Hunger Games High School
"Katniss Everdeen," calls Mrs. Duff from the front of the room.
I lift my head up from my daydream, and I say, "Here."
Gale sits next to me, and he smiles. He has always been my best friend. I can tell him anything. In addition, he is the only person who is actually nice to me in this school, other than Aqua Dorfman.
Gale and I write notes to each other on a piece of paper, passing it back and forth between our desks.
Gale writes, "Hunting tonight?"
I reply, "For sure."
Glimmer, the meanest girl in school looks over at Gale and me. The thing is, Glimmer always had a thing for Gale. In kindergarten, they started going out, but Glimmer broke up with him because she had another man on her mind: Cato.
Cato is the most popular person at schoo, but I cannot see why girls like him. He is not the best looking, he has a pointy nose and gapped teeth, but I guess his piercing green eyes make up for it.
I know Glimmer likes Cato, but I know Clove does too. Clove is the second most popular person at my school, and Glimmer and she have been fighting for years for Cato's heart.
Glimmer pulls a piece of pink bubblegum from out of her mouth and raises her hand.
"Yes, Mrs. Willows" Mrs. Duff asks.
"Gale and Katniss are passing notes," Glimmer says.
Mrs. Duff gets up from her desk and wals over to Gale and me. It is illegal to hunt in Panem, so being caught passing notes about hunting will probably get us killed.
Like a flash, Gale pulls the paper off of my desk and replaces it with a page of history notes about the Hunger Games.
"We were just talking about the unit exam," Lies Gale, winking at me from the side.
"Glimmer, don't accuse," Mrs. Duff scolds.
Glimmer's mouth hangs open and she pops the gum back in her mouth. She shoots us a dirty look, and she looks back at the board.
In History class, we learn more about the Hunger Games. We learn that the Hunger Games was created, as punishment to us, because of what our ancestors did, which I do not think is fair. Apparantely there is another Hunger Games coming up in two months. Everyone is terrified, and so am I.
If my classmates and I were in the Hunger Games, Glimmer, Cato and Clove would be the careers, Gale and I would be the loners with only each other, and maybe Aqua Dorfman.
During the video about the Hunger Games, Aqua furiously wrote down notes, as if she was going to be in the Hunger Games someday. Her red hair would be easy to spot in the trees, because it is so bright, but I bet she is quick and smart and sly- like a fox.
When class ends, Gale and I walk into the hallway and head towards Gym class. Gym class is the only thing worse than being in the Hunger Games.
As always, we play dodgeball in Gym, and the teacher puts all the strong kids on one team. Which leaves me, Gale, Aqua, and a bunch of other kids with frail arms and bony bodies.
The teacher blows the whistle and the first one out of course, is Peeta Mellark. Peeta Mellark is the son of the baker in District 12, and he does not move real quick, so he is always out first. Once, when I was starving, Peeta actually gave me bread. He saved my life that day. But I still kind of think it is social suicide to hang out with him, since he is one of the most unpopular kids in the class.
Soon, most of my team is down. There are three of us left. Me, Gale and Aqua. Aqua dodges the hard balls no problem, sliding from side to side. I attempt to throw balls at the other team, which has all of its members. Gale stays in the back, and collects the balls that are thrown to the side.
The other team throws hard. They are so competitive. They think winning is everything. They have never been beaten in dodgeball, which makes me a little angry, because they are all so arrogant.
Gale bends down to pick up a lost ball, but then a ball flies through the air and slams him hard in the chest, pushing him to the back wall. It must have been Cato who threw the ball at him. Gale rubs his head and anger takes over me. I grab a ball, and throw it hard at Cato, knocking him down, and making him hit his head on the ground hard.
Clove takes the ball, and throws it forcefully at me, but Aqua steps in front of me and takes it to her stomach.
I realize I am the last one left. I lift up a ball, and I throw it hard at Glimmer. Glimmer falls down fast, and she falls on her butt. Clove looks at her, distracted, and I launch a ball at her, too. It hits her in the face, and she backs into the wall.
With their strongest members gone, the rest of their team forfits. I realize that I have just beaten the unbeatable team in dodgeball. I may be a hero to some people, but to others, I'm a threat.