I got too impatient to wait for the pair from Five to be finished, so I'll come back to them.

Jonathan Wright POV

"Come on, Jon, let's go!" my best friend Mack called as he ran ahead of me. Mack I call ourselves "the engine and the caboose". Mack's outgoing and exuberant. He charges ahead and leads the way. I'm quiet and easy to forget. I sort of just follow him.

District 6 can be pretty dull. I run around with Mack a lot because I'm not sure my parents know they're parents. It was Reaping Day, so we hopped on the back of one of the government streetcars and hitched a ride. Technically, that was illegal, but no one cares. Even if they did, nobody ever seems to notice me except Mack. I don't know how we found each other.

Mack and I stood next to each other in line. We weren't worried. Mack was popular enough, and I didn't think anyone knew my name.

"Who do you think they picked?" Mack asked.

"I dunno. Hope it's Doug," I said.

"Yeah, he's a jerk," Mack said. The Anthem started, and we started whispering. Otho Tome strutted onstage in an orange velvet jumpsuit. I wondered if he thought we didn't notice he just alternated between seven colors every seven Reapings.

"Ladies first!" he chirped. He reached into the first bowl.

"Nairobi Ellis!" he called.

"Ick, Nairobi. I don't think many people will miss her," Mack said. He wrinkled his nose. I'd heard a bit about Nairobi, but I didn't get around enough to know much. Otho reached into the other bowl.

"Jonathan Wright!"

"What?!" Mack cried. I instinctively pulled closer to him.

"Hey, it's you! You have to go up!" he hissed. He watched me walk to the stage, smiling unsteadily. I took my place next to Nairobi and stood trembling while Otho announced us.

It was ages before the door backstage opened.

"Mom?" I cried as I jumped up. It was just Mack.

"Where are my parents?" I asked.

"I dunno," he said. "I thought they already came."

"What am I gonna do? I can't win this. Why'd they pick me?"

"Bud, I don't know. You can't even find your way to a train station without me," Mack shrugged.

"Hey, you're pretty sharp- sharper than I am, anyway. Maybe you can rig something up and trap everyone else," Mack continued.

"I guess I can try. Maybe if I trap them they'll kill each other," I said. Mack checked for a Peacekeeper at the door.

"I guess I'll have to go soon. Hey, you got a token?" he asked.

"No, all I have is…" I checked my pockets. "Some lint."

"That won't do," Mack said. He looked through his own pockets. "Here. Looks like it's the best we got." He gave me a model airplane.

"Time to go, son," a Peacekeeper called from outside the room.

"Good luck, caboose," Mack said as he left.

"See you soon, engine," I called after him. Then I held my airplane and waited.

Nairobi Ellis POV

I gathered together some sticks and laid some dead grass on top. It'll be just like on television, I thought as I hit two rocks together. Nothing happened. I kept trying, but I couldn't even get a spark. Ah, shoot, I'll just pretend I have a sponsor, I said at last. I pinched two matches from our kitchen and struck one. I laid it on the grass and a little flame sputtered into life. I blew on it like I saw the Tribute do and fed it little twigs. It grew slowly and started to crackle. I smiled and held my hands up to it. A breeze kicked up and it bent over to one side. A few sparks flew onto the grass and smoke curled up.

I should show this to Dad. He'd love it, I thought. I ran a few blocks and reached my house. Dad wasn't inside. I checked around and ran to his factory. He must have been working late. By then I was tired, so I walked back to check on my fire. As I was approaching, I saw a thin tower of smoke in the sky.

Wow, I better make sure it isn't too big, I thought. I jogged a little farther and stopped dead when I saw it. My little fire had burned out, but a trail of scorched grass led over to the front door of a nearby factory. Smoke blocked the entrance and rose up toward the windows.

I ran to the factory and pounded my fists on the walls, screaming.

"Get out! It's on fire, get out!"

The pounding machinery drowned out my cries, and after a few minutes a siren cut me off entirely. Then the screams started. I heard someone pounding on the door and shrieking the most horrible cries I could ever imagine. My eyes stung with smoke and tears as I stumbled away from the building and screamed along with them.

Someone yanked me up off the ground, and I jerked away. Three Peacekeepers were gathered around me, and a crowd of other Peacekeepers was working on the door.

They're going to take you away. You're a criminal.

I tore myself loose and ran away. One of them chased after me and tackled me. My hand fell on a stick and I shoved it at his face. He screamed and pulled away. The other two caught me as I tried to keep running. They shoved me into a patrol car and held me at the jail until my parents could come.

"Daddy," I cried as soon as I saw my father. I jumped up and pressed myself against him.

"It's okay, Nairobi. Everything's going to be all right," he said.

"But all those people. What are they going to do to me?" I asked.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it," he said. He took my hand and put something in it. He turned to go.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"I have to take care of some things," he said. "I love you."

I never saw him again. But as soon as I heard about the Quarter Quell, I knew I might be seeing him at last very soon.

Please don't pick me. It was an accident. I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry, I thought as Otho's hand closed around the paper.

I'm sorry I'm so sorry, I thought as he opened it.

I closed my eyes. Please not me please…

"Nairobi Ellis!" Otho said.

I opened my eyes, but I could hardly see through my tears. I tripped on my way up the steps and kept my eyes on the ground so I couldn't see how much they hated me. Otho called a boy up. I didn't know him.

"Mom," I wailed when I saw her open the door. She hugged me.

"Shh, it's all right. I know it was an accident," she said.

"Maybe I shouldn't win," I said.

"Nonsense. You're a good girl. Your father would want you to do your best," she said. "I love you, Nairobi," she said as she left.

"I love you, Mom," I said. I took Dad's dove out of my pocket and held it against my cheek. As long as I had it, my dad was still with me, and if he was with me, I could win.

You're the only people I have to tell, so guess what! My shrink just diagnosed me with Asperger's. I'd talk to my parents, but they don't get it. The internet seems to be a haven for people like me, so I bet I'm not alone here. That's also slightly relevant to the story, since whatever I have, my avatar Cornflower has. Some of you know her. The rest will meet her soon.