I felt like everyone was inside my head yelling. I couldn't hear anything else. I heard the shouts all around me, volunteer after volunteer. I didn't like it.
I don't remember moving. Commanding my limbs to make movements, work their way to a certain place. I don't remember pushing through people, or walking up the steps. But then I was there. Standing on that stage. Every single eye, on me. I cleared my throat.
"I, am District One's female tribute." I declared, resulting in protests. Many girls found that very unfair. The escort stepped forward, shushing everyone.
"I'm sure that be nice, but you have a bit of people willing to volunteer, dear."
I stared at her in disbelief. Didn't she think I realized that. That I noticed? I pursed my lips for a moment before speaking. "There is no rule saying I cannot deny their request to volunteer for me. I was picked, so I will go in." I said simply, crossing my arms over my chest.
The amount of seconds it took for peacekeepers to get a rule book was impeccable. They were flipping through the pages within a number of seconds. They spent at least ten minutes looking through it. I calculated it. I got a feeling in my stomach every minute I held my breath, and I held breath each time, and after the tenth, in the middle of the eleventh, the peacekeepers had a word with the escort.
The escort nodded briskly, thanking them before she stepped away, going back to the microphone. She cleared her throat before she spoke.
"Well. The rule book has no rules stating that the drawn tribute cannot deny the request of a volunteer." I felt like I should feel a mixture of emotions. But I felt nothing. The sounds were l similar, all the same. A buzz roared through my ears, traveling through the veins in my head. I looked out at the crowd, waiting to hear their voices. But all that came was buzzing. I waited and waited but nothing came. I looked at the escort, waiting for her voice to come booming through the microphone. But it never came. I finally looked at her, curious. She was staring at me, her piercing blue eyes so startling I nearly gasped. That was when I was brought back. Back into the world where my body walked, my lungs breathed, and my muscles move with every passing second.
"Well? Shake hands I said." Beni repeated, smiling slightly. I looked at the boy, Wade Yule. He sent a charming smile my way, offering his hand. I'm not sure what made me do it, but I smiled right back.
Not just a regular smile either. It was simple. You smile like your happy, but you make it more cheeky and don't show much teeth so it makes you seem nervous or flustered- adorable. But to throw them off you tell a different story with your eyes. Have a devious look in them, you know? Flutter those eyelashes of yours. It works like a charm.
Wade looked at me for too long of a moment, probably confused by my actions. I winked before I looked away, turning to look elsewhere, at the buildings in the distance.
"Well. The tribute from District One." Beni said, her arms at her sides as she gestured to us. Cheers actually came from the crowd, surprising me. I didn't think anyone would actually do so.
But they must be cheering for Wade Yule.