"Wake up you lazy bum!" My little sister Kirsten shouts.
I open my eyes and see my little sister in my doorway with a cupcake in hand.
"Mom got these for the reaping day1" She says, twirling in a circle with the cupcake above her.
"Aw, thanks Kirsten." I say sweetly. I'm usually not that nice to my siblings, but today is the reaping day.
"Come into the kitchen!" She tugs me out of bed.
"One second. I need to get my reaping clothes on" I say, pushing her out of the room. I slip into a white button-up shirt. I put on a pair of tan pants. I leave the 3 top buttons of my shirt undone. I walk into the bathroom. I have short hair, that I like to keep up in spikes. I smile in the mirror. Who wouldn't sponsor you?
I walk down into the kitchen. My whole family is there, with my mom dishing out a nice slice of bacon to each of us, onto a neat little piece of toast.
"Bacon?" I ask ridiculously.
"I thought I should spend a little more money this reaping day." She says nicely.
My dad walks into the room. "Hello kids!" He says. I always see my dad in a suit, because he works with the mayor. He does some sort of financial crap, but I've never bothered to learn what it is. I have four other siblings, three sisters and one brother. My two oldest sisters are too old to be in the reaping this year, but me and my brother are. My brother, Tanner, is 12, so he'll only go in once. I'm 16, so I'll go in four times. Kirsten's too young to be in the reaping, I wish I could live in childhood, not being in the reaping, dancing around holding a cupcake.
Some kids in our district, mainly the poorer end, has to get tesserae. We're not rich, but my dad's job in the government brings us to the top five percent in our district. I've never thought the tesserae was fair, forcing the poorer kids to risk their lives. But I'm not one to complain.
I look at the time on the stove. It's a bit past 7:00.
"Mom, I'm going. Meet you at the square." I call out as I open the front door.
"Bring this for her and her family." She calls back. She brings me a plate filled with cupcakes.
I walk down the street. We live on the nicer part of District 6, the north end. The one where the government families live. My girlfriend lives in the middle class area, a couple blocks away. I run the rest of the way to her house.
I knock on the door and her brother Ethan immediately opens it. He is too young to be in the reaping, being only 11 years old. But this is his last year being safe, so he better enjoy it. He invites me in, and I sit on the couch for ten or so seconds until she comes down the stairs. She's absolutely stunning in a white dress with red lines curving in a pattern around the skirt. She comes up and embraces me.
"Good luck Matt." She whispers.
"And may the odds be ever in your favor Julia." I whisper back.
"We stand like that for ten or so seconds until Julia's mother walks in. I offer her the cookies and she takes them graciously.
Julia walks with me down to the square, which isn't that far from her house. We seem to be pretty early though. Only about half the square is full. She kisses me on the lips and we go to register. I go into the roped section with a sign that says "BOYS 16" and wait for what seems an eternity. I think about what will happen if Julia gets called. Of course it would be a requirement to go visit her before she leaves, but what will I do for those next few weeks? What if I get called for that matter? What will she do for the next few weeks?
I come back to reality in time to see that the town square is now full of people. I get a glimpse of Julia in the girls section before our Capitol representative comes up. Porquia, or Porky as shes called behind her back, goes to the front. She has hot pink skin, and a lighter tone of pink in her hair. She has stencils on her cheeks and arms and talks in a high voice.
I ignore her voice, partly because it sounds more like screeching, partly because its gotten boring. Blah blah children blah blah rebellion blah blah blah. As if we didn't know. Then shes plunging her hand into the reaping ball and calling the name. I manage to listen, mostly so I can hear if its Julia.
Porquia reads the name, then seems to look right at me, and reads the name.
"Adriana Julhaunne!"
Everybody turns to the girls section as a girl 15 years of age walks up the stage. Adriana seems neither sad nor happy, but oddly confused. The representative calls on everybody to cheer in her bubbly voice, and a couple people start, but then awkwardly stop. Then shes plunging her hand into the boys reaping ball and reading it. Once again she stares right at me and time stops.
"Tanner Huntback!"
I vaguely recognize that as my brother's name and suddenly have a thought. I remember making myself a promise that if my brother was called, I would volunteer. Of course, I may have just done that to make myself feel good, as I was actually defying the Capitol with that thought.
Porquia is calling for volunteers and I tell myself that its now or never. I think back to past tributes. Nobody volunteered for them. Why should I? Then I know that I couldn't face little Kirsten if I didn't do this.
"I volunteer." I call calmy.
Everybody turns their heads toward me and Porquia acts like she won the lottery.
"Hooray! We have a volunteer. I walk to the front, past my brother Tanner. He looks me in the eye and I manage to smile at him.
I walk to the front and just now notice how large our district is. District 6. Porquia continues talking, but I'm not listening. Nor am I concerned about the Hunger Games. I don't see my family in the crowd, but I see little Kirsten in my mind, waving around that cupcake.