the ruler [THE HUNGER GAMES]¹

Twelve.

SLEEP fails me. I toss and turn for hours after Jacinth dismisses me but my body is wide awake. The loud Capitol streets don't help either. It's bad luck that the end of the victory tour fell on a weekend this year, because now the population has an excuse to party for two days straight. After at least three hours of lying there, I decide to get up and find something to tire my mind out. The clock on the large TV screen flashes twelve-oh-eight on the tenth of December. My birthday.

"Happy birthday to you," I whisper to myself, pulling a jacket from the closet and slipping my feet into some fluffy slippers.

The hallway is deserted but I can hear voices coming from Jacinths room next to mine. I don't even want to begin to think what he's doing, so I spin on my heel and walk in the other direction, down into the main space of our floor. The avox from earlier has been swapped for an older looking woman, but I don't feel hungry enough to ask for anything. Our spread of food from earlier has disappeared, the usual decorative pieces back in their place. Nothing will be on TV now except for the late night news reports and re-runs of past Hunger Games, which I do not want to see.

I'm not confined to my floor anymore. If I want to I can go and roam the streets and purchase any end of fast food or contraband from the Corso below me, but after what happened the other night I don't want to leave the safety of the tributes centre alone. That leaves the activities within the building. The bar will be closed since theres not enough custom to justify opening it. The only other place I can think of is the roof. I'd heard of it during my Games. Jacinth said he likes to go up there to clear his mind when he's mentoring. I didn't get a chance to go up during this last Games, but whats stopping me now?

My hand is touching the button for the elevator before I even think twice about it. The terrace technically belongs to the penthouse which houses District Twelve, which is why nobody is allowed up there when tributes are living there before the Games. Now, when nobody is imprisoned awaiting their certain death, any of us can and enjoy the views.

The elevator doors open and I enter a small room with stairs up out onto the roof. There's a glass door on the other side of the room thats frosted and looks locked from the inside. I'm guessing thats how District Twelve residents get up here. I cross to the staircase and pull myself out onto the roof. It's cold, but huge space heaters dotted around make it bearable. I walk out to the section of the roof thats not undercover, arms wrapped tightly around my torso to try and keep some heat in.

I don't notice him at first. Against the dark nights sky, wearing dark clothing. The thing that makes me realise he's here is his blonde hair that sticks out against its background. I could just turn back now, go home without alerting him to my presence. Where would that leave me? Bored, unable to sleep and cold for no reason. I walk over and lean against the railing next to him, a slight breeze blowing my hair off my face.

"Couldn't sleep?" I ask, voice soft as not to scare him.

He glances at me, flexing his fingers from where he'd had them balled up, "nope. You?"