Disclaimer: If I owned these characters then Gadge would have been head cannon. That is all.


Mother only wakes to find out if I have been reaped, and when my father tells her I haven't she takes another dose of morphling and passes out. Dinner is especially quiet and I can tell my dad doesn't hear me when I try to speak to him. He gives a nod or a grunt but nothings being absorbed. He excuses himself before he even touches his meat and shuts himself in his office. I know he knew both Peeta and Katniss but I never considered how great their impression on him was. I glance at the clock on the wall and notice that the replay of each reaping is about to begin. Despite not wanting to watch them I know I have to, I have to see who my friends are up against.

My father doesn't leave his office but I presume he's watching the live feed in there, and although I wish someone was with me to watch the replays, I understand why he needs to be alone. Instead, I curl myself in a ball, my soiled reaping dress still clinging to me, and turn on the television. From District 1 a bubbly blonde is reaped, and I can't help but be jealous of her luscious flowing hair. She blows kisses at the camera and winks; the announcer lets out a long slow whistle. From District 2 a boy named Cato volunteers, and wow. He's huge. That's the only word to describe him. His muscles are huge. His arm must be bigger than my head, and he cracks his knuckles with a bloodthirsty grin. My insides shiver and quake and I take a deep breath, but the TV cranks on. From District 5 is a red headed girl who shows no flicker of emotion as she takes the stage. I only remember her because her hair glistened in the sunlight and I wondered why we don't have any red heads in District 12 besides Darius, who's from the Capitol anyways. Most of the others aren't very memorable, until they hit District 11.

A little girl, only 12, is reaped. A little girl, much like Prim, is forced onto the stage as she wears a brave face. A tiny little girl, the smallest tribute of them all. I can't help but wonder if this was planned. If Prim was supposed to be reaped alongside her, if all the names in the bowl are already picked out and planned. Maybe the Capitol was planning on an alliance between the two to make for a good show. Then I wonder if Prim wasn't reaped on accident at all, that it was the Capitols way of showing Katniss they knew she was illegally hunting. District 12 hasn't had a volunteer in years, no one could have expected that Katniss would throw herself onto the stage for Prim, would they? I press my hands into my eyes to get these thoughts out of my head and then pull them away to watch as the male tribute is called. A boy over six feet tall lumbers onto the stage and I can't stop myself from thinking how silly the two look next to each other, this tiny little girl next to this giant. They shake hands and he appears to be gentle with her, and then they flash to our own reaping.

I've seen it in person, and watching it again on the television isn't something I want to do. Instead I leave the TV running and scurry off to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea. The thoughts of Prim being purposely chosen come back to haunt me, but then I think this mustn't be true because then why wouldn't they have reaped Gale? Gale is obviously stronger than Katniss would be, maybe in a different aspects, but still stronger. Plus it was his last year, wouldn't that be the best time to take him? Why not make it worse and take both of them?

The screeching of my kettle jolts me back to reality and I curse myself for these thoughts. My mind is still hazy when I pour my glass and burn my finger on the side of the pot. I somehow manage to make it back to the television as the program fades to black. My father is standing at the couch with the remote in hand and clicks it off, then glances at me. His face is indifferent, just as Gale's had been earlier, and suddenly I'm angry at how calm everyone is taking this.

"You should go to bed, Madge." He looks at my tea then says, "After you've drunken that, of course." I nod, and then excuse myself to sit on the back porch. Firstly, I curse myself for thinking that they should have sent Gale and Prim (or well, Katniss because she volunteered). Secondly, I curse myself for wearing white when I live in the coal mining district. Thirdly, I curse myself because I'm still thinking about Gale and how him and my father are both dunderheads and need a good slap across the face. Indifference? At a time like this? The cameras will be swarming both of them over the next few weeks, no doubt. I glance down at my cup and realize its empty, but I don't think I drank much of it so I must've chucked in the garden somewhere.

I make slow work of putting my cup in the sink for washing and carrying myself up the stairs. My father's door is cracked and news from the Capitol is leaking into the hallway. I can't bring myself to listen and instead I stumble into my room, locking my door behind me. I want to sleep. I want to sleep for the rest of my life and wake up and realize that this was all a dream. The reaping. District 12. Everything. I want to wake up in a life before the Dark Days and before kids were being slaughtered for entertainment and punishment. To wake up in a life in which I can speak these thoughts instead of just think them, or to be in a place in which someone would actually listen, someone that thought the same things I did.

I'm woken by my father tapping on my door in the morning and I'm not even sure that I slept. All I remember is an endless abyss of black. I push myself out of bed and glance at myself in the mirror, I'm still in my reaping dress. I open the door and his face morphs into a scowl at my outfit.

"I was tired?" I suggest, wondering to myself why I hadn't changed or bathed.

He shrugs then rubs the crease in his forehead, knowing he'll have to send the dress away to be cleaned and pressed. "You have a visitor." It's my turn to scowl and as I go to ask who he turns and shuts the door behind him. Visitor? Who would be visiting me? The only person I really talked to in school was Katniss, and the trek to the mayor's house is a little out of the way.

Without changing I stumble down the stairs quickly, my father obviously having returned to his office. By the piano sits Prim, her hands hovering over the keys but not yet touching them. She hasn't seen me yet and I watch her for a moment. Her hair is in the same pinned back look as yesterday only its messy and I can tell she's slept in it. Her outfit is different, a loose t-shirt and shorts. Her eyes are red rimmed and cheeks flushed.

"Have you ever played?" The words tumble out before I realize what I'm asking. She looks up at me quickly but then drops her eyes back to the keys and shakes her head no. "Go on then," I take a few more steps, "press a key." She looks up at me again and I nod. She reaches across and presses a g, the note tumbles through the air pleasantly. She looks up at me again and smiles slightly.

"It's pretty," she says quietly, "I've always wanted to learn but…" she trails off and I nod in understanding.

"I can teach you," I've made my way to the bottom of the stairs and across the room, then slide onto the bench. She looks reluctant, but finally sits next to me. "If you want, that is."

"I'd have to ask," Prim says while staring at the keys. "Can you play something?"

"Sure," I laugh gently as she sits next to me. "Any requests?" Prim thinks for a minute, but then shakes her head slightly. I smile, and press a few keys slowly, gradually picking up speed. Instead of watching what I'm doing I watch Prim who is mesmerized by the movement of my fingers. After a few minutes she begins to smile genuinely, and leans in closer to watch. As the tune comes to a close she leans back, a soft smile still on her face.

"That was beautiful," she sighs. "What was it?"

"Summer Delight by Arpatzl," I tell her. "They play it at weddings sometimes." Her eyes flicker in recognition and I cross my hands. Prim looks down into her own lap and then scoots off the bench, I follow after her. "You didn't come to hear me play piano though, did you?" She shakes her head and looks uncomfortably nervous.

"I need your help," she says, "I couldn't think of anyone else to ask." She looks up and I smile.

"Sure, Prim, anything." She looks at my outfit and squints her eyes momentarily, probably wondering why I'm in the same dress I wore yesterday, but then looks back up at me.

"The opening ceremonies are tonight," she says, "and Gale's run off in the woods…" For a moment I'm confused, but then I instantly realize what she's asking. Everyone has to be checked into the town square to watch the ceremonies and if he doesn't come back… "I need you to go find him."


A/N: Like I said, just trying to get the first few chapters out quickly! Hopefully there aren't many grammatical errors and whatnot. Thanks for the reviews, and I hope you like it! c: