Everyone, just to let you know, this is my first fan fiction story, so I hope you like the first chapter of The Girl of Stone! (In this story, Cato won the 74th Hunger Games, and his last name is Hadley)
"Alison!" My mother bangs her fist on my bedroom door. It's so loud that even though my face is buried in my pillow, I can still hear it. I don't want to respond, though, because today is going to be very frightening. Today is, yet again, another Reaping. Even though District 2 may seem like a ruthless district, it really isn't. In the part of the District where I live, we are the exact opposite. We hate the Hunger Games, and we are as afraid of the Hunger Games as the outskirt districts. "Alison, it's time to get up! We have a big day today!"
"Okay Mom! I'll be out in a minute!" I shout. I reluctantly hop out of bed, slip on a clean t-shirt and clean pair of shorts, and walk over to my door. When I open the wooden door, my little nine year old sister Eileen is waiting for me.
"What have you been doing in there?" she inquires, with a hint of fury in her voice.
"Sleeping, what do you think?" I groan, a look of exasperation crossing my face. "Today is going to be a long day, so I need the extra sleep. Just because you won't get picked this year doesn't mean I won't. I am fourteen. I have to be in the running for the female tribute."
Eileen sighs. "Whatever." She turns around and heads down the short flight of stairs that connects the floor my bedroom is on to the bottom floor. I frown and follow her down to the kitchen, where my mother and father are waiting.
"Oh, hello sweetie!" my mother exclaims. "Dante stopped by earlier to ask you if you wanted to take a walk before the Reaping." First of all, Dante is one of my neighbors, and he is also one of my closest friends. When you tell him something, he will listen. It wouldn't matter what the conversation was about, he just wants to help people. Second of all, he only talks walks with people when he has something he wants to tell you. This cannot be good.
"How long ago did he come?" I sigh, hoping it was just a few minutes ago.
"About five minutes ago." Eileen mutters as she sits down at our small, round table. She doesn't look at me as she starts randomly sketching a picture of our calico cat, Hatter, grasping a small rose in his shiny fangs. Nodding, I saunter over to one of the counters, where a little yellow brush is sitting. Suddenly, big, dark green eyes peek out behind the wall the counter is attached to, and I jump back. A surprised shriek escapes my mouth, and the person chuckles as they step into the kitchen. Finally, I realize that the eyes belong to the one and only 16-year-old Dante. I can hear Eileen and my parents laughing behind me.
"Calm down, Allie! It's only me." Dante laughs, staring at me like I am crazy. A scowl crosses my face.
"And you just had to scare me." I mutter, angrily snatching the brush off the counter. I turn on my heel and stomp over to the table, Dante trailing behind me. Once he catches up to me, he rips the brush out of my hand.
"Let me do that for you." Slowly, I feel Dante run the brush fingers through the back of my hair, and after a few minutes, my hair is completely untangled.
"Thanks, Dante." I mutter. When I turn around, I find a triumphant smirk on his tanned face. Dante looks like he could be from District 4, with his tan and the green eyes and honey-colored hair. It's surprising how he manages to fit in here in District 2. Now that I actually take a moment to stare at him, I can see why all of my friends adore him. Dante is like the Finnick Odair of District 2, except Dante hasn't won the Hunger Games.
"No problem." He exclaims, tossing the brush over his shoulder. As if he was actually trying, it lands back on the counter. Eileen glances up from her drawing and claps for a second before returning to her work. Dante rubs the back of his neck awkwardly before speaking again. "Well, just came by to say hi. See you after the Reaping at the tree?" There is a tree on the outskirts of District 2, close to where we live, that Dante and I always end up meeting at. It's not a very big tree, but big enough for two people and their thoughts.
"Sounds good." I answer, genuinely smiling at him. He nods, and smiles at my parents.
"Goodbye." Before he turns to walk out, he turns to me again. "Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor." We both start laughing, and I realize that I am lucky to have Dante as a friend. Finally, he spins around and walks out of the kitchen. Once I hear the front door slam, I know he is gone. Mom waits a few minutes before talking again.
"I made some cereal for you!" I nod and sit down next to Eileen, who is finishing her drawing. Sometimes, Eileen can be really talented. Today is one of those days. Mom brings a bowl full of oats and goat milk over to where I am sitting.
"Guess what I heard, Alison." Eileen sneers.
"What?" I reply as I shove my spoon into my breakfast, pull out a spoonful of the mixture, and lift it into my mouth. What she says next surprises me.
"I heard from Cato's littlest brother that Cato is thinking of volunteering again." Eileen announces. I spit out the spoonful of cereal back into the bowl.
"What? Are victors allowed to do that?" I ask, with a hint of disbelief in my voice. Dad pulls a piece of paper from under the table and places it in front of him to read it.
"I guess so if the victor is still 18 or under. Besides, this year was supposed to be a Quarter Quell anyway, but the Capitol cancelled their plans." my father comments without looking at me. Cato is 17, which means he would still be able to volunteer. I rest my head in my hands.
"Alison, if you get chosen and he volunteers, you'll know that he wants to get one on one time with you." Eileen concludes.
"Yeah, and that's the thing that I don't want. I don't want to talk to him after what happened a couple weeks ago." I tell her. For the rest of the time that I sit at the table, an awkward silence fills the air. Once I am done with my cereal, my mother takes the bowl.
"Okay, it's almost time to go. Everyone put some nice clothes on!" my mom commands. At the exact same moment Mom finishes her sentence, someone knocks on the front door. "Eileen, would you get that please? Alison, go with Eileen. I don't trust her alone." Mom snickers. Eileen groans and heads to the door, with me on her trail. She opens the door to find my best friend Faye and Cato's littlest brother, Derek. Faye is wearing a mint green dress and white flats.
"Hey Faye!" I greet Faye. Faye grins.
"Hey Alison!" she squeaks.
"Come on in. Let's leave Eileen and her little boyfriend to themselves." I joke. Eileen's face turns fiery red. Faye and I start to walk off to my room when someone's voice pipes up.
"Wait a second, Alison!" Cato's brother calls out. I turn around to face him. "Cato told me to tell you good luck." I glance at Faye, whose eyes are wide open.
"Tell him that I said thanks." I reply and with that, Faye and I turn around and head up the stairs to my room.
"Whoa! You and Cato haven't talked for a while and now this?" Faye exclaims.
"I am just as surprised as you are, but we don't have any time to think about it." I answer as I head into the bathroom and pull on the outfit my mom gave me yesterday: a blue and gold flannel shirt and a long, gray skirt. Once I have them on, I walk out and show Faye. Her eyes widen and she sighs out of envy.
"Alison, you look beautiful!" she says. I smile.
"Thanks, Faye! Can you help me do my hair?" I ask. She nods and quickly walks into my bathroom. Faye knows my house well enough that she is able to get the correct things for my hair with ease. While she manages to make my dark blonde hair form a braid, I tell her about what happened with Dante. She is practically in LOVE with him, which is the only reason she listens when I tell her about him.
"There we go!" she announces once she is finished. I look in the cracked mirror in my bathroom to see what Faye has done with my hair. When I see, I am amazed.
"Faye, wow! I'm speechless!" I compliment. Faye grins. I take a minute to admire the braid, because it is that beautiful.
"Alison! Faye! Time to go!" my mother's muffled voice calls from downstairs.
"Okay, Mom!" I shout back at her, then I turn to Faye. "We should get going before Mom has an aneurism."
"Yeah, we should." Faye agrees. Within five minutes, my family, Faye, and I are off to the town square for the Reaping.
-I would like at least one nice review to continue this story!- SopranoGhostWriter :)
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