I do not own The hunger games. That right goes to Suzanne Collins. I only own Vera. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes English is not my first language.

Names can be a funny thing.

I would have never imagined meeting anyone with a name similar to mine in my lifetime. When you live in district 12 you get little time to imagine and more time to starve. I'm actually thankful for meeting the person who had a name similar to mine because if I hadn't I would never have met Katniss or Gale. I would never have learned how to hunt or trade or even shoot a bow and arrow. Funny how a little thing such as a name can make a huge difference on whether you live or die. In my case it is.

When I wake up the sun still hasn't arrived. Grey clouds are roaming the sky and no sound can be heard outside.

Of course it is Reaping day. People are sleeping in next to their children, holding them in fear of this being the last time they see them.

I roll around in my bed and push the blanket off of me. The cold embraces me and I shiver. I stretch my body after sitting up, it gets rid of the last sleep i had under my eyes.

I look at the bed on the other side of the room were my mother is sleeping. The only time I see her look peaceful is when she sleeps.

Not having to worry about going down to the coalmine or if we get to eat the next day.

I force myself of the bed and try as quietly as I can to get my boots which is beside the door and I put them on after I have pulled on my trousers and brown shirt. I take on my dark brown leather jacket that I got from the market. I make a bun for my big curly black hair and I am out the door.

I live in the part of District 12, nicknamed the Seam, which is usually crawling with coal miners like my mom heading out to the morning shift at this hour. But not today.

There is not a soul to be seen on the streets.

My house is almost at the edge Seam. I am two houses down from where my friend Katniss lives. Which makes it much easy for me to pass a few gates to reach the scruffy field called the Meadow.

Separating the Meadow from the woods, in fact enclosing all of District 12, is a high chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire loops. The fact is, it's supposed to be electrified twenty-four hours a day as a defense against the predators that live in the woods — packs of wild dogs, lone cougars, bears — that used to threaten our streets. But luckily it's only on for two or three hours of electricity in the evenings. So it's pretty much safe to touch.

When I was younger I never thought of even passing the fence, that was until I met Katniss and she taught me to always take a moment to listen carefully for the hum that means the fence is on.

I listen for a minute, not hearing a sound I conclude that it is off.

I lay flat on my stomach and carefully slide under the fence.

I know for a fact there are other weak spots in the fence but Katniss helped me find one close to home.

As soon as I'm in the trees I quickly try to find the meadow. I notice Katniss's bow and arrows are missing which means she is already there.

Electrified or not, the fence has been a great hit at keeping wild animals out of District 12. Inside the woods they roam freely, and there are added concerns like venomous snakes, rabid animals, and no real paths to follow. But there's also food if you know how to find it. If I had known this before meeting Katniss, my mother and I would not have starved, but of course I probably wouldn't have been brave enough to pass the fence alone.

I asked her once how she knew all of this and she said her father taught her before he died in a mine explosion. I remember it clearly. I had just turned eleven. My mother and I were invited to the funeral. At that time I hadn't known who Katniss was.

Even five years later she has nightmares about her father. I remember sleeping over one night and I woke up to her screaming for her father to run. Katniss is my best friend, but she's usually so closed off sometimes.

That night was the first time I heard her cry.

Even though trespassing in the woods is illegal it carries the severest of penalties, more people would risk it if they could but most are not bold enough to venture out with just a knife.

I might seem brave now that I am venturing outside of district 12, but that's because I know Gale and Katniss are at the Meadow right now. If I knew neither of them would go I would not step a foot outside the fence.

I´m a coward I know, but not having a father to teach you how to survive and hunt or a mother who knows her plants can be a downside.

But I learned anyway Katniss taught me.

I don't know what she saw in me, my first guess would be pity but she helped anyway. With her helping me to shoot with a bow and arrow.

I usually try to help with her hunting and trading.

The only thing I am good at for sure is sewing ripped clothes and making the booby traps for hunting.

Most of the Peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they're as hungry for fresh meat as anybody is.

In fact, they're among our best customers. Which helps a lot with not starving. I have asked my mother not to work at the coal mine since I bring enough food home to last us both for a month, but she refused.

My mother is a stubborn woman. I think she has gotten so use to being there, basically that is the only thing she knows to do.

"District Twelve. Where you can starve to death in safety," Is usually what Katniss mutters every time we're at the meadow and I completely agree.

I glance behind me just to make sure no one is following me.

The anxiety never leaves you even when you're all alone. The fear of someone might hearing you whisper something wrong.

I learned from a young age to keep my mouth shut. My mother is a paranoid person. When you're living in district 12 that's a smart person.

she would tell me from a young age that everyone could not be trusted or most of them were working for the Capitol. With the stories she told me it of course made me into a paranoid mess. I would only speak at school if I was forced to and politely smile to the adults. Paranoia and anxiety was controlling me until I met Katniss.

I would not say a word to anyone in fear of being taken away from my mother or the Capitol making me one of their many victims.

Please don't get me wrong I love my mother but she is what I call a fragile soul. Seeing so much of what the Capitol can do has broken her like so many others here in district 12.

In the woods I see the two most important people in my life. People that I truly can be myself around and feel safe.

Gale and Katniss.

I smile as I climb the hill towards the rock that overlooks the valley. The haven't noticed me yet. Gale is showing Katniss an arrow stuck inside a bread. They are both laughing when I finally reach them. Katniss has the bread in her hands as she takes a whiff of it and smiles

"Mm, still warm" She says. I quickly take the bread out of her hands and inhale the warm bakery baked bread. She is right it's still warm.

As I hand the bread back to Gale and give a tiny hug to Katniss I ask him "How much did this fine bakery baked bread cost you?"

"Hallo to you too Vera." Gale says with a grin.

I smile and give him a hug too.

"So how much did it cost you?" Katniss repeats my question.

"Just a squirrel. Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning," says Gale. "Even wished me luck."

Katniss pulls out something from her bag.

"Well, we all feel a little closer today, don't we?" She says, As I roll my eyes and snicker knowing what she means.

"Or maybe it´s a gift from his wife?" I say in a sarcastic tone

"Doubt it." Katniss says and we all laugh.

Everyone knows the baker's wife is a complete monster with her permanent angry face. Except maybe for the baker, but I am not sure.

"Prim left us a cheese." Katniss says finally pulling the cheese out from her bag.

Gale´s expression brightens at the sight of cheese.

"Thank you, Prim. We'll have a real feast." All of a sudden he is talking in a Capitol accent as he mimics Effie Trinket, the weird upbeat woman who arrives once a year to read out the names at the Reaping.

"I almost forgot! Happy Hunger Games!" He plucks a few blackberries from the bushes around us. "And may the odds —" He tosses a berry in a high arc toward Katniss.

She catches it in her mouth. I laugh while cheering for her. I take a few myself. They taste sweet and bitter at the same time

"— be ever in your favor!" Katniss finishes with equal pep.

They usually joke about it because the alternative is to be scared out of your wits. At the beginning I nearly peed my pants when they made fun of the accents. I told them that they were out of their minds and they could get killed for it. Eventually I got used to it and when months had gone by and nobody came to kill us I let it go.

Besides, the Capitol accent sounds funny and weird anyway.

When I first heard one I had to listen very carefully for what they were saying because every word coming out sounded weird.

I glance towards the valley as I lean my back on a rock.

Beside me Gale pulls out his knife and slices the bread. I shift my gaze towards Katniss. She´s looking at Gale.

I know that look She is in a deep thought. Something you catch up on when you're friends with Katniss Everdeen.

They look alike.

Gale and Katniss they could be siblings. When I first met Gale I actually thought he was her brother. Straight black hair, olive skin, they both even have gray eyes. I have noticed most families who work at the mines resemble one another this way. My mother looks more like Katniss than Katniss's own mother does. My skin is little more darker than both Katniss and Gale´s and I don't have gray eyes. Mine are hazel colored. Once a Peacekeeper told me I looked more like the people from district 11.

Gale spreads the bread slices with the soft goat cheese, carefully placing a basil leaf on each while I strip the bushes of their berries.

The wind peacefully roams through the trees, with the clear view of the valley, which is teeming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight. The day is glorious, with a blue sky and soft breeze. The food's wonderful, with the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. In this quiet moment, nothing could ruin it. I feel at peace with Gale and Katniss by my side.

If I could stop time I would. Right at this moment. But instead at two o'clock all three of us will be standing in the square waiting for our names to be called.

With a sigh I take an extra bit from my bread slice.

"We could do it, you know," Gale suddenly says quietly.

"What?" I ask.

"Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. All three of us, we could make it," says Gale.

I raise my eyebrows and then narrow my eyes at him. Sure They would make it, but not me, some part of me knows that I will never be as good as Katniss or Gale in hunting or surviving. I would most likely get my mother and myself killed.

So I don't respond. I just look at him with my narrowed eyes.

Suddenly realizing what he´s just said he adds quickly.

"If we didn't have so many kids,".

They're not their kids, of course. But they might as well be. Gale's two little brothers and a sister. And of course Katniss little sister Prim. And you may as well throw in our mothers, too, because how would they live without us? Who would fill those mouths that are always asking for more? With all of us hunting daily, there are still nights when animals has to be swapped for lard or shoelaces or wool, still nights when we go to bed with our stomachs growling.

"I never want to have kids," Katniss says.

A part of me agrees with her. Why make innocent souls suffer.

"I might. If I didn't live here," says Gale.

"But you do," Katniss says, irritated.

"Forget it," he snaps back.

I look back and forth between them with raised eyebrows.

The conversation feels all wrong. Awkwardness fills the air.

Leave?

I have always known this topic would be brought up. Sometimes I would see Gale with this far off look and i´d know what he was thinking about. He was thinking of how life would be like living in the woods. Taking the chance to run away. But I know he would never do it. He would never leave his family behind or taking the chance at risking their lives, neither would Katniss. With one look at Katniss I know she is thinking the same.

I detect a blush from Katniss when Gale mentioned the kid thing.

Where did that even come from?

Of course it´s easy.

He´s been into Katniss since last winter.

When I met Gale I was a starving twelve-year-old. I remember him being mad at Katniss for bringing an "outsider" as he called it. It took time for him to open up to me.

I quickly crushed on him as many of the other girls in school did too.

Gale being only two years older than me and Katniss looked even more handsome even at the age of twelve. A silly crush quickly turned into love when at the age of fourteen when he helped me trade a squirrel at The Hob. His kind and protective nature made me love him more.

When I realized his affections towards Katniss last winter it nearly destroyed me. But I would never let this come between me and Katniss.

Of course Katniss hasn't noticed Gale being completely in love with her.

Katniss is a skilled hunter but when is comes to interacting with people she knows nothing.

"What do you want to do?" Katniss suddenly asks bringing me out of my trance.

"We can hunt, fish, or gather."

"Let's fish at the lake. We can leave our poles and gather in the woods. Get something nice for tonight," he says.

I nod agreeing with everything he says. I usually make either of them decide what to do when we're at the woods.

Every time after a Reaping, everyone is supposed to celebrate. And lot of people usually do.

My mother never joined the celebrations since I turned twelve. The reason for the celebrations is out of relief that their child have been spared for another year. But at least two families will pull their shutters, lock their doors, and try to figure out how they will survive the painful weeks to come.

After some time later we've got our hands full. Strawberries and a dozen of fish.

On our way home we stop by The Hob. I wait outside while both of them go inside to make some business.

I sit on a barrel with my arms and legs crossed. Not soul can be seen outside The Hob, until I hear a voice on my left.

"Well, is it not Vera the Seamstress."

With a smirk on his face Darius comes closer. His ginger hair shining more in the sun. Darius is one of the youngest Peacekeepers in district 12. He is also one of the usual customers in The Hob. He is easy going which makes him my favorite Peacekeeper.

"I fixed your shirt once, that does not make me a seamstress Darius" I say.

"It was my favorite shirt!" He smiles.

"Doing some business before the reaping?" He continues as he leans against the building wall.

I nod and purse my lips together in annoyance.

"Yeah, you?"

" Just getting some soup from Greasy Sae" He says. His voice is sounding more husky than usual.

"I guess I will be seeing you at the square in a few hours, huh!" I say as I jump of the barrel.

With one wink from him and a the usual smirk he wears, he goes inside.

I shake my head and chuckle. Darius is harmless, but nothing can stop him from flirting with any girl he sees. I sometimes have to bite my tongue just to keep myself from laughing when he flirts with Katniss. The whole thing is funny. She is oblivious and Gale is in the background glaring at Darius.

When they are finished with business at the market, we head towards the back door of the mayor's house to sell half the strawberries, knowing he has a particular fondness for them and can afford our price.

My friend Madge lives there. She sits in front of me in one class. Katniss shares more classes with her than I do. I mostly see her at lunch or when we sell her strawberries. Once I delivered strawberries all by myself and we talked more than we had ever done at school. She promised me once she would teach me how to play the piano.

Being the mayor's daughter, I expected her to be a snob, but she's nice. She just keeps to herself like I did before meeting Katniss. Since all of us really have no group of friends, we seem to end up together a lot at school. Eating lunch together and all.

When she opens the door, she is wearing an expensive white dress, and her blond hair is done up with a pink ribbon. She is wearing nice clothes for the reaping.

"Pretty dress," says Gale with voice that sounds a tiny bit patronizing.

Madge shoots him a look, trying see if he meant it or not.

I frown at him. Just because he does not like Madge that does not give him the right to talk to her like that. She is my friend. I'm about to say something when she smiles says

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

Gale shoot her a confused look and frowns.

I snicker, she is messing with him and he can't see it.

"You won't be going to the Capitol," says Gale in a cold tone.

His eyes land on a small, circular pin that compliments her dress. It looks like real gold, probably is.

I imagine how many mouths this could feed if I traded it for food.

"What can you have? Five entries? I had six when I was just twelve years old."

"Back off Gale," I say annoyed

"That's not her fault," Katniss says.

Gale shoots me an angry look and says

"No, it's no one's fault. Just the way it is,"

Madge's face has become closed off. She puts the money for the berries in Katniss's hand. "Good luck, Katniss," "You, too, Vera"

"Good luck, Madge" I say, and the door closes