Chapter 1

"Felicity Westerly!"

I breathe slowly. Calm down, I think, calm down. I don't want to be portrayed as a weakling.

I look for Thomas. My little brother, only seven, is crying silently. Tears are streaming down his rosy cheeks. He holds onto my father. My father….

Oh my father has always at masking his emotions. Like when my mother died from disease, he barely cried. I saw one tear form and fall as I bawled as I held baby Thomas in my arms. But now he is truly having a breakdown. The color has been drained from his face. Now he is crying. Just like I did.

I make my way to the stage. My gray dress is stiff, being so old. My fancy black shoes clonk against the asphalt. My untamable red hair is a curly mess, but tied back in two pigtails. I look into the face of Rhea Kotter, District 5's escort. Even if I survive the Hunger Games, I'll have to deal with her for years to come.

I stand and give a half-hearted smile. "What do you have to say dear?" Rhea asks, holding the microphone in my face. "I will try my best to win. Not only for my family, but all of District 5." I say confidently. This will make me seem strong, but also kind. It's a good combination for sponsors.

I wait, the same smile on my face, as Rhea calls out the boy's name. "Ronald Petzer!" she exclaims. Ronald? I barely know him. He's a year younger than me. I see him occasionally, in the public market when father and I trade and at school. But I don't exactly know him. The longest conversation we've had was, "Hello." "Hello.".

He makes his way to the stage, his fists clenched. I can tell that he's about to breakdown. I know he has several younger sisters. I find them in the crowd. They're clinging to a tall man and skinny women. The whole family shares the same olive skin and black hair. "And what do you have to say?" Rhea asks him. "I will win. Count on that." He chokes out. It's a very weak response. Still, a sponsor might think he's slightly tough.

"I am proud to present District 5's tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Felicity Westerly and Ronald Petzer!" Rhea calls to the cameras. Then in a whirlwind, we are escorted into the Justice Building.

I am placed in a office filled with bookshelves. One large glass window streams in the sunlight. I sit on the green windowsill cushion. Suddenly, rather abruptly, the door booms open and my father and Thomas come in.

We have a silent group hug. It lasts at least a minute. Afterwards, I let Thomas sit on my lap and begin speaking to him in the singsong voice I used when he was a baby. "Don't worry sweetie. It's okay. I'll be gone just for a few weeks, and then I'll be back. Then we are going to move to one of the fancy houses." I tell him, bouncing him. He smiles and nods. I begin to sing him a lullaby, and he falls to sleep. Still clutching him, I begin to speak to my father.

"It's okay." I start off with. He starts to try to say something but I cut him off. "No really dad. I will win, you know I can. Just take care of yourself and Tommy." I say. He nods. "Your mother…" He mutters. "Oh you're just like her Felicity. Back when she was picked in the reaping, I visited her. She said the same thing. 'Just take care of yourself Trevor. I'll be back in a few weeks.'" He tells me.

I know mother was a victor. When she was my age she got chosen for the games. She was clever and cunning and confident. She won and my father and her married a few years later. When I was little, I grew up in a house in the Victor's Village. Once my mother died, we had to move back to my father's old house. Thomas doesn't even remember the fancy place.

We all hug one more time. And before they step out the door I kiss my father's forehead and I kiss a sleeping Thomas on the cheek.

I thought they'd be my only visitors. I am wrong. For in steps my only real friend, Hutch Lawrence. "Hutch!" I say. I run up to begin a conversation but he hugs me, just a my family did, long a silent. "I have never told you this. I guess there was never a good time." He says, still holding on. "I love you Felicity. I have since the day I met you."

I back out of the embrace. Love? I've never grasped the thought that someone might have loving feelings for me except my father and Thomas. "Oh Hutch…" I say. I'm glad there aren't any cameras in here. Because this time, I do cry. I cry like I did when mother died.

I don't love boys, like those other merchant girls do. I don't talk about how cute a boy is or how athletic he can be. I find that it's a waste of time. But Hutch…. I think back to the day I first met him.

I had begun my job at Power Plant #17. Hutch, being a year older than me had already working there for a while. "Morning." I said to him as I walked in. "Name?" He asked. "Felicity Westerly," I stated, "And you are?" He chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm your boss. Name's Hutcher, call me Hutch." He told me. I gave him a wink and headed to work. We'd been friends ever since.

"Hutch…" I say again. I wipe away tears and take a deep breath. "I…..well I don't know what to say. If I say me too, it'd be a lie. I do love you, just not that way." I tell him. He nods. "Oh I knew you'd say that. I just needed to tell you." He hugs me again. And just before he leaves, I kiss him. "Goodbye." I say as he leaves.

Without even a thought about strategy or skills I need to focus on, I am escorted to the train. Inside, it's very posh, there's food everywhere. Ronald's face lights up. He's from the poorer part of 5, the Meadow. I know he's never seen this much food before and he can't believe it. He begins to stuff himself as soon as Rhea leaves the car and we sit down. I have no appetite, however.

We have no mentor. I realize that within a few hours. We really don't. Tributes from 5 always have had a hard time surviving since my mother died. She was the only living victor. So Rhea manages our sponsors. We plan our strategies.

I have a feeling that the odds are not in my favor of late.