District 7: Cerise Yew (15) Pov-
"Are you nervous for the reaping?" Uncle Jon asks.
"Nope. There's no point to being nervous. Being nervous can't change the future," I answer.
"Not even a little nervous?"
I let out a short laugh. "I thought you caught on that I was one of those aliens from the Capitol."
Aunt Wren comes thundering down the stairs, looking frazzled and just about ready to explode.
"Jon! Juniper needs help with her dress!" she shouts, running to grab her shoes.
Uncle Jon leaves to go help her, and I'm left alone in the living room. I've already changed into my reaping dress and my shoes. Aunt Wren and Uncle Jon are speeding around the house trying to get everything in order before we leave for the reaping. The best I can do is just stay out of their way.
My eyes wander around the living room. Past the old television set that looks like it might fall apart any second now, past the ancient piano Aunt Wren refuses to get rid of because she's "going to sell it some day."
My gaze lands on the picture of my Mom and Dad on the mantelpiece. It's the only picture of my parents in the house. They both died in a forest fire. Their bodies were never recovered. The authorities said they had been incinerated by the flames. I was eleven then. Four years later, I still wake up screaming for them to run.
Uncle Jon and Aunt Wren have taken care of me since then. It's not hard to tell that they prefer their true children. I've always been second class in the house, and over the years it's gotten harder and harder to be optimistic.
"Come on, Cerise, the reaping's in ten minutes!" Aunt Wren says, jamming the skeleton key into the front door. She and Uncle Jon speed out, followed by Juniper, Landon, and Dorian. I'm the last one out. I'm always the last one out.
But hey, life's not all that bad. We could be starving like a good portion of District 7. We could be living in a cardboard box in the dump. If I do say so myself, I've always been the family optimist. But when you live in a place as sucky as Panem, that can get very tiring.
District 7: Erik Nordskov (18) Pov-
"What's taking you so long? The reaping is in half an hour!" Rhiannon shouts from downstairs.
Giggling, I shove the box with the ring into my coat pocket and speed downstairs.
Rhiannon is standing in the kitchen, and, as usual, my heart does a little leap when I see her. With her chocolate-brown eyes and golden-blonde hair, she's easily the prettiest girl I've ever seen.
"You look beautiful," I say, blushing.
Rhiannon giggles a little. "Thank you."
My entire body shakes as I approach her. "You know, Rhiannon…" I stutter.
"What? Is something wrong?" She looks more than a little concerned.
"I just wanted to do this… I mean, with the reaping and all, I wouldn't want this to go undone."
Shaking, I get down on one knee. Rhiannon gasps and places her hands over her mouth. My heart rattles in my chest a million miles per hour.
I pull the ring out of my pocket. "Will you marry me?"
"Oh my god! Yes!" she says right away. My eyes well with tears as my lips form into a smile. But they're not sad tears. They're tears of joy. Emblems of the warm and fuzzy feeling I get inside when I look into her eyes, of the way her laughter makes me happy when the sky is grey.
"I love you, Erik," she says as I fit the ring onto her finger.
"I love you, Rhiannon," I say.
Her lips press against mine right away, almost like she's thought about doing this before.
District 7: Cerise Yew (15) Pov-
My friend Odelia thinks that she's a riot. Whenever she tells a joke, I let out a quiet laugh to be polite. I've never said anything bad to her face, because, well, Odelia really is a good friend. Here, she narrates the every move of District 7's escort, Harpsichord May.
"Look at the way she swings around when she walks! Like a duck!" Odelia whispers into my ear.
"Watch how she raises her eyebrows when she picks the name out of the reaping ball!"
"See how she mumbles as she unfolds the paper!"
"Cerise Yew!" Harpsichord announces.
Odelia starts making her next joke before it sets in. "Listen how she exaggerates the… oh. That's your name."
My first reaction is denial. This can't be happening. It's not possible. There are thousands of girls in District 7! I'm just dreaming. I'm going to wake up in my warm bed any second now. Once the denial wears off, terror sets in.
I melt out of the crowd and walk briskly to the stage. I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.
"How are you today, Cerise?" Harpsichord asks.
"Great," I lie. I expect her to bombard me with more pointless questions, but, luckily, she leaves it at that.
"Wonderful! Let's pick a lucky boy to join you, shall we?"
District 7: Erik Nordskov (18) Pov-
I catch Rhiannon's eye a ways away. She gives me the thumbs up and flashes me a reassuring smile. I turn back toward the stage and try not to get too nervous. What are the chances I'll be picked anyway?
"Erik Nordskov!" Harpsichord cries.
"Right here!" I shout, raising my hand.
Aw, rats! Aw, ratsratsratsratsrats!
"And how are you, Erik?" Harpsichord asks.
"Wonderful. Can't wait to go into the games," I reply quickly.
"That's the spirit of the games!" she says with a smile. "I give you the tributes of District 7!"
District 7: Cerise Yew (15) Pov-
"Make sure to be careful," Uncle Jon advises.
"Yep. I know I should be careful," I reply matter-of-factly.
"Get yourself some allies," he continues.
"Okay. I know I should be getting some allies."
Uncle Jon and Aunt Wren just stare at me like it's the first time they've seen me in ten years. An awkward silence hangs in the air. I try to think of something to say to break the silence, but every time I open my mouth to speak my tongue gets tied up and I can't say anything.
Odelia comes in afterward. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she still has the same playful smile plastered across her face.
"Funny." That's the only word she says at first.
"Excuse me?"
"Just act funny. You're funny. If the Capitol sees that, the sponsors will go crazy. Remember that they want compelling characters. Nothing's worse for your odds of winning than fading into the background."
A thought crosses my mind of the twenty-three other tributes being swarmed by Capitolites while I sit in a dark corner like I don't exist. And, frankly, that thought terrifies me.
District 7: Erik Nordskov (18) Pov-
Dad speeds into the Justice Building with Mom close behind him. It takes them a few seconds to catch their breaths before they start speaking.
"I think I speak for the both of us when I say we're really going to miss you when you're gone," Dad says, his voice full of affection.
"I'm going to miss you guys too," I say. "But don't worry. I'll be home before you know it."
My parents make their goodbyes short. I think they understand that I want some time alone with Rhiannon.
Rhiannon stumbles into the room sobbing loudly. Her cheeks are raw from crying.
I wrap my arms tightly around her. "There, there. Everything's going to be alright."
"But… what if… you could die…"
"Nobody said I was going to die," I say shortly. "Just don't plan our wedding too much while I'm gone. I want to have a say in some of it."
"Yes, our wedding," Rhiannon says quietly, seemingly lost in thought as she stares at her ring, and then at mine.
"I love you, Erik. And I know you can come home," Rhiannon says.
We lean in for the kiss.
Thank you to Sparky She-Demon for Erik and AnotherDawnLikeOurFlag for Cerise. Please tell me how I'm doing!
Question 1: How many pictures of her parents does Cerise have in her house?
Question 2: What color are Rhiannon's eyes?