so this is a fan fic that I wrote a while ago but only now decided to publish it on here. Enjoy
Chapter 1
"Clover, wake up" My best friend, Connor, said, chucking one of my many pillows at my head. I groaned and rolled over to look up at him. He smiled down at me. "Morning sleepy head." He said cheerfully. I rolled my eyes at him and sat up. I stretched and chucked a pillow at him. He caught it before it could touch him. The thing about Connor is that he has, literally, cat-like reflexes. Me, not so much. I stood up and went over to my closet. I found a dark green shirt and light beige trousers and changed into them. Connor looked away, a habit I was grateful that he had developed now that we were older. I looked at the tiny calendar, a rare luxury in district 12, and groaned. Today was the day of the reaping. Every year, as a reminder that the dark days must never be repeated, one girl and one boy were selected from each district to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death with only one victor. This year would be the 100th Quarter Quell, a Hunger Games with an extra rule added to make the tributes lives even more miserable in the arena than usual. This year, the extra rule was that each tribute must take on a partner from another district, after which the female tribute will be 'adopted' by that district. It was a reminder that all of those that teamed up to form the rebellion were brought down.
Connor and I headed downstairs silently and slipped out the door. We headed quickly to the chain-link fence that surrounded district 12 and searched for the hole that we normally slipped under. I found it and we crawled under it. I retrieved my small dagger and Connor retrieved his bow and sheath full of arrows. Then we headed out towards a lake that Katniss Everdeen, a former victor of the Hunger Games, showed me before she died of pneumonia. Once we arrived at the lake, I dug through my game bag, which I had packed with a few goodies for breakfast. I pulled out a loaf of bread, a wheel of goat cheese, and some strawberries. I split the treats between the two of us and we ate in silence. When Connor finally broke the silence I was in the middle of chewing a strawberry. "Happy Hunger Games" He said, mimicking our districts escort, Akiera Mackintosh's, voice exactly. I giggled. "And May the Odds." I said. "Be ever in your favour" He finished. We both laughed. Then we sobered. "We should get back." He said. I nodded and we headed back to the fence. I listened for the tell tale sign that the fence was live and heard silence. We crawled back under the fence and made our way back across the meadow.
As soon as I entered the house, my mother, Jane, sent me upstairs to bathe. I took a bath and went into my room. On my bed was a pretty violet and white dress with lace. I put it on and put my hair into its signature half up half down style. Then I went downstairs again to see my mother getting ready to go. She smiled grimly at me.
Connor walked with my mother and I towards the town square where a temporary stage was set up. Akiera and our districts only still living victor, Peeta Mellark, sat onstage with Mayoress Undersee. I said a quick good-bye to Connor and my mother and went off to join the other girls my age. A few of the girls from school smiled at me when they saw me and I soon spotted Connors younger sister, Mina. She took hold of my hand for comfort as the Mayoress started her speech about how, in a place once known as North America, Panem rose from the ashes. She talked about the Dark Days and how, as a reminder that those days must never be repeated, one girl and one boy is selected each year to participate in the annual hunger games. That is when Akiera steps up to the microphone. "We'll start with the ladies." She said in her weird capitol accent. She put her hand into the reaping bowl and pull out a name. "Cloverleaf Maple" She said.
At first, I am too confused until a group of peacekeepers pushed me from behind. I walked up slowly and Akiera puts her hand into the males reaping bowl. "Jared Everdeen." She said. That was Connors younger brother. I watched as Connor stepped forward. "I volunteer as tribute" He said calmly. I stared in horror as he walked up. I threw my arms around him. "Not you too. I can't lose you." I said softly in his ear. He hugged me back. A few moments later we were escorted into the justice building.
