Chapter 11
(Madge POV)
I find myself almost momentarily grateful for Ellison being here because she completely takes over all the socializing and chatting at my tea party. You'd really think it was her tea party by the way she's running all around greeting everyone. Fine by me though. The busier these guests are talking with her, the less time they have to talk to me.
And I was right about the blackberry jam being a hit. Everyone seems to be loving it. I spread some on a scone and take a bite. Wow, it's even better than I expected. So glad Katniss was able to make this. The reporter, the very one who snapped my picture kissing Drew last night, is at the tea party taking tons of pictures. I do my best to avoid being in any of his pictures but at one point he has Ellison and I pose together for a shot. She leans in so that our faces are super close, almost cheek to cheek, wraps her arms around my shoulders and grins for the camera as if we are the very best of friends. She is really loving this. Meanwhile, I'm using all my energy to even pretend I love it.
"This is such a lovely little party! And this jam is just to die for; wherever did you buy it?" A Capitol woman with an oversized hat gushes as she clasps my frilly gloved hand.
"Actually a friend made it for me. She's got a secret recipe." I tell her, glad to hear how she likes it. I'll have to be sure to tell Katniss how much everyone loved it.
"Oh it's homemade! That explains everything!" Ellison exclaims having overheard me.
"Explains what?" I ask. Fear shoots through me as I'm afraid she can somehow tell it was made with wild berries.
"Well, it's just a little runny if you ask me. But don't worry, I'm sure it was the best you could find around this place and that's all that really matters." She tells me with a pitying smile.
I want to smack her. I cannot stand this girl. Instead, I do exactly as I am supposed to and simply smile at her. "Try some of the strawberry jam, you may like that better, it's store bought." I suggest as I step away to go chat with my guests. I hope she chokes on it, I think to myself.
When the tea party is over, I have to head straight upstairs to start letting Steffi get me ready for the reaping ceremony. I have a lot of guilt weighing on me now that I know my name isn't in the bowl. It's not fair. There is nothing special about me compared to the other kids. If they're at risk, I should be too. I feel like a traitor for pretending to participate in the reaping even though I had nothing to do with any of this and had no idea my name wasn't in there.
When I get to my room, I find Steffi waiting. She immediately gets to work making me over. She even straightens my naturally curly hair and then threads tiny little pearls into a few strands. I knew she was going to find a way to do that. She loves tying things together and I knew those pearl buttons would be something she'd want to play up. Once I'm all done up from head to toe, she tells me to wait right where I'm at and she hurries from the room. I'm worried she's gone to grab that reporter to take my picture again but there's a knock at the door and then Drew pokes his head in.
"Can I come in?"
"Hi, yes, come in!" I smile, glad to see him. He hadn't been at the tea party because the Capitol men don't do tea parties, they do cigars and brandy.
"You look beautiful."
"Steffi did it all. I just sat there and let her do her work."
"One thing's missing though." He says as he holds out a blue velvet box.
I take it and open it to reveal a single strand of pearls. "They're so pretty. You really shouldn't have." I tell him as I run my finger over their smooth surface.
"I wanted to. Here, let me help you with them." He says as he pulls them from the box and unclasps them.
I turn around and lift my hair so he can put them on me. He presses a kiss to my temple as he does and I smile as it sends goosebumps down my arms. This must be what it feels like to really start liking someone, I think to myself. On our way out of the room, I grab my token and clutch it in my palm. Every tribute is allowed to bring a token if they want, some small thing from their district. My token is small, gold pin with a mockingjay bird on it. It was my mother's and I've always held it for good luck on reaping day. I may not actually need the luck now but still feel like I need to have it with me.
We walk downstairs together and find a whole slew of people toasting with champagne glasses, preparing to head over to the ceremony, Ellison being one of them. She immediately rushes over when she sees us.
"Shall we have a drink before we head over?" She asks, more to Drew than to me.
"Actually, Drew and I have to head over now. We have to get checked in." I tell her.
"Oh, right. I forgot about you having to do that." She says sounding utterly deflated.
"We'll see you at the ceremony." Drew tells her, taking her hand and kissing it. I almost gag when he does.
Her face lights back up and she seems momentarily satisfied with that. I walk ahead and out the door, not caring to see her any longer than I have to. I cannot wait for her to leave today. Drew rushes to catch up to me and I realize I'm walking a little too fast.
"Hey, wait for me." He says.
"Sorry. I'm just in a hurry to get this over with." I lie. I'm not sure I want him knowing I'm beginning to get a little jealous about having to share him.
He doesn't say anything, just takes my hand and we make our way to the check in stations. After we're both checked in we make our way to the front and up onto the stage. I cannot believe we have to sit up there with my father and the other Capitol guests. We should be down below with everyone else from the district. We sit in our reserved seats and wait for the ceremony to begin. As the reporter with the camera appears and begins snapping pictures Drew reaches over and takes my hand in his lap. Moments later, Ellison arrives and she promptly takes his other hand as she sits in the chair next to him. He is literally sitting here, holding both of our hands. I can't, I just can't. It's too weird. I pull my hand from his and fold mine in my lap, clutching my token. I feel him turn to look at me but I don't look over at him. Not now. It's not the time.
(Gale POV)
After I make my way through the check in stations, I go and stand in line with the other guys who may get reaped today. As I'm standing there, I notice that Madge is up on the stage this year instead of standing in the reaping pool like she usually does. And she's got that guy with her. The one they matched her with. The other girl is here too, sitting on the other side. They're both holding his hands. It's so strange seeing her like this. How does that not bother her sharing a boyfriend with someone? That reporter from the other day when she was passing out water is up there snapping pictures of them. Like this is some event they're excited to attend. So ridiculous. I shake my head and look away. My mind needs to be on the reaping right now and not on some girl I can't have.
Effie Trinket, our games rep from the Capitol, takes the stage and we watch the same, lame video they play every single year. Then she steps forward to the bowl of girl's names.
"Ladies first." She announces as her hand swishes around in the bowl and withdraws a single slip of paper. She opens it and reads it into the microphone. "Primrose Everdeen."
Shit. Shit. That cannot be right. My mind races.
"I volunteer! I volunteer!" I hear Katniss scream out as she rushes forward to take her little sister's place.
My ears are ringing and I can't even watch as she climbs the steps to the stage. This cannot be happening. It just can't. I don't even hear what Effie says to her. I snap back to just as Effie reaches into the bowl of boys names.
"Peeta Mellark."
The bakery kid? I had 40 plus slips in there and they pulled a townie's name? And Prim? Prim only had one slip but hers got pulled too. The ceremony ends and people start dispersing, moving around me as I'm frozen in place. What the hell just happened? I rub my hands over my face and make my way towards the Justice Building. That's where they'll take them so people can come to say goodbye. I get inside, line up outside the room they put her in and I feel sick as I wait my turn to see her. I think I'm gonna puke. I cannot puke right here in the line so I hurry down the hall towards the restroom. I make it just in time too. What little I ate for breakfast is all over the bathroom sink now. At the next sink over I splash water on my face and head back down the dimly lit hall. As I do, I see Madge. She's under the staircase, cowering in a corner, hugging her knees to her chest. I'm about to say something to her but get interrupted.
"Hey kid! You, there by the stairs!"
I look over and down the hall to whoever is calling out to me. It's that reporter guy. "Yeah?" I call back.
"Have you seen Miss Undersee? Was she down that way?"
I see Madge lift her tearstained face and shake her head desperately. It's him she's hiding from.
"Haven't seen her. No one else was down here." I say as I walk back down the hall towards him.
"If you see her would you please tell her to find me? I need to get her thoughts on the reaping for my article and I can't find her anywhere." He tells me as he hurries off in the other direction.
I glance back down towards the staircase and I want to go check on her but I can't right now. Right now, I have to go say goodbye to my best friend in the world. I take my place in line and wait my turn to see her. I'll only get 2 minutes. That's it. Thats all they'll give me. 2 measly minutes to say goodbye.
When I go in, I hug her so tightly. "You can do this." I tell her. I hadn't planned to say anything like that but in the moment, it's what I say. "You can win this."
"Gale, you have to take care of them! Don't let them starve!" Her voice cracking as she pleads with me to take care of Prim and her mother.
I hug her again. "I won't, I promise."
"I had to do it. I had to take her place. She didn't stand a chance." She cries into my chest.
"But you do. You have a chance. You go in there and you do what you do best. you find a bow and you use it and then come back home to us."
She doesn't get a chance to say anything else. The door opens and they start pulling me out. "You've got this Catnip, you've got this!" I yell as the door shuts.
I leave the building as quickly as I can and head towards the Seam. I want to get as far away from here as I can but unfortunately the fence is on so the far edge of the seam is as far as I can go. I sit by a tree and face the woods in the distance. I can't do this. How am I ever going to provide for 2 more people? I barely get by providing for my own family. What am I going to do?