I turn to Prim and cup her soft cheek with my hand. "Go find your mom, Prim." I say gently.

"No!" she says.

"Prim go find your mom." I repeat. The peacekeepers pick up Prim and put her on their shoulders.

"No! NO!" Prim screams at them and she is deposited next to Gale who holds her still, though  he himself looks like he might break down and burst into tears soon. I turn to face the capitol escort.

Effie smiles delightedly and somewhat disturbingly at me. "Well! It looks like district 12 has its very first volunteer!" she says. "Come on up!"

I walk at a snail's pace towards to stairs of the Justice Building. I climb them slowly and eventually reach the platform Effie standing on. "What is your name, dear?" she asks.

"Y/n L/n." I say numbly into the microphone.

"Well I bet my hat you knew that little girl!" Effie chirps annoyingly.

"Yes, she is one of my best friend's little sister." I say. Effie smiles again.

"And now, for the boys." she says. She reaches into the other bowl full of names and pulls out a slip. I pray to god it isn't Gale. It isn't.

"Peeta Mellark." Effie calls out. Oh crap. I know Peeta. Not well of course, but I had had a rather strange encounter with the youngest of the Mellarks when I was eleven years old.

I had been sent out hastily into the rainy night by my mother who was running out of ways to feed us. She sent me out to poke around in garbage bins and see what I could find. That's how you know we were starving. We were willing to eat anything we could find unless it was spoiled past the point of being edible. I had been looking around in the garbage bins in the back of the Mellark family bakery. I didn't know many of the Mellarks very well, I vaguely recalled making brief small talk with Mr. Mellark one time in The Hob but that was about it. While I took the lid off a can I saw that it was empty and had been emptied recently. I sighed. That was when the rolling pin whizzed by my ear. My head snapped up and I saw a woman on the back porch. From her skinny frame and wiry hair I could take a safe bet that it was Mrs. Mellark. I had seen her around town a few times, we had ever spoken though. "Out! Get out! I won't have some dirty street people scrounging around in my garbage cans! GET OUT!" she screamed at me. I had just enough energy to run out of their backyard and out onto the hill beyond. She went back inside and I collapsed at the base of a tree. I was so hungry, I couldn't move. I was done. There was only two days until I was only enough to sign up for the tesserae. Then I could get the precious grain and oil that my mom and I needed. But no, I wouldn't make it to my 12th birthday. I would die here at the base of this random tree, starving, cold, and alone. I sat there shivering for a good ten minutes, hoping that I would just hurry up and die. I didn't want suffering. And then I saw a faint light over by the bakery. The back door was open and Mrs. Mellark had marched back outside, dragging a smaller figure behind her. I later learned that his name was Peeta Mellark, the youngest of the three bakers's sons. She appeared to be giving him some sort of small beating. Mom of the year  I thought. "DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BUY BURNT BREAD!?" she yelled at him. "FEED IT TO THE PIGS!" she screeched. She stomped back inside and left a sore Peeta behind her. In his hands he held something. The burnt bread I was guessing. He walked slowly in my direction. He was a solid 50 yards away, so I could scarcely see him. When were roughly 20 yards apart, he threw what he was carrying on the ground, spun around and ran back to his house. I shakily walked forward toward where he has thrown the object. I picked it up, and in my hands was a slightly burnt but otherwise perfectly good loaf of fresh bread. Full of new adrenaline I had raced home and given the bread to my mother. I had frequently seen Peeta staring at me at school after that. I had always had a sneaking suspicion that he burnt the bread on purpose.

That was five years ago.

Peeta walks onto the platform and stares at me. I stare right back.

"Go on, you two! Shake hands!" Effie's voice snaps me back to attention. I tentatively reach forward and shake Peeta's hand. He has a firm grip, but I'm ok with that because I do as well. We eventually release each other's hands and stand awkwardly beside each other as Effie calls, "Let's have a big round of applause for the tributes of district 12!" No one claps, instead they raise their three middle fingers, press them to their lips and raise them into the air in a salute. "Happy Hunger Games!" Effie says.

Ya, about as happy as you are without makeup, which I'm imagining isn't much. I think. We are herded inside the Justice Building by two Peacekeepers. Peeta and I are ushered into different rooms where we can say our goodbyes. The first people to enter the room are Prim and a now conscious Katniss. Katniss squeezes me so tight I think I might burst. She pulls back and I see that tears are streaming down her now very pale face. I want to cry too, but cameras are hidden everywhere and I can't afford to have the other tributes think that I am weak, I'll be at the top of their hit lists if they think I'm an easy target.

"You didn't have to do that, I could have taken her place." Katniss says in a chocked voice.

"Katniss, you passed out, no one else was going to volunteer. We both know Prim wouldn't last a day in the arena, she's too small-everyone would be after her." I respond gently. I feel something collide with my middle and notice it's Prim around my waist. I hug her back.

"Try to win, maybe you can." she cries into my f/c dress.

"Of course." I whisper, rubbing her back.

"You can hunt, and I've see you with your axe. You're really good." she says, pulling away. I smile softly at her.

"Thanks, little duck." I say, using the pet name Katniss gave her. "I'm smart too you know."

"I know." she responds. She sniffles and I give her another hug.

"Time's up." a peacekeeper barks.

"See you soon." Katniss says.

"See you soon." I agree.

"Goodbye!" Prim calls. I don't get to respond before the peacekeepers slam the door in my face. I wait in silence for few minutes. I'm beginning to think she won't come when my mother flings the door open. She wraps me into a hug and I want to cry so badly, but I have to wait.

"Win for me, would you?" she asks.

"I sure as hell hope so." I murmur back.

We stay locked in the hug, both suppressing tears at this point, though I feel a few of my mom's leak into my dress, until the peacekeepers tell us that time is up. "I love you, mom!" I call.

"I love you too, Y/n!" she says back as the doors shut. I think that that is the end of my visitors, but Gale still walks in the door.

I immediately wrap my arms around his middle. With my mom I had to be strong for her, with Katniss I had to be strong for Prim, but with Gale I could simply let loose. I let just a few tears leak out of the corners of my eyes and I know the same happens to him.

"You're gonna win, ok?" his voice cracks.

"Ok." I whimper.

"You're stronger than they are." I nod against his chest. I may not feel anything romantic towards Gale, but I do love him. It's brotherly love, but it's still love. I feel him kiss the top of my head, but I am too scared to feel anything other than a faint comfort from it.

"I promise you I'm coming back here alive." I say fiercely. "I promise."

"And I know you keep your word." he says.

"Always." I murmur.

"Time's up!" The peacekeeper at the door barked. I knew Gale would leave now, he has too much dignity to be dragged out like the others.

"I'll see you soon n/n!" (nick name)

"See you soon Gale." I whisper back as the doors close once again. I take deep breaths, trying to think of how my feet are on the floor and that I am grounded. My anxiety can't lift me off my feet just yet. Just them Effie comes in to take us to the train.

***

At the train station, I once again have to put on a brave face as there are cameras everywhere. Effie tells us to smile and that we look terrified. Ya, terrified. One guess why. I almost say the words aloud I feel so angry. Not at Effie really, but at the capitol for raising a bunch of oblivious idiots. We are headed into the train and just like that my life changes.

It's a little disappointing that the capitol's train is about ten times better than my house. We look around the dining car all we can see is food, more than I think I could ever hold down. The chairs and sofas are plush, colour is absolutely everywhere. There are even a few servants. Avoxs I believe. I felt a surge of pity for them. Effie sits us down in plush blue armchairs and I look around.

"I'm going to go find, Haymitch. He's probably in the bar car." The tone of her voice implies that she doesn't like him, and she adds a little sniff of annoyance as she walks off.

I sit in an uncomfortable silence until Peeta decides to break it. "Do you know Haymitch?" He asks. I remain silent and still. "I mean, he's supposed to have won this thing at some point." Silence. "Look, I understand if you don't want to talk, but we could at least try to learn something from him." I'm saved from more silence when who I can only assume to be Haymitch walks through the door. Or should I say staggered? It's obvious he's a drunkard from the moment he enters the car. He is swaying on his feet, and he has a far away look in his eyes as if he isn't quite present. His eyes focus briefly on us, and he hobbles forward.

"Congratulations." He slurs. My fists clenches up a bit. How can people congratulate us about being scent to our execution like they would if the queen had invited us for tea? It's just ridiculous. Though I guess Peeta is right and we're supposed to learn something from him, might as well give him a chance-hopefully when he's sober.

Haymitch walks over to a cart and grabs a bottle of whiskey off the top, pouring an entire pint of it into a glass. "Where's the ice?" he asks. There is a small pause.

"I dunno." Peeta says eventually. He nods though I don't think he entirely knew what he was nodding about. He picks up the whole bottle of whiskey and sits down across from Peeta and I.

"So...uh, when do we start?" Peeta asks. Haymitch frowns.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. So eager. Most of you aren't in such a...hurry."

It's Peeta's turn to frown. "Well, ya, I want to know what the plan is, you're our mentor and-"

"Whoa, whoa, mentor?" 

What? Does he seriously not know he's a mentor? Well, we're screwed. I think.

"Ya, our mentor! You're supposed to tell us how to get sponsors and give us advice!" Peeta says with a hint of frustration creeping into his voice.

"Oh," Haymitch says. "Ok, here's some advice."

I lean forward in my seat, Haymitch won the games at some point-he has to be good for at least some sort of decent advice. Haymitch nods to himself.

"Embrace the probability of your immanent death, and know, in your hearts, that there's nothing I can do to save you." Then he gives us a large grin like he has just saved our lives with that unhelpful piece of information. 

Well, at least he got one thing right. We are going to die. Because it's the Hunger Games, and it's inevitable.

A/N Well, on that cheerful note, I'm going to close chapter two! What did you think? Chapter three should be out by this evening if not sooner. Thanks for reading! 

-Mystical Mockingjay