The idea was completely stupid, and I didn't understand why anyone would even give the girl a chance. During the presidential election, similar to how the people who had once inhabited Panem had had, President Snow's grandaughter, Celestia Snow, had been elected, winning with her charm, bright smiles, and profuse apologies for what her grandfather had done before her. Haymitch and I saw through her though.
Haymitch had taken me in when I was really young, about 10 years ago since I was only 6 when he found me. My parents had died a year before, both from a terrible illness that had killed my older brother and sister as well. I was sick and on the street for months, not able to get better because I wasn't getting the proper medical attention or even food.
I had stumbled into the newly redone Hob one day, attempting to trade anything I could steal for some food, but I was feeling especially weak that day. If Haymitch hadn't have saw me, coming from whoever he bought his alcohol from, I would have died. Because he had been drinking he had thought I was a girl he once knew, someone who had died with very similar blond hair and blue eyes that I had.
He had rushed to my side, grabbing my hand and telling me that I couldn't die again, effectively confusing me, while a group of people from the Apothecary rushed over and had a man that I hadn't known until then pick me up and rush me over to their shop. Haymitch paid for the entire treatment until I was cured from whatever disease the rest of my family had picked up.
"Why did you save me?" I had asked him, sitting on top of a desk in the apothecary shop.
"I thought you were an old friend at first who had died." he answered simply.
"What was her name?"
"Maysilee Donner." he replied, his eyes fogging up. Haymitch reached for a glass with an amber liquid in it that I hadn't known was alcohol at the time.
"Was she very pretty?"
"I suppose so," he laughed, causing him to choke and me to smile slightly. "Now, where are your parents. I suppose they'll be looking for you."
"My parents are dead, sir." I had told him, looking down and trying not to cry.
"Is there anyone else you could go to?"
"No, I don't have a family anymore."
Then Haymitch had decided to take me in, keeping me in his house at the Victor's Village and letting me run free. Soon I started working at the apothecary along with the two woman that had treated me and Haymitch stopped getting quite as drunk, always making sure he was sober enough to take care of me.
It didn't seem like that would last for much longer though, he was already grabbing a second bottle after hearing the news that there would be a new Snow as a president. Haymitch sat beside me on the couch, slightly hyperventilating.
"Are you ok?" I asked him, knowing full well just how stupid the question was.
He simply stared into space, never meeting my eye or looking at Celestia's face on the projection of the event that played out as she was announced president. Haymitch downed the bottle quickly, going for another, but there was no more.
Haymitch groaned loudly, coming and collapsing on the couch, nearly crushing me in the process. Even though I usually strongly discouraged any use of alcohol when it came to Haymitch, I could tell that he desperately needed some. So I got up, grabbed the closest coat I could find, (which happened to be one of Haymitch's) and started off for the Hob to get him something.
When I got there all I had to do was say Haymitch's name and the man at the front gave me what he would want, placing them in a bag. Which I was grateful for since I didn't want anyone to see me carrying around alcohol when I was only 16 years old.
Everyone in the Hob was staring up at the screens placed around, which was a new feature. There it showed the footage of Celestia's speech after being elected. She looked regal with a cobalt blue shirt on and a white skirt that clung to her legs.
"I realize that most people thought it would be a mistake to elect me to be president because of my grandfather's presidency regarding the Hunger Games. However, I've heard news that a group of rebels planned on putting a group of Capitol children, including me, in a recreation of the Games after the war was over.
"Out of punishment for them, and respect for my grandfather, there will be one last Games. But those of you who were innocent do not have to worry, only the children and people close to the leading rebels will be reaped."
I didn't hear the rest of her speech, my brain turned to putty. People were turned looking at me and someone else who was in the crowd, but I couldn't see whoever it was because I was so short. Most people looked relieved that their children wouldn't be reaped, but I was shaking, knowing that since Haymitch was a leading rebel in the rebellion that had killed Snow, I would be entered.
My brain finally caught up to my body and I ran, a full out sprint to the Victor's Village with the alcohol bottles rattling behind me. Tears formed in my eyes, making my vision blurry and causing me to run into both people and objects in my pursuit to get home.
I opened the door to the sound of things being thrown. Running in the direction of the screaming, I saw Haymitch aiming another wine glass at the projection of the new president's face. His face was red and he looked very mad.
When he noticed me he dropped the wine glass, shattering it on the floor, and came running towards me. I dropped the bag that was clasped tightly in my hand and let Haymitch hug me tightly, finally letting the tears I had been holding in fall. Haymitch kept muttering random things about his Games and Maysilee, but I didn't care. Being in his arms was comforting enough at the moment.
A sharp scream came from outside our house, one that was familiar, and yet not familiar at the same time. I ran out the door, seeing Katniss, her black hair in it's normal braid, Peeta, and their son Andrue who had Peeta's blond hair and Katniss's bright grey eyes.
Peeta looked crazed, which only happened every once in awhile when he was reminded of his time in the Games after he got hijacked by the capitol. His eyes were wide and slightly foggy, which reminded me of when Haymitch got too drunk for the same reasons, and his arms were flailing out as he attacked Katniss.
Andrue rushed in between the two of them, grabbing his father and holding him down so that he couldn't attack Katniss again. By the time he was pinned down, Rose had come out of the house too, Andrue's older sister with black hair and blue eyes.
Katniss rushed over to Peeta, which I thought was pretty stupid while he was in the state he was in at the moment, and helped him to remember what had actually happened. Slowly Peeta calmed down and relaxed, telling Andrue to let him up.
"I'm guessing you heard the news as well." I whispered to Andrue, not wanting to cause another scene. Andrue was about a year older than me, so I had played with him when I was younger and first moved in with Haymitch. We went to all the same events because of Haymitch and his parents and ate together quite often, so it was nice to have someone who had to go through the same stuff as I did.
"Yeah, I was in the Hob when it happened. By the time I had gotten back dad was freaking out." he answered.
"So you were the other person there." Then I told him what had happened and I saw Haymitch bring out the alcohol and Katniss make a grab for it. Rose was beside Peeta, crying softly into his shoulder while he tried to comfort her. She was too soft for the Games, if she was reaped then she would probably die straight away.
I was shocked at my new way of thinking. I shouldn't already be analyzing people for the Games, but I had to now. There was a fifty-fifty shot that I would get reaped, and I wasn't going to take my chances by wasting my time.
"I know I'm going to be a tribute, so you can stop acting so awkward around me." Drue said eventually after a long and awkward silence from me. I had been trying to avoid that topic, knowing that I would be extremely lucky not to be in the Games myself.
"Stop pitying yourself so much! You won't be the only one attending those Games!" I exclaimed, causing everyone to look at us sharply, but frankly, I didn't care whether or not I set off Peeta again at the moment.
"You'll have a chance May. The main objective of the Games will be killing Rose and I. It's probably rigged so that Rose and I are the ones that get reaped." he replied, but not loudly like I had been. It almost sounded like he was trying to explain something simple to a small child. It made my blood boil and my face turn hot, most likely changing to a bright red color.
"Well then maybe we should be out of each other's hair now then!" I snapped, not admitting to myself or out loud just how scared I was that one of us would have to kill the other.
"Fine, it'll only save us both the trouble in the end."
I fled out of the Victor's Village, hugging Haymitch's coat to me tightly. Tears blurred my vision as I found my way to a hiding place. There was a big bush of Primroses just outside of the gates to the Victor's Village. They were planted by Peeta and Katniss after her sister had died in honor of her. They were everywhere, filling every nook and cranny that they could. I hid behind the bush and curled into a ball.
The only thing that comforted me was Drue's thought that it would be rigged. If it was then at least I wouldn't be drawn. The thought made me sick, but I could live with that, as long as I was alive and able to feel sick.
There was a cracking of a branch, and before I could wipe away my tears Haymitch pushed aside the flowers and sat beside me. He put his arm around me and I laid my head on his chest, letting silent tears fall down my cheeks.
"Am I going to die?" I asked him with a small voice. It was a childish question, but it was the only thing that was on my mind. I needed the reassurance that I wouldn't die in these Games.
"Not on my watch." he promised.