Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games
Heres the update I promised. Hope you like it :)
Chapter 1
I stand frozen. Am I hearing this right? Did Effie Trinket call my name. Just like she did two years ago. No this cannot be happening again.
Im feeling really light headed, Im trying to remember how to breathe, my throat is dry, I am stunned. I never wanted to relive this moment. A boy from the seam nudges me foreword, he avoids my gaze. I think everyone is getting impatient with me, .
There must have been some mistake. This can't be happening. I remember this moment I had only one slip of paper in thousands! My chances of being chosen were so remote. Katniss wouldn't let my take out any tessera? Only One slip. One slip in thousands. The odds had been entirely in my favor. But it hadn't mattered. Katniss. If this reaping is going the exact same way it did last time, then she will volunteer. I cant let her do that.
Somewhere far away, I can hear the crowd murmuring unhappily as they always do when a twelve-year-old gets chosen because no one thinks this is fair. I am just a little girl. I start to walk. Fast. my hands are in fists and I stare at the ground. I try to control my emotions but even though I knew this was going to happen a tear still slips down my face.
"Prim!" The strangled cry comes out of her throat. Just like clockwork and I walk faster almost into a run for the stage. "Prim!" I cant let her catch me. But she is faster and shoves me to the ground.
"I volun-" she starts to say, but now I jump up from the ground and clasp my hand over her mouth before she can finish.
"No!" I scream as if no one can hear me. " I wont let you die for me!"
There's some confusion on the stage. This has never happened before. No one in history has refused a volunteer before. I'm not even sure if this is allowed. But technically she didn't volunteer, I made sure of that.
"Lovely!" says Effie Trinket. "But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth then we, um . . ." she trails off, unsure herself.
"What does it matter?" says the mayor. He's looking at me with a pained expression on his face. "If she wants to be in the games, we should let her" He says " Let her come foreword"
Katniss is screaming hysterically behind me. She's wrapped her skinny arms around me like a vice. "No, Prim! No! You can't go!"
"Katniss, let go," I whine at her and try to break free, tears are streaming down my face. I didn't know that she would put up this much of a fight. That she loves me that much. "Let go!"
I can feel someone prying her arms off of me. Which is no easy thing considering she has a grip a strong as metal. When she finally lets go I turn and see Gale has managed to hold on to her, though she is putting up a good fight and is thrashing in his arms. "Up you go, Prim," he says, in a voice he's fighting to keep steady, and then he carries thrashing katniss who is still screaming my name off toward my mother. I take a deep breath and climb the steps.
"Well, bravo!" gushes Effie Trinket. "That's the spirit of the Games!" She's pleased to finally have a district with a little action going on in it. "Who tried to volunteer for you?"
I swallow the lump in my throat. "My sister," I say with a quavering voice.
" You don't want her to steal all the glory, do you? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" trills Effie Trinket.
Im actually quite surprised about the people of District 12, not one person claps. So instead of acknowledging applause, I stand there unmoving while they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. They know that All of this is wrong. I did not expect this, I see Gale touch his three middle fingers of his left hand to his lips and holds it out to me, then One by One everyone in the crowd does the same. It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love. Katniss got this salute, I didn't think this would happen to me as well, but now I know why, It was Gale who started it. He loves me also.
This is when I really start crying, but fortunately Haymitch chooses this time to come staggering across the stage to congratulate me. "Look at her. Look at this one!" he hollers, throwing an arm around my shoulders. I almost fall over. Im surprised how strong he is. "I like her!" His breath reeks of liquor and it's been a long time since he's bathed I feel like I'm going to throw up. "Lots of . . . " He can't think of the word for a while. "Guts!" he says triumphantly. " Way more than you!" he releases me and starts for the front of the stage. "More than you!" he shouts, pointing directly into a camera.
I think he is trying to piss off the capitol? As I got to know him in my other life, I know how much he despises the capitol.
He's disgusting, but I'm grateful. With every camera gleefully trained on him, I try to make myself look a little more presentable, wipe my eyes and blow my nose to compose myself. I put clench my hands together and stare at the ground.
Haymitch is whisked away on a stretcher, and Effie Trinket is trying to get the ball rolling again. "What an exciting day!" she warbles as she attempts to straighten her wig, which has listed severely to the right. "But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" Her wig is falling off so she plants one hand on her head as she crosses to the ball that contains the boys' names and grabs the first slip she encounters. She zips back to the podium, and I don't even have time to wish for Gale's safety when she's reading the name. "Peeta Mellark."
Of course this was going to happen. This has happened before.
I watch him as he makes his way toward the stage. Medium height, stocky build, ashy blond hair that falls in waves over his forehead. The shock of the moment is registering on his face, you can see his struggle to remain emotionless, He looks so different. Younger. Different from the tortured, broken boy that I remember. He is still innocent.
Effie Trinket asks for volunteers, but know one volunteers. He has two older brothers, I know, I've seen them in the bakery, but one is probably too old now to volunteer and the other won't. This is standard. It is rare to ever have a volunteer. katniss may be the only one who has ever attempted to volunteer.
The mayor begins to read the long, dull Treaty of Treason as he does every year at this point — it's required — but I'm not listening to a word. I have heard it so many times I know it by heart.
Its not good that he got chosen. I know he saved us from death when my dad died. I know he loves my sister with all his heart. I actually became good friends with him when we lived in the victor village. I also visited him after he got hijacked when Katniss didn't. I was determined to find a cure for him. He came to trust me. Of course he doesn't know this, it hasn't happened yet. He may try to sacrifice himself for me so I can go home to my sister.
But I have a different plan.
What will happen next? Thanks for reviewing! Review for chapter 2
