A/N: exams are over and I have easier classes for this semester so I should be updating more often now. I just thought id put up the first chapter before exams as a sort of teaser. Enjoy!
Chapter 2:
No one spoke as we headed for the village square. As we walked, Prim's hand tightened around mine.
"Katniss I'm scared," she said and stopped when the square came into view.
"You'll be okay Prim. Your name is only in there once and Gale and I would never let anything happen to you. We promise," I said.
"Come on Prim," said Gale grabbing her other hand. We continued on towards the square. I could see the stage all set up near the front.
Finally we reached the spot where we'd have to split up. We all gave our mom a hug and she wished us good luck. Then she headed of to the area in the back where the adults and children who are to young to be reaped stand to watch.
I looked over there after her. The square was already almost full. Since our square is so small some people usually are overflow and have to stand in the surrounding streets. The reaping is a mandatory event in all of the districts, so unless you are lying on your death bed you have to come. They even cancel school and work for the day. It's treated like some big holiday, even though none of us here find it as one.
I turned my attention back to where Gale, Prim and I were standing.
"You'll be okay Prim. I know it," Gale said bending down in front of her and holding both of her hands. "You're strong and no matter what, we will do everything we can to protect you."
"I love you Gale," she said wiping some tears from her eyes and giving him a big hug. Gale gently rubbed her back. After a minute they pulled apart. I then turned to prim.
"You're going to be okay Prim, but you need to stay strong," I said wiping the tears from her face.
"I know Katniss," she said.
"I love you Prim, and I promise I wont let them hurt you," I said and then pulled her in for a hug.
"I love you too Katniss," she said.
"Now you go ahead so I can say goodbye to Gale. They are going to prick your finger. They just want a little blood. It doesn't hurt much. Then go straight to the twelve year olds section and I'll come find you afterwards," I told her.
She nodded and then headed off in the direction of the girls sign in.
After a minute I turned to Gale. "No matter what happens today, one of us needs to protect her," I say. "If one of us gets picked then the other has to stay strong for Prim. We're all she has Gale, she needs us. We can't shut down like mom."
"I know Katniss," he said. "Neither of us are going to be picked though. Don't worry."
We pulled each other in for a hug. "I love you Gale," I said to him.
"I love you too Catnip," he said.
I smiled at the nickname. When we were little Gale couldn't say Katniss so he called me Catnip and it kind of stuck.
"Stay strong," he said to me as he backed away. "I'll see you soon."
I nodded and he headed off for the boys section.
I turned and started towards the girls sign in. When I got to the front they asked for my hand. They pricked it and then jammed it against the page of their book. Then they pushed me along.
I craned my neck looking for Prim as I walked towards the sixteen year old girls section. She was standing near the front with some girls she knew from school. They all looked scared out of their minds.
I reached my section and found Madge Undersee, my friend from school. She looked terrified like all the other girls around us. She didn't have much to worry about though. She was the mayor's daughter so she never had to take out any tesserae. Her name was only in their the mandatory five entries, one for every year she's been entered.
Tesserae was a supply of wheat and oil that you could take out for an extra entry. It wasn't good stuff, but most of us from the seam needed it to live. Gale and I had both taken our fair share of tesserae. We never let Prim take any though.
"Hey Katniss," Madge said in greeting to me, forcing a smile.
"Hi Madge," I said.
"You look very pretty today," Madge said.
"Thank-you, you do too," I said giving her a forced smile.
"You've met Delly before haven't you?" she asked gesturing to the blonde haired girl next to her.
"Yes, I've seen her around school and town," I said.
"Good luck," Delly said extending her hand to me.
I shook it. "Good luck to you too," I said just as our districts overdone escort Effie Trinket walked up on stage. This year she looked like she'd been dipped in a bucket of pink paint. She was pink from head to toe. Everything from her fluffed up hair to her dress to her shoes. Even her skin was pink.
She walked up to the microphone and tapped it. Everyone went silent.
"Welcome everyone to the 74th annual hunger games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" she said in her strong Capitol accent.
As she continued to talk the usual about Panem's history and the games I scanned the crowd for Gale. I saw him near the back with the other eighteen year old boys. As if he sensed me looking at him he turned and saw me. He gave me a comforting smile from his spot across the square before returning his attention to the front.
So did I. The video was playing. It was the same every year. As it finished, Effie sighed. "Oh, I just love that," she said with a huge smile. Well let's get started shall we?" she said. "Ladies first!"
She walked over to the girls bowl and stuck her hand in. She swirled her hand above the slips for about a minute before she finally picked one. As she walked back to the microphone I realized I was holding my breath.
She unfolded the slip of paper and held it up in front of her.
"Primrose Everdeen!"
I sighed in relief. It wasn't me. Then the words sunk in and my heart dropped. I had been so worried for Gale and I but I hadn't even worried for Prim. Her name was only in their once. The odds were definitely in her favor yet she had still been picked.
I saw her terrified little form moving towards the stage with the peacekeepers. I pushed my way through the other girls to the isle. "Prim!" I shouted. "Prim!"
Some peacekeepers ran up and grabbed me. "Stop!" I shouted. "I volunteer, I volunteer!"
"A volunteer!" squealed Effie. "How exciting district twelves very first volunteer!"
The peacekeepers let go of me and I ran forwards to Prim.
"Go find mom," I told her.
"Katniss no!" she yelled.
"Go Prim, go find mom. Get out of here!"
Gale ran up through the crowd and pulled Prim off of me.
"Keep her safe Gale," I said. He nodded and then pulled a screaming Prim away as the peacekeepers pushed me up towards the stage.
I climbed the steps and took my place next to Effie who was beckoning me over.
"Now what's your name dear?" she asked me in her sickeningly sweet voice.
"Katniss Everdeen" I said into the microphone.
"I'd bet anything that the girl you volunteered for was your sister," she said. I just nodded. "Well how about a round of applause for District twelves very first volunteer!" she said clapping. No one else clapped though. Instead they placed their three middle fingers to their lips and then held them out towards me. It was our districts salute. It stood for admiration, respect, and as a final way of saying goodbye.
"Well time for the boys," Effie said cheerily heading towards the boys bowl.
I held my breath once again as she pulled out a slip of paper. She ran back over to the microphone and unfolded it.
"Peeta Melark!"
It wasn't Gale. I sighed in relief. Then I saw the boy walking up. It was him. The boy with the bread. The one who had saved our family. I froze.
Back when I was eleven, Gale and I were struggling to provide for our family. We were so run down, weak and hungry we had resorted to looking through the town's peoples garbage cans. Gale took one side of the street and I took the other. I wasn't having much luck.
As I was looking through the bakers garbage, his wife came out and started yelling at me calling me a bunch of nasty names. I ran and hid behind their shed. As I did I saw a boy peaking out from behind her legs.
I sat back there and just broke down. A few minutes later I heard a commotion and peaked around. She was back with the boy and he was holding two loaves of burnt bread. She slapped him hard across the face and yelled at him to feed the burnt bread to the pigs. Then she stormed inside. He went over towards the pig pen and saw me. I was terrified, I thought he might call his mother. Instead though he ripped off the most burnt part of the bread and threw it to the pigs before looking behind him and tossing me the rest. He turned and left before I had the chance to say anything. I took the bread and I ran home.
Gale hadn't had much luck with the garbage either. He was already back when I got there. When he saw the bread his face lit up. That bread gave us hope.
The next day at school I wanted to thank the boy but I didn't know how. I watched him from across the school yard unsure what I could say. That's when something yellow caught my eye. It was a dandelion growing in the grass in front of me. Now every time I see or think about dandelions I remember the boy and the bread, and it gives me hope.
I watched as the boy, Peeta made his way up to the stage. He looked terrified. He took his place next to Effie.
I zoned out as Effie read off the closing speech. She told us to shake hands. When we did I caught Peeta's gaze and I could tell that he recognized me too.
I quickly looked away as the peacekeepers pulled us off into the justice building.