-Chapter 1-
"Charlotte!" I cried, dashing between the rainbow-colored apartments. "Wait up!"
As I chased my younger sister through the streets, hoping to get home before she does. If she gets home first, she'll tell mom I stole a butterscotch square from the candy shop. Oh, forgive me, the Bake it Big-Bakery and Candy Shop. Those Trinkets. Ugh. I can't stand their large, poofy wigs and loads of makeup! I really hope their six-year-old daughter, Effie, keeps her cuteness and doesn't turn into them.
Now, even though I'm a Capitol citizen, doesn't mean I look crazy. I'm simple. I have pale skin, I'm scrawny compared to the other kids in my grade, and I usually wear a tee shirt with pink tights and a flat skirt. Not poofy. I do have some pink and navy blue streaks in my blond hair, but nothing extreme. My eyes are two different colors, one violet and one amber. When I started high school last year, I was nervous about my mitch matched and rare colored eyes, and I bought two hazel contacts. I wore them the first two weeks of my freshman year, then I forgot to put them in one morning when I was running late. All my friends noticed, and actually complimented me. I was surprised, and embraced my eye color.
Anyways, like I said, I was racing my sister home. I wanted anything but to get grounded or punished on Reaping Day. I love watching the Hunger Games! I really liked it when I was 7. It's the earliest games I remember, and for good reason. It was the second Quarter Quell, and 48 kids were in the arena. I loved that the boy, I think his name was Haymitch, actually won. He was from District 12, and I remember my dad cheering since he had placed bets on Haymitch. I asked him afterwards how he knew Haymitch was going to win, and he told me he didn't. After that, I asked him why he placed bets on him then. He simply told me for the Quarter Quell he and his friends had a blind pick, reaching into a hat.
Like I said, I did not want to get punished on Reaping Day. It marked the beginning of the 57th Hunger Games, and I wanted to see all of the tributes.
Yay. I didn't get punished. Instead, Charlotte was grounded for being a tattletale. My mom has zero tolerance for tattling, and you can tell from the look she always wears. Well, the look other than the one she also has a lot. The look that says she's worrying about money.
The Districts expect everyone in the Capitol to be stinkin' rich. Well, I'll tell you firsthand that it's not true. Like District 12 has The Seam, District 4 has The Bucket, and District 6 has The Wagon, The Capitol has a poor side. It's not as bad as the District's, but it isn't complete luxury. My mom works hard as President Snow's secretary, and gets paid a decent amount. My dad's a Peacekeeper, but lost his job when I was six since he "lost" his uniform.
It was a great year this Hunger Games, and I was backing Tiara Legend form District 4 since she was Reaped. There were only five left, Tiara Legend, Juliet Foster from 1, June Patrick from 5, Dennis Holmes from 11, and Juniper Phoenix from 2. I was watching intently on Sunday night with my dad, who was backing Dennis. Dennis and Tiara actually found each other, and were in the middle of a sword fight when my mom walked into the apartment. My dad and I didn't notice. CRACK! SLAP! Iron against iron! It was an epic battle, anyone could win, but my mom just sat at the ash table, looking glum. My father and I still didn't notice. I cringed as Dennis's ally, Juniper, ran out from the bushes. She was carrying a knife, and she looked in good shape.
"GO! GO!" I cried.
"IRELAND, YOU'RE GOING DOWN!" My dad cried.
"You mean Tiara, Gable," my mom corrected. It was then we acknowledge her presence.
"Mom?" I asked in disbelief. "Why are you home so early?"
"Oh, I'll let you two finish your quarrel first," she answered, wearing her angry smile.
I didn't get to watch it. When I turned back to the TV, my dad was already screaming as I heard two cannon shots. Juniper and Dennis lay, dead, on the ground as Tiara ran into the trees. The Capitol Seal appeared, signaling the end of the episode. We turned to mom.
"Charlotte! Vanessa! Family Meeting!" She hollered.
Charlotte ran into the main room first, her long, curly violet hair bouncing every which way. Her bangs rested just above her eyes, which were a bright amber. Her pink dress clashed with her checkered tights, but the ten year old didn't care. Vanessa came out a minute later, her cell still held to her ear. Her short, blue hair was spiked like it normally was, showing off her electric violet eyes.
"Vanessa," My mom began. Vanessa didn't even look her way.
Mom suddenly jumped up, and smacked the cell out of her hand, and it slid on the ground. It skidded to a stop by dad's shoe. He picked it up, and placed it in his pocket.
"Like I said, Family Meeting," Mom hissed. "Next Saturday, we are moving."
"Congrats on the Promotion!" Charlotte, Vanessa, and my dad hollered.
"No," Mom whispered.
"No?" The three of us questioned.
"No," Mom repeated. "I...got fired. Snow saw me 'mistreating' his roses. All I was doing was pushing them away from my computer so the vase wouldn't fall and fry it!"
Mom was really freaking now, and it didn't help when Vanessa asked-
"Where we moving to then?"
"To...to…" Mom had a breakdown. She was crying, and crying.
She ran to the bathroom, and was in there for fifteen minutes. When she walked back out, her pastel pink hair dye was replaced with the black it used to be.
"We're moving to District 8," she said under her breath.
I couldn't concentrate in the school the next day, or any day that week. The 57th Hunger Games ended Thursday night, and Juliet was the Victor. Saturday finally came, and I was telling sad goodbyes to my friends Vicky and Tamsen.
"I'll miss you, Vicky," I cried, squeezing her pale blue hand.
"Yeah, okay, miss you I guess," She scoffed, blowing one of her hot pink curls out of her golden eyes.
I was shocked. I didn't expect Vicky to not care less. Instead of thinking about it, I turned to Tamsen. Her goodbye was genuine.
"Do you have to go, Ireland?" She asked me, her chirpy voice now a soft, sad whisper.
"Yes," I whimpered back.
She tugged at her straight, blond hair and looked at me with emerald eyes filled with sadness.
"You'll write, right?" She asked.
"I-I don't know if I can," I confessed.
When I finally left, I overheard a slight squabble between my two friends that broke my heart.
"You still like her?" I heard Vicky scoff.
"Yes!" Tamsen exclaimed. "Why wouldn't I?"
"She's, like, District Poor and stuff now. What a Disti."
"I'm still not leaving her side."
Tears streamed down my face as I sprinted back to my mom. District Poor was a phrase to describe the wealth of someone from a District. Disti was the mean nickname given to those who lived in a non-career District, and had a chance of winning the raffle.
The train ride was difficult. Both my sisters also had depressing goodbyes, and mom was having a really hard time.
"Look on the bright side," I tried. "Dad could try being a Peacekeeper again!"
"I could," my dad confirmed. "And I will!"
My sisters and I cheered, but mom was still silent. I tried running through the jobs she might be excited to have, but the only job I could think of was a factory worker. Mom would hate that.
"Hey mom," I began. "Why don't you, ya know, stay at home and dad's just a Peacekeeper?"
"Okay," was my only answer.
I let out a breath, knowing that my new life was about to begin. I heard the train back into the station, and I grabbed my suitcase.
Please R&R! I'll be replying to a lot of you! I love receiving feedback, so feel free to feel a positive, or even negative review if you need to! Have a great day/night! -Annabeth Pie