"IN SPITE OF YESTERDAY'S TRAGIC EVENTS," Highbottom says, emphasizing the word tragic as he steps into the large cathedral-looking room. We'd all been standing in a circle while our tributes sat across from us, with me in between Felix and Sejanus. "Our president has decided that the games must go on. Show everyone the capitol is unafraid of such acts of terror."

What happened yesterday was more than an act of terror, I almost want to say.

"From which end, Dr. Gaul wishes you to preview the arena this afternoon with your tributes. Later this evening, there will be a special televised presentation of each tribute to our audience to get to know them." He continues, and I feel a pit form in my stomach. "You will have an hour to discuss." 

I sit down slowly, as do the others and I look around, eyeing each of the tributes. They all have the same angry expression on their face and I can't blame them. 

My eyes fall on the chains around Mia's wrists, keeping her from being able to run. And it saddens me, because she's a small girl and has hardly eaten and her wrists are so thin she could probably slide right out of the cuffs. 

"Has, uh, Coral been giving you a hard time?" I ask, scanning over my notes, confirming that Coral is in fact the tribute that roughed her up. 

She shakes her head. 

"Any luck on allying with anyone?" 

She shakes her head once more. "Lucy Gray tried talking to me but I was sort of out of it and when I tried talking to the sick girl she just kept coughing on me."

I frown. This wasn't what I wanted to hear at all together. I wanted just a little bit of good news, but it seems as though I can't get a damn thing. 

"I'm going to talk to the sick girl--Dill--'s mentor, Felix. I'm going to try and see if we can work something out. Alright?" My eyes wash over her face but she won't even look at me; it seems as though she's in an entirely different place right now. "Hey, are you listening?"

She nods and almost meets my eyes. "Yes." 

I hum. "What's wrong? Did you see something?" 

Mia shakes her head but still doesn't quite say anything at first. "It hit me last night, I probably won't see my family again." she says. "I won't see my mom's 50th birthday or will get to see my little sisters get married." she sniffles and I feel my heart break behind my ribs. "My youngest sister is only four and now she'll grow up not ever remembering anything about me. I'll be nothing but a distant memory of her. She'll never know my scent or my smile. And I'll never get to hear her laugh again." she takes her chained-up hand to swipe the warm tear that's now slid down her face and swallows. "I want to be remembered, Marian."

I have to fight back tears of my own from forming and I reach out to hold the soft back of her hand. "You're not going to die." 

She shakes her head, her bottom lip now quivering from too much emotion threatening to spill out her throat. "Just promise me one thing, Mari. Don't let my family forget me." 

"I'm trying my best here--" 

"I know." She offers me a small smile. "But is that good enough?"

I CAN'T EVER SEEM TO ESCAPE MY OWN MIND. No matter where I am, who I'm with—my mind consumes me.

My body is here, laid up against this tree in the park Felix has taken me to.

My mind, however, is still venturing off into a world of different things I can't quite escape. Mostly, it's the reoccurring image of Arachne's body lying there.

One entire day has passed yet somehow no one has even talked about it. Everyone has accepted it and is fine but I can't wipe that image clean from my head.

I can't sit here with trembling hands, afraid to speak.

Somehow, every other person in my class is fine and has gone on about their lives as if our classmate hasn't died.

Hell, none of us liked her but that doesn't eliminate the fact that she was human and she died tragically and we've wronged her.

We have to wait until after the Games to even attend her funeral. We're told we have to participate as mentors for the Hunger Games, then watch our friend die from the games and now they want us to be the cause of death for children—

"Hey, you okay?" Felix asks me, his quiet voice bringing me back to my reality and my subconscious mind now conscious alongside my body.

I nod, but don't bother tugging a smile on my lips.

He gives me a knowing look, like he can see right through me. "I don't believe you."

I roll my eyes playfully. He doesn't have to believe me. I don't want him to believe me. I want him to know something is wrong because everything is wrong. 

"You can talk to me, Mari." he smiles, reaching his hand out to lay atop of mine. And the contact alone sends a shiver up my spine. I've never been in love or had a crush--I've never even dreamed of the thought of being in love. I don't know what to do with the emotions coursing through my body but I know that when I look back up at Felix and see the expression on his face, I'm not entirely sure I want him to be the one I fall in love with. 

He's intelligent and witty and far too kind for me--but he's not the man I could envision myself in love with. 

I think, maybe, under different circumstances, I could love him. 

But all I feel toward Felix Ravinstill are soft butterflies. There's no passion, or fire rushing through my blood. There's no light to ignite when I'm with him and I don't feel the connection I should. 

I think I've looked between him and his hand on mine far too long because he leans in and soon enough he's kissing me. 

I'm unsure of what to do and instinctively I kiss him back but it's not what I meant to do. 

I didn't mean to kiss Felix. 

Parting from the kiss, I pull back. I should be feeling like I'm on top of the world--so infatuated with him that I have to have him. But I don't. 

"I'm sorry, I--" I start, but he waves a hand and shakes his head. 

"No, I'm sorry. I should have asked and not assumed." 

He looks bewildered and sad and I suddenly feel like a horrible person. Here, I have the sweetest boy in my class who's taken me under this beautiful tree, who's the only person to have checked up on me and now he's kissed me. 

But I don't feel the way he wants me to. 

"You just don't like me that way." he smiles, but I could've sworn it was a frown. 

I try to smile but I think it just appears as a sympathetic blur. 

He sighs and holds up his hand, like he wants me to hit it and give him a high five. "Friends?"

I laugh, louder than intended and accept his offer. My palm slaps against his as a final giggle slips past my lips. "Friends."