I don't remember exactly what happened in the beginning of the reaping, so I'm improvising, sorry! T_T
An hour before reaping...
Cato and Katlyn Hadley sat in their living room with their parents. Their parents sat there, only hours until the dreadful day.
"Why are you worrying?" Katlyn said, masking her fear, "District 2 has a winning streak that most likely won't break."
Her mother looked at her, "How can you be so confident you won't be picked? or your brother?"
Katlyn's confidence was then shattered. She just turned 14, so it would be her third reaping. She never felt that she would ever be picked.
"You don't know, do you?" her father said just as firmly.
Cato put his arm around his little sister, "Don't worry. We're the best in this town. Even if we are picked, no one would want to mess with us."
Katlyn nodded as she went to go bathe before the reaping; can't be any less impressive than now.
A light pink, flowing dress lay on her bed, waiting for her. She had white ballet flats next to it. When she put them on, her mother dried and pressed her hair, topping it with a laced, white ribbon to put it a ponytail.
"You look beautiful, Kit," she said softly.
"Thanks mom," she hugged her, "and when we come back, we'll have a big feast, celebrating another year." Her mother nodded as the four of them set off for the reaping grounds.
They made it there, put a man in a suit stopped them, "This is as far as you can go," indicating to Mr. and Mrs. Hadley. They nodded as Katlyn hugged onto Cato's arm, and they were both led to the sign-in booth.
"Finger," Cato stuck out his hand and the woman grabbed it, cut it with a little machine, and stamped it on the paper.
Katlyn's POV
She held her hand out and I did the same as my brother and the same thing was repeated. We went our separate ways as Effie Trinket came onto her podium.
"Hello District 2! It is now time for the reaping for the 74th Annual Hunger Games!" No one clapped as Cato and I smirked at each other. We gave each other our three-fingered sign for good luck.
She showed the video and watched it in awe until it finished, "That's my favorite part. Now, it is time! May the odds be ever in your favor."
I closed my eyes and breathed, "For the girls!" She reached hand into the bucket of names and delicately picked a card.
The suspense killed me as she opened it and smiled, proudly saying, "Katlyn Hadley!"
I heard my mother shriek and my dad had to hold her as she cried. My eyes went dark as I looked at Cato and he looked at me sympathetically.
Everyone watched as the guards pulled me from the crowd and I was forced to walk to the front with her. Markus, my boyfriend, was shaking his head and mouthing that he loved me. Effie smiled at me, but I didn't return it.
"Now for the boys!" She reached into the boys' name bin and picked out a card. She was about to announce the name, but Cato looked as if he was going to burst.
"I volunteer!"
Every guy looked at him as he pushed his way through the boys crowd, "I volunteer." He stated it and Effie laughed with glee; that sick woman.
"Well, it appears we have a volunteer! Come on up, come on," she coaxed him like a dog and he came up smirking at me.
"What's your name, young man?" she put the microphone in his face.
"Cato Hadley."
"Well, if I didn't know better, I'd think that this is your sister." Cato nodded, "Well, may the odds be ever in your favor. Go ahead, shake hands."
We turned to each other and smirked as we shook each others hands roughly as we turned back to our parents and nodded.
"Can I have the mic?" she nodded as she handed me the big microphone and I spoke into it clearly.
"District 2! We are happy to be the tributes of this Hunger Game and we will win! One way or another and we will not let any other tribute from any district get in our way of victory!"
The entire district that attended cheered except for my friends, Cato's friends, Markus, or his sister, Clove.
They led us to the edge of the district to a building of some sort, "You've got 5 minutes," we heard someone say.
We looked up to see our parents come in and they hugged us both, "You have to win," my mother said sadly, "you both have to return."
I nodded, "I'll come back, Cato will come back, and we'll both be victors. I promise." My mother nodded as my father gave me and Cato a dagger with a sheath.
Cato nodded, "Thanks dad. We'll win this for you two." The guard came back in and took our parents away as two other figures showed up.
"Markus," I said sadly as he held me in his arms and Clove did the same with Cato. They were good friends and so were Clove and I.
"Stay alive," she whispered to him.
"I will; promise."
Markus kissed me briefly yet lovingly, "Promise you won't die."
"I promise you I'll win."
He nodded as he and Cato did some type of hand-shake and Clove came over to me. Over the years, she taught me how to handle knives and daggers to defend myself. I owe everything to her.
"Hey Kat," she hugged me, "just take everything I taught you and turn it around, all right?"
I nodded as she slid her arm over mine and I felt something press against me, "Time's up." Clove and Markus nodded as Clove put a finger to her lips.
When they all left, we were led to a hover train. When we were situated, I looked down and saw a very sharp dagger and a paper attached to it.
Only use it for emergencies.
Stay alive and trust no one.
Come back a victor.
I'll be rooting for you.
~ Clove
I smiled as I let a tear escape and Cato wiped it away as he tucked me under his arm, as if to be protecting me, "We'll come back. Both of us."
"It's impossible though, Cato. Only one person can win."
Cato kissed my forehead and whispered, "When it's just us two left, we'll fake kill ourselves and they'll have no choice but to let us both win."
I furrowed my brows, "How would 'killing' ourselves solve this problem?"
"They only want a show and a winner. If there isn't one victor, the whole thing would have been for nothing. Get it?"
I nodded, "Yeah, I get it. We won't let anyone stand in our way." He smirked as I drifted off to sleep as we headed of to Capitol. I never wanted this day to come, but it was inevitable I guess. But one thing's for sure-
Nobody will stand in my way of coming home. And I mean...
Nobody