"On the seventy-fifth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that things can always get worse, two female, and to male tributes will be reaped from each district."
"Oh my god," I whisper to myself. "Is this a fucking joke?" I yell as I throw a couch cushion across the room. My heart feels like it's about to burst out my chest, and I feel like I'm about to throw up my dinner. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to understand how watching children die is entertaining to some people.
"Madge Undersee!" my father yells at me, obviously not appreciating my use of language. I quickly turn my head and glare at him. It's almost as if he doesn't care that the capital is about to force forty-eight innocent kids to murder one another and fight for their lives! I clench my hands into fists and close my eyes.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five.
I release the breath that I had been holding, and I look back up at my father. "I need to go on a walk," I tell him, and turn around before I he has the chance to respond. Surprisingly, I don't hear him running after me as I storm out of the house. He must realize that there's nothing he can do to help me, and that all of his efforts will just make me feel worse.
The cold night breeze blows against my skin, and I can't help but shiver. I curse myself for not bothering to put on a coat before leaving the house – especially since all that I'm wearing is a sports bra, a thin tank top, and very short cotton shorts.
I honestly have no clue where I'm going, or what I'm going to do once I get there, but I continue to go where my legs take me. Before I know it, I am standing right outside of the fence and I have no idea why.
The last time - no, the only time - that I have step foot in the woods was when my friend, Katniss, was teaching me how to shoot a bow. The memory brings a smile to my face, and I begin walking to a small opening in the fence. I quickly crawl through the opening and begin running up the hill towards a cluster of tall, green trees.
I still have no clue where I'm going, but I keep on running - no, sprinting is a better word for what I'm doing. My legs begin to burn, and breathing is becoming more and more difficult, but I don't stop - I can't stop.
Suddenly, my foot gets caught in something and I am lifted up into the air. At first I am too stunned to say or do anything, but after about a minute I start freaking out. "What the fuck?" I scream into the darkness ahead of me. I know it's useless, but I hope that someone - anyone - will hear me and come to my rescue. Oh god, what if some insane serial killer hears me screaming and murders me! I roll my eyes at my own stupidity and continue to yell for help. "Hello -" I once again yell into the dark, "- is anyone there, because I'm kind of stuck sooo..." I trail off just as I hear a slight rustling coming from ahead of me. I let out a sigh of relief and suddenly realize how stupid I must look dangling from a tree wearing little clothing.
"What the -" I hear a distinctly male voice say. I quickly looked up and see the last person that I had expected.
"G-gale?" I stutter. Oh my god, this can't be happening. I mean - what are the chances of the hottest guy at school finding me hanging upside down in the middle of the woods? I'm just glad that I decided to wear a bra in this cold weather. "Wha - what are you doing here?" I ask stupidly - desperate to make this whole thing a hell of a lot less awkward.
"I think a better question would be: what the hell are you doing here?" He asks me - obviously trying to keep from smirking. After a few seconds of glaring at him I let out a nervous chuckle.
"How about I tell you everything after you get me out of this damn thing?" He smirks and begins walking towards my dangling body. With a few swift movements of his hands, he unties my foot from the trap, and before I know what's happening, I'm plummeting to the rocky ground head first. Then suddenly I am being held up by strong, warm arms. When I look up, I see the familiar smirk of Gale Hawthorne, and tingly feeling runs down my spine. Must just b the cold.
I let out a nervous giggle, and then instantly regret it. God - he probably thinks that I'm an idiot or something! "So... are you gonna put me down now or..." I trail off, not being able to keep my voice from cracking a little bit.
"Um... you're welcome?" He tells me while not so gently dropping me to my feet. My landing is not as graceful as I would have liked it to be, but I stand up straight and brush off my clothing as if nothing ever happened. "So, do you plan on telling me why you're out here anytime soon?"
"Nope," I say as I begin walking away with my head held high. My face feels like it's on fire I'm blushing so hard, and it only gets hotter when I hear him awkwardly mumble something under his breath. "What?" I ask him, refusing to turn around and face him.
"Well, you're going the wrong way," he tells me in a somewhat amused tone. I clench my hands into fists, and turn back around. I begin walking towards him, and he starts laughing. Fucking laughing! Like my god, does he want me to feel insanely embarrassed?
"You're an ass, you know that?" I tell him, unable to keep a small grin off of my face. He chuckles, and raises an eyebrow at me. "You know what - if you take me home, I'll tell you all of my dirty secrets." He once again chuckles, and begins walking towards the fence. I walk after him and try my hardest to keep my footsteps quiet.
"Are you gonna tell me why you're out here now, or what?" he asks me with an amused grin on his face. I nod my head and clench my hands into fists.
"The - the quarter quell," I tell him, "forty-eight innocent kids are about to be forced to murder one another. Forty-eight Gale." I whimper. He awkwardly looks at me like he wants to comfort me, but doesn't quite know how to. It's kind of cute the way he runs his hand through his dark hair, and how he slightly slows down his walking, and despite all the hate and anger I feel, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips.
"I - I'm sorry?" I tells me, but the way he says it makes it sound like a question. I laugh a little and shake my head. I need to relax. I mean what are the chances of me, the mayor's daughter, getting reaped tomorrow?
"Change of plans," I tell him, "I'm not going home. Not tonight at least." He looks at me like I'm crazy, and I giggle. "What? I need a drink or something."
"Madge Undersee, the mayor's perky little daughter, wants to get drunk?" He looks impressed. Is me wanting to grab a drink really that strange? Just because I'm the mayor's daughter doesn't mean I'm that much of a good girl. Right?
"Yes?"
"Well I hate to burst your bubble, shorty, but I am not going to let the mayor's daughter get drunk,"
"Would you stop referring to me as that?" I growl at him.
"As what? Shorty?" He asks me, obviously confused by my sudden outburst.
"The 'mayor's daughter'. There's more to me than just being the mayor's daughter." He shakes his head as he chuckles. "What? I'm not kidding - you know that right?"
"No, it's just that..." he trails off. I raise an eyebrow, urging him to continue. "Nothing," he mumbles "Come on, I'll walk you home now."
I smile sweetly at him and say, "Lead the way."
We walk in silence, but somehow it's not an awkward silence. When we finally reach the fence, he steps in front of me and lifts up one of the wires so that I can easily step through. I would have never thought Gale could be such a gentleman. I mutter out a quick thank you as I clumsily step through the opening. I'm just glad that none of my clothing got snagged on the wire - that would be beyond embarrassing. I step aside and nervously brush off my clothing, and I wait for Gale to climb through after me. After about ten seconds of waiting and not hearing anything, I quickly turn on my heel to see why he hasn't crossed the fence yet. When I do turn, I run right into something tall and hard, and when I realize that the 'tall and hard' object is in fact Gale, I feel my cheeks turn red.
"S-sorry," I mutter as I quickly turn around so that he wont be able to see my face. He lets out a soft chuckle and once again, we begin walking in silence. It isn't until we are nearing my neighborhood that we begin to talk.
"So," I say, desperately trying to spark a conversation, "do you have any siblings?" Lame.
"Um - I have two younger brother and a little sister. They're okay I guess," he chuckles, not taking note in my lameness.
"Oh, that's awesome. I've always wanted siblings but my mom got sick and..." I trail off.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he tells me with a sad look on his face.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I don't know, it just seemed like the right thing to do," he shrugs, and I nod in understatement.
Before I know it, we are standing outside of my house. The lights are on, and from what I can see my father is facing back and forth in the living room.
"Shit," I murmur, "thanks for... you know - walking me home," I tell him while awkwardly shifting on my feet. He smiles at me, and my heart speeds up a little. Once he walks away, I slowly creak open the front door. My father stands in front of me with his arms crossed over his chest. I wordlessly walk past him and up into my room.
And despite the long talk I know I'm going to receive in the morning, sleep comes quickly.
~oOo~
I wake up to a soft knocking at my door, and gentle sunshine streaming through my window. I look up to see my father smiling at me from the hallway.
"Good morning," I mutter happily while stretching out my arms.
"Morning sweetheart," he responds. "Do you know what you're going to wear to the reaping?" Suddenly, all the hate and anger I was feeling yesterday comes back, and I clench my jaw.
"Ya. I think I'm going to wear moms old dress... the white one," I tell him a little too harshly. A smile tugs at the outer corners of his lips, and he leaves me to get ready. I quickly get out of bed and throw on the dress, tie a pink ribbon into my hair, and throw on some plain with shoes. Once I'm satisfied with my appearance, I angrily thump down the stairs. I am instantly overwhelmed by the smell of bacon, and it makes me want to throw up. I guess that I'll be skipping breakfast today...
~oOo~
The reaping started about thirty minutes ago, but I haven't been paying attention. I guess that watching Effie trot around stage and make suggestive glances at my godfather, Haymitch, isn't as entertaining as staring at my feet. I glance up and see Effie reaching her hand into a large glass bowl. My heart begins to speed up when I see her pull a slip out of the first bowl - probably the one for girls. She opens up the slip and reads off the name.
Madge Undersee.
I laugh - like actually laugh. The mayor's daughter is going to be murdered on screen in front of everyone. Entertainment at its finest. I walk up to the stage with an amused grin on my face - I must look like some crazy person, but I don't really care.
She pulls another slip from the same bowl.
Aidan Semenov
She walks up to the stage as well, and I can't help but notice how young she looks. Fourteen, maybe fifteen years old. My god, people are sick.
Now Effie reaches into the glass bowl containing the names of boys from our district, and pulls out a slip.
August Blaire.
When he walks up on stage, I hear the sobbing of his family, and I begin to cry to0. I fucking hate the capital.
Effie pulls the final slip out of the bowl.
Gale Hawthorne.
I'll post a new chapter at 3 reviews!
This chapter was kind of all over the place and I'm hella tired, so sorry if you hate it! But I promise that I will post more and better chapters! Oh ya, and this story will most likely contain sexual shit in it soo... ya.
Goodnight lovelies!