I sat there and listened to music in my room, reading. I had been reading things about romance. Finding that perfect guy. I had been wanting to find him. In fact I felt like I had. I've had my eyes on him since the first day I met him. What caught my attention? I don't know. All I know is that it's kept it.

He wasn't the one boy who everyone knew. More like they just recognized him if someone pointed him out then brushed him off their shoulders. Everyone called him socially awkward but I thought it wasn't true. In my eyes he was a sweet heart, and was far from socially awkward. He just didn't throw his trust out to anyone and was quite when you first met him. We had grown to be extremely close with in the first few weeks we met. Which shocked me as much as it shocked him. We have grown to trust each other, and what did clumsy me end up doing? I ended up letting my point of view of him change from best friend to . . . to well my crush.

I knew that if I was to end up dating him it wouldn't be like how it was in my books. It wouldn't go as smoothly seeing how there was another girl who liked him. But I wasn't going to give up. I had fought tooth and nail to keep him next to me and not let her take him from me, even as a best friend. So if she thought I would hand him over, boy was she wrong.

Closing my book, I decided to get ready. Today was the reaping, not exactly the best day of my life. Luckily my parents were too old to get called, but me? I still had a chance. I may have been low, but with my niece being injured and my nephew sick, my chances were raised. As I braided my hair I started to get this feeling in my stomach. Something bad was going to happen. I knew it. Someone (most likely me) was going to get picked. Someone I knew. Hopefully none of my friends would be chosen. But something told me as I gave myself one final glance in the mirror, I knew one of them was going to be.

I stood there next to my friends as I looked around to see if I could find someone in particular.

" Relax Hazel, August will be ok."

I turned around and saw my friend Sierra there. I couldn't help but blush a little. She along with a few more of my girl friends knew about August and how I liked him. They would tease me, but that was just them being goofballs.

" I know." I answer as I continued to look for him. That was a lie. I couldn't find him anywhere. I swear if my heart pounded any harder that it would burst out of my chest. Just when I was about to give up I finally spotted him. I couldn't help but smile. August seemed to have been looking for me too because when he spotted me he seemed to be relieved as he smiled. But then again, that might have been my mind playing games with me.

" Ladies and Gentlemen! May I have your attention please!"

We all turned our heads and saw a woman standing at the podium.

" Welcome to the reaping of the 70th annual hunger games!" She said with a smile. As she continued to go through the speech that has been repeated for the 70th time now, I looked around the crowd. Still, my eyes continued to fall onto August.

" Now, how about we start with the ladies?" The woman asked. As she walked over I felt someone's eyes burning into me. I turned and wasn't shocked to find the owner. There stood the other girl who like August. Her name was Katie, the President's granddaughter. I'll admit, she was cute. But still, her being cute didn't mean that I liked her. I'd try talking to her once and she just gave me a look, so I decided that I might as well give up on trying to talk to her (which I had no problem with.) My eyes glanced down to her hands and saw black smudged on them. She quickly realized I had spotted it and hid it as fast as she could. Just then something brought me back to reality.
" Hazel Hatchet."

It went dead silent.

" Hazel darling? Where are you?"

I swallowed and turned. Slowly, I began to walk up towards the stage. I refuse to act weak, especially in front of August. Blankly, I looked in the crowd. My mind was frozen. I had expected the feeling in my stomach to go away, but it didn't.
" Now for the gentlemen!"

No . . . no . . . it couldn't happen.

" And our male tribute is . . . "

No! This feeling needed to go away!

" August Alexander!"

My eyes widened and I looked up. This had to be a nightmare. It had to be!

" Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you our tributes for the 70th annual hunger games!"

After saying goodbye to my friends and family, I was shown to a train. A ride to the capital would take a couple of days. Hopefully it wouldn't take to long. In my room, I paced back and forth wondering how this would happen. Was I happy that I got to spend time with August? Hell yes. But the reason why I was spending time with him? That I wasn't so happy for.

" Come in." I say when I heard a knock at the door. August walked in and closed the door behind him. My heart began to pound.

" August?" I whispered. His head was down and I could barely make out his form in the moonlight. He stayed quiet for a moment.

" August?" I repeated.
" Hazel, we are best friends right?" He asked. I flinched at the use of best friends, but hid it as well as I could.

" Of course we are."

" And that means we can tell each other anything and everything right?"

" Always."

He went silent. In the moonlight I saw his hands tighten into fists. Suddenly I was embraced in a hug. My heart pounded even more. This wasn't like the hugs I was use to. His grip was tighter, and held me closer than normal ( if it was even possible.) I relaxed myself and felt my heart calm down as I hugged him back.
" Hazel . . . I'm scarred." He finally admitted.
" I'm scarred too August." I respond. " But don't you worry, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

" You shouldn't worry about me. "

" I always will."
" I'm not worth it."
I pulled him back and looked directly at him. His dark hair fell in his face and his eyes sparkled. I had to force myself to no blush.
" You will always be worth it in my eyes. I will do anything and everything to keep you safe."

August looked at me for a moment before hugging me again.
" Thank you Hazel. Thank you so much." He whispered. " And I will make sure we both will get out the arena alive no matter what."

" We both will. We'll get through this together." I promised as I grabbed my hands and looked into his eyes. He looked at me and gave me a soft smile before hugging me again.

That next morning I woke up and went out to get breakfast after getting dressed. Quietly, I grabbed a plate and began to pile things on. Eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast pastries, things I had never had or haven't had in a long time. So I sat down at a table by the window and ate silently.
I heard a groan and turned around. There stood August in the middle of the door way, in pajamas as he rubbed his head. Even now his eyes sparkled. I chuckled as he sat down across from me and stole a piece of bacon.

" Well aren't you a sleeping beauty." I smiled. He was clearly still half asleep because he continued eating, just looking at me.

" I didn't get any sleep last night." He said as he laid his head down.
" Why is that?" I asked as I continued eating my sausage.
" I had a dream."
" A dream about what?" I asked. He lifted his head and starred at my plate. Slowly, August began to reach for another piece of bacon but I slapped his hand. " Get your own food."

" But it's too far." He complained. " Get it for me?"
I couldn't help but smirk. " Alright, what do you want?"

" I don't care, just food."

I rolled my eyes with a smile still on his face and went to go fix him a plate.

" And don't touch my food or else I eat yours." I say as I look back, catching him red handed as he was about to grab more bacon. He gave me puppy dog eyes and retreated his hand, laying his head down and looking the other way.

" So, are you going to explain to me what this dream was about?" I asked August as I sat there and watched him eat. He paused for a moment and I could have sworn I had seen his cheeks have the slightest pink to them.

" I'd rather not say." He answered.
" Aw come on August, I won't tell a soul." I promised. He looked at me for a little bit then he swallowed what food he had in his mouth.

" It was about this girl."

" What about her?" I asked, already knowing it was the president's granddaughter. I knew he had a thing for her . . . another reason why I haven't told him my feelings.

" I don't know. It just shocks me that I would have a dream about her." He explained. I sat there and watched him slowly pick up his fork and continue to eat, his shyness coming out.

" Well why is that?" I asked. August shrugged.
" I don't know. It just is."
" Well was it a dream that was romantic?"

" Yea. That's what is bothering me."
" Why?"
" Because that can mean I like her." He answered softly.

" I take it that's a bad thing?" I questioned as I cocked my head to the side. He shrugged again.

" That's the thing. I don't know if it is or not."
" Well what's the bad thing about liking her? Is she that bad?"

" No it's not that. I mean, she is an amazing girl. She is cute, she's amazingly nice, probably the nicest I've met. She's incredibly smart, I could say so much more."

" Sounds like you're in love with her to me." I smirked. He suddenly got extremely shy.
" You're so cute August. Hurry up and finish your breakfast so you can get ready. We will be arriving to the capital soon." I say as I shuffle his hair before walking out and leaving him to finish his breakfast.