The rising opposition against Capitol elitism has led to the establishment of an Academy which provides District children with the opportunity to have a life of comfort in the Capitol. In a world where getting chosen for the Hunger Games is an annual threat, there is nothing more a District teen can hope for, than to be accepted into the Academy. However, these chosen few soon find out that, the entrance test was the least they had to do in their journey for a better life. [Multiple pairings. 1st of possibly 7 stories.]
There were only two major occasions were the children of each District gathered. One event caused fear and anxiousness, while the other was one of hope and still anxiousness; yet the good kind. Today was the event that brought hope.
Every household in the 12 Districts which had a child of the ages thirteen, fourteen, or fifteen was buzzing with excitement. Siblings hugged each other, some, for the first time since the year started, and wished them 'Good luck.' Parents got up early to prepare the best breakfast they could and ironed their child's most decent outfit. Today was the day of the CAET.
In District 12, Katniss Everdeen was getting ready for the third time in the past 3 years to take the CAET. This time she just wanted to get it over with. Her mother, Mrs. Everdeen and her sister, Prim, however, were beaming with enthusiasm. Katniss did not understand, she did not past the last 2 times so, why were they so excited about this time. It was her third year and therefore, last opportunity to get in. After this, she is stuck here. Her mom and sister, however, where convinced that this was her year.
If Katniss could not be accepted into the Academy, they weren't sure who can. Katniss was by far the most skilled fifteen year old in the entire District, and in addition to being skilled, she was intelligent and had a character of gold. She was the most admired girl in the district, both by the adults and her peers. However, Katniss was either too dense to notice this admiration most of the time or was too modest to accept it when she does.
With her dad's death, Katniss had to take charge of the family despite her young age. Katniss worried that if she gets accepted into the Academy, then when she goes away things at home would fall apart. That is if she got accepted, which she doubt she will; but if by a long shot she did get accepted, Katniss contemplated not going.
Mrs. Everdeen would not have that. Neither would Prim. Or Gale.
Katniss wasn't too worried about that. She was almost 100% sure that she would not be accepted to the Academy.
No one from District 12 have ever been accepted into the Academy; at least no one that Katniss heard of. This issue has led to fiery debates in the Capitol and all over Panam about how to solve this issue. The Academy was created to solve the problem of elitism in Panam, but still there was a few Districts who are underrepresented in the Academy; mostly outer Districts.
The main argument for this is that the children in these Districts are too busy trying to survive to prep for the CAET. Katniss agreed with this argument, because it was the truth for her. If she did not prepare for the CAET, the worst that would happen was that she would miss out of the opportunity to attend Capitol Academy. She could live with that. However, if she neglected her family needs, the worst that would happen is that they die. Katniss chose to focus on what was important to her. Her family.
For the last 2 years in school, the only thing Katniss has been learning in school was everything that had to do with CAET. She was sick and tired of it. She was tired of taking practice test every other day, hearing about it from the teachers, hearing about it from her classmates. She was just tired. It was like an obsession to them, and an annoyance to Katniss.
Her peers, however, where elated about prepping for CAET in school. It was new initiative by the mayor, to have more children accepted into the Academy. The sad thing was when all their in-school prepping was compared to the prepping of children in the inner Districts, it fades into irrelevance.
Unlike District 12, and other outer Districts, the children in the inner Districts, such as District 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, eat, sleep, and speak the CAET. It was their life, their obsession.
Well, except for the few in the Career Districts who really wanted to enter the Hunger Games.
They woke up early in the morning; prep for the CAET. Go to school; prep for the CAET. They go home; prep for CAET. They sleep; dream about the CAET, and repeat the same routine the next morning. Katniss wondered how they did not go mad. She would. She is going crazy, just by prepping at school for the stupid test.
The CAET, which stood for Capitol Academy Entrance Test, was a whole day saga. It is always on the first Saturday in July, no exceptions. It has always been on this date. If some poor kid happened to be sick on that day, then they just had to drag themselves to the test, or skip that year. Most likely the person would choose to drag themselves. Rarely anybody fakes sickness on this day, compared to the number of kids who gets 'sick' on Reaping Day.
On this day, every teen from the ages 13 to 15, in the Districts, takes three tests. Yep, three. As if one wasn't bad enough. These three exams test three different aspects of the teens: their skills, their intelligence, and their character.
That is all that is known by the Districts of the test. They have no idea how the test is scored, nor how they did on the tests.
The Academy don't disclose scores, even to those who are accepted. If one gets into the Academy, they usually don't know why. The simple answer was that they did well on at least one of the test. They can assume which one, but they will never know for sure.
There was a knock at the door that startled Katniss while she was buttoning the last button on her dress.
"Katniss, its Gale." She heard her sister's soft voice called out.
Katniss smoothed out her dress with her hand before walking to open her room door.
In the hall space, if she could even call it a hall, was Gale.
He smiled at her. "You ready to kill this test, Catnip?"
Katniss scoffed. "I just want to get this over with."
"Aren't you even a bit excited?" Prim buzzed in, a curious look on her face.
"All my excitement ran out from the first try, Little Duck." Katniss addressed Prim as she placed her sister gentle at her side and gave her a small hug.
"But you have to try. For me." Prim pleaded. "Promise me that you will try. I know you can do it this time. Maybe you were too young the last two time."
Katniss thought that Primrose was too optimistic for her own good sometimes, but nevertheless, she gave her a smile and replied, "Of course, I'll try for you, Little Duck. I promise."
Prim gave Katniss that exuberant smile which she often thrived for. Sometime it was the only thing that made Katniss's day better.
A minute later there was a huge announcement.
"All CAET takers, please report to the school grounds within the next fifteen minutes. I repeat…"
"I guess that's the call." Katniss commented.
Mrs. Everdeen entered the room. "Gale can you start walking Prim to the school."
"Why? I wanted to walk along with Katniss." Prim started to whine.
"It's ok. I'll be right there, just go on without me." Katniss suggested, nudging Prim towards Gale.
Gale grabbed Prim from behind and threw her over his shoulder with ease. Prim started to laugh hysterically as Gale took her through the front door.
There was a moment of silence in the room.
Katniss relationship with her mom wasn't the best since her dad died. It was like a piece of her mother died with him too. Nevertheless, she was still her mom and Katniss loved her.
"You wore the same dress last year." Mrs. Everdeen commented.
Katniss looked down involuntarily and realized that it was indeed the same dress.
"That shows how much I really care about this stupid test." Katniss murmured.
Mrs. Everdeen smiled and approached Katniss. She gave her daughter a warm hug. It was the first time in the year that she hugged her. The hug caught Katniss off guard for a moment, but when she got over the surprise, she responded by hugging back.
They stood like this for a minute, then Mrs. Everdeen pulled away.
"You know that I am proud of you, no matter what." She declared.
Katniss smiled slightly and nodded.
Whispering a tender, "Bye, mom." Katniss turned and exited the front door.
That was too much emotion for her. Katniss wasn't one to wear her feelings on her sleeves. Or whatever the saying says. The only person she was remotely emotional open with was Prim. Not even Gale. Not even her mother.
Smoothing out her blue dress once more, Katniss proceeded to the school grounds.
Hope that it don't suck as bad as I think it does. Please don't hesitate about critiquing my work or any addressing any problems (grammar errors, misspellings, etc). Anything to make my story better. Thank you for reading and it would be much appreciated if you could leave a comment if you like or hate or whatever.