The Document manager was giving me trouble and I unknowing uploaded and posted the wrong version. Here's the right one.

I do not own the Hunger Games, but this story and the original characters are mine.

Chapter 12

The evening of the Opening Ceremonies has finally arrived and I have been scrubbed down and beautified for the event. Not one hair is out of place. No matter what magic my stylists and prep team can create, they can not rid my stomach of its nerves. Regan stands back and admires her handiwork. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks." I look at myself in the mirror. I hardly recognize the person staring back at me. The doorbell rings. Dimitri. I take a deep breath and steal myself for the evening. An evening of unknowns; I've never done well with unknowns. I open the door. Dimitri stands there with his hands in his navy blue blazer which looks like it's made out of the same material as my dress. The cuffs and collar are black. Underneath he wears a black shirt and tie. His hair is loose around his shoulders.

"We match." These are the first words that tumble of my mouth.

"Well, hello to you too," he chuckles dryly.

I glance back at my stylist. She looks at me and just shrugs. I have stopped believing in things being coincidental.

"Great minds think alike," He smiles and I notice that his scars are less visible. In fact, I can hardly see them.

"You look nice," I say. I touch a tendril of his hair. It slips through my fingers, like silk. "The jacket looks nice with your hair."

"Thank you. My hair is completely natural, curls and all." he says. "Your dress looks nice with your skin. It's very…chic. Shall we go, or shall we stand here and continue to complement each other on how nice we look?"

"I am hungry," I admit.

"Well, good. I'm sure they'll have lots of food. Snow always does," I notice the rasp is back in his voice. Excess is one of the trademarks of the Capitol. My stylist and prep team leave quickly to primp and prep for their party. Dimitri offers me his arm and I take it.

We make our way down the hallway. The other Gamemakers on my floor are leaving as well. Contessa is leaving her apartment with two young men who look to be my age, maybe a little younger. They are both dark haired and look like twins. They join us at the elevator. Contessa's dress is one of the ugliest dresses I have ever seen. I wonder who her stylist is. Her dress has a halter top and looks to be made out of leather that has been dyed a light purple. The skirt is short and ruffled in the front and in the back, it is a long train. To complement this ensemble, she wears white go-go boots.

Contessa eyes Dimitri and I suspiciously. "If you needed a date Carmen, you should have asked me. I would have found you a more suitable…victor to go with."

Dimitri bristles a bit. I open my mouth to retort, but Dimitri yanks on my arm to keep me quiet. The elevator doors open and the five of us step on.

"Floor?" Dimitri asks.

"Ground floor. My driver is picking us up at the front door. Surely you aren't making her walk in those shoes?" Contessa says.

Dimitri rolls his eyes and presses the button for parking. "I hope she was smart enough to wear comfortable shoes."

He mimes sticking his index finger down his throat and gagging. You never realize how awkward it is to ride in an elevator several floors with someone who is playing hockey tonsil another with another person until it actually happens. Dimitri keeps his gaze on me the entire time as we attempt to ignore what's happening on the other side of the elevator. Occasionally, the elevator stops to let on more people. As more people get on, I am forced to be closer to him. I met his eyes and try to figure out what's going on behind those brown eyes.

Finally, we reach the ground floor. Some of the people get off. No one comments on Dimitri and I. Maybe they don't recognize us, but they could also be doing what people from the Capitol do best: be self absorbed. Half of the people filter out. Contessa blows us a kiss. Dimitri rolls his eyes and sighs. To lighten his mood, I say "At least there will be other people and we won't have to talk to her."

I keep hold of Dimitri's arm as we step out of the elevator. The parking garage is almost empty. "Everyone's gone already," I say.

"Snow's not the only one throwing a party," Dimitri says. "We might crash a couple of those if you don't mind."

We. Us. He speaks about him and me as if we are a team. I guess we are, in a helps me into the passenger side of his car and makes sure that my dress fits. Graham would never look after me like that. It was either 'I' or 'you.' Let's have sex. You owe me because you're from the Capitol.

There is that lingering feeling of guilt about Graham. It's not his fault by the way he reacted. I am a part of something that he so strongly hates; something that took a member of his family. I hate the Games too, in a way. It took my grandmother. There are certain parts of my grandmother that I will never know because the Games stole that part of her. I see it as a thing that has instilled strong sense of paranoia in both her and in me. It also took my mother away. She could not be my mother because she was wrapped up with the Games year-round. I am not that naïve to believe that this is a simple form of entertainment. Only now, I'm starting to see their toll on all of us.

Graham and I are still a couple, but I know that I cannot expose him to this intimate aspect of the Games. It would break him. I do love him, but I belong to the Games now. It runs in my blood. It seems heartless, this abrupt end, to our otherwise healthy relationship. I don't deserve to be apart of his life, especially since now I am apart of something that killed his brother. It's now a matter of going through the formalities to end it. The 'I can't do this anymore,' and 'it's not you, it's me.'

When I was younger, my sister and I lived with my grandmother in District 8 during the summer. I know of the starvation of which Graham speaks of in District 3. I saw it first hand in District 8, but I don't dare tell anyone those memories or about my sister. My sister. There is a pang in my heart and I push it away. I shouldn't let depressing thoughts ruin this night, though I do wish she were here.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Dimitri asks, jolting me out of my thoughts. "You look sad."

I shake my head. "I'm fine. I was just thinking."

"You wanna tell me?"

My sister's death is something of a taboo subject in my family. Over the years, she has been erased. My mother has had the surgery where they use trackerjacker venom to erase the memories. When a person dies, people in the Capitol forget they ever existed. They erase them completely. They can't handle pain.

I don't know what to tell Dimitri. I don't trust him enough to tell him about my dead sister, and telling him I wish he were Graham seems cruel and, also is untrue. Graham and I have a strange relationship because of who I am. It's never been an open one and I always seem to be hiding something from someone. I don't expect the one with Dimitri to be much different.

"It's nothing."

"Well, if you change your mind…" He gives me a half smile and reaches over and squeezes my hand. I resist the urge to snatch my hand away. "I know how to keep a secret."

"Why did you agree to be my mentor?"

"Well, I couldn't let them have you, now could I?"

I want to ask who 'them' refers to, but I know better. Too many questions about who's doing what and it could get you killed. We've had friends that have mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

"Is… is this mentoring thing hard for you?" I ask.

"Yes and no. It's easier in the fact that I don't get to watch you die at the hands of your peers, but also it's hard because I can't protect you from everything."

"I don't expect you to," I say. I look out the window. Brightly colored buildings fly by.

"We should talk about something more…happy. It's the Hunger Games."

"What did you think of Contessa's dress?"

"I think she needs to fire her stylist." He licks his lips. "So tell me about yourself. I can't properly mentor you if I know nothing about you."

I take a deep breath. "There's nothing to know really. I'm Vivian and Hugo's only daughter and Jettie Hyde's, the victor of the 14th Hunger Games, granddaughter."

"Stop hiding behind the names of your parents. That doesn't matter now. You are Carmen Hyde, Gamemaker."

"It's all about titles in the Capitol." I say. We've hit a snag of traffic. It looks backed up for miles. There is no way I will be able to escape this conversation. Individually, we try to distinguish ourselves by what we look like on the outside. The inside doesn't matter as much.

"No, no, no. Fuck the Capitol," Dimitri interrupts. "Who are you? What is your biggest aspiration? Who do you most admire? What's your favorite color? Come on, give me something to work with. Show me that you have more to you than just a pretty face and nice ass."

"My favorite color is blue," I blurt out, blushing/

"That's a start."

"I want to be a pianist."

"Well, you're certainly on the wrong career path," Dimitri says sardonically. "Mother doesn't want it?"

The traffic had come to a dead stop. People are trying to get good seats for the parade of the tributes. I don't answer him right away.

"We could be here a while," Dimitri says.

"I spent my summers in District 8 with my grandmother until I was sixteen. I was sent there the day after the reapings and stayed until September. I was busy with other things, like learning how to cook, bake, sew, and play the piano. I also worked in the textile factory a few days a week because my grandmother wanted us to know what it was like to work for your food. I will never forget."

Dimitri says nothing and fiddles with various dials. Cool air fills the cabin. Unable to stand the silence, I break it. "What's your favorite color?"

"Green," He says. "My biggest aspiration is to stay alive and in one piece for the rest of my life."

"Fair enough," I say.

"Tell me about your family." He puts the car into park.

"But—"

"Just do it."

I take another deep breath. "I haven't seen my father in over four years. It makes me wonder if he's dead. I was raised mostly by my grandmother." Telling him this is hard and it hurts. I struggle to read the expression on his face. He stares straight ahead and says nothing and keeps his face completely blank.

"You have abandonment issues, can't say that I'm completely surprised." His eyes lock on mine. They are filled with pity. "That seems to be a common theme here in the Capitol, but at least you have your grandmother. It doesn't replace having a mom or dad though."

"What about you? What's your family like?"

"They're dead." He smiles sadly. "But don't let that get you down. You should enjoy tonight."

Traffic surrounds us and I can see that the Capitol has not disappointed in turning out the oddly bizarre outfits. "Where are you from?"

He continues. "I'm from District 5, better known as the Power district. We're responsible for keeping the lights on in the Capitol, factories and other important places. We harness the wind, sun, and water for Capitol use."

"How did you harness the wind?"

"Wind turbines. We had a hundred square mile field filled with them. A couple of hundred miles away, we had a dammed lake that provided power. Then at the end of the day, we'd pump it all back and start all over."

"Solar panels?"

He nods. "We had a large field of those too, and we were allotted a certain amount on our house to provide power for us. I worked on the wind turbines. I was actually the head of my group before I was reaped." He stares dreamily.

"So you're good with your hands?" I realize what I implying a little too late. I clap a hand over my mouth and feel the heat in my face. I fan myself and look out the window. We have started moving now.

"Well, I haven't had any complaints." Dimitri laughs and his eyes sparkle mischievously. "Thanks for asking."

I blush madly. "I didn't mean it like that!"

"You know, for a Capitol girl, you've got a pretty dirty mind. I like it." He smirks.

There's no use arguing with him about it. "I'm pretty sure my mind is tame compared to some people."

We finally arrive at President Snow's mansion. There is a line of cars that stretch around the circle, and a constant sea of valet Avoxes who are parking the cars. Despite the awkward conversation Dimitri and I have had on this ride to the President's mansion, I am sorry for it to be over. A male Avox opens the door and helps me out of the car. Together Dimitri and I enter President Snow's mansion.

"Don't forget to smile," he whispers.

I nod and tightly clutch his arm as we climb the marble stairs to the entrance. There are two large sweeping staircases in the foyer. Draped over the staircases are red and silver silk banners. Many bouquets of roses are scattered around the foyer. We are escorted into a lavish dining room where the Capitol's most important individuals sit at tables eating. There are two empty seats at a table with Lupe, Elmo, Sixten, Elina and their respective significant others. They already have plates in front of them piled high with rich foods.

"You look lovely," Sixten says.

"Thank you."

Dimitri pulls out a chair and gestures for me to sit down. "Traffic was bad so we're a little late."

"Look at you, turning him into a gentleman," Elmo says. He winks at me. "I'm sure there's still plenty of food. Your protégé won't starve."

Dimitri blushes. As much as Dimitri many deny wanting to be my mentor in front of the other Gamemakers at yesterday's meeting, I secretly believe he's lying. His attitude has changed from glowering victor with a 'trust no one' attitude to almost charming.

Elmo flags down a waiter. "They'd like some wine. Pink, red or white?"

"Red," I say.

"We'll take the cabernet sauvignon," Dimitri answers.

"It's a buffet," Elmo says, "Help yourselves. President Snow has already spoken, but it's the same thing he says every year." He pushes his half empty plate away from him. An Avox brings our wine.

"Cheers," Dimitri says. We clink glasses. He keeps his gaze on me as we drink.

I follow him to the tables. They are absolutely loaded with different kinds of foods; different kinds of cheeses, salads, soups, meats, fish, and other delicacies that I have never seen. I don't know where to start. I want to taste it all, but I know there will be no way. Dimitri helps himself to a large steak, smashed potatoes with garlic, and broccoli. He's not impressed by what the Capitol has to offer. He can see through the glitz and glitter. For that, I admire him. He also helps himself to a small bowl of soup.

I spoon a small amount of rice on my plate. I choose a small groosoing breast that has been marinated in garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage and put it on my plate. The juice from the groosling drips onto the rice. I put extra juice on my rice. Next, I move to the bread table and put a warm rosemary roll on my plate. A small salad with mixed greens and a light dressing and I have filled my plate to the brim. Already, I see that the wine and food have been flowing freely. Many Capitol residents have already taken advantage of the liquid that makes them vomit the food and drink they've been eating. It's a waste.

A hand touches my shoulder and I almost drop my plate. I need to stop being so jumpy. It's my mother's friend, Adamaris. She looks stunning in her plum colored evening gown and plum eye makeup to match. "Hello, darling. I saw you come in with a ravishing young man."

"Yes, that's my… date."

"That red hair. I love his curls."

"It's completely natural."

She covers her mouth in shock. "You don't say! You have to tell me everything about him! Where did you meet?"

"He found me," I say. I should tell her that we're not an item, he's my mentor and that I'm with someone named Graham, but I don't. Instead, I play along with this charade.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your friends. Adamaris touches my shoulder. "Congratulations on your appointment."

This food on my plate is quite possibly the best food that I've ever eaten. I go back for seconds and try something completely different. I have three different bowls of soup in front of me. Dimitri is on his fourth plate of food, probably at least his third steak. He hasn't taken advantage of the clear liquid.

"Careful," I tease "Your button may pop off your pants if you aren't careful."

He took a long draft of beer. "Fuck buttons. Have you tried this beer?" Dimitri hands me his beer stein.

A woman in a pink wig sits down at our table. I recognize her as the bubbly escort from District 12. I wonder where Haymitch Abernarthy is. I don't have to wonder long. He comes lumbering across the room, wasted and bumps into our table. A couple of the other Gamemakers snort in disgust. Even Effie looks grossed out. Several of the other Gamemakers move and so it is just the four of us.

"Easy, Haymitch," Dimtri says.

"Hello, Dimitri," Haymitch slurs. "Is the Capitol treating you well?"

He shrugs. "Some years are better than others. What's on your mind, Haymitch?"

"My tributes. I have a pair of fighters this year, as opposed to previous." He looks around suspiciously. "It looks like the mockingjay may fly this year."

Dimitri's eyes widen. "The mockingjay hasn't attempted to fly since the 69th Games. The trackerjackers are vicious are this year."

"You don't think the Lord of the Flies has been active?" Haymitch smirks.

"I've folded lots of origami cranes this year, and not one of them has caught fire." Dimitri answers.

I don't understand what they're talking about. It takes me a minute to realize that they are talking in code.

His eyes narrow at me, finally recognizing my existence. "I don't recognize you, girl."

"She's my protégé, Haymitch," Dimitri says carefully. "She's Vivian's daughter, Carmen."

Before Haymitch can ask any more questions the lights darken, the music stops and screens appear from the ceilings. The anthem plays and we are transported to where the tributes will be paraded around the circle and then end up in front of Snow's mansion.

District 1 comes first. The crowd goes wild. The two tributes are dressed in gold silk with diamonds and other precious stones that are sewn into the fabric. As the crowd oohs and ahhs, the cameras cut to the next pair of tributes. District 3, Graham's district is next. They are dressed in a silver metallic material that have computer chips sewn into the fabric, making their outfit look like it has little spots of mold. Somewhere between Districts 2 and 4, Dimitri's arm slips around my shoulders

Dimitri groans when District 5 rides around in their chariot. Their stylists had dressed them as high voltage power lines. Their headdresses look top heavy and if the hourses threaten to turn any curves to fast they threaten to fall out of the chariot. Districts 6 through 11 seem to be pretty standard. Seven's tributes are dressed as pine trees. They either look terrified or they're attempt to look tough and intimidating. That seems to be Thresh from District 11's plan. He's doing a pretty convincing job.

Haymitch and Dimitri have stopped talking. Dimitri leans in and whispers my ear. "I hope you're paying attention. There will be a quiz tomorrow."

District 12 comes into view. My mouth drops and the crowd gasps. Flames flicker around the perimeter of their bodies. Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark ride like they are royalty and the Capitol are their subjects. They seem to not be intimidated by the screaming crowd. Her name is being chanted and someone throws her a rose. She smells it and then blows the crowd a kiss. This makes them go wild.

"Fire is catching," Haymitch says, rubbing his hands together.

Dimitri stares at him. "Only if the spark is strong enough. It needs to be fed."

The tributes have made it to the circle in front of Snow's mansion, and it cuts away from them to President Snow.

"Do you know why the caged mockingjay finally sings?" Dimitri whispers in my ear.

"No." I turn to face him. His lips are inches away from mine. I find myself staring at them. I wonder what they would feel like on mine. "Are you…"

He kisses me, catching me off guard. "Will you trust me?"

A/n: Sorry about the confusion. I didn't realize it until I went to start writing chapter 13.