Before we begin, I'd like to warn you all that, unlike the previous story, this one will be changing viewpoints. Since it didn't do this in the first story, I will put the POV at the start of each section. :)
Asa
He'd run off again, it was getting harder and harder to keep track of him. When the announcement was first made, he'd tried to run from it. He knew he couldn't escape going back into the arena, but he still tried running anywhere he could get to.
The worst part? He didn't always physically run, half the time he would just disappear into his own mind. It was easier to keep track of him that way, but it was so much harder to help him. When he returned to the real world from the imaginary place he'd built to protect himself, he often refused to talk about it. At least when he really ran, he'd talk to me.
People liked to ask me what was going on, as if I knew everything about him. They didn't understand that even after eight years of the strongest friendship, I still couldn't read his mind no matter how hard I tried or wanted to. They didn't understand that even though we were more than just friends now, I still didn't know what was going on.
Ben was hiding in the empty cellar of the Victor's cottage closest to the electrified fence closing us in when I finally found him. He'd pulled his knees to his chest, and had the situation been less serious, his height would have made his position almost comical. He'd been running off more and more frequently lately as the next reaping day drew closer and closer and every time he'd be in this same position when I finally found it. I'd only recently found out about some mental problems evident in both him and his family tree, it wasn't something he'd wanted to talk about unless it became a problem like it was now. I had a feeling that in combination with the trauma the Games left in general is what was bringing out this reaction.
I sat down beside him and put a hand on his back. "It's okay, Ben." His head came up ever so slightly at the sound of my voice and I saw tears in his eyes. He'd never done this before.
He looked me dead in the eyes. "What are you going to do?" He'd asked me that a million times, but he always shut down when I tried to dig farther.
"What am I going to do when?" I suspected he'd close himself off to me again, but I had to try.
He surprised me, and actually answered me, He couldn't look me in the eyes, but he answered me; it was more than usual.
"What will you do when I'm gone?"
"I'll do the same as I always do, Ben. I'll wait for you to come back, even when it seems like it's not going to happen." I'd done it before, and I could do it again if I had to.
"And if I don't come back home?" The small tear drops in his eyes were threatening to fall. I've only seen him really cry once when the first relationship he actually gave a damn about broke apart on him. This was threatening to be the second time and I was going to prevent that if I could.
I smirked at him. "I guess I'll just have to kick your ass when I meet you again, won't I?" He laughed for the first time in weeks. By now, it was such a rare and beautiful sound, it brought what had to be an incredibly stupid grin to my face.
"Thank you," he said softly. He pulled me close and my head rested on his shoulder until someone else finally found us huddled together some hours later.
Reaping day, or Day of the Damned as I liked to call it, came for us at the speed of light in my opinion. I wasn't ready to have Ben torn from me again, and he was in no shape to lose me again so soon. We'd grown up together and even though he'd only been gone for a few moths last time, it felt like so much longer and it was hard to have him leave after having him by my side for so long.
His name was called, and he walked up to the stage as slowly as humanly possible, and once he got up there, he didn't break eye-contact until the next name was drawn.
Mine.
Fish
Reaping day.
This day last year was still fresh in my mind. The outcome would be the same to me, once more I'd be thrown into the Games alongside Danny, Ben, and the other unlucky souls that got their name picked.
All around me, the families with only a girl to worry about being picked as tribute were a depressing mix of joyful that their daughter was safe for another year and guilt filled to know they were celebrating that I was doomed to the bloodbath they called The Hunger Games once more.
There was only one name in that damned bowl; why they even bothered to make a show out of drawing it, I will never know. I was heading up to the stage as soon as her hand reached for the bowl. There was no way in hell I was going to be the Capitol's idea of a second-time tribute if I didn't have to be.
I stood on the stage, standing tall, defiant. There was no hint of fear or sorrow in my eye as I waited for the male tribute to be announced.
The name of the unlucky soul was drawn, opened, and finally read. "Simon White."
I fought to stay standing tall as my boyfriend made his way to the stage. It wasn't a serious relationship like Danny had with Sam, but it still hurt see him up there with me more than it would if it had been anyone else. He was frightened, anyone with eyes could see that, but he tried to stay as strong as he could as he approached me.
Neither one of us were really listening to the rest of the speech, just standing there silently, not bothering to answer any questions. Right as I could feel the lines of seemingly endless bullshit winding down, I had an idea.
The cameras were about to cut off when I leaned forward and kissed Simon. It felt weird, it wasn't something I'd done before, but I did it anyway knowing it would piss the Capitol off, make the Districts feel sorry for us, and make the boy next to me happy all in one fell swoop.
We were pushed from the stage and allowed the usual formalities; goodbyes to the people we know and all that jazz. We boarded the train and as I walked about the carts and familiarized myself with the train, I did one of those things that was bound to make every person on this damn thing think I'd completely lost my mind.
"I like German sparkle party.
Very German sparkle parties.
German, German sparkle party.
Do you like to party party?
Yes, I like to party party.
Do you like to dancey dance?
Yes, I wore my part pants.
I like German sparkle party
Very hardcore German sparkle party.
German German sparkle party.
Hardcore sparkle party.
Yes I wore my rubber boots,
Yes I wore my rubber boots,
Rubber boots to dancey dance,
Rubber boots and party pants!
HAHHAHAHAHA!
Do you like to dance?
Yes I like to dance.
Do you like to party?
I love to party!
Do you like to sparkle party?
I love to sparkle party.
Do you like to dancey dance?
Yes, I wore my party pants..
Party pants,
Party pants
Sparkle party
Sparkle party
Feels good to dance,
Feels good to dance
Very nice to dance,
Hard-core dance
Hard-core dance
Hard-core dance"
The looks I got while singing that were priceless. People made it very hard not to stop singing and just crack up right then and there. I'd have to do this more often, it was so much fun to make people think I was mentally unstable. I could tell by the looks on their faces this was going to be one of those moments that no matter how many times you remember it, all you can think is "What the hell?"
I was still in a good mood as I made my way to go view the recaps of the reaping.
My jaw nearly hit the ground when I saw a distinct pattern in the tributes of the last three Districts.
The less educated people in how the Capitol worked would think it was a coincidence, but I knew better. Nothing that happens here is a coincidence.
Nothing.
Danny
I stood on the stage in my ghost form even before the reaping started, I just wanted to get this over with. The people were gathered, the retarded decorations proclaiming more festivity and celebration than anyone with half a brain actually had.
I waited silently as everyone went through the formalities of the speech and the drawing of my name, even though I was already on stage.
My silence was broken as the name of the female tribute was called out.
"Samantha Manson."
I screamed out, barely registering what I was doing or saying. I must have lashed out because the next thing I remember is a sharp shock in my side and landing powerless on the ground.
Damn Plasmius for making that damned thing. Only he had the technology to take my powers, even if it was temporary.
I was practically thrown into the train once they had the footage they needed. The hum of what could only be a ghost shield came to life around the train to hell.
Sam found me minutes later and led me back to my room where we just curled up together on my bed. For hours, we just laid there together, in one another's arms as we were sped to hell of the living.
All I could think was one think.
The Capitol is fucked now. This will not go unpunished.
On the German sparkle party thing...don't ask...I don't even know... My cousin (who is actually the basis for Fish) showed that to me... It had to be done...it just had to... :P
I don't own German Sparkle Party, by the way, but you are free to go look it up if you are curious...
Comments and feedback are as welcome as always!
For this next bit, I'm issung a Minor Spoiler Alert.
I had someone mention that District 13 was built and destroyed before the Hunger Games were introduced in the series. All I have to say to that is history repeats itself. There will be an explanation for this eventually. You may not get it until the very end of this whole series, but there is a reason I've written it in that way. :)
Invisible One