Glitter bounces over to the Reaping Bowl with the boys' names. She dips her hand in and swirls it around before choosing a slip and walking back to the microphone.
"Alright!" Glitter screeches as she opens up the slip of paper. "Will Marcio Ferreira please come to the stage!"
I expect a shout of "I volunteer", but it doesn't come. I'm not that surprised, though, because sometimes the chosen volunteer likes to wait for the Reaped tribute to have their moment on stage before volunteering. The Reaped tribute emerges from the section of sixteen-year-old boys and looks around confusedly before making his way to the stage with a smile. He doesn't walk for very long, however, before a voice yells out, "I volunteer as tribute!"
The District erupts into cheers and applause as Marcio quietly ducks back towards his place in the crowd and our chosen volunteer for the male tribute slot steps forward from the section of seventeen-year-old boys. I don't really pay attention to the Academy's decisions, but I do know the chosen volunteer's name. Adrian Gemme is somewhat scrawny in comparison to most of our volunteers, but he's still strong, and confident too by the looks of it. He's probably overconfident, to be honest, considering his gelled hair and leather jacket that he likely thinks makes him look badass. I roll my eyes but obligatorily clap my hands for the volunteer as he saunters towards the stage.
The Main Square quiets down as Adrian gets onto the stage. He winks while pointing finger guns at Glitter and flashing the crowd a charming smile, which gets the District cheering again.
"Welcome, welcome!" Glitter exclaims, patting Adrian a little too hard on the back. "An intrepid volunteer! And what is your name?"
Adrian snatches the microphone out of Glitter's hands and yells, "My name is Adrian Gemme and I'm honored to be District 2's next Victor! I'll make you proud Dad!"
The crowd erupts into cheers, applause, and annoying vuvuzela sounds as Adrian takes a flashy bow and hands the microphone back to Glitter. Glitter takes it, and as soon as the crowd has quieted down, raises Adrian's hand into the air.
"District 2, your male tribute for the Twenty-Eighth Annual Hunger Games, Adrian Gemme!" Glitter shouts, and the crowd cheers again. Someone close to me pops a cracker, and I brush off the colorful confetti as it rains down onto me.
Just one more hour at most, I remind myself, taking a deep breath and trying not to cover my ears. Then you can go home and go to sleep.
Glitter lets go of Adrian's hand, and the crowd quiets down long enough for our escort to walk over to the female Reaping Bowl. She reaches into the very bottom of the bowl and yanks her hand out, causing several slips of paper to scatter around her. Glitter smiles at the crowd as she walks back to the microphone and opens up the slip of paper.
"Pyra Cheng!" Glitter announces.
Wait, that's me, I think as Artemis turns towards me and smiles slightly. What are the odds that I got Reaped on my last year? I feel a wave of relief that I live in District 2 where there are volunteers every year, but then I feel a little nervous because everyone's staring at me. Couldn't Athena Skyler have volunteered as soon as my name was called, so I wouldn't have to deal with this?
Oh well, I might as well get this over with. If Athena is going to wait, so be it. I worm my way out of the crowd of eighteen-year-old girls and start walking down the aisle towards the stage. I lift my head up and smile, trying to look presentable, but my heart is beating super fast. At least the eighteen-year-olds are close to the stage.
I reach the stage quickly, hoping that I don't trip over my high heels as I climb the stairs. Why isn't Athena volunteering? Is she really going to drag this out? Adrian flashes me a smile as I get onto the stage, and I awkwardly smile back before looking away. Nobody told me how I was supposed to act if I actually got Reaped. Great, now the entire District is staring at me. It's okay, deep breaths. I've been on stages before. I'll just wait for Athena to volunteer and then I won't have this unwanted attention anymore.
"Are there any volunteers?" Glitter asks.
Okay Athena, it's about time. You're the Academy's chosen female volunteer this year and there's no use dragging this out for any longer. Five seconds pass, and the crowd is silent as ever. I frown. There's a movement in the section of eighteen-year-old girls as Athena's friend is smiling and nudging her - yes, I recognize Athena in the crowd - but our chosen female volunteer is staring straight ahead with a poker face.
What?
The crowd starts murmuring, and so do the important people sitting behind me. Five more seconds pass, and Glitter speaks up.
"No volunteers? Okay-"
Then many people start shouting at once.
"I volunteer!"
"Wait!"
"I volunteer as tribute!"
"I volunteer!"
Several hands are shooting up, and a few girls are jostling their way out of the crowd. I look to this year's mentors in panic. This has never happened before. I glance towards Athena Skyler, who is still standing there, though people are giving her angry looks. Julia Yamaguchi, one of this year's mentors, is standing up when Glitter's declarative voice rings through the Square.
"The time for volunteering has passed!" Glitter says with a smile as the girls rushing to the stage stop and look up in confusion. "District 2, your female tribute for the 28th Annual Hunger Games is Pyra Cheng!"
Glitter hastily raises my hand into the air.
My heart drops to my stomach, and my eyes widen in fear. Suddenly, it's hard to breathe.
No, I think as shouts ring throughout the Square. No. No. No.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! What do you think about how Pyra got Reaped?
This story still has a few open male tribute slots, so whether or not you're new please consider sending tributes. This story is entirely from Pyra's POV, so please keep that in mind, but I'll take whoever I get first-come-first-served.
I'll see you all hopefully soon!