Brianna- Strong One
Aaralyn- With Song
I've lived in District 12 all my life. Never really had a choice there, did I? My parents are alive, and have been through much worse than I. They were both soldiers in the rebellion that was against the government. Obviously in different deployments of course, someone had to be home to take care of me and my brother. My brother, only five years old, was born just as the rebellion began. Meaning, the rebellion began when I was nine. The first Hunger Games were the same year as my twelfth in this insane planet known as Earth. From the very first chance, I could have been reaped to fight to the death. But my chance has come now.
Maybe I should tell you about myself before anything else. I am Brianna Aaralyn Nevermore. I am fifteen years old. I am a freshman in the secondary school of District 12, the mining district of Panem. I am very short, five foot two inches tall. My mousy brown hair falls to right below my shoulders, and is usually up. On the reaping day each year, I pin back only a portion of my hair and let the rest fall loose. I'm by far not the thinnest teenager in District 12; however I am by no means obese. People constantly tell me I have the voice of an angel, even though my whole family (extended as well) is tone deaf.
Today is the reaping day for the third ever Hunger Games. Not many people understand it to a full extent yet. But I do. I understand the pain of losing a friend, a love, someone so close to you it's practically unbearable. Sure, you can lose family; sure you lost in the war. But that was their choice. But to lose someone by force is a whole other story.
Last year, my best friend, David, was reaped. Not only was he my best friend, but he was my first boyfriend. He was only thirteen when reaped; he turned fourteen the next day. I remember it as the worst day of my life.
When his name was called, I was speechless. I remember going to see him, right before he left. I walked into the room, holding a small object in my hand. When the door shut, all was silent, very tense too. He ran over to me almost immediately and grabbed me close to him. He started sobbing into my shoulder, and I was crying into his. We couldn't even speak. But suddenly, he let go.
"Bri?" He said. He was the only one that was ever allowed to call me that. "I don't think I can win this… whatever this is."
"David!" I exclaimed. "Don't, whatever you do, don't sell yourself short! You have so many talents, so many strong suits… Like you're very strong, you win the wrestling tournament every year at school, you're the star football player at the middle school, too!"
"Please, like I can wrestle to death." He deadpanned. "But… either way, what I'm trying to get at, is that I probably won't be coming back… Ever."
That's when it actually hit me. Forever like I had always dreamed has turned to never. Neither of us knew what would be in store for him, only that he had been slated to die. That's when I actually broke down, heaving out sobs filled with pain and sorrow.
"No, babe, stop crying. You have so much to live for! Look me in the eyes right now." He demanded of me, and I did so. "You are going to be ok. I will always be in your heart, whether you know it or not." He paused briefly and took a bracelet off of his wrist, and held it out for me to take.
The bracelet was a simple, thin, golden chain. It glittered even on the cloudiest day. It was also David's first piece of jewelry.
"David, that's your favorite bracelet! You can't possible give that to me." I said.
"I won't leave until you take it." So I took it, just because I knew that if I didn't, he would be dragged away forcefully too soon. And that had reminded me of the small object in my hands. I was holding a box, small enough to hold a chain with a metal quarter note on the end.
"And I refuse to leave until you take this… Please use this as your district token." I opened up the box and held it out for him to take. Within five seconds, it was on his neck, the charm lying proudly against his pale skin.
"I have two things to ask of you, before I go." He choked out softly. "First… can you sing for me? One last time?" I knew at that moment there was only one song he wanted to hear, and one song only.
"Okay, I will. Only because I know that today will be the last time you hear it. I wouldn't want you to leave without hearing it." I told him, tearing up knowing that these next few minutes would be our last. "One hundred years?"
"One hundred years." He agreed. And then I started singing.
"I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live…"
I was starting to tear up more heavily now. I was singing accapella, and it was obvious how upset I was. My voice was shaking, and my breaths were deep, but I tried to hold strong.
"I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live."
I'm slowly letting the tears fall from my eyes, and my voice can no longer hold steady. I keep going though, because I know that if I don't finish this song, I won't fulfill my loved one's second-to-last request of me.
"Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you're on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live."
I ended on the low note, as the actual song does. I openly sobbed now, and broke down into David's sweatshirt. I inhaled and tried to gather what he smelt one last time so I could remember. The ones I got were heavy deodorant spray, mint toothpaste, and slight hint of vanilla. I forced myself to stop crying, and tried to ask what the last thing he wanted from me was.
"David, you still wanted one last thing from me, right?"
"Actually… now that I think about it… I need two more things. First… I need to kiss you one last time. Not to be corny or anything, but so that if that in that last moment before I… die… if my life flashes before me, I want to remember how your lips felt on mine. I want to remember how perfect it felt. I don't want to remember any pain, or any sorrow. I just want to remember this simple moment of just us. Two kids in love, sharing the feeling of love, mutually." David said all this so solemnly, so simply.
To see my David, the one who constantly had a smile on his face, have such a serious look in his deep, ocean blue eyes, was shockingly scary. It was a look I thought I would never have to see.
Then I did the one thing that he had asked of me. It was simple, really. I leant forward, and pressed my lips to his. A kiss. Simply two sets of lips pressed against each other. Like most people try to do in those romantic novels my mom always talked about, I tried to put all of my emotion into the kiss. All the happiness from memories with him, the sadness from when the rebellion had began, the pain of today's reality, as well as today's sorrow. When I pulled away, I realized that was the kiss he had wanted. The kiss that would be remembered for years to come, this was our last kiss.
I leaned back into his arms, and waited for his last request.
"Bri, take my sweatshirt. I want you to keep this. I'll always wear this necklace, and I'll always remember you. I'll always love you. But the last thing I want from you, if I don't make it back, is to move on with your life. Find someone else who will always love you, like I," he gulps and takes a deep breath, "did." He has literally begged me to move on once he's gone.
"I'll try." I promised him.
He went to the games, and I was mentioned in his interview. I was known for a week as "The Girl who Lost All Love" around the nation. Once David's games began, he was a stronger tribute, like I knew he would be. Once he was in the top eight, I was interviewed at home. I was ecstatic that he was doing so well. Then he was killed by a tribute from District One. From the past year, we had seen how strong they were. We decided to call them "careers", because they acted like it was their job to kill each and every other person.
I was upset for ages, and cried almost constantly. I couldn't bear the loss of my best friend. I never once left my house without his sweatshirt and bracelet. Soon enough, it was the day of the reaping once again.
Never once did I expect it would be me in David's shoes this year.
Hi! I guess I'll put my author's note here rather than at the top. You should know that I don't own "The Hunger Games" (rightfully belongs to Suzanne Collins!) and I don't own "100 Years" by Five for Fighting! I haven't written in years (I'm in the 9th grade now, haven't really written since 7th!) So this is the prologue, and if it's deemed good enough I might just continue with it. So, please review and tell me what you think.
Thanks, Mia