Wisteria groaned when she felt a hand shake her shoulder. She groaned and weakly swatted the hand away. "Sis, you need to get up and dressed. Today's the reaping." Wisteria opened her green eyes and squinted up at her brother, Whitford.
"Do we have too?" She mumbled.
"Yeah we do, sorry sis. You know that, you're twelve now…" Wisteria closed her eyes and sat up, hugging her brother.
"What if I get picked?"
"You shouldn't," Whitford murmured. "You just had your name put in once." Wisteria opened her eyes again and pulled away. Whitford stood up, left Wisteria's room, and closed the door.
Wisteria sighed, stood up, stumbled over to her closet, pulled out a nice dress, and changed into it. She walked down stairs and over to her mother. "Can you help with my hair?"
Her mother smiled and nodded. "Of course." She stood up and grabbed a brush and a hair band and walked over to her daughter. She brushed out Wisteria's hair and put it in a ponytail, smoothing out the frizz. "You look beautiful," he mother commented.
Wisteria looked at herself in the mirror and smiled crookedly. "Thanks, mom." Footsteps thudded down the stairs and Whitford appeared, his blonde hair slicked back and a faded blue shirt tucked into dress pants. Their mother smiled and backed away as Whitford hugged his sister.
"Ready?" He asked, his eyes scanning his sister with concern.
Wisteria took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm ready." The two said good-bye to their parents and headed out of their house and followed the other kids toward the plaza. Wisteria slowed her panicked breathing but couldn't slow her heart. She clung onto Whitford's arm and he turned to his sister.
"Wisty, it's okay. It's your first time, they won't call you."
"But what if they pick you, Whit?"
Tears threatened to spill down her face. Whitford wiped them away with his thumb and assured, "I don't know." He hugged his sister and led the way toward the group. He glanced at Wisteria again before melting in with the other boys while Wisteria pushed through the girls. She stopped and stood, staring up at the stage as Effie walked up, her heels clicking on the cement.
She tapped the microphone and chirped, "Welcome, welcome, welcome to the 76th Hunger Games!" She clapped though no one joined in. "Now for the video that came directly from the Capitol, what a treat for you all!"
After the PSA was over, Effie declared, "Ladies first as always." She clicked over to a glass bowl and plunged her hand in side, swirling it around before pulling out a slip and opening it. "Wisteria Allgood!"
Wisteria felt the ground underneath her sway and she felt dizzy, fear and shock flooding her. "It's your first time, they won't call you." Her brother's words echoed throughout her head as she stumbled forward to the stage, dead silence filling the air. Wisteria stumbled up onto the stage and stood there, still in shock.
Whitford stared at his sister with worry, fear, and guilt. I promised that she wouldn't get picked…
"Now for the boys!" Effie declared and clicked toward the other glass bowl and repeated the process. "Whitford Allgood!" He froze. Both of us? He walked forward and onto the stage, standing there. "So, are you two siblings?" Effie asked cheerfully, but her gaze read something else. Whitford nodded and glanced at his sister, who was rigid. "Meet the tributes for the Hunger Games!" Effie cheered and clapped, no one joining in.
Suddenly, the people of District 12 touched three fingers to their mouth and raised them high. Wisteria's eyes widened along with her brother as the peacekeepers herded them off the stage and into the Justice building.