Chapter 7

I wake up to find my prep team hovering over me, which makes me jump. I rub my eyes. "You could have woken me up, you didn't have to watch me sleep." I tell them.

"We thought you'd like to wake up by yourself. You won't get to do that tomorrow. Unless you wake up really early." says one of them. The prep team clean me off, and soon, I'm being prepared by Portia.

All too soon, I'm with the other tributes, about to take the stage. We take our seats and the interviews begin. I take a quick look at Katniss, I hadn't allowed myself to look at her yet, I was afraid it would be too hard to look away.

Once Katniss is next to Caesar Flickerman, for her interview I give her my full attention.

"So Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What impressed you the most since you arrived here?" asks Caesar.

"The lamb stew," says Katniss.

Caesar laughs, and some of the audience laugh too.

"The one with the dried plumbs?" he asks, and Katniss nods. "Oh, I eat it by the bucketful." he turns sideways with his hand on his stomach. "It doesn't show does it?" The crowd reassures him.

"Now, Katniss, when you came out in the Opening Ceremonies, my heart stopped. What did you think of that costume?" he asks.

"You mean after I got over the fear of being burned alive?" Katniss asks.

The crowed laughs. "Yes. Start then," says Caesar.

"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. I can't believe I'm wearing this either." she says. "I mean look at it." I quickly examine the dress and agree, Cinna did an amazing job. Katniss stands up and spins in a circle once.

"Oh, do that again!" says Caesar. Katniss lifts her arms and spins around several times.

The dress engulfs Katniss in flames. She is the girl on fire.

Katniss stops spinning and the fire goes out. Katniss clutches Caesar's arm. "Don't stop." he says.

"I have to. I'm dizzy." she says giggling. Katniss is off balance. Caesar wraps his arm around Katniss, steading her.

"Don't worry. I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps." he says, referring to when Haymitch fell off the stage at the Reaping. I laugh quietly as the cameras find Haymitch, and the crowd applauds for him. Haymitch waves the camera away, directing everyone's attention back to Katniss.

"It's all right, she's safe with me. So, how about that training score. E-le-ven. Give us a hint what happened in there." says Caesar.

Katniss glances toward the Gamemakers and bites her lip. "Um... all I can say, is I think it was a first." I think so too.

"You're killing us." says Caesar dramatically. "Details. Details."

Katniss frowns. "I'm not supposed to talk about it right?" Katniss asks the Gamemakers.

"She's not!" shouts one Gamemaker.

"Thank you. Sorry my lips are sealed." she says.

Caesar nods. "Let's go back then, to the moment they called your sister's name at the Reaping. And you volunteered. Can you tell us about her?"

Katniss hesitates. "Her names's Prim. She's just twelve. And I love her more than anything."

"What did she says to you? After the Reaping?" Caesar asks.

"She asked me to try really hard to win." answers Katniss.

"And what did you say?" Caesar asks.

"I swore I would." she says.

"I bet you did," says Caesar. The buzzer goes off. "Sorry we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District Twelve."

Katniss takes her seat and the applause is still going strong. I grin, Katniss should have good sponsors.

Caesar announces me and I come to the front of the stage. I decide to try something, I start comparing tributes to bread. I leave out Katniss, not wanting to offend her. I talk about how the showers in the Capitol are dangerous, you never are sure what button to press. Then, I ask Caesar if I smell like roses. He sniffs me, and asks me to sniff him. So I do. The audience seemed quiet amused.

Caesar catches me off guard, and asks if I have a girlfriend back home. I had forgotten Haymitch and my idea, to admit my feelings for Katniss, now's my chance. I shake my head no.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" asks Caesar.

I sigh. "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the Reaping."

"She have another fellow?" asks Caesar.

I frown, thinking of Gale. "I don't know, but a lot of boys like her." Most of the boys at my school have like Katniss for a while.

"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down, eh?" says Caesar.

"I don't think it's going to work out." I say honestly. "Winning won't help in my case."

"Why ever not?" asks Caesar.

I feel my face heat up. "Because." I can't do it. But I have to do it now. "Because." I try again. "She came here with me."

I stare at my shoes. Everyone in Panem knows about my feelings for Katniss. I look up at the screens, there broadcasting Katniss on the screens. She presses her lips together and looks down. She's probably embarrassed too.

I sigh as the screen switches back to Caesar. I run my fingers through my hair. "Oh, that's a piece of bad luck," says Caesar.

I nod. "It's not good."

"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard for me not to fall for that young lady." says Caesar. "She didn't know?"

I shake my head. "Not until now." They put Katniss back up to the screens. She's blushing.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" Caesar asks the crowed. I look back at Katniss, who now looks panicked. The crowd screams. "Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent." K atniss relaxes, and I look back into the crowd.

"Well, best of luck to you Peeta Mellark, and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours." says Caesar. The crowed roars. Once the crowed quiets, I mutter a quick "Thank you," and return to my seat.

We stand for the anthem. All of the screens have shots of both Katniss, and myself. After the anthem, we all head back to the Training Center lobby, and the elevators. I get into the elevator and ride it up the the twelfth floor, I step out of the elevator.

I feel something being slammed into my chest. I lose my balance and fall into an urn filled with fake flowers. Once I hit the ground, pain slices through me. I look up. Before me stands the girl I've been in love with since I was five.

"What was that for?" I ask.

Katniss glares at me. "You had no right! No right to go saying those things about me!"

The elevator doors open, and everyone stands there shocked.

"What's going on? Did you fall?" Effie asks.

"After she shoved me," I say. Effie and Cinna help me up.

Haymitch explains how this will help Katniss, and eventually she seems less angry. But she still looks furious.

"I should have been told so I didn't look stupid." says Katniss.

"No, your reaction was perfect. If you'd known, it wouldn't have read as real." says Portia.

"She's just worried about her boyfriend." I say bitterly.

Katniss gets angry again. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Whatever." I say. "But I bet he's smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it. Besides you didn't say you loved me. So what does it matter?"

Katniss face softens. "After he said he loved me, did you think I could be in love with him too." she asks.

"I did, the way you avoided looking at the cameras, the blush." says Portia. Others reassure Katniss.

"You're golden sweetheart. You're going to have sponsor lined up around the block." says Haymitch.

"I'm sorry I shoved you." Katniss says.

I look at her and forgive her instantly. "Doesn't matter. Although it's technically illegal."

"Are your hands okay." she asks.

"They'll be all right."

We go to the dinning room, but I'm bleeding too much. Portia takes me to my room and cleans me off. Once we're all done eating dinner we watch the interview replay.

Katniss doesn't seem to like how acted during her interview. We all assure her that she did fine. Once the TV goes black, Effie takes both Katniss and I by the hand and wishes us good luck. She won't come with us to be launched into the arena, neither will Haymitch. This is goodbye.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if I finally get promoted to a decent district next year!" Effie says, ruining her goodbye. She kisses both of us on the check, and runs out of the room. I roll my eyes and look at Haymitch.

"Any final words of advice?" I ask.

"When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You're neither of you to go to the blood bath at the Cornucopia. Just clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, and find a source of water," says Haymitch. "Got it?"

Katniss looks up. "And after that?" she asks quietly.

"Stay alive." he says. This is the advice he gave us back on the train, when he was drunk.

Last time, I felt anger at these words, but now, they just make my stomach hurt. Katniss and I nod. Portia walks to me and says her goodbyes. I watch Katniss walk away. She isn't going to say goodbye to me. This could be the last time I see her. I won't get to talk to her ever again.

I end the goodbye quickly, because I'll see Portia tomorrow, when she preps me for the Games. I go down the hall, Katniss's door is closed. I shut my door and through myself onto the bed. I don't think I'll be able to sleep well tonight.