A/N: New first chapter, reworked with fixed punctuation.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters
It's the morning of the reaping of the 74th annual Hunger Games, and I am standing with the other 16 year olds in the middle of the square, next to Madge Undersee, the Mayor's daughter. I brace myself for a rude remark – Gale had been rude to her when we had dropped off the strawberries at her house. Instead, she smiles at me. 'Are you nervous?' Madge asks. 'I'm worried about Prim.' I confess. 'It's her first reaping and her name's only in there once, but what if she's chosen?' 'She'll be fine, Katniss.' Madge gives my arm a reassuring squeeze. She takes out something from her pocket and hands it to me. 'For good luck.' I look at the gold mockingjay pin in my hand. It's probably worth its weight in gold, and it would be sold in exchange for food if I had it. 'Madge, I can't take this from you.' I protest. She doesn't answer because she's looking far into the distance, at the pen for 18 year olds. I feel irritated when I follow her line of vision – she's staring at Gale. I shove her mockingjay pin into my pocket.
'Welcome, welcome.' Effie Trinket, District 12's escort, is on the stage with Mayor Undersee and Haymitch Abernathy, the only surviving victor from our district. Madge's father reads out his usual speech and I let my mind wander as I mumble 'not me, please not me.' Then the reaping begins. Effie pulls out a slip from the girls' bowl and opens it. 'Primrose Everdeen' I hear Effie Trinket call, in her nasal Capitol accent. I can't move, I can't breathe. All I can think is 'Maybe this is a nightmare'. How can Prim, my little baby sister who could never hurt a fly, represent district 12 in the Hunger Games? I can't send her to her certain death!
'I volunteer!' I scream hysterically. 'A volunteer!' I can see Effie Trinket delighted to have some action at last. ' Isn't that just lovely? And now for the male tribute.' Effie digs around the bowl, making sure to mix those slips around. 'The male tribute from district 12,' Effie pauses for effect while I pray not Gale, not Gale, ' is Gale Hawthorne! Come on up, young man!'
In that moment, my world stops. How can both of us be reaped? Who will provide for our families? 'Gale!' I hear Posy scream from the crowd. She sounds as desperate as I feel. 'Don't go!' I can see my mother with Hazelle Hawthorne, both with tears streaming down their face. Hazelle is trying to hold on to Vick and Rory, my mother is hanging on to Prim. I turn to Gale, he stands up a bit straighter. Be strong, is his message. And I have to be. I have to be strong if one of us has to return to district 12. One of us...
Inside the Justice Building, Gale and I are taken to separate rooms so our families can say goodbye to us. Prim, mother, Hazelle, Rory, Vick and Posy all enter together, and I tell them to be strong, but how strong can they be? Their family's sole breadwinners are off to the arena, with only the slimmest chance of survival. I almost wish I hadn't volunteered to take Prim's place. If she and Gale were both killed in the arena, I could at least provide for our families. If neither of us returns...How will they survive without Gale and me? How will they find the strength to face the horrifying images that will surely flash across their television screens? I try to mask my emotions and tell them that they can survive if Prim and Rory learn to harvest dandelions and katniss roots. They can survive on the tesserae for a while. And Greasy Sae has agreed to spare a bit of food for them in the event that both Gale and I were reaped and don't return. 'I love you,' I say and I can't speak any more so we just sit in silence for a while. Then they leave to visit Gale.
Gale. My best friend, my confidant, the only person I can be myself with. And in a few days, we'll be in the arena, trying to kill each other. I try to get this thought out of my head when someone else enters. It is Effie Trinket, here to take me to the station. She sees my tear stained face and snorts 'Clean yourself up. You aren't good looking enough for the crowds to sympathise with you. Not like the boy.' she says with a lascivious smile. 'He's a handsome one, he is. Could be the next Finnick.' I wipe my face blank at her words, but rage boils within me. My best friend is no Finnick Odair! We walk out of the Justice Building and I see camera crews all around, eager to catch a glimpse of the first volunteer district 12 has ever had, and the 'handsome' male tribute. I spot Gale, walking tall and proud. His face is as blank as I want mine to be, cool and collected. I run straight into his arms and hug him. His hands wrap around me instinctively and for a moment, I feel safe. Of course, Effie has to ruin the moment. 'What are you doing? ' she hisses. 'Let go of him, now'. Haymitch interrupts. 'Let them do what they want. ' He looks at us and murmurs 'Interesting.' Then he disappears into the train with a bottle of wine, leaving the three of us on the platform.
