Chapter 3: We Meet Katniss
AN: Okay my lovely readers I am so sorry for the wait had to get in the swing of things being my last year of high school. We finally get Katniss point of view. Let me know what you think. Lets get this show on the road.
I wake up when I hear her. The door opens and I can feel the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention. She creeps up behind me. When I feel like she about to pounce I turn and grab her. Throwing her on the bed I start to tickle her. "You need to wake up earlier then that to pull one on your sister, little duck" I say as I continue to tickle her.
"Okay Katniss, okay I give, I give." she yells while she tries to get up from under me.
"Now you know better then that. Say it or I will never stop," I taunt her.
"Uhhh fine, Katniss the next glorious victor will you please have mercy on me a small defenseless little girl" Prim says between giggles.
"Good, now I'm going to go train before the reaping." I say as I get up to go get ready. I slip into my training uniform as I head downstairs to get something to eat.
I sit down with some eggs and fruit. As I finish eating my dad comes down. "I'm so proud of you Kat. Only 17 and you were chosen to be the next tribute we are going to have two generations of victors in this house soon." my dad says.
He is the reason I want to be a victor so bad. Everyone respects him and he is a great mentor. My father, Marcial Everdeen, won the 54 hunger games when he was 18. Three years later he and my mom had me then they had my baby sister Primrose.
My dad loves Prim and me. Our mother though, died after she had Prim. Our dad of course cared for both of us, never giving up. That still didn't stop the late nights where he would cry for his wife and the mother of his children.
I trained most of my life so my dad would be proud of me. I want to be a victor so my dad can go out to our district and say 'My daughter became a victor and not yours'. Mostly I do it thought because my dad needs something to help him move on. I just hope that it will be enough for him.
I smile at him as I get up to put my dishes away. "Yeah, the daughter of the best victor in the history of the games, winning 20 years later. I can see it now my name in lights and people cheering for me."
My dad laughs as he sees me practice my wave to the audience. "Well pop I'm going to the academy. Going to go work out a little before I become a tribute." I say as I leave the house
Stretching a little before I run the next five miles to the academy. My thoughts wonder to my life and the life I can't wait to have, growing up and falling in love. One day having kids who can carry the next generation of victors or whatever else they want to do. I am not blind though. For this all to happen I have to kill, I have to change who I am and become a killer. Take the lives of innocent kids so I can come home. I know I can do it. Its what I have been trained to do. In the end though I will be the one who has to live with it all.
Just as I am nearing the academy I shake off the thoughts going through my head. I can't let any of that mess with me right now. I am doing this for my dad. For my district. For me. I am doing this because its what I have been trained to do. It's something that no one is going to take from me.
I walk into the academy greeting my trainers as I walk by. When I feel a pair of eyes glaring at me. I don't need to turn around to know who it is. A one Peeta Mallark. The self-centered prick of all of Panem. Who thinks he is an Adonis, hotter then Finnick Odair, and has his dick that is like catnip for girls, as if.
He has hated me since we started training. I don't know why though. Okay maybe it is because I kicked his ass when I was twelve and he was thirteen, and he might of been training at the academy for a year long, but is it my fault that my dad was training me since I could walk. Well it also doesn't help that I was chosen to be a tribute at a younger age then him. That I was chosen to be the leader of the career pack over him might also be a problem.
Whatever he can suck it, cause I am going to win and nothing is going to stop me. I turn to stare him down. Looking into his cold blue eyes I can see he is trying to get under my skin. I just smirk and turn around.
I trained for a couple hours, ignoring Peeta the whole time, before I go home. When I get home I go up stairs and change into a strapless, knee length, red dress. Then braid my hair down over my shoulder and put on some light make. I walked out of my room looking at it one last time before I close the door. Here is where my old life ends and my new one begins.
When I get downstairs I see Prim in her new reaping outfit. She looks so cute with here hair down and wearing a light blue dress that comes to her knees. She looks happy to see me when I get down, but I can see the hint of sadness in her eyes.
My little sister Prim may have been training in the academy just like me, but she isn't much of a killer. With her blond hair and blue eyes she looks just like mom and on occasion she acts more like her then dad. Prim has always been more of a healer then a killer just like our mom. The only reason Prim is in the academy is because the kids who are have a better chance of choosing what job they want in the future. She would rather be a doctor then a tribute any day.
Walking up to her I wrap my arms around her and give her a big hug. "Come on Prim please don't be sad. Its not like you won't see me the days leading up to the games. I mean dads not leaving you here while we are both in the capitol," I tell her.
"I know Katniss, but I am still going to worry that you won't come back. If that happens, what am I going to do? You are my big sister and you always promised you would be there and what if you die in the blood bath or of infection or maybe..." I cut her off before she can work herself up too much.
"Prim I promised you I would be there for you and have I ever broken a promise to you?" I ask. She looks up and shakes her head. "See I haven't and I don't plan on staring now." I smile at her.
Just then our dad comes down. "Come on my lovely ladies. We don't want to be late for Kats big day"
We all walk to the town square. It isn't that far because victor village is so close. Prim and I go to check in. I take her to the twelve-year old section then walk to my own section.
Our district 2 escort, Wolfmark Yule, walks on stage to show the capitol video. The dark days always interested me because if everyone rebelled once because of miss treatment, what is stopping them from doing it again?
He finally goes to pick the tributes for this year. "Alright ladies and gentlemen the moment you have all been waiting for," he walks over to the girls bowl first. Making a show of picking a name. Walking back to the mix. "Clove Lockhearst"
Clove a young fourteen year old who will be an excellent tribute, just not this year. "I volunteer as tribute." I yell in a confident voice. I walk up on stage smiling because I know I am going to win.
Wolfmark cheers then comes over to me. "What is your name Hun?" he asks.
"Katniss Everdeen" I tell him and all of Panem. Pride in my voice.
"Oh my are you the daughter of Marcial Everdeen?" Wolfmark asks. I just nod with a smile and a wink. "Wonderful, just simply wonderful. Well isn't this great folks." everyone cheers because they all know I am here to win.
"Now time for the boys," Wolfmark says as he walks over to the bowl. Going to the bottom of the bowl he comes up with a name at the bottom. "Titus Arausio"
An eighteen-year old scary tribute that was going to be my partner this year, but he had an "accident" with training and broke his arm. No one knows what happen, but everyone knows there was fowl play.
Just as he took his first step towards the stage Peeta yells out "I volunteer as tribute," he all but runs to the stage. The look on his face is like a kid in a candy shop.
Wolfmark walks over to Peeta. "Now what is your name young man?"
"Peeta Mallark" he says with a smirk. His arrogance will be his down fall.
"Oh good, Now shake hands and we will head off to the capitol." our escort says with excitement.
Peeta and I turn towards each other and shake hands. He gives me the evil eye. Trying to throw me off my game. We then get escorted to the justice building to say our last goodbyes. I think this is dumb because my family is already on the train and we don't make friends in the academy. They teach us not to make connections because then they can be used against us.
After about 10 minutes of nothing they escort Peeta and me to the train. This is it. I will be a victor in a couple weeks. I will win and bring pride to my district. I just hope I won't lose myself in the process.
