Cecelia Kruger (D10)
Cecelia Kruger brushed her jet black hair, sitting in front of her vanity. Her emerald green eyes glared back at her from the mirror. She couldn't help but think of what transpired earlier in the day. Geoffrey Crowe, the boy she had been crushing on for years, had rejected her for another girl, a girl who was skinny enough to be compared to a twig. It was not as if Cecelia was the largest girl, she was big boned, but her body was toned as well, but boys never looked at her as she wished they would. They all thought she was witty tho, and always told her that she was the greatest friend they could have. Cecelia wanted to sneer. She loved her friends and loved that they enjoyed her company, but she was jealous that she was never asked out on a date. She was pretty, but it was her bones, she told herself, that were holding her back.
Her friend, Lydia, told her that was wrong. "Boy's think you're pretty, but you put yourself down too much, and you get jealous too easily. Just let it happen, and it'll all work out!" Lydia was optimistic whereas Cecelia was not. A knock came from her door and Cecelia's sister, Delia, came in.
"Time to go to bed, the reaping is tomorrow and you might as well be rested for it." Delia waited for confirmation that her orders would be carried out. It was her house; she expected her rules to be followed. Cecelia stared at her sister, considering whether or not she wanted to listen. Finally she nodded and Delia left the room. The two were close; they had to be. Their parents had died a few years ago and Delia, who was twenty-seven, had been taking care of her since then. But the Quarter Quell always had them nervous and unable to communicate; especially after Delia's friend had died a few years ago in the games. Jason probably would have married Delia too, if he hadn't died in the games when he was eighteen. Ever since then, Delia was unable to be her usual bubbly self on reaping days, and Cecelia was unable to comfort her sister. Normally Delia would make breakfast in the morning, and Lydia would come over and eat, since her family was large and rarely had much to spare, and the small house would be filled with laughter, but tomorrow Delia would sleep in as much as she could, and just barely make it to the reaping. Lydia and Cecelia would be at the reaping, standing in the crowd, hoping neither of their names would be called.
A small part of Cecelia hoped that Geoffrey and his new girlfriend would be reaped, but it was only a small part of her, and she quickly shoved it away.
Chase Sattel (D10)
Chase Sattel watched as the moonlight trickled in through the window, illuminating his small room. Suzannah Rogers, his best friend and girlfriend, lay in his bed beside him. He knew if his parents caught them, they'd be upset, but they loved Suzannah and weren't quiet about their hope that one day they could say that she was their daughter. Chase ran his hand through her soft brown hair, wishing it was slightly longer so that his hand could keep going on forever. She was beautiful and so tiny. "Petite", is what she would call herself. He said she was a shrimp; his shrimp. She had come to stay with him tonight, something she said she would never do until they were married (she was like his parents in that regard, always bringing up marriage), but tomorrow was the Quarter Quell, and she was scared his name would be called, it was his last year to be reaped, and at the age of eighteen, his name had been in enough times for her to worry. He could have reasoned with her that her name had been in the same amount his had, but the thought worried him, and he didn't want such a thing said aloud. He didn't like it said or thought, so he let his mind wander to other things.
He thought about his horse, a black mare he had been given when she was nothing but a filly because had found the mayor's horse when she had run off. He thought about her riding her off in the sunset, like the old western books always went, and escaping his life which, over the last few years, had taken a mundane tone to them. He worked in the tannery and learned his craft well, made a good wage, and still he could not stand the ordinary life he was leading. He wanted to get out and see more of Panem. He'd take Suzannah with him; he was sure. He loved that girl. She was like the girl next door, although she truly lived a few streets over, a little closer to town than his farm style home was, and they had been best friends for years before they started to date, in secret at first, before others friends started commenting on awkwardness that seemed to be plaguing the group. Chase felt forced into admitting their relationship and since the two had been closer than ever. Suzannah loved her district more than Chase probably ever could, although he loved the animals and a number of people from District Ten, he felt as if he was missing something. He wanted out, he wanted to see more, he wanted life to be more than just average and boring. But he could never tell anyone such a thing. It would distress his parents and his love, and he wasn't apt to do such a thing. He bowed his head and worked hard to make everyone happy. A friend of his had once called Chase a pushover, and, although he was loathe to admit it, it was true. Chase would keep making others happy by doing what was expected until the day he died. It was just the way his life was planned to be.
Cecelia Kruger (D10)
The morning came and went just as Cecelia knew it would. Delia stayed in bed, possibly sobbing uncontrollably, and Lydia stood in wait at her front door. Lydia was a good deal shorter than Cecelia and a great deal skinnier, not because of her bones, which was forever to be Cecelia's problem, but because her family always had little to eat. Lydia had nine brothers and sisters to fight for food with, and unless she was at Cecelia's and Delia was cooking, she wasn't likely to get a crumb to eat most days.
"Morning." Cecelia said solemnly.
Lydia took in her friend's face and let out a sigh. "You're not still out of sorts because of Geoffrey are you? Face it Cecelia, he's no good for you. He's just a pretty boy without an ounce of kindness to him. You're better finding a boy that's right for you rather than spend time on one that's no good."
"Lydia, you're a hopeless romantic and you know it. You're still waiting on prince charming to come and rescue you, even tho those types of stories are so old half of them are missing their pages. Face it, this is the best it's going to get."
"Well aren't you cynical today." Brent, Lydia's eldest brother who was nineteen, said as he came upon the pair, thumping both of them on the heads.
"And aren't' you as annoying as ever." Cecelia fired back. Cecelia couldn't stand Brent and had told him such on many occasions.
"I was expecting a more witty comment coming from you firecracker." Brent patted Cecelia on the head.
"And I was expecting more idiocy to pour out of your mouth. I guess I was right." Cecelia smiled at the older brother.
"Oh, you're a harsh one all right. You two need an escort to the reaping?"
Cecelia grabbed Lydia by the arm. "No thank you, I don't want stupidity to rub off on me. Come on Lydia, let's make sure we get good spots this year."
Brent laughed at their retreating backs. "Tell Geoffrey hi for me!"
Cecelia growled. "I hate your brother. I really do."
Lydia nodded. "I know you do, but I think he kinda likes you."
"Oh please, you're brother like me? That's…that's a disgusting thought. Let's never think on that again, shall we?"
Chase Sattel (D10)
Chase awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs, alerting him to the stirrings of his mother and father. He started to shake Suzannah awake, and realized she was already gone. Chase smiled. She must of snuck out of the window while he was still sleeping. She wanted to get caught less than Chase did, but he wondered if she had thought about getting caught in his bed at least once, that way he would be forced to marry her, her family was big on reputation, as was his. What none of them realized was that Chase didn't need to be forced, they just needed to be patient and wait.
Chase stumbled out of bed and threw clothes on, running a hand through his light brown hair, which was messily cut, which he thought made him look "dashing", a word he had read in a book once back in school. He glared at his large nose which made his face look a little awkward in his opinion, his bushy eyebrows stood over his plain blue eyes. He never thought himself too handsome, but he would admit he wasn't the worst looking boy in the district, but Suzannah always said she loved his lopsided smile; she said it made him look kind and warm. He ignored the large scar that covered his left shoulder from an accident at the tannery, and finished getting ready. It was a reaping day and it always made him a little bit hungrier. Not that he ever really knew what hunger was. His mama kept him well fed.
His mother greeted him as he entered the kitchen. "Well morning baby, you hungry?" Chase nodded at his mother and sat down at the table. His father, Gregory, sat at the table, reading a paper, sipping on coffee. Gregory Sattel was the older version of his son, many having thought Chase was nothing but a clone of the older man, with graying hairs, and was a few inches shorter than his son, which was nothing less than irritating to the older man. Martha, Chase's mother, laid a plate in front of her two men and went back to the stove.
"Eat up boy, don't want you going to the Quarter Quell on an empty stomach." Gregory said to his son.
"Yes sir."
"And tell Suzannah she doesn't have to sneak outside the window when she stays the night." Chase blanched, thinking the worst was about to come. "Boy, you better put a ring on that girl's finger before some other son of a gun comes and takes her away. You hear me boy?"
"Yes sir."
Martha, standing at the stove, smile. She loved her son's girl and hoped he made an honest woman out of her soon, or else Suzannah's father would take her son to task. District Ten daddies didn't take kindly to boys that used and left their daughters, no sir, they did not.
Cecelia Kruger (D10)
The reaping went slowly, as it always did. Cecelia stood with Lydia in the fifteen year-old section, wishing the Quarter Quell was over already. Lydia's family was scattered about the sections for the reaping, the only sibling safe in her family being Brent, who made sure he was up close enough to see his sister and his friend. Delia stood closer to the back, far enough that Cecelia couldn't see her. She couldn't blame her sister; the reaping held sorrow for her.
The speech ended and the box that had a bull's horn attached to it was passed to the capital woman. She opened it and pulled out a thin piece of paper.
"And the name for our female tribute for District Ten is…Lydia Anjou!" The woman called.
Lydia gasped beside her, her hand clasping over her mouth. Cecelia couldn't take it. She didn't want to see her friend die. "I volunteer!" Lydia stared after her friend as Cecelia rushed to the wooden stage. "I volunteer!"
Chase Sattel (D10)
Chase let out a sigh of relief as the one girl rushed to the stage. Suzannah was safe and, at eighteen, she wouldn't have to worry about the Quarter Quell ever again. Chase smiled. He was glad his baby was safe. As soon as the reaping was over, he was going to hug her and never let go.
"And our boy tribute is…Chase Sattel!"
Chase felt his body turn to stone. He was reaped. He was chosen. He was leaving his district. Chase looked around him as he was pushed towards the stage, at all his loved ones. He had been wrong; his life was not mundane. It was perfect. He loved it, and now he might never have it ever again. As he walked past Suzannah's section, she tore a white ribbon out of her beautiful hair and ran towards him. The peacekeepers told her to get back, but she tied the ribbon around his wrist.
"I love you!" She cried as the peacekeepers pushed her back.
"I'll come back to you, I promise!" And he would, because he loved her. He truly loved her.
Kainekt, I hope I didn't make you mad with Cecelia.
Singclapclap, I hope I didn't disappoint with Chase.
