Chapter 3

Lacey's POV

"No way!" Reb said.

"Way. He showed up, totally wasted."

"And you punched him int he face?"

"Yep."

"Was it satisfying?"

"Not as much as i thought it would have been." I frowned.

"Welcome, welcome." the reaping had begun. I caught a glimpse of Clay as he dashed into his respected section, smoothing his hair back with his hands. The single curl that always escaped popped out of his hair like a pig's tail. He tucked in his shirt hastily as the video about District thirteen replayed. I noticed that his blue dress shirt was wrinkled in so many different places, and then I remembered. That was the shirt he was wearing the night of the party. The night I got pregnant. The shirt with my lipstick stain on the inside of the collar.

"Welcome to the annual District four reaping." the escort said with an expression that seemed as though they had eaten something sour. I hadn't even bothered remembering their name. They just were the strange person from the Capitol that haunted my nightmares with their clownish face. The Capitol escort's hand plunged deep in the girl's names, circling around, hovering over slips, before picking on. They pulled it open, pausing for a moment.

"Lacey Holt." I laughed. They couldn't have just said my name. This was my last reaping year. I couldn't be picked. My luck couldn't possibly be that bad. But there was Reb, pushing me.

My heart stopped in my throat. My eyes stung and my throat contracted. My whole body went rigid. I couldn't move. The faces of the peacekeepers looked like evil monsters. As if to remind me not to forget, I felt a kick in my stomach. I bit my lip. I wanted to cry. I wanted to kick and scream. I wanted Reb to volunteer. I wanted to just go home. I wanted-

It didn't matter what I wanted anymore. I was condemned. Peacekeepers practically carried me onto stage, and even then, I could barely hold myself upright. Everyone's eyes were on me, waiting to see me cry. I could feel the tears welling in my eyes. I saw Clayton standing in the crowd, exasperated. He looked at me with disbelief. He pushed past others and into the isle. "Lace-" he croaked. Peacekeepers rushed forward to put him back in the section an the escort proceeded to pick the boys name.

"Simon Muller." a young boy stepped forward, a frown in his face.

"No! I volunteer!" Clayton rushed back into the isle.

Clayton's POV

Shit. What the hell was I dong. What was I thinking. Why was I letting these peacekeepers take me to stage? Why wasn't I running?

Oh, right. Because I volunteered.

Don't ask me why I did it. All I know is that, when I saw LAcey get up there, something stood out at me. The pained expression she wore was something I had never seen before. She showed fear, which was rare for her. She looked like a scared animal. But there was something else about her that inclined me to volunteer.

I climbed up onto the stage and Lacey stared at me with utter surprise. She still looked scared. "Clayton Stiller volunteers as tribute." the escort said something along those lines. "Shake hands." she said. I took Lacey's hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze, but her hand as lifeless.

The ushered us into our respective rooms, and I twiddled my thumbs until the door opened. "Thirty minutes." a peacekeeper let my mother in.

My mom looked wild and crazy. Like a caged animal. "Clay- No, how could you do this? You can't throw your life away for Lacey. She's not your responsibility." she tried to reason frantically.

"Mom, she is my responsibility. I can't change that now."

"Clay, no you can't"

"She needs me mom. I don't know why, I don't know how, but she needs me. I can see it in her face."

"You can't throw your life away for her." my mom said.

"Watch me." and with that, someone else walked into the room.

Rebel's POV

"Thirty minutes." the peacekeeper thrust me into Lacey's room. Lacey was on the floor, her knees puled to her chest. Her arms were wrapped around them and her face buried in them.

"Lace?" I asked, kneeling down and placing a hand on her back.

"I'm dead." she muttered. "I'm dead, so you might as well say your goodbyes? Is that what they think the purpose of this room is? That leaves us little hope. How pessimistic." she rambled, the way she did when she was using bravado.

"I know Lace. I'm sorry." she looked up at me and a serious expression fell over her face.

"You need to do me a favor."

"Anything."

"Go tell Clay. Tell him everything."

"You sure you don't want to tell him on the train?" I asked.

"No, he needs to know now."

"OKay." I approached the door, turning one last time to glance at her. "Bye LAcey."

"Bye Reb." she half heartedly replied, chewing at her fingernails deep in thought.

I walked out of the room and opened the door to Clayton's. He sat with his mother, she was crying. Their hands were together. "You can't throw away your life for her." Clay's mom said.

"Watch me." he replied. I swung the door fully open. "Reb?"

"Clay, Lace wanted me to tell you something." I said plainly, glancing nervously at his mom.

"Okay?" he sounded confused.

"Clay, Lacey's pregnant." I droned. "And you're the father." he took a shaky breath.

"How long has she been pregnant?" Clay's mother asked.

"She's due any day now. She took a new Capitol drug to take away the baby bump."

"Lacey." was all Clay said before attempting to storm out of the room.