Chapter 2

Maria's POV

During the fatal forest fire, my throat was filled with burning smoke. My lungs were screaming for oxygen, and as I was gasping for air, I couldn't breathe. As if I forgot how to breathe. My mind muddled as so I couldn't think clearly. And that's how I feel now.

Parker? Parker! Out of all the slips in that bowl she pulled out Parker's name? This isn't good. Once we get into the arena, Parker will become my enemy, my adversary. And that could unravel the very fabric of our friendship. How can I overlook that? How can he?

I find his face in the crowd, his eyes as large as bowls as the news settles down on him. When Parker finally registers it, he makes his way onto the stage. He drops his head as he passes by me. Viola asks for volunteers. A slight breeze whistles in response. Then, our mayor reads the Treaty of Treason as he's required to. But I drown out his speech as my mind goes numb. Why Parker? Does fate really hate me that much? Only one person gets out of that arena alive, and it sure as heck isn't going to be either of us. But I still couldn't bear the though of being without him. I loved him like a sibling, and Parker shares the same feelings towards me. In the past, he's even hinted at wanting to become something more. I guess now it will never happen…

The Peacekeepers usher us into the Justice Building, where a tribute is allowed to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones. With Parker in a different room, I have no one else that I care about. Whereas Parker is saying goodbye to his father and to his little sisters, Larissa, and Gwenevere. Like my parents, Parker lost his mother to the forest fire. I take a look around the room I am in. I repeatedly run my fingertips over the smooth satin cushion that I'm sitting on. It's such a contrast to working with hard, course wood on a daily basis.

A car takes the five of us Viola, Ryder, Amber, Parker and me to the train that will whisk us away to the Capitol. When we get there, cameras and reporters launch themselves at us to snap everlasting pictures or film our faces for all of Panem to see. They love us. Better yet, they can't wait to watch us get sadistically slaughtered.

The moment we step into the train and the doors shut tight behind us, and the train speeds off. I stumble to the ground because of the sudden acceleration, but Amber and Viola pull me right back up onto my feet. Great. I just humiliated myself in front of , won't this be a fun ride?

Parker's POV

After watching Maria fall onto her butt, I grab onto the thing that's closest to me to steady myself. Unfortunately, that closest thing happens to be Ryder. He glares at me and I take my hands off and slowly back away as if he were some sort of rabid animal. Depending on how he became a victor…that's pretty believable. Viola waves me over to the dining room for dinner.

Viola, Amber, and Ryder sit next to each other on one side of the rectangle table and Maria and I sit next to each other across from them. The tablecloth is kelly green, which I guess is meant specifically for our district. People dressed in white aprons silently bring out our appetizer. A baby spinach salad sprinkled with dried cranberries and and chopped walnuts with a light vinaigrette dressing. "Who are they?" I ask referring to the waiters.

"Who? The Avoxes?" asks Viola with her eyebrows raised.

"What's an Avox?" I ask confused

"Honestly, Parker. Do you even pay attention in school?" Maria asks kiddingly "An Avox is a slave for the Capitol,"

I catch Viola's eyes staring between Maria and me. "Mariposa, Parker-"

"You can call me Maria," Maria interrupts

"So Mariposa and Parker," Viola continues. I hear Maria give a small huff of exasperation. "Do you to know each other? You seem like you do," Viola says

"Yes, we're best friends," I answer

I watch as Viola creases her eyebrows, unreadable. Avoxes come out to bring the entree. It's grilled chicken over angel hair pasta tossed with a creamy Alfredo pasta. Back in District 7, I've only had food like this on special occasions, and even then it was in poor comparison to the Capitol's version. I notice that no one has said anything in about five minutes, but I don't say anything either. Viola's the one who tries to get the ball rolling. "Why so quiet all of a sudden?" she asks to no one in particular.

"Well, I don't know," I answer "Maria and I are just trying to figure out if we'll have enough time to write out our wills," I look over to Maria and see her rolling her eyes. I silently smirk to myself, and I look up to see Amber picking at the chicken and Ryder trying hard not to burst out in laughter. Dessert comes out about twenty minutes later. It's a light fruit salad with a sort of brown candy in various shapes. Amber says is called chocolate. It's so good that I leave the fruit alone and just eat the chocolate.

When it's finally bedtime, I climb under the soft sheets just wearing my reaping outfit. Lying here, I'm finally able to think over my day. Why did it have to be me? I went through enough pain imagining Maria in that arena. Now I'm going to be thrown into that arena too. With her. I've had a crush on Maria ever since I laid eyes on her in kindergarten when she asked to borrow a piece of my paper. I sat next to her and I watched as she sketched out part of the woods with a pencil. Seriously, that drawing was amazing for a five-year-old. And over the years, Maria went from cute, to pretty, to seriously beautiful. With her long brown hair cascading down in waves, her deep emerald eyes, her… Whoa. I have got it ba-ad. I cross my hands over my stomach and stare up at the ceiling. I fall asleep thinking of what good memories I have with Maria still existing in my mind.

I'm woken up by Viola's overly perky voice outside my door tell me to "get up and at 'em!". I'm so tired that I roll right off my bed and hit the floor with a loud thud. I groan and look at myself in the mirror. Yikes! I look like a Capitol citizen with bed-head. After my poor attempt at trying to tame the wild beast that I call my hair, I looked for something to wear. I rake through the drawers, until I find something that was isn't so…flashy. I find a midnight blue t-shirt and some jeans and throw them on with my brown sneakers. I walk into the dining room and find The other four already at the table. When I sit down, I'm immediately served what seems to be eggs.

"It's an omelette," Maria tells me "It's filled with cheese, ham, and vegetables. It's good," I pick up my fork and knife and cut off a bite size piece. I hesitantly bite in. Warm and melted cheese fills my mouth with tender ham and crunchy spinach. It's so good, that I finish it in less than ten minutes.

"So…" Amber begins to say "Do you guys have any skills that could be helpful use?"

"Not unless you count having nimble fingers," Maria says "My job back in the district is folding paper,"

"You're a craftsmen?" asks Ryder. Maria nods. "Great. You should know how to use a knife from carving," he says

"What about you, Parker?" Amber asks

"I'm pretty good with axes," I respond

"Try to give the audience a good show then," says Ryder wiggling his eyebrows

"Ryder, he's only twelve years old. He wouldn't exactly play well as a bloodthirsty killer," Amber scolded him

"Why not?"

"What do you mean why not you dummy?!"

"But why can't we just-"

"Guys!" Maria shouts "Remember us? We're the twelve-year-olds from District 7 that are about to get slaughtered?". Both of our mentors look over to her with their eyebrows raised. Then everything around us became dark as we enter a tunnel. As we enter the darkness, I catch Amber pinching the bridge of her nose and Ryder smiling at us with his arms crossed. The five of us go into the main room of the train and watch a recap of the reapings. I see a lanky boy from District 1 whom no one volunteered for. A loud-mouthed girl from District 4 who's almost positive that she will win. I'm vaguely aware of the interviewers grumbling about how there are not one, but two twelve-year-old tributes from Seven. A daughter of a past victor from district 8. And a set of seventeen-year-old fraternal twins from Ten.

As we exit the tunnel, the entire world is filled with light. A white-hot, blinding light that bounces off the centurion skyscrapers of the Capitol. Maria and I simultaneously rush over to the window. Even Amber and Ryder's faces are filled with awe. The first thing that pops into my mind when I see the Capitol: Unnatural. The buildings painful shades of yellow that make your eyes water. The dogs on leashes have pink and purple colored fur. And the nature, oh what have they done! What little grass that reveals itself is a bright neon green. The trees look like giant lollipops. I'm now starting to wonder if even the golden sunlight that streams down is artificial, too.

As we pulled into the Capitol station, my opinion of the Capitol sails down ten points. Crowds of Capitol citizens rush over once they spot a tribute train. Up close, you can see how much they are altered. A man with talons on his hands instead of fingernails. A child with eyes that have demonic ruby red irises. A cat with jewels inlaid into its ears. I visibly cringe when I spot a woman with four breasts instead of two. "You guys!" Ryder calls to us over the noise "From this point until training, you'll be put into the hands of your stylists and prep teams. Try not to scream, okay? Okay!". Maria and I look to each other with bewildered faces. Then the train doors open and my ears vibrate with the cheering of the people who can't wait to watch us die.