I towel myself off, having just stepped out of the shower, and brush my hair out. After I finish my hair looks straight everywhere except my bangs which cover my left eye when my hair is down and go down to my left earlobe. It's already starting to curl again. I take the light yellow dress off the hanger and slip it on. This is what my mother bought me to wear today. It has a few ruffles underneath the skirt and goes down to my knees. It has short sleeves and there is a white lace strip across the middle and at the bottom lining of the dress. I sigh, trying to shake off the nerves that are beginning to make me tremble. I walk out of the bathroom and Mom and Dad are already sitting at the breakfast nook, silently eating breakfast. I join them but I end up eating half of my eggs and only a few bites of toast. I'm afraid if I eat more, it will all come right back up. I notice I've been bouncing my right leg and tuck both feet under me in attempt to keep the shaking down but I still end up drumming my right hand fingers on the table while I poke at my food with a fork with my left hand.

Dad puts an arm around me to comfort me, but it only makes me want to bury myself in his arms and never come out so I never have to face the Reaping ceremony.

But I know that will never happen.

Everyone is required to attend the reaping unless you're almost empty of life. Attending the ceremony is mandatory because everyone must participate in it, as if it were a celebratory event.

I push my plate away and follow Mom into the living room when she suggests putting my hair up. I sit on the couch and she tries to braid it at first, but then she realizes that once my hair dries completely, the curls will only make it look funny so she just brushes it out again and puts my hair into a low side ponytail over my left shoulder with a yellow and white striped ponytail holder and puts a little yellow clip up to hold my bangs out of my face. She goes and showers and gets dressed. Dad gets dressed then comes and sits next to me on the couch. I realize I'm trembling again and try to think about something other than the fact that my name has the one in a million chance in being picked and I might be that one but Everything else someone just turns right back to that topic. He puts his arm around me again and I scoot closer so I am almost in his lap.

"Don't worry, honey. Everything will be over soon. It's your mother's turn so whoever the tribute is, she'll go with them. You'll be stuck with me for a while," he says giving me a smile. I try to return it but I just burry my face into his chest and put my arms around him.

I can only hope I'll be stuck with him for a while, here at home in District Twelve.

Soon everyone is in the Square and I'm already in the group of other nervous twelve-year-old girls. I receive and return a few compliments on appearances but soon enough the Mayor takes stage. She is a friend of my mom's, her name is Madge Undersee.

I don't really pay attention to anything, just tune it out and try to pose my attention on a nest full of a few birds in a nearby tree. Then Effie Trinket, the escort for the District Twelve tributes, takes the stage. Apparently she is only in her forties or something, but she was the same escort for my parents and she still only looks about thirty.

I snap my attention back to the stage and she first introduces my parents. They are the mentors, even though only one of them go with the tributes. They both stand from their seats and give small waves before sitting back down. I see they are holding hands tightly, as if they are as nervous as I am, which they probably are.

Effie announces the usual, then says that she will pull the boy's name first. I look over at the line and catch Jay, who is among the other twelve-year-old boys, looking back at me. I hold up my hand and he does the same. We both move our hands in a small circle then press two fingers to our lips and hold out the fingers, as if to touch them to each other. This is a handshake we came up with a few years ago. I give him a small nod and he returns it then we both turn our gazes back to Effie, for she has just pulled out the name.

"And our boy tribute for this year is..," Effie says and looks at the slip. "Jay Hawthorne!"

I pale and look desperately to Jay. He looks like he's been petrified and slowly makes his way to the stage. He stands and stares in the distance but not before he glances at me. I see my mother look at Jay's dad and know she is giving him a silent promise to keep him alive.

Effie announces that she will now pick the girl tribute. She reaches her hand in the ball and pulls it out.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open them again, all I can do is look at the slip of paper in Effie's hands, for she has just announced, "Our girl tribute will be... Felicity Mellark!"

I can't move. I've been frozen with fear. I feel a few hands on my back, pushing me forward and then I realize I have to go up there. I see Effie, looking towards me with pity then glancing back at my parents, who are looking horror struck.

One in a million chance. Of course I'd get it.

I take my place on the stage on the opposing side of Effie and she asks us to shake hands. Jay and I shake hands and then hug. Everyone in our District knows me because of my parents, and they also know Jay and I are best friends.

Jay and I are led back into separate rooms in the Justice Building.

This is the time when loved ones come to bid us goodbye. I don't have close friends at school, except Jay who is going into the arena with me. My parents will be meeting me at the train platform.

The only person to visit me is Gale, Jay's dad. He comes and gives me a hug. I can tell he's been trying not to show how shaken and upset he is.

"You and Jay are a strong pair," he says. "I know you two will try to win, but I need you to promise something."

I nod at him. "Anything."

"Promise that no matter what, you and Jay will stick together. A pair until the end. I've seen how the arena can drive people insane and where I'm confident that won't happen to either of you, I want to know, to be sure, that you two will always stick together," he tells me.

"Jay is my best friend," I say. "I will always be at his side."

"No matter what."

"No matter what," I say. "I promise."

Gale nods and hugs me again. "Good luck, Blondie." Gale has always called me that, ever since he knew that I had inherited my father's light hair rather than my mother's dark hair.

I nod and watch him go as the officials lead him out.

When I meet Jay at the train station, I hug him, not bothering to care that the reporters that are swarming everywhere are taking pictures and broadcasting this to all of Panem. I don't care. Jay puts his arms around me as well.

We break when Effie tells us we need to board the train. We keep our hands together and get aboard the train.

The second that I get on the train, I see my parents standing in a sort of sitting room and launch myself into their arms. This is when the tears begin. I know I am doomed, there is no way I can go into that arena and live to tell the tale.

After a moment, Jay comes over and while I stay in Dad's arms, Mom embraces him. My mom, Jay has told me, has always been more of a mother to him. His own mother prefers his younger sibling over himself and my mother knows it. She holds him and I hear a sob come from him, but I don't dare leave my Dad's arms.

After a while we have to go get ready for dinner and Jay and I go to our rooms.

I shower and find a plain blue t-shirt and grey shorts and put them on before going into the dining room. Both my parents are sitting and I take a seat across from them and soon Jay arrives in a t-shirt and jeans and takes his place next to me. Effie joins us and we eat.

I'm not poor, but the stuff they serve us is so high class I'd have never even known that combinations of things existed.

We eat-I think I stuffed myself a little too much, I am beginning to feel a little sick to my stomach- and then sit in the sitting room again to watch the other reapings.

I feel the nerves come back even harder than they were this morning when I see the other tributes. We are the only twelve-year-olds to be reaped.

There are strong looking sixteen-year-olds from District One, a beefy seventeen year old boy and a huge fifteen year old girl from District Two, a girl that is tall and thin, that trips several times on her way to the stage and a boy that is thirteen that looks like he mugs people for fun from District three. The tributes all go along the line off strong, intimidating, sly, and just plain scary.

Jay and I sit between my parents and are holding each other's hands for support. I know that if it were anyone besides Jay, I'd probably have less hope than I have, which is very little, that I could even stand a chance in the Games.

Effie tries to lighten the mood but seems to only worsen my look on things. "You two are much smaller than the other tributes, and you have Katniss and Peeta to tell you tips. Maybe it will be like their Hunger Games, lasting till the end together!" she says with a smile.

I can't help but think that we are smaller and more vulnerable. Everyone else has mentors that could steal moves that my parents used. And if it is like their Hunger Games, I know I am doomed, my parents were much stronger than I am.

I can only hope that Jay and I can stay with a low profile for long enough for people to forget about us in the arena. I look at Jay and know he is thinking the same thing.

I don't know how I will sleep tonight.

*Author's Note*

I don't own the Hunger Games or any of the characters from the books mentioned in this chapter. All of the Hunger Games characters and references belong to Suzane Collins.

Thanks, I hope you enjoy ^^

-Tatiana :3