Caesar； he really does his best to make the tributes shine。 Heˇs friendly； tries to set the nervous ones at ease； laughs at lame jokes； and can turn a weak response into a memorable one by the way he reacts。
I sit like a lady； the way Effie showed me； as the districts slip by。 2； 3； 4。 Everyone seems to be playing up some angle。 The monstrous boy from District 2 is a ruthless killing machine。 The fox…faced girl from District 5 sly and elusive。 I spotted Cinna as soon as he took his place； but even his presence cannot relax me。 8； 9； 10。 The crippled boy from 10 is very quiet。 My palms are sweating like crazy； but the jeweled dress isnˇt absorbent and they skid right of if I try to dry them。 11。
Rue； who is dressed in a gossamer gown plete with wings； flutters her way to Caesar。 A hush falls over the crowd at the sight of this magical wisp of a tribute。 Caesarˇs very sweet with her； plimenting her seven in training； an excellent score for one so small。 When he asks her what her greatest strength in the arena will be； she doesnˇt hesitate。 ¨Iˇm very hard to catch；〃 she says in a tremulous voice。 ¨And if they canˇt catch me； they canˇt kill me。 So donˇt count me out。〃
¨I wouldnˇt in a million years；〃 says Caesar encouragingly。
The boy tribute from District 11； Thresh； has the same dark skin as Rue； but the resemblance stops there。 Heˇs one of the giants； probably six and a half feet tall and built like an ox； but I noticed he rejected the invitations from the Career Tributes to join their crowd。 Instead heˇs been very solitary； speaking to no one； showing little interest in training。 Even so； he scored a ten and itˇs not hard to imagine he impressed the Gamemakers。 He ignores Caesarˇs attempts at banter and answers with a yes or no or just remains silent。
If only I was his size； I could get away with sullen and hostile and it would be just fine！ I bet half the sponsors are at least considering him。 If I had any money； Iˇd bet on him myself。
And then theyˇre calling Katniss Everdeen； and I feel myself； as if in a dream； standing and making my way center stage。 I shake Caesarˇs outstretched hand； and he has the good grace not to immediately wipe his off on his suit。
¨So； Katniss； the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve。 Whatˇs impressed you most since you arrived here？〃 asks Caesar。
What？ What did he say？ Itˇs as if the words make no sense。
My mouth has gone as dry as sawdust。 I desperately find Cinna in the crowd and lock eyes with him。 I imagine the words ing from his lips。 ¨Whatˇs impressed you most since you arrived here？〃 I rack my brain for something that made me happy here。 Be honest； I think。 Be honest。
¨The lamb stew；〃 I get out。
Caesar laughs； and vaguely I realize some of the audience has joined in。
¨The one with the dried plums？〃 asks Caesar。 I nod。 ¨Oh； I eat it by the bucketful。〃 He turns sideways to the audience in horror； hand on his stomach。 ¨It doesnˇt show； does it？〃 They shout reassurances to him and applaud。 This is what I mean about Caesar。 He tries to help you out。
¨Now； Katniss；〃 he says confidentially； ¨When you came out in the opening ceremonies； my heart actually stopped。 What did you think of that costume？〃
Cinna raises one eyebrow at me。 Be honest。 ¨You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive？〃 I ask。
Big laugh。 A real one from the audience。
¨Yes。 Start then；〃 says Caesar。
Cinna； my friend； I should tell him anyway。 ¨I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume Iˇd ever seen and I couldnˇt believe I was wearing it。 I canˇt believe Iˇm wearing this； either。〃 I lift up my skirt to spread it out。 ¨I mean； look at it！〃
As the audience oohs and ahs； I see Cinna make the tiniest circular motion with his finger。 But I know what heˇs saying。 Twirl for me。
I spin in a circle once and the reaction is immediate。
¨Oh； do that again！〃 says Caesar； and so I lift up my arms and spin around and around letting the skirt fly out； letting the dress engulf me in flames。 The audience breaks into cheers。 When I stop； I clutch Caesarˇs arm。
¨Donˇt stop！〃 he says。
¨I have to； Iˇm dizzy！〃 Iˇm also giggling； which I think Iˇve done maybe never in my lifetime。 But the nerves and the spinning have gotten to me。
Caesar wraps a protective arm around me。 ¨Donˇt worry； Iˇve got you。 Canˇt have you following in your mentorˇs footsteps。〃
Everyoneˇs hooting as the cameras find Haymitch； who is by now famous for his head dive at the reaping； and he waves them away good…naturedly and points back to me。
¨Itˇs all right；〃 Caesar reassures the crowd。 ¨Sheˇs safe with me。 So； how about that training score。 E…le…ven。 Give us a hint what happened in there。〃
I glance at the Gamemakers on the balcony and bite my lip。 ¨Um 。 。 。 all I can say； is I think it was a first。〃
The cameras are right on the Gamemakers； who are chuckling and nodding。
¨Youˇre killing us；〃 says Caesar as if in actual pain。 ¨Details。 Details。〃
I address the balcony。 ¨Iˇm not supposed to talk about it； right？〃
The Gamemaker who fell in the punch bowl shouts out； ¨Sheˇs not！〃
¨Thank you；〃 I say。 ¨Sorry。 My lips are sealed。〃
¨Letˇs go back then； to the moment they called your sisterˇs name at the reaping；〃 says Caesar。 His mood is quieter now。 ¨And you volunteered。 Can you tell us about her？〃
No。 No； not all of you。 But maybe Cinna。 I donˇt think Iˇm imagining the sadness on his face。 ¨Her nameˇs Prim。 Sheˇs just twelve。 And I love her more than anything。〃
You could hear a pin drop in the City Circle now。
¨What did she say to you？ After the reaping？〃 Caesar asks。 Be honest。 Be honest。 I swallow hard。 ¨She asked me to try really hard to win。〃 The audience is frozen； hanging on my every word。
¨And what did you say？〃 prompts Caesar gently。
But instead of warmth； I feel an icy rigidity take over my body。 My muscles tense as they do before a kill。 When I speak； my voice seems to have dropped an octave。 ¨I swore I would。〃
¨I bet you did；〃 says Caesar； giving me a squeeze。 The buzzer goes off。 ¨Sorry weˇre out of time。 Best of luck； Katniss Everdeen； tribute from District Twelve。〃
The applause continues long after Iˇm seated。 I look to Cinna for reassurance。 He gives me a subtle thumbs…up。
Iˇm still in a daze for the first part of Peetaˇs interview。 He has the audience from the get…go； though； I can hear them laughing； shouting out。 He plays up the bakerˇs son thing； paring the tributes to the breads from their districts。 Then has a funny anecdote about the perils of the Capitol showers。 ¨Tell me； do I still smell like roses？〃 he asks Caesar； and then thereˇs a whole run where they take turns sniffing each other that brings down the house。 Iˇm ing back into focus when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home。
Peeta hesitates； then gives an unconvincing shake of his head。
¨Handsome lad like you。 There must be some special girl。 e on； whatˇs her name？〃 says Caesar。
Peeta sighs。 ¨Well； there is this one girl。 Iˇve had a crush on her ever since I can remember。 But Iˇm pretty sure she didnˇt know I was alive until the reaping。〃
Sounds of sympathy from the crowd。 Unrequited love they can relate to。
¨She have another fellow？〃 asks Caesar。
¨I donˇt know； but a lot of boys like her；〃 says Peeta。
¨So； hereˇs what you do。 You win； you go home。 She canˇt turn you down then； eh？〃 says Caesar encouragingly。
¨I donˇt think itˇs going to work out。 Winning 。 。 。 wonˇt help in my case；〃 says Peeta。
¨Why ever not？〃 says Caesar； mystified。
Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out。 ¨Because 。 。 。 because 。 。 。 she came here with me。〃
PART II
〃THE GAMES〃
10
For a moment； the cameras hold on Peetaˇs downcast eyes as what he says sinks in。 Then I can see my face； mouth half open in a mix of surprise and protest； magnified on every screen as I realize； Me！ He means me！ I press my lips together and stare at the floor； hoping this will conceal the emotions starting to boil up inside of me。
¨Oh； that is a piece of bad luck；〃 says Caesar； and thereˇs a real edge of pain in his voice。 The crowd is murmuring in agreement； a few have even given agonized cries。
¨Itˇs not good；〃 agrees Peeta。
¨Well； I donˇt think any of us can blame you。 Itˇd be hard not to fall for that young lady；〃 says Caesar。 ¨She didnˇt know？〃
Peeta shakes his head。 ¨Not until now。〃
I allow my eyes to flicker up to the screen long enough to see that the blush on my cheeks is unmistakable。
¨Wouldnˇt you love to pull her back out here and get a response？〃 Caesar asks the audience。 The crowd screams assent。 ¨Sadly； rules are rules； and Katniss Everdeenˇs time has been spent。 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。〃
The roar of the crowd is deafening。 Peeta has absolutely wiped the rest of us off the map with his declaration of love for me。 When the audience finally settles down； he chokes out a quiet ¨Thank you〃 and returns to his seat。 We stand for the anthem。 I have to raise my head out of the required respect and cannot avoid seeing that every screen is now dominated by a shot of Peeta and me； separated by a few feet that in the viewersˇ heads can never be breached。 Poor tragic us。
But I know better。
After the anthem； the tributes file back into the Training Center lobby and onto the elevators。 I make sure to veer into a car that does not contain Peeta。 The crowd slows our entourages of stylists and mentors and chaperones； so we have only each other for pany。 No one speaks。 My elevator stops to deposit four tributes before I am alone and then find the doors opening on the twelfth floor。 Peeta has only just stepped from his car when I slam my palms into his chest。 He loses his balance and crashes into an ugly urn filled with fake flowers。 The urn tips and shatters into hundreds of tiny pieces。 Peeta lands in the shards； and blood immediately flows from his hands。
¨What was that for？〃 he says； aghast。
¨You had no right！ No right to go saying those things about me！〃 I shout at him。
Now the elevators open and the whole crew is there； Effie； Haymitch； Cinna； and Portia。
¨Whatˇs going on？〃 says Effie； a note of hysteria in her voice。 ¨Did you fall？〃
¨After she shoved me；〃 says Peeta as Effie and Cinna help him up。
Haymitch turns on me。 ¨Shoved him？〃
¨This was your idea； wasnˇt it？ Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country？〃 I answer。
¨It was my idea；〃 says Peeta； wincing as he pulls spikes of pottery from his palms。 ¨Haymitch just helped me with it。〃
¨Yes； Haymitch is very helpful。 To you！〃 I say。
¨You are a fool；〃 Haymitch says in disgust。 ¨Do you think he hurt you？ That boy just gave you something you could never achieve on your own。〃
¨He made me look weak！〃 I say。
¨He made you look desirable！ And letˇs face it； you can use all the help you can get in that department。 You were about as romantic as dirt until he said he wanted you。 Now they all do。 Youˇre all theyˇre talking about。 The star…crossed lovers from District Twelve！〃 says Haymitch。
¨But weˇre not star…crossed lovers！〃 I say。
Haymitch grabs my shoulders and pins me against