Chapter 1! I am writing a story based on the hunger games because I love it and when I was reading it I just really wanted to write a BTR fic so, yeah. I really hope people like this story, I'm super excited for writing it!

When Kendall opened his eyes, he was the only one lying in his bed. He sat up and yawned, looking around. Katie was curled up in their mother's bed, like she always did when she had nightmares. Well, of course she would have nightmares today, it was the day of the reaping.

Her sleeping over there made it easier for Kendall to get out of bed and quickly dress himself without waking her or Mother. He saw that Logan's bed was empty too, and guessed he must be in the next room. He stood up and pulled on his boots and jacket, brushed his a-little-too-long blonde hair from his eyes. Lastly, he grabbed his forage bag and slung it over his shoulder, leaving the room.

As he'd expected, his eighteen-year-old brother Logan was sitting at the table, writing something on a ratty piece of paper. Kendall would never know why he was so keen to write all his feelings out, to record everything that happened in his life. Still, it wasn't as though he had anything else to do all day. "Morning," Kendall greeted quietly, grinning at him. "Sleep well?"

"Better than I did last year," came the tired reply. "Oh, Katie left some goat's cheese out for you to take with you."

Logan struggled to his feet, grabbing his walking stick from where it was propped against the table and hobbled over towards the dresser, picking up the plastic packet. "There are some basil leaves in there too."

Kendall took the packet and stuffed it into his bag. "Thanks. I'll be back in time for us to eat lunch. Then we can go to the square."

"Ok." As he always did when he was awake for Kendall's parting, he gave the little blonde a tight hug. "Be careful."

"I always am," Kendall replied with a wink, grabbing his ragged grey beanie hat and pulling it on over his head, before he left the house.

He was glad he'd remembered his hat today; the early morning was chilly, the sky just a few shades brighter than it was a few hours ago. The sun hadn't risen fully yet. Normally people would be out, going to work in the mines. But today was a day off for everyone, and the reaping wasn't until two, which had to be attended at all costs. May as well sleep in, if you could afford to.

Kendall walked down the gravelly road of the Seam. It was only a nickname for the part of District 12 he lived in, the poorest area. All the merchants lived in another part, earning money through their business, never going very hungry. Lucky bastards.

Kendall finally reached the Meadow, where the long grass was slightly damp, wild flowers tangling at his feet. He made his way over to the tall electric fence that had been built for the purpose of keeping wild animals out. It was supposed to be switched on 24/7, but seeing as they were lucky to get an hour or two electricity, it was a pretty safe bet that it wouldn't be on. However, he stopped for a moment to listen for that little electrical hum, before crawling down and sliding under that well-used gap in the fence when he heard nothing.

This forest was his family's main source of food. He hunted rabbits, squirrels and wild birds here with the bow and arrows he was now retrieving from a hollow log where he always hid them. He found plants that his father had told him were edible, or could be used for his mother's healing. This place was their lifeline. And although it was illegal to be here, Peacekeepers often overlooked it because they wanted meat just as much as Kendall did. And they often bought from him, or traded for something else necessary for survival.

Kendall jogged in through the trees, remembering a time when his father had brought him and Logan in, teaching them how to hunt. But that was before the accident, the mine explosion that cost him his life. The accident that Logan had been mildly affected by. He had been very lucky he didn't lose his leg, and was just stuck with using a cane. But he didn't like using it outdoors, he thought it made him look weak. All that happened about five years ago, when Kendall was only ten, just on the verge of turning eleven. He still had nightmares, sometimes.

"Hey!" a voice called, bringing him back to the present. Carlos was sitting on the grass on the edge of the trees, looking down at the valley. This was their usual meeting place, so when Kendall flopped down on the grass beside him, he truly felt at ease. Carlos's dad had been killed in the same accident as his. Now he was barely seventeen and trying to feed his own family, same as Kendall. They'd quickly become best friends simply over the mutual struggles they had.

"Look what I caught while I was waiting for you," Carlos grinned, reaching into his bag and pulled out a loaf of bread with a rope wrapped around it. "It just wandered right into one of my snares, isn't that a bit of luck?"

Kendall laughed and took it from him, breathing in the warm scent, his stomach growling in reaction. "That is a bit of luck. What did you give for it?"

"Just a squirrel. He must be feeling sentimental."

"We're all sentimental today." He pulled out his package. "Nancy the goat really outdid herself, Katie got us some goat's cheese and basil."

"Thank you, Katie," Carlos chuckled, picking some blackberries of a nearby bush and tossing one in Kendall's direction. The blonde caught it in his mouth with those quick reflexes he'd developed, laughing. "C'mon. We'll eat, and then we'll go catch some fish."

They used one of their knives to cut the bread and spread the cheese over it, eating the whole loaf easily with the basil leaves and some more blackberries. They needed the energy to catch their next meal, after all. "Now to sit in a moment of silence," Kendall joked, resting back to his elbows. What it really was was just waiting for the food to digest a little so the running, climbing and such wouldn't make them sick. Sometimes eating a full meal could be too much for them. Funny.

Carlos was silent for a moment, looking serious and a little wistful. Carlos had that dark hair and those brown eyes that came from the Seam, that strong face. Kendall didn't look like either of his parents, but his mother said the blondeness and the green eyes and the pale skin had come from his grandmother, who never lived in the Seam. He'd always looked out of place. "We could do it, you know," Carlos said at last, gazing out over the valley.

"What?"

"Take off, live in the woods. We'd make it, easily."

"They'd catch us."

"Maybe not, if we were fast."

Kendall chuckled. "We wouldn't make it five miles. We'd end up as Avoxes, traitors to the Capitol. Our tongues cut to stop us speaking. Forever slaves."

"We're already slaves."

"Not directly."

"Not yet."

They were lucky today. The predators stayed away from them and by late morning they had cut a dozen fish in the pond, along with picking some wild strawberries from a bush they'd discovered months ago. They would eat tonight, at least. Everyone was expected to celebrate after the reaping, it was one of the things Kendall despised about it the most. Still, for many they did see it as a reason to celebrate; their children had been spared for another year, but at least two families stayed inside, mourning and wondering how they were going to make it through the next few weeks.

"Off we go," Carlos said cheerfully as they made their way back towards the fence. As they hid their weapons, Carlos mimicked Kelly Wainwright's peppy tone and squealed, "And may the odds—"

"—be ever in your favour!" Kendall finished with a twirl, before they snuck back under the fence and headed towards the black market, or the Hob.

It was located in a warehouse previously used for storing coal. Half the people of District 12 made their way by trading or selling here. They traded some of their fish for some greens, and then made their way towards the back door of the mayor's house to sell their strawberries. The man had a fondness for them.

His daughter Sasha was the one to answer the door. She smiled in greeting, then disappeared for a moment and appears with a little pouch with their earnings. Even with that money split between them, it was thrilling for them to hold it in their hands.

"Nice dress," Carlos commented.

Kendall couldn't help raising his eyebrows at that. It sounded ironic, almost sarcastic.

"I tend to dress up when I get nervous. And I always get nervous at the reaping," Sasha said with an awkward smile as she handed them their money.

"Why would you?" Carlos demanded. "How many times is your name in there? Like, five?" His eyes landed on the golden pin on the front of her dress. Who knew how many mouths it could feed. "You won't be going there."

"It's not her fault," Kendall said quietly. He couldn't help feeling that the snipe was half at him, even though he knew it wasn't.

"I know, but it's just the way it is," Carlos said sullenly. Then they left.

Of course Carlos was a little bitter towards Sasha. It was understandable. Being the mayor's daughter, it wasn't necessary for her to enter her name in the reaping more times than she needed to. The way the names worked was that on your twelfth birthday, your name was entered once. Then when you were thirteen, it entered again, making two entries of your name in the reaping. And on it went, by the time you were coming to your nineteenth birthday your name was in six times. Then when you turned nineteen, you were in the clear, and your name was taken out completely. The thing was, in the state most families of District 12 were in, particularly in the Seam, children entered their name extra times to gain tesserae, which would earn them a bit of grain and oil each month for a whole year, enough for one person.

So the first year Logan entered, he put his name in twice as a precaution, which made it four the next year. However, after their father was killed he entered his name another three times, adding five to the other four entries. And on it went, until now in his last year, his name was entered twenty nine times. Kendall was two weeks from turning eleven when their father died, and even when he was old enough to have his name entered Logan wouldn't let him put it in extra for tesserae, not even this year. So his name was only in it three times. Carlos, meanwhile, had his name entered over thirty times to help feed his large family of hungry boys.

Just because Logan hadn't let Kendall earn any tesserae didn't mean he hadn't gone to other means to feed them all. Logan couldn't hunt, he couldn't do much at all. Logan's tesserae wasn't enough for them to keep going, it never had been. So that autumn when their father had been killed and Logan had been critically injured, Kendall had been left wondering what on earth he could do to get food for his family. He had been eleven then, and that winter he had resorted to calling to the head Peacekeeper's house. Arthur Griffin was by no means a cruel man, and he wasn't unfair in ruling the district. However, he had this thing for luring young girls into his bed for a bit of extra food or some money to help their family. At first when Kendall went there, he was worried Griffin wouldn't accept him, because he wasn't sure if he was as keen on boys as girls. But he seemed to have no problem whatsoever with it. So Kendall gave up his virginity to feed his family. He didn't really regret it, of course he would've kept it if he could, but what was the point? It wasn't as if there was anyone to save it for.

His family had never known, but Kendall thought Logan had probably suspected something; the lingering glances Griffin sometimes gave him when they were both around, or the few times Kendall had come home with a guilty expression and a slight limp. A part of Kendall had always disliked his mother for that. For being so weak for so long, for leaving Logan and Kendall to fend for the four of them somehow. He ended up giving his innocence away because she didn't want to get out of bed in the morning, grieving over her dead husband. And Logan seemed to know, because Kendall had noticed the change of attitude towards their mother at that time. But Logan had never straight out asked, so Kendall never told him.

But when winter ended and the snow melted away, Kendall decided he wouldn't resort to selling his body anymore. He sucked up his fear and crawled under the barbed wire fence alone, finding the bow and arrows his father had hidden in a hollow log, and he'd gone to hunt. The first day he hardly went in at all, but he hid up a tree and in the end of the day managed to kill a rabbit, and brought it home. At the sight of it his mother seemed to rouse herself, getting out of bed and cleaning it before making it into a stew with some mixed leaves. From then on Kendall hunted every day, deeper into the woods each time. And anything extra he caught he brought to the Hob, sometimes alone and sometimes with Logan. They began to manage just fine. Well, sort of. There were still nights when he had to trade his only game for some other necessity and they went to bed with empty stomachs.

Kendall said goodbye to Carlos and walked home, shaking the coins in his closed fist. The sound of them clinking together lifted his spirits a little. He arrived home, striding in through he front door. "I have fish! And some cash!"

His mother looked up from her spot at the table, her face lighting up. "Good job, honey." She walked over and kissed him on his blonde head, before taking his bag and bustling away to make lunch. Kendall would reluctantly let her kiss him and hug him, but he would never trust her fully again, he would never rely on her again. Since his father died, the only arms he'd ever felt safe or found comfort in were Logan's. Sometimes not even Carlos could strengthen him.

Mother made a stew of fish and the greens Kendall had received, and the four sat down at the table, munching it down contentedly. Katie had to be coaxed into finishing hers, as she did every reaping day. When they finished eating, Mother gave them their best clothes to wear, as was practically required.

"Here, wear this," his mother Jennifer said, handing Kendall a clean, neat shirt. And one that actually fitted him properly too. Kendall had always been small and skinny, just naturally. Logan was taller with a little muscle, while Carlos was big and broad. Kendall would stand next to them, craning his neck upwards a little to look them in the eye. But he didn't really mind. He'd already proved size didn't matter.

When they were ready to go, they trudged along the road towards the square with other 12 residents, Logan limping along without his walking stick. Kendall always tried to convince him to use it in public, but he never would. He was stubborn like that. They both were.

Carlos appeared next to them as they arrived in the already packed square. It was almost two o'clock, and nerves were visibly high.

"It's time for the reaping," Logan said dully, as though he were used to this. Thing is, of course he was. They all were. Kendall stood on one side of Logan, Katie on the other. Logan took both of their hands, squeezing them in comfort. "Let's just stand through this, and then we'll go home and have dinner, ok? And maybe play some cards or something, we haven't had time in a while."

Kendall and Katie both nodded. Carlos stood next to Kendall a grim smile on his face. "I'm so over this shit," he murmured with a sigh.

Kendall was inclined to agree with him. He hated this, the fact that some people's names had been entered so many times just so they could have a bit of extra food was simply ridiculous. But, what had to be done was done. This was survival in District 12. Kendall's mother stood next to Katie, a hand gripping the little girl's shoulder. She would always get nervous at the reaping, it was just the way she was.

"You'll be fine, Kendall," Logan said, looking down at his brother with a slightly crooked smile. "Your name is only in there three times, three in thousands. They're not gonna pick you."

Kendall glanced up at the stage. There were three chairs in the middle and a little to the left. At the front centre of the stage stood a podium, and on either side of it two tables with a large glass ball on each, one full of pieces of paper with the names of the girls, the other with the boys. Kendall felt Logan give his hand another squeeze of comfort, before they parted ways to get ready for the reaping.

As was required, everyone with their name in the reaping had to line up by gender and age, girls on one half on the square and boys on the other, with the eldest lined up at the front and the youngest at the back. Kendall stood with the other fifteen-year-old boys, giving an exhausted sigh. He glanced to his right and saw Katie and his mother standing away outside the perfectly lined groups of potential tributes, both looking pale and strained. But Katie gave him a small smile, and he smiled back.

Two of the chairs were occupied, the mayor sitting in one, and Kelly Wainwright in the other. They both looked nervous as a fat bald man appeared by the foot of the stage, staggering up the steps and chuckling madly. The man was clearly off his head, as usual. Kendall often wondered why Gustavo Rocque, the only winner of District 12, would waste away the life he'd barely managed to keep. Still, he could hardly ask him. The guy only left his house to get more booze. Silence fell over the square as the mayor walked up to the podium to read out the history of Panem, along with the peace treaty.

Panem was once North America, seventy four years ago the Dark Days came, which was the thirteen districts' only attempt at ever rebelling. As a punishment, the Capitol ended up completely obliterating District 13, and to keep the remaining twelve in tow, they created the Hunger Games. Each district offered up a random male and female tribute between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be trained in survival at the Capitol, before they were all put in a large outdoor arena that could host anything from a barren desert to an icy wasteland. Then the tributes were left to fight each other to the death over several weeks, while the whole thing was filmed on camera for the Capitol's entertainment. When he was finished, Kelly walked up to the podium, speaking into the microphone in her peppy voice.

"Welcome, and Happy Hunger Games!" Kelly began, big smile in her dark face. "It is such an honour to be here, choosing the courageous young man and woman to represent District 12 in the 74th Games. Let us begin. Ladies first, of course."

They all knew she would rather chaperone any district but this one, and it sickened Kendall that she could smile as she stuck her hand down to grasp a piece of paper, as if this was all so entertaining for her. Still, it was to the Capitol. All just a game. A game to see which of their pathetic slaves could kill all the others. 'We'll show you how you're still under our control by sacrificing your children and watching them kill each other!' Disgusting.

"Our female tribute is . . ." She briefly glanced at the paper, before calling out, "Camille Roberts!"

Kendall sighed mournfully. He knew Camille; she was Carlos's age, and he'd spoken to her once or twice. As she walked up on stage, dark hair in a braid, she looked terrified. Kendall really couldn't blame her.

"Excellent," Kelly beamed, patting the shaking Camille on the back, before reaching into the second glass ball of names. "And now. The male tribute for District 12 is . . ."

Silence.

"Logan Knight!"

Katie screamed. Jennifer let out some kind of broken cry. Kendall was completely frozen as he saw his older brother up in the front row, limping towards the steps to the stage. Kendall trembled as he watched him. It couldn't . . . no. Logan wasn't strong. He couldn't even walk right, he would be the first to die. They couldn't send him in there! But what could he do?

He knew. And he ran.

"No!" Kendall sprinted towards Logan, everyone moving to clear a path for him. "Stop!" he screamed, jumping in front of Logan and pushing him away from the steps. " I volunteer!"

Silence fell over the square as everyone turned to stare at him in disbelief. Nobody had volunteered to take a place in District 12 for years. In some districts it was a yearly occurrence. But not here. "I volunteer as tribute!" Kendall continued, stumbling a little over his words because he was so scared. Logan was looking at him with wide, scared eyes. And then Kelly nodded at him and he walked up the stage steps.

"NO!" Logan screamed, tears beginning to fall as Carlos appeared and grabbed him to hold him back. He kicked and shouted, his pleas bringing tears to Kendall's eyes. "Kendall, no! KENDALL! Leave him alone! I'll go, I'll go!"

"Too late," Kelly said slightly apologetic, almost sympathetic. Though that was impossible, wasn't it? "Once someone volunteers to take a tribute's place there is no going back."

And Kendall knew it too, as he stepped onto the stage. He saw all those familiar face, some devastated at the thought of small, sweet, innocent Kendall Knight going into the arena to save his crippled brother. Others were sobbing as they watched Camille, knowing it was likely they would never see her again. And some looked at both of them, the two tributes who stood side by side, clutching hands as some form of comfort for each other.

"What's your name, dearie?" Kelly asked sweetly.

"K-Kendall Knight," he said quietly.

"Kendall Knight. Well then, that must be your brother, yes? I suppose you didn't want the older sibling to take all the glory! Let's have a round of applause for our brave Kendall Knight!"

Not a single clap sounded in the square. But that was nothing new. Nobody thought that being a tribute was a good thing. It didn't mean honour, like some other districts. It meant death, simple as.

Then something strange happened. A woman close to the front, whom Kendall recognised as the mayor's wife, pressed the three middle fingers of her left hand to her lips, before raising them in the air towards Kendall. And then like a wave, the whole square copied the action. The gesture was rarely used nowadays, except sometimes at funerals. It was a sign of respect, of saying goodbye to a loved one. Kendall had to swallow the giant lump in his throat, refusing to break down and cry with the cameras pointing at him.

"He's got spunk, that's what!"

The slurred voice came from Gustavo, who gave a sloppy grin. "He's got more spunk than you!" the man shouted, pointing directly at one of the cameras. Kendall had no idea whether or not he was addressing anyone, and if so, who, but he admired him nonetheless. That was, until the man fell right off the stage and knocked his drunken self out.

The National Anthem began to play, as Kendall and Camille gripped each other's hands tightly. And when it ended, the Peacekeepers appeared and escorted them off the stage into the Justice Building. They were split up and brought into two different rooms. Kendall sat down on the velvet couch in his, looking around. It was so fancy, and extravagant. Well, compared to what he was used to. He was sitting there for about ten minutes before the door opened and his family walked in.

Katie ran straight for him, hugging him tightly and sobbing. "K-Kenny, you can't go!"

"I have to, baby sister," Kendall said softly, hugging her. "I have to go. But you can be a big girl, can't you? You're smart and you can get through anything, ok?"

Katie nodded, smiling at him. "Yes, I can." She pulled away from him as their mother leaped forward, pulling Kendall straight into her arms.

"Oh, Kendall . . ." she whimpered. "This shouldn't be happening to you, to any of us . . ."

"I'll be ok, Mom," Kendall managed to force out, clinging onto her. "I'll b-be fine."

She only sobbed harder, clutching him. "My baby boy . . . it's not fair."

He pulled away from her, gripping her shoulders. "You can't lose it again, ok? You don't have any excuses, you can't leave us again, especially when they need you."

"I know," she replied, nodding firmly and wiping her eyes. "I'll be strong, I promise."

Logan was the last. First he just scowled at Kendall, "What the hell were you thinking?"

Kendall bit his lip, only feeling slightly guilty. "I couldn't let you go."

Logan gave a worried smile, and when he opened his arms Kendall dived straight into them, breathing in that fresh soapy smell as he buried his face in the crook of the older boy's neck. "I'll try, I'll really try," he murmured. "I'll try to win, for you. I'll make you proud of me."

"I'm already proud of you," Logan choked, holding him close. "I've always been proud of you."

"I love you, Logie," Kendall whispered, before the Peacekeeper came into the room and told them to leave. He stole one last hug from each of them before they were gone. Kendall sat there numbly on the couch, breathing unevenly and trying to hold the tears in when suddenly the door opened again and

Sasha walked in. He was surprised to see her, but didn't question it. She certainly got straight to the point.

"You're allowed wear one thing from home when you go into the arena," she said immediately, sitting next to him. "Will you take this?"

She held out the pin that had been previously pinned to her dress. Kendall saw it was a bird in flight inside a gold ring, an arrow running through it. He recognised it immediately and grinned. "A mockingjay."

Sasha nodded, grinning. "Yep." During the Dark Days, the Capitol had created a series of animals for both attack and defence, called mutations, or mutts for short. One they invented was a jabberjay, a strictly male bird capable of recording entire conversations and repeating them to their masters. It was a great use for spying in cities where the Capitol thought their enemies were hiding. However, the rebels soon caught on to the scheme and began feeding the birds complete lies, which led to them losing their use and being released into the wild to die out. However, instead of dying, they mated with female mockingbirds, creating mockingjays, which could listen to entire songs and sing them back exactly the same. Kendall's father had loved mockingjays, and Kendall had grown to love them too.

"You'll wear it, won't you? In the arena," Sasha said urgently, pinning it to his shirt. "Promise me you will."

Seeing it there felt like a piece of his father was connected to him. Kendall nodded and smiled, "I promise."

Again, the Peacekeeper appeared to take her out. She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, before walking towards the door and leaving.

Carlos was the last to arrive, the two of them running straight into a hug. "Take care of them, Carli," Kendall whimpered out. "Make sure they don't starve, please."

"I'll look after them," Carlos promised.

"Look out for yourself, too."

"I always do."

They were silent for a moment or two. Then Carlos spoke again in a tearful voice. "I never really realised, how small you are." He laughed shakily. "But you're so brave, and you are strong, mentally stronger than they are. Maybe, maybe you can even win."

"Carlos . . . you and I both know . . ."

"They just want a good show!" Carlos burst out angrily. "That's all they want!"

"Carlos, twenty four of us are going in there and only one is going to come out," Kendall replied before he could continue.

"Wow," Carlos said slowly, laughing again a little. "Well, that's brand new information."

Kendall laughed too. "At least your sense of humour hasn't died."

There was a pause. "You need to get a bow, that's the most important thing. If they don't have one, make one. There's bound to be wood somewhere."

Kendall nodded but didn't say anything.

"You will try to survive, won't you? I know you think you don't stand a chance in there, but I think you do. Don't let us down."

"I won't," Kendall whispered, before that hateful Peacekeeper appeared again, and he was left alone.

But he couldn't cry just yet. There would be cameras at the train station.

Don't go thinking Carlos and Logan are just gonna vanish from the story now! The story is mostly Kames/Kendall-centric, but there will be bits where it goes back to Carlos and Logan too. Chapter 2 will be published when I write it. Feedback makes me update faster ;)