I twirled into the room, beckoning Iver to the stage with one swooping finger. He glanced at me, adjusting his tie, before going in with Matthew warmly welcoming him.

I watch a screen as their interview goes on. Matthew and Iver didn't exactly hit it off like we did. Matthew obviously hated him, told by his frustrated eyes when Iver delivered a mysterious answer to the "very important" questions. Iver was just uncomfortable with Matthew and questions about his family back home.

"So, Iver, do you have any siblings?" Matthew inquired, his eyes burning into my friend's, eyes dark with hatred.

Iver flinched and bit his lip. Eventually he answered quietly, "Yes, but she is not important here, is she?"
Matthew practically leaped out of his chair in glee. This was the first question Iver had actually directly answered. 

"Tell us about her," he prompted, his fists balled in excitement. "Her name. What she looks like. What she means to you."

Iver stared out at the crowd, his eyes distant and clouded. I began to wonder if he even heard him until he spoke in that soft tone of his. "Her name's Lia," he whispered, "and she looks exactly like... like..." He stopped and swallowed.

"Go on."

"She looks exactly like Luna," he finished, and the crowd emitted gasps of surprise. Iver began tearing up as he added, "Whenever I look at Luna, I can't help but see Lia there, who means so much to me. I promised Lia I would win in the Games, but... I need to protect Luna before myself. I would never forgive myself if I didn't."

Matthew whistled as the audience screamed in the heat of the moment. But, somewhere hidden in the crowd's noise, the sound of the buzzer pierced the air.

Apparently Iver heard it too. He stood up and bowed to the Capitol people before hurrying away from sight, the girl from District Five looking slightly peeved at District Four's popular interviews as she took the stage.

When Iver approached me, I glared at him before shooting to my feet and briskly walking towards the elevator, not even waiting for my fellow tribute.

"Hey, Luna!" he shouted, starting to run as the elevator opened with a ding. "Luna, wait up!"

I faced him as the doors slowly closed, pretending to be straightening my sari as our connection got inevitably shut off.

But wait. A hand stopped the doors at the last second, and as the doors opened again, it revealed Iver, his eyes heavy with exhaustion and sadness. I tried not to notice him as he stood by me, but he tugged on my sari until I whirled around to face him.

"What?" I snapped.

He crossed his arms and finally met my eyes. "What did I do?" he spat. " What did I do to make you so angry?"

I decided in that moment that I would unleash my rage out on him. Raising my chin defiantly, I spat back, "Your my-sister-looks-like-Luna-so-I-need-to-protect-her schenanigan made me look like a weakling in the other districts!"

Yes. That was what I was worried about. I had a feeling that if you acted weak and teary-eyed, you would get targeted first, and most likely eliminated. But maybe everybody was just so clumsy and their survival skills dulled, well, at least until the Dark Days, when there were no districts and no Hunger Games and seemingly never-ending peace. So maybe you could fight back, but what if I couldn't? I would get killed in the first five minutes. I would disappoint my family. District Four, even. So I want to be calm and emotionless, but Iver's speech couldn't make that possible.

"Who cares, Luna? I'm only trying to protect you!" Iver muttered.

"Trying to protect you from what?" a drunken voice slurred. Both Iver's and my attention snapped to Derek, a liquor bottle swaying dangerously in his hand, about to fall to the floor and shatter if he loosened his fingers ever so slightly. His eyes were misted in his drunk state, and he was also kneading the ground with his feet, making a swaying motion.

"Nothing," I told him gently, taking the bottle from his hand. "Nothing you have to worry about, anyway."

"We're supposed to watch the opening ceremonies, you know, your interviews," Derek reminded us, turning around to go back to his room.

"I said something that made Luna mad," Iver blurted out.

I glared daggers at him while Derek turned back around, losing his balance and staggering in the process. "What did you say?" he inquired, his voice no longer slurring. Somehow, he seemed to be completely sober.

"I said that my younger sister looked exactly like Luna–which is true–and that since she meant so much to me, I had to protect Luna and make sure her safety comes before mine," Iver explained. "Then Luna snapped at me about it, saying that it made her look weak in front of the other districts."

"Are you kidding?" Derek barked, his eyes like a roiling fire. "If anything, his offered protection will gain you sponsors by the plentiful!"

"Sponsors?" I echoed, dumbfounded.

"Yes, you idiot!" he said brusquely, beginning to pace back and forth, back and forth. "The Capitol will eat that sort of stuff up. I fought in the war, you know, in the Dark Days. I know them, including survival skills that will save your life."

"Well, bring it on!" I exclaimed. "There's only a few days until the Games!"

"Oh, so you're excited?" Iver remarked, rolling his eyes and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What makes you think that, Captain Protection?" I retaliated, folding my arms across my chest.

"Hey, break it up, you two!" Derek snarled. "Your companionship will mean the difference between life and death. If you constantly go at each other's throats, no sponsors will help you. Make things romantic, whatever, just be in a relationship that involves not arguing all day!" And with that, our guide snatched the liquor bottle back into his hands and stomped away into his room.

I followed him, heading up to my room as well, before pausing and turning back to Iver, who didn't move.

"There's no way I'm going to be in a romantic relationship with you," I say before I vanish into my room.

I walked into the launch room, Derek and Dmitri by my side. Iver was in another launch room somewhere, where Miranda and his stylist were saying goodbye. Of course, Miranda sent me a farewell earlier, full of hugs and reminding me about manners.

Because there are manners in the Hunger Games.

I stepped into the tube that will launch me up, launch me up into the Games, into a foul place where I will most likely die. I turned around, the tube closing, and waved as a robotic woman's voice said, "One minute until launch."

"Go get 'em!" Dmitri told me enthusiastically. I sent him a small smile.

"Hey, sweetheart." Derek grinned at me. "Pro-tip: Stay alive."

I grinned at him, but as the rest of the seconds counted off, my usual scowl came back on as I got lifted into the air and got rested on a little pad, the other tributes from the districts rising around me.

The Hunger Games have officially begun.