No time to think. I have to let my instincts take over. If I don't , one of those other tributes will kill me without thinking twice about. Im not dying here. I refuse to die in the Capitol's Games. I fucking refuse. So when the gong sounds, the calm mild mannered kid from Distric 12 is gone.

All that's left is instict.

Hunger Games: 74th Games Begin

Flashback-

" Shit, its reaping day." Peeta mummbles.

I sit up from my desk, remebering the day every teen dreds.

" Oh yeah. Oh well, its really unlikely you'll get picked anyway." I say calmly.

" You really are a weirdo you know that? Do you realize how many times your names in there? And your calm like its nothing." Peeta says with a confused look on his face.

A long time ago I smarted off to President Snow when he came through our District for some reason. Told him his Games werent scarry, so as punishment he threw my name in there 10 more times. Plus all the tesseraes I've put in to feed my family. But I've never been called and I'm 16 now so I'm not worried.

" Feh, not like the Games are that big of a deal. Honestly, the reason drunk Haymitch won is because he realized that everyone, including the Careers are idiots." I say indiffrently.

"Yeah but—" Peeta starts but stops and clinches up. I look over to see the love of his life katniss Everdeen walking by. She walks by Peeta and me. He looks like a damn tomato he's blushing so hard.

I quickly hop behind Peeta and grab his arm.

" Hey, Katniss!" I shout. She turns to see Peeta, with me waving his arm. He smiles meekly and continues to blush. She gives a small smile and waves back.

He turns around and decks me in the stomach.

" Not funny!" he says with a flustered face.
" Depends on where your standing haha." I laugh clutching my stomach. He can sure hit hard.

We get to the front doors of the school and get ready to go our separate ways.

" Well man, I guess I'll see you at the reapings." I say.

" Sukaro… If I ever got called take care of the family." He says.

Same thing every year since we were 12. He honestly belives he's going to have to go. But as usual I promise him I'll protect them. Not that they need it, they always have food and money.

" Of course bro. It's what friends do." I say and head home.

When I get there no ones home. My mom must have taken my sisters to the woods for some quality time. My grandparents did that for her every year before the reapings. I stopped going because the Games don't faze me anymore. After years of watching kids slaughter each other, I don't think about it much. So I hop in bed to make the time pass faster.

The Reaping

I walk to the the reaping area for the teens. My younger sisters Allie and Shelly are with my until they make them go over the girl section. I doubt they'll get called because I wont allow the to get tesserae. I stand next to Peeta and get ready for the waste of time that's about to go down.

After Effie District 12 lady reads out why we have to participate in this bullshit, she starts the reaping.

" Ladys First!" Effie says energeticly. She shoves her hand in the girls bowl. And she pulls out a card.

"Primrose Everdeen!" she shouts.

Katniss's little sister gets called up. That's a shame. She just turned 12. Cute little girl. Katniss will be devistated.

" I volunteer!" Katniss shouts.

What the fuck?

She goes and Primrose trys to hug her but she just tells her to sit down and her friend Gale pulls Prim down.

" Your name miss?" Effie ask. Katniss stands up straight and tells her name.

"Well isn't this a treat?" Effie shouts.

She gives the crowd a look and we give Katniss a round of applause. I never thought much of Katniss, but I feel bad for the other tributes because she is going to be hard to kill. I've seen her at the market with the game she's poached. Always gets the squarrles in the eyes. It's remarkable really.

" Now for the men!" Effie says with lots of enthusiasm. She grabs her slip of choice. And what comes next actually made my heart skipp a beat.

" Peeta Mellark!" she shouts.

Peeta looks at his family then at me. I'm wide eyed with shock. He just walks up there. He tells Effie his name. No. my best friend since I was a child is about to go get slaughtered by a bunch of other kids. And not only that, but he's either going to kill or be killed by the girl he's liked since first grade….

" Any volunteers?" Effie asks. Peeta's father looks for support but of course there is no one. All the boys who were Peeta's "friends" look to the ground in shame. His father begins to weep. It's all over my friend. He's going to die a horrible death in that arena….

" Well then we have—" Effie starts.

" I volunteer!" I shout. It came out without permisson.

It felt like everyone there was looking at me.

" No reason for these fucking Games being the end of a good guy, yet again." I say as I walk up there. My mom tries to come to me but I make a glance at Gale who I've only spoken with once or twice and he understands. He picks her up by her arms and carrys her away. Peeta looks at me in distress.

" Sit down bro." I say. He seemed broken so I had to coax him to sit down. I look over at Katniss, she gives me a nod of respect and then I look to the crowd. My sisters look at me with pure sadness. But there's no turning back now.

We get brought to the Justice Building to say our goodbyes.

My mom and sisters come in first. Allie and Shelly run up to me and hug me.

" You make sure they never are well." I say to my mom. I look at Allie and say " Eat your veggies." She musters a laugh through the tears and snot.

" Sukaro, please win. For your sisters." My mom says desperatly.

" Well, if I stay as calm as I am, and the other tributes stay just as stupid…" I say with a smile.

She hugs me and the Peacekeepers pull her out.

Next is Peeta. He walks up and sucker punches me in the stomach.

" What the hell was that for?" I ask.

" You don't get it do you? Then I'll spell it out for you. Your going to fucking DIE! You get me?" Peeta shouts.

" Feh… thanks for the faith. Look if I die it's no biggie. Just take care of them." I say.

A tear comes out of Peeta's right eye.

" Promise me something thought man." I say.

" What is it…" he ask while more tears come.

" If Katniss comes back and I don't, then promise me you'll ask her on a date haha." I say laughing.

All Peeta can do too keep from bawling is laugh slightly.

" Alright."

The Peacekeepers pull him and me out. They toss me in a train with Katniss and were on our way to be slaughtered.

Well that's the end of chapter one. Review to tell me pointers and what you guys think should happen next. Ultimatly, you will decide whethere he lives or dies.