Jasmine's POV
I wake up energized and ready to go. I've waited my entire life for this day and I can't wait.
Today I'm going to volunteer for the games. In district two, participating in the Hunger Games is a great honor. Only the strongest male and female are able to volunteer. Today that's me.
Unfortunately, I despise the male tribute from my district. My best friend, Devin, was supposed to be the male volunteer. We would have dominated the games together.
Instead, I will be participating in the games with Casper. Casper is seventeen. Only eighteen year olds are allowed to volunteer, but they made an exception this year. Apparently he's stronger than all of the eighteen year olds, so he gets an automatic pass. Why can't he wait until next year? This year was supposed to be for me and Devin.
Obviously I'm a little disappointed. Devin won't be able to volunteer and he'll be viewed as weak. I guess weaker would be a better term. He still was stronger than all of the other males his age.
I walk downstairs and find my brother there. He is the definition of weak. He's twenty one now, three years older than me. But when he was eighteen, he didn't even try to volunteer. My parents are viewed as the parents of a coward.
But I'm going to change all of that. I'm going to win the Hunger Games and nobody can stop me.
I tell my parents that I'm going over to Devin's house before the reaping. I know that he's disappointed and I want to be there for him. My parents are reluctant at first, but I reassure them. They know I'll be back home in a few weeks anyway.
I walk over to Devin's house and I knock on the door. He answers it.
"Hi," I say.
"Hey. Come on in." He is trying to put on a smile, but I know that he slightly envies me. Although he is my best friend, I know I would be jealous if our positions were reversed.
"I know it sucks that you can't volunteer today, but at least we won't need to kill each other."
"You're right. But hadn't we found a way around that?"
We had, but I wasn't sure if I was going to follow through with it. The Capitol only wants one victor, not two. "I'm not sure if it would have worked. What if there wasn't anything poisonous in the arena?"
"It doesn't matter now," he responds. "You can count on me cheering for you the entire time."
"Thanks. It'll give me that extra motivation when I feel like I have no chance." Of course I'm going to dominate and I don't need his help. But I'm trying to make him feel better, so I go along with it.
We walk over to the square together, talking about the Capitol and how much fun I'm going to have. I promise that I'll find a way to take him there someday, not knowing if I'll be able to actually follow through with it.
"See you in a few weeks," he says.
"Yep," I respond. We walk into our respective sections, right in the front, as our escort walks onto the stage.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor," our escort says. I think her name is Lavender, but I can't remember. In previous years I never paid attention, not caring who would be selected as tributes.
"Ladies first! Our female tribute from district two—"
"I volunteer," I say before she can even choose a name. I walk quickly to the stage, eager to stare down my fellow tribute. He should be scared of me because I will kill him the first chance I get.
"And what is your name?"
"Jasmine."
"What a lovely name." Her response seems very energetic, but I can't help but feel like it's sarcastic.
Casper's POV
I wake up to see my girlfriend, Susie, staring at me. She must have been up for a while now because she looks energized and ready.
"Good morning," she says softly.
"Good morning to you too," I respond. I'm normally not this nice, but she brings out a different side of me, a side that I cannot reveal in the next few weeks.
"Ready for the reaping?"
"You bet. I've been waiting my entire life."
"Not as long as most volunteers."
She does have a point. The volunteers from the career districts are always eighteen years old. I'm only seventeen. But it shows how strong I am for my age. I was able to defeat even the strongest of eighteen year olds.
Some people claim that I need to wait a year, train even more and become stronger. But why should I wait? I'm the best chance that district two has this year. They'd be stupid not to allow me to volunteer.
"Let's go downstairs," I say. "But first I need to get dressed."
She leaves the room as I put on some clothes. I open the door and find her right outside of it, waiting for me.
"Ready? Come on."
We walk downstairs and I see my family down there, eating breakfast. My mom gives Susie a weird look.
I don't think she approves of my girlfriend. She thinks being in love weakens me. I can have Susie all I want when I get back, but I should have spent more time training instead of hanging out with her.
It's too late now, anyway. Today is reaping day.
We eat breakfast, and then I take a walk with Susie. We walk to the square, where we say our goodbyes.
"I'll miss you," she says. I can see that she's starting to cry, so I try to comfort her.
"You know that I'm coming back. I'll see you again in just a few weeks."
"I know. But I'm going to be worried about you. I'm going to be nervous when I see you hanging out with kids who are just waiting for the most opportune time to kill you."
"It'll be okay. Nobody will be able to defeat me."
I know my odds of winning are extremely high, but I guess nothing's certain. There's always some small chance that I won't make it back. I don't tell her this, of course, because it will just make her sadder.
We say our goodbyes and wait in our separate sections. After a few minutes, our escort walks on the stage. With that crazy outfit, she looks like a bird. I don't know how anybody could wear such weird clothing.
"Happy Hunger Games," she says. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."
I'm excited for the reaping. I'll be the youngest tribute from district two since a long time ago. They almost never make exceptions to the eighteen year old rule.
"Ladies first!" the escort announces. But before she can even read out the name, there is a volunteer. It's a girl named Jasmine. She looks tough, but I can defeat her.
"District two's male tribute will be… Dev—"
"I volunteer as tribute!" I shout as I walk up to the stage. I tell the escort my name, and he asks us to shake hands.
I thought I'd be able to keep my composure, but I'm shocked by the stare I get from Jasmine. If looks could kill, I'd be dead.
