Chapter 12: District Eleven Reaping

~The Fallen Angel and the Outlandish Career~

District 11- Alice di Angelo, 13

"Up."

With only one word from the 'Mother', the entire room shift to wake. Why? Because if you don't, you will-

"I SAID 'UP', STUPID!" SLAP!

See what I mean?

Life in community house, in my opinion, is as hard as they make it out to be in story books. I, Alice di Angelo, resident of District 11's local community house for 13 years now, approves.

"It's the reapings today." There was a little disdain in 'Mother's' voice. "I expect all of you to be in your best clothing and best behavior. Is that understood?" There was a chorus of 'Understood ma'am' from around the room. What best clothes? More like a hand-me-down from a hand-me-down that happens to be a hand-me-down. Everything is a hand-me-down here.

I get up from my bed and walk towards the girl who was slapped earlier. I sit on her bed and rubs a circle on her lap. "It's okay, it's all right." She doesn't sob, but I know very well that if we let her be, she will cry and bring even more trouble. So I smile and comfort her. Even her name escapes me, but I know that I want to comfort her.

"Doing useless thing again, angel?" The 'Caretaker' says from the door as she brings in the our reaping outfits. I don't like the way he uses the word angel. "What use is there to comfort a weakling? Only the strongest survives here, Alice the Fallen Angel." I put on my sweetest smile and tilt my head. "Is that so, Miss Caretaker? I'm so sorry. I will never live up to my namesake again." The 'Caretaker' laughs at my sarcasm.

"I wish all of you stupid girls can learn to be as witty as this one instead of being a crybaby like that one. Go change." She drops all of our reaping clothing on the floor and turns to leave.

After giving the crying girl another smile, I head to the pile of clothes and grab whatever I can grab, it turns out to be a fluffy white dress that's a little too big on me, I manage to get a good one this year.

I change into them and go outside by myself. I bow to the 'Mother' before announcing that I'd like to take a short walk before the reapings. The 'Mother' agrees and then shooed me away.

The community house is located near the Victor Village, as if it wants to remind me of the life I never got to have. You see, my Dad is the Victor of the 6th Hunger Games. He and my mother got reaped when they are 18. I was given into the care of the mayor when I was a baby, who will gladly take care of me as long as my parents return to win this.

People say that they both uses a very unorthodox strategy: protecting each other until the very end. They say that it was the warmest love story in the Hunger Games. Apparently, Mom and Dad made it until the final two, where Mom killed herself so Dad could live. They say it was such a sweet sacrifice... but it's actually not.

And then came the Victory Tour. They say Dad is never the same after that. He finally committed suicide right in the middle of the town, just outside the Justice building, because he was unable to continue on living without his true love... but ultimately leaving me, his only daughter, alone in this world.

The mayor then threw me off to the community house, where I live my life to be what I am now.

Some people still whispers my Mom and Dad's name when I pass, but I don't care.

After all, what good does it have? Victor's child? Victors are dumb. Why don't they just stop wallowing in their despair and look into the future? If my Dad had done just that, I might not be Alice the Fallen Angel... I might have been just Alice the Angel.


District 11- Aster Marino, 18

I swear that I must have been born into the wrong District.

At first glance, I could pass as a typical career tribute. I have the good looks, the confident personality, the training, and the crazy parents driving him hard to succeed. To hell of it all, I think that I could easily pass as a Career... only trained by the local Peacekeeper instead of Career academy.

I can say that I'm an easy-going guy and I get along with most people. Unlike the other District 11 boys, I really love to flirt with girls and tease them. I can pretty much get any girl that I want, but for some reason, I don't feel happy. Maybe it's because I don't need a girl yet.

I've been training ever since I'm old enough to hold a sword and I spend many afternoons at the Peacekeeper's headquarters to get trained by Dad's friends.

My parents are very wealthy and well known throughout the agriculture industry and we also own the biggest (and only) packaging company in the District, the one who's in charge to send things to Capitol.

My Dad, especially, has worked me to become a golden boy between getting A's in school and becoming top in almost everything in our horridly poor District... including candidacy to be a possible Victor in Hunger Games.

I'm not a bloodthirsty killer though. In fact I've never killed anyone or anything before, it's just that it's all I know how to do, and is normal. My father always tells me that I have to win the Hunger Games. And to survive, I just need to do whatever he tells me to do. And I believe him. I don't know why I really really have to win the Hunger Games though. I just want to live a normal life here in District 11. But, if Dad orders me to do something, I should do it.

That's why I don't complain when Mom tattle on my reaping outfit, a nice white shirt with a tie and a pair of khaki pants. She wants me to look the best on my reapings, and so do I. I laugh when she says that I should have been born in District 4 instead of District 11. I kind of agree though.

I have a blonde hair and deep green eyes instead of the usual black hair and black eyes. And I also have a perfectly tanned skin instead of the usual dark skin citizens of District 11 have. I kiss my mother and bid her adieu as I join my best friend, Hollie Asher.

Like me, she's 18. But unlike me, who still has my parents and my little brothers, she lives with her father who was a holder of an important position in Marino Packaging company. But he was weak minded so he couldn't handle everything that happened in work and is now an alcoholic. She just refers to him as "the drunken bastard". I worry about her sometimes, but we're just friends.

"I see that you're ready, Aster." She says as she smiles. "I am, Hollie. It's the most important day of my life." I nod.

The reaping starts rather fast this year. I stand by myself, like how I usually would during the reapings. But this year is different, because I will volunteer.

It seems that I'm too caught up in my own train of thoughts that I realize that our escort, Fong, has already pull out a name from the girl's reaping bowl. "Alice di Angelo!" He says loud and clear.

di Angelo? I know that name. It's the name of the 6th Hunger Games' Victor from our District. Michael di Angelo. The girl that was captured by the camera looks surprised, but then it turned into a pissed of expression. It's like she's saying 'seriously? Mom and Dad and me too? Why do all of the di Angelos got reaped?'

She walks to the stage, still looking pissed off. She looks somehow adorable though. Dark skin, brown eyes, and two braided black hair. But I can't let that distract me. She's someone I might need to kill so I can do father's order.

Before Fong even gets to the boys' reaping bowl, I shout and volunteers, with the entire District looking at me like I'm sort of a lunatic.


Goodbyes

District 11- Alice, 13

I touch my ears, glad that I still have that angel wings earrings I got pierced with when I was a baby. I guess this is it. I really am going to the Capitol. I really am going to die.

Nobody visits me, of course. I might be known to the entire District as that angelic little girl who lost her parents in a tragic Hunger Games yadda yadda. But... that wasn't really it.

But, well, I don't care anymore. Capitol and Hunger Games. I wonder how bad they are. I wonder if they're as bad as the community house?

Thinking of the only memory I have of my parents, unfamiliar smiles on unfamiliar faces, I try to get some sleep.


District 11- Aster, 18

I don't really understand why Hollie, Finn, and even little Caspian would cry in my goodbyes. I mean, we're practically trained for this. Finn, me, and eventually so will Caspian. This is what expected to do from us, the Marino children. I know that this is my destiny.

That's why I put a smile on my face as I hug Hollie, Finn, and Caspian in a large group hug. "I'll be fine, guys. Don't you trust me?" I smile to them.

Finn was the first to wipe the tears off his face and show me a proud smile. "O-of course you'll come back, brother!" I know how much Finn looks up to me, and I know that he's well on his way to be an outlandish Career, a Career that doesn't belong in District 11, like me. Now, I smile to Hollie and Caspian.

"I'll come back. Right, Mom?" My mother, Lily Marino, is a very beautiful woman. She nods at me proudly. "Of course." She says without missing a heartbeat.

After my Mom's proud confession, Hollie seems a little bit more convinced. She gives me a peck on the cheek and smiles. "Good luck, Aster." She says as she runs away. I can see that she's crying, but I'm puzzled as to why she's crying.

Suddenly, my father enters the room. Finn and I both straightened our standing figure out of habit. The best behavior from the best people, it's always what Jaxon Marino wants, from people or family.

"I'm proud of you, Aster. I have prepared you for this. Do not disappoint me." There's a chill on my spine when my father says that I can't disappoint him. But I smile and nod. "I won't, father." I say with a smile.

"Finn, please take example from your brother." He says to the 14-year-old, who nods. "I expect the very best from you, my prideful son." He says as he brings the entire family home with him, leaving me alone to be shipped off to the Capitol...

...fighting for his approval. Because that's all I need to survive. I need to please my father.


The creator of Alice... Miss StellaCastellan, you can't choose a more appropriate name for my arena. Thanks to that, I already have so much scenario playing in my head. Amazing. Thank you very much.

Let's make a bet. The next chapter and the last reaping. Will I finish it today or tomorrow?

Please review :)