"You're not going to get reaped Amelia." Albert says comfortingly.
"How do you know? I am seventeen, so my name is already in there six times plus I have taken two tesserae every year, so the orphanage would let my brother and I stay." I say sobbing into his shoulder.
"I know, but it will be ok in the end. How do you think I feel, I am eighteen and have had to take three tesserae for my brother, sister, and I. I know it's stressful but Amelia promise me something."
"What's that?" I look up.
"If either of us go into the games, let's make sure we don't get changed, that would be worse than dying. Promise?" He holds his pinky up.
"Promise." I connect my pinky with his. "Plus we are the slyest thieves out there. I remember my mom would call me sly fox, whenever I stole a cookie from the cookie jar. I would've gotten away with it too if it had not have been for the crumbs left on my five year old face. That of course was when she was alive and had just created a new technology of mutations for the sixty- first games." I say with a smile on my face reminiscing my childhood before my mother was killed for refusing to come up with new ideas to kill children, but of course that's not what the news told. They said she died from the explosion while trying to create a new thing for them. "Albert, I miss my mom!" I start crying again.
"I know, I miss my dad too." I then bury my head even more into his chest, and smell his cologne he stole from one of the guards who watch the orphanage, to make myself calm down.
My father had left my mom for Albert's mom when I wasn't even two yet. They left for the Capitol to work on bigger experiments for the games. My father eventually worked his way up to Head Gamemaker, and kills twenty-three children each year and tears families apart. Needless to say I hate him. Plus I have heard rumors that he has beautiful tributes do 'favors' for him, and the coincidentally win the games. I HATE HIM!
"Amelia, snap back into reality. We have to go. The reaping starts in an hour."
I snap back into reality and gather my brother who is playing with Albert's sister, Eleanor. "Come on guys, we have to go. The reaping is going to start."
We walk together to the Justice Building and I give my brother, Benjamin, a hug before we split into age groups. When he lets go and goes into the fourteen year old group along with Albert's sister Eleanor. I hug Albert and we share a reassuring kiss. Before we break he whispers in my ear, "We're going to be alright." And then we are separated by Peacekeepers and put into our correct age group.
"Why hello members of district five." Then I zone out for the rest of her speech and the video, it isn't until she says the line I hate oh so much I come back into reality, "… and may the odds be ever in your favor." But it's never in anyone's favor, twenty-three innocent children die each year, and the 'victor' is left scarred with guilt for killing them. "Amelia Selkirk." No, that can't be me, no. But there is only one Amelia Selkirk and that is me. Before I realize it I am walking up the stairs to our escort, Amanda, she is probably the most normal as far as escorts go, but regardless a Capitol citizen.
I continue to zone out, I don't even realize a boy has been picked until we are shaking hands. I don't recognize his name but his face is remarkably like someone I know, but who?