A girl named Johanna
"Don't look at me that way," Johanna says angrily as her best friend Veronica who is fighting back tears.
"But Johanna you know what this means," starts Veronica in her same high pitched voice as usual.
Johanna interrupts, "Hanny, you always call me Hanny! You know I hate Johanna! Don't start calling me by my full name just because I was reaped."
Veronica nods hanging her head, "I'm sorry Hanny, I just don't know what I'll do with you gone," Veronica says this as she tucks a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.
Johanna's icy expression melts and she wraps her arms around Veronica, "Look, you can't assume that I'm not coming back. I've always got a few tricks up my sleeve. Remember when I got detention and snuck out the window so I could come to your party? Or the time when I got you out of that tutor class in the second grade?"
"That's different Hanny, those things didn't have a hold on your life," Veronica's blue eyes flutter from her lap to Johanna's face.
Johanna laughs, "I don't know, that tutor was pretty scary in my opinion."
Veronica throws her arms around Johanna, "You always know how to make me laugh. You have to come back OK! I can't lose my best friend."
Johanna hugs her tight, "I know, I know. But I have a plan! You see I'm going to…," but she doesn't get to finish her sentence because the Peace Keepers are pulling Veronica away.
"Hanny!" Veronica reaches out her hand.
Johanna remains seating but shouts out, "Hey marshmallows, she knows how to walk!" The Peace Keepers glare at her secretly feeling self-conscious about their puffy, white uniforms. "Watch it girl, you're messing with trouble," growls an elderly Peace Keeper.
Johanna laughs, "What are you gonna do, shoot me?" she asks. They don't respond.
LATER:
Johanna stands on the train platform numb with anger and sadness. She cries like a small child and waves to the crowd as if they were an ocean liner to a ship wrecked sailor. Of course this is all an act. Everyone in District 7 knows it too. Johanna would never cry, she didn't even so much as shed a tear when a tree fell crushing both of her parents. No, she likes to burry things way down on the inside, so deep that no one could discover them. Not even herself.
The boy who was reaped along with her stands blank faced. His deep brown eyes remain dead locked at the ground. He's small, a thirteen year old from Johanna's neighborhood. They both look alike though. They share the same chocolate eyes and brown hair. They're light skinned but not pale. They could be siblings if everyone in District 7 didn't look like this. Johanna sobs and runs her fingers through her shoulder length hair to give the camera a better view of her face. On the inside she's laughing because she knows she'll be over looked.
ON THE TRAIN:
"What can you do cry baby?" asked Ryan. She won the 54th Hunger Games when she was only 12 years old! Johanna laughs, "I thought someone as smart as you would see right through that little act," says Johanna leaning back against the soft sofa in the train car. Ryan rolls her eyes, "Of course I did. But I doubt the other tributes and the Capitol did." Johanna sneers, "Then that's all that matters right? Anyway, give me an ax, enough said." "An ax? You're good with an ax?" asks Ryan amused. "You're dang right I am. I've been cutting trees since I could crawl," replies Johanna.
Ryan takes this in with great thought, "Well then you have one job in that arena. You get an ax at the cornucopia. You hear me? That's your best chance of survival! Got it?" says Ryan pointing her finger at Johanna. "Why is your name Ryan? You're a girl aren't you?" says Johanna straight faced. "Look, I'm just trying to help. You can be that cold little orphan on the inside, but if you want to live you better learn fast," says Ryan gruffly.
Johanna smolders, "And why should I listen to you!"
Ryan leans back in her chair, "Because I'm the best chance you got. Don't worry, I picked you. As much as I don't like a brat, there's no way Steven is making it home." She means the other tribute who was reaped. "Look, you are no longer a citizen of Panem, you're a tribute. You got no rules, no morals, and no mercy. You're free…in a way," continues Ryan. "What are you saying?" asks Johanna. "I'm saying that this is all a game! When you're in that arena," Ryan laughs, "you're nothing more than an animal."
Johanna lies in bed that night, still wearing her black tank top and matching black skirt that she wore to the reaping. She had never been one to wear a lot of color. Her hair lays sprawled about her pillow in messy brown waves. The only thing she can force her mind to think about are Ryan's words.
"You're nothing more than an animal."
As much as Johanna wants to disagree, she knows Ryan is right. What is she really, a test subject awaiting certain death to make a higher power laugh, cry, smile? She didn't know. No one knew. Even as she closed her droopy eyes the words still bounced around in her head. But one thing was for sure. Johanna would soon be free no matter how you dice it, whether it be through death or life.