A/N: Here's another reaping for y'alls! I had a bunch of fun with her, like I always do, and the only reason this chapter seems shorter is because there's another pointless bloodbath in here. Anyways, I don't feel like rambling, so I'll let you get on!

~Mock

Brienna "Bree" Lazarro, female tribute for District 5

"NO!" I scream as I wake up. As my eyes adjust, I take in the familiar sights of my plain bedroom. I breathe in deeply and try to erase the memory from my mind, but it's no good. Today's the day of the reaping, and I always have my nightmare on these days…

I decide that sleep will only bring more nightmares, so I sit up in bed, stretch, and yawn. But unfortunately, when my eyes close, I see Katerina, my best friend, being stabbed in the chest by that horrible boy from District 6. She was just 12…

Snapping my eyes open, I tell my brain to stop thinking of Katerina. It doesn't do any good to dwell on the past, and I must keep my mind in the moment. I need to be strong for my family, just like they need to be strong for me.

Tossing off my thin blankets, I walk outside my bedroom to where my family is crowded around our small table, indulging in meager breakfast made from my tessara rations. We normally save our little money to buy nice things to eat later, for when we celebrate. Although, I've been questioning whether or not we should celebrate. What does it matter that I would be spared another year? There are still two people who are scared out of their minds and are preparing to fight to the death while I sat there and feasted.

But of course, I can't deny Ro, my younger brother, of a feast. He deserves every good thing life can give him, and he always looks forward to the feasting. In fact, before he knew what these games were about, this would be his favorite day of the year simply because he got adequate food to eat.

I take my place at the table and serve myself a couple pieces of rough tessarae bread. We eat in silence, dreading the reaping that's just hours away. It'll be one of my last ones, seeing as I'm seventeen, but for Ro, this will be the last one before he's eligible.

"Bree, I have a dress that you might like to wear today," my mother says quietly as I gulp down the rest of my breakfast. "It's a bit old, but I think it'll fit you." Nodding my head, I follow my mother into the small room she shares with my father.

She has laid out an emerald green dress on the bed. The color has obviously faded a bit, but it's still a thing of beauty. I slide into it, and it comes down to my knees. Mother adjusts the sleeves, then moves to my hair. She quickly ties it up into a sleek bun, instead of the messy one I usually throw it into.

Guiding me over to the old, cracked mirror that sits on a wall in her room, she has me look at myself. "You're so beautiful," she murmurs. I disagree, but I don't say anything. I guess I'm not horrible, and I'm certainly not like anyone else you would see in the district. I'm out of the norm, with hazel eyes and reddish hair. Most people, here in five, have browner hair than I. Still, I'm not anything compared to the stunningly attractive tributes District 1 always seems to produce.

Mother adjusts the straps on my dress a few more times, then tells me I'm free to leave. When I get back out into the small living room, which is separated from the kitchen by a low wall, I find that Ro is on the couch, bouncing up and down nervously. I walk over to him and brush his hair back from his eyes.

"Everything will be alright Ro," I tell him. He looks up at me fearfully.

"But what if you get reaped?" He barely manages to get his voice higher than a whisper, but I hear him. I crouch down, like I used to do when he was young, but since I'm so short and he's started to sprout up, his head is much higher than mine is.

"Roman Lazarro," I say softly. "You don't let anything bug you, you hear me? Don't worry about what'll happen to me, I'll be perfectly fine. I'll be safe, then we'll go home and we can have a feast. How does that sound?"

Ro nods his head, and brushes a tear from his eyes. I stand back up and hug him tightly. If only I believed the words I was saying to Ro, that would make my worry so much easier to bear. But ever since Katerina was reaped, I can't guarantee anyone's safety.

After Ro and I break apart, my mother walks up to us. "It's time to go," she says softly, while simultaneously handing me a pair of shoes. They're small, black, silk things, but they fit around my feet quite well.

Taking Ro's hand in my own, our mother takes his other hand, and my father takes Mother's hand. Together, we head over to the reaping.

I have to be deposited where I sign in, but I give my family brief hugs before I duck into my section. I turn up the corners of my mouth in greeting to a couple people I know, having no effort for a real smile. I tap my foot anxiously, but before long the mayor takes the stage, giving his mandatory speech. In no time, the escort, Cassandra Soriano, comes up. She used to be the escort for District 11, but since they had their first ever victor last year, Cassandra got promoted. You can tell she's ecstatic about it.

"Happy, happy Hunger Games!" she all but yells. "And may the odds be ever in your favor! I think that we'll get right to the action and pick our female tribute, what do you think?" She gets a few half-hearted claps in response, but that doesn't break her composure. She walks right up to the girls reaping ball, and her hand must dig around in there for at least a minute before she finally pulls and name and slowly walks back to the microphone.

"And our lucky tribute is," she pauses for dramatic effect. My hand taps against my leg, wishing she would just read the name and end this torture…

"Brienna Lazarro!" she finally bubbles into the microphone. I stand there in shock for a moment, but I remember that my face is being broadcast to all of Panem. Last time they saw me, I was crying my eyes out and tried to drag Katerina from the stage. This time, I have to remember to keep my composure.

Cassandra pulls me up right as I reach the steps. "Well, hello Brienna!" she trills.

"It's Bree," I choke out involuntarily. Cassandra raises her bright green eyebrows at me. "I go by Bree," I tell her with a little more assertiveness. Her stare reminds blank for a second longer, but then she smiles at me. "Well, congratulations, Bree Lazarro!" she says. "And now, I think it's time we pick our male tribute." Cassandra crosses the stage in the same manner as before to the male's reaping ball.

"Ebonic Maloy!" she calls. Almost immediately, the boy who must be Ebonic starts crying. However, he manages to drag himself to the stage.

"Well, hello Ebonic!" Cassandra says, seemingly oblivious to his tears. "Nick," he stutters through his tears. This time, Cassandra understands that Nick is what Ebonic goes by. She smiles yet again and then she has Nick and I shake hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen of District 5, I present your tributes, Brienna, or Bree, Lazarro and Ebonic, or Nick, Maloy!" she says, and no sooner do the words leave her mouth than Peacekeepers are there to escort Nick and myself to the Justice Building.

Right as I settle on the bed that's probably worth more than my house, I'm bombarded by my family. Ro is crying as he clambers on my lap.

"Bree, you said nothing was going to happen to you!" he wails. His words pierce me like knives, but I have to do my best to reassure him.

"Ro, I will be OK. I'll come home," I say, not believing a single word I say. "I know a lot about trees and how to use an axe, you know that." At least that part wasn't a lie. Since we need fires to fuel all the experiments here in District 5, a few families are allowed to chop the trees in the district, and my father is among them. I often go along with him when I'm not in school.

Ro sniffles again. "Just try your best to come home," he says. "I will. I promise," I tell him, and then kiss the top of his head. "And I have my lucky necklace to help me," I say bringing out the necklace with a pearl that has been passed down through the generations. It also has a carving of a star that Ro gave me on my sixteenth birthday.

Before Ro can do more than nod, Peacekeepers are back, whisking my family away from me, and then whisking me to the train station. Nick Maloy is crying again, but I'm able to maintain my composure. I'm able to board the train.

And there, I can cry in peace where I think about Katerina, and I promise myself to try to honor her. Before I die, I will kill the boy from District 6 to avenge by best friend's murder.

A/N: How was that for y'alls? I hope TeamGaleSoIGetPeeta liked this, this was her tribute! Anyways, have any of you read House of Night? If you haven't, go do it now… The book order is Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, Burned, Awakened, and Destined. Don't worry, the books are short, and they'll captivate you, you'll finish quickly. Anyways, they're tentatively talking about a movie, so I was thinking of trying out for Stevie Rae… I know I'd have to die my hair and all, but I think I could pull it off! Well, I'll see y'alls next time for D6!

~Mock