"Jasmine, did your mom ever tell you stories of her experiences in the Hunger Games?" asked Mrs. Hawthorne. "Why don't you come up and tell us a couple stories?" I wish I could go over to my older siblings' adjacent classrooms to ask for their permission. Since I can't, I just nod my head and stand up to go to the front of the classroom. Mrs. Hawthorne gives me a nod insinuating that I go on to talk.
"Well, my mother told me that in her first Hunger Games, she volunteered to take her sister, Prim's place as a tribute during the…"
"Reaping," said Mrs. Hawthorne.
"O yes, it was called the reaping," I couldn't think of what else to say. I had blanked out on everything that Mom had told me because I hated hearing every bit of it. I dislike violence so much; I dislike hearing about how my parents almost died. Mrs. Hawthorne noticed that I was trying to think of something else to say, so she helped me by asking me questions. I couldn't think of what to say to these questions, I felt so interrogated; standing there thinking of what to say next felt interminable. Suddenly, I ran out of the room and went to my sister's classroom that was right next to my classroom. No one was in there. I ran to my brother's classroom, which was right next to my sister's. No one in there either.
I ran out of the building, I saw both my sister's and my brother's classes standing out there. I hurtled towards my sister, Rose.
"Jasmine, what's wrong?" She asks me sounding concerned. I cry into her new blouse.
"Jasmine?" I recognize this sullen, vicious voice, it's my brother. "What are you doing here? Go to class!" The anger rises is in his voice, although I don't know why.
"Ash, calm down. Jasmine, what's wrong?" Says Rose in a soft, calming voice.
"I want to go home, to mom and dad." I say. My sister looks up at her teacher and she gives her a nod.
"We can go home now," we turn around and start to walk home.
"Wait! You must watch the T.V. tonight. There is an important announcement from President Cam at 6:30. It's mandatory," says Rose's teacher. Rain starts to trickle down on us. I hear Rose's teacher directing her students to go in. Once the rain pours down harder, Rose and I start to run. Once we are close to home, we walk slowly, embracing the rain. Rose turns around.
"What are you doing here?" She asks someone, but I'm too afraid to turn around to see who it is.
"She's my sister, too, you know," says Ash in an animated voice. Rose turns around and we start walking up the steps to our newly renovated house.
Rose is just about to open the front door when she suddenly hesitates and turns toward me. "What happened? Mom and dad will be interrogating me. I need to know what happened," says Rose in a serious voice. I explain to Ash and Rose what happened. It sounds kind of stupid what happened, but they nod because they understand how I feel. Rose opens the door and my mother runs over to us.
"What are you to doing home so early?" she asks. Rose explains everything to my mother.
"I'm sorry, mom," I say and look down.
"Don't be. Why don't they teach you kids things like the Han Dynasty of China or geography? They always talk about the Hunger Games," she says.
"Oh, mom, Mrs. Elopre told us that we must watch the television tonight at 6:30," says Rose.
"Was there a reason?" My mom asks in a curious voice.
"She only said that President Cam had an important announcement to make," Rose says.
"I don't trust that President Cam. I haven't liked him since his acceptance oration for being chosen for President. He is a downright, self-righteous man," Mother says.
At the corner of my eye, on the book shelf in the plants, there is a red light flashing. I look up and see it's a surveillance camera. My mother turns to see what I'm staring at and covers her mouth, realizing what she has said. Talking about the Capitol, any form of this, is punishable by death.