Life Goes On

At least that's what I tell myself.

I was right, about not breaking. I watch some girl from district four win the games. She goes crazy halfway through when Tron kills her district partner. I don't fool myself into thinking he'll win when that happens. His mom does though, it's the hardest on her when the dam in the arena breaks and he drowns. Last year she lost her daughter, this year her son. It's a good thing she's got a baby on the way, because if she didn't I'm pretty sure she would have gone crazy by now.

I don't know why I feel so detached when my best friend dies. Maybe because it's happened before, maybe I'm just too worn down from losing sleep to stay up and watch the games. Either way it's a lot different from last year when Alicia died. I freaked. My mom says it's called a nervous breakdown, she swears I'm fine now though. Sometimes I'm not sure if I believe her, but then again she should know, she was raised by a doctor.

I make a new friend. Everyone else I know hates her, but that's only natural. We're the stone masons' kids. We hate the games, we hate the capitol. So no one was really all that happy when Clove started coming around. Her dad works in the military center. Everyone immediately hates her because she's got all the things no one around here will ever have a chance of getting.

She says she's going into the hunger games. She'll wait until she's 18, to give herself a better chance. She says that she'll win the games and move into the Victor's Village and take me with her. I usually don't say much, seeing as I've heard this all before, but there's one thing I'm curious about.

"What about your family? Wouldn't you bring them to the Victor's Village too?" I've never met any of her family before, and she never really says much about them.

"Pfsh. No. Why would I do that? I guess I'd bring my boyfriend if I had one. And you could bring yours too, if you ever decided you wanted one." I haven't really taken much interest in finding a boyfriend. All the guys I know are just annoyingly stupid. It bothers me sometimes, when she talks about people like they're her pets, like she owns them. I get used to it, though. Just like I get used to the fact that I'm one of about 7 people she doesn't treat like dirt. People still like her, though. They still want to be her friend, no matter how mean she gets. Maybe it's not just boys who are stupid.

So time continues to move forward. I go to school, I try (and mostly fail) not to argue with Clove when I catch her terrorizing people, she tries (and mostly fails) to only terrorize) people when I'm not around. I turn thirteen, another reaping, another games, another victor, another set of 23 dead children. I watch the games with Clove; she makes fun of the kids who die. I keep my mouth shut. I turn fourteen, the process repeats itself.

I turn fifteen. And everything changes.

A.N.: Sorry about how long it takes me to update, I'll try to update faster and make the chapters longer, and that'll be easier when the action starts, I hope. The story becomes SYOT next chapter, because I really don't have the energy to come up with 23 characters, which are going to die anyway. Even though the other tributes will eventually die I still want to focus on them some and tell a little of their stories.

Pleeease review, I really want some feedback and constructive criticism. Flames are also welcome, I'm a pyromaniac. ;D