Hello! This is my first Hunger Games story and I am writing it with my friend! Please review and no flames! We just finished the Hunger Games series and we loved them and we also have to say TEAM PEETA ALL THE WAY! We know that this isn't the best story in the world, but please just give it a chance (:
Disclaimer: MissPayne143 does not own Hunger Games.
Reaping Day. I've never really had to be afraid of this day. Until today. It all started at 9 in the morning when my best friend Finnik Odair came running into my room.
"WAKE UP LILY!" He slammed into my bed, my eyes bolting open while swinging my arm aiming at what ever it was that ruined my sleep.
"Whoa, don't hurt me please. Not today at least." He grabbed my arm and helped me sit up. I was immediately staring into bright green eyes and bronze hair. I yawned and stretched out my arms.
"Good morning to you too Finnik." I said smiling. I remember a time when he would come running into my room and jumped on my bed, but we were so little back then I couldn't even feel the impact of body and mattress. I pushed the silky sheets back and climbed out of the warm comforts of bed.
"You ready for reaping day?" Of course I wasn't. Even if our names were only in the reaping ball once, there was still a good chance that we could be chosen. Or worse one of our family members could be chosen.
"Well of course I'm not. Who ever is?" I asked while making a slow decent from bed to the door. Finnik trailed so close behind that I could literally feel his body heat against me. Once we made it downstairs I sat down at the kitchen table ready for whatever my dad decided to make for breakfast.
"Good morning Lily. Is Finnik here?" My mom asked me already dressed in her best clothes.
"Right here Katniss!" Finnik came into the kitchen with my little brother Teddy over his shoulder.
"I told you not to mess with Finnik in the morning Teddy! He gets crabby when you try and ambush him." I tried not to smile at the thought of my 14 year old brother trying to attack a seventeen year old.
"You just don't want your boyfriend to lose his pretty face." Teddy sat down at the table sticking his tongue out at me.
"We're not dating Theodore." I glared at him trying to make myself look as fierce as I could. I guess that I really didn't need to glare; I mean it was the morning; I was already pretty unattractive as it is. Finnik leaned over the table and whispered something into Teddy's ear making him turn red from laughing. I rolled my eyes as my dad brought in some of his freshly baked pastries. I've tried to bake, but every time I end up burning something.
"Eat up kids! We have a big, big, big day ahead of us!" I never understood why my mom and dad found it hysterical to say big, big, big in front of day every time we had something important happening.
"Oh look, Finniks here. Big surprise." My dad tossed a cinnamon roll over to Finnik hoping that this time he would miss and it would go sailing over his head into our ungrateful cat Buttercups mouth. But Finnik caught it with ease, like he has almost every morning for the past 16 years.
"I'm happy to see you too Peeta." Finnik said after he took a big bite out of his cinnamon roll.
"You kids need to get ready for the reaping and then meet us at Haymitchs' house. We have to go and talk to him about something. See you kids soon." My mom and dad kissed out heads and left the house.
"What do you think they're talking about?" Teddy asked us. He asks the same thing every year.
"Probably how to kill you when you get into the arena." Finnik said smiling at his scared expression.
"They're talking about what they always talk about Teddy. Nothing." They always told us that they were talking about nothing whenever we would ask. I finished my breakfast and stood up.
"I'm going to get ready. You, Finnik, need to go and get dressed for the reaping; and bring some cinnamon rolls for Annie." I told him giving the speech that I do every year on this dreaded day.
"Got it. Bye Teddy." He grabbed a huge tray full of cinnamon rolls and started to walk to the door. I met him there and we had our usual discussion.
"What if we're chosen Finnik?" I asked opening the door for him.
"We survive." That's what I love about Finnik. He can take the scariest of situations and say exactly what he thinks. He's not afraid of what everyone else would say about it. He just speaks his mind.
"And when we come back, everyone will find us irresistible." He said with his usual cocky tone.
"All the girls find you irresistible already." I said giving him a crooked grin.
"I know. Who wouldn't want this?" He said striking a provocative pose.
"Just go and get ready Finnik." I said starting to close the door. He jammed his foot in between the door and the door frame.
"Don't go thinking for a second that the guys don't find you irresistible." He said before leaving. Just as I was closing the door I could just make out him saying something else, "After all, you are the most beautiful girl alive Lily."
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After settling with a green dress that fell to my knees, leaving my black hair down and putting a matching head band in it I went into Teddy's room to make sure that he was ready to go. Just like every other year he was sitting on his bed staring out the window to the meadow of District 12. I walked over and sat down next to him. He was wearing his usual Reaping Day outfit. Blue pants, a white shirt and he made sure to brush his unruly straight blond hair. A little piece came down to cover his gray eyes; I brushed it out of the way and saw that little 3 year old boy again. How simple things were before we both had to enter the reaping.
"You ready to go?" I asked standing up and holding out my hand for him to take.
"No." But he stood up and took my hand anyway and we started for the door so we could go to Haymitchs' house.
"What if they pick my name out of the ball Lily?" I hated when his voice sounded this small.
"Then there is no doubt in my mind that Finnik will take your place."
"But I don't want him to Lily! I'm not weak! I bet that I could make it out of there alive just like Mom and Dad did!" He started to sound angry.
"Well of course you're not weak. I've seen the way you can wrestle Teddy. You're remarkably strong."
"Not as strong as Finnik."
"Finnik is seventeen and has natural muscle. He doesn't have to work out, he's just naturally strong."
"I want to be like that." We made it to Haymitchs' house and stopped in the doorway. I turned to him and fixed his collar.
"You just be you." I opened the door and there standing in the entryway was my mother in her beautiful blue dress, her black hair braided down her back, my father who you would be stupid not to realize that Teddy was his son, Annie in her usual gray dress and her hair falling down her back in delicate waves, Haymitch drunk as usual and in a suit, and Finnik. In dark blue pants, a sea green shirt and his bronze hair neatly trimmed (Annie probably did it when he got home) and combed perfectly. He really was a handsome man. You would be a fool not to think so.
"Well look who finally decided to join us."
"Nice to see you too Haymitch. Great to know you cleaned up for us." I said motioning to the clear entryway but the obscenely messy, well, everywhere else.
"Its crazy how much like you she is Katniss." He says that every time I'm standing with my mother. I guess we have the same personality. Although I inherited her long black hair, and strong but slim body. The only thing that isn't like her is my eyes. I certainly have my fathers dazzlingly blue eyes.
"We should go; I made Gale promise to save us a spot in the front of the crowd; if we go right now we just might be able to find him." My mom was right; it would surely be full in the city center. Haymitch left first, followed by my mom, dad and Teddy, then Annie and last Finnik and I side by side.
"Another year." Finnik sighed.
"Another year." I agreed. We made it to the city center; Annie went to find Gale while Haymitch accompanied my mom and dad to the stage where they took their usual seat as victors of a previous Hunger Games. Teddy went off to his friends in the fourteen year old section while Finnik and I made our way for the section for seventeen year olds.
"Happy Hunger Games Lily." Finnik whispered in my ear.
"May the odds be ever in your favor Finnik." I whispered back.
We stood there in silence until the Mayor walked up to the podium and gave the usual speech about the Dark Days, and the second Dark Days and how this is our fault for rising up against the Capitol. Once he finished the ever enthusiastic Effie Trinket this year styling a pink wig, gold skin and an outrageous purple outfit waltzed up to the podium.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!" I hated that line with all my heart.
"Ladies first." I caught a glimpse of Teddy looking over at me nervously. I smiled back and pointed to the front so he would pay attention. Finnik grabbed my hand as we stood there horrified as she reached her hand into the reaping bowl full of female names. On one slip of those papers is my name. Lilia Mellark neatly printed in Capitol handwriting. Effie grabbed a slip of paper. She held it in her hand and walked back up to the podium. There she neatly set it down and smoothed out the paper. She looked down at it and brought the microphone up to her lips about to read the name of this year's female tribute. Finnik gave my hand a light squeeze. Effie smiled at the audience and said the name in her peppy Capitol accent.
"Lilia Mellark."
That was not planned. I was not ready for this. I put on my best face hoping that it looked emotionless, and let go of Finniks hand. As I passed him to go up to the stage I saw him out of the corner of my eye standing there frozen and deathly white as I walked up to the stage. I passed the fourteen year olds and Teddy tried to fight his way past the group of Peacekeepers that were holding him back. My mom and Dad sat there on the stage with tears in their eyes. I knew that this is exactly what they dreaded. My mom didn't even want to have children in fear of this happening. I turned away from them in hopes that I wouldn't burst out in tears.
Before I knew it I was on the stage and standing behind the reaping ball of possible female tributes names. Effie was still staring at the paper with my name on it speechless. This must've been hard for her too. I mean she knows me personally and to watch me possibly die. That must've been just as bad. After what seemed like ages I needed to get Effie to speak up instead of looking down. There is no doubt in my mind that she will look back at this later and tell me how ridiculous she looked.
"Effie." I whispered. This seemed to bring her back into reality and she put that huge smile back onto her face as she walked over to the male names. I saw Teddy with Peacekeepers holding him back and Finnik still standing there pale. Effie made her way back to the podium and flattened out the piece of paper with the male tributes name on it.
"Arthur Hawthorne." I knew that name. That was Teddy's best friend and Gale's son. I expected to see a rustling in the fourteen year olds as Arthur made his way up to the stage but before he could a loud masculine voice interrupted him.
"I VOLENTEER AS TRIBUTE!" There was no way that I could mistake that voice. In seconds flat a boy was on the stage. I didn't register who it was until Effie asked for his name and he promptly answered.
"Finnik Odair Jr." What has he done?
Well we hope you love it! Don't forget to review!
May the odds be ever in your favor,
MissPayne143 and friend(;