Katniss and Rue team up

I drift awake to the sound of rain falling outside.

It was a noise that always made me feel cosy; knowing that I was safe, warm and dry from the wet conditions outside.I flinch as something cold touches the bare soles of my feet.

"Prim, get off!" I moan. She'd always known that I was ticklish.

I giggle as her fingers continue to play with my toes, until I finally sit upright and kick her away.

Only then did I remember. I wasn't back in District 12 at all. I was still in the cave, hungry, cold...and half-naked!

Screaming, I hug my knees to my chest and blush.

"Good morning, Katniss!" Rue giggles; apparently her amusement at my embarrassment hadn't waned.

"Do you have my top?" I ask in a high-pitched voice that I'd never heard before.

I snatch the proffered garment from her grasp, spin around, and pull it on.

I can immediately tell that it was a better fit. My breasts aren't in pain, and my movements aren't restricted.

"Thanks," I say, both for the new outfit, and the breakfast Rue was handing me.

I ensure that my thighs were clamped together, but because I was going commando, I was still experiencing an uncomfortable chill down there.

"So...is it true?" Rue asks, giggling. "Have you really never kissed a boy?"

"Umm...yeah," I lie. I didn't want the rest of the world to know about Peeta's kiss the other night, at least not until I'd worked it out for myself. There was also Haymitch's voice at the back of my mind, reminding me that my innocence would make me desirable to sponsors. "I've just...not had the time..."

Rue opens her mouth to quiz me some more, but having no desire to divulge more information about my private life, I quickly change the subject.

"So, what's the plan for today, then?" I ask. "I suppose we're allies now."

"Well, you're half-naked and dressed in borrowed clothes," Rue teases, "so I think you're going to need all the help you can get!"

"Yeah," I chuckle. "I don't think I'll go skinny dipping again..."

We don't have to wait long before the storm passes, and we're able to emerge from the cave. I try my best to keep up with Rue as she weaves through the forest, staying out of sight of any other Tributes that might be in the area. While that was easy for someone small and appropriately dressed, I was taller, barefoot, and wearing only a short skirt and a small crop-top.

Rue had no problem scrambling over a fallen log, or pushing her way through a clump of nettles; but with so much more bare skin, not to mention a complete lack of footwear, I was **** to take detours. To her credit, Rue had largely stayed silent about my predicament, other than the occasional snigger when my lack of clothing made her chosen path impossible for me.

Fortunately, I could use my hunting skills as a distraction. Rue had been struggling to catch live prey, so I taught her a variety of useful knots, as well as how to set a snare, and prepare a rabbit once we'd caught one.

It wasn't for another few hours before the pressure in my bladder became too much to ignore, and as it transpired, I was doing a pretty shoddy job of suppressing it.

"Feel free to go whenever you like, Katniss," Rue grins, indicating my swollen abdomen and twitching lower half.

"I'm fine," I lie, perspiring and pursing my lips.

"What if something attacks us right now, and we need to run away? Besides, you can't hold it forever."

I'd already embarrassed myself in almost every way imaginable, so going to the toilet in front of someone (in addition to all of the hidden cameras) was just another mortifying experience to tick off. Blushing, I separate from Rue, crouch down behind a tree, and release. I stick a fist in my mouth to muffle a loud moan, clocking that yet another of my firsts had occurred in the arena.

While I had relieved myself plenty of times when hunting alone in the woods, I'd never done so in front of Gale...even if that meant holding it for the entire day and only just in time making it to the toilet when I got home.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Rue smiles when I re-emerge.

I hug myself as we continue our trek. We hadn't discussed the elephant in the room (we can't both win), but if it came down to it, I was willing to sacrifice myself for Rue's sake. At least that way, I'd never have to deal with the aftermath of my ritual humiliation on live TV.