My first BTR multi-chapter! I know there are a lot of BTR Hunger Games fanfics, but I've had this idea in my head for a long time and wanted to write it. Being obsessed with Big Time Rush and Hunger Games tends to do that to you. I told myself to wait until after my finals to start this, but it wouldn't leave me alone until I did. Seriously, I couldn't fall asleep last night because of this idea. Anywho, enjoy!
I do not own Big Time Rush or the Hunger Games.
The lightening sky threw a small glow on my room. I sat on my bed, fingers expertly weaving the yarn over the hook. I made the last stitch and cut the yarn, threading it through the last loop and hiding it under the row. I sighed happily at the bundle of yarn fabric in my lap. It was finally finished. Then I frowned. But why on today?
Reaping day.
Pushing the thought from my mind, I gathered the bundle and left my room, the floor cold under my toes. I glanced around our tiny home, a wooden structure with one main room and two smaller bedrooms. Very similar to the other houses in this area of District 12. I shook my head and proceeded to the other bedroom. I pressed my ear against the door and I heard coughing.
I tapped my fist lightly on the door. "Papa, can I come in?"
"You have no need to ask Eddy, come in," he said with a chuckle. I stepped inside to find him sitting up in bed. He smiled when he saw me, but his hand quickly flew to his mouth to smother a fit of coughing that erupted from him. I jumped slightly and patiently waited for it to end, feeling a balloon of sorrow expanding in my chest.
My mother died five years ago from a sickness that the doctor called brain fever. Papa had worked extra hard in the mines to provide for me and my brother Ethan, but a terrible accident left him with no feeling in his legs. Ethan and I took care of him as best we could, but a year ago he too became sick. The disease wasn't too foreign to us, but we still weren't too sure what it was until the doctor found an old medical book listing it as cancer. It left him extremely weak to where he needed help with everyday activities. We were told that the Capitol had a cure, but it was only a dream that we would ever get it. We would never have that much money.
And right when Papa became sick, they took Ethan from us.
Papa finished coughing and smiled bravely at me. "I'm alright. What do you need honey?" I walked to his bed and sat down next to him, still holding the bundle to my chest. He saw my nightclothes and frowned slightly. "Eddy, why are you still in your nightclothes? You should be getting ready for the Reaping." Despite the calm look on his face, I could hear the sorrow in his voice.
"I have time for that. I wanted to show you this, I just finished it." I unfolded the bundle to reveal a large blanket. Small sections of light and charcoal gray separated by thick black lines made it look very handsome, and since I used a different type of yarn it was much thicker than the others I made.
Papa ran his hand over the material and smiled. "Very beautiful job. And it's thick too, so that could get you a lot more when you trade it."
I gave him a tiny smile and bit my lower lip. "I won't be trading this one Papa. It's for you."
He opened his mouth to protest, but I stopped him by placing my hand on his. "Papa, I want you to have this. Your other one is so thin it does not keep you warm anymore. I know I could get a lot for it, but I made it for you."
He closed his mouth and looked at the blanket. I could see the internal battle he fought, and his own want won over practicality. He smiled again and pulled me into a weak hug. "Thank you Eddy. Now you must go prepare."
I stood up and grabbed his wheelchair, a wooden chair with wheels fashioned to the legs with two long pegs in the back for handles. I pushed it close to him. I took one of his arms and put it over my shoulders, wrapping my other arm around his midsection. I was never a strong girl, but I was strong enough to help move Papa from his bed to the chair. I placed his feet on the bar across the front legs to keep them from dragging on the ground. Then I spread his new blanket over his lap and tucked it in, hiding the skin-covered bones that his legs had become. I pushed him into the kitchen area of the main room and was about to make him something to eat when he pushed my hands away.
"I'm fine. I can make my own breakfast. You go ready yourself."
I leaned down and gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "Be careful Papa. If you need help just call for me." I went back into my room and closed the door, leaving it open just a crack in case Papa needed me. I didn't grab any food for myself, for the Reaping always stole my appetite. I used a damp rag to clean my body, wiping away the thin layer of dirt that always accumulated on my skin. I managed to pull all the knots from my black hair, ripping several strands out in the process, and slipped into my dress. It was solid black with sleeves that went to my elbows and the skirt ended at my knees. Normally children wore lighter colors to the Reaping, maybe to fool the Capitol into thinking they were happy to be there, but I no longer cared. I wanted them to see I was still mourning.
A knock at the door caught my attention and I rushed out to answer it before Papa had a chance. He sighed sadly when he saw my dress. "Why don't you wear one of your mother's old dresses? You'd look real pretty in one."
"They should know I'm still not over Ethan," I muttered, trying to keep my tone from sounding bitter. He looked down and nodded, bringing his spoon to his mouth.
Ethan had been a year older than me, and he was my best friend. We cared for each other, but he did more for me. He put his name into the Reaping more to get us food, and he made me promise to never do that no matter what. He was willing to go into the woods to hunt for food, even though it meant that he could be killed for it. But last year his name was drawn for the Hunger Games. He lasted a long time with his hunting skills, but another tribute killed him in his sleep. We didn't leave our house for a long time, the door only opening when friends offered condolences. Over time it hurt less, but the pain never stopped. I was still furious at the Capitol for taking my brother from me, which was why I detested having to go to the Reaping at all, let alone having my name in the bowl.
I answered the door and let a happy smile come to my face. My four best friends stood in my doorway: Kendall, James, Carlos, and Logan along with Kendall's little sister Katie. We had all been friends for as long as I could remember. They helped me through the loss of my mother and my brother, always knowing when I needed to be left alone and when I really needed to laugh. They had been friends with Ethan too, so they would all go hunting together. After he died, they still brought food to us when we needed it.
I looked in Kendall's hand and saw a small bag. "Went out early today?" I asked, stepping aside to let them in.
He shrugged and placed the bag on the table. "We all needed to blow off some steam over everything. Plus we thought you should have something for tonight." After the Reaping, all of our families got together and we shared a meal. We didn't have one last year because of Ethan, but maybe we could have one this year.
Logan stepped over to me and gave me a big hug. I held tight to him, breathing in his soft scent. I knew he was trying to comfort me, but I could feel how nervous he was too. The boys were all within a few months of each other, but Logan was the youngest. Kendall, James, and Carlos had already turned nineteen so their names were out of the Reaping, but Logan wouldn't turn nineteen for another month so his was still in. His birthday was the same as mine, so we were the only ones who were still in. Well, Katie was too, and I did worry for her even though her name had only been entered twice.
"Odds aren't exactly in our favor today are they?" Logan whispered, turning his head to kiss my hair. It was no secret in District 12 that Logan and I were in love, and it didn't seem to be a surprise. We were born on the same day, our mothers had been best friends, and we always spent time together when we could. We would have married already, but we decided to wait until after our last Reaping to do so, so we knew we'd be together.
"Not really." I gave him one last squeeze before I stepped back and looked at all of them. All the boys wore clean white shirts and dress pants and their hair was brushed back. Katie wore a simple yellow dress and her hair swayed around her shoulders. Even though Kendall, James, and Carlos weren't entered, they still had to attend and everyone dressed up.
Carlos sighed. "It's your last one guys. Others have their names in there a lot more than you two."
I managed a small smile. Carlos always tried to look on the bright side, even if it was hard to see. I ran my fingers through Katie's light brown hair. "Not doing anything with your hair today?"
She smiled up at me. "I wanted you to do it like you did that one time. Could you?"
"Yeah sure. Sit down here." I pulled out a small chair and she sat down in it. I gently pulled a small section from the front left side and started working. Soon, Katie had a braid hugging her head that started that the left side and wrapped around to her right side and rested on her shoulder.
I turned back to the others. "I'm almost ready, just give me a minute." I went back to my room and quickly decided what to do with my own hair. I didn't want it pulled back all the way so I did two small braids just behind my ears and pinned them over my head to look like a hairband. Satisfied enough, I went back into the main room and walked over to Papa's chair.
"Oh I can take him Eddy," James spoke up. "He can wait with us."
"No it's fine James. I've got him."
"Eddy, let me take him." He looked down at my hands and when I looked, I found them shaking visibly. If I tried to push Papa, I probably would've tipped him over. I relented and let James grab the handles, carefully pushing my father towards the door. Kendall, Carlos, and Katie walked out after them, leaving me and Logan alone.
He took my trembling hands between his and looked me right in the eye. His dark brown eyes were determined, confident. "We'll be fine Eddy."
I hung my head. "I hope you're right. Come on, let's go." We held hands as we walked outside.
It didn't seem right that the sun was shining on today. I always thought that no matter what, it should be cloudy on Reaping day so it would match the mood of the district. But the weather only agreed with me a few times, deceiving others to believe we would be happy on bright days.
The square was crowded with people, so much that I clutched onto Logan's arm so we wouldn't get separated too soon. The Justice Building loomed high over us, casting a dark shadow over most of the square. A single microphone stood in front of the door flanked by two small tables, each holding large glass bowls filled with slips of paper. We pushed through the crowd and found the roped-off areas where the children had to wait. I was about to walk to my age group when I felt a hand grab mine. It was Papa.
"I'll be waiting for you when it's over. I love you."
I leaned down and gave him a hug. "I love you too Papa." I turned away and stood with the other girls, anxiously fiddling with the ends of my hair. Looking around, I noticed that none of the others wore dark colors. My black dress stood out.
The low murmur of the crowd died off when Jo Taylor, the representative for our district, took to the microphone. She wore a bright blue dress with matching heels that were so tall it made me wonder why she didn't topple over. I remember hearing that her hair was naturally blonde, but today it was a bright orange, standing out around her head in tight curls. She had a lot of bright makeup on and she wore fake eyelashes that were too full to be realistic. I never understood the Capitol fashion. I liked color, but the brightness gave me a headache.
"Happy Hunger Games District 12! And may the odds be ever in your favor," Jo happily cried into the microphone. She continued with the usual program for the Hunger Games, but I tuned it out because I did not necessarily care about how the Capitol viewed the games as good for the districts, to keep them in line. I tugged at the ends of my sleeves, wanting Jo to just announce who would be tributes this year.
"And now to pick our tributes. As always, ladies first." Jo's shoes clacked loudly against the steps of the Justice Building as she walked over to the bowl that contained the girls' names. She skimmed her fingers over the pieces on top before plunging her hand in.
My breath hitched in my throat as she held up the folded piece of paper that held the name of the tribute. I took a deep breath as she walked over to the microphone and unfolded it. Please don't be Katie; she's too young for this.
"Edeline Garfield," she announced. My heart stopped at the sound of my name. Every head in the square turned to the dark spot in the crowd. My mind started spinning. This was my last Reaping, I hadn't taken any extra food, I was supposed to marry Logan after this. How could I get chosen this year?
Somehow my body reacted without the instruction from my brain, because before I knew it two Peacekeepers were escorting me to the stage. I looked down to hide my face in my hair for a moment and found my arm wrapped around my middle. It was a habit of mine to do that when I was upset or emotional, try to hold myself together so I wouldn't break.
Jo stood at the top of the stairs and waved for me to climb them. "Come on dear, come on." My legs automatically took me up the stairs and Jo escorted me over to the microphone. "Edeline Garfield. Would you happen to be related to last year's tribute Ethan Garfield?"
I looked off to the side, unable to meet anyone's eyes. "It's Eddy, not Edeline. And yes," I choked out. "He was my brother."
Jo's happy face faltered slightly at that fact, but she quickly composed herself and smiled at the crowd. "Let's have a round of applause for our tribute, Eddy Garfield." She clapped her hands. No one else did. I dared to let my eyes meet theirs. Everyone wore the same sorrowful look, no doubt thinking about how I would meet the same fate as Ethan. I located Kendall, Carlos, and James standing with Papa. They looked sad, but Papa had a look of pure agony on his face at the thought of losing everyone he loved. I commanded myself to keep the surge of emotions inside me.
Then I found Logan with the older boys. If he was trying to hold his emotions in like me, he wasn't completely successful. Even from up on the stage, I could see tears streaming down his face. He hastily wiped them away when I looked at him.
Obviously trying to break the awkward silence, Jo said, "And now for the boys." I watched her clack over to the other bowl and stick her hand in. She wasted no time in withdrawing the slip this time. She walked back over to the microphone and opened the paper.
"Logan Mitchell."
You guys probably saw that one coming. Just so you know, her name is pronounced like Eddie. So tomorrow night is the last day of classes for me, so I should be able to update regularly, but I've got work too that tires me out so I can't guarantee that I'll be punctual.
Ciao,
Kris
