I am dreading the fact that I will have to let go of Maysilee when it is time to say goodbye.

"Don't worry Haymitch, I will be fine. You should be worried about yourself like I am worried about you." She says, there is a sound of sorrow in her voice. Maysilee knows I will probably get picked; she just doesn't want to admit it.

"You know I can't help it Maysilee," I say, "I love you too much not to be worried-"

"Haymitch," she scolds, "I don't want to hear it! You keep talking like you are going to die! You need to think the positive!"

"I know Maysilee, but-"

"But nothing Haymitch Abernathy," her eyes soften, "I love you. See you at the square." With that she gives me a quick kiss and walks off.

"Haymitch!" my best friend, Phoenix Everdeen runs over, he is the only one that knows about me and Maysilee. The only reason he does is because he is also dating a merchant girl secretly. Her name is Michelle and her parents own the apothecary shop in town. She is also Maysilee's closest friend and confidant.

"Hey Phoenix," I say wearily.

"Another fight with Maysilee about the reaping?" he asks.

"Yeah, she won't let it go," I mumble.

"Awww buddy, you are not the only one. Michelle and I were fighting a little bit ago, man I hope she doesn't get picked."

"I gotta go Phoenix, I will see you in the square."

"Yeah, see ya buddy," he mumbles as I begin to walk off towards my house. We are both sixteen like Maysilee and Michelle so we will al be together. I hasten to get dressed into my reaping clothes so I can get to Maysilee. I don't like the idea of her having to stand there alone in a crowd, she hates them. As I walk out the front porch, I notice my little sister sitting on the porch. She is in one of my mother's old reaping dresses when she her age. She is only seven, thank goodness, so she won't be in the reaping. She looks up as I walk past.

"Haymitch?" she asks.

"Yeah," I reply.

"Be safe ok?" she asks as her eyes start to water.

My heart melts, "I will try. I have to go now ok? You be a good girl for mommy and daddy."

"Ok," she says and she walks over to me and gives me a hug. I leave my sister there; I don't want to say good-bye because I don't want her to cry. I make my way through the crowd of people from the Seam. We are heading in one direction so I just go with the flow. When we arrive at the square I find Maysilee in the sixteen year olds section.

I slip under the velvet ropes just in time because the mayor begins to speak, "Welcome to the 25th reaping of the Hunger Games…"