Playing Games

Chapter Five Training Center

Haymitch guides us toward the elevator. Each district has their own floor, being distric 12 we are on the very top. Effie is at the elevator gushing about how well we did. We are the first team that has made a splash at the opening ceremoneies.

She says she has been talking us up to everyone who's everyone trying to win us sponsors. "I've been very mysterious though, because of course Haymitch hasn't bothered to tell me your strategies. But I've done my best with what I had to work with. How Katniss sacrificed herself for her sister. How you've both successfully struggled to overcome the barbarism of your district."

Barbarism? That's ironic coming from a woman helping to prepare us for slaughter. And what's she basing our succeess on? Our table manners?

"Everyone has their reservations, natually. You being from the coal district. But I said, and this was very clever of me, I said 'well if you put enough pressure on coal it turns to pearls.'" Effie beams at us and we have no choice but to respond enthusiastically to he cleverness even though its wrong.

"Unfortunately, I can't seal the sponsor deals for you. Only Haymitch can do that." Effie says grimly glaring at Haymitch, "But don;t you worry, I'll get him going at gunpoint if necessary."

Haymitch just shrugs.

Our floor at the training center is huge. My bedroom alone is bigger than our house back home in the seam in district 12. There are luxuries I never dreamed existed. I'm exploring my room when Effie calls me to dinner.

I come out to the huge dining table to greet Effie, Haymitch, Peeta, Cinna, and Portia. Haymitch is actually clean and groomed and the soberest I have ever seen him. I wonder if he has had his own stylist.

We have a delicious meal. Everyone else is talking, small talk mostly, but I focus on my meal. After the meal we watch the replay of the opening ceremonies.

"Whose idea was the hand holding?" Asks Haymitch

"Cinna's" says Portia

"Just the perfect touch of rebellion," says Haymitch, "very nice."

Rebellion? I have to think about that one a moment when I remember the other couples, standing stiffly apart, never touching or acknowledging each other, as if their fellow tribute did not exist, as if the Games had already begun, I know what Haymitch means. Presenting ourselves not as adversaries but as friends has distinguished us as much as the fiery costumes.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it," says Haymitch to Peeta and I. "Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk."

Peeta and I walk together down the corridor to our rooms. When we get to my door, he leans against the frame, not blocking my entrance exactly but insisting I pay attention to him. "Do you know?" Peeta asks me.

"Know what?"

Peeta picks up on my hesitation. "Have you been on the roof yet?" I shake my head. "Cinna showed me. You can practically see the whole city. The wind's a bit loud, though."

I translate this into "No one will overhear us talking" in my head. You do have the sense that we might be under surveillance here. "Can we just go up?"

"Sure, come on," says Peeta. I follow him to a flight of stairs that lead to the roof. There's a small dome-shaped room with a door to the outside. As we step into the cool, windy evening air, I catch my breath at the view. The Capitol twinkles like a vast field of fireflies. Electricity in District 12 comes and goes, usually we only have it a few hours a day. Often the evenings are spent in candlelight. The only time you can count on it is when they're airing the Games or some important government message on television that it's mandatory to watch. But here there would be no shortage. Ever. Peeta and I walk to a railing at the edge of the roof. I look straight down the side of the building to the street, which is buzzing with people. You can hear their cars, an occasional shout, and a strange metallic tinkling. In District 12, we'd all be thinking about bed right now.

"I asked Cinna why they let us up here. Weren't they worried that some of the tributes might decide to jump right over the side?" says Peeta.

"What'd he say?" I ask.

"You can't," says Peeta. He holds out his hand into seemingly empty space. There's a sharp zap and he jerks it back. "Some kind of electric field throws you back on the roof."

"Always worried about our safety," I say. Even though Cinna has shown Peeta the roof, I wonder if we're supposed to be up here now, so late and alone. I've never seen tributes on the Training Center roof before. But that doesn't mean we're not being taped. "Do you think they're watching us now?"

"Maybe," he admits. "Come see the garden."

On the other side of the dome, they've built a garden with flower beds and potted trees. From the branches hang hundreds of wind chimes, which account for the tinkling I heard. Here in the garden, on this windy night, it's enough to drown out two people who are trying not to be heard. Peeta looks at me expectantly.

I don't answer his question, being on the roof reminds me of Gales offer of running away, "Maybe I should have run away when I had the chance."

This catches Peeta off quard, "When you had the chance?"

I tell him about being in the woods with Gale before the reaping.

"Where would you have gone?" he asks, "There isn;t anywhere after district 12, except district 13 ruins. They would have found you eventually and who knows what they would have done to you."

I nod, "Is anything worse than being thrown into an arena forced to kill each other?"

"I don't think I want to find out." Peeta says and he looks scared for me, not himself.

"Your friend Gale. He's the one who took your sister away at the reaping?"

"Yes. Do you know him?" I ask.

"Not really. I hear the girls talk about him a lot. I thought he was your cousin or something. You favor each other," he says.

"No, we're not related," I say. Ironic, Peetas the one I'm related to.

Peeta nods, unreadable. "Did he come to say good-bye to you?"

"Yes," I say, observing him carefully. "So did your father. He brought me cookies."

Peeta raises his eyebrows as if this is news. But after watching him lie so smoothly, I don't give this much weight. "Really? Well, he likes you and your sister. He knew your mother when they were kids," says Peeta.

Another surprise. How would Peeta know this? Its probably true. He married her sister, of course she must have known him. "Oh, yes. She grew up in town," I say. It seems impolite to say she never mentioned the baker except to compliment his bread. Then again, she never mentioned her sister except to say she had a one.

Its getting chilly, so we start to walk back inside. I stop outside Peetas door with him. "Peeta, do you know..." I trail off because he holds up his hand indicating that we could be overheard.

He nods his head, then hugs me tight. "I wish I could have gotten to know you before this, if I had known sooner I would have found a way." he whispers in my ear.

He goes into his room without another word and closes his door.

As I walk into my room I let the tears run down my face. He knows we are related. I should have never gone up on the roof with him. Why take the time to talk to him and get to know him when I am going to lose him in a few days time? Unlike his mother he is nice and kind, more like his father. I wish we could have known each other too.

Damn it! I pound my fist onto the bed. This is exactly what I told myself not to let happen. That's when I realize it: I can't kill him.