I ran my hand through the apple bins and picked out a slightly brown one. It wasn't squishy or anything, but I didn't want to take the risk. One rotten piece of fruit in my barrel and I wouldn't be able to lie down for weeks. There was only one healer in our section of District Eleven, and she was busy setting broken bones from pickers who'd tried to climb to high and fallen. Thankfully, my sisters and brother weren't among them.
My sorting partner Angie is working on the pears. I glance around to check for overseers and then start to sing a little something I like to work too.
"Sift the apples, check for brown.
Make sure every fruit is sound.
Get it done 'fore the sun goes down,
Or Capitol won't feed the town."
"Shh!" I hear from Angie's direction. I look up to see that one of her hands holds a finger against her lips, but she can't hide the smile. I won't mess up my work, but there's nothing to stop me from singing. We check once more to make sure no one's around before we start humming the tune, softly.
I finish the ditty for the third time and take a deep breath. The scent of ripe fruit fills my nostrils. The smell is the best part of the job, especially since I bring it home with me every day, on my clothes and in my hair. Luke used to say the smell made up for my singing. My brother never really liked it. I quickly turn my thoughts away from my brother. Thinking about him means thinking about… that.
And I have to go to that after work today. Today's what we call "Breeding Day" behind the peacemaker's back. The Capitol takes a sample of your blood and matches you up with one of the boys from your district. You have to have four kids. My jaw clenches at the thought, but my hands tremble too.
Angie got lucky. They called her in this morning and told her she was going to marry Brant from school. For once, they actually made a good match. The two had made eyes at each other for the whole last year of school. Angie had come back with her face red and a smile, a real smile, not the one she plastered on for the peacemakers. With that example, I should have been happier about the day. But not after what I saw happen to Luke. My hands ball into fists as I remember the… woman they paired him with.
I'm almost done with my last cart, which is good because I know the call will come soon. I'll be ordered into the pairing office and be ordered to marry some kid I don't know. I'm putting the last apple aside when it comes in over the loudspeakers.
"Sierra Leiant, please report to the pairing office." I look over at Angie, hoping for an encouragement, but she's still buried in her pears. I strip off my heavy sorter's gloves, hang them with my apron and hairnet, and walk out of the room, not sure whether to shiver or stomp.
The building they keep the pairing office in is new. Gotta give the Capitol people a good impression. Why bother? Cattle don't try to impress their owners.
I'm still shaking as I walk down the hall, half hoping. Could I maybe get a match like Mom did? She saw Dad for the first time in this office, since he was from a different part of the district. They had a great relationship now. I mean, they had all six of us, not just the required four. But then that image of Luke crawls up into my head, and I have to bite my lip to keep going.
There's the door. I open it and slip through, closing it soundlessly behind me. Still, the woman at the desk looks up and smiles at me. A fake smile with no warmth. What a liar. There's two chairs situated in front of the desk, and an elbow peaks out from the side of one of them. That's him. My future husband. I walk up slowly, giving him a sideways glance.
I feel my heart jump into my throat.
It's Matthew.
Now I know the Capitol hates me.
Okay, I'm basically inserting myself into the Hunger Games. It's not the same one as Katniss, so I'll be doing it from scratch. REVIEW!
