I think today has officially been the worst day of my life. It was the day of the Reaping. The morning was not bad, though. We didn't have school because to the Capitol, the reaping is considered some sort of sick holiday. For me, no school pretty much just meant extra hunting time with Katniss. And because today was the Reaping, we had extra reason to make fun of the Capitol.

The morning pretty much went as planned. I crawled under the fence, not even bothering to check if it was on by listening for the buzzing noise. District 12 is the poorest of the districts—Well, besides District 13, which was completely destroyed in The Rebellion—so we usually don't have electricity. Which of course means the electric current in the fence is off and we can get under through the worn spots in the bottom. Anyone could get under, really, except they're too scared. They think it's wrong. But nobody seems to care when we show up at the Hob with a wild turkey. In fact, the head Peacekeeper himself buys our wild turkey.

If the Peacekeepers cared enough, we could be killed for going into the woods and poaching daily. So, I walked over to the place where Katniss and I usually meet. I always come about fifteen minutes early because, well, I can't afford to waste any time I could be spending with Katniss. Next year, I'll be working in the mines. The only time I'll be able to see Katniss will be Sundays. Well, actually, that's not true. I won't have to work in the mines. I'll either be filthy rich in the Victor's Village or dead. Dead. Dead because of the Capitol. Dead because of their Games. Dead because I wouldn't be able to stand living without Katniss.

I took out the loaf of bread I traded for this morning, still hot. I stuck and arrow in it. When Katniss showed up, I showed her my catch. She laughed and we talked, fished, hunted, checked snares, and gathered some berries. Today was going to be the day I would tell her about my feelings. After the Reaping. When everyone was happy, except for the two kids that were chosen and their family and friends. For the first time, I told her about my idea of how we could just run away. Every day, when I saw the starving children in the Seam look at me with those hollow faces, I thought of her. How easy it would be to just get away from it all and live off the woods. Unfortunately, she took it as something of a joke.

Other than that, it was a typical hunting day. When we were finished, we both crawled under the fence and swung by the Hob for a while and make some trades. We visited the mayor to see if he wanted strawberries because they were his favorite. When the door was opened, we didn't see the mayor but his daughter, Madge. She was wearing a flowing white dress and a gold pin. A gold pin. Something like that could keep a family—such as Katniss' or mine—fed for months. I couldn't help but make a sarcastic comment. I think I said something like "Pretty dress," or "Well you look nice today, don't you?" Everyone wears their best clothes on reaping day. I don't exactly remember our conversation. Today, offending the mayor's daughter is the least of my worries.

I went home, took a shower, brushed my teeth, and got dressed. Some old suit that used to be my dad's. My mother and siblings all looked worried. I gave each of them a hug. "One more year," I said. I gave a half-smile and walked out the door. I didn't want to say something like "It's okay," or "Everything will be fine," because it wasn't true. Of course, the odds were not in my favor. Because I was eighteen, I already had my name entered seven times. But because our family was not well-off, I needed to sign up for tessarae. My name was entered forty-two times. Katniss' name was entered twenty times. Together, that made sixty-two times. Sixty-two chances either me or Katniss, or both, could be put into the arena.

Katniss looked beautiful in a light blue dress that reminded me so much of my days hunting in the summer with her. Clear blue skies. That's where I wanted to be right then. With Katniss, in the woods. Not here, where Katniss or me could and would be chosen to fight in the arena. Against each other. And I would make sure that Katniss would get out alive.