Part 1- The Reaping

"Dinners here!" Mother says,

"All thanks to me!" Maysilee yells,

"Wow really? It looks too good!" Father exclaims, "Brianna, come on, your sister's made lunch today!"

"Coming!", I shout, laying the signature seaweed-speckled district 4 bread down on the plate. May's the cook, but who's to say I can't make bread? It smells good, so I assume it's not going to give us all food poisoning, but it would be convenient if it did. The reaping is tomorrow and it's May's first one. She's terrified, which is why we've been trying to make the past few days as amazing as possible. And why I've taken the risk of making bread.

I sit down, laying the plate of bread on the sand. We each take a questionably shaped loaf, leaving one left for Caspian. I picked the seaweed myself.

"Bri, can you please go fetch your brother, he's probably fishing with his friends." Mother asks. Casp's 19, careless, and looks far too bulky for his age. Us two are the only ones in the family who can swim. Father taught Casp, until Father got too old and his back issues got to him, then Casp taught me when i was 7. I'm 15 now and, if i may say so myself, I'm very good. I can hold my breath the longest out of everyone i know. May followed our Mother into the fish preparation business and she's a heck of a cook for a 12 year old. This fish is amazing, but it may just be Casp's choice. He's good at that stuff.

Laying the plate of fish back down, I shed layers until I reach my thin undershirt and underwear, and, putting my small pouch on, just in case I find anything cool, dive into the water. I swim over to where I know Casp will be. On the way, I go deep diving for something to possibly sell and I find an oyster and open it up, and sure enough there's a pearl. Looking at it for a while, I decide I'll give it to May, instead of selling it, and put it in the pouch. In a worst case scenario she'll need it to remember me by. I don't know why we're all so worried, the odds are completely in her favour. Of course when I went in everyone was just the same, and along with Casp. I guess you're just a little paranoid about those you care about.

Casp's by the beach near the academy and justice building, fishing with his friends. It looks like they're seeing how many fish they can catch without a net, and my brother, naturally, is probably winning. I swim over to him.

"Casp, dinner's ready," I tell him,

"Hey, Bri, first up catch a fish real quick," He tells me,

Without questioning, I grab a trident and stand deep in the water. This will be harder without a net, but i manage to do it surprisingly quickly, getting lucky when an idiotic fish comes near me.

"See, Buddy? She can catch a fish in under 2 minutes, and she's a girl!"

"Hey!" I shout, though I'm not really bothered, I know it's a joke. He's just a big show off. Buddy winks at me. He does this to any girl he sees who is around his age and most girls melt, but when he's your brother's best friend you get used to it.

"Come on, my bread's getting cold," I say.

"Wait, you made bread? What, are you trying to poison us?" Caspian laughs. I punch him lightly in the arm. He probably feels nothing.

"There the two dolphins are!" Father says, spotting us swimming towards them.

"Good, i'm hungry! So if I'm correct, the fish will be delicious and the bread will kill me?" Casp jokes.

"Yes!" May says, hugging Casp. I start to say something, then realise it's not worth it. I'm tired, and I need to get into the bath first tomorrow on reaping day. May will probably get to if we wake up at the same time, so I need to get in way before if I don't want to be soaking in dirty water. I also have a new reaping dress, as May will be using my old one, so i don't want to be more uncomfortable.

That night our parents tuck May to bed, singing her a lullaby, then kiss me and Casp goodnight.

~

It's the day of the reaping and I manage to wake up without waking up May and Casp. I have a nice long warm bath and immediately change into my reaping dress. As I'm trying to zip up my long, lilac dress, as if on cue, Casp wakes up.

"Good, you're awake. Can you zip up my dress?"

"Oh, er, okay. You look pretty," He says, helping me.

"Thanks," I say. When he's done, I make sure I look presentable and he goes behind the curtain in the corner of our room to change. However a few minutes later, May starts whimpering in her sleep, repeating "Not me, not me, not me," We both rush to wake her up, and as she opens her eyes, we see they're glistening with tears,

"I wasn't- I wasn't chosen?"

"No, don't worry," We hug her until her breathing slows down to a normal rate and she's calm enough to normally function. It's rare May gets clingy like that. Of course, she's a very hugs-and-smiles person, but she's also very independant and doesn't need comforting often. But the Games have always been one of the things that makes her scared. Here in 4, despite being one of the "career" districts, not all of us like the games. We just have to pretend to get the Capitol on our side.

We get May into the bath and wait for her to finish. When she's dressed, I do her hair into two pigtails and finish it off with a black bow to compliment the red dress. Our parents wake up and are pleased to see us up and ready. We eat lunch at the table as Mother and Father don't want us sandy,

"May, there's no need to worry. The chances of you getting chosen are slim-to-none. Besides, I've trained you, well some of you," Father glances at Casp, "Well, in self defence and survival," Father doesn't like the academies. He considers them cheating so he wasn't very happy when Casp signed up at 15, but he got over it. Casp never got a chance to volunteer. He was annoyed at first, but he got over it. It would have been nice to live in Victors' Village, but there would have been a higher chance of Casp's death,

"And don't forget about the training in the Capitol. I expect the resources there are excellent," Mother assures us.

A month or so ago, May and I agreed that if she gets picked, I'll do a "Katniss" as we call it. Katniss Everdeen is a District 12 victor who volunteered for her little sister, but we both hope it doesn't come to that.

May wants Mother to walk her to the blood confirmation area, so i come with her. My best friend Wenda comes up to me and we start chatting. She's on her period today and she keeps getting paranoid it's leaking through. It's not, but no matter how much i say it she won't believe me entirely. She's like that sometimes, but let's be real, so am i. Wenda is my best friend since childhood, and she means so much to me. We do everything together, share every secret, and will always ask each other for advice. I couldn't imagine anything without her, she's been intertwined in my life for so long. We all get our blood taken and I say goodbye May as she goes to the 12 year old area,

"You'll be okay, understand?" I say, hugging her,

"Yes," She says into my chest,

"No, repeat after me; "I will be fine,""

"I will be fine,"

"Good. Now repeat that until you believe it, and even then keep repeating it, okay?"

"Okay,"

"Okay. I love you,"

"I love you too," She says. I watch her walk over to the others her age, as she shakes. I couldn't bear it if anything ever happened to her, and the same goes with the rest of my family. Casp's last reaping was one of the most relieving days of my life when his name didn't leave the bowl, and I'd never say it to him, but I'm glad he didn't get in through volunteering. When May disappears into the crowd, I make my way back to Wenda and the other 15 year olds.

After a couple of minutes, Amanda Spein, the District 4 escort, walks up on stage, and flattens her sea blue dress. She's wearing a pathetically themed outfit, trying to relate to district 4 with nets and seashells in her massive bleach blonde wig, and her dress is slim and at the knees it flays out, probably intending to look like an ocean. Her skin is lightly dyed blue and her eye makeup is clearly inspired by a wave. She transferred from district 7, where every year she would try a tree-themed outfit. She's been here for 3 years and had been at 7 for 5 years and hadn't picked up the hint that she probably shouldn't keep trying. The 7 alive victors are lined up behind her; Mags Flanagan, Lila Nepolareeno, Annie Odair, Thor Overwhill, Beaufort Fallen, Finnick Odair and Troy Weave. There's another, but they aren't alive anymore.

"Hello, District 4!" She says in a ridiculously strong Capitol accent, receiving only a few murmurs back. Ignoring this, she continues, "Happy 87th Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!" She says, looking to the audience, where some people applaud, but not quite enough for it not to be awkward She looks at the two massive bowls, "Ladies first!" She reaches into the females bowl and draws out a name with a flick of the wrist. Slowly, she opens the slip of paper and calls out the name.