Chapter 1-
District 1- Male Mint Taylor, 17
I swing my feet over the bed onto the cold hard wood floors of my room. I look outside to see the sun just starting to peak through the thick foliage of the trees that surround my house. I know it's later than when I normally get up but I let myself sleep a little more while I can because today by the end of the day I will be on my way to the capital.
I have been waking up early for as long as I could remember training for the hunger games. I receive my training from the best in District 1, so none of the other tributes will ever stand a chance against me, so I will be crowned winner of this year's games.
I make my way to the training building a few miles from my house. No one is out today, even though most days you would see some people getting ready for work, but not today on the day of the reaping. My blood quickens at the thought of me, actually winning the hunger games. I mean I have too, look at all the other districts, poor, weak; none of them usually have any training; so it's really me against the other careers which is easy, because it's me and I have been training since I could walk and talk.
When I get to the training center I open the doors and turn on the lights. This will be my last training center in District 1 before I become a victor. I look for my training assistant, and he isn't hear. I look in his office to see him asleep on his desk. I thought once maybe I shouldn't wake him, but I really need to get one last training in before I go into the games.
"Get up now!" and I push him off the chair. He gets up off the ground and slowly turns to me, I think he would have thrown a punch or something but he didn't. "What the hell was that for? I was sleeping you idiot, you couldn't have woken me up like a nice, normal person would?" now he was really screaming at me. I didn't know what to say, but all I knew was I really needed to train. I hand him a sword and say "Are you going to train me or are you going to go back to sleep?" He takes the sword and mumbles something but I didn't really hear it. He takes a swing at me, and I block him and then disable him; his sword goes flying and he walks away to his office. the hunger games are going to be a joke, because if I can beat my trainer with no problem than I can beat the games no problem.
By the end of the training, it is about 12 o'clock and I had missed breakfast but I wasn't hungry because the nerves were getting to me. It's one of those feelings where you know you will do great, but you can't help to doubt yourself. I go to my father's house to find him making lunch. He looks at me and smiles and says "you will do great son, believe in yourself" I nod and walk up stairs to my room. I strip my clothes off and take a shower because I was disgusting after the training. The water calms my nerves and after I feel confident that I will win again. I put on my reaping outfit which my mother brought back for me when she went the last time to the capital. The tux is the nicest one I have ever seen, way to expensive for any regular citizen in any of the districts. The black in the tuxedo really stands out against the white dress shirt. I hate dressing like this, but I got to look good when I go to the capital so the sponsors will like me.
I come from a family where my mom and dad both won the hunger games, so it's only expected of me to win just like them, which I will. I go down stairs and see that lunch is already served. We eat in silence not sure what to say to each other. He wasn't ever really a good father, so we are not that close. I think that when he was in the games it changed him somehow, but I really don't care because he doesn't love me at all neither does my mother. My mother is rarely home so I never see her. I finish lunch and walk outside.
After a little of bit of walking and thinking about winning I run into Jade and Quarts who are my best friends. To me those two are my family because we grew up together and we take care of one another. They look at me with solemn faces, than Jade says "Are you sure there is nothing we could do to talk you out of volunteering? Please?" I see her eyes and she looks so sad, I really want to win the games and no one can change my mind. "Listen, I'm going to win this this and when I get back I will be like I told you I so." They nod and give me a hug and say goodbye almost unwilling to let go, but I dismiss that thought.
On my way to the Justice Building, I go through my head what I am going to say. "I volunteer as a tribute" "I volunteer as a tribute" "I volunteer as a tribute" "I volunteer as a tribute" I say that again and again until it sticks in my head. I make my way over to the table of peace keepers that check you in for the reaping. It doesn't take that long to be in the front of the line. They take my hand and prick my finger with their machine than takes a sample of my blood for their information. I take my hand back and walk over to the other 17 year old guys. I just stand there and get into my state repeating in my head "I volunteer as a tribute". The crowd quiets down as districts 1 escort Tansy Siobhan makes her way up to the reaping stage. She starts out with her speech of how the games were formed and how each district must give up two children, one boy and one girl from ages 12-18. As usual, ladies first." She takes her hand and puts it into the bowl and pulls out a name, but before she reads it a girl I have never seen before volunteers. The girl who looks to be around age 18 is brought up onto the stage. Tansy asks her "Oh, a volunteer how wonderful! What is your name, my dear?" The girl answers with determined voice and says "Ivory Haze." From her voice I know I will some competition. Tansy shacks her hand and pats her back. Ivory looks very nervous but she seems very competitive.
"Now for the boys" Tansy's voice beamed throughout the justice building. She pulls out a name and I shout for all it is worth being sure I was herd by everyone "I volunteer as a tribute! I volunteer as a tribute!" I walk slowly toward the aisle and was soon bombarded with peace keepers pushing me toward the stage. I walk up the steps careful not to trip, the thought of myself tripping up the stairs on national television made me smile, I know that Jade and Quarts would laugh at my misfortune of tripping on television; I know I would. While walking up the stairs all I was thinking was I will do everything in my power to win these games no matter the cost. I walk up to Tansy and shake her hand and give her a smile. "Another volunteer? What's your name?" She says and waits for an answer. "Mint, Mint Taylor" I boast. She takes mine and Ivory's hand and holds them up, and Shouts "Ladies and Gentleman. May I present District 1's Tributes for the 47th Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."
District 1- Female Ivory Haze, 18
He gets down on one knee before me and takes my hand from me. "I've known you for a very long time and I feel like I have known you forever. I know you're going to the games but I love you with all my heart so will you marry me?" Rye says. My heart explodes right from inside of me. I nod yes and shriek a bit and he slides the diamond ring onto my finger. He stands up and I pull him into my arms and give him a kiss for all its worth. "It's beautiful, I love it, oh my god I love you so much!" I say slurring all my words together, but I didn't care at all because I was the happiest I have ever been in my entire life.
He holds my hand and looks into my eyes. "I'm probably not going to change your mind, but please don't go into the hunger games. If I lost you I don't know what I would do and I would never be complete again without you." He softly asks. "Awww, Rye. I. I. I have to go, I have worked for this my entire life, and don't you understand?" I say. I felt bad for him, but what am I supposed to do, let all my training go to waste, I can't do that.
"I understand, but I hoped you wouldn't go. So I got you this…" he said reaching inside of his pocket. He held it out. I gasped. I was a gold locket with something engraved on it. I couldn't really see so he took my hand and grabbed it by the chain and put it into my hand. I never thought that I would ever be engaged before the games, but now I don't know what I would do myself without him. I looked closer to the locket and saw tiny script words written on it. I looked to be in some type of other language and read "Ego autem semper tecum". It was beautiful though. "What does it say" I ask curiously. "It's Latin for I will always be there for you. Open it." He told me. I click the bottom and there was a picture of us in it. "aww thank you so much. I love it. I will take this into the games as the token, OK?" He kissed me long and passionately and leaned in and said "that's what I hoped you would do."
We walk hand in hand down to my house. We wait on the porch. He kisses me again. I put my head on his shoulder and say "You don't have to be afraid for me, I not going to die and when we get out we can have a giant wedding. Listen I have trained my entire life, I know what I need to to win; I will be just fine. All you need to worry about is getting our reservations ready for when I come home," that made him laugh. "I really wish you didn't have to go into the games though. I would do whatever you like, just please don't go. I will be a wreck without you, don't you see?" he begs. I would just love to cave into it and just say fine, but I need to go into the games even if it meant possibly dying. I nod, but don't say anything. Him being here and proposing to me just made it harder to leave everyone I love. My eyes start to water at the thought of leaving, and my tear falls on his shirt, he looks down at me. "What's wrong" he said stroking my hair back. When I don't say anything, he take my face in his hands and looks me in the eye "Ivory, come on. Tell me what's wrong" His dark hazel eyes shine back at me, gosh when I'm in the games I will really miss those eyes. I still didn't answer and he starts to say "Ivory…"but I cut him off and get out of his embrace. Now my eyes are really watering and he stares at me with concern. "I have to leave. Don't you get that? You are just making it harder for me. Do you think I want to leave when I love you so much, and now that we are engaged?" I say holding up the diamond ring. "im sorry, but I just have to go" I walk right past him and into my house than close my door. I collapse on the floor and start crying my eyes out. He can hear me through the door crying and I can hear him pacing around on my porch, why did he have to be so caring? I feel so bad for doing that to him, but I really have to go. I don't know what I want more the games or Rye.
After crying so much I become in a trans like state, and when I regain where I am I see I am. I am on my bed in my room, with Rye sleeping on the couch. He must have carried me up when I fell asleep and sat down on the couch and fell asleep. I walk over to him, and sit on the floor. I tap his shoulder and his hazel eyes flutter open. "I'm sorry" we both say at the same time and laugh. He moves over and I snuggle up against him. "I'm going to miss you when you are in the games" he says "me two. I'm sorry how I acted, I really am. It's just you have understand, fighting for the games is the only thing I know how to do." I say. He nods and says "I'm still going to miss you though regardless." I lean up and kiss him. After a few minutes I look at the clock it was 1pm. I nudge Rye's arm and he looks up "How long was I asleep for" I ask. He looks at the clocks and frowns; he knows we don't have much time together until the reaping at 2pm. "I'm not sure. Maybe an hour or so" he says. I look down, and he picks up my head and looks me in the eye. I was trying to avoid his gaze so he wouldn't see my eyes watering, but it was useless. "Heyy, really it's going to be ok. We will get through this." He says trying to cheer me up and it helps a lot and brightens my mood and I smile and ask. "Since neither of us ate lunch, we should go get some lunch at the restaurant before the reaping." Before he can even say anything, I grab his hand and start to pull on it and he gets up. He pulls me into him and whispers in my ear "I love you so much, you mean the world to me" I laugh and give I'm a small kiss on the lips.
After we eat, we go back to my house so I can get my clothes. WE only have a little time left. I put on my black skirt and my green blouse. I felt like I was missing something. Than I relize what it was my locket, where is my locket? I look in my bathroom and it wasn't there, I was freaking out. I would never volunteer without that on me. Then I turn around to see Rye with it and he was laughing. I lift up my hand to grab it but he lifts his hand up, so I can't reach it. I laugh than jump trying to get it and say "not fair Rye, there is an unfair height difference" he lowers his hand and says "no. let me." I nod and turn around and he takes my long red hair and puts it over my shoulder. He drapes the locket in front of me then clasps it around my neck and takes a comb and brushes my hair.
I lean against him and he puts his arms around my waist. I look at the clock. 1:45 pm and it was a 15 minute walk to the justice building. He follows my gaze to the clock and sighs when he realized we only have 15 minutes left together. I turn around to face him. "I'm sorry I am putting you through this, I really am. I love you though; I want you to know that" We both walk hand in hand together to the justice building. We got there a little bit early. He hugged me, and held me tight against him. I never wanted to let go, but the peace keeper took his gun and nudged it between us and told us to hurry up. I look at Rye; his face looked worried and sad. It took all my will power not to run right back into his arms and kiss him right then and there. I gave him a short kiss and a hug and Rye whispered "I will be there always" I looked him in the eyes and gave him a long passionate kiss until the peace keepers broke us apart again. I was being ushered to the table where they scan you in, but I could still see Rye trying to follow where I was through the crowd. I could slightly still hear him scream "I love you forever" from in the crowd. I scream back "I love you so much, remember that." The peace keeper keeps pushing me forward and now I don't have any sight of rye. My heart drops and I finger for my locket. I can tell that these next weeks will be the hardest on Rye. I give my hand to the peace keeper at the desk and he takes my blood and hands me back my hands. Tansy gets up onto the stage and starts to talk about how the hunger games were formed and how we give up two kids each year to the games. She lifts up he hand and shouts "As usual ladies first" she puts her hand in the bowl and grabs a sheet of paper with a name written on it. Before she even had a chance of reading it I shouted "I volunteer as tribute!" I work my way up the aisle of peace keepers and onto the stage. Tansy shakes my hand and says "Oh, a volunteer how wonderful! What is your name, my dear?" as she was talking I search the crowd for Rye, but he is nowhere to be seen. When she stopped talking I said my name, "Ivory Haze." Next, the boy gets chosen. She reaches in the bowl and pulls out a name and a boy starts screaming "I volunteer as tribute!" As he makes his way closer to the stage I can see his muscles, and I know that I will have to kill him if I want to get home to Rye. Tansy shakes his hand than asks him his name and he answers loud "Mint Taylor." She holds up both of our hands and say "Ladies and Gentleman. May I present District 1's Tributes for the 47th Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor."