ONE
It is the day of the final reaping. The Capitol reaping. For the final Hunger Games. The Capitol Hunger Games. It is the day of the final Reaping and my name is on one of the tiny pieces of white paper inside the clear glass globe that stands beside the Mockingjay herself. Katniss Everdeen. The big bad hero. I squint my eyes and try to decipher her facial expression but all I can come up with is stoic. Indifferent. Not like the boy beside her. Peeta looks haggard, tired and possibly quite sad. Rumour has it he didn't want these Games in the first place and now he's being forced to draw names for Sections nine, eleven and twelve. Wouldn't want to take away from the drama and assign them to random sections. No, they have to draw from the section that matches the district they came from. Plus more if there aren't remaining victors. And they say the Capitol was all about dramatics.
Specifically for the purpose of the Games they have split the Capitol into 13 sections. Twelve will have two children chosen from each. If you're from thirteen you are exempt. I fall under Section Twelve. Lucky me. The Hunger Games will proceed just like any other, except in the area of mentors. Since there are no previous Capitol victors (obviously) to coach us we will be coached by the District victors assigned to our Section. Meaning I get the Mockingjay. Again, lucky me.
"Nova?" a tiny voice sounds from beside me, "Nova what are you looking at?"
"The Mockingjay." I answer turning to look a Reja who appears to have been crying all morning. I understand her sadness but I see no point in crying. There is nothing we can do to make them stop the Games from taking place. Besides we deserve it. There, I said it, so shoot me. People say that us children don't deserve this, because we had nothing to do with the regular Games. What they don't see is that we deserve this simply for our inaction. For our laughter at the violence. I admit it I took pleasure in watching the Games, in seeing the bloodbath. And now I will pay for it. Or at least someone I know will.
"She looks angry." Rej answers, shielding her eyes from the sun with a small, pale hand.
"You think so," I mutter, "I think she looks bored."
"Bored?" Comes another voice as a strong pair of arms wrap around my waist from behind, "You need a serious lesson on reading expressions Nove."
"Kayd!" I smile turning around to kiss him. Instead he catches my chin in his hand and studies my face like it might be the last time. For all I know it might be. So I take the opportunity to do the same. I start with his lips, thin and perfectly kissable. But it's not long before my gaze is drawn up to his black flecked, chocolate eyes as usual. When we first got together Kayd and I agreed that our eyes would be the only thing about our bodies we were allowed to modify. That ideal held strong for the first few months, until we decided it would be acceptable to modify hair as well. Lastly we added tattoos to our list of acceptable body modifications. We still hold strong that faces and body shape, size and colour should never be altered surgically unless absolutely necessary.
. Kayd finally allows me to kiss him. It ends too soon, though and Kayd breaks away seemingly without provocation. That is until I see a tiny figure pulling at the hem of his shirt. It is his four-year-old half-sister Sabana, she stares at Kayd with big round eyes.
"Kaydy, what's everybody doin all lined up here?" She asks innocently.
Kayd crouches down next to her and sighs, "Sab, you've gotta go back and find momma. These line-ups are for big kids only.
"I wanna be a big kid too! Just like you and Marty, and Jezz and Nova!" Sabana shouts and stomps her foot. She is referring to Kayd's other half-siblings, Marticia and Jezzan who are twelve and thirteen.
"Trust me Sab," I murmur, crouching down next to her as well, "Nobody wants to be a big kid today."
"How come?" she pouts.
I bite my lip searching for the right words, "Because, well big kids have to do some scary things today."
"Like what?"
Kayd grabs her arm, "Just nevermind Sab, you go find Momma before you get lost now alright?"
"Fine." Sabana reluctantly hugs Kayd "I love you Kaydy! Bye Bye!" Then she skips off to find her mother.
Beside me I hear Reja choke back a sob. Just my luck I was going to have to console my boyfriend's sister and my best friend today. I hated talking feelings. And I really hated lying to people like I just did and was about to do again.
"Rej, don't worry about it okay? Everything's going to be fine." I say.
She just shakes her head, auburn curls bouncing around her, "I don't think I can do it Nove. And I don't just mean play in the Games; I know its unlikely I'll be chosen. I mean I don't think I'll be able to watch someone I know fight to the death!"
I am about to tell her that that's exactly what the Capitol made thousands of kids in the districts do every year when I am interrupted by a booming voice from the stage. It's the Section representative for twelve, they introduced him this morning but I've already forgotten his name.
"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the one and only Capitol Hunger Games! Across the Capitol the reapings are being conducted at this very second! In just a few moments one boy and one girl will join us on stage to become Section Tewlve's players in this extraordinary event! I am now going to have our special guests draw the names. . . but first I would like to say two things. Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds," he pauses for only a second to glance back at the Mockingjay,"be ever in your favour!"