Breakeven
Authors note:
This is my first fan fiction and it's probably awful but I'm writing this more for fun so forgive any errors and enjoy, make sure to review and comment on the story. I will post more if people want to read it.
This is dedicated to Jaz, for giving me the idea to write something and encouraging it. The character Jaz, is based off of her but it takes a while for the true character to become apparent. Hope you enjoy it Jaz, this is for you, much love.
Chapter One -
I woke up stiffly, feeling something on the end of my bed, I look down and see my sister curled up at the end of the bed. She must have been nervous about today and decided that I would be a soothing atmosphere. I gently ease my way out of bed and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My black hair falls untidly across my forehead, creating shadows over my dull grey eyes. The only striking feature is the long scar running across my cheek and snaking down my neck from a training accident in the career training centre. I was chosen for training because of my build, I'm taller than most other potential tributes and have been forced to train with a variety of weapons until I can adapt to any situation. I turn around and using my training, walk silently to the end of my bed and gently pick up my sister Lucie. I gently carry my sister to her bedroom and tuck her into her bed, leaving her a note telling her I'm going to train and not to worry about the reaping and that she'd be fine, someone would volunter for her.
I walk out the door and begin the short walk to the training centre, it's early and I see no one walking, they probably want to spend time with their families, with the knowlege one of them may not come home tonight. I arrive at the impressive centre, I enter the weapons room and slowly look around, deciding on a vicious curved sword, I began training on the dummies around the room. I continued this for a few hours, before I collapsed exhausted on the floor, I lay still for a few minutes before I had to leave to get ready for the reaping. I quickly ran back to the house and because my mother insisted put on a dark black suit. Looking around, I see my family gathered behind me, my father looks worried and is pulling nervously at his shirt and my mother looks like she's been crying. He clears his voice roughly and nervously begins 'I..uh.. Just spoke to your trainer and he told me that you've been chosen to volunteer.' He choked the last word out, looking distraught and tears began to form behind his pale blue eyes. I stare blankly for a second before a smile makes its way across my face, I've been expecting this for years and have worked extremelly hard for this. To make it easier for myself and my family, I stare blankly and tell them 'I'd be fine and not to worry' before quickly leaving.
This simple action hurt more than I would have ever expected. I start to slowly walk to the square, thinking hard about my family and how I'll probably never see them again. I was lost in my dark thoughts and almost didn't see my sister surronded by three guys, I stop and hear one of them shout 'Grab the bitch and lets go.' I cough loudly and they all turn, I start sizing them up and am pretty confident this fight will be short lived. Their leader sqaured up to me, before he had a chance to utter a word my fist connected with his nose, shattering it. The other two guys, both shorter than me, rushed me together. I side-stepped and avoided a punch, before shattering some ribs with a short, brutal kick to the taller mans stomach, before kicking him in the side of the head. The last guy began spluttering apolagies and promising to repay me, I grab his neck and stare into his terrified eyes and tell him if he ever touches my sister again that I would hunt him down. My sister ran up to me and hugged me, mumbling something about her being sorry and that it would never happene again, I stare at her and immediatly tell her it isn't her fault and not to worry, before sending her home to get ready for the reaping.
I sigh to myself, she's only thirteen and will be lost without me, so sweet and innocent. If she comes and visits me after the reaping, I'll have to make sure she understands what she needs to, to survive. I supress the feeling of guilt, I'm doing all of this to make sure she survives, it's for her own good even if she doesn't know that. I ignore the pain in my hand and continue to the reaping, eager to start a new chapter in my life.
People slowly began to file into the small, crowded square giving the impression of a large, ordered district, which is probably the intention of the Capital. After a few minutes the past victors and the Capital escort take their places. The escort is wearing an odd assortment of fruits weaved into a short dress and her hair is covered almost entirely by a large bowl containing what looks like, grapes and kiwi. She taps the microphone twice, to get the crowds attention, and begins to recite an old speech about how the rebels tried to overthrow the capital and failed and the hunger games are created to punish us. I immediatly stop listening and begin to size up my competiton, writing off the girls around me as average until my gaze falls upon a girl in the sixteen section.
She's small, smaller than most of the other sixteen year olds but her sea green eyes have a fierce passion inside them and the other girls keep a wide distance away from her. Her skin is pale, contrasting with the dark skin of most of the other sixteen year olds around her, in addition to this she radiates confidence and something else, that I can't recognise. This aura is probably why the other girls stay away from her and the fact that she is absolutely beautiful, I've been looking for a few seconds and have already seen more than a few envious glances. I've already decided I like this girl, just as I decide this she catches a glance from another girl and begins to shout obscenities at the girl. The other girl looks worried but squares up to her regardless. The confident girl turns away, feigning shyness before swinging and catching the girl on the jaw with a punch, she sways slightly but stays on her feet before a kick to the stomach and a sharp uppercut leave her writhing on the floor and gasping for breath. The confident girl smiles, straightens her crimson hair and turns her attention to the reaping, ignoring the girl infront of her. The escort smiles and with her annoying capital voice overenthusiastically shouts 'Ladies first!' and begins to search around in the glass bowl full of names. The odd thing is that the one thought going through my head is about the girl with red hair, praying for her safety and hoping she notices me when I volunteer, the safety of this girl I've never spoken to is more important than my sister at this moment, this thought scares me more than the prospect of the Hunger Games.
These thoughts were interrupted by the escort shouting 'Jasmine Brewer.' I turn slowly dreading what I might see, I find the confident girl moving towards the stage. All I can think is 'Fuck, fuck, fuck.' My brain has shut down, I'm not capable of thinking anything and can only stare as the stunning girl walks slowly to her death. She reaches the stage and turns around, I can see her clearly now and notice the attair she chose to wear to the reaping, most girls turn up in dresses and skirts, she wore jeans and a t-shirt. This girl has style, even her dress sense screams rebellion and confidence. The Escort moves towards her and joyfully shouts, 'Everyone meet your tribute for District One, Jasmine!' The girl turns sharply and shoved the escort, she fell heavily to the group and the crowd gasped. She moved to the microphone and says, 'it's Jaz, not Jasmine and the next person who calls me Jasmine, dies.'
To her credit, the Escort recovers well and, after slowly getting to her feet, moves on to the boys reaping. She calls 'Jacob Tansley.' A bland and average name, I'm practically saving him from a meaningless death. I walk towards the stage but am cut off by an eighteen year old I recognise from training standing infront of me. He stares at me and asks what I think I'm doing. I ignore him and move closer, punching him hard in the nose, before swiftly following with two more punches, one to the eye and one to the ear. I block a feeble punch he throws and kick him in the stomach and finish with a strong punch to the neck, leaving him gasping for breath, I make my way onto the stage and confidently say 'I volunteer.'
The Escort tries to move me to the centre of the stage, I push her off me roughly and she's forced a few steps back and I say clearly into the microphone 'Tobias James, my friends call me Toby, so call me Tobias' before stepping back and moving towards Jaz. I meet her eye and silently pray she realises I'm yearning to protect her and shake her hand, making sure I'm as gentle as possible. Still staring into eachother's eyes she cocks her head questionly and I let go of her hand and turn around, glaring at the crowd.
The peacekeepers surrond us and move us towards the Justice Building to say goodbye to our familys. I'm forced into a large room, covered entirely by a dark red carpet and all red furniture, the effect this causes on the black walls gives the room an eerie feel. My family interrupt my analysing and begin to franticly cling on to me, and inbetween crying fits all shout goodbye. I forced myself to remain detached, telling myself it would make it easier for my family when I'm gone and sat there passively while they hugged me. This continued for a few minutes before they were forced to move out of the room by the peacekeepers, I was surpised, I thought the goodbyes lasted longer but I wasn't disappointed, it was uncomfortable and I wanted to leave anyway.
The peacekeepers attempted to grab me and force me out of the room but I forced them off of me and confidently walked out of the building towards the train, I turn to have one last look at my district but got distracted by Jaz walking slowly out of the building, flanked by peacekeepers. She gives me a cold glare and I avert my eyes and get slowly on the train, trying to get the images of this girl out of my head, it would make it harder for me to kill her later, not that I could see myself doing that, if anything I'd try and protect her. I had an idea in my head to approach Jaz and try and propose an alliance, after we've broken from the careers but decide that I should give her time to let everything sink in. I go to my train compartment and climb ontop of my bed and closed my eyes, inviting sleep.