Chapter 2
"I finally understand what Theresa had said and then, I faint."
I fall back and think, this is nice.. I'll die before I even go on the train. Unfortunately, I'm caught by the girl in front of me, who immediately whispers nastily,
"They called your name! Get up there!" She pushes me up towards the stage. I excuse her rudeness. She could have gotten shot. I scramble up to the stage and look down at the others. I feel dizzy and sick, and I want to cry. Froliking over to me, Theresa pats my back.
"Give it up for Clementine!" she giggles. Cricket, cricket. Like, literally. I hear a cricket. Bubbly opens up her mouth to go up instead, but I shake my head. I can't let her through this pain. Her brother, Retaw, died in the Games three years ago.
"Now on to the boys!" Theresa breathes. Putting her hand into the bowl, she slowly removes one name. She hands the paper to me and tells me to open it, so she doesn't "ruin her nails." Hasn't she already opened mine?? Anyways, I quickly open the paper, trying not to keep the to-be-dead kid waiting. I look down at the neatly scrawled name of the tribute. I gasp. No, no. It can't be him. Oh, gosh. My breathing starts to become forced. I can't see the audience.
" M-m-madden Hisf," I whisper-say. Madden balls up his hands and walks up. I know he doesn't want to kill me. I know it because I know him. I know it because he knows my Dad. I know it because⦠because.. he's my half brother. After my mother died, Dad married another woman, for a reason I still don't understand. Madden was five years older than me, but he became my best friend. Grapefruit and Mandrin were too young to play with back then. One night, when we were all sleeping, I guess, he and his mother ran away. I could tell Madden hadn't wanted to leave. He was an only child and we loved each other like real family. ((A/N: Is this really cheesy and stupid?)) I can't believe I'm fighting him in the Games! Hopefully, he'll be killed off by someone else first.
In the Town Hall, or whatever you call it, I sit and wait for my first visitors. I've never sat in a plush chair before. Or stood on a polished floor. Mayor Wons lives here, I think. Grapefruit is the first to burst through the door. I can't keep the tears from falling down my faces as I give him a gorilla hug. Mandrin joins in.
"Please come back." Grapefruit whispers to me.
"I promise," I whisper back. I hate lying to him, but I won't stand a chance. There are 18 year olds from District 1, 2, and 4 that could easily kill me with a snap of their fingers. They're what we call the Careers. They have trained all their lives for this moment, even though technically it's against the rules. Dad is standing awkwardly to the side. Pulling him into a hug, I say, "I love you."
"I love you, too, Darling." he says, stroking my brown, silky hair. The Peacekeepers escort them out and Bubbles runs in.
"Oh my gosh! I should have went up for you!" she cries, pulling me into my third hug of the hour. I want to tell her I'll be okay, but I won't. We hug again and Bubbles tucks a little hairpin into my hand. "A district token. You're allowed one in the Games." I take it and stare at it. It has a tiny engraving on it that has a picture of the Sun, still big enough to glow in the light.
"Please wear it." Bubbles begs. I nod, and she is also taken out of the room. I expect no more visitors, so I head out the room. Someone stops me. It's Donna Wisterfield, the girl who caught me after I fainted.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to be so mean! I was just so shocked that you were picked!" she quickly confesses. "Here. Take this. It's my family locket. I thought you could wear it as your District token." She gives me a locket. I look at her, mystified. I hardly knew her, and she was giving me the only valuable she had? Wow. I don't know which one to choose, hers or Bubbles. I accept her gift, and we walk down the building together. There, the Peacekeepers take me away and I am whisked off to the train station. I've never rode in a car. Or a train. Madden is next to me. I try not to cry, but the tears leak out of me anyways. Madden touches my hand.
"Clementine, be strong," he says to me. We walk onto the train and I break away from Madden's grasp. Running to a random room, I throw myself onto the couch and cry. I might never see my family again. Mandrin and Grapefruit will never have an older sister to help them grow up. Dad will be all alone, once again. I look out the window. The train is already moving. I tell myself to calm down, and get dressed for dinner. I look in the drawer and find the fanciest clothes I have ever touched in my life. I sort through and find a plain, white t-shirt, with added jewels and whatnot to make it fancy. I find some skirt and throw it on. I'm not a fan of skirts, but it's the lightest thing in the pile. Seriously, everything is weighed down by pretty stuff!
I walk into the dining car and sit down. Madden is already there, enjoying the fancy clothing. He had on a silk suit on, with matching silk pants. He looks at me like I'm weird, but looks up at Theresa and Haymitch. I laugh bitterly as Haymitch staggers in, drunk. Theresa looks disgusted and tries to stay away from him, sitting on the opposite side of the table. That leaves Haymitch to sit between me and Madden. We try to hide our disappointment, but it doesn't really work out.
"Just bear with me!" Theresa growls. I didn't even know that Capitol people could be angry. The first meal arrives, and I thank the waiters. They just nod, as if they can't talk.
"What's wrong with them?" I ask, once they're out of sight.
"Avoxes.. they did something bad to the Capitol and got their tongues cut off. Now they work here." I shudder. How horrible. I would hate to have to work for the tributes, especially that most of them will be dead. I feel sick to my stomach. Maybe it's just because there's too much fancy food. Or the fancy clothing. Either way, I have to leave.
"May I be excused?" I squeak.
"Yeah." It's Madden. I quickly scurry out of the room and head to my room. I throw myself on my bed and cry again. I can't stand it. All this fancy stuff, the Avoxes, everything. 23 of us are going to die, and the victor will be the only one back from the arena. They will have to bear the guilt of being to only living one (well, I would.). I just can't go. I run to the back of the train, and open the door. I want to be free.
