Chapter Two

The Reaping

"Ugh, Mom do I have to go?" moaned Cato while he was still prodded to wake up.

"Yes, you do. And I'll be watching so don't try and sneak off like last year, do you hear me!"

"Ya, I hear you!" Cato really didn't want to get up. Maybe he wouldn't have to. He waved his arms in the air and mouthed "mom". He was hoping to be sick and not have to go.

"I know what your planning mister, and its not going to work. You have to attend the reaping.

. . .

Trina Trinket says into a microphone, "Ladies first." She scuttles over to the pool with names in it. She picks one out and unfolds it. "And the tribute is, Lily Mellark."

Katniss can't stand on her feet any longer. She faints and can't see or hear a thing. Her daughter was destined to die.

As Peeta hears the name called, he sprints through the crowd shouting "KATNISS, KATNISS!" He doesn't care what the Peacekeepers are saying to him. This is his entire fault. He has killed another tribute. But this one... Is his daughter, Lily.

"Lily Mellark!" Trina calls. The voice screams in Lily's head. Everyone around her moves away. Someone pushes her toward Trina. She trips as she walks up the flight of stairs. Trina is right beside her saying, "Congratulations!" But Lily has blurred out everything that everyone else is saying. "Lily Mellark, Lily Mellark, Lily Mellark, Lily Mellark! The voice rings in her head.

"Okay next we have the gentlemen!" Trina walks up to the reaping pool and pulls a name. "Steve Hawthorne."

Lily can't bear this. As Steve walks up to the platform, Lily is about to cry. You can hear it in her slow breath.

Trina then walks over to the pool of names and picks the last and final name. "Cato Mellark?"

Cato's stomach turned. He knows that Mom fainted and Lily is up there. His name was called. He is now a tribute and nearly a dead man.

He walks upon the stage next to his sister Lily. The anthem is heard from a speaker and Cato whispers to Lily, "I'm so scared..." he says franticly.

Lily whispers back, "Yeah I know. What am I going to do? I can't kill you, or Steve!"

Cato randomly asks Lily, "Are you sure he doesn't like you more than you like him?"

Lily replies, "Well, he asked me if he wanted to run away with him. Then he told me this is what his Dad told Mom the morning before the reaping. "

Cato was shocked. Is that really what Gale asked Mom before the reaping? Mom told the story only once and he wasn't sure that was how it went. Still, does Steve like Lily? Or is it just for alliance in the Games. As Cato thought about it, he realized that Steve didn't know that he was going to be reaped. Cato shook his head as he gave up on thinking about Lily and Steve.

When Trina asked for them to shake hands, they did. But the three chosen tributes stared at each other in fright. All that they knew was that they were going to die. Steve knew that he couldn't kill Lily. Lily knew she couldn't kill Cato. Cato knew he couldn't kill Steve. They would protect each other, till the end, or not at all.