We're barely into the reaping when I know we've got something here. No one has volunteered in 12 for decades.
"Primrose Everdeen." Our new escort, Effie Trinket, reads out. I sigh, Prim's a good girl, only just old enough to be reaped. Her name's only in there once. What happens next though, it throws the whole district.
"I volunteer." I look up and see Katniss, standing with her arms gripped by two peacekeepers. For a second I see the scared little girl in the forest, but I quickly realise this girl is not the same. I look at Sue, who's watching the girl intently, eyes sparkling.
"Well, bravo!" Effie gushes. "That's the spirit! What's your name?" She's obviously pleased that something's happening in our boring district.
"Katniss Everdeen." Her voice sounds strained, but Effie is oblivious.
"I bet my buttons that was your sister! Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we?" Fucking Effie "Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute."
No one claps, the entire town square remains silent. Then, one by one, each person in the crowd presses their three middle fingers on their left hand to their lips, and holds them out toward the stage. I feel like crying.
She reads out the name of the male tribute, Peeta Mellark, son of the towns baker, but I can't take my eyes of Katniss.
It's Katniss who really sets the whole cause into motion, from the minute she steps on to that chariot in the remake center, she's Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire.
Quinn is excited, blabbering about how her spark has ignited our cause, about how all over Panem people are already rising up to join us. I'm not so excited. I don't know if I can send her into the arena.
Trying to coach her is hard, and I think she thinks I'm disinterested, or that I don't remember who she is, but the truth is, she reminds me so much of family it makes my heart ache. It's when Quinn comes to talk to me that I finally pull myself together.
"What are you doing Santana?" I'm on the roof again, although I spend most of my time here.
"Huh? What?" I turn and look at her, confused.
"You're supposed to be getting this girl to like you, but Sue tells me you've barely said more than 4 words to her since you got here." She sighs.
"I know her, okay? I grew up next to her, we used to have family dinners together every Sunday." I try and put some bite into my voice but I can't. All the fights gone out of me.
"It reminds you of them, doesn't it?" I nod, so she continues. "You can't beat yourself up forever, Tana." It's the first time she's ever used a nickname with me, I smile slightly at it. "That's what I wanna see. Now, can you try, please?" She pouts a little. "For me?"
I chuckle at her, shoving her slightly with my shoulder. "Fine, for you." She smiles and leans her head on my shoulder, and we stay there for a while, watching the night.
I really do try after that, and things get more interesting when they have to display their skills to the gameskeepers. We're sat on our floor of the training center, with Peeta who's turned up 20 minutes ago, waiting for Katniss.
When she arrives, she goes straight to her room, slamming the door and locking it. We knock repeatedly, but she ignores us, so we give up and go away.
We send Effie to tap on her door and tell her dinners ready, she appears, her face red and blotchy.
We eat in silence until Sue pipes up. "So, how bad were you today?"
Peeta answers first, "I don't know that it mattered. By the time I showed up, no one even bothered to look at me. They were singing some kind of drinking song, I think. So, I threw around some heavy objects until they told me I could go."
Sue turns to Katniss, "And you, lady?"
"I shot an arrow at the Gamemakers."
Everyone looks shocked but I start to laugh. "You did what?"
"I shot an arrow at them. Not exactly at them. In their direction. It's like Peeta said, I was shooting and they were ignoring me and I just... I just lost my head, so I shot an apple out of their stupid roast pig's mouth!" She fumes.
"What did they say?" Effie's voice is grave, but I'm still laughing under my breath.
"Nothing, I don't know. I walked out after that."
"Without being dismissed?" I think Effie's having a stroke, and it's still hilarious.
"I dismissed myself." Katniss grumbles.
"I knew there was a reason I liked you" I chuckle, picking up a bread roll.