Disclaimer: I definitely don't own The Hunger Games, I know its sad for me too :)
Almost a year later
It's reaping day.
This will be my fifth.
I go through the same brain process as last year; like every year
There are five slips of paper in a glass bowl with the name Peeta Mellark on them.
The odds are in no one's favour.
When I hear the sirens Rye and I head for the square, our other brother and parents in tow, which is beginning to fill. We go through all of the necessary protocols and we end up in position. Like every year, everything goes in a blur, the obscene colour of the Trinket woman's outfit is giving me a headache like usual, which does not help in the matter of stress that is beginning to cast its shadow over me as I search for Katniss in the crowds.
In the past year we've barely spoken to each other and those few choice words are only exchanged when father is out and she comes in to trade every Saturday. Even on those rare occasions when it is me handling this it is nearly always Gale who does the talking. God I hate him. I manage to locate Katniss, who is looking behind me, at someone else. Gale. I really do hate him.
I try to clear my mind as the Trinket woman heads for the bowl with all of the girl's names in. Please don't be Katniss. I look over to her, she's become hidden well in the crowd but I manage to make quick eye contact and give her what I hope is an encouraging smile. She doesn't reciprocate.
I bite my lip and train my eyes forward again. I knew she wouldn't but it still hurts a little.
The Trinket woman plunges her hand into the bowl and an uneasy feeling washes over me, like she didn't just plunge her hand into the bowl, but deep inside me, wrenching at something, having a root around for the right name to pull out.
Pr- I barely hear the difference in the first syllable before I breathe a sigh of relief. It's not Katniss. Then I hear the rest of the name.-rose Everdeen.
Everdeen?
Prim.
I look over at Katniss, her face a mixture of shock and pure horror. I can feel the words of comfort already trying to escape my lips and I want to put my arms around Katniss' shoulders whilst stroking her hair and telling her everything is going to be okay. I also see Prim, she's being ushered through the crowd and is tucking in the back of her blouse just before the Peacekeepers almost shade her from view. She's so small I can barely see her now.
A scuffle distracts my attention.
'Prim!' Katniss' voice echoes through the air with undertones of agony and what sounds almost like anger.
She's rushing forward towards her sister but cannot even make it four steps before the Peacekeepers grab hold of her. The anger begins to boil inside me as I see them restrain her and I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palms.
I can she her visibly struggling against their hold and then her mouth opens, letting the words that I can't even register tumble out in a half-cry, half-shout. 'I VOLUNTEER! I VOLUNTEER!' she pulls herself out of the grasp of the obviously stunned Peacekeepers. 'I volunteer as tribute!' she shouts again to clarify for those who couldn't quite believe it.
I'm shocked. The last ten seconds of events swim around in my head as I try to process them; cut short by the agonized screams coming from Prim as she is being carried away by Gale and Katniss being led up to the stage by the Peacekeepers. A strangled and chocked sounds escapes my lips as it begins to sink in slightly.
She is greeted by the Trinket woman and congratulated on being District Twelve's first volunteer and encourages everyone to clap. No one does.
As if rehearsed, we all press our three middle fingers on our left hand to our lips and point them towards the sky. The last time I had seen the residents of District Twelve do this was just after I had watched my best friend die. My heart drops as I realize that I may be about to go through the same ordeal all over again but this time without the brief comfort that Katniss gave me that day almost a year ago.
Before I know it the scene returns to what I can only deem as normal; the Trinket woman is pressing on and moving towards the bowl containing the boy's names. Five of those white slips have the name Peeta Mellark written on them.
I take a deep breath to steady myself as she scuttles back to the microphone and opens the slip.
Peeta Mellark
I immediately look to Katniss who seems to be staring at me with a look that I assume matches my own; a look of shock, horror and realization that only one of us can return.
A/N Another cliffy! :D I know its a short chapter again but its like eleven thirty and I have two painfully hard exams tomorrow so I need sleeeep and I didn't have the heart to leave you without a chapter today :)
I also have proof read this in the hope that it all makes sense and my every faithful reviewer, Selande, doesn't have to do it for me :) (turns out I had to re-post the chapter after reading it again and finding like three sentences that even I couldn't comprehend haha)
Please review, I love to hear opinions from people and it helps me make this fanfiction so much better when you do :) it will also cheer me up when I get home after my depressing exams tomorrow :)
Enjoy :D