We were in the forest. My home away from home with my friends, though they seemed more like family. I'm the daughter of a victor. My mom is a woman from the seam and my father won the 65th hunger games. My best friends are Gale Hawthorne and Katniss Everdeen. I didn't need to hunt, my family wasn't starving, but I hunted to help with the load for my friend's families; at least at first. I met Katniss at school one day, she was sitting alone and I sat next to her. She didn't say a word but every day I sat next to her and every day she opened up just a little bit more. One day she took me into the woods and taught me how to hunt, but I loved it because of the outdoors. The animals were quiet unlike my little brother and older sister, the air wasn't filled with coal dust like in district twelve, and it seemed like I was in a whole other world.
"Yvette, let's go check the traps." Gale said, leading me to the numerous traps he left.
"Where did Katniss go?" I asked
"She saw some deer tracks and started tracking it, I don't know how she plans on carrying that in on reaping day but I'm just going to let her." He said shaking his head with a smile on his face.
I smiled too, thinking of how stubborn she is, it's admirable really, but silly none the less. We grabbed the four bunnies that we caught in our snares, and on the way back I threw a knife at a wild turkey that just so happened to cross my path. Katniss could shoot, Gale made a great snare, and I could throw knives. We taught one another what we knew and we made a great hunting trio. As we were heading back to the gate we ran across Katniss who was deer less. She did have 3 squirrels attached to her belt.
"What happened Katniss? Did the deer take a shot at you?" I teased.
"Ha-ha very funny!" she said sarcastically.
We all crawled under the whole in the fence and made in into the meadow of district twelve. I handed over the rabbits I had and Katniss and Gale divided the animals evenly between their two families. Gale looked at me and Katniss and recited…
"May the Odds be ever in your favor"
"Your capitol accent is a little shotty don't you think Katniss?" I asked her, teasing him.
She just laughed and Gale smiled at me. His smiles are so rare that I take a mental picture and save it in my mind. I give him the biggest smile and I can muster and say goodluck to the both of them. Every reaping I get nervous because it is so likely that I will get chosen. My Dad is a victor after all, but I try to smile through it. It is easier with Gale and Katniss to take my mind off of it. My sister is too old so my little brother and I will be the only ones up for the reaping. This was the only thing weighing on my mind as I crossed under the victor's village arch and into my house.