On the eve of the 72nd Reaping, the Montello household remained silent. The father, Peter, slept beside the two oldest sons, both over eighteen. The younger—seventeen year old Onyx—slept on the floor. Beside him, his twin sister Amber shivered, her eyes open and wide, dreadfully anticipating the events of the morrow.

She glanced at her twin brother, scanning over his olive skin. She couldn't help but worry: Is he going to die? Am I going to die? Is Troy? Avery? Ash? Violeta? What if it's not one of us? What if it's someone else? How could I be happy about it not being one of my close friends, knowing that somewhere else in the District, someone is hurting?

She turned over, cuddling against Onyx for warmth. Her sudden movement caused him to stir. "Amber?" Her brother whispered. "Are you awake?"

Amber didn't answer, hoping he would turn around and go back to sleep, but then he asked. "Are you scared?"

Amber bit her lip. "Yes."

Onyx was quiet for a few seconds. "Me too."

Amber's eyes flickered to her brother's dark shape. The seventeen-year-old watched him, wondering if he was ever really sleeping.

The next morning Amber—after finally falling asleep—woke up to her eldest brother yelling in her ear. She groaned and got off the floor, body aching from the wood.

Taylor, the oldest at twenty-two, was engaged to Maia, the daughter of a merchant. Amber liked her. The fact that this merchant girl was willing to give up her well-off life for a Seam boy? Well, Maia must really love him, and as a sister, Amber wouldn't want it any other way. He worked in the mines, along with their father and twenty year old Mika.

Their mother had died giving birth to the twins. Taylor hated them, particularly Amber, the younger of the two, until they were twelve. And that was probably only because he felt guilty as they were eligible.

Amber couldn't bring herself to hate him then. If it had been her, she probably would've felt the same. Besides, he was the one of the older two she was close to now, Mika was too busy with his girlfriend, celebrating the fact this was the first year that she was safe. There was a rumor around the district that Ana, the girlfriend, was expecting a baby, though Mika had yet to confirm it. Ana's little sister Violeta was one of Amber's closest friends and she didn't even know for sure.

"What do you want, Tay?"

"Dad needs you to milk the goat."

"Dad or you?"

'I knew you'd understand. I'll meet you at town square at two for the reaping." Taylor was probably going to go see Maia and see how see was holding up. Her younger brother was fifteen, and still eligible.

Amber got up and milked the goat, Onyx and Mika laughing at her angry expression. Stupid Taylor, she cursed. Why did you have to leave me today? Honestly, Amber was more mad about Taylor ditching her for his fiancé than having to milk the goat.

Onyx called out, "Hey, Amber. I'm going to get ready at Troy's house. I'll see you at two."

Amber rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She expected Mika to turn around and leave to spend time with Ana, and leave Amber entirely alone.

Which, of course, is exactly what he did.

Brothers.

At twelve, Amber went back inside to get ready. As a normal Seam girl, she didn't have the best reaping clothes, but she tried. Onyx came back from Troy's house at about one.

"Have fun with your boyfriend?" Amber called, causing Onyx to blush.

"You're just jealous because you don't have one."

Amber scoffed. "I hope you know that Father is still sleeping, and since I milked the goat, you have to wake him up."

"What that's not fair!"

"Yes, it is." The twins fought for a while until Onyx relented.

They went to town square, clinging on to each others hand. Amber tried to find her older two brothers in the spectators. Their father kissed them both goodbye and walked to them. Taylor mouthed something, maybe "You'll be fine." Or "It won't be you, " but Amber wasn't very good at lip reading.

Still clinging to her brother's, they made it towards the front of the kids, where the seven- and eighteen year olds were standing. They walked to where the seventeen-year-olds were, standing next to Troy and a few of Amber's friends.

On the stage was their sole victor and Effie, along with the Mayor who stepped forward to do the speech he did every single year, which Amber tuned out of as she practically had it memorized.

Effie stepped forward, announcing that she was, as usual, picking the girl's name first. Amber clutched her the arm of her closest friend Avery. Onyx clutched Troy, sending his sister worried glances.

"Amber Montello."

No. No. No. No. No.

In a daze, the girl stepped out of the seventeen-year-olds, willing herself not to cry. She could do that later when no cameras were around. Instead, she stepped onto the stage, her legs shaking so badly that it was a miracle that she didn't collapse.

In her stunned reaction to her name being called, she almost missed the name called out for the guys.

Almost.

Now she did cry.

The only they she could think as she sobbed was, "The odds were never in our favor. "