CHAPTER FIVE-A Conversation With Jared

A/N Thank you so much to Razgriz678, Maddie Rose, kenstar12, Firestone Piper, and proudlycanadian for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! Hope you guys like the newest chapter! Please review and tell me what you think. This chapter is not a reaping, as you have probably guessed...enough said, I'll just let you read it, kay?

I need to talk to Jared. I know I have been putting off for so long telling him that I have to be in the Hunger Games sometimes, and the fact that this is one of my last opportunities does not help. I really do not want to leave my little brother, but in all honesty, I realize it has been six months since my parents died and Jared and I are having a very hard time getting by. Winning the Hunger Games would provide us with plenty of money...but I really do not know if I will actually win; I just know that I have to be in the Games.
Jared might not understand, though. He actually slipped his name out of the reaping last year-much to my surprise-just so he would not make me sad. I hope this will not sound to him like I want to abandon him or anything...just that it is something I have to do.
I decide that tonight, the six-month-anniversary of my parents's death, will be the night I tell Jared my plans...and hope that he won't feel abandoned.
I am terrible at cooking, but I manage to prepare a small mess of eggs for the two of us to share. We have gotten used to eating mainly eggs breakfast, lunch, and dinner when necessary, because they are the only thing we can normally afford, and they are the only thing I have perfected my cooking of.
When the eggs are ready, I divide them into two portions and place each portion on a separate plate. Then I call Jared down.
I take a few bites of my dinner, then look up at my little brother, who is staring at me with a concerned expression on his little face.
He has not yet grown to his full height and I wonder when he will stop growing.
"Jared," I begin, but he cuts me off.
"Korena, I know what you are going to say. You have to go into the Hunger Games this year or next year. I understand...we're not very well off and you don't know how much longer we will last off the small amount of money we have. You do what you need to do. I'll wait here for your return." He says it all with such a calm tone, that I wonder how long he has known.
"You-you knew." I state, "How long?"
"About a month. I was a bit shocked when I found out, but I see why you have to do it."
Sometimes I have a very hard time believing that Jared will not even be thirteen until next month.
Then I suddenly have a weird feeling. "Jared...how did you find out?"
He blushes slightly and I can't help but feel uncomfortable and strangely amused.
"Y-your diary." he whispers.
I think I had guessed as much a split second before he said it, but to hear him admit it was weird.
"Sorry." he mumbles, and gets back to his dinner.
Oh, my precious little brother...how I do love him.

A/N

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