Marley's POV

Jake and I step into the elevator together but neither of us says anything to each other. Effie can't stop talking though so there isn't silence as we zoom to our floor in the giant building which houses the tributes. Apparently her job doesn't stop with us on the train, but rather stops when we are in the training center, in the arena, or dead. I guess it's good that someone's watching out for us. Neither Jake nor I had seen Haymitch since he agreed to help us with our training. He's probably passed out somewhere.

Effie apparently knows everyone in the Capitol because she takes the whole elevator ride listing off all the people she's talked to. The good news is most of them have pledged some sort of support.

"I've been very mysterious though, because of course, Haymitch hasn't bothered telling me your strategies," Effie sounds so pleased with herself at her job. Even if I had a plan I'm not sure I would want everyone to know it. To me that seemed a little stupid. Go ahead and plan to have some secret talent but have the other sponsors know it. "I've done my best with what I had to work with. How Marley sacrificed herself for her sister. How you've both successfully struggled to overcome the barbarism of your district."

I flinch as she says barbarism knowing she was talking about last year's tributes. They were both from the Seam and neither had seen food since their parents were killed in a small mining accident. I had tried to get them to move into the boys and girls homes but they always ran away from their homes. I tried to sneak them food when ever I could but even sometimes there just wasn't enough money for all five of us including my family.

"Everyone has their reservations, naturally. But I said, and this was very cleaver of me, I said, 'Well if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls!" Effie begins to laugh so much I can't tell if she was trying to fool the other sponsors or if she really believed that. But trust me when I say coal does not turn into pearls. If that were the case I would have tried to put a mountain of coal under my house and tried to make pearls long ago. "Unfortunately I can't seal the sponsor deals for you. Only Haymitch can do that. But don't worry, I'll get him to the table at gunpoint if necessary."

I get to my room after listening to Effie retell the story to anyone willing to listen to her. The whole thing is larger than my house back in 12. They are plush like the train but have much more buttons and I'm instantly sure that I won't have time to press every single one. I head into the bathroom after stripping off my flaming outfit. I see the shower is a little more deluxe than the one on the train but I notice some familiar buttons and start with the most basic wash I could remember.

The hot water was amazing and unlike at home, you weren't sitting in your own dirt and you could actually get all the way clean. I glance out of the shower looking for a towel but I can't find one. I step out onto the mat and am instantly dried by some sort of warm air. God is there no physical activity here anymore? I mean I've seen everything here form a machine that walks for you, to a moving sidewalk that you got on and off when you felt like it, and now a warm breeze dries you in less than three seconds. I look at the other gadgets in the room and see one that looks like a diagram of hand on the top of it. Its square like a box but it has some sort of electrical current running around the fingertips. I glance at the underside of it and a large section of my hair falls over onto my face. I pull at the wet strand trying to get them in some orderly fashion but the drying curls tangle themselves even worse. I decide to further examine the odd box frustrated that my wet hair is falling into my eyes and I can't untangle it without a brush or a comb. I set my finger tips down on the diagram and feel a pulsing tingling sensation and feel my hair begin to separate and part itself nicely. I run my hand through my hair, searching for some sort of moistness that would suggest that I had just showered but there wasn't one.

I walked over to what I though was the closet wondering what mysterious setting this would have. I gently tapped the display and the closet whirled to life. The top of the machine spun slowly displaying a wide variety of tops most of which were girly but then the choices became more of what I was used to wearing. I selected a light blue shirt with some white stitching around the collar and then I chose a pair of white pants to go with it. Then the third section began to spin around displaying a terrifying array of high heels. It felt like I had to wait forever before the display finally began to become more practical. I selected a pair of dark blue shoes with laces. I stepped away from the closet and crossed to a board which was posted on the wall. A microphone, similar to the one they use on the reaping day rises from the table. I read one of the items off of the menu and the microphone retreats back into the table. Within a few seconds the item I had requested appears on a small platter. It is hot and steaming as I lift the cover but somehow I'm not hungry anymore. Besides dinner will be ready soon and Jake and I will have to talk strategy with Haymitch and Effie.

At the dining room dinner is being served. A silent young man dressed in a white tunic offers us all stemmed glasses of wine. I think about turning it down, but I've never had wine, except for the homemade stuff my mother uses for coughs, and when will I get a chance to try it again? I take a sip of the tart, dry liquid and secretly think it could be improved by a few spoonfuls of honey.

Haymitch shows up just as dinner is being served. It looks as if he's had his own stylist because he's clean and groomed and about as sober as I've ever seen him. He doesn't refuse the offer of wine, but when he starts in on his soup, I realize it's the first time I've ever seen him eat. Maybe he really will pull himself together long enough to help us. I hope he does otherwise Jake and I will be alone and I don't really see Jake and myself teaming up. It just makes it that much harder at the end. A couple of times in the Hunger Games the tributes from District 12 have tried to team up together. One of the problems with that is once you get down to the final eight or so, your priority of sticking together and surviving decreases and your desperation rises. Most of the time the tributes don't have to face the other tribute of their district but that was how the first victor from District 12 won.

The first time I watched the tributes from 12 teamed up it was a disaster. Both were from town and neither had really ever known hunger, and neither of them knew how to start a fire. We watched as they slowly starved and then ended up freezing together at night. Both were dead by morning. The next time the tributes worked together they were from the Seam and the town. The girl was pretty resourceful and always kept them fed and the boy knew how to construct makeshift shelters. They made it down to the final ten, but then the Gamemakers decided the game was "too boring to watch" so they dried up the tributes' water supply. All the contestants were forced to attend a feast and our tributes were killed by the career pack. The following year there were two people from the Seam selected. Both of them were pretty handy with knives and tools and both had knowledge of how to set snares for food. They made it to the final four and then the girl betrayed the boy. She offered to take watch and then killed him in his sleep. She stole all of the supplies and then went after the remaining tributes. She killed all of them as well and then smiled and waved to the audience. She may have been loved by the Capitol but home in District 12 she was hated.

Cinna and Portia seem to have a civilizing effect on Haymitch and Effie. At least they're addressing each other decently. And they both have nothing but praise for our stylist's opening act. While they make small talk, I concentrate on the meal. Mushroom soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef sliced as thin as paper, noodles in a green sauce, cheese that melts on your tongue, then there are some sweet blue grapes which make me wonder how one district can provide all of this food. The servers move wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full.

About halfway through my glass of wine, my head starts feeling foggy, so I change to water instead. I don't like the feeling and hope it wears off soon. How Haymitch can stand walking around like this full time is a mystery to me.

I try to focus on the talk, which has turned to our interview costumes, when a girl sets a gorgeous looking cake on the table and deftly lights it. It blazes up and then the flames flicker around the edges awhile until if finally goes out.

"What makes it burn?" Jake asks saving me from having to ask.

"Is it alcohol? That's the last thing I want." I say taking another sip from my water.

"Yes the cake has spirits, but all the alcohol has burned off. I ordered it specially in honor of your fiery debut." I clap obediently when Effie starts cutting the cake.

We eat cake and then move into the sitting room to watch the replay of the opening ceremonies that's being broadcast. A few other couples make a nice impression, but none of them can hold a candle to us. Pardon the pun. I thought and then silently laughed.

"Whose idea was the hand holding?" asks Haymitch.

"Cinna came up with the idea of them being a pair of tributes instead of just the boy and girl tribute from District 12." Portia says.

"Just the perfect touch of rebellion. Very nice." Haymitch says raising his glass of wine.

Rebellion? If anything there was too much touching. It's one thing to hold hands but another thing to present us as a team when I have no intention of making any alliance with Jake. He's too much of a liability.

"Have something on your mind there sweetheart?" Haymitch asks and I realize he's talking to me.

I wanted to lie and say that nothing was on my mind but what came out of my mouth was, "Yes I do. I am not going to be teaming up with anyone here. Especially Jake. Yes we were together once, but that was a long time ago and I have no intention of rekindling any sort of flame out of our failed relationship."

Out of the corner of my eye I see Jake flush with embarrassment. Portia and Cinna turn toward each other and ask each other if they knew we were a couple.

"Well despite that, tomorrow morning in the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it." Haymitch says not fazed by my sudden outburst. He must have known about us being together.

"Good night everyone," I say and rush out of the room. I stand outside my door trying to get the fingerprint scanner to hurry up but Jake catches up to me. His door being right next to mine was a little inconvenient right now. He says nothing as he presses his own thumb onto the scanner. Finally I give up on mine and turn to face him. "Look Jake I'm…"

"You don't have to apologize. I didn't want to team up with you either." He says cutting me off. He doesn't even look at me as he walks into his room and the door slides shut. Ironically the door slides open after his closes. I stumble into my room and sink down onto the carpet. Why do I always do this? I always push him away and then feel so horrible about it later. It's not like I try and be this stupid, self-righteous snob who thinks she owns the world, it just happens to me. I pick myself up off the floor and walk over to my bed. I grab a fistful of the silky material and sink back down to the floor. I pull the covers off the bed and carelessly pull the blanket over my head. I am now lying on the floor in a pile of silky fabric while my family sleeps on a mattress that hasn't been replaced since my parents were married. I am a terrible person. These were my last thoughts before I drifted off to sleep on the floor.