A/N: So it's been months (I think) since I've updated on my story (for those who have been reading) and I'm sorry for that but this time I'm starting on a brand new one and I hope to finish it (hopefully). It's completely AU and has some characters from the Hunger Games. I hope you enjoy : )
Quinn's POV
My eyes snapped open. Weak sunlight filtered through my window as I mentally prepared myself for the hours to come. Everyone in District 12 has been dreading this day.
The Reaping.
Just that is enough to send chills up my spine. My mother is sleeping soundly in the room next to mine. My father, I suspect, is in the living room, passed out from work or nursing a hangover. I have no siblings. I am an only child which I am grateful for. I don't need another mouth to feed. My mother and father's unhelpfulness are enough to handle. I swing my legs up from the bed and put on my hunting boots. I find my hunting jacket, the only jacket I have and sneak outside. The grey sunlight peaks out from over the clouds and forest stretches from beyond the fence.
The fence was not electrified today as any other day in District 12 but on other occasions it was. Like last year's reaping when I was about to crawl under the fence gap behind my house, my hand were nearly fried off. We starved that night. I listened for carefully for that fizz of electricity on the fence but it only takes me a moment to realize it wasn't.
As I was about to crawl, I spotted Gale Hawthorne going through the fence, hiding something in his large hand. It was bread. My mouth watered at the sight. It was a good thing that Gale didn't see me or else he would've seen my mouth dripping with saliva. Gale and I weren't friends nor were we enemies. We only knew each other by name. Gale was one in ten boys in District 12 that was good looking. I could hear the girls at school talking about him. I didn't have a crush on him but I developed some sort of admiration for him at how he managed to feed his family. I could only hunt and gather to feed what my family needed.
Moments later, I saw Katniss Everdeen go through the fence. Katniss was the only other person who knew how to hunt. She usually hunts with Gale and I always see them hunting in the woods. They're hunting partners. I wish Katniss or Gale could be my hunting partner so I could have little bit more to feed my family. But I already have a hunting partner. Not as skilled as Katniss or Gale but definitely better than nothing.
I crawled through the fence and was on my feet again. I approached a tree and shimmied up the branches and retrieved my throwing knives and spear. I was not very skilled at archery, I preferred to throw things. I climbed down and resumed walking through the woods. I stopped at a familiar spot and I untied my snare to see what it caught. A squirrel. I could trade it at the Hob for some bread. I reset the snare again and hung the squirrel on my back.
As I ventured further, I saw a bush filled with strawberries. I approached it and as I was about to put a strawberry in my mouth, it flew out of my hand and was pinned to a nearby tree. I frowned and saw a smirking figure, leaning casually against a tree.
"You idiot," I said harshly but I was smiling. "You almost took m lips off."
"Hi Quinn." He said still smirking. My hunting partner, Puck. How would I loved to slap that smirk off his face. We found each other while hunting. We both argued over who would claim the deer we both shot. In the end he gave it to me but said I'd have to shoot a wild turkey to make it up to him. And that's how our friendship started.
He walked over to me and said, "Nice squirrel you've got," he crouched down and plucked a strawberry from the bush. "Planning to trade it for soap?"
"We already have soap." I said, biting into a strawberry.
"Doesn't look like you've been using it lately," he chuckled. "Judging by the smell I'd say two or three days." I slapped his arm but it hurt me more than it hurt him. "Come on, let's pick these up and get them on our tables. Our big day is about to start." I grimaced. He was referring to the Reaping. I hated it when he does that.
"We have plenty of hours to kill," I complained. "It's not like we've got anything else to do but hunt."
He sighed. "I suppose." Then he put his finger to his lips, signaling me to shut up. He raised his bow and pointed it at a branch twenty feet above us. He fired and a moment later a squirrel with an arrow in its eye came tumbling down to the ground. I admired Puck for being a good shot. His skill in archery was remarkable but it was nothing compared to his skill in throwing knives. He was the one who taught me.
"Good shot," I say.
"Good? That was spot on." He bragged. He picked his kill and walked through the wood. I wordlessly followed because I knew where he was going. We stopped at an apple tree and we both climbed until we were sitting on a sturdy branch. The apples weren't ripe yet.
I think this is the only apple tree in the whole forest. We found this tree while hunting. We argued if we should go back to trade or hunt for more. I wanted to go back but I was too scared to go alone. That was until we spotted this tree and picked some apples. It saved both our families from starving that night.
"I think it's going to be me Quinn," he muttered loud enough so I could hear.
"It's not going to be you," I said although Puck's name was in there about thirty times, there was a possibility.
"What if it is?"
"It's not," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The chance of losing Puck was unbearable. He was my best friend.
"Just think, my name's been in there a lot. If I get picked, what choice do I have? I'm gonna die in that arena," Puck tightened his grip on the branch. "I'm not a fighter Quinn. It may look like it but I'm not. I only kill animals. Not people. I don't kill."
"What's the difference?"
"They have families. Friends. People they love back home. I can't take that away from a person. Ever."
"But I would kill, to see my loved ones again," I say after a moment.
"I know you would," Puck says. "You're a fighter, I'm not."
"Sissy," I tell him, jutting out m tongue at him. It was childish of me but I couldn't resist teasing him. He just smiles weakly.
"I can fight. I can kill. Just not for the reasons you think."
"What do you mean? Not for the reasons I think?"
"Have you forgotten what the Capitol have these Games for? We're just pawns of their Games. They're just using us for entertainment. I just want to show them that they don't own me you know? That us little people from the Seam have some dignity."
"You're talking about a rebellion." I say quietly. I feel uneasy when people talk about stuff like that.
"No, I'm not. The Capitol people just sicken me. If I get it, I'll probably let someone kill me."
"I'll kill you first if you do," I joked but he didn't smile. Puck looked up and picked an apple. A ripe apple. "Not yet in season, but still ripe," he bit into the apple, his teeth making a satisfying crunch against the rosy flesh and juicy inside. He offers it to me and I take it. We took turns eating the apple and then mid-bite he says, "Do you ever think about marriage?"
"No," I say briefly. I had my and my family's survival to look up to. I don't want another soul to worry about.
"I mean with me," he said.
"You're my best friend, I can't marry you." I say with a laugh. I studied his face. His strong profile, his shaved head with the ridiculous Mohawk, his dark brown eyes which could trap you if you had weak senses. He was only one of the good looking boys of District 12.
"I'm serious. We could do it you know, if you wanted."
"You want to," I say, taking the apple from him.
"I would, I guess. But I'd have to put up with your bullshit so that's a big downside," he said laughing at his little joke. After a few minutes, we shimmied down the tree and we split the berries half and half. We headed home. My father was awake when I got home, his face grim. "What have you caught?"
"A squirrel. And for dessert, strawberries," I said, spilling the contents on the table. My mother cleaned m kill and washed the strawberries. We had some leftover bread that we heated on a fire. I put the squirrel on a spit and once it was cooked, we sat down to eat. My mother did nothing in the house but she worked for Greasy Sae sometimes for a little money.
Once we were all done, I went to my room. I took out my dress from the last reaping and put it on. Surprisingly it still fits.
My mother kisses my temple and says, "You won't get picked. Believe that." This did not have any effect on me.
By six o'clock we went down to the City Square. I signed up for tessera and lined up with the other girls my age. I spotted Mayor Undersee's daughter Madge, Katniss and Gale in the boys section. Puck was just across from me. Everyone wore the same expression. An expression of fear mixed with sadness and hopelessness.
Then Effie Trinket steps on stage, a huge smile on her face. Her puffy hair and her thick makeup made her look like a clown. She looked so out of place that I wanted to wretch out a sickening laugh.
She addresses the crowd and then picks out the names. The whole of District 12 hold's it's breath.
She reaches in and plucks out the piece of paper that will determine the fate of a young girl in District 12. She clears her throat and says, "Primrose Everdeen."
My stomach turns and I am unable to breath. Prim was the sweetest girl I have ever met. She was also Katniss's sister. I have bonded with her quite well. I trade her two wild turkeys for half a pound of goat cheese.
Prim was visibly shaking and crying her eyes out. I was scared for. She did not deserve. I opened my mouth to volunteer when someone does it for me. Katniss, Prim's sister stepped through the Peacekeepers. "I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute."
All eyes were on her. Prim and Katniss embrace and argue. Gale comes over and pulls Prim away from Katniss. She steps onto the stage and Effie, so overcome with joy claps her hands. She says something but I was too stunned to hear it or even pay attention. I would have volunteered for Katniss. I opened my mouth but no words came out. I knew how much Katniss hunted so she can take care of Prim. I had suck a strange attachment to her that I could feel the tears welling up. I close my hand into a fist to keep that from happening. I would volunteer for Katniss and Prim. I just didn't have the courage to.
Then Effie calls another name.
"Peeta Mellark."
I could see in Katniss's expression that she was not thrilled about Peeta Mellark to be her partner. Peeta Mellark wasn't one of my friends but I had established a quiet friendship with him. I trade him squirrels for bread from his bakery. I look over to his father. He was heartbroken and that made me form another fist.
I knew what Puck meant about not killing. These were just kids who had families, friends and a possibly brighter future to look up to. Their families and friends would be forced to watch them die on TV. Simply taking that away was an unbearable thought.
"And may the odds be ever in your favor!" Effie trilled.
After the Reaping, I took of for my house and changed into my hunting clothes and crawled under the fence again. I retrieve my weapons and head to a clearing. I fired a knife angrily at a trunk and watch it sink into the bark like butter. I felt a strange attachment to these people and it felt right for me to sink the knife blade again and again at the tree bark, angry tears spilling from my eyes and profanity lacing my words. I imagined the tree trunk as President Snow. Katniss volunteered for her sister and now how would her sister survive? Katniss's mother was no help, being a weeping widow and Prim was too young to hunt.
"Whoa tiger! Easy!" Puck's voice rang from behind me. But I ignore him. He comes up to me and simply wraps his arms around me, pulling away from the tree, stroking my hair, saying soothing words to me and kissing my temple. I wrap my arms around his neck and we hold each other for what seems like the longest time.
"How can she survive Puck? She can't survive on her own, she needs Katniss! She's just a little girl!"
"I'm sure Katniss told Gale to protect her," he calmly says in my ear.
"I want to protect her too."
"We'll both protect her. Wether she likes it or not." He places a soothing kiss on my hot cheek. Puck has never kiss me before but I don't complain. It actually calmed me more.
"That means we'll have to hunt longer. We'll have to hunt."
"Just calm down. We'll work it out together."
I put my head to his chest, listening to his heartbeat pounding softly in my ears. I felt a bit sleepy after my horrible breakdown. I wish I could have stayed in the City Square and say something to Katniss although I've never spoken to her before.
"I understand," I say to Puck but I don't meet his eyes. I just stay in the comfort of his body.
"You understand what?"
"What you said about not fighting in the Games. That we're just pawns in their Games and taking away a life."
"Oh. That."
"I'm not sure why it appealed to me to volunteer for Prim. I would've it. I would've saved Katniss's family. I'm just a coward."
"No, you're not a coward Quinn," he kisses my temple again.
"Why? I just stood there like an idiot."
"If you would volunteer for Prim, I would've volunteered for Peeta. I care about you Quinn. I would've fought in that arena and take an arrow if that means you going back home to District 12." That reassured me and I let go.
He holds my hands for a few moments. I look into his deep brown eyes and says, "I care about you Quinn. A lot. Now let's go home and get some rest. We have another family to feed."
So guys if you love it or hate or if it needs some (or a LOT) of improvements just let me know in the reviews. I really love HG and I would really to continue it :D But overall I hope you enjoyed guys :D