*Alrighty, here it is; the first chapter. I would like to clarify a couple of things, though. I chose District 6 as Rachel's home District because I found a map of where the Districts might be online, and Ohio was in District 6. I also chose it because it's one of the more obscure Districts and, to my knowledge, its industry is unknown. If I'm wrong, feel free to correct me, but for the purposes of my story, District 6's industry is music/entertainment. Happy Reading!
(Rachel)
Rachel got out of bed slowly, stifling a yawn as she checked her clock. It was early; much earlier than she normally got up, but it would give her time to slip out to meet Finn and come back before anyone noticed she was gone.
She dressed quietly, trying not to disturb her grandparents or her mom. She drew back her curtains and opened the window a crack. The weather was already deceptively beautiful. Today would be a gorgeous day, but no one outside of the Capitol would fully appreciate it.
Rachel tiptoed down the stairs, pulling a cardigan on over her dress. She was about to leave through the back door when a voice behind her caused her to jump back in alarm.
"Good morning, Rachel."
Rachel whirled around to find her grandmother standing in the kitchen doorway. "Gram," she squeaked. "I didn't mean to…" She trailed off sheepishly, biting her lower lip.
Marian Corcoran smiled, putting Rachel at ease. "You didn't wake me, dear. I couldn't sleep a wink last night. I was making tea when I heard you get up." She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned with a small picnic basket. "It's not much," she warned. "Just some bread, fruit, and cheese. You give Jesse my best."
"I'm actually not meeting Jesse," Rachel admitted. "Finn wanted to talk about something before…well, you know…"
Marian grinned. "In that case, give him a hug and a kiss on the cheek from me. It's been too long since I've seen that boy."
Rachel grinned back. "Will do, Gram."
"Don't be out too long," Marian warned as Rachel took the basket. "We need to be in the square before eleven."
Rachel nodded. "I know, Gram," she responded solemnly.
She closed the door behind her softly, still trying to be as quiet as possible, though it wasn't entirely necessary. There weren't many neighbors to wake up in the Victor's Village. District Six could only boast five victors in seventy-two years. Ken Tanaka, their first ever victor, had died before Rachel was born. Dustin Goolsby had been killed on his victory tour a few years later. Angelica Cole was eighty years old, completely deaf, and mostly blind. Will Schuester, who had won four years after Rachel's mom, was the only one she could possibly wake up, but he had a soft spot for Rachel and always turned a blind eye.
Rachel stole through the semi-darkness of the morning, making her way towards a secluded grove of trees near the District Eight border. Rachel, Finn, Finn's stepbrother Kurt, and their friend Blaine had discovered the spot ten years ago, and it had become their secret place. Not even Rachel's boyfriend Jesse knew about it. It was completely cut off from the rest of the District; the only safe place they knew.
Finn was already in the grove when Rachel arrived, sitting against the base of the biggest tree. Finn and Rachel broke into identical grins when they saw each other. They had been best friends for as long as they could remember, and there was no one outside of her family that Rachel trusted more.
"Morning, Finn!" Rachel tackled Finn with a huge hug before he could stand, planting a kiss on his cheek. "That's from Gram," she explained, releasing him.
Finn recovered from his momentary shock. "Morning, Rach," he replied, his eyes lighting up upon seeing the basket. "Is that breakfast?" he asked hopefully.
Rachel nodded. "Gram caught me on my way out." They shared their breakfast in silence, neither one speaking until after the sun was up.
Rachel checked her watch, remembering her grandmother's warning. She took a deep breath and turned to face Finn, who was still munching on an apple. "What did you want to talk about?" she asked softly. "You said it was important…"
Finn nodded, focusing on the apple in his hands. "There's something that I have to tell you, Rach. I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I kept putting it off. I can't put it off anymore, though."
"Because of the Games?" Rachel asked.
Finn nodded again. "Yeah. I mean, we've been really lucky, Rach. Not just you and me, but Kurt and Blaine too. We're all sixteen and none of us have been reaped yet. But, it's like your mom always says, you know; the odds can't be in our favor forever."
"Finn…"
He put a finger to her lips. "I have to tell you now, because I've got this feeling that one of us is going to the Capitol today." Finn took a deep breath, looking into Rachel's eyes. "I'm in love with you, Rach. I know that this is terrible timing, and I promise I'm not asking you to leave Jesse. I just needed you to know." He leaned closer to Rachel, kissing her softly.
Rachel sat frozen in shock as Finn stood to leave. He stopped at the edge of the small clearing, giving her a crooked smile. "I'll see you later, Rach. May…" His words caught in his throat for a moment. "May the odds be ever in your favor."
Rachel remained in the clearing for a few minutes after Finn left. She touched her fingers to her mouth, fighting back tears. Finally, she stood, packing up the remains of their breakfast and heading home in a daze.
(Shelby)
On the day of the reaping, Shelby woke to a bright sun and a warm breeze coming in her window. She padded downstairs in her pajamas, having discovered that eating first was always the best solution on reaping day. It gave her a chance to calm her nerves, which had become more and more useful since Rachel had turned twelve.
She found her parents in the kitchen, both already dressed for the reaping. Her father looked up from his coffee. "Morning, pumpkin."
"Morning," she replied, not trusting her voice for anything more than that.
"There's tea on the stove, love," her mother said, taking a sip from her own mug.
Shelby nodded, silently making herself a small breakfast. As she started to eat, she noticed the absence of her normally very present daughter. "Where's Rachel?" she asked. "She's not still in bed, is she?"
Marian shook her head. "She was up before dawn. She went to have a talk with Finn. I sent breakfast along with her and warned her not to be gone too long."
Shelby sighed. "She'd better be back soon. We have to be at the Justice Building at ten thirty."
"I thought the reaping was at eleven," Christopher said, frowning.
"It is," Shelby replied. "But they at least want the mentors there at ten thirty."
Marian squeezed Shelby's hand reassuringly. "Why don't you start getting ready, and we'll send Rachel up as soon as she gets home. If there's not enough time for you to take her, your father and I can bring her to the square."
Shelby was about to agree when the back door opened and closed. Rachel walked into the kitchen, looking slightly bewildered. She placed the picnic basket on the counter, pausing to refocus her thoughts. "Thanks for the breakfast, Gram," she said with a tiny smile. "Finn says hello."
"Rachel, is everything okay?" Shelby asked, concerned.
Rachel smiled, but it was brief and tense. "I'm fine, Mom," she said. Shelby saw through the lie immediately. Something was definitely wrong. "When do we have to leave?" Rachel asked, shaking Shelby from her musings.
"I have to be at the Justice Building at ten thirty, but you don't have to be there until eleven," Shelby replied automatically. "If you get in the shower now, I can do your hair before I have to leave."
Rachel nodded, making her way up the stairs. Shelby watched her go with a feeling of dread. "Something's not right," she murmured.
"It's possible that the Games are finally getting to her," Marian suggested. "She and her friends have been very lucky. It could be that she's realized how vulnerable they all are, especially Finn. He's been taking tesserae for his entire family since he was twelve years old. The odds are certainly against him," she said with a sigh. "He's her best friend…"
Shelby stood abruptly, attempting to hold back the flood of memories. "I should get ready," she said, following her daughter's footsteps upstairs.
Shelby showered quickly, afraid that being still for too long would trigger the flashbacks. She let her hair air-dry, opting not to flat-iron her dark curls. She chose a simple purple dress and heels, her only accessory the treble clef necklace that had been her token when she was thirteen.
"Mom?" Shelby turned to the doorway where Rachel was standing, dressed only in a fluffy robe. Her damp hair was around her shoulders, and her eyes were wide, making her appear much younger than sixteen.
Shelby pulled a chair out for Rachel, placing a kiss to the top of her head before starting. She worked in silence, pulling Rachel's hair into what her mother called a French braid, starting above her left eye and ending below her right ear. She finished by curling the loose ends.
"Thanks, Mom," Rachel said quietly. She looked down at her hands, then back up at Shelby. "If I get dressed quickly enough, can I go with you?"
Shelby bit her lip. "I don't think so, baby. I think we're meeting with our escort, and I don't want you around anyone from the Capitol unless you absolutely have to be, okay?"
Rachel nodded, a single tear escaping. "I'm scared," she confessed, her voice breaking.
Shelby pulled her into a hug. "I am, too," she whispered. "It's days like this I wish you'd never been born."
Rachel laughed a little, sniffling. "May the odds be ever in our favor."
Shelby entered the Justice Building at ten twenty-nine exactly. She was unsurprised to see Will Schuester waiting in the lobby for her. He had been her fellow mentor for seventeen years, and had been the only tribute she'd coached to victory.
"Good morning, Will," she greeted. They hugged briefly, and Shelby looked around the room anxiously. "Do you know why they wanted us here so early?" she asked.
Will raised his eyebrows. "You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?" Shelby asked, dread forming in her stomach.
"We're getting a new escort," Will whispered, leaning closer.
Shelby's eyes widened. "You're kidding! What happened to Holly Holiday?"
Will shrugged. "No one knows. Apparently, she just disappeared. Mayor Figgins is waiting on our new escort. He said he'd come find us when she arrived."
Moments later, Mayor Figgins entered the Justice Building with a woman in tow. She was a little taller than Shelby, very thin, and she had perfectly coiffed red hair. Compared to most of the residents of the Capitol, she looked quite normal. Her only outstanding feature were her disturbingly large doe eyes.
Figgins led the woman to where they were standing, smiling broadly. "William, Shelby, I would like you to meet Miss Emma Pillsbury, the newest escort for District Six." He turned to Emma. "Miss Pillsbury, these are our mentors, Shelby Corcoran and William Schuester."
Emma shook their hands. "It's wonderful to meet you both," she said. Despite her odd Capitol accent, she sounded genuine, but Shelby had been taught early on to not trust anyone from the Capitol.
"It's lovely to meet you as well," Shelby replied, trying to sound sincere.
"I've heard so much about the both of you," Emma said with a tiny smile. "Especially you, Shelby."
Shelby shifted uncomfortably. "Like what?"
"Like how you won the Hunger Games when you were only thirteen," Emma started. "And how only four years later, you single-handedly coached Will to victory. And, of course, that dreadful year after."
"I'd prefer not to talk about that, if you don't mind," Shelby said testily.
"I apologize," Emma replied sweetly. "Your daughter, she'd be, what, sixteen now?"
Shelby nodded, trying to keep her temper in check. Emma's smile widened. "Sixteen, and she hasn't been reaped yet," she continued. "Lucky girl."
Shelby glared at Emma, struggling to keep her voice calm. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Not a thing," Emma replied, unfazed. "May the odds be ever in her favor." She exited the room, leaving Shelby seething with rage, and Will and Mayor Figgins standing there awkwardly.
Mayor Figgins broke the tense silence. "Families are beginning to arrive in the square," he said. "Let us get in place, shall we?"
Shelby took her seat on stage next to Will, keeping as much distance between herself and Emma Pillsbury as possible. She scanned the crowd for Rachel, spotting her among the sea of sixteen year old girls. Rachel had chosen a simple black dress with fluttering sleeves. She made eye contact with Shelby and tried to smile, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was terrified. After the comments that Emma had made, Shelby couldn't help but think she had good reason to be.
Mayor Figgins stepped up to read the history of Panem at exactly eleven o'clock. Shelby tuned him out, as did most of the crowd, only paying attention again as he read the list of past winners. Shelby and Will both stood to receive their token applause, prompting Angelica Cole to stand as well. They had perfected the routine years before when Mrs. Cole still had most of her hearing.
Shelby sat down as Mayor Figgins introduced Emma Pillsbury. Emma walked demurely to the podium, grinning at the gathered crowd. "Happy Hunger Games!" she greeted. "And may the odds be ever in your favor," she said, glancing back at Shelby momentarily. "It is both a blessing and an honor to be here in your lovely District. Let's get to the drawing, shall we?" she said excitedly, crossing to the girls' ball. "Ladies first."
Shelby knew what was coming. She'd known since Emma had brought up Rachel. If she were being honest, she'd known that this was coming since Rachel was born. Still, knowing couldn't prepare her for the moment when Emma read the name.
"Rachel Berry."
*There you have it; the official first chapter. I know Emma is a little ooc, but I wanted to change things up a bit. Not all escorts can be Effie Trinket. I hope you enjoyed. Next chapter we'll find out who the male tribute is. Feel free to guess, but you've probably already figured it out.