Peeta's POV
"Primrose Everdeen!" Effie's shrill voice shouts into the microphone. I can hear the collective sighs of relief as Primrose starts walking forwards. She's only twelve and Katniss' little sister. She starts walking towards the stage, glancing backwards every few steps.
"Prim!" I hear Katniss shouting. She manages to clamber over the velvet rope thats separating her from the main aisle.
"Prim! No! I volunteer!" She yells. Eyes widen and people stop talking. No one volunteers in Twelve, not brothers, sisters, cousins or friends. I know for a fact neither of my brother would volunteer for me. Family loyalty in the Mellarks only runs so far. Even if Greer was still eligible for the games, he would never sacrifice his life for mine. Neither would Bram.
Katniss regains her composure, looking less like rabid, "I volunteer as tribute," She clarifies, after no one says anything. She runs up to Primrose, telling her something.
"No! Katniss!" Primrose yells as she's forced back behind the velvet rope. I'm watching the girl I love walks towards certain death. We haven't had a victor for twenty four years and it's doubtful we'll have one again, with Haymitch Abernathy's constant drunkenness.
I'm watching Katniss like a hawk as Effie makes small talk. Katniss isn't paying attention to anything Effie's saying, answering in monotone and one word answers. Haymitch stands up and stumbles next to Katniss.
"I like her!" He yells, before tumbling off the stage into the crowd. I can feel the collective embarrassment of District Twelve. Everyone already knew we were the poorest district with the least amount of victors. Haymitch Abernathy was just an insult to injury.
A hand raises in front of me, with three finger pointed towards the sky. It's a symbol of respect in Twelve, kind of like saying goodbye. I join in with the sea of hands and soon enough there isn't a person in the crows not doing it. Effie Trinket looks baffled, normally a tribute gets a awkward and slow applause, but today, no one claps, not even the mayor.
"And now the men!" Effie shrieks into the microphone, trying to regain control. It works. Suddenly, I'm barely breathing. Even though only five slips of paper have my name on them, unlike the forty plus I know a lot of Seam boys have, it's still a chance. Effie makes a show of slowly picking up a slip, then dropping it. She mixes the papers a bit, before finally pulling one out. It could say Peeta Mellark. Or Bram Mellark. Seven of them have Bram Mellark written on them too.
Effie opens up the slip of paper, "Peeta Mellark," She says. The guy beside me, Tobias, turns towards me, his eyebrows are so raised they look like they'll jump off his face. A aisle quickly forms from me to the stage. My breathing quickens and I'm almost hyperventilating. This is wrong. It's supposed to be a starving Seam boy that walks to the stage, like it has been since I turned twelve. Instead, it's me.
"Peeta, come to the stage, don't be shy," Effie's voice drags me out of my thoughts. I take a slow step in front of me, another and another.
I feel a bit of betrayal when I don't hear Bram's familiar voice shout that he's volunteering. It feels like someone's stabbing me in the heart with a dagger. That could easily happen to me in a week. I can be lying dead on the ground, missing limbs, holes in my body, I could be in so many tiny pieces the Capitol may give up hope of ever getting my body.
"I volunteer," Bram announces, loudly. I keep on walking. Just my imagination acting up. Bram must still be with the rest of the eighteen year olds, celebrating that they're safe, that they don't have to face another year of hell.
"Peeta!" Bram yells. I can hear someone running towards me. He grabs my forearms, "Peeta, stop."
I stop walking and turn around. Bram is grasping my arm, steps away from the stone staircase up to the stage. His tousled blond hair is gleaming in the bright sun and his intelligent blue eyes seem sad. He stands a quarter of a foot taller than me, his thin face looks cunning and sly in the lighting.
"Bram?" I ask.
"Go wait with Dad and Greer, alright Peeta," He tells me.
"Bram, what are you doing?" I ask. He shouldn't be here, not near to the stage or me.
"I volunteered, but never mind that. Go to Dad," Bram orders, pushing me back a bit. I'm confused, why would Bram volunteer for me? I've known since I was twelve that none of us are selfless enough to save each other, but here was Bram, telling me he'd volunteered.
"Go!" He orders again, pushing me back with enough force to make me stumble. I watch as he climbs the stairs to stand next to Effie. He practically dwarfs her, even with her ridiculously tall hairstyle. Go he mouths. I turn and sprint to where I saw Dad and Greer at the beginning of the ceremony. They're still there, with Mom. Dad's eyes are tearing up and Greer looks like he's about to smash a fist through the pavement. He probably will, I've seen him do it to walls before. Mom is staring at Bram, it's one of the first times I've seen her using an emotion other than anger towards any of us.
Bram is standing tall, next to Katniss Everdeen. He looks nervous and scared, something I haven't seen on him do since he reached grade 9.
This isn't fair, it should be me up there, not my brother. I should be the one heading to my death, not Bram. It's his last year. I remember him being a tiny bit excited for the reaping this time, because it meant the end of six years of hell. After this year, he was supposed to be safe.
Bram and Katniss shake hands and they're herded into the Justice Building, flanked by peacekeepers.
The ceremony turns to chaos as soon as the cameras turn off. Everyone is trying to find their parents and siblings, to rejoice another year that their family isn't destroyed.
"I need to go to the bakery," Dad announces awkwardly, trying to excuse himself from the cloud of sadness thats surrounded the rest of us. He runs off and Greer, Mom and I head to the Justice Building.
"Male or female tribute?" The peacekeeper demands when we reach the entrance.
"Male," Greer replies. His voice is croaky and small.
"Two at a time," The peacekeeper instructs.
"You two first," Mom tells Greer and I, "I'll wait for your father."
The peacekeeper leads us down a hallway to a door. "You have three minutes."
Greer turns the handle and opens the it. Bram is sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. This could easily of been me, if Bram hadn't volunteered.
"Bram?" I ask, entering the room. The walls are a ugly olive colour, contrasting with the wooden floor.
Bram looks up through his teary blue eyes, "Hey."
"You can win this, Bram," Greer tells him, but it sounds weak. We all know what the chances are of Bram coming home, only none of us want to say it. We sit in silence for a few seconds, but I have to ask.
"Why'd you volunteer?" I question.
Bram chuckles, "Because your my little brother, shit head."
Greer lets out a small laugh.
"No, really. Why?" I ask. I need to know.
Bram shrugs, "I was overcome by stupidity when I heard your name called, probably."
"You weren't already?" Greer jokes. Bram grins.
"Don't let Mom beat up on Peeta," He tells Greer, all serious all the sudden.
Greer snorts, "Peeta barely gets any of it. If anything he should be stopping Mom from hitting me."
"True enough. Don't forget to make the frosting, Peeta. I won't be there to remind you," Bram says. I can feel my eyes getting teary again.
"Times up!" The peacekeeper yells, opening the door.
"No!" Bram yells, panicked. He springs off the seat.
The peacekeeper rolls his harsh brown eyes, "Three minutes is up."
Bram pulls Greer and I into an awkward hug. It's uncomfortable, having to stand on tiptoes to reach Bram's eye level. The peacekeeper grabs me and pushes me towards the door.
"You better come home!" Greer yells to Bram, just before the door closes. We're lead back to the outside of the building. There's almost no one there anymore. I see Madge, the mayor's daughter, racing towards the building and Dad running towards us as well, holding a batch of cookies. I've had enough of those cookies to last a lifetime and so has Greer and Bram. I have no idea what he's doing with them. He joins Mom to see Bram one last time.
Greer and I sit on the steps. We watch as some of Bram's friends from school say goodbye to him. Primrose and Katniss' Mom leaves, as well as Gale. Saying their last goodbyes. I wonder if I'll see either of them again? Katniss still doesn't know about my gigantic crush on her. Then it hits me, this is the last time I will be able to tell her that I love her. I stand up and wave Greer off as he sends me a questioning look.
"You've already seen him," The peacekeeper tells me.
"I want to see Katniss," I tell him. The peacekeeper sighs, but goes anyways.
"She's currently free," He leads me down another corridor, to Katniss' room. It's an exact replica of Bram's one. Katniss looks tired as she lounges on the couch.
"Hey," I greet her.
Katniss stares at me, confused. "Why are you here?" She asks.
"I want to say goodbye," I tell her.
She looks suspicious, "We haven't talked since I was twelve."
"Things change," I say, trying to come up with a reason that I'm here, "But this is about Bram."
Katniss looks depressed when I say his name, "Your brother?"
I nod, "Just don't kill him, please."
Katniss looks annoyed, "I don't want to kill anyone, but if it's me against him," Her voice trails off, but I can fill in the gap.
"That's better than nothing, I guess. But there's another thing," I tell her.
"Are you going to tell me it?" Katniss asks after a few moments of silence.
Now or never, Peeta, I coach myself. Now or never, "I'm in love with you," I manage to spit out. Katniss looks shocked and horrified.
"I know you don't want to have to deal with boyfriends or romance," I say, trying to plead my case. Katniss' expression hasn't changed.
"It's just that this might be the last time I see you, in person and I need you to know," I say. Katniss' cheeks are tomato coloured.
"Get out," She orders.
"Katniss—"
She cuts me off, "Get the hell out, Peeta!"
I run out the door. The peacekeeper is sniggering. He probably heard the entire conversation. He escorts me back outside. Greer is still sitting on he stone steps.
"How'd it go?" He asks.
"How did what go?" I ask back.
Greer shots me a knowing smile, "Your proclamation of love."
"How did you know!" I demand.
Greer just gives me a smug smile, "You've been pining after her since kindergarten."
"Well since you know everything, you know what happened," I say. My face is probably the colour of strawberry frosting.
Greer guffawed, "Shot down and told to get out of her life?"
I nod.
He's still sniggering to himself five minutes later when Mom and Dad come out.
"The bakery reopens in half an hour, we need to be there by then," Mom states.
"We're leaving Bram?" I ask.
"Nothing we can do now," Dad replies, "Who knows, he might even win this thing."
So this story will be a two-shot. The next chapter will be set after the games. I hope you liked it!