Chapter 2

Saying Goodbyes

Justice Building

I guess I half-expected it. Even though there's a lot less than half a chance you'll get picked, you always seem to half-expect it.

It's been 15 minutes since my name got picked. Once it did, I went to the stage, where the District-Lady (who now I know is named Jenny Uteri, and is our District Coordinator) was all upbeat about other people's chances to kill me. Or maybe my chance to kill them. I don't really know.

Anyway, what I do know is that right now me and Carlos are in District 9's Justice Building, probably the finest building in District 9, but that really isn't saying much. It has velvet couches, though they're stained and smell ghastly. It's got lots of technology, but they take up a lot of electricity, something rare in District 9, so there's a power outage in the room about 27 times a minute. This just proves something Roger told me earlier, that the Capitol really doesn't care about the niceness of any district more than 4.

A man comes in. He has a professional vest on, a tie, and khaki slacks. "You have visitors," he tells us, and takes me and Carlos to different rooms to meet our visitors.

My first guest is obvious. Roger comes in. All he's wearing is a t-shirt and shorts, which would give you hypothermia outdoors, but we're indoors right now.

"I would've volunteered for you if I could," he says, though I don't think I would let him, for both of our sakes. Roger has often said that he wouldn't live a day in that arena, and I seriously doubt I could live without him. My parent's death was bad enough. Another relative dead and I would lose it.

I start to cry.

"No, don't," he says, and hands me a picture. "Bring this with you as your district token. It's a picture of me so you'll never feel too lonely, and you'll never forget home.

I nod, and put it in my pocket.

"I want you to know, in case you…" he chokes on the words. "In case you go…I want you to know that I love you," he tells me, and gives me a brotherly kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too," I say, my eyes still red.

Then the man comes in again and tells Roger, "You've got to go."

As Roger leaves the room, my next guests come in. My school friends: Sylvia, John, and Olivia.

After Roger shuts the door, Olivia says, "He's hot."

"He's five years older than you."

"Whatever. Finnick Odair's only 3 years older than me."

I roll my eyes.

John makes sure the door is closed and says, "I hate the capitol."

"Everyone does. But I'm going there. Sadly."

"I dare you to say that in the interviews."

"No way! They'd decapitate me for starting a rebellion!"

Sadly, everyone nods at the thought of the tyrant capitol.

"Okay, we know you have no chance of winning this thing," starts Sylvia.

"Yes she does! I think she can win it!" says Olivia.

They bicker for a while, and finally Olivia asks me, "Do you think you have a chance of winning?"

"Sadly, no."

"But you have to believe in yourself!"

"Yeah, whatever."

The man comes in again and tells them, "You have to go." He must've heard Olivia say she has a crush on Finnick Odair, because he tells her, "Are you a millionaire?"

"I'm a ten-buck-aire."

"You can't date Finnick unless you have the money to."

Olivia mutters something about her going to marry Finnick one day, and then the man says, "That was all of your guests." Then he leads me to the center room of the Justice Building, where Carlos has been sitting for seemingly eternity.

"Okay, say goodbye to District 9 'cause at least one of you won't be seeing it ever again."

"That was very reassuring," says Carlos.

The man says, "By the way, I'm James McNoi. I'll be your 2nd-in-hand trainer, in case Mr. Twiste gets…upset by his mental condition."

I think of Oliver Twiste, with his eye patch and various scars. There was a pretty big chance James McNoi would be our trainer.

Then he and Jenny Uteri lead the two of us to a train. "You'll be staying in here for the next 20 hours. The train goes about 100 Miles per hour, and there are about 2,000 miles between here and the Capitol. Do the math."

On the train are me, Carlos, Oliver Twiste, Jenny Uteri, and James McNoi. Carlos and I each get assigned a car to sleep in and hang out in. Mine has a Wardrobe with outfits finer than I've ever seen before and a TV – my own TV! There's about one TV per family in District 9, if there's one at all. I turn it on and find a recap of each district's reaping. I shudder at the thought of fighting to the death with these people: The huge kids from Districts One and Two, the black-haired boy from District 5, the tiny boy wearing a Tiger hat from District Seven, and from District 8, a very familiar girl…

Lily. The girl who made the purple dress I'm wearing right now.

How could she be in the reaping? She's 19, I thought. No, her birthday's in 12 days. Wow, Capitol. Excellent timing.

Worse is the thought that I'll be fighting her. Lily's my friend. How can I kill her? I just have to hope I die before it happens.

The other people are a blur. District 11 has 2 dark-skinned 16 year olds. District 12 has two kids who are skinnier than Carlos (and that's saying something.) 24 kids. And 23 have to die. Only 1 will survive.

Chances are, it won't be me.

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