I followed Pranet because I had no where else to go and I said, “I sometimes hope that things that happen are a dream but they never are.”

He turned to me and said, “Yes I know.”

I can tell he’s felt the same way, when his dad died, he pulled away, from everything and everyone.

“Funny how things work out though, they push us back together, to die.”

He looks at me, and says, “You’ll live.”

“And you?”

“I’m ready to die if I must.”

“Pranet.”

“Yes?”

“You still are my best friend even if আপনি did pull away.”

He looks at me and says, “Do one thing for me.”

“What?”

“Live.”

“Why?”

“They need to realize that pushing kids together in a war isn’t the way to handle things, someone has got to প্রদর্শনী them, you’ll have to be the one to do it.”

“Why me?”

“You’re the strongest, you’re the most talented, and you’re the most desirable.”

I stared at him and said, “And you?”

“I’m damaged.”

“And I’m not?”

“How’ve আপনি been damaged?”

“My brother told me to kill to win and I once had friend who made all the wrong choices, and wants to die, I’m damaged because of you.”

“What’d I do but pull away?”

“You made me care” I scream, “you made me care about you, from the moment we met we were বন্ধু and now আপনি expect me to win, to kill you.”

“Maybe someone will do it for you”, he says stubbornly.

Then I hit him and he starred and he said, “won’t be too hard to kill me will it.”

“I could to anyone, anyone else, no loyalties, no guilt, nothing.”

He stared and ব্যক্ত “living’s better than dying until its not.”

I stared back too and then we heard a clap of hands and turned and saw Elisabeth.

“You guys friends”, she seemed afraid of the answer so I said, “apparently not.”

Then I walked out I couldn’t kill him, I could have if it had been anyone, anyone but him.

I run into Thayer he’s just eighteen he won the games when he was our age, he’s handsome, bronze hair, bronze skin, and forest green eyes. He’s not six foot but he’s tall and muscular with dark eyelashes that are long and frame his eyes, those beautiful dark green eyes.

“Sorry”, I say.

He smiles, its হৃদয় faltering and beautiful, like it’s made of pure white pearls.

“It’s okay”, he laughs and says.

“I was just…”

“Running away from Pranet”, he says.

I laugh and say, “I guess it could seem that way.”

“You’ll need him আপনি know as an ally, he’s strong, handsome good for sponsors, I mean look at me I would know.”

He’s not cocky no he’s joking, I know of Thayer, he was always the জনপ্রিয় kid in school, a jock as fast as he was strong, girls threw themselves at him he almost got married to a girl name Dalhia Grope but she had the same bit of luck as me and Pranet, she got called to the games she was only sixteen, she was our girl tribute the বছর after Thayer, but she didn’t have the same bit of luck as he did, she was the eleventh tribute killed that year, when one of the trees fell on her and two other tributes.

He was never the same for a while didn’t talk to many people but its been a বছর now and he’s making progress.

I laughed and said, “Yea sure.”

“What আপনি don’t like this?” he says gesturing to his body.

“It’s not my place to answer that”, I say.

“Oh don’t worry I won’t tell”, Thayer says winking at me.

“Yea sure yes your body looks great and so does your face now can we সরানো on.”

He smiles and looks at me beneath those eyelashes, that look could charm anyone, easy.

“Thayer are আপনি teasing the tribute”, says the woman who came from the capitol.

“Not at all, Winnie”, he says winking again.

He’s handsome, too handsome; sometimes they sell tributes for their good looks in the capitol.

He smiles at me and says, “Sit পরবর্তি to me at dinner.”

I look at Winnie closely she has fluffy platinum blonde looking hair and pale gray eyes. Her body is curvy and plump in the chest. Her nose is long and thin and her lips are too.
She had a devils chin too that I don’t find very attractive.

She also has a small sequin tattoo going down the side of her face.

“Don’t let Thayer fool আপনি with that act, he’s broken inside, besides আপনি may not live any way”, Winnie says, and then she turns on her heel and leaves.

Does she want me to die অথবা does she just like Thayer, she looks as if she must be Mikey’s age but with all that plastic surgery she could easily be thirty.

When ডিনার comes I sit পরবর্তি to Thayer like he asks and he smiles but Winnie isn’t happy at all.

Thayer passes me the rolls, the খাবার in district one isn’t bad not like some of the other districts but nothing beats capitol food.

“It’s good isn’t it”, he says.

I nod putting their fancy mashed potatoes with cheese, bacon, and onions on শীর্ষ along with some gravy.

“You two look like significant tributes, healthy, both of আপনি got some muscle, Pranet আপনি have some height, both of আপনি are good looking. Lyric আপনি seem to have a lot of strength in your hands, what’s your weapon of choice?” Elisabeth asks.

“Bow and Arrow.”

“She hits on target every time”, Pranet mutters.

“Well what’s your weapon”, Elisabeth asks pushing her curly blond hair out of the way.

“Sword”, he grunts.

“He fights hard, even if he’s not trying”, I say.

“How are আপনি at hand to hand combat”, Thayer asks?

“Good”, we both say, we both have siblings that we can wrestle with so we’ve learned rather well.