'Jay, can I come in? They said that you were ready.' Finnick calls through the door as I lay on my bed contemplating my future and everything else that could possibly go wrong in my life. 'Yeah you can, I look like an idiot though.'

'You could never look like an idiot,' Finnick replies as he plops down beside me on the bed, 'And you definitely don't now. You look beautiful and when they see you you'll get a million sponsors. That is if you were to get picked, which you won't.'

'I could.' He sighs and pulls me close to him, I shouldn't have said it but it's true he denies it every year and when I don't get picked it's always 'I told you so'. I'm so worried about what will happen if and when I do get picked. 'I just meant anything's possible, you got picked, Mags got picked and so did Annie. The odds aren't really in our favour are they?'

'Don't talk like that, if you do get picked you can win easily. You've trained your whole life, how to act in front of an audience, you can use any weapon and you know how to survive. But that stuff is just a backup, I won't let them pick you. Now Toby's downstairs and he'll want to see you cause I know he didn't come all the way down here to talk to me, even though I'm fabulous.' He flicks his hair and wiggles his eyebrows like he does for the cameras to drive the women wild making me giggle because no matter what the Capitol believed he was nothing like that, he was almost as shy as me. I shove him gently as I hop off the bed, "Like you could ever be as fabulous as me." I stick my tongue out at him and run out the door as best I can in these hell shoes before he can reply.

Me and Toby walk down the street into town in complete silence, he's thinking the exact same thing as me. What if this year is our year? It's like Tatiana said 'I have a feeling that today's the day' and it very well might be anything is possible.

'Can you stop that please, it puts me on edge.' I look up at Toby, his eyes are on my hands and the knife I'm running through my fingers. 'Sorry, nervous habit, Finnick says to always be on alert.' I toss the knife in the air before shoving it into my belt.

'We're not in the games yet Jay, there's no need to be alert and anyway you do it all the time even if you don't have a knife, like in school with a pencil. I think I saw you do it with a celery stick once, now I know you can't kill anyone with a celery stick or can you?'

That was all we needed to forget about the reaping as we both begin to laugh."Next time I have a celery stick I'll show you." I giggle and begin poking him with my fingers, Toby pretends to die dramatically falling to the ground and pulling me with him. We burst into hysterics on the floor not stopping until the baker Mr. Reym walks past looking at us like we were lunatics.

'Well it's nice to see that someone is enjoying themselves on today of all days. Good Morning Toby and who's this with you? Wait... Juniper Odair is that you, well I hardly recognized you without your hair in your face if you didn't dress like that every year for the reaping I never would have believed that it was you.'

'Good Morning Mr. Reym. On days like these it's good to have a laugh to ease the tension don't you think Jay?' I hide behind Toby's back making a high pitched squeaking noise in reply.

'That was a yes if you were wondering sir.'

'I know I'm used to it, I think everyone is. I feel sorry for the reporters if that girl ever gets reaped she won't give them a darn thing.' I hang my head in shame at these words.

'You never know sir, people can surprise you. Come on Jay.' He grabs my hand and pulls me down the street as tears begin to form in my eyes.

When we are a good distance away, he puts my face in his hands and pulls it up to meet his. 'Don't listen to him, you're not going to get reaped.'

'You sound just like Finnick.' I punch him in the arm, pulling away from him as I walk quickly down the street forcing him to jog in order to keep up with me.

'Slow down will you, you need to stop being so negative you might not get picked.'

'Yeah, and what if I do? What if we both do and it comes down to just us? Do you really think I can kill you? DO YOU, DO YOU! AND WHAT ABOUT YOU COULD YOU KILL ME? COULD EITHER OF US KILL ANYONE? IT'S ALL ABOUT THE TRAINING AND THE SPONSORS BUT WHO'S GOING TO TEACH YOU HOW TO KILL A LIVING PERSON TO TAKE A LIFE JUST BECAUSE SOME SHIT-HEAD POLITICIAN TOLD YOU TO!' He just stands there staring at me, mouth agape, in fact everyone around us is staring at me. No one has ever heard me say more than a few words my entire life and here I am standing in the street screaming about how I hated the Capitol. I'm lucky only a few people are around and they weren't likely to run off and tell a peacekeeper what I was saying.

'I get it Jay, you think that I don't have those exact thoughts? Everyone here acts like being reaped is some big privilege but only you and I know the truth. Finnick, Annie and Mags scared the shit out of us with their horror stories. If we play, we play fair but we still play to win and we make a promise never to kill each other no matter what. Okay?'

'Okay.' I brush the few remaining tears from my face and take a few deep breaths, hopefully I would be able to keep that promise.

I stand in the crowd in the town square overlooking the ocean, the slight breeze blowing my hair across my face. I can see Toby standing with the other boys and talking with his friends, he is my only friend so I'm all alone in the girl's section. I look up at the Justice Building and see Finnick standing on one of the balconies staring straight ahead. He never looks at me, I know if he did he would cry and he was doing his best to be strong. Maybe one day I'd be up there with him, faking strength for the Capitol. Never allowing anyone to see the real me. I whip around to face the front as the screech of a microphone signalled it was starting. They call boys names first in our district so I had Toby to worry about first then I could think about myself.

I watch as the Mayor gives his speech, showing the same movie about the games, 'War, terrible war...' When it's over Connie steps forward and the real business starts. 'As usual we will draw the men first..' I cross my fingers behind my back and say a silent prayer, letting out a sigh of relief when someone else's name is called. It's a skinny, fourteen year old that I'd never met before that takes the stage proudly. I glance over at Toby who smiles at me as a look of relief washes over his face. It disappears quickly though as Connie's voice washes over us again,

'And now ladies it's you turn. And the female tribute of the 74th Hunger Games is...' She plunges her hands into the glass ball and pulls out the tiny piece of paper that will determine my destiny. 'Juniper Odair.' Shit.

I take a deep breath, calming my nerves as I go to walk onto the stage. I haven't been able to take even one step when a scream pierces the air. I whirl around and see Finnick halfway over the edge of the balcony whilst the other victors are doing their best to drag him back.

'VOLUNTEER! SOMEONE FUCKING VOLUNTEER! DON'T LET HER GO! DON'T LET HER DIE! DON'T LET HER DIE! VOLUNTEER! VOLUNTEER! VOLUNTEER!' Everyone in the square is frozen, watching. The people in the Capitol were probably having a field day with this, they'll tear him apart, I have to do something. I take another deep breath before walking out into the aisle, people parting like the sea to let me through and I stand there stone faced, staring up at Finnick not caring for once in my life that everyone was looking at me.

'FINNICK!' He stops dead at the sound of my voice, he freezes, one leg over the balcony with an expression of show plastered on his face. 'Stop this Finnick, it's alright. Being selected to participate in the Hunger Games is an honour and a privilege. Our family is blessed that we both get to be a part of something so great. Now calm yourself Finnick, remember the world is watching.'

I spin on my heel and walk up the steps, clasping Connie's outstretched hand. That last line had really got him, he told it to me every time I acted shy hoping I would be more out there so that when they came to interview the people in my district they would have some positive things to say. I bet he never thought that I would ever use it on him.

'Well that was dramatic, do we have any volunteers?' They stood silent, nobody daring to take my place after what just happened, there was no way they could follow that, they would never be able to do anything that would make as big a fuss as Finnick just had. They would never be able to outshine me now and that's what I'm afraid of. 'Well then... I present to you your tribute JUNIPER ODAIR!' I twirl like an idiot and blow a kiss into the audience before stepping forward to shake the boy's hand.

They then herd us into the Justice Building, I sit alone on the green, velvet couch and watch the fish in the aquarium across from me swim while I wait. The doors open and Toby runs through them, pulling me into his arms into the tightest hug I've ever experienced. 'Can't breathe, dying here.'

'Oops sorry Jay, accident. It's just, you know... I umm..'

'Might never see me again as I could die from a number of strange occurrences?'

'Don't even.' He gives me a look, there's so much pain in his voice and eyes, I look down towards my feet so I don't have to feel his pain.

'Sorry, I just. You know.'

'You're doing the thing with the knife again' I glance down at my hand and see that he's right, the knife is spinning through my fingers. I shove it clumsily back in my belt blushing.

'I mean it's good practice right?' I say quietly, still not able to meet his eyes. He slumps down on the couch putting his head between his knees. I sit awkwardly next to him not knowing what to say, no amount of training could have prepared us for this moment. We sit there in silence unable to find our voices knowing this may be the last time we see each other. What do you say to someone in that moment?

'Time's up kid.' I look up and see the peacekeeper gesturing at the door, I hadn't even realised how much time had passed in our silence. Toby stands up, grabbing my hands and pulling me into another massive hug, he lets me go quickly and runs out the room. I know it's so I don't see him cry but it's hard to miss the tears pouring down his face. I sink down into the couch again fighting my own tears that are threatening to come up.

It doesn't take long before Finnick comes charging through the door and pulling me up into his arms. This is all it takes for the flood gates to break and I start sobbing into his chest. I grip his shirt tightly as he strokes my hair. It takes me a while to speak between sobs but I manage to whisper against his chest.

'Did I do good?' His arms wrap tighter around me and he whispers in my ear,

'No sweetheart, you did great. You were great. You're going to win, we're going to get through this. They've agreed to let me be your mentor so I can take care of you okay. We're going to get through this.' I nod slowly trying to get my trying under control. The peacekeepers come again and he leaves, at least I know that I will be seeing him again soon.

Annie and Mags come next. They don't talk, which is fine with me as I still can't find the right words. Mags pats my cheek like she did at breakfast and Annie just holds out a piece of cloth for me to take. A beautiful, teal bandanna covered in delicate embroidery. An intricate fish is in the centre and there are different pictures on the corners. Annie points to one, a person swimming and gestures at herself and then to a fishing hook and points at Mags.

'You and Mags' I whisper, my fingers caressing the threads delicately. She nods then pointing to the picture of a trident. 'Finnick?' She nods again pointing at the empty corner and taking my face in her hand. I understood then, the pictures signified what they were famous for in the games, Mags had one by fishing and out living everyone, Finnick had killed everyone with a trident and Annie was the only victor who could swim. I silienty hope that I will live long enough to have my picture added alongside theirs.

'Thanks Annie I love it. I love you, you too Mags.' My voice threatens to break as I pull them into a hug.