Hi. All I want to say is this story is as true as I could make it( by the real hunger games book). I actually wrote this with the real book by me. When Katniss said Gale was thinking about something, I wrote what he was thinking, probably. You can also see that Katniss was thinking there's no romance between them, with Gale is another story. It's really fun doing this, writing a book in somebody else's head. Okay, I'm done talking. Hope you enjoy this!

The light from my window and my frightening nightmare woke me. "Katniss?" I shot out of my bed, looking for her. I sat on our crappy,old rug and sighed out of relief when I realized it was just a dream.

A dream that had me wanting to suffer a long,slow death.

My dream was, as it been almost every night before reaping day, about Katniss being in a bloodbath at the Cornucopia on the first day. That's my definition of hell.

I got up and went to check to see if the rest of my family was asleep.

All of them are. Rory in the bed next to mine , Vick on the couch , and Posy and Mom in their room. I slipped on my regular hunting outfit and creeped out of the very small building I call home. I decide, since this may be the last time Katniss and I hunt, that I should make it memorable.

I'll get bread, but I don't have the money to get some. I thought, trying to plan as fast as I could. I'll just trade a squirrel for it. I located Katniss's bow and arrow in her tree. I positioned it and myself as I spotted a gray squirrel on the ground, eating a nut. I've always left Katniss to do all the shooting with the bow and arrow. That's her weapon, not mine. But,I can take down anything without trouble. I'm more of a snare kind-of-guy, traps.

I retreat the squirrel and head to the bakery, grabbing a bag from my jacket pocket and placing the squirrel carefully inside. Hopefully, the bakery will still be open. Most businesses are closed on reaping days.

I smile when Mr. Mellark, the baker, set out some cakes and loaves of bread. Meaning the bakery is open.

I push my way through the door. Mr. Mellark looks up and smiles, "Good morning, Gale." I nod. "You too, Mr. Mellark." His eyes zone in on the bag."What may I do for you?" I dump the bag onto the counter,

pushing it toward him. " A trade for a loaf." I replied. Mr. Mellark nods and checks the bag, carefully taking the squirrel out and placing it on top of the bag. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed before any noise escaped his lips. Probably Who shot this? Katniss?,but he got his answer. All Katniss's shots are in the animal's eye. Mine are lucky enough to even get somewhere on the body. This shot was in the neck.

"Here's your bread. Good luck,son. How old are you now?", the baker hands me a loaf wrapped in plastic.

"Eighteen. Your youngest son, Peeta?," I pause, waiting for his reply. He nods and I begin again. "Peeta's in Katniss's year, right?" I couldn't recall his two older sons' names,only Peeta because of how he saved Katniss from dying a couple months after her father died.

"Yes, Peeta is is the lovely Katniss Everdeen?" he wondered aloud. I smile, thinking of her face." Great. This bread actually is for both of us, sir." He nods deep in thought. "Ahh, I see. Give her and her mother my luck?" Ha, I thought as I choked up a laugh. "Sure thing. See you later, Mr. Mellark." I said, turning to the door." Thanks. Have fun with your girlfriend, okay? Say hello to your mother and her's too for me also. Goodbye now," he turns to his cakes.

"Yeah, okay," I answered and then I noticed Peeta standing behind his father in the bakery's doorway to the back. I also noticed his face was dark with anger and his hands were balled up to fists. What the hell is his problem?, I wondered. So being nice, I nod my head toward him and walk out.

My confusement over Peeta surrendered to Mr. Mellark's hilarious behavior. Mr. Mellark is so helplessly in love with Katniss's mother, after Julia and my mom met, I could overhear

them talking about how many times he would come to Julia's old home before she married . My father and Katniss's died in a mining bomb four years ago, the same year my little sister, Posy, was born. So, was married with three sons, and still loved Mrs. Julia.

As I make my way through the forest,I think of the first time I met Katniss. She was curiously examining my snare I set up as I was hiding behind a nearby tree. I scared her,she was only twelve at the time, when I asked her what she was doing. I asked her for her name and she whispered it, making it sound like Catnip.

I call her "Catnip'' as her nickname. I sat on our log and waited for her.

I took an arrow out and carefully pushed it through the bread, hoping I can lighten the sad mood she might have. A twig snaps. I turn my head toward the noise's direction and Katniss walks up. Her dark hair, which is a color like mine, is braided into her original one braid,her eyes spot me, and her lips curl up to smile. I swear she could be the girl version of me, only younger.

"Hey, what I shot," I said, holding up the bread. My plan worked, she laughs. Catnip takes the bread from my hands and pulls the arrow out. "Mm, still warm. What did it cost you?", she wonders.''Just a squirrel," I shrug. ''Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning. Even wished me luck."

Katniss didn't even roll her eyes," Well, we all feel a little closer today, don't we? Prim left us cheese." She pulls it out, while the expression on my face lightens. ''Thank you, Prim. We'll have a real feast." I think for a minute then use my Capitol accent. "I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" I say as I pluck some blackberries from a nearby bush. "And may the odds-" I waited for Katniss's part , as I threw a berry at her. She caught between her teeth, then bit it. "be ever in your favor!" We start laughing.

I pull out my pocketknife and I cut the bread. I can feel her eyes on me. I spread Prim's goat cheese on the bread. I carefully place a basil leaf on each slice. I hand Catnip's slice to her and we settle into some rocks. We quietly eat our food. I take a quick glance at her face, she's obviously thinking about the Hunger Games and the Capitol. "We could do it, you know,'' I say quietly. That snaps her out her thoughts.

"What?"

"Leave the district. Runoff. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it."

Her expression looked worried, so I added quickly,"If we didn't have so many kids." My two younger brothers and sister comes to mind, along with Katniss's sister Prim. We're the ones who take care of food

for our fathers pasted away, Katniss and I stepped up to take their place, since we're the oldest. If it weren't for us, our poor siblings' stomachs would be growling all the time. Our mothers could have helped us, but they were in their trances. We were as sad as they were too, but we had to stay stronger for the others. My mom is stronger then Julia, who just came out of hers a few months ago.

"I never want to have kids," Catnip says after a moment, pulling me out of my thoughts. When did she hate children? " I might. If I didn't live here." I said, quietly. "But you do," she replied, furiously. "Forget it,'' I snapped back. Why does she have to be so difficult? Why wouldn't she want kids? "What do you want to do?" she asks, I can feel her gray eyes on me before I even raised my identical ones to hers. "Let's fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight," I answered. After the reaping, almost every family celebrates that one of their children didn't get reaped. While two families will close their shutters and hope to survive the next few weeks.

On our way home, we head to the Hob, a black market that lets people trade illegally. After we're done with our business there,we head to the Mayor's back door. He loves strawberries and is willing to pay for them. Madge, the Mayor's daughter,opened the 's wearing a white dress and her blond hair is done up with a ribbon." Pretty dress," I compliment. Madge shoots me a glance,obviously trying to figure if I was being ironic or actually being quickly presses her lips together and the smiles.

"Well, if I end up going to the Capitol,I want to look nice, don't I?"

Now,I'm confused. Does she really mean it? I answer coolly," You won't be going to the Capitol."My eyes trail on a gold mockingjay pin on her dress. "What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was just twelve years old."

"That's not her fault," Katniss says. I glance at her. " No, it's no one's the way it is." Madge, who looks bored, plants the money in Katniss's hand and simply says,''Good luck, Katniss.'' What about me?

''You, too,"Katniss responses and Madge gives me one more look before closing the door. We head off to the Seam, quietly. I sneak a glance at Katniss,who's face is scrunched up, probably thinking about what I just said to Madge. Well, let her think. I t makes me mad that some people don't have to work their ass off to keep food on the table.

So, when we get deep in the woods, I complain about how it's so unfair. The deeper we go into the woods the louder I get. Finally, we get back to our log and we divide what food we have left. We split the money we got from Madge.

"See you in the square." Katniss, who hasn't spoken since we left the Mayor's house, says.

"Wear something pretty,'' I say we head home in different directions. When I get home, my mother is chasing my little four-year old sister around, trying to get her into the bathtub." Hey, Gale," my mother greets me and the finally catches Posy. She totes her off to the bathroom.I dump my bag on our kitchen counter.I grab my money out, shoving it on my pant pocket. I shrug out of my jacket, putting it in the closet.

Ten minutes later, Mom comes into the living room, where I sit."Your turn," she calls. I jump up, tugging at the money. "Here, for you." I put in her palms. "Gale, I-" I cut her off. " No, really. Take it." I kissed her cheek and headed off to shower. In an hour, all five of us were walking to the town square.

I looked at Mom. "My last one,'' was all I said. "Yeah, good luck, sweetheart," Mom answered. She kissed my forehead, which she had to stand on her tip-toes and I had to lean down. I walked over to where all the other eighteen-year old boys were, waiting for the damn reaping to start.

On stage, there's three for Effie Trinket, District Twelve's escort,the other for Mayor Undersee, and the last for District Twelve's only alive victor, Haymitch's chair is empty, he's probably drinking a barrel full of beer somewhere. Mayor Undersee starts off with a long speech about Panem's history. A lifetime later, he starts to read the list of past victors, we have had only two. On that cue, Haymitch struggles onto the stage and collapses in his chair, giving Effie a tries to push him off. He's mayor, who looks embarrassed, tries to pull the attention back to him, by introducing Effie. The bright,bubbly,and lovely Effie Trinket walks up to the podium and shouts, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

I smile and look at Katniss, who returns it I start to think about all her slips of paper with her name scrawled on them. I quickly turn away from Katniss as Effie yells, "Ladies first!" My stomach flips as Effie reaches in the huge bowl and pulls out a name. Please not her, anybody but Katniss. I hope and Effie yells the name and I get my wish it's not Katniss.

I pause, recalling the name. I see Katniss run up to the stage as she screams, "Prim!". She shoves little Prim behind once again, my stomach flips ,not because of Prim,but the next words that come out of Katniss's mouth." I volunteer! I volunteer as a tribute!"

And my worst nightmare finally comes true.

So, there you go my first chapter of my first book. My mom said I'm a great writer when she read half of the chapter. My aunt said I should go with being an author. But, I want to know what you think. Please leave me a review if there's anything for me to improve or if liked anything. Thanks...