High off of love, drunk on hate.
Love the Way You Lie, Eminem
My name is Coral. As of the sea. I live in District Four. This is the year of the 34th Hunger Games. I am 15 years old. I have a brother, Brody and a pair of twin sisters, Teal and Lucy. My boyfriend's name is Marsell. He is 16 years old as of next week. My mother is dead, died giving birth to the twins. My father takes good care of us, only cries at night for my mother when he thinks we can't hear. We can. I live in Panem. This is my story.
The wind blows my loose wavy auburn hair back from my face. I stand on the edge of the cliff we call home, letting the salty wind blow in my face. I want to jump into the water, like every day, but I can't. The 10 foot drop will have to wait until tomorrow, I must be clean for the Reaping. I run to the well with my bucket. The well is our only source of fresh water. I dip the bucket into the well and let it resurface. I carry it to the porcelain tub and pour it in. I repeat this many more times. Eventually it's decently filled to where I can strip down my clothes- a simple pair of black pants and a blue short sleeved T shirt- and sink into the tub to bath. I do just that. Soon my sister – Lucy, I think- comes to tell me she laid out my clothes for today. She gives me a sad smile, either suggesting that she is worried about me for the Reaping or father told her to lay out some of mother's old clothes. Probably both. I return the smile and sink lower into the shallow tub. I feel someone tug at my hair and immediately know it's Marsell. He comes around to the end of the tub where my feet are splayed up and tickles them. I giggle lightly and shudder at his touch. He leans in towards my face and starts to count my numerous freckles. After a long while he looks into my eyes and says "I love you, beauty. You know that, right?" he asks, but not surprising me. He tells me every day, and he loves to call me beauty, claiming I am "as radiant as the sun on the salty ocean". I love him to, but I will never let him smirk at me for that. But he already knows, I tell him in other ways besides words. "I know," is all I can reply before I step out of the tub and grab my awaiting towel to wrap myself. As I do Marsell comes up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist and kissing my cheek. I lean my head and body into him, knowing it makes him feel even better than he does to me. I turn my head just enough to where I'm in the same position, just turned a little. I smile up at him and he kisses my forehead in return. This little gesture leaves me wanting more. Soon Brody is calling for me and I have to untangle myself from Marsell's grasp. I kiss him goodbye and whisper to him "See you at the Reaping," before running off, clutching the towel to my chest, and letting my bare feet hit the cold wooden floorboards.
I arrive at the Reaping wearing my mother's satin pea green dress with a white sweater over. My shoes are simple – black button ups with little scuffs on them. My hair is pulled up into a loose yet proper bun, held together with a white ribbon – courtesy of Lucy/Teal. Possibly both. I hold hands with Lucy who holds tightly to Teal – it's their very first Reaping so of course their scared. Brody had his last Reaping two years ago. He left with the fisherman on a trip this morning. I scan the crowd quickly for Marsell with no luck, so I turn to my sisters. "Meet me at the sweet shop after, okay?" I tell them, and Lucy's eyes pop up to meet mine. She knows now that I mean to buy them treats, something I can sacrifice only today. Teal just keeps her head down , and I see a lone tear fall down her cheek. Before I can react, a Peeckeeper pushes me into the proper line, leaving my sisters alone. I almost hit them, but as I look up I see it's just Marsell. "Stand together?" he asks me. In other districts they make the boys and girls stand in separate corrals, but in Four we can stand together. "Of course Lovely." I reply to him.
"Ladies first!" calls out Zea, our district escort. I pray for her not to sat Teal or Lucy, and my dream comes true, except the name she calls out is even more dreadful. "Coral Mallsay!" she calls out with dignity. I glance over to Marsell, and he looks too scared. I knew he would be. And I hate myself for ever saying hello to him. I barely hear anything else until she calls out the worst name possible. "Marsell Quimby!"