I know this chapter is short, but I haven't had a lot of time to write! I'll update soon.

After shaking the hands of several people dressed in Effie-style outfits and trying to tune out their nasal voices, I find myself in the town square again. This time, the workers are replaced with party guests dressed in fancy clothing. I'm wearing a deep green sequined dress that has a slit up to my knee. Antonius and I were put into the ring again after visiting all of Effie's 'important people'. After a long and tiresome battle with the ashes that had gathered around my ankles and settled into my hair from walking through the charred part of the Capitol, Antonius made an impressive finished product. My hair is pinned to fall over one shoulder in large curls. My makeup is dark and fierce. I'm glad to see that the only part of Peeta's outfit that matches mine is his dark green bowtie. The otherwise plain black tuxedo has a sense of normalcy to it.

The newly paved streets are covered in silver confetti. I wonder where the people of the Capitol still manage to get such ridiculous things even after most of it was destroyed. Twinkling lights hang between the tall buildings on either side of us, criss-crossing above our heads in a chain of stars.

Up ahead, I see a giant fountain pouring some kind of brown liquid down its sides. People stand around it, skewering food on sticks and dipping them in the stuff. When we get closer, I see that it's chocolate—something we never had in District 12. A man with a bald head dyed a bright pink greets Peeta and I.

"Hello, hello. Welcome honored guests. I'm Vice President Gustavo."

I shake his hand. "Katniss." It sounds like a question. I stare over his shoulder, my eyes wide, taking in all the décor around me. Three women in matching green skirts watch a man pull a glittering bouquet from his sleeve. The flames from nearby jeweled fire pits where people gather glint off the man's silver lipstick.

A party of sorts. That's what Effie had called it. Clearly the people of the Capitol wasted no time in getting their living conditions back in order. It didn't feel like I'd been in District 12 long enough for people to have fixed their lives elsewhere. But the Capitol was proof that even the silliest of people could put themselves back together.

I find myself feeling insignificant for the billionth time that day. Peeta pulls me along through the throngs of people. I'm covered in glitter by the time we reach the other side of the crowd. Effie finds us. She's wearing a poofy ball gown that makes it impossible for anyone to get within three feet of her. Her hair is a metallic purple.

"There you are my beauties!" She leans forward to hug me and I'm momentarily lost in the skirt of her dress. "How do you like the party? It turns out the people here have been waiting for so long to have an excuse to throw one. They brought out all their best dresses and food." She sighs and flutters her eyelids dreamily at the glittering streets.

I'm surprised to see Haymitch in a tuxedo. He gives me a look that says 'Comment on my outfit. I dare you'. I don't. Peeta guides me over to a row of benches draped in gold cloth.

"How's this for a garden party?" he asks, looking up at the night sky.

I shrug. I'm just glad to be outside. If I'd been confined to a building, I would have suffocated. "What are we supposed to say to them? 'Hey, I know times are tough, but we made it. So will you'? Look at them, Peeta. They don't need our help. We need theirs." My stomach turns as I say it. I never in my life thought I would look to the Capitol and think they were doing it right. But this time, they were. Somehow, the people had managed to rebuild their lives back to the same nauseating standards.

Peeta plays with a ring Antonius put on my finger. It's a plain silver band except for three small diamonds in the middle. It looks almost like an engagement ring. I pull my hand away suddenly, hoping the thought disappears back where it came from—my nightmares.

"What?" Peeta asks.

"Nothing. I just…" I smooth my dress. The shimmery green nail polish on my fingers is chipping already. Good. "It feels wrong to be here. So many people are suffering and we're at a party."

Peeta sighs. "I know. But maybe this is good. Now that we've seen that it is possible for people to have a normal life again, we can pass the message along."

Of course Peeta is right. I'm just too stubborn to see the good side of all this. "And we look pretty good, too." He grins at me, his blue eyes sparkling like everything else around us.

"You know how you said there's no right way to do this? That whatever we do from now on is probably good?"

Peeta nods.

"Well." I pause, not sure how to say it. I've never been good with words. "You were wrong."

He frowns. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… there is a right way to do it. And you're doing it." I look him straight in the eye so he knows I mean it.

Peeta looks at me for a long time. Then he turns his head and looks up at the stars. I watch him in silence. He closes his eyes and holds my hand between both of his. It's quiet for a long time. The sounds of the party around us fade into the background. Peeta's hands are warm around mine and I slide my other hand in between them. The corners of his mouth lift into a smile and he opens his eyes to look at me.

"What were you thinking about?" I ask.

"What you said. I don't do everything perfect, but there's one thing I got really right."

"What's that?"

Peeta leans in and kisses me on the cheek. I feel his lips move against my face when he answers in a whisper, "I fell in love with the right girl."

I startle myself by crying. I still don't understand how someone can love me so unconditionally when I've done nothing to deserve it. I wipe my cheeks with the backs of my hands. Peeta frowns. "Happy tears, I hope."

I nod, but I don't feel happy. I feel… relieved. No matter how crumbled my world gets, I can rest assured that there will be a diamond among the rubble— a shiny, shimmering Peeta that catches me before I fall and lifts me when I can't reach.

I surprise both Peeta and myself by pulling his face down to kiss him. I don't normally make the first move and it's been so long that I start to worry I'm doing it wrong. But Peeta's hands find my waist and judging by his grip, I figure I'm doing something right.

Someone clears their throat. I pull away from Peeta to see Haymitch standing in front of us, a drink in his hand. He raises an eyebrow and I realize I'm halfway on Peeta's lap and his hands aren't exactly in a dignified place. We untangle ourselves.

"Effie wants you guys to give a speech. You have plenty of time to reproduce later."

My stomach twists. I've never been good at talking in front of an audience. And this time is worse because we haven't rehearsed anything and there's no Cesar Flickerman to help us get back on track when we fumble. I just hope Peeta uses his gift of words and I'm allowed to use my gift of silence.

Effie escorts us to the large staircase leading up to the front lawn of the President's Mansion. She clips a tiny microphone on Peeta's collar. I breathe a sigh of relief when there's no microphone pinned to me.

All the party guests have turned their attention to us. The sea of colorful wigs and skin makes me want to turn and run far away. It's too unnatural and bright.

"Hello," Peeta begins. "Katniss and I have come here from District 12. It's a lot different there." He describes the slow rebuilding and the scars of the people. "There's no easy fix and we know that. But I've seen a good ending. I have it with me tonight." He grabs my hand and pulls me to his side. "Katniss and I went through the arena twice together. We've been through each other's hell and back. I've never known a person who I know better than myself and who I love with my whole heart." There's a few 'aww's' from the crowd. "And the way I see it, if we can make it, everyone else can, too."

The guests burst into applause. The majority of them are crying and I feel my own eyes prick with tears. Peeta raises a hand to silence them. "But not everyone knows this. Not everyone has the same hope for the future. It's up to us to show it to them. We need your help to get the rest of Panem back on their feet."

There's more applause and Effie joins us. "What a lovely couple." She brushes a tear away. "What do you say? Will you help the star-crossed lovers of District 12?"

The crowd cheers. I feel a warm flicker in my chest from seeing all the people willing to help us. A few words from Peeta and they're cheering for us like we're celebrities. But that's not what gives me the first small drop of hope. It's the fact that it's all real. Our story is true this time. We are no longer pretending to be the star-crossed lovers of District 12. We are them.