(A/N): Hey Guys! So, this is my new story. I came up with the idea a few days ago, but I only started writing it earlier. Natalia is based on Leighton Meester. P.S: Heath is pronounced He-th, like Heath Ledger.
Summary: What if District Twelve had more than one victor? Natalia Phlox, a merchant girl, volunteered for her best friend, Heath Douvoe, a girl from the Seam, in the 64th Hunger Games. She survived, of course, through sheer determination, luck and of course, skill. 10 years later, she helps Haymitch Abernathy, who had been her mentor, mentor Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. What changes just by the addition of one character?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Natalia, Grayson and Heath.
Natalia
I breathed out quietly before releasing arrow, sending it flying towards the rabbit a few meters away, killing it instantly.
"Got another one." I said quietly, knowing my best friend, Heath Douvoe, would hear me. I herd the distinct twang of her arrow being released and her almost silent footsteps as she walked up behind me holding a rabbit carcass in her hand, looking my kill over.
"Nice shot, straight through the eye!" She appraised quietly, gently pulling the arrow from the rabbit and wiping it off in the grass before handing it to me. As I slid the arrow back into my quiver, Heath peeled the rabbits remains from the meadow and added it to the large hessian sack we used to hold our kills.
"Where to next?" I asked quietly, my eyes shifting to scan for more prey as I did so.
"The lake, we can check the rods while collecting some greens." I nodded, following her back towards the lake. I would never know these woods like Heath did, but I knew it better than anyone else around, except for my cousin, James Everdeen. We collected the fish the fair amount of fish we had before re-baiting the hooks and throwing them out again. We started collecting the greens we would need, herbs, vegetables, berries, even fruits from the small cluster of apple trees near the lake before we retired to our special place under the rock overhang. Even though it was illegal for us to be out here, Heath didn't have any other choice. Her family was struggling as it was. Me, I grew up with enough money to scrape by, so I spent every minute I could helping Heath to get food for her family. I helped her haggle in the hob and sell the things she didn't absolutely need to the people who would buy it at a decent price. She was a smart girl, we both were, and we both knew that today would never be a good day. It was Reaping day, the only day a year where I felt like someone was sitting on my chest, or trying to strangle me. We were seventeen, almost out of the range of the Reaping, but I was worried for Heath. She takes Tesserae for herself, her two parents and her little brother, Eli, who is only three years old. Even if her name isn't plucked out of the glass reaping balls this year, she'd still be up next year, and with five on top of the thirty-five slips she had in there this year. She brushed her hair out her eyes and I once again marveled at how different we are from each other. She had short, straight blonde hair, tanned skin and cool blue eyes whereas I had long and curly dark brown almost black hair and brown eyes so dark they were almost unrecognizable from my pupils and pale skin. She was short, I was tall, she was Seam and I was Merchant. We looked as if we'd been switched at birth. My family all had blonde hair and blue eyes, hers with dark hair and grey eyes. She provided for them while I had a relatively comfy life. We met at school and slowly became friends. At first she didn't trust me, knowing I was one of the merchant children, but she trusted me more than the others, which I think was due to my resemblance to the other Seam children. Eventually, she told me that she was sneaking under the fence into the meadow and hunting when the fence wasn't electrified, and I immediately volunteered to go with her. She taught me how to fish, to hunt and what plants are safe to eat. Today was Reaping day, so after maybe half an hour of resting, we made our way back to the lake, plucked the lone fish we had caught since last time from the line and started back towards District Twelve.
One hour later, we stood next to each other in the female seventeen-year-old section, staring up at the stage as the square started filling. I smoothed my hands over my strapless, soft green, floor length flowing dress with the sweetheart neckline. My hair was pulled back in an elegant bun with little pieces of curling hair framing my face. I glanced over at Heath in her identical soft lavender dress. Mayor Undersea stood, repeating the usual speech before he stood down, beckoning the District Escort, Aslynn Trinket. I liked Aslynn because she never tried to make the Hunger Games something it wasn't, a happy time. She didn't openly despise it like everyone else, probably because she didn't want to lose the only thing she had, her daughter, Effie. Aslynn's naturally auburn hair shone red in the sunlight.
"Let's get this started, shall we?" Her hand dove into the boys bowl, her hand grasping one of the slips and pulling it back to the surface.
"Grayson Duke?" A boy my age, one I sort of recognized from school, started towards the stage. His hair was honey-blonde and wavy, slightly longer than the other boys in town but still a sensible length. His skin was tanned a healthy gold, and his eyes were a stormy grey. He was very handsome, I knew that most of the girls talked about him in a romantic manner, but I just wasn't that impressed. I mean so what, he was cute, but what does that really mean? Besides, he was probably marching to his death right now.
"Now for the females." Aslynn's hand dived into the girl's ball this time and snatched out a single slip of paper. "Heath Douvoe?" Heath and I froze, as did her parents and her little brother, Eli, started wailing and tugging at the hem's of her dress. My heart crumbled as I stared at them. Heath is the sole bread winner for her family. Her mother doesn't work and her father can't, his leg was amputated after an accident in the mines many years ago. They would starve without her, whereas my family could get by, they could live without me. Before Heath reached the stage, little Eli toddling after her wailing, I jumped in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Heath hissed furiously, trying to push me out of the way.
"Most likely saving your life." I whispered. Raising my voice I cried, "I volunteer!" Everyone's eyes were on me, shocked that I would volunteer for a friend in District Twelve, a place where the Reaping cuts all bonds of family.
"Well then, let's get you up here, shall we?" Aslynn says, a small smile on her face as I stepped up. "Now, what's your name, and how old are you?" I swallowed deeply and breathed out, fully aware that everyone was watching me, all over Panem.
"Natalia Phlox, seventeen." Those who new me, which was many, had sadder faces than the rest, but everyone was mourning the loss of two of District Twelve's teenagers. We were then ushered to the Justice Building to say our goodbye's.
(A/N): This is the second time where I've really not wanted to kill the male tribute to my female oc tribute. Gah! Why do I have to like them so much? I have no problem killing the female characters, no matter how much I like them! (Except for my character Sadie in my Primeval story, i could never kill her.) Please Review!