Now that Haymitch was back, the weeks became months quickly. Before long, it was the day of the reaping—Rema's last Reaping Day, to be exact. It was still early morning, the moon was still up and the early morning fog had just rolled in, when Rema was woken from a deep slumber by a light tapping at her window. She shot up and saw Haymitch standing outside her window, his sandy-blond hair still mussed from sleep. Rema stood and pushed open her window before sitting back down on her bed. Haymitch climbed through the now open window and sat lightly at the foot of her bed, his grey Seam eyes searching for answers to questions Rema didn't know.

"You know," she began, groggily attempting humor, "in District 1, if you're caught awake this early, it's considered a crime." Haymitch said nothing, his expression full of unease. She stopped joking. "What?"

"It's your last reap, Rem," he said softly. "You've made it this far without getting picked. I don't know how long your luck's going to last."

Rema shook her head and moved to sit beside him at the foot of the bed. "Mitch," she started, using the nickname she only used when he needed comforting, "I've never signed up for the tesserae; my name's only in that bowl six times. The odds are in my favor."

"But what if you do get picked?" He was genuinely concerned for her.

"Then, I'll go. I really don't have a choice, do I? No one's going to volunteer to take the place of the girl who deserted 12."

"You didn't desert," he started. "And you don't know what it's like in that arena."

Her arms wrapped around him, enveloping him in a hug. "No, maybe not, but I'm pretty handy with a knife, and I'm a quick thinker." She paused before whispering, "And I've got you to coach me through it."

Haymitch seemed to relax. "Promise me one thing," he breathed, his words tickling her ear.

"Anything."

"Promise me that if you get picked, you'll find a way to make it out of there." He pulled her tighter.

"Of course."

As the sun rose, the two laid back and watched the light creep slowly across the floor of Rema's small room. Rema fell asleep shortly after the sun was up and Haymitch wrapped an arm protectively around her shoulders. When she woke up, she was completely rested and Haymitch was nowhere to be found. She noticed a piece of paper sitting on her dresser.

Had to go home and get ready. See you at the reaping. –Haymitch

She tossed the paper back on her dresser and dug through her closet, trying to find something nice to wear to the reaping. Finally, she settled on a lavender, strapless, knee-length dress her mother had bought her at a boutique in District 1. She pulled her hair up into a stylishly messy bun and walked downstairs. It was almost two o'clock—almost time for the reaping. Her mother had woken up that morning feeling ill, so Rema made the journey to the square alone. Unable to locate Haymitch, Rema allowed herself to be ushered into a group of all the possible female tributes. Looking at the group of males, she caught the eye of one of her old friends, Chirler Hibiscusing, looking at her. She waved. It was his last eligible year, as well. The escort Miss Elaina Robespietra, a stout woman whose skin and hair were tinged yellow, walked onto the stage and gave her usual speech on how the Games were formed and such. She introduced Haymitch, who walked onstage, eyes searching for Rema. Rema could tell Haymitch had been drinking; it was probably so he could forget what had happened to him during his games. When Elaina finished her speech, she wished everyone luck and stuck her hand into the girls' bowl. She fished around in the bowl and finally pulled a single piece of paper out. As Elaina read the name into her microphone, Rema's heart almost stopped.

As if in a trance, Rema walked onstage and was hugged by Elaina. Elaina then plunged her hand into the boys' bowl. Again, Rema was shocked. Chirler joined her onstage. As he was walking to his place, Chirler reached out his hand and grasped Rema's. It was merely brief contact, but it was comforting, and Rema knew exactly what it meant. She was not alone in this competition.

The next few hours flew by in a blur. They were supposed to be used to visit with family and other well-wishers, but since Rema's mother was ill, she did not show up. Four hours passed with no one walking into Rema's waiting room, not even Haymitch. The fifth hour, however, someone knocked on the door and entered the room shyly. Rema recognized the person immediately as Chirler's father. He was District 12's jeweler, and shared many physical attributes with his son. Both men had jet black hair, even though Chirler's was longer than his father's; blue-green eyes, which indicated that they were wealthy enough to live outside the Seam; a tall and lanky frame that undoubtedly hid muscle; and the same slouchy, yet confident stance. Mr. Hibiscusing was quiet, unlike his son, who was loquacious. Rema stood to greet him. He smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Good luck." He handed her a small box.

Rema opened it and smiled. A necklace was sitting on a cotton pillow. The charm was of two mockingjays sitting on a tree branch. Realizing the significance of the mockingjay, District 12's avian symbol, Rema looked up at the man. "It's beautiful. Thank you."

The man walked forward and slid the charm open, revealing that it was actually a locket. It had spots for two pictures, one of which was already filled with a family portrait of her father, mother, and herself, the other spot was blank. "Please try to take care of my son," he said softly before walking out of the room.

"I'll try my hardest," Rema resolved as the door shut.

Rema only had to wait a few minutes before Elaina came to collect her. They walked to the train station and boarded the waiting train. Haymitch was sitting on a couch, staring blankly out the window. Rema could tell from his expression that he had had more to drink. Chirler was sitting opposite Haymitch on the other couch. He smiled weakly at her. "Hey, Chirler," Rema said, catching Haymitch's attention. "How've you been?"

"Well, I was doing pretty well. Until this afternoon, that is." His voice was slightly nasally, but it was familiar and gentle. It was nice to know the other person on the train, even if Rema may have to have a hand in his death later.

Rema chuckled at Chirler's answer. "You and I both." Haymitch glared at her briefly. "What?"

Elaina coughed. "Would you like to see the rest of the train, Chirler?" Sensing the tension in the air, Chirler nodded and the two scurried out of the living room.

"What's your problem?" Rema asked, not intending to sound so rude.

"Laugh it up with Mr. Hilarity," he mumbled, refusing to look at her.

"What? Haymitch, Chirler and I are friends. And I think this whole situation could use a bit of cheering up." She crossed and sat beside him. "What's really bothering you?" Haymitch was silent. "Fine, be that way. I'm going to go find Elaina and Chirler. I'm hungry."