I am easily satisfied with the best.
-Winston Churchill
The Apothecary, June 16th, 12:30 pm
Tessa Ray (15) POV
District 12 female
If I owned District 12 and hell, I'd sell District 12 and live in hell. It's a sentiment that I've expressed many times to anyone that'll listen because it's true. Girls like me are meant for the white sand beaches of District 4 or the luxury of District 1. So how exactly is it that I got stuck in coal mining District 12, where everything is covered in black dust and nobody gives two shits about anything but surviving? I mean, it's not that hard to make money. My mom's side of the family started a small store with medicine generations ago, and we've been above average in wealth ever since. I don't see how it's so hard to come up with a new idea and start a business based off of it. I mean, people have been doing it since the dawn of the human race, so why is it that people think it's so goddamn hard to just come up with a new idea. Granted, I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but that's just because I'm not really trying. I'm sure that if my life was on the line and I needed to come up with an idea for a business in order to save my family, I'd have no problem doing so.
That being said, I absolutely hate the idea of work, so if I were to establish a business, I would need other people to do the work for me while I supervised. Girls like me aren't meant to work hard for things; things are supposed to be handed to us on a silver platter. While my mother deals with a customer at the cash box, I sit on a stool by the wall, letting my hair fall into my lap while lazily doodling on the wooden counter top with a black felt tipped marker.
"Tessa Marie!" my mother yells, interrupting her exchange with the customer. "How many times do I have to tell you not to do that?"
I roll my eyes, beyond caring if she could see. "Apparently, more than you already have."
"Clean it up, Tessa."
"Pass."
"Clean. It. Now."
"Oh my God, I'm so scared," I say, getting up to get a rag. Knowing that she would make me clean the mess, I used a marker that I knew would come off with nothing more than water. I clean up the swirls and flowers easily, slightly bothered that the part of the counter that I cleaned was cleaner than the rest, but not bothered enough to do anything about it. I sit back down on my stool and tap my fingernails on the counter with nothing better to do until the Reaping starts.
Bored, I consider going upstairs to the apartment above the apothecary where my parents and I live. No siblings and boring parents, life is about as dull as you'd think it would be. I'm so bored after mere minutes sitting at the counter that I almost consider going back upstairs to bed, but I look down at my outfit- a short green dress with gold lace up sandals- as well as my makeup and realize that if I took a nap, it would take forever to get ready again, so I decide to people watch for the time being.
Across the shop, an older woman is sitting in a chair, waiting for my mother to call her number. I glance at her out of the corner of my eye and notice her pick her nose and wipe it on the chair. Gross, I better not have to clean that up. She's too gross for me to handle, so I look away, focusing my attention on a blonde woman with blue eyes in her mid-twenties, holding a matching blonde-haired blue-eyed child by his hand. The kid coughs into his mom's skirt several times and blows his nose before bursting into tears. Pertussis. Not surprising, it's spreading like wildfire this season. I guess I feel bad for the kid, but not bad enough to actually do anything to help him. I think it would be funny if something bad happened to him; serves him right for playing with disgusting sick kids.
Eventually, Mom finishes helping all of those people and the bell at the front of the store rings. In walks a Seam girl with greasy black hair and gray eyes darting all over the store. She scratches her arm and I notice a blistery rash all over her arms and legs. Poison ivy, by the looks of it. But how? District 12 isn't the most foliage-dense place in Panem- I wouldn't be shocked if we were in District 7 or 11, but 12 is out of the ordinary- so the only way she could have come in contact with the plant would be if it was in someone's garden or if she ventured into the woods. The first is unlikely, as even people living in the Seam weren't stupid enough to let poison ivy grow in their gardens, so the more likely option is the woods. I had heard of people going to the woods to hunt for food, but I didn't think anyone would actually do it. I mean, hunting is punishable by death, but going through trash bins for food scraps is free and perfectly legal. I wouldn't think that anyone from the Seam would have enough pride to want to avoid that. She approaches my mom but I wave her down.
"Don't worry, Mom!" I chirp. "I got it!"
The girl smiles and approaches me, and I hoist myself onto and behind the counter, motioning for her to sit down on the stool that I was sitting in.
"Hi, my name is Tessa," I say, pulling my hair into a ponytail and pulling out some strands. "What brings you here today…?"
"Lexi Flint," she supplies. Cute name. Maybe a cute girl too if she actually took care of herself. "Short for Alexis, but I like Lexi better. I think I'm having an allergic reaction to, um, almonds."
"Almonds?" I ask, quizzically. "Hmm…"
"What?" she asks, panicked.
"It's just that usually an allergic reaction to nuts and legumes is more... Red," I say, narrowing my eyes slightly. "More like hives. This is blistery and only red around the edges."
"What are you implying?"
"I don't think this is an almond allergy. It looks like poison ivy."
"Poison ivy?"
"Yes," I say, resting my elbows on the counter. "But I don't have the faintest idea where you could have contracted it. That is unless you went into the woods." She shifts uncomfortably, and I put on a fake grin in an attempt to look excited. "Oh my God, you did!"
"Look, you can't tell anyone," she says, desperately. "I could get in a lot of trouble."
"Oh definitely not," I say firmly. "I won't tell a soul. God, that's so ballsy. I wish I could do something like that."
"Really?" she asks. "Because I just needed to feed my family is all."
"Of course," I say, reaching behind the counter for a tube. "Anyway, here's some cream, it'll make the rash go away in no time. That'll be $20."
She painstakingly hands me some money and I smile, tucking the money into my apron. She shoves the tube into her bag before rushing to the door, but I stop her.
"Wait here, okay?" I ask. She nods. "Excuse me."
I go over to my mother and hand her the money that Lexi gave me, tell her what she told me and then go into the back room for the phone. I dial the Peacekeepers' phone number and someone picks up the phone after a few rings.
"Peacekeepers' office, District 12, how may I help you?" asks a pleasant female voice.
"Hi, this is Elise Ray at the apothecary," I say, using my mother's name. "We have a young girl, Miss Alexis Flint who's admitted to illegally hunting in the woods."
"We'll send someone right over," the secretary says.
"Thank you!"
Some people just want to watch the world burn, and I'm one of them. I wait in the back room, peeking through the blinds that connect the back room with the storefront. Within a few minutes, two Peacekeepers show up and talk to my mother who points at Lexi. The Peacekeepers talk to her and she shakes her head furiously and starts crying. The two grab her by the arms and take her away. As she leaves, I go back into the storefront and sit back down on the stool. After only a moment, I hear the bang of a gunshot.
Sighing, I slump down in my seat, already bored because everyone in the room is so boring. If only I lived in District 1 or 4, maybe then I'd be entertained. But no, I'm stuck in dingy, ugly District 12 full of dingy, ugly people.
The bell dings once again, and I eat my words immediately. The boy who just walked through the door was the exact opposite of ugly (maybe a little bit dingy though.) With the same kind of rugged sensuality as the better looking Seam kids coupled with the actual hygiene of, well, me, I decide that he'll do just fine.
The Bakery, June 16th, 1:00 pm
Adrian Jr. Burrow (15) POV
District 12 male
After being politely asked to leave the bakery by the uptight woman who was working at the front desk, I decide to try the apothecary. The lady had a stick up her ass, and kept yelling at me for "harassing her daughters." I got sick of it just as she told me to go. Walking across the street and down a short way, I check the windows of other stores in case there's someone in a closer location. There isn't.
Just before I go to the apothecary, I hear a gunshot and look to the Square to see a girl about my age falling to her knees with her hands cuffed. In the distance, a young boy screams and my eyes widen. People aren't often executed on Reaping Day.
I walk into the apothecary and am immediately stunned by the girl sitting at the counter. She's cute, and by her very demeanor, I can tell she knows exactly how attractive she is. Her red hair falls past her shoulders, dead straight, and her light green eyes find mine, then dart to her lap. I smirk. Haven't even started talking to the girl, and it's already working. Sauntering over to her, I make sure she knows that it's her I'm aiming for. I don't want to catch her too off guard. I make my way over to her, standing in front of where she's sitting and smiling down at her.
"Hey baby girl," I say, maintaining my smile. "Do you-"
"Don't 'baby girl' me," she says.
This has never happened to me before. My smile falters, and I pray she didn't see it. "What do you mean?"
"Don't call me that. It's weird."
"Then what should I call you?" I ask, regaining my composure.
A beat. "Jasmine," she says.
"Well Jasmine," I continue. "Do you come here often?"
"On occasion," she says, meeting my eye before glancing slightly down. "My best friend looks here and I'm filling in for her."
"How kind of you," I say, leaning in. "People must say you're quite the selfless person."
"On occasion," she says, twirling a strand of reddish hair around her finger. "I just do my best to please other people when I can."
"Wonderful," I say. "Hey, what are you doing after the Reaping? I think I'd like to get to know you better, Jasmine."
"I'm not busy," she says, smirking.
"Meet me here at 3?" I suggest.
"I'll be here," she says.
"See you then," I say, turning around to leave. I have her under my spell after not even five minutes, and later on, I get to look at her again. But for the time being, I need to get home to get ready for the Reaping, and to figure out how to break up with Theresa. I've messed around with other girls before, but that Jasmine girl was really hot. More so than all the rest of them.
I start walking down the town directly to the Square. With both of my parents being Peacekeepers from District 2, our family is relatively wealthy and we leave in close proximity to the Mayor, the Justice Building and the District Square. I get to the house and open the front door, letting myself in. As expected, I find both of my parents away, working even on Reaping Day, but my younger brother Anthony is sitting on the couch in the living room, watching TV.
"Hey, you gotta get ready for the Reaping, alright?" I say to him. He nods, not really listening. "Have you eaten?"
"Yeah," he says, changing the channel.
"Alright," I say, leaving the room to go upstairs.
I duck into my room and go to my closet and take out a deep navy blue suit and putting it on with a matching tie. It's a bit ill-fitting since it's my father's, but I don't have much else to wear that's actually nice so I wear it despite the wrong fit and the fact that it belongs to my father. The two of us don't have the best relationship due to him neglecting Anthony and me for his job as Head Peacekeeper. I mess up my hair a bit, and in the time it takes me to get ready, the bells go off, signaling that the Reaping is going to begin soon. I go back down the stairs and find Anthony dressed in a gray blazer.
"Ready to go?" I ask.
"Yeah," he says, turning off the TV.
"Second Reaping," I say as we walk. "Are you nervous?"
"Not really," he says, dryly. "I only have two slips, so…"
"Still," I say. "I'm not saying I think it'll be either of us, but you shouldn't try your luck."
He knows I'm right and has no response, so we walk the rest of the short way wordlessly. When we get to the Square, we both get into line for our fingers to get pricked so we can enter our pens. The line is relatively fast moving and I let Anthony go ahead of me. Once my blood is taken, I go to the 15-year-olds' section and meet with my best friend Glenn. Admittedly, I'm quite a bit more popular and well liked than he is, but we've been friends for as long as I can remember.
"Nervous?" he asks, shifting his weight.
"Nah," I respond. "You?"
"A bit," he admits. "I just can't shake this feeling."
"I get it," I say.
Just then, District 12's new escort mounts the stage. No one knows what happened to last year's escort, Pollianna, but she's evidently been replaced by a woman with hair the color of blood.
"Good afternoon, District 12!" she calls into the microphone at the center of the stage. "My name is Dixie Amber and I'm your new escort! I trust that we'll have a lot of fun together."
"She's acting like she's our babysitter who's trying to hook up with our dad," Glenn whispers. It takes everything in me not to burst out laughing.
"As you all know, today is the Reaping for the 227th annual Hunger Games. Now, I suppose since we usually start with the ladies, it couldn't hurt to start with the young men this year."
Dixie goes over to the male Reaping bowl and takes out a slip from the top of the mountain of bowls. She carries it over to the microphone and reads in a loud, clear voice "Adrian Burrow!"
I immediately look to Glenn, and he matches my wide-eyed expression. As shocked as I am, I know that my entire future relies on this moment, and if I'm going to put on an act, it needs to start now. I am Adrian Burrow, I repeat in my head. And I am going to win the Hunger Games. My mouth forms something that resembles a confident smile and I head up to the stage, shaking Dixie's hand when I get there.
"Do we have any volunteers?" she asks. Nothing. "Well, onto the ladies then."
She struts over to the other side of the stage and picks another slip off the very top and takes it back to center stage.
"Alexis Flint!"
There's a small cry from the spectators' section, but no girl steps forward. I look to Dixie, confused, and she puts a finger to her right ear.
"Oh dear," she says, shocked. "I've just received word that Alexis was executed earlier today. Looks like we need to pick a new tribute, then."
She goes back to the girls' bowl and pulls out another name, this time from further down in the bowl.
"This year's female tribute is Tessa Ray!"
A girl steps out of the 15-year-olds' section batting away a few tears from the corners of her eyes. Jasmine? Bitch gave me a fake name. I wonder how much of what she displays over the next few weeks will be real.
"Any volunteers for this young lady?" Dixie asks again. No response. "Well then, District 12, here are your tributes for the 227th Hunger Games: Tessa Ray and Adrian Burrow. Please shake hands. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"
I extend my hand for Tessa and she takes it, squeezing firmly. I squeeze it harder, and she flinches slightly.
This is going to be too much fun.
The Justice Building, June 16th, 2:30 pm
Tessa Ray (15) POV
District 12 female
As soon as I exit the stage and am safely away from the cameras in a room in the Justice Building, I crack a smile. I'm glad I was so easily able to think on my feet and turn on the tears; I'm not weak, but I'll let people think that I am. I'd get a lot of support from people from outer Districts as well as sympathetic sponsors if I "put on a brave face." It'll make me less intimidating and more approachable. Then I can put my plan into action. It's going to be so easy to find a boy my age and make him fall hopelessly in love with me, only to kill him in the end. He'll protect me, and when I don't need him anymore, I can dispose of him, Adrian wouldn't be preferable because it's not considered good sportsmanship to kill your District partner, but if I can't find anyone else, he'll do in a pinch. Victory is victory no matter how I got there; I'd rather go back to 12 hated than die in the arena.
I pull a makeup compact out of the purse I brought to the Reaping. The compact has three colors of eyeshadow and a blush as well as a mirror, and I use the mirror to make sure my mascara didn't smudge when I rubbed my eyes to wipe away "tears." Luckily, it didn't. I still look flawless.
A Peacekeeper sends in both of my parents at once, who sigh in exasperation.
"So I talked to the Head Peacekeeper about you getting Reaped," Dad says. "I told him that it's not fair to you that you got Reaped just because someone else made a stupid choice and got executed. Apparently, your District partner is the Head Peacekeeper's son, and he said that if his kid had to go into the Games, so did mine."
"That's ridiculous," Mom says. "His son was Reaped fair and square. You did nothing to deserve this, Tessa, I want you to know that."
"If you die in that arena," Dad says. "I'm suing. End of story. This is completely absurd."
"I'm not gonna die, guys," I say, tossing my hair. "Sponsors are going to adore me, I'll do just fine. It'll be a piece of cake."
"Try your best anyway," Mom says. "If you die, we lose an employee and I don't trust anyone else to work for us."
"I got it," I say. "I think for my token, I'm gonna take my makeup pallet."
"That might get taken away before the Games start," Dad says, rolling his eyes. "You could use the mirror to start a fire."
"Dammit," I say, rifling around in my purse once more. I procure a hairbrush. "I'll bring this then."
"Good plan," Mom says. "If you're going to rely on sponsors and allies, you'll need to keep up appearances."
"That's true," I say, nodding.
Suddenly, a Peacekeeper comes back to take my parents away, and they leave without a protest. They wish me luck, I say goodbye and then they're gone. I wait for some people from school to come visit me, but no one does.
Weird.
The Justice Building, June 16th, 2:30 pm
Adrian Jr. Burrow (15) POV
District 12 male
I'm led into a room at the front of the Justice Building and slump down onto the couch, still floored that Jasmine or Tessa or whatever the hell her name is is my District partner. What are the odds that we'd both be Reaped? And the worst part is that I can't even hook up with her now because ever since the 74th Games, District partners from 12 who've played the romance card have had an approximately zero percent success rate. I hope there are other attractive girls besides Tessa because there were a lot last year and I would be extremely let down if there wasn't this year. Luckily, District 1 rarely disappoints.
The door at the front of the room creaks open and my brother stands in the doorway alone.
"Where are Mom and Dad?" I ask.
"They're Peacekeepers, stupid," he says, jokingly. "They're not allowed to visit."
"Right," I say, pretending I knew that all along.
"Are you okay?" he asks. I nod. "I'm sorry I jinxed you like that."
"Hey, it's not your fault," I say. "Just a coincidence, that's all."
"I guess," he says. "I just feel guilty is all. I mean, you might die and I can't help but feel a little bit responsible."
"Well don't," I say. "Trust me, I'm in it to win it. This won't be the last time you see me."
"Good," he says. "I'd miss you too much."
"Really?" I ask, touched.
"Yeah," he says. "Mom and Dad aren't ever around, so if I want someone to hang out with while my friends can't, you're the only one."
"Are you saying I'm never busy?" I ask, sarcastically.
"You're never too busy for me," he says, grinning.
The door opens again and the Peacekeeper stands, expectantly.
"That's true," I say to Anthony as he leaves. "When I get back, we're gonna hang out, okay?"
"Alright," he says. "Good luck!"
He's removed from the room, and as soon as he left, he's replaced by Glenn and Theresa.
"Adrian!" Theresa cries, running towards me. "I'm so-"
"We need to break up," I interrupt her.
"What?" she asks, her eyes filling with tears. "Why?"
Because Tessa is extremely hot.
"Because I might die in that arena," I say, contorting my face to look unhappy. "And if I do, I don't want you to be too attached to me. If I end up coming back, we can try this again, but until then…"
"I get it," she says, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry, I have to go."
She rushes out of the room, a sobbing mess, and Glenn turns to me as soon as the door closes behind her.
"And the real reason is…?" he asks.
"I'm going to fuck Tessa before the Games," I say, casually. "I didn't need Theresa on my conscience."
"Classy," he says. "I didn't know you had morals to begin with. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks," I say.
"Did your brother give you a token?" he asks.
"No," I say. He extends his hand and drops a deep blue marble into mine.
"This was going to be mine if I was Reaped," he says. "But if you don't have one, you can use it."
"Thanks," I say, smiling. "Hey, while I'm gone, if you want to get with Theresa-"
He shakes his head. "Nah, she's not my type."
Before we can say more, the Peacekeeper comes back, and he's brought away. I didn't even say goodbye, and he was my last visitor.
So it took literally over a year, but my Reapings are finally done! Hopefully, the rest of the story will go quicker. Thank you so much to Mykindleisawesome for Tessa, and minhosgirl for Adrian! There's a poll up where you can vote for your favorite tributes, so make sure you do that!
Questions!
1) Who do you like better, Tessa or Adrian?
2) What did you like about them?
3) What didn't you like about them?
4) Any predictions?
5) Who was your very favorite tribute aside from your own?
-No one says no to Gaston!