A/N-Thank you for all of the reviews! Eight more reviews and I'll update tomorrow!

I stand there with my mouth agape. The sight truly disgusts me. Katniss, the love of his life, is in the Hunger Games and he's just kissing random girls? Are you kidding me? Apparently he doesn't love her as much as he leads on. I couldn't even imagine kissing anyone but Peeta. I mean, how could he? How could he kiss that evil witch?

Should I keep on my way to the meadow? It would be so awkward of he saw me. Jeez, this is so awkward already. I know that snob sees me. She thinks I'm jealous. Ha. I'm surprised. He thought I was stuck up. I can't wait till she opens her bratty mouth. Gale will think I'm a saint.

I scurry away hoping that Gale didn't see me. I pray he didn't see me. It shouldn't surprise me, really. Gale is a player. I've heard the girls talk about him at school. He kisses girls at the slagheap, and that's it. There's no second date. He moves onto the next one. All of the girls want him because he's cute. What about his personality?

I want a husband with a great heart. I want someone who'll kiss me in the rain like I heard in old stories. I want someone who'll bring me flowers. I want someone who'll bring me happiness in my darkest hour. I want someone who'll tell me I'm beautiful. I want someone who'll hold me when I cry. I want Peeta.

I jog the rest of the way to my house with tears in my eyes that I refuse to let fall. I open the door to my house very quietly. Theo is cleaning the kitchen floor. The maids dust. I sit on the bench of the piano and play a song that makes me think of Peeta every time I hear it.

He told me once that he thought this song was beautiful. I wanted to tell him the song was about him, but I didn't. I wish I did.

I stay at home and watch the Games today. My father left before I even woke up. My mother is heavily drugged. Theo went to the market. I'm alone with the maids as usual. There is nothing to do but watch the horror that comes with Games.

I try to busy myself with the piano, but the television is blaring. It's kind of hard to ignore. I try to busy myself with cooking, but not knowing what happened in the Games is almost as bad as knowing. I sit down and watch the Games. I watch the recaps. I watch the forest fire destroy the trees. I watch the fire burn Katniss. I watch Peeta run with the Careers. I watch everything.

The recaps end and I'm almost grateful. The worst is yet to come, though. Katniss fell asleep at the pond. "Wake up," I mumble. "Wake up." I urge her to get up. "Don't die now." She can't just give up! The camera pans back to the Careers. They're coming that way. They're coming! Get up, Katniss! Get up!

Thank goodness for Katniss that the Careers are loud. She wakes up at the last second. Her eyes go wide and she runs. Her leg is bad, though. She decides to climb a tree. Is that the best she can do? She's going to die. Oh, no. Don't give up on me now, Katniss.

She goes up the tree quickly, but the Careers still see her. She could've hid. She must have a plan because she's smiling. She could just be going insane. That's probably it. She's gone nutty in the head.

The Careers think it's a joke. The Careers share playful banter with Katniss. She doesn't even seem concerned as Cato tries to climb up the tree. She climbs a little bit higher. Cato snaps the branch and goes flailing down. Oh, I get it now. The Careers are too big. They'll break the branches, and that dumb blonde, Glimmer I believe, can't shoot those arrows. Ha. Katniss outsmarted them once again. I never should've doubted her.

The Careers discuss what to do. Peeta suggests that they wait. The rest of the Careers agree. I stare at Peeta. Why would he say that? Why would he want Katniss to die? Katniss and Peeta exchange a glance. Katniss looks confused as well. Katniss may be many things, but she's loyal. I can't believe Peeta didn't try to help her! Katniss would've.

Peeta even kind of looks like one of them now, one of the Careers. I never thought that would happen. I want the old Peeta to come back. I don't want this Peeta. I want the one with the shy smiles, the bright laugh, the kind words, and the caring heart. I want him.

The Careers set up a camp around the tree. I think I fall asleep. The sound of knocking wakes me up. I get up with a groan and trudge to the door, but I quickly glance at the screen. Katniss got a parachute. That's good. Her leg should be feeling better.

"Hello," I say when I open the door. Patrick stands on the other side.

"Hi." It's awkward for a moment because neither of us knows what to say. His resemblance to Peeta is significant.

"Come one in," I say as I gesture inside. He smiles as he hurries past me.

"I just came to see if you wanted some company as you watched," he says as he motions to the television.

"Thanks. I was getting lonely." I slowly saunter to the couch. I sit and he sits next to me. It's a little awkward since my couch is really tiny. "Do you want anything to eat or something to drink?"

"I'm good, thanks."

We sit in silence as we watch. I must've been asleep for a while because it's already morning. "I'm sorry I look like a mess. I fell asleep late last night."

"I think you look beautiful," he says with a smile. I can't help but smile like an idiot.

"You don't look too bad yourself," I say, smiling. The conversation brings back memories of a conversation I once shared with Peeta. Tears fill my eyes, but I blink them back. Don't cry in front of him. Don't cry.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I lie. He sees right through it. He pulls me into an embrace. I hug him back tightly. I don't care if I'm leading him on. I don't care if he thinks I like him. I just don't care anymore.

The tears fall. "It'll all be okay," he coos. "He'll be back before you know it."

All I can do is nod. I pull away and wipe at my eyes. I'm embarrassed honestly. I barely know him. I stare at the television, and he does, too. I look at him, though, through my peripheral vision. He has to be related to be Peeta.

"Hey," I say. He looks at me. I can't hold his gaze. "Are you by any chance related to Peeta?"

"Yeah," he says with a smile. "I'm his older brother."

"Oh. I thought you looked like him."

"Yeah," he says with another smile.

I stare at him for a good long while. He looks at me like I'm crazy and I am. "I'm sorry. You just look so much like him!"

"I get that a lot."

I stare back at the television. If Peeta doesn't come back, I could always live out my fantasy with Patrick. The thought pains me, but it's the truth. Patrick actually wants me. It feels good to be wanted for a change. I lean into his side, and he puts his arm around me. This is exactly what I wanted with Peeta.

I try to emerge myself back into the Games. Katniss is sawing a branch. Huh? The branch has a weird thing on it. Is that a tracker jacker nest? Crap. What is she doing? Trust her. I have to trust her. What is she trying to do? If that thing falls, it'll fall on…the Careers. It'll fall on Peeta.

Patrick has gone silent. She gets stung a couple of times. I hide my face into Patrick's side. He holds me tighter. The next thing I hear is screaming. I hear lots and lots of screaming.

I hear uneven running. I hear agonizing screams. I hear Patrick mumbling. I hear more screams. Screams that will haunt me tonight.

I remove my head from his side and glance at the television again. "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." He's quiet for a moment. "I wish that Seam brat would just die already," he murmurs. I pretend like I don't hear him. I'm sure he's just angry. I'm sure he didn't mean it.

Peeta is fine. He ran to the lake just in time. Katniss is fine. She retrieved the bow and arrow from Glimmer. Glimmer's body is beyond recognition. Two Careers died from the tracker jackers. Peeta's still alive and well. That's what really matters to me.

Cato gets out of the lake with his sword and stomps back into the forest. Clove asks where he's going.

"I'm going to show that stupid brat what she's messing with."

Peeta jumps out of the lake and sprints into the forest after Cato. He's faster than Cato. "What's he doing," Patrick asks. I don't think the question was meant for me. Peeta finds Katniss and screams for her to run. Katniss obeys and runs in the opposite direction. Cato is furious.

Peeta holds up his knife, but what is a knife going to do against Cato and his sword? Peeta tries to throw his knife at Cato, but it just hits him in the arm. Cato definitely has a lot of venom. He's off his game. Cato does manage to knock Peeta down, though. Peeta got a lot of bites, too. Cato smiles a sinister smile as he brings his sword down on Peeta's leg. Peeta cries out in pain. Cato looks at the cut and smiles even bigger.

"Is that painful? Oh, that's too bad." Cato kicks his leg and Peeta cries out again. "I could just kill you right now, but that would be merciful. That cut will kill you soon anyway." Cato laughs as he saunters away. "Oh, Peeta, you stupid boy."

"That's a really bad cut," I announce. I'm in shock. Peeta's dying. He's dying.

"I gotta go," Patrick says quickly. He gets up and rushes to the door. "My dad's going to be a wreck." He's almost out the door when he pulls something out of his pocket. "Madge, uh, my brother wanted you to have this if he…you know…"

"Died," I squeak.

Patrick nods. Tears are streaming down my face. He looks at me for a long time. I get up from the couch and snatch the folded piece of paper from his hand.

"He's not dead," I choke out. "He's not going to die."

"Madge, did you see that cut," Patrick yells.

I cry harder. "He's going to be fine," I declare. I'm telling myself more than him. "He's going to heal." Patrick is shaking his head. "He will," I shriek.

"I gotta go." He's out the door and onto the street. I slam the door shut and sink to the floor. He's not Peeta. He's not Peeta. He's not my Peeta.

No one comes as usual. I have to comfort myself. Even Patrick left me. I'm used to it. When Peeta comes back he'll comfort me. He'll hold me. He'll tell me I'm beautiful. He'll love me. He'll be mine.

I scream and chuck the piece of paper away from me. When I calm myself down, though, I pick it up. Madge is neatly written on the front. I won't unfold it. He's not dead. He won't die. He'll be fine. He'll come home to me.

I pick myself up from the floor and lie back on the couch. I put the paper up to my nose. It still smells like Peeta. He always used to smell like the bakery.

I fall asleep that night with the paper clutched tightly against me.

A/N- What did you think? REVIEW, PLEASE! Eight more reviews and I'll review tomorrow!