“I'm coming back into focus when Caesar asks him if he has a girlfriend back home. Peeta hesitates, then gives an unconvincing shake of his head.
Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what鈥檚 her name?" says Caesar.
Peeta sighs. "Well, there is this one girl. I鈥檝e had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I鈥檓 pretty sure she didn鈥檛 know I was alive until the reaping."
Sounds of sympathy from the crowd. Unrequited love they can relate to.
She have another fellow?" asks Caesar.
I don鈥檛 know, but a lot of boys like her," says Peeta.
So, here鈥檚 what you do. You win, you go home. She can鈥檛 turn you down then, eh?" says Caesar encouragingly.
I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 going to work out. Winning...won鈥檛 help in my case," says Peeta.
Why ever not?" says Caesar, mystified.
Peeta blushes beet red and stammers out. "Because...because...she came here with me.”
―
Suzanne Collins,
The Hunger Games