Hey did you like my little poem. If you did please review and tell me what you think. I forgot to put this in the last update. Well here we go. Enjoy.
I finish wrapping my right wrist with the cloth I purchased from the black market and tuck it in. I pull my shirt over my head and slide my arms into the sleeves. I tuck it I my jeans and put my belt on to hold them up. I step into my boots and tie the laces tight. I roll up my sleeping bag and toss it to the back of the cave I live in. I gather my pot, bowl, cup, and utensils into a big pile and cover it with a small quilt of moss I stitched together. This way it just looks like a moss covered rock.
I kneel in front of the pond in front of me and wash my face then wipe my hands over my hair. I take the hair tie off of my wrist and put my hair up in a ponytail. I throw on my black hoody, then put a black leather jacket ontop then pick up my book bag from behind a rock and pull it on my back.
That's where I live, in a cave. Here in district nine there aren't many caves but I was fortunate enough to find one. I live alone, my family was killed in a fire, and my older brother was killed in the hunger games arena. I used to live with this couple but I hated them, and when I turned eleven I took some of their things that I'd need and I ran away.
I walk through the wheat fields that seem to go on forever. Our district supplies the grain for the capitol. I personally don't think they need it, much less deserve it. So that's why I don't slave away in the fields all day like most people do. I would never help to fuel the capitol. I hate it and its inhabitants. President Snow had my family killed and someday I'll get him back for it.
I'm on my way to school which starts at 8 but since the walk from my cave to school is about an hour long I wake up before sunrise and prepare for the day. I get my water from the pond and wash in there as well. I supply myself with stolen food from the black market, or if I have money, I purchase it. The money I make is from prostitution. I don't like to do it but I have to. Booker is the man's name, in his mid twenties so at least he's not old. I made a deal with him, 20 dollars a day 5 dollars an hour. He accepted. I go there every Saturday from 9 am to 1pm and I'm usually cranky and tired afterwards.
I have a way to get meat as well. There is this hawk that flies around, a really big hawk and I stole it's eggs once. So it pretty much hated me. But then I found it in a trap in the outskirts of the district which is around where I live. It's wing was crushed under the cage door and there were two men coming to get it. I rescued it and nurtured it back to health and eventually it began to trust me. Now she goes and kills small animals like rodents and such and brings them to me. I don't mind eating rodents, I mean meat is meat.
I make it to town just as the sun is noticeable from above the many pine and cedar trees we have in this district. I walk through town and stop in the mirror of the pawn shop to fix my clothes and hair. My big brown eyes stare back at me and I just can't help but think I look beautiful. Even in my raggedy torn up, worn down clothes. Unwashed hair and is only about 85 pounds. I know my weight is not normal because I don't get to eat as much, and I'm not as big as the other girls, they have curves and are plump. I'm a twig. But unlike most girls I do have a large chest. Most of the women here are flat chested. That's why I'm booker's favorite.
They serve breakfast at school, so I eat there. Blueberry muffins and milk. It's always enough to last until lunch. And sometimes when the lunch lady isn't looking I sneak extra muffins into put in my bag so I have a meal for later. I sit out in the schoolyard on the stairs when I eat, I mean it's not like I talk to anyone. When I enrolled myself in here I had the principle only call me by my last name, Hemlock. There is no reason they should know my first and unless I'm called at the reaping they will never know.
I quietly eat my food, ignoring the comments of the so called, "popular girls". If chewing gum all the time, gossiping, and boy hunting is considered popular then I'm not one of them. And I don't want to be. I can't even afford gum; God knows where they get it. I don't like to gossip about people and tell others stories about a person that aren't true because I definitely wouldn't like it done to me. And I'm not attracted to any of the boys here, and it's not like they're attracted to me either. So count me out of any of that.
The girls giggle and point at me. I try so hard to ignore them but when I snap I actually curse them out and make them shut up. They feel stupid in the end but they continue anyways. Today I will try; I'm not trying to get another detention for beating someone senseless.
I get up when I've finished my muffin and begin drinking my milk. I walk inside of the school and the girls follow. I guess they wanna get beat up today. I walk into the girl's bathroom and throw the empty carton into the trash. The girls come in, there's only about three of them. I wash my hands and dry them with a paper towel. They stand watching. I take my hair out of the ponytail and it falls to my elbows.
I comb my hair with my fingers. They're still standing there. "Do you three need some assistant or something I mean there are other sinks and stalls if you need to use one". They laugh again and one girl steps forward and says. "Aww, little hemlock has to fix herself in the bathroom mirror. What, there's no mirror at your house to show how ugly you are" she says and starts laughing.
"You're one to talk, how many classes have you missed because your mascara messed up" I say back still looking at myself in the mirror. "You call me ugly; I'm not the one who covers my face with layers of makeup". I put my hair back in its high ponytail. I take off my jacket and stuff it into my book bag. I unzip my hoody, and untuck my shirt and straighten it out over my belt.
"You should fix that hair of yours, nothing but split ends" one girls says in disgust. "I like my hair as a matter of fact, and I don't need beauty tips from you and your fake hair" I say to her. My hair does have split ends, my bangs go past my chin and on the right side I have a short bang to cover my eye.
The girl is taken aback and I smile to myself. I throw my bag over my shoulders and walk out of the bathroom. School, starts in a couple of minutes and I don't want to be late for home room. I continue walking down the hallway when I hear their heels clacking behind me. "Look girls she's scared" the girl says. I keep walking and soon the hall fills with students. I get to my locker and open it. I put my jacket in it and take out my books. I shut the door and turn and see the girls, upset. "You wanna fight us" she says loud enough for the students to hear and they all gather around. "Look I'm not in the mood to kick any asses today so please just go to class." I say. "Oohh" the students all say. I roll my eyes and begin to walk out of the crowd when I'm pushed. My books and my bag fall out of my hand and I land in some boys arms. He holds me steady and I break out of his grip
I have lost my patients. I turn around and see the girl waiting. I step up and throw a punch. I knock her right in the jaw and she falls back and hits the floor, her lip bleeding. She runs way with tears in her eyes but the other two stay. The students are chanting, "fight! Fight! Fight!" but I ignore them. I gather my books and my bag. I look back at the girls but they don't budge.
I walk away and continue to my classroom. The bell rings and we all sit in our seats. I set my bag down next to my chair and wait for the teacher to call attendance. Five minutes later the principle walks in and excuses himself, then asks for me. Great!
I get up and grab my bag, throw my books into it and leave out with the principle. He takes me aside and says. "Why are you always fighting". "No that isn't fair, she hit me first!" I complain. He stops me, "I understand, but hitting her back doesn't fix the problem, it doesn't help anything. I always let you off the hook because you're a straight A student but your behavior isn't good at all. Stop fighting do you understand". "I'll stop if they'd just leave me alone. I never do anything to them. Ever!" this time he doesn't say anything. "I was just sitting outside eating and they started messing with me and insulting me" I start to tear up.
I try not o but I can't help it. I'm really sensitive. "Hemlock, you're not in trouble. I just wanted to tell you to stop fighting. If someone does something to you, doing it back doesn't make the situation any better, because the person might have the upper hand.", "well I've always grown up saying, 'they hit me, I hit them back harder'". "Alright well I'm telling you to get your attitude together or you're going to be in trouble next time." "Okay. I'm sorry" I say. "Good. Now go ahead to the bathroom and wash your face".
At lunch we're served hoagies wrapped in plastic wrap. I snatch two and hide the second one under my tray. I get the rest of my lunch then walk over to a table and sit. No one minds where anyone sits. If they don't like you then you'd better not talk to them, or there will be a problem.
I eat silently and put the second hoagie into my bag. A shadow falls over me and I just hope it's not those girls again. I don't even bother turning around. "hi" a voice says, a deep voice. I turn my head and see a guy standing with his tray. "hi" I say back in a lower voice. "This seat taken" he asks. I shake my head and he sits down. I move over a bit so he can fit.
I eat awkwardly. "So you got a name" he asks. I almost choke. He wants to know my name; I'm even surprised he decided to sit here. "Hemlock" I say. He nods, "I'm haul" he says. "Okay". I go back to eating, but I can't help but take him in. his dark hair is up; styled nicely to look as if it could block the sun from his eyes. His eyes are a dark brown, and his skin is a tan color in this dim light. I look away and keep eating. "Aren't you in my geography class" he asks. I shrug, "I don't really know anyone in this school". "How about you get to know me". He is too forward. I look him up and down cautiously, "I'm not sure" I say. He considers this, "okay, well. I give you some time. I know I must seem really forward". I nod at that, "yeah, you are". He laughs. It's a nice laugh and I can't help but smile. "Alright I'll leave you alone to eat" he says. I finish eating and drink my carton of fruit juice. When I finish I awkwardly tap his shoulder. "Could you save my spot for me" I ask. "Sure". "Ok, thanks" I grab my tray and go to dump the trash into the trash bin. I go back and sit down.
I thank him again and he holds out an open bag of plain chips. I've seen these, but I could never afford them. "Oh, no thanks" I say. "Go ahead I don't mind" he says. I reach in a grab a chip. I eat it and it has to be one of the best things I've ever tasted. "Wow that's good" I say to him surprised. "Yeah I know. Here you can take more, if you want. Just like a handful" he says. A handful! That's a lot. "No, I don't want to eat all of your food". "you're not I have another bag. Here, take it" he puts the entire bag in front of me. I push it back to him, "no I couldn't" I say. "I want you to have it" he says. I smile, "thanks".
I eat the chips one by one, savoring the flavor. They crunch when I bite down on them and they taste like they have salt, another thing I can't afford.
The bell rings again and I get up. I roll up the bag of chips that I still haven't finished and put it in my bag. "Thanks again" I say. "No problem. I guess we could sit together for lunch tomorrow, and I'll bring you another bag of chips" he says smiling at me. "okay." I wave to him and head off.
He was nice, very nice. I always thought of everyone as mean, I always thought they hated me but I guess not everyone is like that. The only person hateful enough to keep me in my cautious state is president snow.
I try to remember what the principle said, 'if someone does something to you, doing it back doesn't make the situation better because they might have the upper hand'. Snow does have the upper hand. He's taken my family from me, and doing something about it wont make the situation better. He could have me killed, he could have me captured, tortured turned into an avox. Anything.
Maybe he's right, maybe I should just stop thinking I can do something about it. And forgot the past. Maybe it's the only think I can really do. It's just that I really, really don't want to.
