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¨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 the wall。 ¨Who cares？ Itˇs all a big show。 Itˇs all how youˇre perceived。 The most I could say about you after your interview was that you were nice enough； although that in itself was a small miracle。 Now I can say youˇre a heartbreaker。 Oh； oh； oh； how the boys back home fall longingly at your feet。 Which do you think will get you more sponsors？〃
The smell of wine on his breath makes me sick。 I shove his hands off my shoulders and step away； trying to clear my head。
Cinna es over and puts his arm around me。 ¨Heˇs right； Katniss。〃
I donˇt know what to think。 ¨I should have been told； so I didnˇt look so stupid。〃
¨No； your reaction was perfect。 If youˇd known； it wouldnˇt have read as real；〃 says Portia。
¨Sheˇs just worried about her boyfriend；〃 says Peeta gruffly； tossing away a bloody piece of the urn。
My cheeks burn again at the thought of Gale。 ¨I donˇt have a boyfriend。〃
¨Whatever；〃 says Peeta。 ¨But I bet heˇs smart enough to know a bluff when he sees it。 Besides you didnˇt say you loved me。 So what does it matter？〃
The words are sinking in。 My anger fading。 Iˇm torn now between thinking Iˇve been used and thinking Iˇve been given an edge。 Haymitch is right。 I survived my interview； but what was I really？ A silly girl spinning in a sparkling； dress。 Giggling。 The only moment of any substance I hail was when I talked about Prim。 pare that with Thresh； his silent； deadly power； and Iˇm forgettable。 Silly and sparkly and forgettable。 No； not entirely forgettable； I have my eleven in training。
But now Peeta has made me an object of love。 Not just his。 To hear him tell it I have many admirers。 And if the audience really thinks weˇre in love 。 。 。 I remember how strongly they responded to his confession。 Star…crossed lovers。 Haymitch is right； they eat that stuff up in the Capitol。 Suddenly Iˇm worried that I didnˇt react properly。
¨After he said he loved me； did you think I could be in love with him；