Trip Arenton
A/N: In response to Zazzy's review, the reason that I have more volunteers is because there are more individual stories, since there are more tributes. The four volunteers all volunteer for different reasons, by the way.
Time for the first Reaping chapter! I'll try to post one of these every two days or so. Let me know what you thought of this tribute!
Trip met his boss's eyes, waiting to hear the good news.
"You're fired."
Trip froze. It wasn't what he was expecting. Fired? Why? He liked his job, and was a good employee, too!
"W-why?" Trip stuttered. "How I done anything wrong?"
Miles, his boss, stopped, looking for the right words.
"You're a good guy, Trip, but, I don't feel that this job is right for you."
"Why?"
"Come on, Trip. You sit at a desk for four hours a day filling out paperwork. You're more active than that! You need a job where you can be on your feet more often."
Trip sighed. Miles was a nice man. He didn't want to argue with him. Glum, he slowly exited Miles's Jewelry Bazaar, leaving his employee card on Miles's cherry-wood desk.
The white neon lights at the store's front reflected off Trip as he hopped onto his bike and pedaled home. Cold air stung his cheeks and throat, but home wasn't that far away.
After arriving home, Trip hung up his olive, hooded jacket on the bronze coat rack and met his mother; Elena, and Pashmina; his little sister, in the dining room. He took a seat at one of the leathery black chairs next to his sister, who watched him with her dazzling green eyes.
It was tradition for the Arenton family to have pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw, a favorite meal of both of the children, on the night before the Reapings. Trip began to consume his sandwich, tasting the runny, tangy sauce on his tounge, when his mother asked him the question he didn't want to hear.
"How was work, Trip?"
"I got fired," he mumbled under his breath.
"What?" Elena asked, not hearing her son.
"He got fired, again!" Pashmina giggled, her brown pigtails bobbing up and down as she bounced in her seat. She took enjoyment in Trip's failure.
Trip braced for a scolding from his mother, but he got none. It had been the fourth time Trip had gotten fired in the past year, and his mother was used to it. There was no real need for Trip to work, considering that Elena had a high-paying job as an arts administrator, but Trip wanted to have some sort of experience in the workforce before he became an adult.
So far, it wasn't going well.
The three relatives shared stories about friends, work, and other things for the next twenty minutes, and then, it was time to go to bed.
"Trip!" Elena called as her son began to go upstairs.
"Yeah, mom?"
"Your Reaping suit is on the back of your bedroom door, if you need it."
"Okay! Goodnight!"
The next morning, Trip took a shower and fixed himself up in front of the bathroom mirror. He combed through his messy, chestnut-colored hair and washed his face. He had to admit, he looked pretty good. His shining amber eyes stood out among his relatively pale and clear skin. The left end of his lips was a bit angular, giving off the effect that he had a permanent smirk, and his thin nose was perfectly aligned. He threw on a t-shirt and jeans, and headed downstairs for breakfast.
The only one in the dining room was Pashmina. Rolling her scrambled eggs around on her fork, holding her head in her hand, she looked quite sad.
Trip immediately knew what was upsetting her.
When Trip was ten, his mother had first told him about the Reapings, and he had been shocked. Pashmina had turned ten less than two months ago.
"Look," he told her, putting his hand on her elbow in a comforting gesture. "You don't have to worry about it. You still have two years before you're even eligible, and I only have six slips in there, out of thousands."
"So? You still could be picked."
Trip was silent. He rested his head next to Pashmina's and sat there with her for a few minutes. He felt bad for his sister, but at least she had a sibling to comfort her.
He had been alone.
Later, Trip threw on his Reaping clothes, a mahogany polo and gray khakis. Trip hated the itchy clothes, but he knew that he would take them off as soon as he got home.
Trip bid farewell to his family, while Pashmina cried, and headed towards the Justice Building of District One. A large crowd of people had gathered at the building for the Reapings. Echoes of conversation were at large, and so was the building tension of the upcoming events.
After signing in, Trip made his way to the Male, 17 section, while the mayor of the district read the Treaty of Treason.
He eyed the four Reaping balls on the stage. District One always had a special way of picking the Careers each year. Anyone who wanted to become a tribute would have to fill out a special form, and then submit it to the government. The Reaping ball would only contain the names of tributes that filled out the form. Trip was one of the volunteers. The other two balls were there because of the special rule in the 50th Games that doubled the amount of tributes. From each Career district, there would be two volunteers, and two chosen tributes. Those extra balls contained the names of children who didn't want to volunteer. Needless to say, these balls were much more unfilled than the volunteer balls.
The escort, Levi, was a very annoying man, at least to Trip. He had golden hair that spiked out in all directions, and his eyes had been dyed to match his hair. His skin almost had a bluish tinge to it, and he had a very shrilling voice, along with an undying love for the Hunger Games. He explained the Quell twist, even though everyone knew it.
"To show that for every Capitol citizen that dies, two rebels will die, each district must Reap two males and two females for this year's Games, resulting in a total of 48 tributes. Now, let's Reap our lucky volunteer lady!"
Levi strutted over to the girls' bowl and traced his fingers along the pile of slips, before pulling out one near the top.
The crowd had gone silent.
"Shade Colresse!"
Trip watched as a tall, beautiful, black-haired girl wearing a beige dress walked up to the stage. Her green eyes gave off a feeling of surprise, but the rest of her face was emotionless.
No doubt that she would be a Career.
Levi gave the girl a few words of encouragement, and then moved onto the male volunteer, repeating the process. He swiftly picked out a slip.
"Trip Arenton!" he trilled.
The crowd went still. Trip was a popular guy in the district, so no one wanted for him to be Reaped.
"No!" a young voice screamed, cutting through the silence. Trip recognized it as Pashmina's. He didn't move, looking at his little sister in fear.
A sudden, painful grip on both of his arms seized Trip, and the Peacekeepers started dragging him to the stage. Trip regained his composure and walked the rest of the way,
The other two tributes were Reaped, but Trip only paid attention to the crying figure of Pashmina.
"You promised…" Pashmina whimpered, gripping to Trip's shirt. "You said that you'd be fine."
"It'll be okay," Trip assured her, scared for his baby sister. "I'll be back in a few weeks. I'm going to win the Games."
"How do you know? There are 48 people out there."
"Well, how can you be so sure that I won't win?"
This seemed to calm Pashmina, but she wouldn't let go of Trip's shirt. Her grip tugged the shirt's uncomfortable fabric along Trip's skin, but he didn't care. Nothing mattered right now, except for his family.
"Are you joining the Careers?" Elena asked him.
"Probably."
"Be careful out there. Get them to trust you." She kissed him on the cheek. "I know you'll come back."
Trip was very surprised by his mother's calmness. He thought she'd be mortified.
The Peacekeepers told them that it was time to leave, and his mother hugged him. She began to leave, but Pashmina wouldn't let go. Some reassurance from Elena made her come with her, but Pashmina kept her eyes on Trip the whole way out.
Trip could only smile as his sister disappeared from his view as the door closed.
He received a few more goodbyes, from his friends and other family, but his mother's faith in him winning kept him happy throughout all of it. When it was time to leave, Trip boarded the train, knowing that at least someone believed in him.
And hope, for him, was the fuel that kept him going.
A/N: Trip is one of my favorites from the Career districts, so, I hoped that you like him too! Don't forget to review!
Next up: Copious Lartrick!
