When I woke up on the next morning Gale had already gotten up. With sleepy eyes I went to the bathroom and got ready before I finally joined Effie, Haymitch and Gale for breakfast.

While we were eating Haymitch started talking, "So guys, you have exactly one day to prepare for the private session tomorrow, so you'd better work hard. We'll have a meeting tonight to discuss the next steps. In the private session you show the Gamemakers what you can and they will give you points later. The more points the better the chances to get sponsors, you got me?"

Gale and I nodded.

"Fine, then get ready for the last training. Trinket will bring you downstairs later."

I walked back to my room to get my jacket, but then a small white packet caught my attention. It was the token Madge gave me right before I left District Twelve. I opened it, smiling. A wave of melancholy rushed through my body as I saw the golden pin. I turned it in my hands and looked at the golden bird. It was a mockingjay. My father had shown me a picture of it in one of his books, but I had just seen it in the woods once.

"Thank you, Madge", I thought and put the pin on my T-shirt.

...

"Are you ready, darling?" Effies jarring voice echoed through the hallway.

"Coming!", I shouted back, touched the pin one last time and left the room. Like yesterday Effie brought us to the trainings center.

"So…let's go", Gale meant and opened the door.

As soon as we had entered the room everyone turned his head towards us. Everyone watched me intensively and I got an unpleasant feeling. I swallowed hard.

"Do they have to stare at me like that?", I whispered to Gale.

"Don't worry, they are rather staring at me."

"What? You mean, because of your interview with Flickerman? But that was two days ago."

"No idea. Maybe they have just seen it yesterday, but what do I know." He pointed at the station with the knives. "Wanna start there?"

"Sure."

To my surprise Gale laid his arm on my shoulders. "Alright then."

I noticed that the girl with the foxface and Glimmer, the girl from District One started whispering, still observing us. There was nothing better than gossip, right? In the meantime Gale had started throwing his knives, but he was actually quite bad at that. When he turned round he winked at me and handed me the knives. I nodded slightly. Obviously it wasn't my best day as well…

...

"Already excited for tomorrow?" Damn, I hadn't noticed that Cato had joined us.

"Not really. What about you?"

"Well, if I see something like that", he pointed at the knives, "I don't think I have something to be afraid of."

Oh…wow. Who did he think he is? Being a freaking career doesn't give him the right to be an asshole. He wasn't even something special.

Gale gave him a big fake smile. "Well, it's obviously not my day."

"Let's hope that this doesn't last until tomorrow." Cato looked at me with a stern glance and walked back to the others.

"Nice guy, hm?" Gale commented sarcastically and continued to throw knives. We really held back at the other stations at well, earning gloating glances from Cato and the other careers. I didn't really care, because Gale loving glances made up for that.

...

After the training we had our meeting with Haymitch. We discussed our strategy for the private session and he gave us – you wouldn't believe it – helpful pieces of advice for the arena. "As well as I know this stupid bunch of morons, there will most likely be a bow and a couple of knives near the cornucopia."

My face lit up at once as he mentioned the bow. I always felt much safer with a bow in my hand. Unfortunately all my hopes were destroyed in an instance.

"Don't go for the weapons, alright? There will be a bloodbath at the cornucopia, so you turn round and run away as fast as possible, you got me?"

"But…", I wanted to protest, but Haymitch cut me off.

"Don't even think about it. Keep your hands off the weapons. All you do is run."

"Alright," Gale looked at me reassuringly. He knew me too well to expect me not to go for the bow.

"I see that you are finally getting how this all works. As soon as you hear the signal to start you ran as fast as possible and try to find water. Then we'll see."

...

Even during lunch Haymitch always reminded us of that. We quickly got tired of it and after the twentieth time we didn't pay attention anymore. But then he said something that swept me off my feet.

"Boy, your interview with Flickerman was brilliant and everyone only sees the "star-crossed lovers" who are separated so brutally. Play that in the arena and the sponsors will queue up just to be part of your story." He joyfully chewed on a piece of chicken.

Within a second a knife landed between his fingers, missing the skin only by millimetres. I looked at him with hatred in my eyes. Was he out of his mind? He had seen with his own eyes that there was something between Gale and me, so why the hell did he have to sell that to these damn sponsors? Gale was the only one I had right now and the thought of losing him scared me to death, so what did this arrogant asshole think? We should PLAY the "star-crossed lovers"? He had no idea how I really felt.

...

Effie let out a sharp cry while Gale and Haymitch were looking at me, completely shocked.

My whole body was shaking with anger as I pulled the knife out of the table.

"Don't you dare say something like that again or you can say goodbye to the last bit of you manhood." I threat him with a small wave with the knife, put it on my plate and left the room. I was fed up. I was so fed up with being used by these wicked Capitol-members. I wasn't a damn piece of meat that you could feed the wolves.

...

I changed into my nightclothes and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible. It was just one day until Gale and I had to go into the arena. In two days we could already be dead…

In this moment I heard someone knocking on my door and Gale entered the room. It was hard to read his expression, but he seemed tense.

"Are…are you very angry with me?", I asked cautiously.

"One question, okay?"

This didn't sound too well. I didn't want Gale to be angry with me, but I just couldn't ignore Haymitch's stupid comment.

I sighed, waiting for the big argument. "Alright, shoot."

Suddenly his expression softened and he grinned at me. "Can I help you with killing Haymitch?"

Wow, I expected everything but definitely not this. I grinned at him as well, relieved that he wasn't angry with me.

"Sorry, but I don't want to share the pleasure."

"Damn, and I have already started to sharpen my knives."

...

Although I knew that this situation was just bizarre I had so laugh. I couldn't remember that I had ever laughed so much and for one little moment it felt like the fetters that had kept me from breathing during the last days had finally been blasted…

Hi! Thank you for all the reviews! That's awesome. Maybe I can finish the next chapter until tomorrow, so I hope you'll check and review again! You are great!

xxx mocca93