Have you ever wondered what would have happened if only Katniss had been reaped? If Peeta had never gone to the Games? Well, this is what I think what would happen! Hope you enjoy!
I stood in the crowd of anxious people, all praying that their name was not taken out of that bowl.
"The female tribute for District 12 this year is…" Effie Trinket, the escort for my district, District 12, shoved her hand deep into the bowl, filled with names of children, ages 12 to 18. Her hand swam around the small pieces of paper, and after a few seconds, she finally grasped a paper tightly. She pulled out her hand and unfolded the crumpled paper. Beads of sweat ran down my face. The only thought in my head was 'Oh God, don't let that be my name'.
"Katniss Everdeen!" Effie yells excitedly.
I stopped breathing for a second, my head throbbing. I open my mouth slightly, thinking about letting out a loud and long scream. Then I remember that every camera will be pointed at me, watching my reaction as I walk to the stage in the middle of Town Square. As I walked, my legs shook slightly, making it difficult to walk in a straight line. I slowly made my way up the stairs and stood before the giant crowd. I searched franticly for any sign of Prim or Gale, even my mother at this point. I needed to see a friendly face.
Effie smiles at me as I stand next to her. "Let's give this young lady a round of applause!" she says, her stupid Capitol accent making me want to punch her in the face. No one claps. Everyone just stares at me as I watch my face on the giant television screen. I have traces of tears in my eyes and I quickly shove all my emotions down, hiding any sign of weakness that I could show.
After no one claps, Effie coughs and reaches into the other bowl, filled with the male's names from District 12.
"And the male tribute for this year's Hunger Games is David Thornberry" Effie says, a little less excited. I could tell she just wanted to be done with this whole thing.
A small and frail looking boy walked up to the stage and stood by my side. I didn't recognize him from anywhere, which meant he was more than likely younger than me. A small ping went through my heart as I thought that he might be 12 or 13. It was always heartbreaking when children so young were reaped. They were often the first to die, due to the fact that they were so young and probably never had any experience with any weapons.
I stopped thinking of the young boy beside me and kept staring ahead. After a few, me and the boy were taken to the Justice Building and thrust into separate rooms, waiting for our loved ones to come and say their goodbyes. I waited in silence for a few minutes, trying hard not to break down and start sobbing. Suddenly, the door opened and my mother and sister came into the room, tears in Prim's eyes. She ran to me and I embraced her tightly, not wanting to ever let go.
"Promise me…you'll tr….try Katniss!" Prim sobbed into my shirt. Her tears soaked through, leaving my skin damp with the salty liquid. I opened my mouth to promise Prim, but a small squeak escaped my lips and I immediately closed my mouth and grasped my little sister tighter. After a few long minutes, we let go of each other and my mother walked up to me. I grasped her hand and brought her over to the colorful couch behind us. I leaned in close to her and put my lips next to her ear.
"You better take care of her. You're all she has left now. Please, just look after her. Don't make her take care of herself like I had to," I whispered fiercely to my mother. She just nodded and stood up. She walked to Prim and grabbed her small hands. Then, the Peacekeeper opened the door and escorted my family out the door.
I sat for another few minutes, staring around the beautiful room. It was extremely decorated, paintings lined the walls and pillows covered most of the couch and chair. I grabbed a pillow and pressed it against my cheek, closing my eyes. I let a single tear roll down my cheek before the door opened again. I jerked my head up and saw my best friend, Gale Hawthorn, standing in front of me. I stood up frantically and ran to him. He took me into his arms and we just stood there for a while, not saying a word. Finally, I pulled away from him, looking up into his eyes. I didn't notice how attractive he was until that moment, right before I was about to be thrown into the Games. I thought of all the times we had spent together and all the times I could have started a romance with him. I shook my head and pushed those thoughts from my mind.
Gale stared at me, a concerned look on his face. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing," I lied. I should have just told him the truth, since I this was most likely going to be the last time I ever saw him.
Gale looked into my eyes, and I had a feeling he knew what I was thinking. He leaned in close to me and gently pressed his lips to mine. Emotions flooded my mind and I suddenly became angry at Gale for kissing me. I pulled away urgently and stared at Gale. More confusion flooded his face as he let go of me and backed away from me. I blushed and covered my cheeks with my hands.
"I'm sorry, Gale. I can't...I can't handle this right now. I'm just…"
Gale held up his hand, stopping me. "No, it's fine. I get it. Whatever, Katniss." He turned around and left the room before the Peacekeepers had come to get him. I touched my lips, remembering how soft his were. More tears started to come to my eyes as another person walked into the room.
"Um, I saw your friend leave, so I thought it would be fine if I came in" the boy said. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place who he was. His blonde hair was curly and his eyes were a beautiful blue color. Then, I noticed who he was. This boy was Peeta Melark.
Hope you liked this first chapter! I tried my hardest to keep to the cannon characters! (: Next chapter coming soon.
