A/N Hello everyone! This is my first Hunger Games fanfiction, and my first fanfic with a main character that isn't based on someone I know in real life. Bare with Paloma and her meanness the first few chapters- she gets nicer, I promise! Please review if you have any feedback! Thanks, Amanda
Felix is being an idiot.
I guess that in itself isn't a huge surprise, since Felix is always an idiot. The big surprise is that he's acting idiotic in front of Faustina. He's had a crush on her forever. I can't even begin to count the number of times he's made me discuss exactly how he can approach her, or switch partners so Felix could work near her. It was funny for the first two years. Now, though, I'm so not amused. I've been trying to tune out his endless boasting for the last twenty minutes.
"Captain Pierce herself told me that I'm a shoo in for combat," he boasts. Faustina giggles and his face lights up. I roll my eyes.
"Wow!" Faustina simpers. "I'm not surprised at all. You've always been on top in training." She so wants something. I bet she heard that Felix's mom sent him some sweets last Tuesday. Since Pierce wants us in shape for graduation, we're not allowed to have our own. Still, someone usually manages to sneak some forbidden stuff in every so often.
"Did you hear that I was this close to breaking the Academy record for sprints?" That's a lie. Felix almost broke his leg last session, but that's it. I've had enough. I grab his arm and pull him away from her little group.
"Hey!" he protests, "She was totally about to ask me out."
I snort. "In your dreams, Reyes." He makes moony eyes at her as I drag him towards our table at the mess hall. I plop down at our table and stare at the girl in front of me.
"Earth to Tina," I tease. Tina jumps a mile and I laugh. "Got you," I remark. Tina smiles ruefully and pushes her thick blonde hair out of her eyes. Her blue grey eyes flick up and down, taking in my apparel. I'm in my mock combat stuff. It's meant to stimulate the conditions of real Peacekeeper uniforms without the high technology they've got.
"Did you just get out of Fieldwork 101?" Tina guesses. I nod.
"Marley's been working us into the dust," I complain. "I should've gone with Strategy like you did. At least you can feel your legs when you wake up in the morning."
Tina raises an eyebrow. "Another example of the little fact of how I'm always right." She's kidding (I hope). I hit her playfully.
"Well, when we graduate and I'm out fighting the savagery of the districts and you're behind your little computer screen, we'll see who's right," I challenge. Felix cuts in.
"At this rate, Paloma's all set to graduate from Killjoy University. Faustina was just about to ask me out and she just dragged me away."
Tina snorts. "Wait, Faustina Erwin? Dude, she would've eaten your brownies and dumped you right away."
Felix glowers. "Fine, Valentina."
"I told you not to call me that!" Tina screams. I hold up my hands.
"Guys, stop. Tina hates her name and Felix has awful taste in girls. The end."
Felix pauses, a vicious look in his eyes. "You know what, Paloma? I know why you hate Faustina." I raise an eyebrow.
"And that is…"
"You're in looove with me!" Tina bursts out laughing. I make a face.
"Felix! Gross!" I laugh.
The bell tolls and Tina glares at Felix. "Next time," she jokes. She heads down the hall towards whatever genius class she has next. I like to think I'm smart, but not Tina smart.
I have Capitol History 2 next. It's an advanced class, so it moves faster than most. Today, we're studying the districts. I like the teacher, Ms. Polski.
"Tell me about the people of the outer districts. Miss Peale?" Ms. Polski drills.
I answer her quickly. "The district citizens are uncivilized and can't think as clearly as we do. We must enlighten them on the ways of the Capitol and stop them from completely self destructing." Ms. Polski beams.
"Beautiful, Paloma. Can you tell me the about the importance of force when handling the citizens?"
I smirk. Easy. "They're stupid, like animals. They need to know exactly what'll happen to them if they don't listen to us." Ms. Polski lifts an eyebrow.
"So you believe that the Career districts are a superior race." It isn't a question. I shrug.
"Anyone dumb enough to fight us and think they can win is inferior," I answer. An angry voice pipes up from the back of the classroom.
"That is so pigheaded! The districts have people that think too!" The voice complains. I look behind me and sigh. It's Mila, of course. She comes from Five, and they recruited her after some victors on the Victory Tour spotted how handy she is with a knife. What I wish they had spotted was her attitude. I heard that she didn't want to come train, but her parents made her. Not enough food at home or something. I was nice to her the first few weeks, but she hasn't exactly returned the favor.
"Look, if you don't want to contain the districts, why did you come to be a Peacekeeper?" Some kid asks. Mila's face turns red.
"I don't!" Ms. Polski struggles to get control over the class.
"Children! This petty fighting is beneath you! You are all going to become Peacekeepers as long as you persevere!" I push down the twinge of guilt her words give me. The discussion was my fault. After class, I catch Mila before she leaves.
"Hey, Mila," I start. She glares at me and fiddles with her bright red hair.
"What do you want?" She asks, her voice laced with venom.
Ouch. I put up my hands in the universal surrender sign. "I'm sorry about class today. I should've thought before I spoke." Mila glares.
"Did you know that I have a sister back home? She's a genius. Smarter than you, I bet. But you get to live and eat and train and you call her an animal. She would kick your butt." She spits out the last word and storms out of the room, her ruby red hair hurrying behind. I push away the shame I'm feeling and grab my stuff. Ms. Polski smiles sympathetically. I rush out of the room, my thoughts racing and turning red. I have a sister back home, too. Her name's Dulcia. I guess she'd be eight now. I haven't seen her in forever. I don't go around using her like a weapon, though.
Unlike Mila, I never doubted that I wanted to be a Peacekeeper. I knew that I never wanted to get reaped. To me, it was too much like a coin toss. You could live and have it made, but you could also die. The odds aren't in your favor of making it out alive. I knew that working in the Nut wasn't for me. I mean, come on. Who aspires to be a coal miner? Twelve mines, not Two. Most people don't aspire to be Peacekeepers, but I never questioned my choice. I don't care about serving for twenty years or never marrying. I'm loyal to the President and my country.
I've been at the Peacekeepers Academy since I was eleven. They take you out before you can get reaped at twelve. I'm exempt from the reaping now. Dulcia isn't though, and sometimes I worry that she'll get picked. Still, she'd get replaced quickly with a volunteer, so I don't worry too much. Now that I'm almost sixteen, I'm almost ready to graduate. One thing about me- I care about my studies. My goal is always 95 or higher. I always try my hardest, no matter what. I really want to be sent to the outer districts. I want to see what the people are really like. I mean, I'm sure that they're like the textbooks describe, but I want to see for myself. If not the districts, the Capitol would be cool. I've heard that the buildings are huge. The one place I don't want to be sent is District Two. I want to see the world, not stay at home.
My last class of the day is a study hall. We get to finish up any homework that we have. I show up to class early. I didn't want to run into Mila in the halls. I need to think of a good comeback before I talk to her again. The teacher is at his desk watching something on his computer. Before he shuts it, I see a quick flash of a reaping. I forgot- the Games ended yesterday, and the victors are getting interviewed. I sidle up to his desk and peek at the screen.
"Oh, is that the star crossed lover pair?" I ask. On screen, the girl snuggles with her boyfriend. She smiles. "She looks miserable," I comment.
The professor smiles. He teaches History 3, so he's an expert on the Games. "Yes, that's Katniss Everdeen. I expect she's nervous." I nod.
"Yeah, I would be too." I watch them a little while longer. "I guess they're cute together. I heard she's great with a bow," I say enviously. I may be good with a sword, but a stink at archery. The professor shakes his head.
"She certainly is. She took out Marvel in seconds." I stare enviously and sit down. I don't have any homework, so I doodle and dream. I stink at the doodling, but I like the dreaming part. Usually I picture President Snow giving me a Medal of Honor for something. This time, I think I put down an uprising. I can just see his proud face, the medal gleaming in his hands. I'm in Capitol finery, and I'm surrounded by my parents. Tina is in the crowd. I hope she hears him when he says…
"Move it, dork."
Okay, not that. I look up and I'm rewarded with a smirking Faustina. "You're in my seat." I look down. Oops, I am in her seat. I scramble to grab my stuff and I slide over to my real seat a desk over. Faustina sits down and plays with her nails. I have no idea how she plans to become a Peacekeeper.
"Don't play with Felix," I warn her. She rolls her eyes.
"I'm over that cupcake," she sneers. "There's a new guy. Cyprian. He's been here a day and he already broke the sprint records."
"Wait, seriously?" I exclaim. "Do you think our class could go Cicero?" Our graduation system isn't based on years learned. It's based on your skills. Every month, we have exams in everything- fieldwork, logistics, and history. You earn points for your class. The more points you rack up, the sooner you graduate. President Snow wants to make sure that we're ready in the field before we're sent out. We must be assets to our country. Usually, classes graduate around eighteen. A few years back, a guy named Cicero shattered every record and led his class to graduate at sixteen. Cyprian could be our Cicero. Faustina shrugs.
"Who cares when we graduate?" I care, I answer in my head. I'm ready to prove myself.
I can't wait to meet this guy.