District 4 Reapings
Thetis Baration
Age 18
District 4 Male
"Hey ladies~"
I wink at a group of pretty girls, who are passing by. They giggle and blush. Awesome. My friends and I are hanging out near the drugstore, like the cool guys we are. It's the night before the reaping, and we decided to hit up as many parties as we could before I volunteered this year.
Unfortunately, Andreas seems to have overdone it on the drinks again.
"Heyyyyyy guy… why're we standin' 'ere agin…?" Andreas asks, drunk. Lemar facepalms as Andreas then falls over in a dead faint. Trick laughs barely audibly.
"Geez, the reaping is tomorrow, and Andreas is gonna have a hangover…" Lemar groans. Lemar is the dad of our group, always mature and responsible. He can be a tiny bit snobbish at times, but that's only when he's in a bad mood.
"C'mon, guys," I laugh, "Let's get Andreas home and get some more drinks. After all, this is my last night in this District until I come home! If I'm goin' into the Hunger Games, I've gotta live it up now! Of course, I'm gonna win, but hey, no problem with goin' ham on a bunch of parties anyways!" I laugh.
"I don't know, Thetis..." Trick murmurs. Trick was always the shy one. He rarely talks, and when he does, he is always really quiet. He never liked attention or crowds, but we drag him along to the parties anyways. I roll my eyes at Trick's worry.
"Hey man, no worries! I know everything that I gotta do," I say confidently.
I'm a Career, so I trained at the academy for a long time. I just honestly wanted to impress all the girls, and geez, who wasn't impressed by me?! I was strong, awesome, and totally destined to win the Hunger Games!
It's not that I'm a huge supporter of the Games, but I know for a fact that winning will bring me fame, glory, and even more ladies throwing themselves at me. More ladies than there are already. And the money, fame, everything in between… that would be the dream.
"Ugh… I can't imagine you killing, honestly. I hope you reconsider volunteering."
Lemar's voice breaks me out of my daydream of me being crowned the King of the Hunger Games. Lemar is crouched on the ground next to Andreas, who is now muttering in his sleep.
"What? Are you going to help me carry Andreas home or what?!" I sigh as we hoist Andreas up on our shoulders to drag his drunken *** home. Trick looks like he wants to help, but he's kinda weak, so he can't really do much.
"Hah. Reconsider volunteering? Are you out of your mind, Lemar?" I laugh heartily, "Everyone expects me to chicken out. But I'm not. I'm the strong, awesome Thetis Baration! I'll win the games and come home just as awesome as ever!" I laugh heartily. Trick smiles weakly, as Lemar rolls his eyes.
"Besides! Think of all the fame I'd get!" I say. Lemar looks visibly agitated at my statement.
"Is that all you think of? Fame?" Lemar asks. My angry retort is drowned out by Andreas singing in his drunken sleep.
"MooOOn rIVerrrr… WIdeR tHaN a mIIILeeEEeEE…" Andreas mutter-sings, half unconscious. Me, Lemar, and Trick look at one another, trying our best not to crack up.
"Okay! Let's get Andreas home and hit the rest of the parties on this block!" I command triumphantly.
Sky Marina Griffin
Age 18
District 4 Female
You ready?
You nervous?
"Of course not! After all, maybe volunteering will…" I trail off, realizing that I'm getting stared at. I give a bright smile to those who are looking at me weird. Shelly and Sheldon are nestled in my pockets, as inconspicuous as a beacon in a dark ocean.
Sometimes, I chide myself when I have these imaginary conversations. Shelly and Sheldon are really just shells with googly eyes glued onto them. But they were also my first craft project!
And… my only friends, too.
I glance over to where my mother is standing. My smile fades. My mother never, and I mean never, pays attention to me. My father is better: he tries to be as kind to me as possible, but he was always at work.
I wanted to impress my mother so she would pay attention to me. I wanted her praise. I wanted her to be proud of me. So I started training in the academy. I worked extra hard to try and become the best in the academy.
So when I was chosen to be the designated volunteer, I hoped mom would at least notice my accomplishment. But she didn't. When I told her, she just nodded, muttered something, and continued working.
So now I'm at the reaping, ready to volunteer. Ready to win, ready to show my mom just how worthwhile I am! Our escort, Mr. Ash I-forgot-his-last-name, is already up onstage.
"Okay District Four! Let's see who's gonna be the very best this year!" He yells into the mic. I like Ash; he's always so energetic. He runs over to the boy's bowl and pick a name out with a flourish.
"Patrick Lightwood!"
"I volunteer as tribute!" someone I vaguely recognize from the academy walks up to the stage with his head held high. The crowd below claps and cheers. I guess they expected him to chicken out or something, because it's louder than usual. I clap with the crowd.
"What's your name, my dude?" Ash asked him. The tribute holds his head up high and flashes a smile at the crowd.
"I am the Thetis Baration! And I am totally gonna win these games!" he yells at the top of his lungs. Ash grins and finger-guns Thetis. I frown slightly. I remember Thetis as being extremely… manipulative. He has a way of getting people to do what he wants.
"And now for a girl!" Ash picks a name out of the girl's bowl with a flourish.
"Ari Nightingale!"
"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" I yell at the top of my lungs. The crowd around me divides as I walk up the the stage with my head held high. I hope my mother is watching.
"What's your name, dear?" Ash asks me, holding the mic to my mouth. I flash two peace signs at the crowd and smile brightly.
"My name is Sky Marina Griffin! I am pleased to be your District 4 Tribute!" I declare. From up here of the stage, it feels like I'm a princess. The crowd below claps their hands and cheers.
"District 4, your tributes this year, Thetis Baration and Sky Marina Griffin!"
Thetis Baration
Age 18
District 4 Male
The goodbye room looks cool, but not as cool as me. The couch is red, velvet, and plush. There's that whole crystal chandelier thing too, I guess. But despite all the finery around me, none of it could compare to the star of the room, yours truly.
The door to the Goodbye Room swings open. Seconds later, my vision is obscured by my mother, gushing at me and talking nonstop. I barely manage to glimpse my father and friends come in behind her.
"Oh Thetis, you're so grown up, and you're going into the games! Oh, I just know you'll win, you were always so strong and tough and inherited your father's strength and-" She stops to take a deep breath, "Oh Thetis!" She cries, squeezing me until I can barely breathe. What my mother doesn't know is that half my strength was inherited from her as well...
"Mom, get off… please… I can't breathe..." I choke. In the corner of my eye, I see Lemar, Andreas, and Trick snickering behind their hands. I feel my face getting warmer as Andreas mimics my mother's gushing.
My mother lets go reluctantly. Thank goodness. I thought I was going to die before the Games even began.
"You'll live, I know you will! And you'll be the father of someone even greater! Just like the Nereid we named you after! And we'll name it Hercules if it's a he, and Athena if it's a she-"
"I know you're letting Thetis know all this so he has a motive to win, but that look on his face is telling me that it's having the opposite effect," my father laughs, patting my mother on the shoulder.
In actuality, I was shooting my friends a murderous look as their silent laughter became audible as my mother was outlining her plans for my future. My mother smiles apologetically and retreats, letting my dad clap me on the shoulder.
"Good luck, son. Listen very carefully to your mentor. And try to make friends with your district partner. I know you inherited my good looks," my father advises, giving me a wink. Andreas pretend-gags.
"Good luck again, son!" my mother cries before walking out of the room. My father gives me one last pat on the shoulder and leaves. Once they're gone, I give Andreas, Lemar, and Trick the bird.
"Dude! Quit that snickering!" I yell. My outburst only makes the three of them laugh harder.
"Oh Thetis, you're so grown up and strong! And you'll be the father of someone more awesome! Oh, and you totally inherited your father's strength-" Andreas is cut off as I throw the pillow on the couch at him. It hits him square in the face.
"I still think you shouldn't have volunteered. After all-" I cut Lemar off with a swift punch to the shoulder.
"Come on guys!" I proclaim as I strike a fierce pose, "I am THETIS BARATION! The most awesome of the awesome!" And then I dab.
Everyone in the room groans, and Lemar heel turns and leaves.
"Aww come on guys, I know that meme is dead, but come onnnn!"
Sky Marina Griffin
Age 17
District 4 Female
Good job, Sky! You did it!
Your mom has got to be impressed now!
And you'll win, too! She'll be even more impressed then!
Yeah! You can do it for sure!
Go Sky! Go Sky! Fly high! Fly high! You can do it, You can do it, Go, go, go!
Shelly please stop.
But Sky needs the encouragement!
"Calm down, guys!" I laugh at the imaginary conversation in my head. For some reason, it was always Shelly, the pink shell, that spoke first in my mind. Sheldon, the blue shell, spoke second. I don't know why that was, it was always that way for me. I guess I was just so desperate for friendship that I never stopped to consider things like that.
The goodbye room was very pretty. A plush red couch, a crystal chandelier, it was all pretty swanky, I'd say. I could see a lot of different ways that it could be improved though. I think I watch the DIY channel too much.
At any rate, what do you think of Thetis?
I didn't like him much. Didn't he try to flirt with you once in the academy?
"I doubt he even remembers that he did that. After all, he flirts with everyone." I roll my eyes. Shelly and Sheldon laugh in my imaginary conversation.
The door to the goodbye room suddenly flies open, and my heart starts pounding. Is it mother? Is she finally going to acknowledge me?
No. Even though I didn't anticipate her, it still made me sad.
"Sky!" My father comes in and throws his arms around me. Mother isn't here, as I had hoped. I feel a small twinge of disappointment in my heart… I'd hoped she'd at least come say goodbye to me. I hug my father back.
"Hi Dad…" I sigh softly. My father gives me a pat of the shoulder. At least my father actually cares about me.
"I'm proud of you, Sky. But please, come home safe, okay?" he murmurs to me. I can only nod. My father gives me a kiss on the cheek and walks out of the room. I slump back on the couch, not expecting anyone else.
"Sky."
I nearly fall off the couch. My mother, Nova Griffin, is standing there in the doorway. Mother was always busy, and never had any interest in me. After all, as a successful businesswoman, she has quite a lot of work to do. Half of me tried to understand; she worked hard to give all of us a good living. But the other resented mother; I wanted someone other than my father, who could not be home all the time, to play with me.
As a battle of emotions takes place in my brain, my mother looks at me with an emotion that I cannot identify.
"Good luck," my mother nods at me. Then she leaves. I'm frozen in place. And slowly, pure dopamine swoops through my brain.
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!
THIS IS A MIRACLE! A TRUE MIRACLE!
SHE ACKNOWLEDGED YOU, SKY!
THAT WAS AMAZING!
"YAAAAAYYY!" I scream in ecstacy.
I'm sorry that this took so much time, but I really wanted to get this out before winter break. There were a lot of problems, as seen in my status update, but I got it done for you guys!
Thank you to santiagoponcini20 for submitting Thetis!
Chapter Question: What are your thoughts on Thetis Baration (D4M) and Sky Marina Griffin (D4F)?
So thank you guys so much for reading, and me, NyanToDaMax145, will see you guys next time! BOOOOOOOOOOIIIIIIIIIII!
PS. I'm sorry about Thetis