Bellatrix Jessamine Kolkari's POV:

Flashback

My mother holds me tight, close to her heart. I'm crying, wondering why she has woken me up at this time in the morning. What is happening?

"Bella, I'm leaving," she whispers. "I'm off to find...I'm looking for District 13, Bella. The one that disappeared. The one the Capitol blew...says they blew up during the Dark Days. I'm leaving, and I...I may not come back."

I stare at her. "You're going to District 13?"

"Yes, Bella."

"Why are you going to a blown-up district?" I ask.

"The thing is..." my mother hesitates for a second. "Thirteen may not actually have been bombed. I believe that it is still prospering. Or maybe not prospering, but I think people still live there. I'm going to find out."

My eyes widen. "You're leaving the district?"

"Yes, Bella."

"Can I come?"

"No, Bella," she says. "I'm sorry, but you're to young. Even your brothers...well, maybe I'll come back one day, and take you back to Thirteen with me."

"And when are you coming back?" I ask.

"I don't know." My mother looks out of the window at the trees far in the distance, beyond the fence. "I may never return."

My lip trembles slightly. "You won't come back?"

"I hope I will, Bella." My mother hugs me tight, and then she stands up, picks up her bag, and goes to the door. She gives me one last, sad smile, and leaves the house.

I stare at the door, still seeing my mother's smile, my last memory of her.

Flashback end

"Dad!" I storm into the house. "Is this true? You really gave me twenty tesserae? Now I have twenty-one entries! Twenty-one!"

My dad swivels around in his chair to face me. "Yes, I did," he says. "About time you become a useful piece of junk around here."

"What if I'm reaped?" I yell. "I'll never survive!"

My dad stands up and glares at me. "If you're reaped..." He shakes a threatening finger at me. "If you're reaped, you'd better win."

"But twenty-one entries!" I exclaim. "I'm only twelve, Dad!"

"Don't be a wimp," my dad says, sitting back down. "You're brother, he was brave. He went into the Games, fought hard, and nearly won. He died a hero's death. Your other brother, he didn't want to go into the Games, just like you. But instead of moaning about it, like you're doing, he committed suicide. He wasn't afraid of death, that one. Be like them, Bellatrix. Go prove your worth. Be useful for once."

"Hey," I say. "Do you notice that both of them died? And anyways, I'm not going to volunteer, and I'm not necessarily going to be reaped."

"Exactly," he says. "So stop moaning and go do something. Train, maybe. Train, and volunteer some year. You should really train. Your brothers, they trained a bit. One of them nearly won and brought us fame!"

I go to my room and flop onto my bed. I thought about the argument. I didn't like that my dad had mentioned my brothers. They had both died before I really got to know them, the same as my mom. Now it's just me and my dad, who thinks I'm worthless. Great life.

Twenty-one entries...how could he? At least there's still only a tiny chance of me being picked...but still.

At least you get the extra food, I think. But it doesn't really matter. I've had a job for three years. We have enough food.

I should get ready for the reaping now. It's not for another hour or so, but I want to get to the square before he does. Victor, my enemy, my constant torturer. He always teases me, and he hurts me at every opportunity. He'll be waiting for me there, so I have to get there early, before he does.

I get to the square with forty-five minutes to spare. I sign in, and rush to my section.

"Hey, Bella, did you wash that dress?"

I bite back a curse. Not early enough.

Victor Nigel Horninius's POV:

I stroke back my dark blue hair. My mother dyed it this odd color when I was four years old, after Caesar Flickerman. It was sort of weird at first, but I've gotten used to it the past ten years. Yeah, my mother is sort of weird. I mean, she foresaw when I was a baby that I would win the Hunger Games one day, and she named me Victor. It probably wasn't that obvious back then, but I will win. I'll volunteer.

I get to the square an hour early. Why? Because I want to see Bella come. Bella, that twelve-year-old.

Bella doesn't come for fifteen or so minutes. Finally, I see her hurrying to her section. Trying to avoid me. Ha.

I laugh when I see her dirty dress. "Hey, Bella, did you wash that dress?" I call.

Bella spins around. "Go away, Victor," she grumbles.

"I don't think you washed that, Bella," I say. "Don't you have the money?"

Bella glares at me.

"Maybe you would if your mother hadn't died," I say.

"She isn't dead!" Bella says.

"She isn't dead?" I mock. "Sure she is. She died. She committed suicide. She thought she was ugly because her children were! Especially her daughter."

"She never died!" Bella says. "She...she left! She went to look for Thirteen!"

"She went to look for Thirteen," I repeat. "You expect me to believe that, Bella? That your mother didn't know where Thirteen was on the map, so she went to find out? Wow, she must have been even stupider than you!"

"No, she went to see if it was still there! And she's not stupid, and neither am I."

"Wasn't stupid," I correct. "She's dead now! She died eight years ago. Even if she left then, how can you pretend she's still alive?"

"Because she said she'd come back," Bella says stubbornly.

"Come on, Bella," another voice says. I turn around to see Junia, Bella's best friend. I know her from school. She's always siding with Bella. In other words, she's always getting annoyed with me. I can't stand her. "Bella, let's get away from this freak."

"Oh, freak?" I say mockingly. "Oh, yes, I must agree. Bella, you're such a freak. Get away from yourself."

"Shoo," Junia says to me. She leads Bella off to their section, and I go off to mine.

Bellatrix Jessamine Kolkari's POV:

"Thanks," I say to Junia.

"No problem," she responds. "He's a jerk."

"Yeah," I agree. "A blue-haired jerk."

"Maybe he'll die in the Games," Junia says hopefully. "I mean, we all know he's going to volunteer. He's been bragging about his skills for months."

"Maybe," I say.

We wait for the reaping to begin. Time passes too quickly.

The escort stands in front of the bowl. "At last, it is time to pick this year's tributes!" she squeaks. "I know you have all been waiting for this moment..."

I exchange a nervous look with Junia. Not me, not me, please don't pick my name!

"Bellatrix Jessamine Kolkari!"

I gasp. She called me! Me! I had only twenty-one entries!

I see Junia. She's white as chalk.

I stumble out of my section and take a few steps toward the stage.

"Bella!"

I turn. Junia comes out of her section. She's going to volunteer. It won't be me! But it's still Junia...

I step back into my section. Junia takes another few steps.

Then, suddenly, a man comes out into the middle. I gasp. It's my father. What's he going to do? Haul me out and insist that I go in?

Father grabs Junia around her waist. She yelps. He pulls her back into her section.

Peacekeepers are reaching for me, telling me I'm in, to go up to the stage. No, Junia is not volunteering. It's me, after all. I'm going in.

People are laughing throughout the commotion. I'm shoved up to the stage. It's all my dad's fault. I wouldn't be here if he hadn't made me take all that tesserae, if he hadn't stopped Junia from volunteering and taking my place. It's all his fault. How dare he tamper with my life like this!

The escort is calling for attention. She goes over to the boys' bowl.

"Lance Nicon!"

A fourteen-year-old comes out of his section.

"I volunteer!"

It's Victor, of course. He's the strongest, the best in the district. And of course he couldn't pass up the chance to ultimately show me up.

Victor smirks at me. "My name's Victor Nigel Hornius," he says.

We shake hands, and I'm led away from my life.