District Ten Reaping:

CALLA LILY "CALLIE" JENNETTE EMMERLYN:

"Callie!" a familiar voice is reaching me through the tendrils of my haze. "Callie! Wake up!"

"What?" I mutter groggily. I open an eye and see my little sister, Miranda, jumping and down. "What is it?"

"I'm five today!" Miranda shouts.

"Yes," I say. "Happy birthday. You are princess for the day."

"Hooray! That's what Nicholas said! Except, he was more like…" Miranda cleared her throat and made her voice low and sarcastic. "I will do whatever you want, Princess."

"Don't pay attention to Nicholas," I say. "He thinks he's the princess around here." I chuckle at the insult. Nicholas is our older brother.

"But I thought you said I was the princess!" Miranda pouts.

"You are," I reassure her. "Nicholas just thinks he-"

"I'm going to go eat breakfast now!" Miranda cuts me off, skipping outside.

"But I wasn't done talking to you!" I say.

"I thought you said I was the princess for the day!"

"Annalyn," I say to my cousin. She turns and smiles at me.

"Hey, Callie," Annalyn says brightly. "You ready for today's reaping?"

"N-n-n-n-no," I stutter, suddenly worried. "W-w-w-w-what if I-I-I'm ch-ch-ch-chosen?"

"Chill, Callie."

"I'm scared!"

"Don't be. I got your back."

"Let's get our girl tribute!" District Ten's escort, Laydee Gahga claps her hands like a four-year-old. She hurries over to the reaping ball, her high heels clacking on the pavement.

I smooth down my silver dress that reaches my knees. It's sparkly and beautiful. Annalyn smoothes down her hair and fixes the light blue belt around my waist.

"Calla Emmerlyn!" Laydee Gahga calls out.

No. I feel faint, my head spinning around and around.

"Annalyn," I manage. Annalyn looks at me, then the ground.

I close my eyes and walk up the stairs to the stage.

"Are there any volunteers for Calla?"

I look hopefully at Annalyn. She's older than me and she has a better chance of winning.

"Anybody?"

Annalyn isn't moving. She's betraying me. She hates me. She wants me to die.

I brush my long, curly blonde hair with my fingers. Annalyn still isn't saying anything.

"Alright! Let's have a hand for Calla!"

Traitor.

HARRON RISHNO'S POV

The first thing I hear when I wake up is a girl's voice.

"Jomas."

I smile. Jomas is my seventeen-year old brother. He and Jaynei are in love and want to get married as soon as they are old enough to. Jomas is lovable and charming. He's also the provider of the family because our father is bedridden.

"Good morning, Harron," Jaynei says brightly. Jomas smiles at me.

"Couldn't you have kept it down?" I ask them. "I was kind of sleeping. I really didn't want to be woken up by you two, no matter HOW in love you are."

"Oh, Harron," Jaynei says. "You'll understand when you find love."

"That'll be a little different than you two," I say sarcastically. The two lovebirds laugh.

I'm gay.

"Jomas," our mother, Yalew calls. She's a strong woman and was quite successful in her job until dad fell ill. "Harron."

"Jaynei's here," Jomas calls back.

"Jaynei," mom adds. "Call Alexias. Breakfast is on the table."

We come to the table. I pull a sleepy Alexias along with me.

My father is eating happily and I have to smile. He's smiling and it makes me feel a little better.

"Mmm, Yalew," he says to mom. "This is really good!"

Mom beams.

"I want to have this on my last day of life," he adds.

All falls silent. Dad's illness is predicted to end in death and we're all sensitive about it. Well, not dad. Dad seems almost peaceful about the death that looms before him.

"What?" Dad looks around.

At the reaping…

Nobody volunteers for the girl on the stage. Her name is Calla. She looks furious and is glaring down at a girl in the audience.

"Now, for the boy!" Laydee Gahga says. She fishes around for a name. When she gets one in her hand, she yells it out.

"Jomas Rishno!"

Oh, no.

I can't let this happen. My family needs Jomas. This can't be happening! We need Jomas! Jomas is going to grow up and settle down with Jaynei. They'll have children. He and Jaynei have talked about it.

Wait.

My future isn't as bright. My family doesn't need me. I mean, they say they do, but they don't REALLY need me. They can live without me. We can't live without Jomas, though.

"I VOLUNTEER!" I shout, waving my arms in the air frantically. "I'LL TAKE JOMAS'S PLACE!"

"No, Harron!" Jomas grabs my arm. "Stop!"

"Jomas," I say. "Our family needs you."

"We need YOU as well!" he says.

"No. They don't need me as much as they need you."

"But –"

"What about Jaynei?" I point out. Jomas seems to freeze and I take his hand off my arm. I walk up to the stage.

I am surprisingly peaceful for someone who's going to die.

Just like dad.