Chapter 2

No. No. No. This isn't possible. This isn't possible. My name was only in there one time. One time. My hands clench at my sides and the blood drains from my face as the crowd starts to murmur.

"Poor girl."

"Look at her, she's only twelve."

"So scared."

"Young."

"Oh, the poor, poor thing."

"Go on." This is from a girl to my right. She looks familiar. What's her name? Lina. From school. "Go on, Prim." Her eyes are a mixture of sympathy and relief as she gently pushes me forward. Stiffly, I begin to make my way up to the front. I make sure not to glance at Katniss. If I see her, I'll start sobbing and run to her, and I must not do that. I have to be in control. No crying. Can't cry. I try and ball up my emotions inside me where they can't get out. I imagine pushing them down, down, down, until they're so deep inside me I can't feel them anymore. So I'm calm. It almost works, too.

I am so focused on myself that I don't notice Katniss moving until she yells out, "Prim!" I keep moving forward. "Prim!" She pushes me behind her just as I lift my foot to climb the first step.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

And just like that, the ball of emotions releases it's captives and I am most definitely no longer calm. I let loose a scream. No! Katniss can't go! She can't die! I can't let her volunteer for me so she can die!

Up on the stage, people are talking, but their words are meaningless. I only know that's there's no way in heaven or hell that I'm letting Katniss go.

"No, Katniss! No! You can't go!" I scream. There is no room in my head for any other thought. If Katniss dies, who will hunt for Mother? Who will take care of me? Katniss is so much more important than I am. If one of us has to die...

"Prim, let go," she says harshly. "Let go!"

Suddenly, hands are wrapping around me and lifting me up. Gale! "Up you go, Catnip," he says. I struggle against him, hitting and kicking and clawing. Katniss begins to climb, and Gale heads toward the back of the crowd. I fight him the whole way.

"Prim, Prim," Mother says as we approach her. "Oh, Prim."

Gale sets me down and I run to her, wrapping my arms around her and burying my face in her neck.

"Prim, shh, it's okay. Everything will be okay."

"How?" I croak.

"You'll see. Everything will turn out just fine."

"Everything will be fine, Prim," Father says.

"But...but I don't know anybody!"

"Neither does anyone else," he points out. "You'll make lots of friends. You'll have a great time at school, I promise."

"How do you know?"

"Listen, Prim. Everything good in this world, we make ourselves."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't just sit around and hope. If you want good things to happen, you have to make them happen. So go out there and make good things happen, okay?"

"Okay."

My father's wisdom, told to my five-year-old self, plays in my head.

Everything will be okay, just like Mother said. Because I will make it okay.

A/N: Whoof! That took several days and like five drafts to finish. Sorry I haven't updated in so long, everything's all crazy what with the end of school and all. Please, please, please review!