Hi! This is where the actual story begins and I hope you enjoy it.

Crystal Baker POV:

I opened my eyes and looked at my ceiling. It was covered with glow in the dark stars. It was morning, so they didn't glow. When I turned eighteen, my father offered to help take them down, but I decided to keep them. They remind me of myself. Stuck around people too old.

My parents are possibly the youngest people I know. I live in the part of District 1 where people go to retire, but my parents work at the retirement home, so I live here too. All the schools are on the opposite side of the district, so I'm homeschooled. The issue is that my parents work, so the only time they have time to teach me is when they're home, which changes weekly.

Most of the time, I'm home alone, so I had to find something to occupy me. I ended up convincing my mother to set aside a piece of land for me to have a garden. I grow a lot of flowers on half and the other half is just clover. The only place you can usually find me is sitting in that patch of clover reading a book.

But not today. Nope, today is Reaping Day. I've read all the books in the house and one is a history report. It says that there was a rebellion a little over a hundred years ago. I wish we had won. We wouldn't be stuck with these rotten Hunger Games. This is my last one. No more worrying about my name being called, nothing but my garden and my books.

I crawl out of bed and get dressed. I wear something nice, but I don't care that much what it is. I look in the mirror. My long, dark brown hair falls in waves to my middle back. My hazel eyes glitter back at me through the reflection. My year round tan skin is tan as ever. Some people say I'm beautiful. Maybe I am, but the only people who have told me this are my parents and a bunch of senior citizens.

District 1's reaping is first, so I scarf down a piece of toast and join my parents on the way to the reaping. I take a look at my garden as we walk past, deciding that I need to add some Marigolds to brighten the colors.

At the registering tables, my parents and I separate. I go over to get my finger pricked and go to the eighteen year old girl section. People shoot questioning looks at me as always. They don't know me. I barely ever come to the center of the district and people obviously don't know me from school. Well I know me. And I'm fine with laying low.

Our escort, Mari, steps to the podium. "Happy Hunger Games!" she squeals, "I'm so excited to be here District 1!" She heads over to the bowl of girl's names. "Ladies first! And our lovely lady is... Crystal Baker!" I freeze for a second. Everyone looks around. They don't know who I am. I take a deep breath as the peacekeepers come forward. I shake my head at them, indicating that I'm fine, that I'm going. I calmly walk to the stage.

Mari squeals at the sight of me. "Goodness! We have a girl living up to the District 1 stereotype... beautiful!" I blush, but notice that she leaves a dramatic pause before everything.

Mari moves to the boys bowl and draws a slip of paper. "Ares Killian." A boy in the eighteen-year old section bravely walked up. "And handsome too!" Mari squeals.

Finally, Mari draws a slip from the neutral bowl, "Vincent Falkner." Another boy from the eighteen year old section steps up to the stage. Mari lets out one final squeal, then we all shake hands and head to town hall.

Who else is really excited for Catching Fire? -Theuglyduckling492