Chapter 5: 75th Reaping

I wake up and hurriedly redress the morning of Reaping Day to the sound of moaning and groaning coming from the master bedroom down the hall. Rising from my bed, I pad into the hallway on my way to the shower. The door to my parents' room is open just a crack, and against my better judgment, I peek in.

Steffan is astride my mother, gyrating against her insistently and desperately. Mother's knees are open, her legs spread wide, nestling her husband in between them.

"Mmmmm... Oh no..."

"Oh yes..."

"Oh noooooo... Oh Godddddd..."

"Oh yes, yessss... Lillian..."

"Uhhhh... Steffan..."

Evidently, Peeta and I weren't the only ones in this family to give in to passion last night. Wincing, I shy away from the door where my parents are making love and head into the bathroom to shower. The warm water only does a little to calm my brain. I know Mother and Steffan have been consistently trying to have a child. But I can't help but wonder if they crave a baby in the event that one of their children from their previous marriages is Reaped for death today. I wouldn't mind a replacement so much for myself, really. Or even Rye, since he can be such a cad. But Primrose I would be insulted at the replacement of her memory, as I shut the water off and pull back the curtain, reaching for the towel to wrap around myself. Just then, the door opens and I jump back, startled, clapping a hand over my mouth to stifle the scream.

Peeta jerks back in the doorway. "Damn it! I'm sorry, Katniss. I didn't mean to startle you."

I try and scowl, but it shows without effort. "Don't you boys know how to knock?" I catch his eyes roving over my body, despite the fact that my palms cradle and conceal my breasts, and I flush pink. I'm not sure why I make such a point of covering myself; it's nothing he didn't see last night.

Last night… Awkwardly, I reach for my towel, and quickly wrap it around myself as best I can without flashing him. Now minimally decent, I step out of the tub and shuffle to the sink, as Peeta strips down to his boxers. As long as he leaves the bare minimum on until I'm out the door, I don't mind. My stepbrother has a well-built physique. More than a few girls have eyed him at school.

"Are you ready for today?" Peeta asks conversationally.

"No," I scoff as I do my hair in its braid. "Are you?"

"No. It never gets any easier." A pause and then: "Are you going to steal a Reaping Kiss?"

I nearly drop my cup as I almost choke on the water I am using to wash out my toothpaste, reminded of the liplock that we shared a year ago that has now led to some…. scary and thrilling consequences. The Reaping Kiss is a tradition in District 12. A superstition, really. They say if you kiss someone before the Reaping, you won't be picked. Although I have no reason or evidence to believe it doesn't work, I have gone through my first four Reapings just fine without one. Primrose might try to find someone to kiss before noon today, if only to settle the nerves that I know will be there once she rises. She'll likely make out with Rory Hawthorne again.

"No," I finally answer Peeta's question. "Are you?"

Peeta shrugs. "I've kissed Delly Cartwright the last four years, and come out lucky."

"Oh," I say flatly. "Are you seeing her?"

"Nah, we're just friends. It's always been chaste. Although I'm starting to wonder if it's going to lose its efficacy. Reapings are the most dangerous when you're 16 or 17."

I know what he means. I hang my head in the sink, trying to even my breathing. I have never believed in superstitions, but if Peeta and statistics are right, I need all the luck I can get. Double the luck, to see that at least I and my baby sister are spared. Maybe I should just find someone at school to push my tongue down their throat and make their day. Get it over with.

Since I'm not looking in the mirror, I can't see what Peeta is doing behind me. Suddenly, I am spun around, pushed up against and bracing the sink. I don't have time to do anything before Peeta's hand is in my hair and his mouth is on mine.

"Mmmm!" I let out a tiny, startled squeak into his lips as they plunder, tightly pressed against my own. My hands find purchase on his chest; realizing this could count as a Reaping Kiss, I hold the lip-lock for a moment, even close my eyes slightly. Peeta's free hand comes to rest lightly on my hip. We stagger back into the closed door, and when Peeta's hands dip lower to feel up my buttocks, I swing my leg to hook it around his middle almost involuntarily.

A sudden knock at the door makes us both jerk about, our arms still around each other.

"Katniss? Are you done in there yet! I have to shower!"

Peeta and I glance to each other, horrified. Disentangling ourselves from this hurried embrace, my stepbrother leaps into the shower and pulls the curtain to. Adjusting my towel around my breasts, I open the door and nudge past Rye, closing it behind me.

"You'll have to wait till Peeta's done," I mumble, hoping Rye won't read too much into it. But Rye just shrugs. As I walk down the hall to the sound of the shower water starting up again, I secretly lick my lips, chasing the taste of the kiss Peeta gave me.

School has only a half-day on Reaping Day. When I was little, Reaping Day used to be a complete holiday, but Mayor Undersee decided that students' test scores were being adversely affected by having all of Reaping Day off. Whatever that means. Probably because our nerves were all shot, and then we had to watch our neighbors die in the evenings when we should have been doing our homework.

The Reaping is at high noon, so Upper and Lower School release at 11 so we can all return to our homes and get dressed in our finest. I meet Peeta and Rye in the hallway, Peeta and I pointedly not looking at each other. I won't hold it against him for kissing me without my permission - that would seem cruel, especially to family. Besides, it will be a good test to see if a Reaping Kiss does, in fact, work. Then again, is the power of the Reaping Kiss lost if the kiss was with someone I am now related to by virtue of my mother's marriage? Ok, I am way over-thinking this.

Mother dresses her girls in our finest Merchant clothing. Since she married the Baker, we have had the money to buy more frocks, but I prefer the hand-me-downs we used to wear in the Seam. My blue Reaping dress is the only dress I will tolerate. Mother tighten my hair in its braid, and I tuck in Prim's blouse. "Better tuck in that tail, Little Duck," I smirk.

We Mellarks and Everdeens then depart for the Justice Building. Rye, Prim, Peeta and I check in while Mother, Steffan and Leven stand off to the side. By high noon, the whole District is packed in the square.

Mayor Undersee recites a speech about the Dark Days and then lists the two District 12 Victors. At the call of his name, Haymitch Abernathy predictably makes an ass of himself by toppling headfirst off the stage. He's knackered. Beyond belief. Effie Trinket, our snooty district escort from the Capitol then steps forward to select the two names. I barely have time to shut my eyes before I hear:

"Katniss Everdeen!"

It isn't until the girl beside me shoves me out of line that I begin to mount the stage in a daze. In the twelve-year-olds' pen, I spot Prim, who is looking like she is opening her mouth to say something, but I shake my head, glaring at her to ensure she obeys me. I love my sister dearly, but it's better me than her, and I won't let her go through the shame of being District 12's first volunteer in sentencing herself to death in my place.

Effie moves on to select the boy. I fervently pray that it isn't one of my stepbrothers. Rye's an ass, but can still make me laugh from time to time. And I don't hold any ill will for Peeta, kiss or not. Even in the context of incest, it was a nice kiss that we shared...

But it isn't Peeta or Rye. It's -

"Gale Hawthorne!"

I gape in absolute anguish as my hunting partner takes the stage. One look in his eyes as we shake my hands and I know I cannot bring myself to kill him. We'll surely ally in the arena, but I won't kill him if it comes to that.

Then we tributes are imprisoned in the Justice Building.

To my shock and even tiny flutter of comfort, there is a steady stream of people to wish me well. Greasy Sae, who I used to trade meat with in the Hob before Mother married again. All my Hawthorne cousins save for Gale and my Aunt Hazelle. Mother, Prim, Steffan and the Mellark boys. Mother looks drained for the first time since Daddy died; Primrose and Peeta are sobbing. For once, Rye is without a joke to lighten the mood.

I hug everyone in turn, holding on to Steffan to whisper, "Take care of them." He's a good man, who will provide for my mother and sister well. Most of my family is at last escorted out by the Peacekeepers, leaving Peeta and I alone.

I console my stepbrother, and even dare to kiss him on the cheek, letting him know all is forgiven. At least I can say I won't be a virgin before I die.

"Goodbye, Peeta."

"Goodbye," he whispers, still looking a little dazed. He turns to leave, and I glance down at my shoes, hearing his footsteps. I wait for the door to open and then slam shut again, but it doesn't. I figure that I must have missed hearing it, when….

I snap my head up to find that Peeta is back, yanking me close as he swoops in and kisses me hard on the mouth. I gasp and whimper a little in surprise, my arms gliding up his forearms to grip his biceps, my mouth petaling open, bursting into full bloom to greet his eager tongue. Closing my eyes, I return the kiss with relish, even if I am a little speechless at his gall.

After a few moments of heavily making out, we break apart sharply, panting. Peeta flees with the speed of someone trying to outrun a forest fire, leaving me alone with my swirling thoughts at last.

Bowing my head into my hand, I weep.