The mayor finishes the Treaty of Treason and tells Katniss and I to shake hands. Once her hand meets mine I look her straight in the eye. Then I give her hand a tight squeeze. And pull away looking straight in the crowd.

The moment the anthem ends I can feel peackeepers grabbing me. They pushed me through the doors and placed me in the Justice Building. I look around. Just like my dreams. Exactly like them. I don't like it here. I feel trapped. I grab the door handle trying to get it open but the door is locked. I can feel sweat running down my face as my heart is racing. Then I just close my eyes and stand in darkness because this is easier than facing reality. I'm in here for an hour. I think to myself. Just an hour. But it will be the worst hour of my life.

My parents are the first to walk in. I had no hesitation to run into my fathers arms. I start crying as his arms confort me.

"Take care. Don't let them starve. Please. You can trade them. Please." I cry. I can tell they are confused about who I'm talking about so I began to tell them to take care of Katniss's family. My moms getting mad as my dad agrees to do so.

"Peeta. I promise I won't let Prim starve. For you and for Katniss," he says.

My father is a great man. Kind hearted, hard working, respectful. He has bright blue eyes just like me and ashy blond hair. Broad-shouldered man with burn scars from years in the oven. My father's parents pass down their baking skills and occupations to him. Then my father passed it down to my brothers and I. He grew up in the merchant sections with Mrs. Everdeen. They were both merchant kids around the same age. My father was in love with her. He used to tell me how he wished to marry her, instead she married down in the hierarchical class to Mr. Everdeen. A boy from the seam who had this beautiful voice and contagious spirit. As a kid I didn't understand how anyone would want to run off with a seam boy. But that changed once I heard Mr. Everdeen sing. Then I heard Katniss sing. She was just like her father. And I finally understood why Mrs. Everdeen ran off with Mr. Everdeen instead of my father. My father wasn't mad as he understood how great a man Mr. Everdeen was.

Katniss and Gale. Sometimes Prim often makes trades with my father. They're the only people who actually make decent trades with us. They tend to come when my mother is not around because she has quite a temper. She doesn't want to help them. All she cares about is herself. But I know my dad wont let Katniss's family die. Because he's like me in love with a seam girl and will do anything to keep her alive.

My mother is the totally opposite. Yes she still has blonde hair and blue eyes. But she has an unkind spirit. She has a temper and beats us up. One time I spilled paint on her white apron by accident. She got so mad at me she hit me so hard I passed out. When I woke up I was in my bedroom. I was only 14 at the time. But all the paintings I did were covered in black paint. My mother ruined all of them. I spent months on some of those. As I went cleaning up her mess I spotted one picture behind my bed that she had not touched. She didn't find this one. As I lifted up the painting behind my bed. It was a picture of Katniss with a dandelion in her hand. And flowers in her hair. The background had mockingjay that were singing. Her dark brown hair was pulled in two braids with a smile on her face.

After a while of just standing in complete darkness I opened my eyes. And release my arms that were around my father. I look down and my father is holding a bag of cookies. "There for Katniss," he says. He was never going to let them starve. He was going to help them before I told him to. Finally something good that's happened today.

My mom just stands there looking at the wall. Has not said a word. I scream at her to say something. And that's what she did. "Maybe District twelve might finally have a victor," she says.

What? She knows there was no possible way I could win. None. But then before I can say something she quickly adds. "She's a survivor, that one." Soon I realized she wasn't talking about me. She was talking about Katniss. I can see the anger in my dad as the words come out.

"You should've kept your mouth shut." I snapped.

The peacekeepers at the door, signaling our times up. For the last time I hugged my father. Saying I love. I never want to let go. Before they take my mother out. I hug her just because I still care about her. I whispered in her ear, "I love you. I've always had. Even when you didn't love me." She looks straight at me as the peacekeepers grab them both away.

After I shove my face in the pillows trying to stop the tears but they just keep coming out. Then I hear the door open and I turn around fast. Charlie and Rye. I can see the fear in their face as they make their way into my arms.

"Peeta, listen. Don't just give up already. You haven't even gone into the game yet." Charlie says. I'm not listening. I turn my head. Still tears running down my face. He screams at me, giving me ideas that can help in the arena like how I'm strong, and I can camouflage. But I don't see how being strong can help if I don't know how to use a weapon. And camouflage I would starve to death if I try to outlast the tributes.

I tell him how painting doesn't help me in the games. That nothing helps me. I'm practically useless. The careers train for years for this. Boys twice the size of me. They are well fed, rich, girls who know twenty different ways to kill you with a knife. And they really think I can win.

He knows I'm right cause both of them just stand there speechless.

Finally my brother Charlie brakes the silent. "You know I would have volunteered for you if I could."

Those words hit me. He grabs my shoulders. And looks me deep in the eyes. "I would have. For you. Just like that girl did for her sister."

Then I hugged both of them.

Charlie begins to whisper in my ear, " Stop crying. Tears won't help." He's right crying's not going to do me any good. But I can't stop. "I know you like her. Now tell the audience. Everyone loves romance. Two lovers from District twelve." I don't understand. What is he talking about?

My brother Rye begins to add, "All they want is a good show. So why not give them what they want." Finally it hit me. Two lovers from District twelve. Katniss and I. Lovers. This might work. If we could get the audience to like us we could get sponsors. I could tell Haymitch to give the sponsors to Katniss. It could help her come home.

I can tell we went over our time cause the peacekeepers come barging in grabbing them from my arms. I don't even get a chance to say something before the door slams shut.

The next person to come in is someone who I would least expect. "Prim," I question. I can tell she just said goodbye to her sister cause there's tears running down her face.

I squeeze her tight. "Prim, I'll try. I'll try to bring your sister home. Okay. Please don't cry."

She looks at me confused. "Why would you want to save her? That means you would have to die," she sobbed.

"That's because I love your sister. And you do anything when you love something." I say.

"I don't think I've ever been in love. Unless you count buttercup." she says.

I laugh. "Well your young. You will be in love someday. You're beautiful."

I wipe the tears running off her face. And neel to my knees. "Remember what I said. I'll do anything to bring Katniss home. Now go back with your mother okay."

She nods and walks out of the door. When the door opens I can hear screaming. But then it falls silent when the door shuts. I rest my head on the door trying to hear who it is. The person gets closer and I can hear them screaming. It has to be Delly. I know her scream. Soon the door flies open and I see Delly standing there in the peacekeepers arms.

"Peeta," she screams. I wrap my arms around her. Holding her as tight as I can. She is crying hysterically that she can't get any words out. I got to make this fast. They're going to take her away any minute.

"Delly look at me." I grab her face resting her forehead on mine. "You can't sit around waiting for me to die. Move on with your life. Don't watch the games okay. It will break you. Please." I say as the cries fill the silent room.

"You're going to be okay Delly. Im okay. We're okay." I say. I remember what my brother said. Tears won't get you anywhere. I wipe the tears off my face. 

"I'm done, Peeta. I'm done with all this. I'm done sitting around waiting for my name to be called." She cries. I tell her she is going to be okay. That her name won't get called. I just wish I could promise her she will see me again.

"I wish there..." She is having a hard time getting out her words. She says again. "I wish," but I interrupted. "there was a way to show the Capitol that were more than just a piece in their games." She looks up at me. "Exactly."

"You can win Peeta." she says with tears running down her face. I grab her hands and tell her I can't win. That I won't win.

"I think it's clear we all know you don't stand a chance. That doesn't mean you're going to die. But you're practically giving up on yourself. Pull yourself together Peeta you have to try. For me." Delly cries.

I can't just let Delly sit here getting her hopes up that I can win and then have them crushed when I die. So I tell her the truth. What I'm going to do in the arena. And how I'm not coming home because I want Katniss to win because her family needs her.

"What about your family? You have people too," she chokes.

"My family could care less if I die. Nobody needs me," I sighed.

"What about me," she blurts.

"Delly you don't need me, I need you. There's a difference." I wrap my arms around her. I take a deep breath as she cries telling me not to leave her. I try to calm her down but there's no point she's losing her best friend. These couple of minutes are hard on me. As her arms comfort me. I know soon I will have to let go. Tears began to run down my face the more Delly cries. Soon her cries stop. It's sad when you cry so much that there's no more tears left. "You get to wear one thing in the arena. Wear this," she instructed. She hands me a locket. The same locket that she gave me when I hit my head. I open it to see my brothers on one side. And her on the other. "We will always be with. Throughout the arena." she says. She must have taken the picture of my mother out because she is not here. The peacekeepers come marching in grabbing Delly away from. She pulls back but they're stronger than her. "No please. No," she screams. She wraps her hand around mine but I let go slowly drifting us apart. "Goodbye, I love you. Take care." I scream back to her. Then the doors slam in my face. And I can still hear the strangle cries of Delly.