she slammed the door andwas gone.I looked at the closed doorand at the doorknoband strangelyI didn't feelalone.

Just because something isn__ good doesn__ mean it__ bad.

Long after the other voices had dropped away, Sam kept howling, very soft and slow.When he finally fell silent, the night felt dead. Sitting was intolerable. I stood up, paced, clenched and unclenched my hands into fists. Finally I took the guitar that Sam had played and I screamed and smashed it into pieces on Dad's desk.

Why not? It's true. My best hope is to not disgrace myself and..." He hesitates.And what?" I say.I don't know how to say it exactly. Only... I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?" he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? "I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not."I bite my lip feeling inferior. While I've been ruminating on the availability of trees, Peeta has been struggling with how to maintain his identity. His purity of self. "Do you mean you won't kill anyone?" I ask.No, when the time comes, I'm sure I'll kill just like everybody else. I can't go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to... to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games," says Peeta.But you're not," I say. "None of us are. That's how the Games work."Okay, but within that frame work, there's still you, there's still me," he insists. "Don't you see?"A little, Only... no offense, but who cares, Peeta?" I say.I do. I mean what else am I allowed to care about at this point?" he asks angrily. He's locked those blue eyes on mine now, demanding an answer.

Writing is such a lonely work that I try to keep myself cheered up.

Katniss: I__ coming back into focus when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home. Peeta: (Gives an unconvincing shake of head.)Caesar: Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what__ her name?Peeta: Well, there is this one girl. I__e had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I__ pretty sure she didn__ know I was alive until the reaping.Caesar: She have another fellow?Peeta: I don__ know, but a lot of boys like her.Caesar: So, here__ what you do. You win, you go home. She can__ turn you down, eh?Peeta: I don__ think it__ going to work out. Winning_ won__ help in my case.Caesar: Why ever not?Peeta: Because_ because_ she came here with me.Caesar: Oh, that is a piece of bad luck.Peeta: It__ not good.Caesar: Well, I don__ think any of us can blame you. It__ be hard not to fall for that young lady. She didn__ know?Peeta: Not until now.