(Sam POV)
I smiled over at Mara before turning back towards the deer. I raised my bow, ready to release the arrow and took a breath. Just before I let it fly, there was a loud crack behind me, scaring off the deer. I spun around; ready to shout at the source of the noise, but running down the hill were Gale and Katniss, laughing at the frustrated look on my face.
"Guys! What is your problem?" I yelled, gesturing at where the deer had been. "That was the first deer I've seen this year!"
"What were you going to do with it when you caught it?" Gale asked. "The place is crawling with peacekeepers!"
"Sell it. You've sold to the peacekeepers before," I said, glaring at him.
"Yes, but on reaping day!" Katniss said stepping forwards slightly.
"Whatever, it doesn't really matter, does it? If one of us is chosen, then I guess we're chosen. Not that I'm going to be happy if I am, but I can't really change it!" I said. I looked over at Mara and told her I was going home and then said goodbye to the other two. I hugged Mara and whispered in her ear.
"I'm going to see Peeta, I'll see you later. Wait for me!"
Mara nodded, smiling with a knowing look in her eye
"See you later!" she whispered back.
I knocked lightly on the door of the bakery before pushing it open and stepping inside. Peeta's dad glanced up at me and smiled, calling Peeta in.
My heart skipped a beat as Peeta walked in, wiping his hands on a tea towel. He broke into a smile as he saw me, putting the towel down and walking over to give me a hug. I grinned back and wrapped my arms around him as he did the same to me.
"Sam! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for the reaping?" he asked, looking at me.
The grin slid from my face and I let go of him, stepping back. He saw my smile fade and frowned.
"What's up?" he lifted my chin with his finger to make me look at him but I tried to avoid his eyes.
"What if you're chosen?" I mumbled.
"I won't be," he said, trying to reassure me. I noticed he didn't sound so sure.
"Well what about Mara? She's had her name put in 37 times! What if she leaves me?" I cried, jerking away from his hand and spinning around to hide the tears. He sighed and put his hand on my shoulder.
"I'll be there for you... always! I won't leave... ever!" he said, trying to calm me down.
"Promise?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly.
"Promise," he assured me.
I sighed and turned to the door.
"I'll see you at the reaping. Good luck," I muttered, walking out the door.
Tugging at my top, I walked over to Mara and forced a smile. We made our way towards the sign in desks and I held my hand out. There was the familiar prick on my finger and I flinched as the peacekeeper pushed the blood onto some paper.
I pulled away and made my way towards the crowd of girls waiting anxiously, Mara by my side. As we stood, Effie Trinket walked out and started addressing us, then showing us a video.
I noticed that Mara and Gale were glancing at each other regularly, mouthing words of encouragement.
Suddenly, Effie was crossing the stage, moving to the balls that contained the names. I realised that she was headed towards the girls' ball first and drew in a breath. She pulled out the first name and I closed my eyes.
(Mara POV)
"Primrose Everdeen"
My heart stopped. Beside me I heard Katniss draw in a sharp breath, and then she started to take a step. I immediately grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me.
"You're not going. You know I'm going to have more of a chance."
Without saying another word, I ran forward.
"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" I shouted. Everything around me stopped and silence fell.
"District 12's first volunteer," Effie beamed. "Well come on up then dear."
Slowly I shuffled towards the front but Prim held tightly to me and began to cry out, screaming. Gale came forward and picked her up in his arms. He swiftly gave me a one armed hug and left me with the peacekeepers leading me to the front stage.
I looked ahead of me, Effie really did look ridiculous. I wondered, do all people from The Capitol have stupid, coloured hair and funny outfits? I felt odd when I reached the stage and stood beside her.
"What is your name dear?"
"Mara Everdeen"
"Then I'll bet my hat that was your sister." I nodded blankly.
I became completely unaware of everything else she was saying. I was watching Gale who still had a hold of Prim. He looked broken and I would have given anything to just break down and cry right there on that stage.
My focus was then distracted. Every member of the crowd raised their hand in the three finger salute out of respect. The pain on their faces was great, almost that of Gale's.
I glanced around the crowd and saw Sam with tears streaming down her face. But she wasn't looking at me. Peeta was walking towards me, fear etched on his face. Both people who mean something to Sam were leaving her, most likely to never come back.
I sat alone in the small room, panicking and questioning the idiocy of what I had just done. The door flew open and Prim sprinted into my arms. I squeezed her tightly and she cried into my shoulder. I whispered into her ear that I would come back; I would come back for her. Behind her my mother was watching with tears in her eyes. I picked up Prim and cradled her whilst addressing mother.
"Don't cry mum. You can't cry. You need to be strong and be there for Prim. You can't shut off like you did when dad died." I held back a few tears that were brimming. "Katniss. You need to take care of Prim and mum. Get help from Gale. Don't get your name put in any more times than you need to."
I put Prim down and pulled both Katniss and mother in for a hug before turning to my best friend. Sam spluttered, trying to speak. She couldn't get the words out so I grabbed her hands and looked into her eyes.
"I won't let them get me. Or Peeta. Especially Peeta. I'm going to keep him safe for you and send him back to you alive."
She released my hands and wrapped her arms around me. I let tears start to fall and hugged her until the peacekeepers came to take them out.
The door closed once again but only for a second. It swung open once again, revealing Gale in the doorway. I was suddenly enveloped in his arms. Sobbing into his chest I muttered forgotten apologies. He pulled back and his worried eyes bore down into mine. Gently he pushed back the hair from out of my face as he spoke.
"Don't you dare apologise. And don't you dare give up out there. You have to come back. Find a bow, you can shoot. Do anything to get a bow, if not then you make one. You aren't bad with swords and knives either. Stay alive Mara. For me."
I forced my way back to his chest where he resumed holding me. Then the peacekeepers tore him away from me. He broke out of their grip, placed his hands on either cheek and kissed my forehead. Then he silently left the room alone.
(Sam POV)
I walked out of the room Mara was in, wiping my eyes and trying to hold in the tears as I was led to Peeta's room. I managed to stop crying as I stood, facing the door, before raising my hand and knocking lightly. I heard a muffled 'Come in' and pushed it open. As hard as I tried, I couldn't hold in the tears as I caught sight of Peeta's face, looking more miserable and scared than I had ever seen before. They poured over my cheeks again as I slowly walked over to him. He opened his arms for a hug but I shook my head. His expression became confused and mine became angry. Without a second thought, I reached out and slapped him across the face. Hard.
"That's for breaking your promise. When you said you wouldn't leave me," I mumbled before jumping, wrapping my arms around Peeta. I clung on, never to wanting to let go, knowing that if I did, he would have to go. I sobbed into his shoulder, trying to beg him not to go but I was unable to string together a proper sentence. After a few seconds, I felt him return the hug, pulling me closer.
"I'm sorry. For everything. Not being there for you, leaving you... hurting you!" Peeta finished in a whisper. I pulled away and looked at him, noticing the bright red patch on his face from where I slapped him. Tracing the outline with my finger, I instantly felt bad and stopped, resting my hand on his cheek. As I looked down, the tears stopping again, he covered my hand with his own.
"Don't be sorry," I whispered. "Don't be sorry. Just be safe and get out of there alive. Come back with Mara. Who cares if there can only be one victor? If anyone can bend the rules, it's you two. Just come back alive and I swear I'll never ask anything of anyone ever again! Please!" I ended up nearly screaming the last few words before stepping forwards and grabbing his hand. "Promise. And don't break this one."
"I'll try. I promise that I'll try," he replied, choosing his words carefully. I nodded, deciding that it was the best he could do. I heard the door open and felt Peeta pull me closer and wrap me in a hug. I figured it was the Peacekeepers and held him tightly, pouring as much emotion into to the hug as I could. "Goodbye Sam, stay safe!" he muttered, burying his face in the crook of my neck.
"No Peeta, not goodbye... That means we won't see each other again. This is just see you later, see you soon!" I told him, emphasizing my meaning with a squeeze. Something grabbed me around the waist and began pulling me. I cried out in protest and my hold on Peeta tightened. The thing kept pulling until Peeta let go of me and I screamed.
"No! No! Let go! Leave him alone!" I saw Peeta being taken into another room and burst into tears, finally realising that this was it. That the only way I could ever see him again was if he won this thing. I wriggled around, loosening the grip of the Peacekeeper that had me and ran forwards, enveloping Peeta in a final hug.
"Stay alive... I'll see you soon!" I murmured in his ear, kissing his cheek before the Peacekeepers eventually prised me off him and pulled me out the room. As soon as the door closed, I shoved them away, giving a dirty look and ran off in the direction of the exit. I got outside and nearly collapsed, the only thing stopping me being Gale and Katniss who must have been waiting for me.
I had never been that close to them, normally ditching them to go see Peeta. Mara was the one that hung around with them the most. She kind of had a thing for Gale and Katniss was just a close friend.
"What happened in there? We heard a lot of screaming. And there was quite a bit of yelling!" Katniss asked eyes wide. I brushed her off, saying I didn't want to tell her.
We rushed to the train station to get a good view of the train leaving with the tributes and managed to get a space right next to it. About half an hour after we got there, Haymitch, the guy from District 12 that won a few years ago, turned up. He looked as though he had been drinking alcohol and my assumptions were proved right as I saw him take a sip from a small hip flask he pulled out of his jacket. Less than 10 minutes after he boarded the train, Effie, Mara and Peeta came into view. Only one tear slid down my face this time. They got onboard, but just before the train door closed, Peeta glanced over at me, smiled and waved. I felt a pang of sadness as i had the thought that that could possibly be the last time I ever saw him. I never even got to tell him how I felt.
I never got to say that every time I saw him, my heart would skip a beat. That every hug or kiss on the cheek made my heart race. That every time we walked away or got in a fight, I would feel nothing but pain. That every smile gave me butterflies. I never got to say that I love him.
(Mara POV)
As we walked through the crowd I got a view of my friends. Sam's eyes were red and swollen. My sister, my twin sister, was stood beside her and she too looked as though she had been crying. Then my eyes rested on Gale. He reached forward and I grabbed his hand as I walked past.
"I love you" he mouthed. Our fingers slipped and his hand was gone from mine. We stood at the door and from the corner of my eye I saw Peeta waving at Sam. The door shut and I didn't take my eyes off of Gale's.
I stayed there, staring out the window whilst the train pulled away, Gale getting smaller and smaller. Then when I could no longer see him, I followed into the carriage after Effie. It was full of grand decoration, gold everywhere. There were expensive, capitol wooden chairs and tables, something I'm sure Effie called Mahogany.
We walked through the carriage and Effie showed us our rooms. They each had their own bathroom and an array of different clothes. She told me to help myself and change before coming through to the first carriage for dinner.
I took off my dress I had worn for the reaping and left it on my bed. Then I took a shower, soaking my hair in the warm, running water. When I was dry and had blow dried my hair I picked out a simple purple top and a black skirt that stopped mid-thigh.
A knock on the door made me jump. Effie's voice echoed in my head as she called me for dinner. I brushed the stray hairs from my face and pulled it back into a pony tail.
Peeta and Hamish were already sat down and eating when I entered the carriage. Effie was stood in the corner talking on the phone. She seemed distressed but it didn't bother me.
We hurriedly ate as much food as we could stomach before all sitting on the red sofas to watch the highlights of the reaping. They showed each of the districts one at a time.
It was the same every year. The careers who volunteer from districts 1, 2 and 4 are all trained right from childhood. The rest don't stand much of a chance. This year there was a tall, beautiful, blonde from district 1, a large and muscley boy from 2 with a small quick companion, a red headed girl from 5, a large and stocky boy from 11 and his companion; a young, shy 12 year old who reminded me hugely of Prim. Then they showed the reaping from 12. Prim's name came out and I watched myself lunge forward volunteering. Suddenly Prim was screaming and Gale was with me, the fleeting hug was followed by Peeta's name being called.
We were sent to bed by an emotional Effie who had started to tear up when it showed me volunteering instead of Prim.
I got to my room, sat on my bed and images from the day flashed through my head. I was sat with Gale and Katniss at our little spot in the woods. Gale had his arm around me and my head was on his shoulder. Then I was stood with Sam and Katniss at the reaping. Gale mouthed a few jokes about Effie then both our heads snapped forward as they called Prim. I was next stood on the stage staring into nothing, no plan in my head, only fear. Mother's face followed by Katniss and Prim flooded my head next. Tears on all their faces, tears were running down mine as I thought about it.
The last thing I saw was Gale at the train station. He loved me. I never even knew. And I had left without saying it back to him. Did I love him back? He must have just been saying it because he doesn't think I stand a chance of coming home. I knew I had no chance. I couldn't come back. I had to send Peeta home to Sam.
Gale loves me. He said so. So why don't I feel happy, or relieved? Is it just because I'm never going to get to say it back to him?