Hunger Games (Peeta's POV)

10

My eyes stayed glued to my lap, only glancing up in time to see Katniss' face on the screen before me. She looks surprised, but maybe happily? Her lips are slightly parted, as though she wants to say something. But, quickly she clamps her mouth shut and stares at the floor, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Oh, that is a piece of bad luck," Caesar says, pulling me back to my interview. 

I fight to keep my voice steady, "It's not good." 

"Well, I don't think any of us can blame you. It'd be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn't know?" Caesar questions, grilling me for details. Details I know I'll have to admit for this to work. 

"Not until now," I say, trying to bring back any ounce of confidence I had only moments before. When my eyes find the screen, I see Katniss' blush lit up for the whole country to see. The hope it gives me is insurmountable. It fills me with warmth, it fills me with confidence.

"Wouldn't you love to pull her back out here and get a response?" Caesar teases to the crowd, ignoring their pleas for him to do it "Sadly, rules are rules, and Katniss Everdeen's time has been spent. Well, best of luck to you Peeta Mellark and I think I speak for all of Panem when I say our hearts go with yours."

I find myself walking back to my seat in a daze, the deafening sound of the crowd giving me enough hope that there will be a sponsor out there. 

When we're dismissed, Katniss hurries away, I try to follow but find myself pushed by the crowd into the elevator opposite of hers. The moment I step onto the twelfth floor, Katniss' palms connect with my chest, knocking me into a vase. The vase shatters around me as I fall into the mess, my hands bleeding heavily. 

"What was that for?" I all but shout, suddenly angry. I confess my biggest secret to save her and she won't even see it for what it is? 

She's yelling at me, but I'm so angry I can't even process the words she's saying. The elevator doors open revealing the rest of our team. Effie speaks first, "What's going on? Did you fall?"

"After she shoved me," I grumble out, doing all I can not to glare at her. Haymitch does it for me though, he turns towards her.

"Shoved him?" He growls out. For the first time, I don't feel the need to defend her. 

"This was your idea, wasn't it? Turning me into some kind of fool in front of the entire country?" She says with a scowl sent in Haymitch's direction. 

"It was my idea," I say, pulling pieces of the vase out of my hand to stop me from blushing, "Haymitch just helped me with it."

"Yes," She says, the anger radiating off of her in waves, "Haymitch is very helpful. To you!"

"You are a fool," Haymitch says, disgust evident in his tone, "Do you think he hurt you? That boy gave you something you could never achieve on your own."

"He made me look weak!" she says, fighting back. Now, when I look back on the moments of her blushing, I see her embarrassment, not excitement. It's all I can do not to walk away.

"He made you look desirable," Haymitch says, the two of them sharing a glare, "And let's face it, you can use all the help you can get in that department. You were about as romantic as dirt until he said he wanted you. Now they all do. You're all their talking about. The star-crossed lovers from District Twelve!"

I hide the satisfaction from my face when I realize my plan is working. I realize that I never expected her to want me back, I want her to forget about me. Let her only understand the depth of my sacrifice when she's won and watches the games as a Victor. I'm doing all of this to send her home. But, it still stings when she yells, "We are not star-crossed lovers."