The 74th Reaping
Jeanetty could feel something different in the air as she woke up the day of the Reaping. The 74th Games were going to be interesting. She readied herself and walked down the stairs, spotting Haymitch on the couch, dressed and drinking. "This year's gonna be interesting," he said standing as she swiped the last of his drink.
"You feel it too?"
"The biggest feeling of foreboding I've ever had." He embraced her and kissed her softly. "Stay close to me."
"We'll be fine. We always are." She rubbed his arm. "Let's go."
They walked through town, passing close to the Hall of Justice, and subsequent Reaping, when they heard it. "No! No! I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as Tribute!"
"What the hell is she thinking?!" Both of them turned to the square in shock. "Damn fool thing to do."
"Let's get to the train."
"Let's get a drink."
He quickly pulled her to the train. Once there he settled himself and a drink in their room. Jeanetty herself settled in 'her' chair next to the window in the dining car with her own drink. She curled her legs underneath her and stared out of it. She vaguely heard Effie arrive and introduce her, but was too lost to the trees. Unsure if she had been spoken to, she turned her head when Effie left.
"Have you two been here long?" She whispered loudly to the pair.
The boy nodded. "You're Jeanetty Hamstone, right?" She nodded once. "You screamed so loud you broke the last Tributes neck?"
"Lost my voice doing so." She rearranged herself on her chair so she was facing them. "So, you're the Baker's son?" The boy knodded in surprise. "I've seen the work on the cakes. That you?" He nodded again. "Good. Cover yourself up in mud, bits of bark, moss, leaves, you'd survive." She turned to the girl. "Your Edith's daughter." The girl continued to stare out the same window the Mentor herself had spent the last hour doing.
The boy turned to the girl. "You know, Katniss, she is our Mentor. She did win this thing once." The girl continued to stare out the window. "Look, you know, if you don't want to talk, I understand, but I just don't think there's anything wrong with getting a little help."
She finally turned to him as if realizing something was said to her. They held eachothers gaze for a moment before he broke it. When he did, the door to the dorm car opened and Haymitch stumble-walked in.
He sighed when he noticed them and then spoke semi-sarcastically. "Congradulations." he moved to the refreshments table and opened the ice box. He then turned to them again, holding the lid up. "Where's the ice?"
The boy shrugged. "I don't know."
Haymitch nodded before he drunkenly slammed the lid back down on the ice box and picked up one of the bottles. Jeanetty remembered her own drink, now warm from her hand and took a sip. "May I?" Haymitch gestured to 'his' open chair next to her, asking to sit. She waved her hand and he sat.
The boy eagerly sat forward in his chair. "Okay... So when do we start?"
"Whoa, so eager," Haymitch said parting his hair away from his face. "Most of you aren't in such a hurry."
The boy looked stupefied. "Yeah. I wanna know what the plan is. Your our Mentor. You're supposed to go..."
Haymitch took another sip of his drink and interrupted. "'Mentor'?"
"Yeah, our Mentor. You're supposed to tell us how to get sponsors and give us advice." the boy's tone was getting tight with anger and frustration as he spoke.
"Oh. Okay. Um..." The older man thought for a moment. "Embrace the probability of your emminent death. And know, in your heart, there's nothing we can do to save you."
"So, why are you here then?" The girl finally spoke.
Haymitch say back in his chair. "The refreshments," he said raising his glass to them.
"Okay, I think that's enough of that." The boy reached for the glass. Haymitch pushed him back into his own chair with his foot as Jeanetty swiped the glass from his hand to prevent spilling.
Haymitch sighed. "Almost made me spill my drink. These are brand new pants." The boy visibly gulped as Jeanetty handed her fellow Mentor his drink back. "You know, I think I'll go finish this in my room." He stood and left, taking a biscuit with him.
The boy was undetered. "He's gonna come around." He got up to follow his new Mentor.
"It's no use," the girl said, trying to dissuade him.
"I'm gonna go talk to him."
The girl looked around the room lost until she settled on the silent woman in front of her. "So, what now?"
"You get some rest. You've had a long and trying day. Get some sleep. We'll be arriving in the Capitol in the morning." Jeanetty stood up and cupped the girls face in her free hand. "That was a brave thing you did. Volunteering. We don't watch the Reapings, but we heard you on our way to the train. Who was it?"
The girl remained silent and Jeanetty sighed. As she approached the door to the dorm car, the girl spoke. "My sister. She's 12."
The woman looked to the girl. "Then she is well loved. Get some rest."
A/n: Hi! My grandfather passed away so I don't know if this got posted on time, yay, if not, I'm sorry. I tried. But my family is more important.