"Allies?" "Always."

Chapter 2

I have to volunteer. She can't die. She can't go in alone. I have to go in with her. I just have to.

I sit on my knees letting Prim cry hysterically, and if I didn't have to stay strong for her and Katniss, I would be too. I have one arm around her middle and the other gently stroking her hair.

And thunder rolls in the distance, adding to the mood. "Well, bravo!" Gushes Effie Trinket. How can she be so happy about this?! It makes me sick. "That's the spirit of the Games! What's your name?"

The love of my life swollows hard, her voice barely wavering in a way that you wouldn't notice unless you were listening for it. I was as she spoke the name, "Katniss Everdeen."

I see her look at me and I put my face in the top of Prim's hair so that she won't see the tear run down my face. That's all I allow to spill over, because if there's one thing I've learned, it's that crying is like a glass full of water. When it shatters, you can't stop it from flowing, and it's difficult and hurts to clean it all up.

"I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" trills Effie Trinket.

Nobody claps. Nobody. Everyone stands and stares. I don't though. With the same tear halfway down my cheek, I kiss the three middle fingers of my left hand and hold it out to her, my other hand still on Prim's hair.

I have a stone hard, almost angry expression on my face as I make this action. I stare straight at my girl. I see Prim look up at me with pink, puffy eyes, then turn and make the same gesture. She is soon followed by everyone else.

Katniss stares back at me. Her lips start to quiver a little, but I change my expression none. I hate the Capitol, and I will get revenge!

Long after everyone else, I put my hand down, wrapping it around Prim once more.

"What an exciting day!" Effie explodes with happiness. "But more excitement to come! It's time choose our boy tribute." She slowly walks across the stage, every step feeling like an agonizing life time.

I can always tell what Katniss is saying, even when she's just moving her lips. Right now, she's begging for my safety.

Effie, in her overly extravagant spring green suit, walks back to the middle of the stage and calls out the one name that I wasn't prepared for. "Peeta Mellark."

The shock must be clear on my face when everybody at the square turns to stare at me. I guess I should have seen it coming, though. For the last two years, I've been getting terserra for both of our families. With a grand total of thirty-seven slips entered, the odds weren't entirely in my favor.

Prim holds me like she did this morning when she woke up. It's hard to believe that it was only this morning that we were all together, happy, like a family should be. "Come on, Prim. Let go." I whisper into her ear. She wouldn't let go, so I pick her up and carry her over to Violet before heading up the stage.

The mayor motions for us to shake hands. I grab hers and give
it a reassuring squeeze to register my previous statement. That this will all turn out fine. Fine. Still a bad choice of words.

After our hand shake, she falls to my chest and cries. And we stand there, in front of District 12, in front of the nations, with me holding her the same way I did Prim.

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The picture above explains exactly what is going threw Peeta's head right now.....

I love writing things like this, but they hurt my heart.

Really short chapter, sorry about that. The next will be longer.

Good luck,and may the odds be ever in your favor.
-Deanna