anyone's laughing at me, but they seem polite enough at the moment.

Luckily, all it takes to snap a photo is tapping the camera screen, so I take Athena's and Juniper's picture easily. From there, it's a group shot with Juniper, Robin, and Hugh. Klavier takes one with the 6 girl, who introduces herself as Constance. More group pictures, Trucy swiping the camera for some candid shots, a trick photo of Athena preparing to squish Clay between her fingers.

The camera continues to make the rounds as the party continues, Trucy resuming her magic show, Klavier playing something complicated without vocals, a television on the other side of the stairwell showing a sketch comedy show. The refreshment table grows more and more pathetic as we chip away at it, and Trucy concludes her performance to raucous applause. It doesn't feel as late as it probably is, but a few tributes start trickling back to their bedrooms, and it's clear that the party is unofficially coming to a close.

Clay takes one last shot with Ema before heading back this way. "Hey, Klavier?"

Klavier sets down his bottle of water. "Yes?"

"Well—" Clay spins the camera in his hands—"I'm not sure what will happen to this if I put it back in my room, so... Maybe you could give it to your brother for safekeeping?"

Klavier frowns. "Why my brother?"

"You know." Clay stares off at the rows of night lights, now hopelessly knocked out of order. "I kind of wanted to save this for later. No matter which of us is going to… want it." His voice has quieted a bit. "Better a mentor than an escort, since he'd get to interact with a Victor from any district. And your brother seems pretty organized, so..."

Ah… Is that why he looked so hard for the camera? To have some record of us being happy? No, we've all had some moments of happiness caught on camera. But this was us being friends. Having a good time together, arena or no arena. It probably wouldn't go over well with the Capitol. No wonder he doesn't want to risk stowing it away in his room.

If I do make it out… I would want that. I… can't imagine how painful it would be to look back on this night from that point. But it would be nice to remember that we've done this. That any of us hurting each other isn't because we wanted to, but because we were forced to.

"I see." Klavier tugs at his bangs. "It's a good idea; I won't deny that. I'm… only not sure that Kristoph would be the best one to keep an eye on it. He may see fit to meddle with it. Victors are not to be sentimental about their competitors, after all." A scowl splits his face until he seems to notice us again. He smiles instantly. "What about your own mentor?"

Clay grimaces, shaking his head. "I can't force him to think about the Games any more than he already has to. I'm not calling him unfit as a mentor, but... he still has a condition, and I don't want him to be around Victors more than he'd be willing to push himself."

"Here." I hold out a hand. "I'm sure Ms. Fey would take good care of it."

"You think so?" The 3 pauses for a moment, probably trying to remember more about Maya. "All right." He smiles, handing it over. "Don't drop it on your way there."

"Right, right." I slip it into my vest pocket and look back up at him. He takes a moment to glance at the sky before turning his gaze down. It's cloudy tonight. I can barely even make out where the moon is, let alone any stars.

I put a hand on his shoulder. "You doing okay?"

Startled, he blinks a few times before giving me a small smile. "Yeah, man. I'm fine." He grins. "How about you?"

I smile. "I'm fine, too!"