Arthur considered running out from his hiding spot to confront her, as he had each day since he'd spotted her face in the crowd of slaved children.
But he was afraid. If he went out, he would easily be mistaken as one of the them. He hadn't been able to find anything else than his worn and dirty clothing since his parents and sister had died.
Well, he had thought his sister died. It has happened in the actual Hunger Games. Off camera, of course, but her name was among those reported.
Had she somehow escaped? Had her name only been listed to hide the rebel's success? But if that was the case, why hadn't she returned home? Why had she abandoned him?
So it was that fear, more than anything, that kept him from approaching her. The fear that the Hunger Games had made her into a totally different person. A person that didn't love him anymore.