I look around to try to gauge the reaction of all the other families who had gathered at the square to watch the card reading for the 4th quarter quell. Nobody was taking this well. Some were outraged at the unfairness of it all, while others were still confused on what exactly this entails. But of course it was unfair. It always has been.

For the 4th quarter quell, to celebrate the 100th games, to remind the districts the power the Capitol as a whole has over us, the citizens of the Capitol will be able to vote on the tributes from each district to compete in the games. They even announced that they would be holding reapings a couple weeks earlier just to accommodate the extra festivities. I could feel mom squeeze my hand harder as they made the announcement, leaning into dad's shoulder. My little sister frowns, still trying to comprehend what exactly would make the Quarter Quell so different from any other Hunger Games.

The entire district seemed more somber than usual as we head back to our house above the bakery. Dad is the town baker after his parents left the family business to him. His mom died when he was eighteen and both of his two older brothers got married to other merchant girls around town, taking over their family businesses. Uncle Graham married Aunt Madge, and is now being apprenticed by her dad to eventually take over as the mayor of the district, while Uncle Rye married Aunt Delly, working alongside his father-in-law as a butcher. And so, even though dad was the youngest, grandpa turned the bakery over to him when he and mom got married, but he still helps out from time to time.

Mom and dad have always been a topic of gossip in district twelve along with mom's parents. Like mother, like daughter they would say. Even though Nana grew up on the merchant side of district 12, Papa grew up in the seam which a lot of the merchant families looked down on, and still do. But they loved each other so much that Nana was willing to give up everything to be with him. Every time Papa tells me the story when we go to visit, I still can't help but smile.

Nana and Papa raised mom and Aunt Prim in the seam, but they were much better off than most with Nana providing medical services for everyone in the seam and even a good amount of the merchants who, despite the allusion of wealth, couldn't always afford to go to the town doctor who charged more than he should, and Papa and mom hunted in the woods for game to eat and trade. Mom and Papa taught me to shoot so that's where I'll usually spend my weekends and afternoons when I'm not in school.

Papa said that mom didn't give in to dad quite so easily. Dad says he wore her down little by little, talking to her at school, or when she would come by the bakery to trade game for bread. Mom says that Dad saved her and her family, and that with the way he was just always so kind to her, even going as far as to give Prim cookies when she was sad, made her a goner for him but she was scared and kept her distance. She didn't think a merchant-seam relationship would ever happen again, especially not within the same family. But dad was relentless, taking "the long way" just to come and see her or walk her and Aunt Prim home from school. Eventually, it was Papa who convinced mom to let him in and they've been madly in love ever since.

We usually avoid the topic of the Hunger Games in the family. Even though all of our parents were lucky enough to get through the reapings, it could have been very different. Mom says Aunt Prim was reaped for the Hunger Games when she was 12, the first year you become eligible, but another girl from a merchant family volunteered for her before they could even fully finish announcing her name. Rumor has it the girl didn't have a very pleasant home life and would have rather go through the games than stay here. She would either die in the games or come home a victor and get away from her parents. Either way, it was an escape and a win-win. Apparently, Aunt Prim wouldn't talk for months after the games, feeling guilty when the girl died in the initial bloodbath. Eventually, it was Aunt Madge that convinced Prim that she shouldn't feel guilty, and that it wasn't her fault. Aunt Madge's aunt was reaped for the 2nd Quarter Quell, when the Capitol reaped twice as many tributes, and died during the games, making it to the final 3. Aunt Madge's mom felt so guilty for years for not volunteering until she eventually forgave herself and convinced herself that nothing about the games was fair. Nobody expects their siblings to volunteer for them and her sister wouldn't have wanted her to.

My little sister, who is usually the optimistic one of the two of us, doesn't have her signature smile on her face as we trail behind our parents.

"Are you okay, little duck?" I ask, calling her the nickname mom calls her. She still calls Aunt Prim the same thing. I started calling her that because when she was a baby she sounded like a little duck when dad would give her a bottle. Dani is three years younger than me and at twelve mom always jokes that she's the happiest kid in all of district twelve. Her full name is Dandelion, after mom's favorite flower but we all call her Dani or little duck. It was fitting with her blonde hair she got from our dad. She almost looks just like Aunt Prim when she was her age, minus Dani's gray eyes.

She nods but is silent for a little while longer. "Willow, doesn't any of this scare you?"

My steps falter at her question but I regain my balance and continue walking. "Being scared won't change anything." I wish I could be a little more gentle when I tell her this, but that's never been my forte. Dad's the one good with words, not me.

"Oh. Is it bad that I am?" Dani asks, her voice small.

I reach over, tucking her into my side. She's getting taller but I've still got about a head on her. "Course not, little duck. You're the baby. You're allowed to be scared," I tease.

"I'm not a baby!" She huffs, pulling away. But the smile is back on her face and that's all I can ask for.

I smirk. "Race you!" I gently push her and run past our parents, slowing down just a bit to let her pass me enough to slap the door of the bakery before I do.

"I win!" She throws her arms in the air and I lift her, spinning us in circles until we fall to a heap on the coal dusted ground.

"Alright you too," Dad laughs at our antics. "Why don't you get inside and wash up. We'll call you down when dinner's ready." Mom has been quiet since the announcement and I can tell dad is trying to get us inside so he can talk to her alone.

"Are you guys okay?" I ask once Dani's up the stairs.

"We're fine, little songbird," Dad smiles. He and mom told me I used to try to sing along when mom would sing me lullabies as a baby so they've always called me their little songbird.

"Mom?" I look to her for confirmation.

She reaches out, crushing me to her, and dad wraps his arms around the both of us. "The Hunger Games just reminds me of what almost happened to Prim. That's all," she mumbles against the top of my head. She squeezes me tighter, letting go. Dad kisses the top of her head in support and she smiles at him, the love between them obvious. I can only hope I can find something like that someday.

"Actually, little songbird, can you take the loaf of bread to Mr. Abernathy?" Dad asks.

I look up and it still looks fairly light out. "Sure, it shouldn't take me too long."

He gives me a hug. "Be safe. I love you."

"Love you too. You too mom," I glance at her. She runs her thumb down my cheek. "Can we go hunt in the morning?"

"Sure, honey," she smiles.

"Let's get you inside, Katniss," dad wraps his arm around her waist to support her.

"Peeta, I can walk on my own," she scowls, although that doesn't deter dad in the slightest. In fact, it makes his smile bigger.

"Of course you can," he gives her a big smack on the lips and helps her up the stairs to our home.