I wake up slowly as dread seeps through me, realizing what day it is. I've been dreading this day all year. It is the same for everyone else though. Slowly, I rise from bed and get ready for the day of work before the reaping. As I'm leaving my room, I hear my mother yelling at me already, asking me where I am. I tell her that I am coming. I practically hiss it, not really thinking about what I'm doing. Instantly, I regret it and soon she is up the stairs boxing my ears and slapping me. She hits me on my arm with the rolling pin, screaming at me to never take that tone with her again. I nod as I make my way into the kitchen to start the bread.

When we are finished baking, I go back upstairs and change into a pair of nice clothes for the reaping. I hate it, every last bit of it. I hate how they treat it like a game show, like something we should be so eager to participate in like the Career districts. I shake my head of the thoughts, what could any of us do?

As I near the Justice Building, I see her. She is wearing a faded blue dress that looks like a ball gown on her. Her grey eyes show a worry in them that is new this year as she tugs on her braid. I know why she is so worried. Her younger sister Primrose is old enough to be a tribute and it terrifies her that her name could be picked. Prim is everything to Katniss Everdeen, who is everything to me.

I watch her for a minute as she kneels down in front of her sister, giving her words of encouragement, a weak smile, and a long hug. The thought that she would be an amazing mother passes through my thoughts and I shake my head again.

I was five when Katniss stole my heart with her beautiful song. I talking to her a few times, but not since we were kids. We were both so busy and from two different worlds. She was a Seam girl, scavenging for food, hunting anything she could eat; while I was a baker's son with plenty to eat. Sometimes I think how unfair it is and wish I could trade places with her so that she didn't look so tired all the time. There was one time I was able to help her, when I gave her the bread I burnt. She probably didn't remember.

We stood in our roped off areas, waiting as Haymitch Abernathy made a fool of himself, the Mayor give the same old speech, and then Effie Trinket, covered in all shades of pink, came to the microphone, a disgusting smile on her face.

"Welcome to the 74th Hunger Games!" she beamed. "Any may the odds be ever in your favor!"

If the odds were in our favor, none of us would be picked. These horrible games would come to an end. The odds were never in our favor, only in those of the Capital residents. As she called "Ladies First" and went to the girl's bowl, my breath caught in my throat. I prayed that Katniss wouldn't be picked. Yes, she could win, she had the fight in her, but her family needed her and I knew that Prim would not be able to sustain her family without the help of her older sister.

I almost sighed in relief when she called "Primrose Everdeen" and then the realization sunk in and I stopped breathing. Prim...Katniss' world. Prim was too young, too fragile, too sweet. She couldn't go into the games; she wouldn't come out for sure. I spun around to see that Katniss had fallen back into a group of girls who were struggling to keep her up. Prim was mustering as much courage as she possibly could as the Peacekeepers led her to the stage. And then Katniss came to life.

"Prim! Prim!" she yelled as she fought through the crowd. Prim stopped and turned to see her sister. Peacekeepers tried to hold Katniss back, but she gave a strong fight. And then the words I realized I always knew were coming tumbled from her beautiful lips. "I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

My heart shattered. In that moment, I fell in love with her even more. She was so willing to give her life to the games to protect her sister, her family. I knew Katniss could win. At that moment, I knew she would.

I watched as Prim ran to Katniss, screaming and crying. I saw Gale step out of the boy section and grab Prim up, pulling her away as she kicked and screamed. Katniss was led to the stage where Effie babbled into the microphone about how exciting it was that District 12 had their first volunteer.

Katniss looked out at the crowd, terrified, shocked. I thought she would bolt any minute, but she stayed where she was. Suddenly, everyone began kissing three fingers and extending them to her. I joined in, keeping the lump in my throat from rising. She had to win, I could not sit at home and watch her die...I would not.

Then Effie was hovering over the boy's bowl. She dramatically stuck her hand in and pulled a name out. She unfolded it with an intentional slowness and then read out a familiar name. Everyone was staring at me and I realized why: she had called my name. I didn't know what the look on my face was, but I assumed that is was shock, despair, horror...everything I was feeling in that moment. I slowly made my way to the stage.

How could this be happening? How could I be going into the games? I was going against the love of my life...I wanted to die then and there.

We shook hands and as I looked into her eyes, I saw that she recognized me, that she remembered me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I decided right then and there as I stared into her beautiful, sad grey eyes, that I would do everything in my power to keep Katniss Everdeen safe during the games, that I would make sure she got home to her family alive. I decided that I would die so that she could live, even if it meant that she was the one to kill me. I swore to myself that no matter what, she would be the victor.