My alarm clock woke me up at 6:00 AM. Sure, the reaping doesn't start until noon, but I'm getting there at 9:00 to make sure I'm the closest to the stage in my age group. Time to get ready, I have to look my absolute finest. I am going to the Capitol today!
My blonde locks fell into place, cascading to my mid-back. I looked into my pink floor-length mirror and noticed that I had forgotten to take my makeup off last night, and it formed rings around my eyes. I ran to the bathroom to wash it off and take a shower, but found the door locked and heard my brother, Kyle, singing The Sound of Music inside. Looks like I did succeed in finally getting it stuck in his head! Oh, Kyle... Who would have thought he would last year's Victor?
I eat breakfast in the kitchen while waiting for my turn in the restroom. Cereal, milk, half a grapefruit, bar of chacolate... hey, whoever said that ALL Careers eat healthy breakfasts? I run over my plan for the Reaping: since I'm 17, I'll be relatively close to the stage. I'll have to beat the 18's, but I'm fast. Very fast. As soon as my escort reads the first syllable, I'll be on my way. Hopefully I'll be onstage before she finishes the name. Doesn't exactly follow protocol.. but when have I been known to do that. We aren't supposed to run onstage, but we aren't supposed to be training either, but I have been since I could hold a spear. A pink spear, of course.
I hear the bathroom door open, so I dump the rest of my cereal down the garbage disposal, along with the grapefruit peel. I take a quick shower- I'm running late thanks to Kyle, so I can only condition twice. Great. I dry my hair as fast as I can, and set my curling iron to heat up.
Makeup took me about an hour, I gave myself ruby-red lips, an airbrushed complexion, and dark smoky eyes that will take forever to wash off on the train tonight, but it will be worth it. I open my closet, and there it is. My gown.
It is absolutely stunning- a mermaid tail with a fitted bodice. I didn't get it fitted all the way, because I still have to run to the stage. It will be a challenge, but you have to make an impression if you expect to win sponsors! I slip into the dark blue ensemble that matches my eyes perfectly and headed back to the bathroom to tame my tresses.
Before I knew it, it was 8:30 and I was headed to the town square. I was one of the first 17s there, only this one guy who had camped out had beaten me there. He's going to be too tired to volunteer, I can tell already!
9:00...
9:15...
9:30...
10:00...
WHY does time have to go so slow! I went over my plan of action in my head over and over and over again for what felt like an eternity to see that only 20 minutes had passed. Citizens began trickling in, and eventually it was time to begin. I saw my brother sitting with several of his Victor friends onstage. I'll be up there next year.
As our excort, Yvonne Antoinette, teetered to the podium in foot-high platform shoes, I smoothed my curls back, patted my dress down, and prepared to run.
I didn't hear a word of the welcome, of the Treaty, or anything for that matter. I was waiting for my chance to run. Soon, I heard it: "It is now time to pick our lucky lady of the day: Addiso-"
"I VOLUNTEER!" I shouted as I ran. I was onstage before I could learn Addison's surname.
"Oh, it seems we have a volunteer," Yvonne trilled. "What would be your name, doll?"
"My name is Mary Sue," I said. "And I volunteer."
