TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of and one instance of abuse in Sienna's second POV.
Rhett Rockaway, age 15
District Twelve Male
Rhett and Cass sat huddled together against the wall of the mayor's house. Being a pickpocket was most fruitful on reaping day, when people were wearing finery that they usually kept safely hidden. Gold bracelets and expensive good luck charms and silver rings. Cass was already wearing a tarnished silver ring with a square red gem on her thumb. Now Rhett needed something else to walk away with.
And the mayor's son, Keane, was just the target.
Rhett knew Keane from school, knew he was a timid boy who needed companionship like Rhett needed to steal. Which meant Rhett could stand with him during the reaping, buttering him up and telling bad jokes, before he made his move.
"We should move," Rhett said, and Cass slapped her hand over his mouth.
"Not so loud," she hissed, standing up. Rhett stood up beside her, scowling. Sure, he had problems with keeping his voice down. But he could be quiet when he needed to be.
"Fine," he whispered. "Let's go." The back door of the mayor's house opened, and Keane stood in the doorway. "Sooner rather than later would be best."
The two ran out into the street, then walked up to Keane. Rhett grinned and threw his arm around Keane's shoulders as they made their way to the square. "Keane! How are you on this glorious reaping day?"
"Nervous," the other boy said quietly. You shouldn't be. You're safer than most people here.
But Rhett didn't say that. Instead, he nodded. "I think most people are. I know I am." He laughed, loud and unashamed. Cass flinched, trailing next to Rhett. "What about you, Cass? You nervous?"
Cass didn't miss a beat. "You of all people should know how nervous I am." With all our tesserae, we should both be nervous.
"Are you two siblings?" Keane asked.
"Not by blood," Rhett responded earnestly. "But Cass is practically my sister." Cass gave him a shove, smiling.
"Oh, you bastard."
The triad made their way into the crowded square and signed in. Rhett said goodbye to Cass as she headed off to the girls' side of the square and hoped she wasn't picked. He didn't know what he would do without her.
But it would probably start with stealing that little something Keane kept fingering in his pocket.
Sienna Flint, age 16
District Twelve Female
There was nothing more annoying than Capitolites. Even though Sienna had only ever seen one in person, that one was enough for her. Hestia, the district escort, always appeared bright and chipper and just too much. Today was no exception.
"Happy Hunger Games!" she practically screamed into the microphone, her voice high and singsong. Sienna cringed. The Hunger Games aren't exactly happy in Twelve. Being the escort for about ten years should have clued Hestia in to that fact, but either she didn't care or was just stupid.
Sienna liked to think it was the latter.
The Games really weren't something to celebrate here in District Twelve. Their only living victor, Ore Jackson, had won fourteen years ago, and spent most of his time at the bottom of a bottle or trying to chase a high. Needless to say, he wasn't a very effective mentor for Twelve's unlucky tributes. She pitied the poor kids who would be going to the Capitol with him this year.
A shame, really. That anybody has to deal with him. Or Hestia.
Speaking of the escort, she had just finished giving a speech about how much she loved being in Twelve—which was a complete and utter lie—then announced she was choosing the tributes. She pranced over to the girls' reaping ball, clawing around in the slips until she found one. She walked back to the microphone and unfolded the paper. "I am pleased to introduce Miss Sienna Flint as your female tribute! Sienna Flint, please come up to the stage!"
Cry. Sienna quickly whipped up some tears and just let them fall as she made her way into the aisle. She allowed her chest to heave with sobs. There had been tributes—past victors, even—who used this angle in the Games. Appearing soft and weak and then coming alive in the arena, murdering other tributes without a care. And as sympathetic mutters sounded around her, Sienna knew she was off to a good start.
Sienna mounted the steps and took her place next to Hestia, still sniffling and crying a little. Hestia didn't waste any time in congratulating Sienna on being selected. "It must be such an honor to represent your district," Hestia told her. Sienna could have laughed. An honor, my ass. You're sending me to die.
"But," Hestia said. "Miss Flint is not going to the Capitol alone! Let's see who the lucky young man joining her will be!" She pranced over to the other glass ball, and picked a slip. She called out the name, "Rhett Rockaway!"
A scrawny fifteen year old made his way towards the stage. His face was placid, maybe even amused. He silently climbed the steps and stood on Hestia's other side.
"District Twelve, I am pleased to present your tributes for the 95th Hunger Games, Sienna Flint and Rhett Rockaway!"
Rhett Rockaway, age 15
District Twelve Male
The little something in Keane's pocket was a compact mirror. Shiny silver, circular mirrors on both sides once it was opened. Rhett studied it in his hand as he waited for Cass to come say goodbye to him.
Everything felt numb. Ever since Hestia pulled his name from the reaping ball, it was as if his body had shut down. He knew that he had greater odds of being picked, but actually hearing his name had been a shock. Even if he'd somehow managed to school his features into something other than fear.
Or blankness.
The door creaked open, and Cass stepped quietly into the room. She glanced around, admiring the few riches the room had to offer. Rhett tossed her the compact mirror he'd taken from Keane.
"Not a bad picking for a reaping," he told her. Cass flipped the mirror open, studying it with a careful eye, then clicked it shut and handed it back to Rhett.
"You keep it. Take it as your token."
Rhett laughed. "Take a stolen mirror as my token? Aren't tokens supposed to be sentimental?" Cass just rolled her eyes at him.
"I'll make it sentimental for you, then." She snatched it from Rhett's hand and kissed the polished silver cover. "Better?"
"You're a jackass."
"And you're the moron who got himself reaped." Cass pursed her lips, then briefly hugged Rhett. Just a quick squeeze and then she let go. "Try to win. And then we can live in the Victor's Village and not on the streets."
"And we'll eat like kings every day," Rhett added, sliding the mirror into his pocket. Cass smiled.
"No more being pickpockets and running from the Peacekeepers."
"But that part's fun!"
The two of them giggled. Rhett was glad they could still do that, even in the face of his imminent death. No tear soaked, heart breaking final goodbyes for Rhett and Cass. Just their usual banter. He was going to miss it.
He missed it as soon as the Peacekeeper came to take her away.
Sienna Flint, age 16
District Twelve Female
The tears had dried on her face, but Sienna didn't wipe them away. No, she still wanted that pitiful look when she was back on camera as she was being brought to the train. Her family would have to manage looking at a tear stained face and bloodshot eyes.
First, her older brother, Arnold, came in. She wanted to be surprised to see that he came alone. She wanted to be surprised that he came at all. But she couldn't muster up the emotion. Surely he came to belittle her some more.
Surely he came for one more swing at her.
"What the fuck was that, Sienna?" Arnold asked, his voice quiet and stony. "Crying? Are you really that pathetic?"
"It was an act," Sienna answered defiantly. She might as well stand up to Arnold for once. For most likely the last time. "I'm just playing a role."
Arnold snickered. "Pathetic weakling isn't really a role for you. More of a way of living." He crept closer to Sienna with every word. Panic flared up inside of her. He's blocking the exit.
"Would you stop it?"
"I'm just doing what's best for you, Sienna." Arnold cocked his head. "If you want to play the sniveling damsel for the Capitol, then fine. I'll give you something to cry about."
It happened too fast for Sienna's eyes to follow. All she knew was the stinging resonating on her cheek where Arnold had hit her. A sick part of her wished for it to bruise, so that she could have a visual sob story for the audience. She jumped at Arnold's voice, so close to her ear.
"There you go, little sis. May the odds be ever in your favor."
With that, he sauntered from the room.
Tears—real, hot tears—pricked Sienna's eyes, but she blinked them away. She hated her brother. She hated how he treated her, hated how oblivious their parents were to the whole ordeal. But most of all, she hated how there were two Siennas in the world: the Sienna she was when she was away from the abuse, and the Sienna she was when Arnold came around.
She had no idea who she would truly be in the Capitol.
The reapings are finally over! I'm so excited to get the ball rolling on this story a little more. I might be biased, but I think there's an interesting cast of characters here , and I'm really excited to write them all interacting.
Anyways, our District Twelve tributes. Thoughts on Rhett and Sienna? Thoughts on the cast as a whole? Do you have any favorites? I feel like I can ask these questions now that I've introduced everybody, hahah.
Train rides are up next! I'm going to try to make it just one chapter but with twelve POVs, so expect the next one to be a little longer than usual. Until then!
-D9T