Chapter 1
It was a couple of days before the 49th Hunger Games reaping when I first saw him. Well, that's not quite right. But that was the first time I really noticed him. Haymitch Abernathy. It wasn't his looks or his personality or his weird sense of humour that made it happen. It was a girl named Maysilee Donner. So maybe I got the wrong impression of the girl but to me she was the girl who shoved me in the hallway; the one whose friends asked why I didn't go back to 3rd grade (I always had a baby face); the one whose long perfect blonde hair I had staring me in the face every time I had English class. It didn't seem a bitch like that would want to see my happiness but maybe fate had a different idea. Coincidently it all started in English class. I was sitting there, minding my own business on my crappy test when suddenly, for no reason what so ever, Maysilee decided to mess up something in my life, however small, once again.
"Miss Bruce, Hanna's copying my test" she called to our teacher.
"Huh? No I'm not" I replied.
Ha, how is she gonna explain this one?
"Yes you are! Look at her answers; they're exactly the same" Maysilee protested.
To my horror, Miss Bruce checked our answers, and just as Maysilee said, they were identical.
"Hanna, this is unacceptable! Move to the front; switch places with Kyla" commanded Miss Bruce.
"But-but she could have copied mine" I said quickly, without thinking.
I quickly realised what I stupid statement this is, tightened my dirty blonde pony tail, gathered my things and stood up from my desk. Of course I was switching with Kyla. She was Maysilee's best friend. I'd gathered my stuff up quickly so I couldn't see over the pile of books and just by chance Haymitch was coming back from sharpening his pencil. We didn't see each other coming (though at least I had an excuse) and all of my stuff went flying.
"Sorry darlin, didn't see ya there. Let me help you" he smiled.
He stacked my books back up into a pile and placed them onto the front desk while I gathered up the contents of my pencil case. As I stood up, I properly looked him in the eye for the first time. Was it the tanned skin and blonde hair or the gentlemanly way he instantly helped me with my stuff. I fell head over heels for him. What 14 year old me didn't realise was when you fall head over heels, you fall flat on your face.