She wakes up and is in a panic. There is an empty space beside her. Rachel Barbra Berry-Anderson -just for one moment- is terrified. She stills, after having her heart pound wildly, blocking her hearing for a millisecond, and soon hears the soft snores of her older brother, Blaine, and her younger sister, Abigail.
She relaxes. All is well... for now.
Pull my arm back, aim... Shoo-
"Hey, Raspberry." A voice that startles her says. Her arrow flies three meters off the target.
It is Samuel Evans, her best friend since her father's death. He calls her Raspberry because when they met, he had asked for her name. She was mumbling, so all he had heard was "Rah" and "Berry", and assumed her name was Raspberry. He has refused to call her anything else since.
"Shit!" Rachel curses. "Sam! What the hell was that for? Dammit. You owe me an arrow."
Sam chuckles. "I'll buy you a whole new set after the reaping."
Oh. Rachel had completely forgotten about it.
Sam clears his throat.
"That is," she replies, "unless we get chosen."
Sam's green eyes darken.
"Don't think like that, Raspberry."
She shrugs nonchalantly.
"Let's run away together." Sam says suddenly.
An hour later, they are sitting at the clearing about three miles from where they had been before.
Rachel scoffs. "We wouldn't make it five miles."
Sam smirks. "Well, we're about seven miles from home, so I guess we made a start."
Rachel ignores that. "What about Blaine and Abby? And Stacy and Stevie? Would we just leave them?"
"We'd bring them with us." He said, as though it was the easiest thing in the world.
"I think," Rachel says, unconvinced, "we should just stay here."
"Oh!" Sam says, changing the subject. "I almost forgot; look what I have!
Sam pulls out a small loaf of bread with raisins and traces of cinnamon in it.
Rachel gasps. "Is that...?"
Sam grins from ear to ear. "Why, yes, of course. It cost me two squirrels. Take half and share it with Abby and Blaine."
Rachel is still staring at the loaf, bewildered. "But- but- all your hard work..."
"Whatever... it was nothing." He breaks the loaf in half and gives it to Rachel. "And, uh..."
Rachel looks at him strangely. "Anything else you want to give me?"
Sam looks down. "Stacy wanted me to give you this."
He thrusts something into her hands. It's a pin, designed with a bird in a ring. A mockingjay.
"Wow... Tell Stace I say thanks."
"Sure."
He looks at the sun.
"Holy hell," He realizes. "It's quarter past seven. We gotta get back before eight."
Rachel jumps to hug him tightly. Sam is taken aback, as she isn't one for showing affection. He quickly falls into the embrace.
She pulls back after a moment. She awkwardly chuckles.
Sam's fingers run through his hair.
"That was..." Sam begins.
Rachel finishes his thought. "Awkward?"
"Exactly. But it was nice. I'm glad you aren't an emotionless robot."
Knapsack to face.
"Blaine! Abby! I'm home!"
"We're in the bedroom!" Blaine's masculine voice calls back.
Rachel walks into the bedroom, and sees Blaine french-braiding Abby's burly brown hair.
"Wow," Rachel says. "Abby, you look stunning."
Abigail's brown eyes turn to her and she grins. "Thanks. Kurt made the dress. I like it because it's flow-y and yellow like sunshine."
Kurt Hummel is a family friend; Blaine and him have been sneaking around, thinking no one knows. Blaine and Kurt still think that Abby and Rachel believe they still like girls, but they both know they like boys.
"Ray, go get washed up; Kurt made a new dress for you, too."
"Before I leave, Sam gave me something." She pulls out the half loaf Sam had given her.
"Holy-" Blaine began.
"Bread!" Abby ran to Rachel and embraced her.
"Give Sam a hug, not me. He got this for us."
"I will. Now, go to have a warm bath! You don't want to be stinky during the reaping!" Abby said.
"Right." Rachel says, and walks away to the bathroom.
She runs the bath, being sure the water was scalding, as she liked it. She undresses, and, when the steel tub has been filled, she steps in. Wasting no time, she takes some soap and a sponge and scrubs all the dirt from her skin. Then, she rinses and washes her hair, and repeats the action until her hair is silky and smooth. When she steps out of the tub, she grabs a towel and dries herself off.
She walks into the bedroom and, lying on her bed, is a simple white dress with short sleeves. She loves it. She slips into it and puts on a pair of white shoes.
"Beautiful." A voice- Kurt- says.
"Thanks, but... can you do my hair?" she asks quietly.
"Of course."
Abby is having a panic attack.
"Wh-what if I get chosen? I don't want to be in the Hunger Games! I- I-" Abby sobs.
Rachel kneels down next to Abby and gives her a hug.
"Your name's only been in there once." Rachel mumbles into Abby's hair. "There's no way they will choose you."
"But..."
Rachel takes something out of her pocket. The pin. She hands it to Abby.
"Keep this, and nothing bad will happen to you... okay?"
"Okay."
They check in. The Courtyard is full of people their age. Rachel refuses to leave Abby's side. She doesn't know why.
Because she knows something terrible will happen.
Effie trinket walks up on the stage and greets the crowd. They turn that boring film about the Capitol on and then she tells the newcomers what she will do.
"All right," She says, walking over to the bowl on her right. "As always, ladies first."
Her hand digs through the bowl, searching for the name of the "lucky" girl to be District Twelve's female tribute. After a moment, she pulls out a slip of paper and walks to the microphone. She unfolds the paper.
Please don't be Rachel Berry-Anderson, Please!
"Ah... Abigail Berry-Anderson!"
Abby pulls on Rachel's hand, urging her to let go.
"Abby..." The name tumbles past her lips as her younger sister walks to the stage.
And before she knows it Rachel calls out,
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"