Except for meals, I don't see Katniss again until our interviews. Cinna gives me a tuxedo that's almost completely white. On the edges of the blazer, he's sewn black sequins. It makes me wonder how I'm supposed to match Katniss. I puzzle over it until we meet backstage. She's wearing a wedding dress. For her supposed marriage to Peeta.

Even I can see that she looks beautiful, and I think about saying so. Instead, I say, "They're making you wear that?"

"Well, the people already voted, and I guess Cinna didn't want it to go to waste." She shrugs. "Had to wear it once."

We take our seats with the other tributes, while Peeta sits in another row with the mentors. Caesar Flickerman takes the stage, looking younger than he is, as always.

He launches right into interviewing. It becomes clear to me that something fishy is going on. Everyone says something about how bad the Games are, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. This is making me so uncomfortable. Don't they know what they're risking? I'm even less prepared for what happens when Katniss has her turn. It starts out normally.

"So," Caesar says, "I bet you're beyond happy that Peeta is safe this year."

"You have no idea. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him. After everything we've been through, he deserves to stay alive." The audience starts bawling, and I have to give her the old mentor thumbs-up.

Then, he discusses her dress. Just like last year, she spins around to show it off. Within seconds, my jaw drops. Her dress has literally burnt away to reveal another dress. It's got the same style as the first, but now, it's completely black. What's worse; the shoulders are white. Like a mockingjay.

Cinna, what have you done?

The audience breaks into pandemonium as Katniss leaves the stage. Many of the tributes are cheering. Caesar has to calm them down before I walk up to meet him. When they see me, everything goes quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Second Quarter Quell victor, from District Twelve, Mr. Haymitch Abernathy!"

More pandemonium ensues. I wave at them, and they go silent. I'm loving this control that I have.

Caesar smiles at me as I take my seat. "I can't believe it's been twenty-five years since your victory. If you don't mind me saying, we're still in stitches over your tipsy entrance at the reaping last year."

I make a small bow in my chair. "Thank you very much. I forgot that was on camera." Everybody laughs.

"I'm really curious: tell us how you feel about your fellow district tribute, Miss Everdeen. You mentored her in the last Games, so you two have obviously spent a lot of time together. What's it like, working with her?"

"Oh, she's… she's like a daughter to me. You know, I care about her. Even though didn't ask for her, and she gets on my nerves."

This earns even more chuckles from the audience.

"Would you say you have a good chance of winning yet another Games?"

I wave my hand in a so-so motion. "Eh. I'm just looking to die with some dignity."

Caesar pats my shoulder. "An honest man! May the odds be ever in your favor." The audience applauds, and I walk offstage.

As I go back to meet my fellow tributes, they do something both incredible and risky: they join hands. It starts slowly, but surely. By the time it reaches Katniss, we look like a small army. A weapon against the Capitol. I don't do anything for a few seconds.

Katniss prods me with her elbow. "Why aren't you grabbing my hand? I look like an idiot."

I sigh and decide to play along. Creating a human chain won't do any damage, right? It sure looks better than taking advantage of the arena. Although, I have a sick feeling the other tributes are thinking of doing just that.

Before I reach my room afterwards, I notice that Katniss and Peeta are still following me.

"Haymitch, we both wanna talk to you separately," he says. "To say goodbye. Katniss, can you step away for a moment?"

Without another word, she turns around and heads down the left hallway, out of earshot.

"Something's been gnawing at me since the reaping," Peeta begins.

"Whatever it is, fire away, boy."

"Why didn't you let me volunteer for you?"

I didn't think I'd have to explain myself to Peeta, but it's best that he knows everything, since this is the last time he'll see me.

"Effie pulled my name out, not yours. It should've been my call from the start, okay? You should've asked me if I wanted you to volunteer. I would've said no, though."

"I know you've been hurt badly by the Games, as much as I have, but I thought you wanted me to take care of Katniss!"

"And you think I won't?" I snap. "I guess you didn't notice that I've been easing myself off of alcohol for the past few weeks, drinking less and less each day. In fact, I only had one drink today. Tomorrow, I'll be sober enough that withdrawal won't kill me like it did before." I raise my hands to show him that my body's shaking, evidence of my journey to sobriety. "I promise, Katniss will return to you in one piece. And she'll have more than just me looking after her."

"That doesn't answer my real question," he argues.

I roll my eyes. "All right. I wanted to keep you out of the arena so you wouldn't have to suffer again. You didn't deserve to go back in, because you're actually a nice guy. This is my battle now. Good luck getting us sponsors, Mr. Mellark."

For his final advice, he says, "Remember everything I've said. You've got the skills, Haymitch. But don't rely on just yourself. All of you guys are in it together."

I extend my arm out to him, and we handshake one last time. He walks back to Katniss silently. I assume he's going to wait outside her room so they can say their own goodbyes later.

She approaches me, looking every bit the same as the girl who desperately saved her sister from the arena's clutches. I'd thought she was crazy at the time. But then I remembered my little brother Lloyd, and how I would feel if he'd been reaped. I would've done the same thing.

"Did you really mean it?" she asks.

"Mean what?"

"You told Caesar that you think of me as a daughter."

"Yeah. It's true. Except for the getting on my nerves part. I could never really hate you, no matter what it seems like. Truth is…" Immediately, I stare at the ground. This is so beyond my comfort zone, but she needs to hear it before the Games begin tomorrow. Might as well end things on a good note. "You actually remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"My girlfriend."

"Oh. I didn't know you'd ever had a girlfriend."

"Had is the key word, sweetheart. Her name was Rosemary."

Katniss takes a long pause. "They killed her to make you suffer." It's definitely not a question, and nodding in answer doesn't take any effort on my part.

"I'm sorry," she says.

Awkwardly, she moves closer and puts her arms around me. A shock runs through me because it's our first hug. It takes me a moment to return it. This girl looks too much like Rosemary, and I might lose my mind thinking she's back from the dead. I can still see the bullet go through her head, clear as day. But I manage to stay calm.

"See you in the arena," I say after pulling away.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," she replies solemnly.

We both raise our hands in the three-finger salute, as an official goodbye. And just like that, I'm ready for whatever comes in the morning.

Keeping to my routine, I try not to go to sleep. I know I'll pay for it later, but I just can't sleep in the dark anymore. Not since muttations completely tore apart a tribute in my first Games. I awoke from sleeping to hear him screaming, and I couldn't resist going to see what happened to him. He wasn't too far away. I saw his arm and leg laying beside him, spouting out blood. Then, the mutts turned their red eyes on me. I spent all night running so I wouldn't be the next victim, but they still gave me an impressive cut. Luckily for him, the cannon went off moments later. To this day, I don't know what the mutts were. But that tribute's screaming probably saved my life.

The morning of my second Hunger Games comes quicker than I expect. I'm given last-minute preparations, and I put on the outfit we'll all be wearing. It's a blue suit, probably made for ocean water. We must be going tropical this time.

"One more thing," Grant says when we're in the Launch Room. He pulls out something from his pocket. "I thought you might want to wear this as your district token."

My heart nearly stops when I see what's in his hand: A ball-chain necklace, with a dogtag strung onto it. A mockingjay is engraved in the middle. Rosemary gave it to me when we said goodbye in the Justice Building, twenty five years ago.

"I had this made for your birthday," she said, "but I needed to give it to you earlier, in light of the circumstances. Think of me when you wear it, and you'll feel like I'm right in the arena with you. Show them what you're really made of. You can do this, Haymitch. I love you." It must have been this good luck charm that led me to victory in the Second Quarter Quell.

Back in the present, I stare at Grant in shock. "How'd you get this in the first place?"

"You gave it to me on your Victory Tour, remember? You said it brought back too many painful memories, and you wanted to reward me for my help."

I put the necklace over my head and tucking it under my suit. "Right. Thank you for keeping it safe."

"Best of luck to you, Haymitch. Since I probably won't ever see you again… I'll always remember you."

I nod to him slowly. Then it's time to head to the hovercraft and get a tracking device injected into my arms. It's as painful as it was the first time.

I stare down at the floor as we fly to the arena. It's not nerves, exactly. It's more of a resolve to fight it out for as long as possible. Even though I feel like my life is worth nothing, I'm prepared to show the Capitol that they can't get rid of me so easily.

I blink and suddenly, I'm standing in my launch pod, being elevated into the arena. I look out during the countdown, and I see nothing but water for miles.

Here goes nothing.