Katniss Everdeen - sixteen years old, quiet school girl, hunter, friend, sister, daughter. When she gets called to be in the 73rd Hunger Games, she knows she can survive, she knows she can come home to her family. But can she survive what Snow has in store for her? Can she become what everyone wants her to be?

Peeta Mellark - seventeen years old, baker, wrestler, popular schoolboy, brother, son. When he gets called to be in the 74th Hunger Games, he knows he can survive, even though the odds are against him. But what would be coming home to? Heartbreak? Dreams that won't ever come true? What if they do somehow happen, but they aren't what he expected to be?

This is the story of both of their Games. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in their favor.

Hurrying to his spot with the seventeen-year-old boys, Peeta worried about everything and anything. Did he turn off all the ovens before he left? Did he finish all the orders this morning? Was his hair still in place? He couldn't help but keep running his fingers through his recently trimmed locks. So many questions were running through his head he didn't notice Effie Trinket, Twelve's perky escort, talking and smiling her pearly teeth to the crowd of children in the lines of rope and the fidgeted parents waiting not to hear their child's name be called over Panem.

"First off, the girls."

Effie clicked her bright pink heels to the bowl with all the girls' names. She plucked her hand down and snatched one from the deepest part of the bowl. You could feel the tension in the air, everyone holding their breath. She walked back to the microphone, opening the small sheet of paper and read out:

"Susan Langer."

A girl from the group of fifteen year old's looked around, her blond hair shining in the sunlight. She was definitely from the Merchant side of town, but her eyes were more green than blue. Peeta had seen her at school with an older boy, her brother. He was a few years older than Peeta, but I guess that didn't matter now. Susan walked forward, heading to the Justice Building stairs. Effie pulled her the rest of the way, extremely happy to have her first tribute to the new games.

"Now, for the boys," she said, with glee.

This part went ten times slower than the last part did for Peeta. There was never really worry for him with the girls, both his siblings were brothers and one was out of age for the Reaping. He knew his name was in the bowl more times than his brothers ever were, but he still had a chance of staying home. He still had a chance, he repeated in his head. He rethought the whole affair, which would be better: stay home where he was beaten and disliked or go to the Capitol to await his death?

He didn't know which one sounded worse.

Effie's hand reached into the bowl and snatched a paper as quick as a fly, without thought, in a second, from the top of the bowl. She was in a hurry to know who she would be reaping this year. What oh-so-lucky boy would stand next to her on stage this year? She walks back to the microphone once more and reads out the name.

It echoes through Peeta's head until he realizes the boys are all staring at him. Everyone is staring at him.

"Peeta Mellark," she had said.

Effie looks towards the crowd, trying to spot the male tribute she called. Peeta cleared his throat, and without a look back at his family, he walks forward to the stage. He didn't know what to feel. Angry that his brother didn't volunteer for him, or fear that he was going to die in a few days. He eyes the girl with pity, her expression blank and stale like leftover bread. She seemed more scared than he did. Peeta felt numb, that's one thing he could agree on. He saw his future mentor and tried to remember what had happened last year – actually, just months ago.

He waited a few moments, wondering if anyone would take pity on him and volunteer. When no one did, he shook Susan's hand, along with his mentors who congratulated them in an un-willful manner and dead voice.

His future seemed to be taking the latter.

Katniss Everdeen was a strong girl, always had been always will be. You can't argue with me on that one. Her mind was eager to learn and she was bright, even if she was rude at times. She was in her father's footsteps, going alongside him up until Reaping day.

Her first was the definitely scariest, but knowing that the 73rd Hunger Games would be her last to worry about just herself made her queasy. She nearly did vomit when she thought of her baby sister going to the Reapings without her, as Katniss would only have two years to protect her from the unfathomable. Her younger sister, Prim, which is short for Primrose, is eleven this year. Her last few months of being stood with her mother and father on the opposite side of the rope would be filled with childhood memories and laughter that will wither away by fear. Katniss could not get her head clear, even with her father speaking to her, she was still in her own thoughts begging to make her father's words mend together to make sentences.

She was scared stiff in her spot. Once she stopped her thoughts from racing, she realized she was surrounded by all the sixteen-year-old girls, some she knew, and some who were faceless to her. The boys were far from her, but she cared not of the boys. They were nothing but other citizens from her district at the time; she forgot which ones she liked, which ones she talked to, which ones were her friends, which ones she knew nothing of. She made no attempt to look at anyone until Effie called out the female tribute. The stage seemed to be coming closer to her, and she only ever realized she was on the stage when she saw her father and mother holding onto Prim tightly, she was crying and screaming. Her mother in tears, her father shocked like Katniss herself. Prim didn't seem to know what to do but react. She kicked and punched her father's arm until she had no voice left. It was like Prim had been called herself, her older sister was her connection to the world, her guardian, her role model. What would she do without her sister?

Effie was smiling and called one of the boys. She knew who he was, he was a close friend of hers and would let Katniss live if the time came to it. Katniss shook the boy's hand, his face strong looking at hers, and she knew how she should act, be, transform herself. She was going to be strong like him, fearless when inside she wanted to tear herself into bits and pieces. She was going to win these Games, even if she had to kill to get her way to it.

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A/N: This chapter is a short one, but there wasn't much I wanted to add to it. The next chapters will be longer.

I'm hoping to write this storytelling two stories in one (if that makes sense). The first portion would be the present when Peeta is reaped, and the second portion would be when Katniss was reaped in the past. It would merge at one point, once Katniss's portion made its way to the beginning of Peeta's. I'm not sure if I'm making any sense, but anyway, I hope everyone who reads enjoys.

~Jez xo