Welcome to the Hunger Games... Excited? I hope so! Leave your thoughts on the Tributes in a review! I hope you guys like this one! It should be better written... And more interesting. Enjoy! Review! ~Squintz
DISTRICT 1 REAPING
Bay Rossey -
The clang of metal on metal sounds out, echoing against the walls of the semi-empty training room. Terry laughs, then dives to the ground and kicks me in the shin. I fall backwards and grit my teeth in anger. I recover quickly, then shove the butt of my sword into his chest and knock him to the ground. I press my foot to his chest, holding him down as I point the end of the rapier at his throat. He drops his sword at his side and opens up his hands.
"You win," Terry says with a laugh.
"What?" I growl.
"What do you mean 'what'?" Terry asks, running a hand through his dull black hair as he gets to his feet.
"What was that laugh for?" I ask defensively, walking after him as he grabs his water bottle and slaps some water across the back of his neck.
"Uh... It was only a laugh?" He answers in a confused tone as he wipes at his forehead with a towel.
"No. You were mocking me." I accuse, slapping him over the back of the head.
He shakes his head and rolls his eyes, sitting down. I glare at him and he pats the bench. I close my eyes, then let out a sigh and sit down next to him. He swallows some water before resting his palms on his knees.
"Bay..." He lets out a quiet sigh, my name escaping his mouth in a breath.
"What?" I snap.
He starts up again, "You know... You're the richest kid in this Academy."
"I know. That's why I attend the private one." I mutter, poking at my fingernails.
"I know that. And you're lucky, you know? I wouldn't hold my head so high, if I was you. I mean, there are plenty of things out there to be afraid of. And, if you keep acting like a bi-"
I cut him off before he can finish. I know this spiel almost by heart.
"Then I'll be left with no friends, no boyfriend, and the Capitol will hate me when I enter the Hunger Games. Even though they eat up arrogance like they live off of it, they won't like too much." I roll my eyes, standing up and swinging the rapier around in my hand.
Terry sighs, clearly aggravated, "I—Nevermind. You'll always act like a stuck up know-it-all… I mean, you've been the same since you were four, so I don't know if you'll ever change. I try. I don't know why, but I try and get to you. Since you refuse to listen, you can enjoy the rejection from all of the people you care about when it gets too out of control."
Things are silent for a while. I continue to twirl the sword, nonchalantly looking around the training room. I know to let his words go through one ear and out the other unless we're training. Terry stands up, then scuffs the toe of his shoe along the ground.
"You did your homework, right?" He asks me.
"Watched the last Quell? Yeah." I reply.
Terry assigns me 'homework' sometimes. This can be from anything to hunting small animals outside my house or just watching past Hunger Games. Well, last night it was watching the tape of the most recent Quell. It was pretty interesting, too. What with the blind girl, the seven year old, and who could forget the psychopathic Beau Infernetti? Actually, he was pretty hot... But that's not the point!
"What'd you learn?" He reaches for my rapier and I tuck it back in my belt.
"I learned that hot boys usually get further in the Games... Slowness gets you caught by Careers... Reed Nile was totally betraying his girlfriend... Being seven years old gets you killed first... And, well, you get killed from avenging your boyfriend's death—Like that District Twelve girl!" I exclaim, nodding my head with a smug grin on my face.
Terry sighs again, "Like I said... Why do I even try? Go get yourself cleaned up... The Reaping starts in half an hour."
"Alright!" I say cheerfully, picking up my bright pink training bag.
I pull out my rapier and put it in the bag, then zip up the cover and dart through the door. The bright sunlight fills my eyes and I take note that people are already flooding the Square. I keep running, shielding my eyes as I go and accidentally smack right into a girl. I fall flat on my butt and I stand up slowly, brushing the dust off of myself. The girl scrambles to her feet.
"Watch where you're going you stupid-" I start up on my temper, but... Oops... It's Yasmine.
"I'm so sorry." She says quickly, brushing off her little gold skirt.
"It's fine. Like, whatever, right?" I force a laugh, then place my hands on my hips.
Yasmine is my best friend. Probably my only friend, too... Maybe Terry's right, but I refuse to listen to him. None of that's true. If it was, I wouldn't even have Yasmine. So, forget him.
"Sure. Uh, I gotta go... I'll see you later?" She says quietly.
"Alright." I reply, heading off.
Wow, that was awkward... I think as I bolt through the glossy fence surrounding my family's estate. I burst through the glass front door and look around. My mother is clipping in earrings and my father is straightening his tie. I dash up the stairs and throw my training bag on my bed. Quickly, I pull off my training clothes and put my hair down. Almost instantly, it returns to its naturally curly rings. I decide I'll leave it alone.
I then walk over to my closet and pull out my favorite dress. It's an astonishing pink color and it flows so well. It parts at the mid thigh, branching off into two pieces. I grin, then slide it over my head and pull it on. I sashay over to the mirror and wink at my reflection. My pale skin actually works well with the dress and my brown hair and eyes do even more so. I'm practically perfect… I just wish I wasn't so tall. At six feet, I was the tallest girl in my school and my Academy.
"Bay!" My mother's voice calls from downstairs.
I close my door, then run down the stairs and slip my heels on. My mom smiles at me, then nods to the door. I walk over and outside of the house. The Square is extremely close to my home, so I can just walk there. We walk in silence and round the corner to the Square. I quickly part from my parents and cut in front of everybody waiting for their check-in. I hold my hand out, then snap my fingers.
"Do it quick, please. I have things to do." I say, examining my finger nails on my other hand.
The Peacekeeper does just that, then presses my finger to the thick paper before waving me off. I nod, then strut my way down the aisle and take my spot in the crowd. All of the other rich girls have nice outfits, but none are nearly as good as mine. One has a sparkling silver dress that cuts off at her upper thighs and another has a sequined gold dress. Not nearly as sexy as my own, though. I flip my hair over my shoulder, then grin as the District Representative takes her place on the stage.
"Welcome, District One! We will begin shortly! But first a very short, very special video from The Capitol!" She announces.
I watch as the views of the crowd turn to the enormous projector screen in the corner, and the movie plays. I turn away, watching as the District Representative mouths the words, then grins as the video ends. I look around, feeling bored. I want it to be my moment already. I cross my arms and drum my fingers on my arm. She laughs, then claps as the projector fades to black.
"Now, let's begin!" She announces, pulling out the first name.
The Representative clears her throat and smiles, "Christine Gloss!"
This is my moment. Before anyone else can, I dash into the aisle and raise my hand. I then yell out the words I've been preparing to say for my entire life.
"I volunteer!"
All of the boys grin at me and their tongues practically hang from their mouths. I wink at them, then make sure to put in extra hip swing as I make my way upstage. I climb the stairs, waving to all the clapping Potential Tributes. I wonder who my partner will be... Hopefully he's hotter than Beau Infernetti. That'd guarantee me some support in the Arena. And this will all be fantastic, if it goes as planned...
Hunter D'Agosto -
I crouched in the cabinet of the kitchen, holding my knees against my chest as the loud screams and angry yells pierced my ears from the living room. My older sister sat in the cabinet beside me and the wood was thin enough for us to quietly speak to each other through the material. I could hear her every shallow, quiet breath drawn and her nervous movements. They were almost silent, but not as inaudible as my own. I closed my eyes, clenching my fists as the blood curdling scream of my mother filled the air.
I felt tears beginning to stream my cheeks again and I began to wonder why these people were here. We hadn't done anything wrong and we didn't even know them. We didn't even know their names... But the three people were angry when they kicked down our front door, all of them holding weapons. The men had taken our parents out to the living room while Paige had taken me to the kitchen to hide. She told me to stay put and be quiet, so I did exactly that. And now, here we were... I couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of torturous things they were doing to my parents.
A cracking sound went out and a final scream, followed by a thunk. I knew that they had just killed my mother. The horror was unimaginable—Sitting there, feeling completely helpless. I was seven years old and I had no idea what was really happening. Then I saw the weapons of the men in the black clothes and the crudely painted Peacekeeper helmets they'd probably taken from some that they killed themselves. I didn't get how something could go so wrong in our little house that was so typically full of love... But I guess in Panem things didn't work out so well, no matter where you were.
Just then, I heard the blood curdling shriek of my older sister, Paige. The footsteps of the men leaving the room and the kicking of her feet on the floor as she struggled to escape. Slowly, I dared to peek my head out the cabinet door and I saw as Paige rounded the corner, she mouthed her final words to me; 'Go to Nick.' She didn't have to tell me twice. I blew her a kiss, then I slipped from the cabinet and climbed up on the counter as quietly and quickly as possible. I unlatched the window above the sink and slid it open as fast as my tiny little hands could. I jumped through the window, then ran as hard my body would let me. My numb little legs began to tremble as I stumbled along the dirt road. But when I arrived at Nick's house, I collapsed on the porch, blacking out.
I sit up in bed, shaking my head. The nightmares never stopped. Ever since that day, I'd been having nightmares. Now, I was sixteen. If you don't want to do the math, that's nine years of the same terrible nightmare every night. Every night it was the same episode, the same expressions, the same people. It never stopped and it probably never would. Quickly, I rid the sheets from my legs, desperate to get out of bed. I pull a shirt over my head, walking from my room. Nick makes his way down the hall before me, leaning against the wall and yawning lackadaisically. I laugh, then pat his shoulder as I chew on my bottom lip. Nick chuckles, and I noogie his caramel brown hair. He grabs my hand and pushes it away, giving me a hug.
"Good morning, sunshine." I say playfully, opening the kitchen door.
"Good morning, Hunt." He laughs as he fishes out a bagel from the cupboard, "Reaping's today. Right?"
"Yes, sir. How could you forget?" I tease, brushing past him as I pull a glass from the cupboard and pour some milk into it.
As of this point, I can pick up that Nick isn't sensing my act. Every morning, I'm a bit worried that he'll know I'm acting. I act so he doesn't ask about my nightmares... He did once, but I covered it up. He was extremely curious and continued to bother me about it. I just told him it was a simple nightmare. That's when the acting started. Just acting like I never had the nightmares and that I had the dreams of any other normal person. Apparently, it worked, too. Because he's never had a suspicion since then.
"I dunno. I mean, it is something freaky that nobody except for Careers like... But, I guess you're right. Whatever." Nick laughs, grabbing his bagel from the toaster and chowing down on it.
He walks over as I lift the glass to my lips and pulls it from my hands, taking a swallow and giving it back to me. I laugh, rolling my eyes and taking my desired sip. Just then, Nick's mother walks in. She smiles at us, stretching and yawning.
"Morning, boys." She says cheerfully.
"Hey, mom." Nick says dryly.
"Good morning." I smile to her.
"Well, good morning, cheery eyes." She laughs, patting my shoulder.
I chuckle, then drink the rest of my milk. Standing up, I give Nick's mother a quick hug, then let out a sigh.
"I think I'm going to go get ready, now." I say, walking from the room as Nick and his mother start to talk.
I go back into my room, then walk to my dresser, wondering what I'll wear. First, I walk to the big window and draw the shades. Natural light fills the room and I smile. Well, everything is good... Until... Until I see a bug. I scream at the top of my lungs and grab the alarm clock on my nightstand. The bug crawls up the wall and it looks like a spider. I take the clock and bash it into the wall over and over, missing the bug each time.
"Die!" I yell, finally delivering a crushing blow to the bug.
Chills run down my spine and I shake my head. I hate bugs so much. Ick. I look at the bug guts on my clock, frowning. Even grosser. I slide open the window, then toss the clock out and close the window again. It's pretty cold outside and I don't want more bugs in my room... Nasty. After that soap opera, I return back to my dresser. Slowly, I run my fingers across the wood, then grab the knob on the middle and pull the drawer open. My Reaping outfit lies there perfectly. I had ironed it the day before so it would be prepared.
First, I slide on a white undershirt and tug on my black button down shirt. I button it up, then pull out my white blazer. I've been waiting to test this out... I pull it on, then straighten it out and smile at my reflection. Then, I put on my brown pants and my white sneakers. I look pretty decent—Not to blow my own horn. I spike up the front of my hair, leaving the rest to stay loose and then I'm on my way. I pick up my bangle on the way, sliding it onto my wrist. Nick gave it to me when we were younger. On the front, it's engraved, "Loyalty and Brotherhood". I just wonder if he knows I want to be more than friends... I doubt it… But, whatever. I try not to think about it.
I walk down the hall, shutting the door to my room and going down to the front door. I look out to the kitchen and Nick has gone to his room. Only Nick's father and his mother stand against the counter. They look up at me and I wave.
"I'm going, now. I'm a bit late. I was wondering if you could send Nick down once he comes back?" I say quietly.
"Sure thing, son." Nick's father nods, smiling at me.
"Thank you!" I beam, running out the door and down to the Square.
When I reach the edge of the Square, people are already rushing to get in. I file into the line, moving with the other potentials at a painstakingly slow pace. Then, I'm in the front after what seems like ages. I hold out my finger, watching cautiously as the Peacekeeper draws my blood, then sticks it on the paper. I'm ushered off, and I walk down the aisle of the Square. I find my place in line, then watch as the girl Tribute volunteers.
No surprise there.
Then, Nick runs over and stands in line next to me, nodding up to the stage. I smile, giving him a weak hug. He grins, then looks up to the stage again. I knew that Nick wanted to volunteer for years, but I never knew when he would really do it... I felt like something bad was about to happen... And I don't want Nick taken from me.
"Nicholas Princeton!" I hear the words echo over the microphone and I swallow hard.
Nick laughs, then dives into the aisle, fist-pumping and cheering. I can't take it... I don't want to lose Nick... He's my brother... And I love him. I charge through the boys, pushing and shoving just as Nick climbs the stairs. I raise my hand, then yell out.
"I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer!"
Nick turns around, a look of anger covering his face. I know this is a new thing to him... He always gets what he wants... I run up the aisle and Nick storms down the stairs. Everything is silent... He glares at me and I look down at my feet. He just shakes his head, then walks off with his fists clenched at his sides. I walk up the stairs slowly, looking at the tall girl that stands inches above me. She must be at least six feet tall. She grins down at me and I hold out my hand. She grabs it, clenches it tight, and shakes it slowly and menacingly. With a wink, she turns and leads both the District Representative and I to the Justice Building, where I'll finally have time to explain to Nick...