Briar's POV (D10T, 15)

I can hear a faint noise around me, a mix of animals and people bustling from just out my window. When I feel a rough tongue lick my face, I fully awaken.

I push the small, fluffy figure away from my face and pat its head gently. "Thanks for waking me up, Milo." I give him a small smile, before hopping out of bed. I have to gently kick away another furball, who meows at me indignantly.

"Sorry, Millie." I put on a hasty black dress shirt and tie when my mind starts working properly and I realize it's Reaping day. I shudder at the thought of possibly being sent to my death, but I tell myself that I would destroy anyone who got in my way if I actually got chosen. That reassures me a little.

Racing across the short hall once I leave my room, I make my way to the main room that's not too far away. I skid to a halt when I arrive, greeting my parents and older sister, Aspen, with a wave.

"Good morning," my mother says with a smile. My father is making breakfast, and my sister pats a seat next to her around our small, rickety table to tell me to sit down.

I comply, taking my seat and resting my head on my hands while I wait to eat. Milo comes into the room and hops up onto my room, and I can't help but start stroking his spiky fur.

"You're definitely his favourite," Aspen says with a grin. I roll my eyes.

"What a privilege. It just means I have to take care of him since he won't leave me alone!" I give a light chuckle— I could never really be mad at one of my cats. They meant the world to me, second only to my family.

My father sets breakfast on the table— four pieces of toast with some bacon to go around. I fear this may be our last proper meal before me or my sister has to take out tesserae again. We've had to do it many times before, since we're pretty poor. My father doesn't work, and my mother is a job-hopper, finding anything she can to provide for us. It's ultimately failing, of course. What will happen when me and Aspen come of age and stop being eligible for the Games, and therefore, tesserae? This is Aspen's last year, anyways, though I still have a few to go. Having so many slips in the ballot scares me, and I know I must be picked some day. There's no way I could ever avoid it.

"Do you think the Andersons would let us join them tonight?" My mother asks quietly. We all know by now she's trying to get some of the other families we know to have us over for their after-Reaping party, since we don't have enough money to host our own.

"They might," Aspen mused. "They're kind folks. I hope they have enough food to go around."

My father nods. "I'll ask them later, just before the Reaping."

"Sounds like a plan." My mother smiles weakly.

I give Aspen a hug after our fingers are pricked and we have to go our separate ways. I make my way to the section where fifteen-year-old girls are supposed to gather. It always makes me uncomfortable, since I, myself, am not a girl, but nobody from my own District seems to understand that, nevermind the Capitol.

The escort is on the stage, black hair tied up in two buns, a bright green and yellow tracksuit-like shirt with identical pants. I don't get the Capitol. Her bright blue eyes look horrible with the outfit, too.

She starts speaking in a shrill voice, addressing Panem by facing a camera and giving the whole 150th Games, sixth quarter quell, exciting surprise, ooo thing. When the boy is picked— I believe his name was Robin— I look admirably at his emotionless face, nothing showing through. Tough guy, his partner would be lucky.

"Now, for the girls! Let's see here..."

The escort sticks an arm into another glass bowl, taking out a slip and narrowing her eyes to read it.

"Aspen Reckingstar!"

Aspen?! Shit, this can't be happening! My gaze flicks to Aspen, who's about to climb to the stage uncertainly. The words are alread forming in my mind. Is this the time? What am I proving? Trying to prove that I'm strong, proving that I'm weak and let my emotions take over when I said 'I volunteer!'?

Wait.

What?

I find my mouth open, and Aspen has stopped, staring directly at me.

"Briar, no. You can't do this." Her face goes all weird and it looks like she's mad and sad all at the same time.

I take a deep breath. Thanks, brain, now I have no going back.

Striding forward with a fake air of confidence, I put my hand on Aspen's shoulder as I walk by, giving her an affectionate nudge. She looks after me in horror as I mount the stage and she's forced back. I can't let Aspen go to the games on her last year. She was almost in the clear.

"Well, what a pleasant surprise!" The escort smiles as I arrive. "What's your name?" Her eyes are gleaming.

"Briar Reckingstar," I say, flashing a smile at the cameras just in case I can get some bonus fans. "But I guess I'll have to call myself the Victor of the 150th Hunger Games now~!"

The escort looks pleased. "Shake hands, you two."

Robin and I shake hands firmly. The escort glances at us momentarily before looking back up at the crowd.

"Excellent! Happy Hunger Games, everyone, and may the odds ever be in your favour!"

Soon after that, we're whisked away to the Justice Building. I have to face my sobbing family, who happen to bring Milly and Milo along.

"What were you thinking?!" Aspen snaps. "At least I had a chance in the arena!"

The insult stings, but I still try to keep cool.

"Look, Aspen, it was your last year before you were free and now you are. I just gave you a token to a good life, so be grateful it was me and not you. Plus, I'll be fine. I'll come back, I promise." I draw her in for a hug, and she squeezes tight, before pinning something to my shirt.

I hold it up gently— it's a round pendant with two small strips of fur on it.

"It's Milly and Milo's fur," Aspen tells me. Her voice has dropped, and she seems like she's close to crying. "I made it a while ago, just for fun. Now it has an actual purpose."

Before anyone could get another word in, they're forced out by Peacekeepers. We yell our goodbyes and I wave as they leave.

That's when the flood of tears comes.

Jay's POV (D12M, 15)

I slide a small wooden figure across the floor to where my dog, Sparrow, lays across from me.

"Your turn, Sparrow."

Sparrow just lolls his tongue out and pants as he stares up at my. He suddenly gets up and pounces on the wooden pieces scattered around.

"No, no! Sparrow, that's not how you play..." I sigh. This is what I get for trying to teach my dog how to play board games.

"Come on," I say, giving up. I stand up and pat Sparrow on his flank. "Let's go for a walk, then."

Sparrow seems to understand, following me happily as I attach a rope to his collar and open the door.

"I'm taking Sparrow on a walk!" I call over my shoulder.

"Okay! Stay safe, Jay!" My older sister, Ray, calls back. She's been taking care of me since our parents died. I never remembered them, so I couldn't really grieve for them.

"I will!"

I squint as me and Sparrow step outside, taking him across a path and into the forest. I swat some flies away from me and instantly regret my choice of coming here— I'm allergic to pretty much every bug bite in the entire universe. Not to mention pollen— and it's only early summer, so it's still around.

Speaking of which, I get into a sneezing and coughing fit, and Sparrow whines at my heels, putting his paws up on my legs and gazing at me worriedly.

I pet his head and tell him to get back down, and he obeys. It's time to get out of this forest before I die, I think with a sigh.

Outside isn't much better, though, because I've barely emerged back into civilization and I'm already wheezing because of all the coal dust. I live near the mines, but my sister has a job and we're not poor enough to be in the Seam. We are poor enough, however, that I've had to take out tessarae before, and the thought that I might get Reaped absolutely terrifies me. Nobody would volunteer, it would be certain death.

I take Sparrow around town, admiring all the pretty flower arrays that are dotted around the heart of it. I even see a jay at some point, and smile to myself.

Suddenly, I look up to see a clock that says 6:37AM. I realize it's almost time for the Reaping with a jolt, and sprint back home. Sparrow has no trouble with keeping up with me.

I burst through the door, panting and wheezing, my asthma getting the better of me. I drop Sparrow's makeshift lead and close the door before collapsing on the old, tattered couch to give myself some time to breathe. I grasp at the olive plaid cover until my fit is over, and Ray comes rushing into the room.

"Are you okay?!" She demands, worry visible in her gaze. "Were you running? You know that's a stupid idea!"

"Sorry, I just... it's almost time for the Reaping. I had to get home," I reply.

"You could have waited for me! We have to go now, come on." She grabs my hand and hauls me up, steadying before I regain my balance. I pet Sparrow before leaving the house once again with my sister. He whines and tries to follow us, but we shut the dark, wooden door just in time.

"How was your walk?" Ray asks.

"It was okay," I reply. "The flowers in town are pretty."

Ray nods, and doesn't speak for the rest of the way to the town square. We finally reach it, and are forced to watch the recap of the games and the rebellion, as well as listen to the mayor's boring speech.

I decide I shouldn't postpone joining the other eligibles for any longer, and get my finger pricked, feeling faint at the sight of my own blood before the Peacekeeper hands me a bit of cloth to soak it up.

I walk over to the fifteen-year-olds' section, sighing as I look up at the escort. She walks over to the girls' bowl first, which I find odd, since the other districts usually do the boys first. I think she usually says something about it being tradition, maybe?

"Ladies first!" She says in her shrill Capitolite voice.

She picks out a name with a gloved hand, reading it briefly before calling out the name.

"Topaz Bellbrook!"

I frown as the girl mounts the stage, gazing calmly at the escort. She isn't anyone I know— pretty name, though. Probably some random person from town.

She walks over to the boys' bowl now, and I can feel a drop of sweat trickle down my forehead. I won't get Reaped, right?

"Jay Terrin!"

Oh no. I'm going to die. I feel myself trembling in fear as the other boys part around me, letting me through to the stage. My entire body is shaking and sweating, even when I shake Topaz's hand weakly.

After the short exchange, we're taken to the Justice Building. Topaz introduces herself, even though I heard her name before when it was called out, and I'm whisked away to a separate room before I can reply.

When Ray arrives, she runs across the room to embrace me in a tight hug, though not too tight that she's squeezing my lungs.

"You better win for me," she says fiercely. "I don't care how slow or weak you are, how many allergies you have, you will come back to Twelve as a Victor. You hear me, Jay?" She looks me sternly in the eye.

I nod, semi-paralyzed by shock. I hug her back.

"I'll miss you," I say. It's the only thing I can think of.

"I'll miss you too." Ray's gaze softens and she cups a hand around my chin before being forced to let go by Peacekeepers. We wave to each other as we leave.

Then, I start to cry as my world comes crashing down.