"Owww! You're on my foot!" the girl next to me says.
I step off and away from her. There aren't lots of places to go, though. Not even the whole of district 11 is here, and we can barely even move!
Suddenly a screen starts running a movie about the treaty of treason. I suppress a sigh. By the end, I'm nodding off. Something hits my shoulder and I look to my right. My best friend, Sunny, actually is asleep. She wakes up with a start when I poke her, and we break into giggles.
It doesn't help us stop laughing when our district escort, Maxli Bobble, totters on stage, nearly crashing down a few times.
She babbles for a while, and then decides to get on with it. "Now, it's time to draw names and see who your lucky tributes are! And don't forget, Happy hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" As she walks towards the bowl labeled female, my heart fills with dread.
She reaches in and pulls out a card. "Mandy Walters!" she announces. I deflate. Not me, nor Sunny. But then the mayor steps up and speaks quietly to her. She splutters for a while, and then calms down enough to tell the crowd what happened.
"Mandy will not be competing, because yesterday she fell from an orchard tree and broke an arm, a rib, and a leg. So, we will be redrawing the female tribute. She reaches into the bowl. As her fingers out a name, the crowd holds its breath. Maxli unfolds the card and clears her throat. "Ashley Seedson!"
I nearly scream.
It's me.
