Goodbyes: Kaboom

District Three:

Valerie Reine's POV:

"I volunteer!"

My heart fell flat in my chest and time seemed to freeze. The pale redheaded boy who was halfway up the stage turned around as if he misheard something. Everyone seemed to search for the voice out of pure shock. Last year we had been astonished because someone had volunteered.

This year it was because we were worried about who was volunteering and, mainly, if they were going to end up being a psycho killer.

Ok, maybe that last part was something only I was fretting over.

A teenager who couldn't be much older than me stepped out of the crowd. His ash blonde hair bounced with each stride, but that was the only boyish thing about him. He walked with a purpose and his green eyes had sparks rebounding to and fro. His mouth was set in a firm line, while his brow was furrowed deeply. The Peacekeepers who were as numerous as flocks of birds descended on him. They stopped short, watching with beady and untrusting eyes.

All thoughts of tears were gone as the boy took the microphone from Markus and answered,

"My name is Copper La'sei."

Everyone was silent as Markus tried to milk the fact we had volunteers two years in a row. I found that I couldn't focus on him, only the boy standing beside me. His anger was palpable and it emitted off of him in waves. The entire situation frightened me.

Markus introduced us one last time to the audience as he glanced in our direction, almost signaling that we needed to shake hands. I turned my body towards him and stuck out my arm. He grabbed my hand, but when I looked into his eyes it was as if he was staring straight through me. Relief flooded my senses as I realized his mind was somewhere else entirely. His attention, and his anger, was not directed towards me at all. I couldn't help but take that as a sign of good luck.

The Peacekeepers were immediately upon us and escorted us towards the Justice Building. For almost eight months now District Three has been under intense scrutiny. It felt like the entire district was acting out and defying the Capitol at every turn. Buildings had been burned to the ground, products destroyed, and Peacekeepers beaten. Everyone was tired of being treated like rats and forced to live under such harsh conditions.

Everyone but me.

It wasn't that I thought our living conditions as a whole were great, because they weren't. I just didn't see how making our lives worse was supposed to help. At the end of the day, we were only hurting ourselves and for what? To get rid of the Hunger Games? To get away from the Capitol? Both were impossible. They went hand-in-hand and the Capitol was too powerful to ever get rid of. No, we were wasting our time and resources, but no one else saw it that way. Everyone else in the district was too hurt to be filled with anything else but rage and rebellion.

"Back off," a voice growled, cutting through my thoughts.

I blinked furiously, realizing I was in the Justice Building itself. We were currently in a cramped hallway, and Copper was glaring defiantly at a rather spiteful Peacekeeper.

"Watch what you say, filth," the man spat as he grabbed Copper by the shoulder.

Everything happened so fast. Copper shirked the man's hand off and elbowed him in the stomach. The Peacekeeper grunted, but grabbed Copper by the back of his neck and easily shoved him into the wall. I screeched in pain as several men bashed me around like a bouncy ball as they shoved past me. Several voices roughly yelled out orders, and the sound of a brawl echoed through the building. A softer voice yelled for them to break it up, but I couldn't see who it was as both of my arms were forced behind my back. I was shoved forward and the man practically dragged me down the hallway. He then opened a door and pushed me into the room. I caught myself by grabbing onto the back of a couch. He slammed the door closed and a lock clicked into place.

I didn't even try to comprehend what just happened. It was chaos, and I couldn't help but feel a quiet bitterness creep into my heart. If his little tantrum after he volunteered affected my final goodbyes I would never forgive him.

Not that he would want my forgiveness… He doesn't even know me… And we're in the Hunger Games.

Oh Panem, I'm going to be in the Hunger Games.

After this whirlwind of events, the situation at hand finally hit me. I was a fourteen year old girl who was going into a slaughter house. I was never going to be at home again. I moved to the front of the couch and fell onto it. This was something that I never thought would happen to me… No one I had ever personally known had been affected by the Hunger Games. It had always been this tool that the Capitol used to assert their power and help with overpopulation. Now that last purpose seemed flawed and baseless. Killing two children per year in a crowded district wouldn't ever help with population control in the scheme of things. It was just a made up reason to justify it; a reason that was stupid now that I was actually a part of them.

My life had always been simple and lackluster. My parents were both successful and traveled for work. My grandmother took care of my sister and me when they were away. I went to school, did my homework, and played piano. In fact, I had to add zest to my life with my friends. They were the only thing dramatic about it at all, and now our conversations and actions seemed dull in comparison to what I was facing.

The lock clicked out of place, and I bolted up. Both of my parents were shoved in as the door was slammed behind them. My mother appeared nervous while my father attempted to glare daggers through the wooden door.

"They're under a lot of stress," I explained, as if I needed to defend the Peacekeeper's harshness to my parents. "The other tribute lashed out at one of them."

"Everyone is lashing out these days," Mom sighed, "It's quite unnerving."

My parents both worked in sales. While most of the citizens worked in the endless factories and the remainder invented things, my parents took the inventor's ideas and products to different places. Whether that be a business in District Five, the Mayor's office in District Twelve, or the Capitol itself; they travelled wherever a potential buyer lived. It was a satisfying job and it paid very well compared to many jobs in this district, but it meant they weren't around as much as I wished they were. It also meant that they were blind to the severity of what was happening here. District Three was trying to start a revolution, and they were leaving their children in the thick of it.

"Your grandmother is with Lousia," Dad explained, "She's quite upset."

Of course Lousia would hog the attention of the one person I wished to see more than anyone else.

"She sent us since you had breakfast with her and your sister this morning," Mom smiled as she walked over to me. "She thought you would want to see us-"

She cut herself off as she enveloped me in a hug. She caught herself, but I already could finish the sentence mentally.

-one last time.

If growing up in the 'brainy' district had taught me anything, it was this: to be a realist. My odds of returning weren't great… In fact, they were horrible. Everyone wrote District Three tributes off as bloodbaths because they were usually frail and weak from malnutrition. Although most people here were smart, that didn't stop a spear from skewering you. If one of our tributes made it past the bloodbath, they sometimes made it pretty far… That is, if they weren't in an arena that involved nature. Growing up in a place where not a single speck of green was in sight put you at a huge disadvantage when it came to survival in the wild.

Now plug me into the equation. I wasn't a certified genius, I knew nothing about nature, and I hadn't truly worked a day in my life. Sure, I wasn't underfed because of my parents, and I was a big girl for my age, but that didn't mean anything when you compared me to one of the Careers. I was worse than a Bloodbath tribute…

I was one who didn't have a chance regardless of when I died.

All of these facts and thoughts hitting me at once finally broke me. I couldn't stop the frightened sob that vibrated into my mom's shoulder. Once the first one hit, another followed. Soon, sob after sob fought its way out as my mom held me and my dad rubbed my back lightly. After some time, I finally managed to pull myself together. As I leaned back, I saw tears in both my parents' eyes. Under any other circumstance that would have sent me into another tizzy. Right now I was still in shock. Everything was changing so fast and no more tears would come. All I could do was try to keep up with my mind as it bounced from thought to thought.

I had to survive.

I couldn't survive.

I was so young.

I had never even been in love.

I loved my family…

That didn't count.

I had to… I had to…

"Valerie?" Dad asked as Peacekeepers walked in. I looked at him with confusion as concern lit both their eyes. I realized I was suddenly out of breath and I was shaking, but I managed to choke out,

"Did I say all that out loud?"

He nodded as my mom whispered, "We love you, Nana and Lousia included. We love you so much."

All I could do was audibly repeat that sentiment over and over again as they were forced to leave. I did love them with all my heart, and I wanted them to know it. I continued to mumble it to myself until the door opened once again. This time two of my best friends, Alivie and Tara, walked in. I exclaimed the phrase one, final time as they shuffled towards me,

"I love you."

Tara broke as soon as those words were uttered. Always one for the melodramatics, she flung her entire body into my embrace. This time, I didn't mind. If there was anything to lose your composure over, it was this. Alivie stood behind her, trembling slightly, as she held several pieces of paper. I automatically recognized them, the memory coming on so strong it felt like only moments ago. In one of our attempts to keep our lives interesting, we pretended that one of us had gotten reaped. As the game continued, soon all five of us had taken our turns. As we moaned and cried over our fake Reapings, we decided to write a letter entailing what we would say to the reaped friend. I knew Alivie had kept them all, but those silly letters never came to mind until they were right in front of me.

I disentangled myself from Tara's embrace and hugged Alivie. We sat down and poured over the letters. I laughed as Emma retold the story of how we almost burned down her house once. I cried as Kiara lamented about how much she would miss me. I read over each note repeatedly; memorizing them letter by letter and word for word. I wanted all these memories ingrained into my mind. I never wanted to forget them for as long as I had to live.

I wanted to give myself every single thing possible to fight for.

When the Peacekeepers came in, Alivie stood up quickly. She reached behind her neck and unclipped her favorite necklace. She effortlessly wrapped it around my neck and clicked the clasp into place. The owl dangled loosely around my sternum, staring up at me coldly.

I hugged them both desperately before they were led away. Once I was alone, I tried to pull myself together. I felt myself jumping from side to side. One moment I was tough, and the next I was a mess. I was being pulled by two overpowering forces; the first was telling me to break and the other wanted me to fight. The seams were being ripped apart, and I had no idea what to choose. I had so much to struggle for, but it was an uphill battle.

A battle I didn't think I could win.

As I struggled with my inner self, someone quietly entered the room. It wasn't until he was seated directly beside me that I noticed him. I jumped slightly, but immediately calmed down once I saw the kind face smiling at me. Tiner was an older victor. I didn't know much about him except that he won his games on his intelligence and wit. Besides that, he had always seemed to be a quiet and kind elderly man.

"I didn't mean to startle you," he smiled. "I understand why you might be tense."

When I didn't respond, he spoke softly, "I know you're scared. I was in your shoes once too."

I nodded, still not sure how to reply.

"What do you want from me?"

"Huh?"

"I've found over the years this is the easiest question to ask the people I mentor. Some want my advice and strategies; others just want someone to listen to them. Sometimes they want nothing from me but to leave them alone. What do you want?"

I pondered his question as the silence settled. It became glaringly obvious that he wasn't going to speak until I answered him. I had never been one to deal well with silence when others were around. I always found it excruciatingly awkward, knowing that everyone was thinking something but no one was telling the others their thoughts. The longer it went on, the more unbearable it became.

So I babbled. Like a flood, all of my thoughts cascaded out of my mouth. I talked about my family one sentence, my fears the next. I skipped between my friends, my hobbies, and my ambitions. At one point I even mentioned something about the décor of the room. I didn't quite catch what I said because by the time it was coming out of my mouth I was already thinking of the next thing to say. Anything to keep the silence from seeping in and drowning me.

"All that is very nice," Tiner interrupted politely, "But what do you want me to do?"

I felt like this was something he should just know. It was his job to support us. Why did he need my permission or command?

However, in the attempt to avoid any prolonged silence, the truth came out,

"I want you to bring me home."

He smiled sadly as he squeezed my shoulder, "I can't ensure that, but I can try to prepare you to do that."

"Then prepare me," I replied, suddenly feeling the fighting side yank me closer to it, "I don't want to go down without trying. All I want is a shot."

"It looks like we have a deal," he grinned as he shook my hand.

Before I could even smirk back, a thunderous roar surrounded us. Everything shook and I found my cowardly side winning once again. I wanted to curl up in ball, vanishing from existence, as I screeched in fright.

Kaboom

Copper La'sei's POV:

"I volunteer," I yelled out with conviction.

Before I began to walk towards the stage, I masked my expression as best as I could. I had learned over the years I wasn't good at keeping my face a blank slate. Emotion always found a way to creep into my expressions. Instead, I scowled and tried to make myself seem as angry as possible. It wasn't all that difficult. There were many things to be angry at in this district.

I didn't know the boy who was reaped at all. As we passed by each other, I couldn't help but glance down at him. He was younger and seemed extremely thankful. I wondered if he had a family who were trying to grasp the fact that something that was stolen from them was almost immediately given back. I wondered if his parents' hearts broke, but were now magically mended. All it took was two words.

Before our escort could make a huge deal, I grabbed the microphone and coldly said, "My name is Copper La'sei."

Whether it was the edge in my voice or the fact he enjoyed the limelight, he decided not to engage me any further. He talked to the audience, but I ignored whatever he was going on about. I instead focused on my current situation. As we suspected, a volunteer immediately caught the Peacekeepers' attention. They were lining the stage, and I could see more were pouring out of alleys. With all the riots and acts of defiance going on, they were afraid this was just another trick. I bet they suspected I only volunteered so that I could attempt to escape on live television. It wouldn't have been a horrible idea; showing all of Panem a live act of disobedience. Still, all of us knew the Peacekeepers would be ready for that.

They were ready for anything.

A small motion caught my eye, and I saw my district partner extending her hand. I grabbed it lightly, shaking it as I watched for Sammy. In their uniforms, all of them looked the same. I couldn't make out which one was him. This was both a good and a bad thing. On the positive, it hopefully meant none of the other Peacekeepers would notice either. They would be so wrapped up in making sure today went by without a hitch that they wouldn't observe the new face. Ever since a group of rebels burned down a factory, the Peacekeepers had become far more strict and efficient. They set up blockades everywhere. If you wanted to get by, you had to go through a thorough search as well as surrendering the information of not only where you were going, but why and for approximately how long. These stations were everywhere, especially by important places such as the town square, the Justice Building, and the train station. These barricades had limited what we could do, and our acts of rebellion had slowly dwindled.

Until today.

As we were led towards the Justice Building, I took in my district partner for the first time. I hadn't ever seen her before, which meant she was a part of the small group of people in District Three who weren't trying to rebel. If I had ever have seen her during any of our acts or meetings, I would have remembered her. She was bigger than me and obviously well-fed. If we ever got into a fight, I had no doubt she could take me down. However, her entire stance seemed unconfident. Her feet scuffed across the ground, and her thoughts were obviously far away. She seemed quiet and, if she stayed that way, we would get along nicely.

As we entered the Justice Building, I finally began to get nervous. Where was Sammy? We had finally gotten past every obstacle, and I needed him here now. As if answering my prayers, I felt a heavy baton poke into my back. I stumbled forward and glanced behind me to see Sammy's familiar face hidden underneath the shadow of his cap and a mask of disgust.

"Back off," I barked as I scowled at him.

"Watch what you say, filth," Sammy snarled as he roughly grabbed my shoulder.

I took this as a signal. I rolled my shoulder and elbowed him in the gut. He groaned, but a solid pressure encircled my neck as well. I braced myself for the pain as he slammed my face into the wall. I groaned as I heard a crack. Sammy's tall frame was pressed against my entire body as his hands searched. I knew we only had seconds before the others separated us. He found what he was looking for and swiftly took it. His presence was suddenly gone, but was replaced by the fists of several others. I felt their batons and hands beat into me as they yelled orders frantically. After several hits, I was on the ground. As I gasped for air, a voice yelled,

"Break it up!"

Steel toed boots kicked my side several more times for good measure before they backed off. A softer hand grabbed my arm and helped me up. I looked around, trying to find Sammy. He had vanished in the sea of faces.

Perfect.

The Victor, Tiner, led me through the crowd of Peacekeepers before stopping at a door. He took one look at me before calling out, "Fetch me a first aid kit."

When no one moved, he yelled out assertively, "Now!"

Several of them scattered before Tiner shut the door behind us. He placed me on the couch, and I shifted to a better sitting position. Blood was gushing down my face, and Tiner handed me a handkerchief. I pressed it against my nose lightly, hissing at the pain. He unbuttoned my shirt and pressed against different places. When I didn't react, he sighed,

"You're lucky. It looks like nothings broken, except for your nose. The Capitol will fix that right up before the Chariot Rides, thankfully."

The door opened and someone tossed a kit at Tiner. He caught it clumsily before opening it shakily. He picked out some cotton and began to attend to my nose.

"What happened out there?"

I shrugged, looking away as I replied, "Everyone has a different side of things. Ask the Peacekeepers and see what they have to say."

"I asked you."

When it became obvious he would wait for days for an answer, I begrudgingly lied, "One of them was getting a little too rough with me. One thing led to another, and it turned into a complete brawl."

He searched my face with a scrutinized expression. I tried to appear calm, although my heart was beating so firmly I thought for sure he could feel it. Instead of saying anything, he finished working on my nose. After several minutes, he applied a bandage and leaned back.

"Why are you even here?" I asked.

"Mentors now meet with their tributes at the end of their goodbyes. Since there is only one of me, I had to meet with one of you at the beginning. You made the task of choosing far too easy."

"Glad I could be assistance."

I attempted to feign boredom as he asked, "Are you going to keep giving me attitude, or are you going to tell me why you volunteered?"

"Ask every teacher I ever had, and I think you'll find out the answer to your question," I smirked as I forced myself to my feet.

He sighed audibly before saying, "I can't help you unless you let me."

"Good thing I'm not looking for your help."

I expected him to argue with me further or continue to pry. Instead, he was on his feet as well. When I glanced at him, he was no longer looking at me. His gaze was fixated on the door. He marched towards it and turned the knob. Before leaving, he said one last thing,

"If you change your mind, you'll know where to find me."

Once he was gone, I wasn't sure whether to feel thankful or be confused. I was happy knowing he wouldn't keep pushing me to explain everything to him, but I felt cheated. After today, I would have no one. What if… What if I needed him?

I pushed the thought aside. There was a reason why I refused to think of my life past today. My future was bleak, at best. Making sure today was a success had been, and was, my only goal. If that happened, I would be satisfied regardless of what happened.

Someone knocked on the door. When I spun around, it was my sister who entered. Coil stood tall and proud as she marched in. She looked pissed, and I knew why. I didn't tell my older sister what I was doing because I knew she would never approve.

"Are you going to ask why?" I questioned, speaking freely. I doubted the Capitol would bug this room. Why would they ever want to have sappy goodbyes from weaklings recorded and eating up space in their precious storage?

"Oh I know why," she hissed, "There is only one reason you would ever volunteer. I just want to know what you are up to."

I couldn't help but smile at my fiery sister. Although we had grown apart in the past couple of years, she was the only family I truly had. My childhood was troubled, at best. The only other family I had ever known besides my sister was my mother. My memories consisted of her passed out on the couch or just not being home. When I was little, I thought she was out working… However, once I was older I put two and two together. My sister, being six years older, dropped out of school to work in the factories. She was the one who brought me home food. She was the one who got me clothes. She was the one who took me to school every day. My 'mom' was never able to do any of that, thanks to her morphling addiction.

When I was nine, one day she never came home. We were used to her disappearing for days, but when weeks passed by we both knew we were on our own.

It wasn't like it was a new concept.

After she left, money became easier believe it or not. No longer did it constantly disappear. Sadly, I still didn't make it easy for Coil. I was constantly getting into arguments with teachers as well as picking fights with any bullies at school. I never had a problem standing up for myself… Even when the younger version of me was in the wrong.

My anger problems eventually led to me being kicked out of school at thirteen. Instead of yelling at me, Coil managed to get me a job in the factory she worked in. The one year I worked there was the bleakest of my life. I longed to be back in school and wished I had learned just to cover up my emotions and keep my mouth shut. I worked long, hopeless hours for next to nothing. I had no idea how Coil had done it all those years.

Then the rebellion started.

When they first acted out a year ago, they gave me hope. They awakened something in me that I didn't even know existed. For the first time ever, I thought there could be a chance to break away from this dim life. I didn't have to spend my life living like the trash in the sewers. If we could get rid of this oppression, everyone's lives could be better…

Including my sister's.

"Do you really want to trouble yourself with that knowledge?" I asked.

My sister wanted to help improve other's lives too, but in a very different fashion. Instead of acting out against the harshness of this district, she embraced it. Now that she had worked up her way up to a higher position, she used any extra money to help children in rough circumstances. I once asked her why, and she told me it was something she always planned to do. It was a dream of hers and one of her friends, Taylor, before she was reaped for the Hunger Games. She told me she did it to help others, honor her memory, and soothe the pain that surrounded us. I personally saw it as only a temporary fix for a bigger problem.

I wanted to get rid of Coil's pain for a lifetime.

"I want to know what's so important that means my little brother has to give up his life."

My heart jumped a little before I had to look away from her concerned and livid face. I turned towards the window and whispered, "Fine. We came up with a plan."

"We did?"

"Yes. No one would think to search the tributes during the hustle and bustle of the Reaping, especially when one of them volunteered. Once we made it past the security and made enough of a spectacle to attract most of them, it would be all too easy to slip a stand-by person the package."

"And what was this package?" Coil hissed as she walked to my side.

I glanced at the clock and grabbed her arm, "I'd suggest stepping away from the window."

"Huh?"

I pulled us by the table and hit the floor. I shuffled myself under the table and she did the same. We waited there for several minutes before she said, "What are we doing?"

She made a move to get out, but then it happened. An explosion rattled the room, and I heard glass shatter. Coil screamed in surprise, but a smile spread slowly across my face. Everything shook for a couple seconds before we were left with complete stillness. Footsteps ran down the hallway, and I could hear the jeers and cheers of people outside. I scrambled out from under the table and looked out the window excitedly. Flames engulfed the nearby train station. The empty train cars sat in smithereens and the rails surrounding them split off into jagged edges.

"A bomb," she hissed, "You strapped a bomb to your body and smuggled it past the Peacekeepers?"

"To one, actually," I grinned, "A fake one."

"Are you insane!"

"Let's see how the Capitol reacts when the tributes from District Three arrive late by hovercraft instead of by train. How are they going to explain that one away?"

"Are you forgetting you are one of those tributes?"

Her question hit that same raw nerve as I heard the doors in the hallway being pounded open one by one.

"It doesn't matter," I exclaimed, "We did something today! Something you can't just make up an excuse for and hide!"

"Congratulations," she yelled sarcastically, "Now they get to plan their next stupid stunt while you are forced into a death pit!"

I shook my head, "I'll… I'll do something else in there too. I'll prove a point that-"

"What! What the hell are you going to do to prove a point? Kill the kids from the Capitol? Skewer a Career? Walk of the plate before the games even start? What exactly are you going to do that will change a single thing!"

Her words hit like bullets. Each sentence sank deeper and deeper, furthering the internal bleeding. She didn't understand. She couldn't see the bigger picture… A picture that dictated freedom instead of captivity. I wanted her to know that I was doing this to improve her life. In all honesty, I didn't care about anyone else but us. If I couldn't be free than I'd rather be dead… But if my death could make anything better for her then it was worth it. I wanted to explain it to her, but it was too late.

The door was thrown open and the Peacekeepers roughly grabbed Coil. Several more pushed past her and grabbed me as well.

"We got him! Both tributes secure!"

They ushered us out of the room, and we were jerked down opposite ways of the corridor. Just like our lives, we were now being forcibly split down the middle; never to see the other again. This was where we finally went separate ways… Unless I won. As they escorted both me away, I couldn't help but feel frightened for the first time. We succeeded, but Coil was right… Now what? What was I supposed to do?

It felt like everything was imploding. Just like the train, my insides were being destroyed with a single kaboom.

Another batch of lovely tributes :D I'm sorry if this isn't up to snuff, I move into my dorm tomorrow so this week has been very, very hectic. I would like to give you all a heads up. Since I'm starting college tomorrow and classes next week, I might get a little behind on updates at first. Who knows, maybe I'll have even more spare time but since I've never done this before and literally my entire life is changing; I'm going to assume this will affect my time to write. However, I will still be aiming to update once a week for now, although it could change to every other week if things get too crazy.

As always, though, I appreciate you reading and would love to read your thoughts in a review!

I'll (hopefully) see you next week,

Europa