Chapter 1

The sound of running water wakes me. "Clove! Breakfast!" I hear my mother call me. She always tries to be joyful on reaping mornings. Every year it feels like I'll be chosen, every year I'm prepared and every year I don't get chosen. I wish I could jump to the reaping night straight away but every year, the day of the reaping seems like it will never end. Mom's made breakfast extra special today. There's a wonderful smell seeping under my bedroom door. I get dressed and walk out to the kitchen table to eat. Just as I'm stuffing down the last scrap of my breakfast I hear the doorbell. As I walk to answer it, I hear Joan, my best friend call for me from outside. I find myself running to the door. Before I reach it, it opens and Joan throws her arms around me. Her long brown hair is like a waterfall running down her back. I pull away and her deep green eyes catch mine. "Where have you been?" I say "I haven't seen you in days!" "Training "she replies. "You never know what might happen. "I feel an emotion of rage cross sadness and sorrow. "Don't think like that. I can't stand the thought of losing you." She sighs. "That's why I train. And I know you do too. We have to be prepared, Clove." I know she's right.

We spend the rest of the day together, walking around district two. Most of the time, I'm gazing around thinking what would it be like if I was reaped to go into the "Hunger Games". At first the sound makes me shudder. Running around, killing everyone insight, knowing that you'll most likely to be killed as well. And then I start to think, maybe it would be fun, even if you are going to die. To me, a game wouldn't be that fun if you know that you're going to be OK. Just that rush of adrenalin.

Finally, the time comes. My mother lends me one of her special navy dresses. It fits me perfectly. We eat dinner in silence and my mother and I walk out and in the direction of the square. On the way, Joan catches up to us. I say good bye to my mother and walk to the queue with Joan. "So, what do you think?" she says eventually. "About what?" "You know your chance." I think for a moment. "I think there's an extra chance this year. "Then I realise, this is what I say every year. Joan starts to grow Impatient. "Can't you say something more for once?" I open my mouth to tell her that there's really nothing else to say but it's her turn in the queue. She gets a bit of blood taken and walks off into the crowd. I do the same and wonder around trying to find her. Eventually, she finds me. Just in time for the reaping.

A short, funny looking, capitol woman steps out onto the stage. I've never really bothered to listen to her name before, and I don't see the need to this year. She goes on about what an honour it is to go into the Hunger Games, while I'm watching a flock of geese fly by. "What's going through your head?" Joan whispers in my ear. "Nothing." I whisper back, not taking my eyes of the geese. Eventually, I turn my eyes to the funny looking capitol lady as she crosses to the bowl of girls names from District Two. I look back up, my eyes trying to find the geese. Until I hear my name called.

I started walking up the stairs to the funny looking capitol woman. I think about what I was thinking earlier on that day, and I find myself running up. I see Joan in the crowd. I can tell what she's thinking. The same thing as me. Will we ever see each other again? I'm' thinking I can make it out, because the boy that is next chosen is quite a mess, until he volunteers. A monstrous boy, apparently called "Cato". He walks up the stairs and takes his place. I look up at the big screen and start to feel unconfutable. Apart from the huge crowed, someone's staring at me. I whip around and catch Cato watching me. He quickly looks out into the crow and shows off his muscles as if that's what he's been doing the whole time. He reminds me of a boy I once met in training. Never gave up on trying impressing everyone. I feel my emotion turn from excitement to anxiety. I gaze around the crowed, looking for Joan. Somehow, my eye's drift to the other side of the stage and Cato's eye's catch them.

Caught in his gaze, my body freezes over in horror. He gives me a strange look. What I read from it is, "I'm going to kill you!" But his next move defines that completely. He slowly crosses the stage to where I'm standing. He's so big; he's practically standing over me. "Want some charm?" he whisper's. Now he's got me frustrated. I mean the nerve of some people these days! I narrow my eyes and stare into his, with a look that say's "What the hell" / "How dare you" / "You're an IDIOT!" / "What are you thinking"(Also a look of disbelief). Clearly he's getting all those because he gives me a smug grin and chuckles, still not taking his eye of me. Now he's just getting uncomfortable. Like that feeling you get when someone's extremely invading your personal space "l'll take that as a yes!" I jump back because he's pretty much, barking in my face. Then out of nowhere he's dragging me ford and before I know it he's kissing me on the cheek! I can't get away fast enough. The crowed lets out a sigh. I stare at him again with the same look I gave him before but this time with a bit of "I'm going to kill you!". I also swear in his face very loudly before he say's "Don't fight it. I know this is you dream." Can a boy get any cockier? I'm contemplating on breaking his jaw but then the peace keepers come and march me off to the Justice building.

Is he out of his mind? What was he thinking? You don't just go around kissing girls like that. Joan comes into the room. "I'm so sorry Clove." She crosses the room and comforts just confuses me. "Why? You knew I wanted to go in." I almost yell at her. "Clove, I mean the fact that you have to go in with Cato. He's a bloody psychopath!" now she really is yelling. "You should see what he does in training!" What? She never told me he is in her training class. Joan and I train separately because once a boy put a really dodgy pick up line on her and I happened to have a bunch of knives on me at that moment and I almost never miss my targets with knives, so they split us up pretty much because we are partners in crime (not literally). "What does he do in training?" I ask with a sigh. I stop her because I realize that she has a huge list of despicable things.

I gaze out the window and look back at her to see her staring at me with tears in her eyes. If I had known Cato was going to volunteer, I wouldn't have entered my name so many times. We both know there is a huge chance that I might not be coming back.

We continue with cries and goodbye's until the peace keepers come to take her away but her green eyes stay in my head. My mother comes in and we pretty much repeat the same thing over again only, my mom gives me a ring my father gave to her before he died. She has never taken it off since.

"Mom, you know this may never make it back to you." She just stares at me with one eyebrow raised for a while. "Clove, I think you can fight." She says in a hushed tone." I've seen you in training and I believe you can beat that Cyto." She says a bit louder. "It's Cato, Mom." I can see she's frustrated. "Oh, Cato, Cyto, Catto, either way he's a boy that worries me, and if your father was here, he would probably march up those steps and rip his throat out on the spot!" she's yelling. The peace keepers walk in. we hug one last time. "Do not make an alliance with that boy. I don't care if your mentor tells you to or not." She whispers in my ear. Just before they escort her out of the building, she adds "That Catto is a trouble maker!"