Deanie's POV #2

I look into the crowd and see her mom running toward Alice with tears in her eyes. She kneals down and holds her in her arms. I look at them with warmth in my eyes, at least they are safe. The mom looks at me and I quickly look past her. I don't want her to feel she owes me because she doesn't, this is just a ticket for me to be free. The two peacekeepers that were esscorting Alice to the stage were now escorting them to the back of the square with her mother. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I shudder away from it.

"Its ok." Smuil whispers to me then speaks into the microphone. "So whats your name?"

He shoves the microphone in my face and I speak confidently "Deanie Sammer." The micropphone is tooken from my face and he continues to talk.

"Our female tribute is Deanie Sammer. Give her a hand." The audience is silent but I hear a clap from behind me. I look over to see Finnick's red puffy eyes looking back at me. "Ok." He walks over to the Boy's bowl and pulls out another white slip. "Brody Selmin." I search the crowd and find a tall muscular boy walking foward. Who am I kidding? Every guy in this district is tall and muscular. I look at his face and for once I don't see tears. Not one single tear. My eyes scan the whole crowd and even these people that didn't get called are crying. Are we the only people that aren't crying. Hell we're the ones that are going to die not them.

Brody walks slowly up the aisle and he advances toward the stage. His steps are big heavy thuds against the wooden platform. I look over at him and he nods at me. His golden brown hair tousles when he moves his head, but his green eyes stay on me. Like a predetor and prey. I'm the first one he is going to get. Smuil walks over and greets him with a firm handshake and stands him beside me. I can feel the heat radiating off him. I feel his strengh and the games haven't started yet.

"These are district 4's tributes. Deanie Sammer and Brody Selmin." He stands between us then he walks us to the doors behind the stage.

I'm lead to a room on the top floor that is fully furnished with a coffee table and sofa. Both things that I never had since I was 10. These rooms are for the tributes to visit with people like friends and family after their names have been called. They should just pull me out now and put me on the train, I already know no one is going to come see me. I don't like people here and they don't like me so whats the point. The door is swung open just seconds after I sit down on the sofa. In the doorjam stands Alice's mother. Oh god. I think to myself.

"Thank you." She runs towards me and embraces me in a hug. I don't know what to do so I just stand there with my hands to my side. "You saved my baby." She breaks the hug and holds my shoulders in her hands. "I can never repay you." Tears fill her eyes and she begins to sob on my dress. "I am so sorry this has to happen to you." She looks up at me. "You saved my daughter." A sob escapes her mouth. "I will do anything for you. I am in your debt." I will not have someone have empathy for me.

I push her away from me and step toawrds the door. "No I didn't." I spit at her. "I didn't save her I saved myself." I open the door and gesture her to leave. "Don't flatter yourself I did it for me not for her." I look out the window becuase I can't look her in the eyes. "Now I have a way out." Her footsteps leave the room quietly and then I slam the door behind her. My body lazily walks over to the couch and flops down face first into the red pillow. This is when I begin to cry.

When the door slams shut I don't even bother to see who it is. I don't care if they see me crying or not. I don't care what they think. "Are you ok D?" I look up from my pillow and sit up.

"Obviously not you idiot." I look up at him and he's still standing by the door. "So are you going to keep standing there looking like a idiotic god or are you going to sit with me?" He sits beside me and doesn't speak for a minute. Just looks at his hands. I wipe my eyes on the colar of my dress.

"We can escape right now." He looks at me with his deep blue eyes. "You don't have to go and fight." I try to stop his talking but he continues to talk. "We can arrive in the Capitol and then leave." He grabs my hand and places it in his. "Deanie I've known you since we were little, I don't want anything to happen to you." He grabs my chin. Our eyes look into each other.

I break my chin out of his grasp. "Why do you care what happens to me?" I remove my hands from his and place them in my lap.

"Because idiot." He stands up in front of me and pulls me to stand up. "Because I love you." He gives me a big hug. "Your like my sister." I feel his tears on my cheek. "You are the only one that I got."

"Finnick we haven't spoken," I pull away so I can look at his face. "in a long time."

"I don't care Deanie." He pulls away from and I have no choice but to look into his puffy eyes. "You don't want to be a victor." His eyes swell up with more tears. "Trust me I've lived with the images of the people dying over and over and over again in my mind."

I can't fight with him anymore. "Finnick we can talk about this when I'm training." I pause and hold him in my arms. "Your my mentor now."