Alright! I'm making up for the late update on D5, and I'm writing up the D6 Reapings today :D Anyway, hope you guys like them! I love this year's Tributes! They're very interesting, and they should prove these Games to be just as amazing. Read and Review! Enjoy :) ~Squintz
DISTRICT 6 REAPING
Waverly Mendez -
"Okay... Um..." I dig through my closet, desperately trying to decide which dress I should wear.
Devin sits on my bed, holding a pillow to his chest with his legs crossed. I pull out a little white dress with black buttons on the pockets that sit on either sides. I hold the dress out to him, then hold it against my dress. Devin lifts an eyebrow, walking over and examining the dress. I giggle, and he wags a finger in my face.
"No, this doesn't seem too you. We have to find something that screams Waverly!" Devin exclaims, rushing a hand through his short hair.
"Alright, sit down." I laugh, giving him a gentle push back onto the edge of my bed.
I shuffle through clothes again, blowing out a sigh as I come across a long yellow skirt, and a white shirt. I hold out for him to see, and Devin face palms himself. I laugh, then walk over and sit down. He looks at me, and gives me a hug.
"Sweetie, don't you know anything about fashion?" He laughs.
First... You're probably thinking... Devin is my boyfriend. There's two things wrong with that assumption. Devin is my best friend... And he's gay. But, nobody knows but me and a couple of other friends. He's also my neighbor, so I have him over helping me pick out dresses to wear to the Reaping! Or at least an outfit of some sort... Devin is a fashion genius, and he's practically been that way since we were 12.
"Maybe... Maybe something black?" I ask, lifting my eyebrows at him.
"No, we want something that will show you off. And make you stand out..." Devin says, walking over to my closet.
He begins to search the hangers, pulling out a few dresses as he goes. He hums and whistles as he searches, occasionally stopping to consider a choice. I giggle as he dances around, shaking his butt. I roll my eyes, then stand up and look at myself in the mirror, putting on a little eyeliner and mascara.
"Ah! I've narrowed down my choices!" Devin exclaims, holding out ten different dresses.
Okay, now, I can also guess what you're thinking... Ten dresses?! You can narrow it down to ten dresses?! Well, yes. Mainly, because my sister is a Victor of the Hunger Games. And even though we have a fairly good amount of cash left, my parents still work as teachers at the school. My sister won the Games when she was 13, and ever since then, we'd moved in here. I'd already known Devin beforehand, since I met him at school, but when I moved, we became neighbors, and inseparable friends.
"Okay, let's see it!" I say, walking over.
He's laid out the dresses on my bed, and he looks at the blue one. The shoulders have light frill on them, and the skirt is completely silk. He shakes his head, tossing the dress over his shoulder. The next choice is a yellow dress without straps, and a white band around the waist. He shakes his head at this one as well, and throws it at the wall.
"Hmmmm... No, no, no... Maybe... No, no, definitely not... Aha! Here we are!" He announces, holding up the last dress for me to see.
It's a red collared button up dress. One that my friend Paisley had given me for my birthday last year. Devin shoves the dress at me. I lower the dress from my face, tilting my head. He swats his hands at me.
"Well? Go put it on, crazy! I want to see you working that glamor!" He laughs.
"Alright, I will." I giggle, strolling into the bathroom.
I pull off my pajamas, and then slide the dress on. It fits well, and it shows off my curves better than any of my other dresses. I walk out of the bathroom, tossing my pajamas in the hamper, and then entering my room again. Devin whistles, and then presses two fingers and a thumb to his lips.
"Fantastic! Have I ever done you wrong?" Devin smirks, winking at me.
"No, you haven't." I giggle, watching as he crouches down and pulls a pair of black flats from my closet.
"Put these on as well, my queen." He laughs, tossing me the shoes.
I catch them, sit on the bed, and slide them on. Devin looks around, and then dashes over to my nightstand. A tall vase full of red roses sits atop the surface, and Devin carefully pulls the flower and a piece of the stem off one flower.
"Hey, those are my roses!" I whine.
"Hey, this will make you look better!" Devin says, mocking my voice.
He slides the flower into my hair, and then walks me to the mirror. He smiles at me, and then nods his head. I pull him into a tight hug, and he returns the favor. When we pull away, I kiss him on the cheek and look at my reflection once more.
"Yeah..." I whisper, pushing a few strands of hair from my face.
Things are silent, and Devin is looking at the floor. I suck in a deep breath, then turn to him. I lift his hands in mine, and then give him yet another hug. Devin gazes at me, and then nods.
"Alright... Let's go. We'll walk with Paisley, Nora, and Jonah. I heard Jonah and Nora spent the night at Paisley's house, so we just have to pick them up." I say, leading him down the stairs.
My younger sister, and the Victor, Vivien leans over the couch. "Where are you two going?" She says lazily, turning back to watch her recaps of the Hunger Games.
"Uh, to the Reaping." I say.
Grace Ann comes bounding into the living room. "Oh my gosh! Can I come?! Please, please, please, can I?!" The ecstatic twelve year old asks, her arms flailing wildly.
"Sure, Gracie." I answer, watching as Devin gives her a hug.
"I'm staying here!" Vivien yells, returning to her Games.
"Alright." I nod, walking from the house with Devin by my side and Gracie strolling ahead.
We stop by Paisley's house to pick up the others and her, and then head off to the Square. Instantly, conversation begins.
"Who do you think they'll pick?" Paisley asks.
"It's anybody's game, guys." Jonah reminds us, scratching at her ponytail.
"But, still." Nora shrugs.
"Oh, check in line... I call going last!" Gracie says.
"I'll go first." Devin shrugs, holding out his finger.
The woman patiently takes each one of us, and then waves us into our lines. I stand with Paisley, Nora, and Jonah. Including Gracie, who grins eagerly at me. I laugh, giving her a quick hug. I can't stand to see people in my family get picked... And the day my sister was picked, I vowed to never let another family member of mine get picked. Even a friend...
"Welcome to the Reapings for the 475th Annual Quarter Quell! They're beginning right now, for District Six! And what a lovely day it is!" The District Representative begins, his voice loud and clear.
"First, we must show you a special video! And then we'll get right on ahead!" He says, clicking a remote.
The video plays, and he recites the words silently. I roll my eyes, then watch as the video ends, and the crowd turns to face him once more. He walks to the bowl, picks out a name, and grins.
"Ladies first, of course." He announces.
"Our female Tribute is... Grace Ann Mendez!" He yells.
My little sister looks around, totally calm. I feel my heart begin to pound, and my palms sweat while my legs tremble. No... Not again, sorry. I move her aside gently, then run into the isle.
The words pour from my mouth before I can stop them: "I volunteer as Tribute!"
Carter Woods -
"Yeah, good one!" I smile at my little sister as she gets a stone to skip seven times across the pond.
"Wow! Seven times! Beat that!" Lani giggles, handing me a flat stone.
I lean down, poking her nose. "I will. Just watch me!" I laugh, flicking the stone out across the pond.
The water ripples as the stone bounces eleven times, and I turn to face Lani. Her mouth hangs open, and she laughs and pulls me into a hug. I smile, stroking her dirty blonde hair, and keeping her safe in my arms. She pulls back, and points to a frog sitting on a rock that sits along the shore of the pond.
"Look! A frog!" She says, running after it.
The frog bounds away, and I laugh as I watch her chase it along. It jumps out of her grasp every time she goes to catch it, and when she finally grabs it, she squeals as loud as humanly possible.
"What?" I ask, running over to her.
"He's so slimy! Want to hold him? His name is... Uh... Goldfish! Yes! Goldfish the frog!" Lani says, holding him out for me to see him.
The little green frog sits there casually, croaking occasionally. I laugh, then use a finger to stroke the top of Goldfish's head. He croaks, and then turns around to jump across Lani's arm. She laughs, then picks the frog up into her hand again.
"He likes me!" Lani says.
"A frog named Goldfish... Interesting." I chuckle, pulling Lani under my arm as we begin to walk back to the house.
"You think Mom will let me keep him?" She asks, petting Goldfish's back.
"Maybe. If you give her puppy dog eyes." I laugh, playing with her ponytail.
"Maybe..." She echoes.
We arrive at the house in silence, and my father is asleep on the couch. Lani and I sneak past him, and then sit in my room upstairs. I sigh, lying down on my bed. Lani sits there with Goldfish, frowning at the floor. I sit up, crawling over to her. I plop down next to her on the edge of the bed, my feet touching the floor.
"What's wrong, Lani?" I ask.
"Why is Dad hurt?" She replies.
"What do you mean?" I say, confused.
"Why does Dad like to hurt you and me?" She says.
"Well... I don't think he likes to..." I explain, letting her rest her head on my shoulder.
"Then why does he?" She asks.
"Because he's sick..." I say.
"With what?" She asks again.
"Just... He's mentally ill..."
"What's that mean?" She looks up at me, tilting her head.
"It means that he doesn't know what's happening, and he won't be with us long..." I reply.
"Oh..." She whispers, looking down at her feet again.
"Don't worry, though. You'll still have me." I say, giving her a hug.
"I love you, Carter." My little sister says, closing her eyes as a single tear rolls down her cheek.
"I love you too, Lani." I murmur, holding her tight.
"I'm going to go get dressed..." She whispers, wiping at her eyes and walking from my room.
"Me too..." I say to myself, walking to my dresser.
I pull out my bright orange Reaping shirt, and remove my black shirt. I pull the Reaping shirt on, buttoning it down. Then, my dark blue Reaping pants. They were pretty much the only formal pants I had. I sigh, then walk to my reflection. My hair looks unruly, and I nod to my reflection, then pull on my work boots. At least they're a little matching...
I walk out to the stairs, and my little sister stands at the top of the stairs, looking down at the floor. I place a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at me. I give her a hug, then breathe out a gentle breath. She walks down the stairs with me, and we bump in to my mother at the front door.
"Hey, where are you two headed?" She says cheerily.
"The Reaping... Where else?" I ask in a less than amused tone, holding Lani's hand.
"Oh... Well, maybe I should come with you." She replies in a softer tone.
"Uh..." I think about this for a second, considering the fact I don't get along with her well... But for Lani's sake, I can put up with her.
"Sure, you can." I say, wearing a fake smile and heading out the door.
My mother follows us, and Lani looks at the floor as we walk. She steps along the dirt carelessly, getting her little white dress shoes all dirty. I don't think she cares, though... Not even my mother cares. I sigh in relief as we reach the check in lines, and Lani clenches my hand tight. I can feel her palms begin to sweat as we stand there, getting closer to the front of the line.
Lani hates the sight of blood. Lani also hates to see people get hurt. Even if somebody flinches during the check in, she could break down. And although she's never had to get checked in, she still closes her eyes when they check me in. I hold my finger out, Lani still holding my other hand, and the woman draws my blood. I hear Lani wince, and then give her a gentle tug as we walk into the isle together.
My mother takes her hand, and then pulls her into the other crowd. I step into the crowd, and instantly feel a pair of hands on my shoulders. I turn around to face Jack, and give him a sad smile. Parting with Lani is one of the hardest things I do at the Reapings, and it always puts a damper on my mood. Jack is silent, taking a hint and only standing beside me in complete silence.
"Grace Ann Mendez!" The District Representative practically yells.
"I volunteer as Tribute!" The words come from the crowd, and a young girl runs up on stage.
"Interesting! Alright, now for the boy!" He announces.
"Our male Tribute will be..." He draws a name, "Carter Woods!"
I can barely hear him call me up, because all I do hear is Lani screaming and crying for me...