Chapter 1
Today is the day of the reaping, which is never a happy day. At exactly 10:00 am we all go to the little stadium where they will announce the boy and girl tribute, just like they did 398 years ago. My family meets with Kus's at the stadium entrance and then go inside. Grove Pines is home to over 5,000 people so it is more or less filled.
We take our usual seats in the middle of the risers facing the stage. Kus sits beside me shaking slightly, his face full of emotion. He hand clutches mine so hard, that I have to pull my hand away from his grip. This always happens on the reaping day and I feel myself start to shake too as Feefie steps up to the plate to start the ceremony.
"Welcome!" she says. "To the third and 78 Games."
I look over at Kus whose face is white with terror. I nudge him with my elbow.
"Remember our promise?" I ask. He nods his head curtly. Kus promised me that if I got chosen, that he would take the boy tribute's place.
After a long introduction, Feefie states, "Lets begin! Women first, yeah?" She pushes the little dial that selects a ball with a girl's name on it. The people on the stage swarm around the ball to see who it is.
"Cosmette Odair-Mellark!" Feefie exclaims. "Brilliant! Katniss's and Finnicks's little relation! Come on up."
I swallow hard and look at Kus. He seems to be zoned out in terror. I pinch him and ask, "You hear? Volunteer as the boy!" He nods sadly.
I turn and face the stage and start walking down to it. My steps echo through stadium as I make my way to the stage. I walk up the steps to the stage, nod at Feefie and turn to face the audience. As Feefie calls congratulations to my family, I see Kus staring at me with tears in his eyes.
"Now for the Men," Feefie exclaims happily. "Ah, Andrew Cato." I turn my face to Kus to volunteer as tribute. But he doesn't. He just sites there staring off into space like he didn't hear the boy's name called. I try to make eye contact with him. When I do, he just looks at me sadly and shakes his head.
Then I begin to register who they have picked. Andrew Cato. A boy with black hair and green eyes, who is tall and muscular. It was the boy that I dated in seventh grade for two months but then broke up with him because I became good friends with Kus. He is also the descendent of Cato, a enemy of Katniss and Peeta.
I watch Andrew walk down to the stage. I feel myself slightly blush as his eyes lock with mine. I try a weak smile. He smiles back at me. Then I train my eyes ahead until Feefie tells us to shake hands. Andrew squeezes my hand rather then shaking it. I look into his eyes and see them laughing at me. I promptly let go of his hand.
They herd us into two different rooms to talk to our families. I sit on a plus black sofa, which bounces greatly when I sit down. A man comes in carrying a platter with drinks and small fruitcakes.
"Where would you like me to set it?" he asks. I nod to the little table near the sofa. After he leaves I go and look at the cakes. I pop a little strawberry cake in my mouth and chew on it thoughtfully. 'Why didn't Kus volunteer? Did he think that because of our backgrounds that Andrew and I would work together better then him and me' I wonder.
I am wondering why my parents are taking so long when they burst into the room. They run up to me and gather me in their arms. We cry and then stop, then we cry some more. "It will be okay," I hear myself say even though I know that it won't be.
"We have total faith in you!" my mom says. "You have a greater chance to win because you have Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick in your blood."
"Thanks mom," I say smiling at her. "But I don't really know my strengths well at all! I mean," I pause trying to think of at least on strength." I can carry heavy objects that some grown-ups can't but I have no clue what else I am good at. If you count my looks."
Yes my look, I have been a popular girl and hundreds of cute boys have asked me out. Of course, for the most of them I agreed but after dating Kus, I have declined all of them. I honestly think that there are a lot of girls prettier than me but I seem to be the one who attracts the most boys.
"You'll do fine," says dad. "I'll bet you will find your strength when exercising."
"Times up," says the man who brought the cakes.
I hug my parents goodbye and sit down on the couch. I sit there for a good ten minutes before Kus comes in. He is unusually quiet and walks over the couch to sit down beside me. I take his hand and squeeze it tightly.
"Well I think you will be perfect together," mumbles Kus. "I know I probably don't stand a chance next to him anyway."
"That's not true," I reply looking him straight in the eye. "We never came close to kissing! All I did with him was go out to eat and kiss him on the cheek anytime I saw him. Not that exciting, huh?"
I can tell Kus is avoiding my eyes.
"Don't think I don't know why you didn't volunteer! You just think that because we have such strong and famous ancestors, and you don't, you wouldn't help me win the games!" I say. "But that it NOT true at all! You are strong, you make friends easily, you have skills that Andrew doesn't have. Don't think of yourself as useless just because you don't have a fantastic ancestry!" I begin to realize that Kus is being too quiet, even though his girlfriend is going off on a suicide mission. Also, I shouldn't be lecturing and comforting him, he should be doing that to me!
Time is running short and I know we only have about five minutes left together. I lean over and give Kus a hug and kiss him on the cheek.
"What's the matter with you?" I cry in despair. "When I hug you, you just site there and don't even move! Don't you love me anymore?" In response he kisses me quickly. I start to cry, really cry, and hard. After a minute of crying, Kus's t-shirt is soaked through with my tears. He looks down and I see his face in contorted with fear and hurt. I try to kiss him but he turns his face away. This makes me cry even harder. He then picks me up in his arms and rocks me back and forth as if I am a baby. I wrap my arms around him with my face in his chest. I look up to see him softly crying. I raise my head toward his. When our lips touch I feel him slightly shaking. Actually, his whole body is shaking, and his lips feel strangely chilled. I pull away to see his face a pallor color.
"Kus, are you okay?" I ask. I could hear the fear in my voice. I wrap my arms even more tightly around him to keep him from shivering. When this doesn't help, I walk over and grab some water and give it to him. "Drink this," I command. He does, and the coldness seems to snap him out of his shivering fit.
"Time," I hear the man say. I kiss Kus on the cheek.
"Kus, if I don't make it through the Games," I pause. "Take care of my brother for me." Kus nods and walks out the door.
Now I am utterly alone, and thoroughly saddened by the two goodbyes. I have always wondered why the newly selected tributes went after they were picked. I know now but not in the way I would have liked too know. I wonder where they will take us to next as I sit on the couch. I just want to go to New Capital and get today over with so I can train tomorrow.
About ten minutes later a women comes in and tells me to follow her. We go through many hallways with lots of turns. Finally we make a final turn and I recognize the train station. I look around me and see a man with Andrew coming towards us. Andrew catches my eye and I see a quick look of pity in his eyes. It's probably because my eyes are red from crying.
We all step onto the train. The temperature seems to drop ten degrees and I feel myself start to shiver. I look over and see Andrew shivering too. We aren't used to this cold temperature because it is almost always hot in Grove Pines. We are led to a big living room-like compartment. I sit down on a couch and Andrew sits across from me in a chair.
"Feefie, Caesie, and Nick will be with you shortly," says the woman a she and the man walk out of the room. Caesie and Nick were both the winners last year. In the Games today, you can have tow winners from the same County or one if the other tribute from your County dies.
Andrew and I sit silently, not daring to look at each other. After a minute I look up to see Andrew looking at me. He stands up and walks over to the couch and sits down beside.
"So, I know that right now you are not liking this arrangement right now. Am I right?" asks Andrew. " I am guessing that Kus says he thinks he doesn't stand a chance. He's always been like that."
"Yeah. But I told him not to worry. I think we will make a good team based on our backgrounds," I say.
Caesie and Nick walk in. Caesie has short chestnut hair that goes to her shoulders, and is shorter than me. Nick has long blond hair that is in a ponytail and is fairly tall.
"Congratulations!" Nick says. "Your have officially made it to the worst day of your life."
"We heard about your ancestry and we think you can make it," adds Caesie. They both go on and on about their experience in the games.
"I think you should know that it is pretty easy in the beginning of the games. After a few days everyone kind of gets used to the arena," says Nick. "Then after about a week the 'natural' causes, and storms begin. Because of this, you need to store up extra supplies you won't be completely unprepared for this."
Feefie walks in just as Nick stops talking. She says the train has left the station and I going to tell us the schedule for the next 24 hours.
"First, when we get to New Capital, you will settle down in your rooms for about a hour. Then you will dress in our clothes for the opening ceremony, and then go back to your rooms," says Feefie. "Then tomorrow, you will have a day to relax and roam around your residence hall."
Caesie, Nick and Feefie walk out of the room to let Andrew and me talk.
I feel Andrew's hand slip into mine and squeeze it. It isn't until now that I notice that I am shaking. I try to command myself to stop but fail. The feeling of tears running down my face both surprises me and angers me. I don't want Andrew to see this side of me. I turn my face away from him and try to free my hand from Andrew's grasp. My attempts are unsuccessful. I give up and rest my heard on Andrew's shoulder, while silent tears fall gently from my eyes. This is the first time since we broke up that I have touched him, even his hand. Slowly, I feel myself relaxing and calming down. The tears cease and I stop shaking. By now we are halfway to the capital. This is the part I have been dreading. I just want to stay hidden from everyone outside of County 12 until the games start.
A woman comes in sets some food and drinks on the table. I don't make a grab for anything. I don't make a grab for anything. Instead I feel sick and refuse anything Andrew tells me to eat except for water.
"Come on! You have to eat!" exclaims Andrew. "You can't starve yourself before you get to New Capital." He holds out a blueberry muffin to me. I reluctantly take it. That's one think about Andrew that makes me hate him. He has a way to convince you to do something that no one else can.
After we have consumed all of the food and drinks they laid out for us, Feefie comes in announcing our arrival at New Capital.
I don't move but just stay seated. Andrew stays seated beside me, silently holding my hand.
When the train comes to a halt, Andrew stands up and holds my hands. He pulls me off the couch.
"Cheer up!" he says. "You need to take your mind off the Games right now," and he kisses me. This takes me by surprise and I pull away very quickly.
"Come on," I say. "Let's go find Feefie." I start walking toward the door and find Feefie a little ways down the hallway.
"Just follow me off the train and to the residential hall so you don't get lost," Feefie tells us.
Andrew comes up beside me and this time I am the one who takes his hand, for stability not for comfort. Andrew turns to me and smiles. I don't return his smile. Hand in hand we follow Feefie out of the train. We head past New Capital people staring at us, to a car which takes us to the residential hall.