My name is Katniss Everdeen. I am sixteen years old and I live with my sister Prim and my mother. Although it feels as if it's only me and Prim, as my mother is always working long shifts at the hospital, so we don't see her much. We live in a small town nicknamed 'The Seam' within District 12.
Today was the first day back at District 12 high school. I woke up at five o'clock to find Prim curled up next to me in my bed, the small first rays of sun beaming down and highlighting her golden blonde her, making it it shine. She must have had trouble sleeping because she was so nervous about her first day at school. That was all I heard about yesterday. How she doesn't think she will fit in, or if she hasn't got everything she needed or would make no friends. I gave up trying to convince her otherwise after a few attempts. She doesn't seem to realize that everyone adores her even before she starts talking.
I don't mind her sleeping in my bed, I love my little sister more than anything in the world and the idea that she still needs me in ways like this brings a smile to my face.
I quietly slip out of the covers, making sure I don't wake her. She murmurs slightly in her sleep from the loss of my body heat beside her, but rolls on her other side and curls up into a tiny ball to compensate for it. I get dressed in a simple pair of jeans, a dark green t-shirt plus my hunting jacket and slip on my flat leather boots. I contemplate leaving a note but there's really no point, as they will know where I am. Everybody in the whole District knows where I am at this time by now.
I retrieved my bow and sheath of arrows from the cupboard underneath the stairs and stepped out of the door and out into the chilly morning air.

I made my way towards the woods, where I could spot smoke rising from the chimneys from the shops in the square. The people who work there are the only other people up at this time, getting ready for a long day of serving customers, whereas everyone else will still be tucked up in bed just like Prim. I don't blame them, I mean, why get up early if you don't need to?
As I turn my attention back on the upcoming woods, a small gust of wind pushes the most beautiful smell towards me. I inhale deeply allowing the scent to fill my nose, I immediately know this smell has drifted from the bakery. Cheese buns. My absute favorite bread. I have to stop myself from running over there at that moment and buying one, I have a job to do.
The moment I enter the woods the sounds of nature come alive. A bird singing a sweet little tune to another, the rustling of the leaves on the trees in the cool breeze... This is my true home. This is where I belong. I feel as one with the earth and the earth is both helping me blend in with the environment, my footsteps go unnoticed in the rustle of the trees and bushes keep my out of view of my prey. My senses sharpen as I load an arrow onto my bow and begin to search the area for animals. Almost immediately j spot a pair of squirrels scurrying up a tree and take them both down in quick succession. This should be enough for a Monday morning, especially considering I don't want to be late or my first day back.
By the time I reached the Butchers it was 6:30. I pushed open the front door and its sets of the jingling sounds of the bell above, letting Rooba know somebody's here. Rooba walks in from an open door behind the counter that leads to the back room.

"Watcha got this morning Katniss?"

"Got you a couple of squirrels, boss." I answered as I untied them from my belt and handed them over to her, where she set them down on a set of scales.

"Ok, I'll write this down to add to your weeks wages." She said whilst scribbling number down on my chart and removing the squirrels from the scales.

"Thanks Rooba, see you later." If you hadnt already realized, I work at the Butchers and Rooba is my boss. At first I only worked weekends in the till in the front of the shop but a while ago Rooba discovered my hunting skills and made me a deal, what ever I catch and didn't use myself, she would buy from me and add the amount to my weekly wages. Like a commission type deal.

Once I 'd gotten changed again after my shower into something less 'killer looking' for school, I decide to rouse Prim. She moans again as I gently shake her shoulder, taking her away from the fantasy world in her dreams.

"Prim, Prim! It's time to get up"

"Mm.. What time is it?" Her voice is slightly higher than her usual. She's rubs her eyes, adjusting to the light.

"It's seven, time for all the little ducks to get up" This has been my nickname for her for ages, she had once told me that she dreamt that she was a duck and when she awoke she thought it was actually true so kept checking herself for a beak and feathers.
She slowly got out of bed using her arms to support her. As she put her full weight on her arms a loud hiss come from within my bed cover. Prims eyes darted to mine.

"What the hell was that?!" I deadpanned whilst moving around the bed to the source of the noise.

"Nothing!" She replied a little too quickly. I quickly tore the cover off of the bed to find a ball of black matted fur leap off the bed and run out of the door.

"Why was that thing in my bed?"

"I'm sorry, he couldn't sleep on his own in my room, he came looking for me last night." she said averting her gaze towards the floor whilst twiddling her thumbs.

"Eww! He was in my bed the whole night? He could have fleas Prim!"

"Calm down Katniss, you didn't even realize, so stop fussing! You like him really."

"If I find him in my bed again, I'm selling him to Rooba, she wouldn't mind cat meat. Now go get changed for school, we need to meet Gale and Rory in half an hour." With a small smirk she left the room to go to her own whilst I re-made my bed.

In 40 minutes me and Prim had walked across the road to the Hawthorne house. It took an extra 10 minutes as Prim kept trying to persuade me to let her take Buttercup to school with her to comfort her. Hah. Like that was happening.
The small wooden front door opened with a creak, revealing Gale standing in the door frame. Gale and I had met through the Butchers. He also had a job there, similar to mine in fact, minus the hunting compensation deal, although he did occasionally acompany me on hunting trips if we had a long day to spare. Which I didn't mind.

"Hey Catnip," He greets me, "and hello there little Primrose"
Both Prim and I simultaneously retorted; "Don't call me that!", which only made Gale smirk and chuckle.

"Come on in." He said whilst moving aside to make space for us to get in past him.
Gales house is pretty similar to ours, being in the same part of town. Most houses look identical. A simple two floored house with three bedrooms. One for Gale, one for his two brothers, Rory and Vick to share and obviously one for there mother. This is the same as our house except nobody has to share seeing as Prim and I are the only children. We step into the frontroom linking into the kitchen.

"Rory! It's time to go!" Gale called up the stairs. Rory is the same age as Prim, so they are starting school together. There was the sound of feet thundering down the stairs and Rory appeared in the doorway. You could tell that Gale and Rory were related. They had the same light brown hair, the same cheekbones and most of all, they had the same smile. Looking at me and Prim, if you didn't already know us, you'd struggle to connect us as sisters. Prim has perfect golden blond hair and beautiful blue orbs of eyes, just like our mother, whereas I have long dark hair, usually tied back in a single braid and dull grey eyes, which I got from our father.
We all left the house ready for the trek to school, Gale and I walking and chatting at the back with Rory and Prim already racing up the road.

So much for Prim being nervous...