"Ayanna Danebluff!" Effie Trinket, the official announcer and representative of district 12 in the Hunger Games, called out in the still cold March air. Her voice rang out and bounced off the walls of our meager district's town square. You could hear a pin drop. It's like this every year, because here in district 12, we don't celebrate the slaughter of 23 people each year.
The first thought that rolls through my head is: It isn't me. I quickly exhale and realize I was holding my breath. My eyes dart to Prim, my sister, and her baby blue eyes are full of relief that neither her or I were selected to be thrown into the capitol's disgusting games. But her mouth is still set in a grim line because she is now old enough to know that the girl called is still going to lose her life. Well, probably anyway. District 12 never wins. In fact, our one winner is on the stage now with his eyes glazed over as he sways ever so slightly from his last drink. Haymitch Abernathy is a real charmer.
Meanwhile, our newest girl tribute is shakily making her way up to the stage. I see tears in her eyes and already know she's not going to make it. Her dark brown ringlets of hair just touch her shoulders and are blown left and right in the wind. Her gray eyes dart back and forth. She's truly a beautiful girl, her features soft and clean. I think I've overheard her talking about Gale in school before. She- Gale! I turn around to find my partner in hunting, my best friend, staring at me. He smiles and crosses his fingers not to be called.
They're about to call the boy's name after they settle down about our first tribute. The waves of nerves begin crashing over me again, but this time not for myself. I'm sure the worry shows in my face because a girl next to me asks if I'm alright. I brush her off because the owner of the awful pink hair opens up her golden ball filled with the names of all eligible boys in district 12. Her dainty and manicured fingers pluck out a name. She opens her mouth and it's not Gale. It's my boy with the bread. And my heart stops.