A/N Does anyone know how to add Mr. Everdeen in as a character? He's not in the option, so Mrs. E is all on her lonesome as my character.

Chapter Six

The Unexpected

The day of the reaping we have off of school. My new dress hangs in my closet, ready to be worn today. I sigh, having an ominous feeling about the upcoming reaping. Maybe it's just because it's the Quarter Quell and each of our chances are doubled, or maybe it's because something terrible actually will happen.

I don't get ready yet. Margaret, Maysilee, and I always walk around town the day of the reaping to talk to people. I don't know why we started this tradition, it's always horrible to wonder if the person you're talking to will be reaped, or will lose a loved one to the Hunger Games. But in a way, it's the last time for everything to be somewhat normal.

Margaret and Maysilee come to the shop at nine and we begin our rounds. Ever since I'd blurted my feeling for Phoenix out, they didn't mention him or anything about it. Maybe they hoped I would let go of him on my own, or by ignoring it the feelings I had would somehow be repressed. I don't know what exactly they're thinking, but I do know that they all predict severing me from Phoenix.

We go into the bakery after stopping by the tailor's to see Hanny and Josy. Kelton is working the front, wrapping up some bread for another customer.

"Hello Kelton," Margaret says. "How're you?"

Kelton shrugs, looking down. "I guess as well as anybody could be today."

"How much are the cinnamon rolls?" Maysilee asks.

Kelton tells her, and Maysilee gets the money out. Kelton has the dozen packaged as Maysilee is still trying to get the right amount of coins out.

"Ruth, could you take those for me?" Maysilee asks.

Kelton hands the cinnamon rolls over to me, a slight blush creeping up his neck and onto his cheeks. I can't help but compare him to Phoenix, who's so smooth and honestly, I can't tell if he likes me in that way or not. Kelton, on the other hand, is so obvious about his feelings, I don't wonder and it only makes me feel guilty now. Because I won't ever care for him that way.

As we leave the bakery, I see a crowd mobbing around the whipping posts. Disgust waves over me again. They were already taking away children to be killed, why did they have to destroy another of us as well?

"I wonder who it is?" Margaret asks.

"Well, we're going to have to go by anyway to go see Memi," I reply.

The twins both grimly nod their heads and we begin the walk across the street to go to Memi's house. As we go by though, and continue on toward the whipping post, I look to see the face of the unfortunate soul and my heart stops.

Phoenix.

My feet stop going as well, and my mouth hangs open. Shock of the sight overwhelms me, and then the insane desire to run in the middle of it all and yank the whip from the Peacekeeper's hand.

Margaret's hand is on mine suddenly, and I realize I was about to fulfill my impulses, but she pulled me back before I could do anything.

"Ruth, you'll just get into more trouble," Margaret tells me.

I know. I know I'd only make a fool of myself and be punished for interfering with a penalty, but I don't want to go on with them.

"You two go to Memi's without me," I say.

Margaret and Maysilee stare at me in shock.

"But…you've never missed this," Maysilee says.

I swallow, but my mouth is dry. "I know. But he's going to need help. I can help him."

"Fine," Margaret frowns.

They aren't happy with me as they walk away. But I can't help it. I turn, painfully, and watch Phoenix's face tighten as the whip snaps across his back, leaving a new red line across his back, blood dribbling down.

How many is he supposed to receive? How much longer can this go on? My heart feels a slice across it with each stripe Phoenix receives.

Finally, the Peacekeeper puts down his weapon and shouts for him to be released. Mr. Everdeen is there with some other people from the Seam to catch him. I take a few steps forward, wanting to go to him, but afraid at the same time. No one, save Margaret and Maysilee, knew about our friendship. But he's so much worse than his father had been, I can see that already.

But I know what I can do. I hurry back to our shop and sneak in through the back. My father is at the front and doesn't hear me as I quietly shut the door. I go into our storage cabinet, my hands shaking and my stomach nervous, as I take away some more of the salve for wounds.

I hurry out before my father could catch me and begin to run up the street. I take a few wrong turns in the Seam and have to ask someone directions to the Everdeen home.

When I get there the door has been left open. As I peer in I can see it's just Mr. Everdeen there with Phoenix. Since today's the reaping, I guess this should be expected. But Mr. Everdeen stands there so helpless as he looks at Phoenix's bloody back.

"Ruth," Phoenix groans.

I hesitantly step inside. "I can help."

"What will it cost me?" Phoenix can still manage half of a smile.

"I don't know," I choke out. "Maybe just a few songs."

"What do you need?" Mr. Everdeen asks.

"Water and some bandages," I answer.

Mr. Everdeen nods and hurries outside to get a bucket of water. I walk over to Phoenix and gingerly take his hand in mine. It's so warm. I've never really touched him before. My heart speeds up with the contact.

"Did you think I would come?" I ask him.

"I hoped," Phoenix answers. "But I didn't know if you had seen or not, or if you'd help."

"Of course I would help you Phoenix," I say. "You're my…"

I don't know what to call him. I want to say he's more than a friend, but I know that honestly he isn't. If we were anything but friends, I would've done more than hold his hand by now.

But Mr. Everdeen comes in with the water then, and I can tell he scrutinizes our hands and the general circumstance where a young woman from town comes in to heal his son for only a few songs.

I rinse off Phoenix's back and apply the salve. His was much worse than his father's whipping, and I struggle sometimes with what to do. But I work through it.

"What did you do?" I ask him once.

"I had a load of squirrels a Peacekeeper caught me with," Phoenix answers. "They didn't know that I'd gone under the fence, but hunting's against the law, too. I got five strikes for each squirrel."

I frown and continue on my work, figuring Phoenix had to have gotten twenty-five whips on his back.

Normally when I worked with someone, I didn't notice their body so much. Bare skin never made me uncomfortable, or excited. But healing Phoenix, I notice every line of his body, even under the wounds. He has to sit up for me to bandage him, and as I wrap the material around him, I feel a little embarrassed, but also incredibly fascinated with his body, and incredibly attracted to him. It's almost a shame to cover it again.

"So, Dr. Ruth, what am I to do now?" Phoenix asks me.

"Don't move more than you have to, and keep pressure off of your back," I say, "the wounds have stopped bleeding so you won't need the pressure. I wish I could excuse you from the reaping…"

"But as it is, I'd only end up here again," Phoenix says. If anyone missed the reaping, they'd get punished. Only not by a whip. Instead, they'd get placed in the stocks for a day.

"Right," I say. "You're condition's worse than your father's was, so if you want, I could come back here once a day and help you, keep check of your progression."

All right, maybe it wasn't necessary for me to check up on Phoenix. I'm sure his father could've handled everything fine, but it would give me an excuse to come and see him more often.

"Okay," Phoenix agrees. "If you think that's best."

"I do," I say. "So I'll come back tomorrow then."

"Thank you Ruth," Phoenix says, looking me directly in the eyes.

"You're welcome," I say breathlessly.

Then I look at the time. "I have to go. The reaping and all."

"I'll see you there then," Phoenix looks displeased about the thought of the reaping.

"See you," I say.

My mother is furious when I get home for being so late. I lie and say our visits went longer than expected, since so many of us were worried about the Quarter Quell. This brings tears to my mother's eyes and she lets it go.

At the reaping, I stand with Margaret and Maysilee.

"How's Phoenix?" Margaret asks. I can't tell if she's being genuine or mocking me.

I fold my arms. "None of your business."

"Oh, stop it Ruth!" Maysilee snaps. "I don't know what you're thinking with all of this, but you should just stop now."

"You don't understand," I murmur fervently.

"What? Some crush?" Maysilee asks, rolling her eyes. "Please."

I open my mouth to retort, but the Mayor has begun his speech on the history of Panem and then on to read the Treaty of Treason, so the argument had to wait until later.

"And now, District 12's victor, Stefan Greer!" The Mayor announces, and middle-aged man with fading blonde hair and blue eyes comes out onto the stage, looking very tired. He's the only winner District 12 has ever had.

Now Niccola Peters, looking ridiculous in her purple wig and pea-green skin, steps up as District 12's escort.

"Happy Hunger Games everyone!" Niccola smiles happily. "And may the odds be ever in your favor! I am so excited that once again it's this time of year! This year we will be choosing two boys and two girls. So I suppose I'll choose the girl tributes first."

Niccola flounces over to where the girls' names are. She looks excited and eager as her hand plunges into the bowl containing all of our names. My muscles are tense. I feel Maysilee take my hand, so I know that whatever spat we'd had earlier, was nothing now.

"Rilly Lawson!" Niccola calls.

I feel myself relax a little, but horrified as I watch a small girl from the Seam make her way up, shaking, to the stage. People are complaining that such a young girl got picked.

"Come on up Rilly!" Niccola signals for the girl to come up closer. "District 12, meet your first tribute!"

No one claps except for a few people, the sound of it pitiful. Poor Rilly looks so frightened, and rightfully so. I can't imagine being in her place.

"Since this is the Quarter Quell, we still have one more girl to chose!" Niccola exclaims. "Let's see who it is!" Niccola thrusts her hand in again and pulls out the last, fateful name. My stomach is sick. I have a bad feeling, unlike I've ever felt at the reaping before.

"Maysilee Donner!"

The shock and pain I felt seeing Phoenix being whipped this morning becomes amplified a thousand times hearing my best friend's name being called. I begin to cry and refuse to let go of Maysilee. No, she can't go! They never come back!

Maysilee hugs Margaret, briefly, then embraces me for a moment before pulling herself out of our grasps and goes weeping up to the stage. Margaret grabs onto my hand now, and we try to stifle our cries together.

Niccola says some more ridiculous things and goes on to the boy's bowl of names. Fear engulfs me again, and I think of all of the names Phoenix has put in there. He's already injured. I think if he goes in as well as Maysilee, I might lose it completely here.

"Brigdin Cast!" Niccola announces.

A boy from the Seam goes up. I don't let myself stop worrying yet. There's still one more name, like Maysilee was the one more name that shouldn't have been drawn.

Niccola puts her hand in for the last time this year, and reads the name.

"Haymitch Abernathy!"

I have to sigh in relief, but I still grieve for Maysilee and I hug Margaret to try and get through this. And Haymitch, who helped Mr. Everdeen, even though he had a rough personality. He was Phoenix's friend.

The Mayor reads the Treaty of Treason once more and then the tributes all shake hands before they're taken away.

"Now anyone who would like to say good-bye to our tributes should go to the Justice Building," The Mayor announces.

Margaret and I hold onto each other as we march up to the Justice Building, where a few other people are heading as well.

We're directed to the room Maysilee is in. Margaret goes in with Mr. and Mrs. Donner, so their family has time together. I sit and wait on the benches outside, some Peacekeepers guarding the room. I can't even describe my grief, realizing that this is more than likely my last time seeing my best friend. I let out all my tears now, determined not to weaken Maysilee even more by crying in front of her.

After ten minutes, the three Donners leave the room, none of them with a dry eye. The Peacekeeper roughly gestures for me to come in.

Maysilee sits in a chair in the middle of the room, her eyes red.

"Ruth," She weeps and we embrace, both of us crying. So much for being strong.

She pulls away, but keeps a hold on my hands. "I was thinking Ruth, and I'm sorry."

I shake my head. "It doesn't matter."

"No, Ruth, I'll probably never fall in love," Maysilee cries. "I'll probably never get to decide who I want to marry or anything like that. If you really love him Ruth, don't hesitate. If you really love him, and he's really good to you, then don't let your life go by without him. I see that now—now that I'll never get that chance."

"You'll be able to come back," I say. "You're so smart, Maysilee. You can do it."

Maysilee smiles through her tears. "You really think so?"

I nod my head. "You've been the best friend I could have ever asked for."

We hug again, but then the Peacekeepers come. I let go of Maysilee and leave, the two Peacekeepers following me out.

I descend the stairs of the Justice Building feeling heavy and incomplete. Maysilee was going to the Hunger Games, where this year her chances of winning was even less. Maysilee would be gone, soon. I'd see her on the TV a few more times, and then I'd be forced to watch her die. I feel sick and terrified at the thought. I will have to watch her die.

People are in their homes now, feasting in relief that their children weren't chosen, so the streets is empty, except for one sole figure sitting outside of the Justice Building. My breath quickens as I realize it's Phoenix.

"Here to say good-bye to Haymitch?" I ask him.

He looks up and gingerly stands, careful of his wounds.

"No," he answers. "Haymitch hates big productions like this. He'd just want his family there to say good-bye. I came here to see you."

"Me?"

"I knew you'd come to say good-bye to Maysilee," Phoenix explains. "And I thought after you might…I don't know, need someone."

Tears flood my eyes again. Yes, I do need someone. This whole day has left me battered and in pain. I cover my face with my hands as I begin to sob. Then, suddenly, I feel strong arms envelope me and a hard body under rough fabric against my hands.

I'm careful about his wounds, so I remove my hands from my face and wrap them around his neck, away from the damage on his back, and bury my face into his chest as I cry.

Despite all of this closeness to Phoenix I'd wanted so desperately before, this is the last way that I wanted to receive it. And not even this dream finally coming true can distract me from the fact that I will more than likely never see Maysilee again.

But I don't want to let go, and of course, it's Phoenix who releases me. But he keeps a hold on my hands.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" He asks.

I nod my head, unable to look at him. He lets go of one of my hands, but keeps the other in his, and we walk down the empty street together.

Then, Phoenix sings for me again the song of the dying rebellion soldier. About his strength and determination. I know he means to cheer me, but this song only depresses me more. Maysilee is that solider; brave, noble, smart, but not even that can save her from the Capitol.