Chapter Two
After finishing our apples and making sure we were all ready to go, which included waiting for Astor to run back for his hat we had finally gotten to work. Peony and Penny both took after me with Harvesting jobs while Astor was a Farm Hand so we had to part ways while he went to the Torsten Farm and the girls and I went to the orchards.
Sometimes I would be on field duty but with today being the Reaping the Capitol issued a rule that decided not to have anyone working with the scythes. After all, people tend to get a little antsy on day when their children could be ripped away from them just from the call of their names. So instead i'm in the orchard with Peony and Penny.
Of course they separate us by skill level for the harder areas. And since i'm the best harvester -not kidding, I smoke all these guys- I was put with my usual partner in crime near the middle of the orchard where the trees get really snarly and dense.
Nyssa Oswin is the same age as me, but thats where the similarities end. Where I have three siblings she has none. Where i'm an orphan, her dad is still alive, and in charge of the sorting mill. She is also the funniest girl I know. Where i'm good in a tense situation, able to lift the mood and get people rolling again, Nyssa is the one who keeps them going all day.
Her style matches her personality a lot. She thought her charcoal black hair was too annoying drooping into her face or getting caught in the trees so she cut it of. Now it's choppy and super short against her scalp. I tried to style it for her after she did it but she didn't leave me much to work with. She has large almond brown eyes which stand out against her dark skin. She is very beautiful when you look past the unflattering boys clothes, because for some reason she refuses to get girls clothing, and her blunt personality.
Like me she's pretty athletic from working in the fields and climbing the trees. When the Peacekeepers aren't looking we have races to see who can get through the trees fastest. I'm usually the winner, having had more experience with the work. Nyssa had started out in the Gardens. A job that her father had managed to get her so she wouldn't have to work as hard as the rest of us. Suffice it to say, she did not like it one bit. So she applied to be a Harvester.
I knock down another apple from the tree with the slingshot and Nyssa runs with the basket to catch it before it hits the ground. This is what we normally do when we don't want to work as hard. On Reaping day they usually let you half-ass things as long as you're still working. I line up another shot and release dropping two in one. I smile at the shot but that queasy feeling comes back in my stomach making me falter. My next shot goes wide hitting the tree and Nyssa immediately looks to me.
"Did you just miss?" She says it like it's a curse word, and honestly it feels like it should be. I never miss. I scowl at the mark that the rock made in the tree and reflexively rub at my shoulder.
"It's just my shoulder." I lie to her. I don't want to bother her with my imaginary dark cloud of doom. Instead I shake it off and hit down another apple.
"Well good. The last thing I need is you going soft on me." She says racing to catch another apple. "Because that would mean, we would actually have to climb trees to get the apples." She barely gets another one because of it's distance and she glares at me. I hit a weak branch right above her and she ducks holding the basket above her head as seven apples rain down.
"And this is so much more effective right?" I ask her cheekily and she straightens again still looking annoyed with me.
"Jerk." She calls out and I laugh. She walks over to me with the full basket in her hands and i'm tempted to take one right now to munch on. But it one of the Peacekeepers sees me it won't end well. They're big on punishments for looting. Which is why I was so hard on Aster this morning.
"Think this is enough for their fancy summerwine that Bianca's always going on about?" She asks tilting the basket so I can see all their ruby skins. I shake my head.
"I think they make it out of grapes. Not apples. Apples are for cider." I say and she shrugs.
"Doesn't matter. Never gonna taste it anyway." She says as we start to walk back to the cart. I look up at the bright blue sky and turn my head.
"But isn't it interesting though?" I ask her. "I mean why do they call it summerwine? Shouldn't it just taste like grapes? I mean there's that whole process with the alcohol… fermentation." I start remembering the word that Bianca used. Nyssa is giving me a weird look but I ignore it.
"I wonder if it really does taste like Summer!" I smile widely thinking that and Nyssa laughs.
"Summer doesn't have a taste weirdo. My dad says that wine tastes kinda fruity with a bitter aftertaste." She say and I scrunch up my nose.
"Really?" I ask not liking the sound of that at all.
"Yeah, and it's supposed to make you really loopy. Like if you drink too much of it you can black out and not remember what you did the whole night." I purse my lips.
"Well i'd just like to try it. Just once you know. To have a first hand experience. If I only have a sip I wouldn't get loopy right?" I ask and she shrugs.
"I don't know. Depends on how strong the alcohol content is." She muses and I laugh remembering something.
"Like that moonshine you got from the Hob? How many boys did you kiss that night?" I ask her and she rolls her eyes.
"I don't remember. I have never been able to recall. I'm starting to think that you and Bianca drugged me and are just making up events that didn't happen." She says and I laugh more.
A buzzing bell plays from the direction of town and I recognize it as the signal for shifts over. It only rings this early on Reaping days or during demonstrations. We get to the cart and I see Peony and Penny standing with a group of small children. A young boy in the middle seem to be crying and I share a look with Nyssa.
"It's my first reaping day too." I hear a small voice pipe up in the crowd and we hang back as Penny talks to the kid.
"And I was scared too, but my sister told me that it's totally impossible for you to get chosen. Just think of all the other names in the bowl. You have only one. But the other boys will have tons." A little bit of an over embellishment. I said it's unlikely not impossible. 12 year olds get picked all the time. But I should probably keep this to myself in the situation.
"Really?" He asks, his eyes drying looking at her in hope. I smile proudly coming up and looping an around Penny's shoulders.
"Absolutely." I say beaming at him and he smiles back, a little red in the face. Probably embarrassed about being caught crying by bigger kids. They are so cute at that age!
"If you want something to distract you during the presentation, just imagine the announcer tripping on her high heels. Works for me." I tell them wisely and a round of giggle erupts, especially from the younger ones.
"Yeah, and then falling into a puddle making her makeup run down her face like a clown." Nyssa adds in jovially and they starts to giggle more. Nyssa drops the basket onto the cart and stands by me.
"Let hurry up. Your parents will be getting worried if you don't get back in time." She says leading the kids down the road. I smile and wrap my other arm around Peony.
"We should probably hurry because…" I pause for dramatic effect. "Last one home has to clean the tub!" I sprint in front of them listening as Peony tries to catch up and Penny yells about fairness. This is a race! Theres no such thing as fairness.
Although somehow by the time we get to our house i'm carrying Penny on my back while Peony opens the door for us. We're all sweaty and panting in the noonday heat that creeped up on us on the road. Penny slides off my back and I bend over putting my hands on my knees.
"You are getting way too big for piggyback rides." I pause standing up again. "What a depressing sentence." I say to myself and see Peony roll her eyes. I smile at her but then waver looking around the main room but not seeing Az. He hadn't joined us on the walk home.
"Az? I call out. Nothing for a few seconds before the door to the bathroom opens and he steps out.
"Yeah?" He asks casually stuffing his hands in the pockets of his black slacks. His hair, freshly washed and combed, is parted on the left side. He's managed to tame his dark chocolate brown waves so that they are relatively smooth, but I already know they'll be messy again in 20 minutes. His skin, which hasn't been seen clearly for a while, under all the dirt and grime he accumulates on a daily basis, is scrubbed clean, and he has a tan, with freckles across his nose. He had managed to get his white dress shirt clean in time but I can tell it's still damp in some places.
"Well loving sisters?" He stresses the "loving" and I swear we all roll our eyes simultaneously.
"Congrats. You're a man child!" I tell him giving him two thumbs up and his ego deflates a little. Peony mutters something about 'hoping she doesn't have that many freckles' before asking if the bath is free. Astor waves her in and she stops to bump him showing her approval. Penny, as usual, is the only one to give him a real compliment.
"I think you look handsome Az." She says with a smile. He ruffles her hair. Our emotionally constipated way of saying thanks, before going to sit down and relax on his bed. Already wrinkling his outfit.
"How'd you beat us here? Farm is at least twice as long away as the orchard." I ask him sitting on my own bed and chucking off my boots.
"Old Man Torsten let us go early. Something about wishing each one of us lazy idjits could be picked for the reaping and get out of his life." He says it with the thick southern drawl that the old man speaks with making Penny and I laugh. I motion Penny over to me and whisper a task in her ear. When she pulls away she nods excitedly and rushes out the back door.
"What's up?" Astor asks me, already realizing I want to talk to him. Damn telepathy again. I sigh crossing my legs and leaning against the wall.
"I know you're smart Az. You always have been. And you're fast and light fingered. I get that." He raises his eyes telling me to get to the point.
"Just promise me you're being careful. You need to be careful. Remember what happened the last time you messed up?" I hate bringing it up but i'm trying to stress the situation. I don't miss how both of us are now massaging our shoulders. As my fingers move over the rough skin that phantom pain starts through my muscle and I wince.
"I know Rosie. I'm sorry." I look down at his voice as it breaks. My brother only calls me Rosie when he wants something really bad from me, or if he's being sincere. And with the amount of times he's apologized to me since I got the stupid scars I just know that he's never going to stop blaming himself for what happened. He'll never think he's said sorry enough.
"I know." It's like two rehearsed lines. "I'm sorry." "I know." I just wish he'd stop already. I don't blame him. I never did. What happened was my choice. I needed to save him, it didn't matter what the price was.
The bathroom door opens up and Peony walks out wrapped in a towel and goes into her room to change. I stand moving to go to the bathroom but stop at Astor's voice.
"I promise." He says quietly but I hear it. And just like that, the feeling in my stomach lessens.
As I drop into the bath water I sigh feeling all my muscles relax. The water isn't very warm but it's as hot as I could make it which is good enough for me. I take care scrubbing at the dirt on my arms so as to not open up the tiny scars on my arms from racing through the trees, and my early years of handling scythes.
As I work the small bar of soap through my hair, untangling the dark chocolate strands, turning black in the water a sense of calm washes over me. The calm before the storm. I can't help thinking to myself and I frown. Making sure that Astor would be careful didn't solve the problem. The knot in my stomach is smaller but still there.
I groan in frustration submerging myself in the water and watching as my breath bubbles up. I hold out as long as I can before needing air and bobbing back to the surface. Well. Bath is ruined. I growl at my stupid worrying mind before standing and stepping out of the tub. I wrap myself in a towel before exiting the room and walking into my sister's bedroom.
Seeing me enter Penny hops off of her bed and goes to the bathroom herself. I feel a little guilty going before her but push it aside in favor of seeing if she did as I asked. Peony is sitting on her bed back in her pajamas instead of putting on her dress yet. Her eyes closed and resting.
On Penny's bed, in a wooden bowl, is a pile of the wildflowers that grow in the backyard. Pink, purple, blue, yellow. She made sure to get the stems just long enough for what I need. I smile and pick up a purple one before walking over to Peony and twirling it on the tip of her nose. She scrunches her nose up in confusion before opening her eyes to see what it is. Instead of getting mad at me like normal when I wake her up she smile and takes the flower from me.
"Get your dress on. If I start now i'll have time to do yours and then you can do mine while I do Penny'." It started out as a trick my mom would do with me. Peony wasn't old enough to remember and Penny wasn't born yet.
She would take a flower put it in her hand then make it disappear, like magic. I thought it was magic when I was a kid. And then after we couldn't find it she would reach behind my ear and there it would be. Then she'd tuck it into my hair. I still remember how it felt when she'd kiss my head and tell my she'd love me right after. My mom was amazing.
Later she would make daisy chains for me or weave flowers into my hair since we couldn't afford the fancy hair clips that i'd see the richer girls at school wear. And when she died I figured out her trick. So I would do it with Peony and Penny all the time. It always brought a smile to dad's face when he saw it. It still mystifies Penny but Peony figured it out a few years ago.
After Penny got out of the bath she couldn't get into her dress fast enough. She kept twirling in the room and I had to hold her still in order to do her hair. I brush it back before braiding it with pink flowers and twisting it into a bun. Peony had wanted a side braid so I made her a crown of purple and blue flowers.
Peony had done my hair by pulling the fronts back into two small braid before tying them together and placing small yellow petalled flowers in the braids. Then she let the rest of my hair fall down my back in it's natural soft curls.
The dress I had taken from mom's trunk was perfect. It's knee-length a soft faded sunny yellow with three quarter sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. There is some white floral design work on the edges. I slip on the soft white flats and leave the room closely followed by Peony and Penny. Astor is still on his bed and I can hear that his breathing is heavy meaning he fell asleep. I roll my eyes and shake him awake.
"Are you crazy? You can't sleep we're gonna be late." I tell him sternly and he scowls at me rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"Sorry your highness. You guys took forever." He yawns standing and shoving his feet into his black dress shoes.
"Nevermind that. Let's get going." I say pushing him in front of me. The last thing we need is to be late for the Reaping. We aren't too far from the town square and there are lot's of people walking the same way as us. Parents with death drips on the hands of their kids. Children trying not to panic or cry as they get closer to the town hall.
Penny grabs onto my hand tightly and I squeeze hers back. I'll admit it. Even i'm a little nervous right now. There are butterflies fluttering in my stomach and not in the good way. I can see the top of the gate to the Victor's Village in the distance. We only have two residents in ours now. Theres Ophelia Marple. After winning the 87th Hunger Games she became a shut in. She hasn't left her house since getting back supposedly except to come to these Reapings. But that's only because if she didn't she'd be shot. I think walking by a couple Peacekeepers. They're like ants swarming over honey right now.
Then there is Dorn Banner. He won five years ago in the 94th Hunger Games. He killed his last opponent with a jagged piece of glass, stabbing him through the eye. Messed up his own hand in the process. Even the fancy doctors in the Capitol couldn't fix it. I've seen him around town sometimes. He never says anything or even acknowledges anyone's presence. The last five tributes from our district were trained by him. None of them made it. One did come sort of close but then he was pushed off of a cliff. Not a fun way to go.
Peony interlocks her arm with mine suddenly and I look at her in concern to see her staring apprehensively at a group of Peacekeepers. Or now that I notice him, just one in particular. He is smiling smugly at us the visor on his helmet up to see us better. I shudder under his gaze. I've never been more repulsed by a person in my life.
His name is Dorian Novak. And he's the man who gave me my scars. Ever since that day he's always watching me. I hate walking alone now. Not because i'm afraid of him, but because he is the creepiest creep on the planet. And it's like he knows it too, and enjoys it.
I look away from him, wanting more than ever in my life to get into one of those stupid pens with the rest of my age group. The way he leers at me is vomit inducing. And i've had to stop Nyssa more than once from trying something against him. Astor's not his biggest fan either. I bump him with my shoulder to get his attention off of the sneering Peacekeeper and his glare reluctantly lets up.
"There's nothing you can do Az." I whisper and his fists clench but he nods in understanding. Az goes to his line and Peony goes to hers with quick farewells and good lucks. Penny still hasn't let go of my hand. I kneel down to her level and give her a hug. She wraps her arms around my in a vice-like grip.
"Hey. Nothing to worry about remember? It's just a small prick. Doesn't even hurt that much. Then you stand with your age group and we'll all meet up and go back home after okay?" I tell her with confidence nodding and she nods with me.
"Love you Penny." I say then kiss her head. She smiles, gives me one last hug, and turn going for the line that some of her friends are in. I sigh standing and turn around only to come face to face with Dorian. His helmet is off and hanging on his hip. I jump a little but otherwise don't let myself show any fear.
"Sorry to startle you Rosie." He says placing his hands gently on my shoulders as if to settle me even though i'm standing perfectly still. I hate the fact that he's touching me. It makes my skin crawl and it's all I can do not to turn and run as fast as I can in the other direction. Then there is how he says my name. Rosie. Astor is the only one who ever calls me that. It's what Astor called out to me when I started screaming from the pain. Since then thats all Dorian ever calls me. Rosie. Like he's taunting me.
"I'm fine. Thank you." I say short and clipped. I chance a look to see if there is anyone by who could give me a valid excuse to get away from him but people seem to be averting their gazes. I can't say I blame them.
"You're shaking." He says, his voice coming out slimy as he trails a finger down my arm. He's touching my skin now, not the dress and I swear i'm going to break out in hives from him touching me. "Are you nervous about the Reaping?" He asks, pretending to care.
"Not at all. I was just about to sign in." I tell him looking towards the desks where the other Peacekeepers are pricking the eligible kids fingers with needles and placing their blood on white ident cards. I would let them stab me a thousand times if I could get away from Dorian.
He moved closer to me when I turned my head and I freeze while his breath hits me ear. Oh dear God… Is he smelling me? I try my damndest not to gag. He gives a deep sigh and a wide smile plays on his face. Sinister looking.
"I love your scent. It's a mix of apples and… honey." He informs me and I smile strained.
"Thank you. I really should sign in." I try to pull away but his hand around my wrist stops me.
"Oh! There you are!" A loud yet delicate voice sounds behind me and I feel like crying in relief. I turn to see none other than Bianca Kinross. Daughter of the Mayor of District 11 and the only girl with enough power to make a Peacekeeper shove off. With her bouncing blonde curls and baby blue eyes she is the picture of simpering innocence.
"Nyssa and I have been looking all over for you! She said you must have got here hours ago but I knew that she was wrong. Like usual huh? Oh of course you agree with me! I am always right!" She saunters up next to be just jabbering away and the only thought going through my head is, I could kiss you! But I fend off that emotion. In one quick dismissive motion she turns to Dorian with a bored look on her face.
"Don't you have somewhere to be?" She asks curtly and Dorian lets go of my wrist and nods his head in submission to Bianca before giving me one last look before marching away. I almost faint on the spot which is what Bianca would call a superb dramatic ending but her voice brings be back to earth again.
"Are you alright? I would've gotten here sooner but Lyle was being coy with me and you know how distracting he can get! Oh! But the way he was manhandling you! I oughta give daddy his ident number and have him sent to some other district, like 12." That's what I love about Bianca. She can turn any situation around with a snap of her fingers. Like how distracting Lyle is -even though I have no idea who she's talking about, probably her new flavour of the week- or her disdain for District 12. "They're always so dirty!" "And their mining outfits are horrendous!"
"Thank you." I tell her breathlessly as she keeps us walking up the line towards the desk. She blushes taking it out of proportion as usual.
"Oh! You're welcome Ro! Of course it was no trouble. Just little ol me helpin' out my bestie! I'd do anything for you! You know that don't cha?" She asks her eyes wide and expecting. I grin at her.
"Of course Bee. Same for me to you." I tell her and she giggles, her laughter bubbly. Which turns a few heads our direction seeing as laughter is not something that happens today. I blush at the stares remembering one of Bianca's downsides. Attention. She's like a magnet for attention. She just loves being in the spotlight and anyone thats with her gets dragged into it as well.
I barely notice when the Peacekeeper takes my hand pricks it and presses it onto the paper. Doing the same to Bianca who gives her cutesy "Ow!" before turning to see if any cute boys heard her and wanted to offer aid.
I do make sure that the tesserae for myself and Penny gets marked down before Bianca ushers me down the line to where the rest of the 16 years olds are penned in. Nyssa is standing right near the outside with two spots vacant next to her and Bianca and I scoot in just in time as the microphone on stage gives out whiny feedback making the audience cringe.
A woman with short shocking teal curls and neon blue eyes walks across the stage with a huge welcoming smile on her face. The distaste for the view that our district provides is evident in her eyes though. Her perfectly smooth paper white skin creases ever so slightly but then unfurls as if remembering that it shouldn't do such a thing.
"Hello!" Her voice is high pitched and much too loud for the microphones taste as it spits out more feedback. "Welcome! To the 99th Annual Hunger Games!" She sound so excited that it just seems so bizarre that no one else is as excited as she is.
"My name is Trixie Flare." She pauses as if to let that sink in. I tune out the rest knowing the whole spiel. It's the same boring movie every year. It's never changed. Talking about Panem and how it was created and that the reason behind the games is that the Capitol is actually being benevolent and kind compared to what it could have done yadda yadda yadda. The same political jargon shitfest.
The fanfare plays again signally the end of the movie and Trixie straighten her head from it's bowed position of respect, her bright cherry red smile out again.
"Oh! So fantastic! Okay! And now the moment you've all been waiting for! Ladies first of course! Sorry Gentleman." She moves over to one of the big glass balls on the stage. It's filled with a giant pile of little slips of paper. Seeing it now all I can think is that Peony's name is in there. Penny's name is in there. Penny couldn't survive in the games. She sweet innocent caring Penny. She couldn't hurt a fly! How could anyone expect her to defend herself or attack someone else? It's impossible.
My mind was whirring so fast and so loudly that I completely missed the name that she announced. Everything is silent in the crowd and I turn my head to see who was chosen. Only to find everyone looking in my direction. In fact Bianca is holding my hand so tightly she might break it. Was it Bianca? I ask myself, the odds of her surviving in the games almost as bad as Penny's in my mind.
"Rosalie Carstair?" I blink looking up at the stage where the over enthusiastic Trixie is spouting my name in the to microphone. Why would she be doing that? I wonder to myself feeling numb and confused.
"Rose! No! Rose!" A scream breaks out in the crowd and I recognize it. But… it's Penny. Why is Penny screaming? And then it hits me like a ton of bricks. She said my name. I don't know what I feel any more. Everything has gone numb.
I break myself away from Bianca's tight hold and overflowing eyes and walk out into the aisle between the boys and the girls like i've seen other tributes do countless times before.
"Ah! There she is ladies and gentleman! Oh! Isn't she lovely! Come on dear!" I follow the voices commands only faintly realizing that i'm standing on the stage somehow. And i'm looking out into the crowds, I see nameless faces intermixed with familiar ones. My sight focuses on two.
Peony is holding a sobbing Penny in her arms. They are surrounded by Peacekeepers making sure they don't run towards me. The both are so sad and crying I want to run up to them and never let them go. But then I know exactly who it is I need to see right now. I look over and find his eyes. My eyes. The silver of our mother's with dad's emerald green ring around the pupil. Aster is shaking. He won't stop shaking. I can see tears gathering in his eyes and somehow find enough control in my body to shake my head slightly.
"No." I don't say it but I know he understands. Because of our stupid twin telepathy. I knew that the second Trixie made her way to the boys globe he would volunteer. And he can't. Not when Peony and Penny need him. A tear makes a small path down my face and I smile at him waiting for him to return it but he doesn't. Instead he mouth's two words.
"I'm sorry." I bite my tongue to keep from making a sound.
"I know." I mouth back smally trying to pour as much into the words as I could. So much for being Lucky. The thought comes to my mind and it almost forces a giggle from my throat. I clap a hand over my mouth. To anyone else i'm crying without tears, but I honestly can't stop laughing. Stop it! This isn't funny! I tell myself over and over again but it only makes it harder to control.
"And now! The lucky Gentleman who will be joining this precious gem to the Capitol!" Lucky! That sends me into a whole new round of giggles. I look out and see Nyssa looking at me like i've lost my mind. Of course she knows i'm laughing instead of crying! She probably thinks i'm nuts.
"Thomas Blake!" I look up to see who she is talking about. I recognize the name a little but as soon as I see the face i'm surprised at who it is. Thomas walks out of the 17 year old group. He is an orphan like myself but he doesn't have any siblings so he's all on his own. No one to mourn him if he dies. He has long wavy dark brown hair and bright hazel eyes that almost look gold in the light. Tan skin and and athletic physique that comes from being a farmhand. He's wearing black slacks and a grey dress shirt with the top few buttons undone like he had forgotten. He is Devil May Care as Bianca would say.
He doesn't show any expression walking up to the stage. And I don't think it's from shock, he seems genuinely bored with everything thats happening. Meanwhile i'm over here having a mental breakdown. He walks up the steps and stand right next to me. He's a good three inches taller than me, which is not surprising.
"There you have it! From District 11! Your two tributes for the 99th Annual Hunger Games!" She announces before turning to the two of us. "Go on! Shake hands!" My eyes widen as Thomas turns to me with his hand held out. I realize that I have to uncover my mouth in order to shake his hand and something tells me he meant it to be this way.
I shut my mouth tight biting my tongue and drop my hand from my face before grabbing onto his own. I can feel every mark and callous on his hands from his work, his fingers are long and skinny, the only surprising thing about his hands are their uncharacterized softness.
"Hooray! To everyone here in District 11 and to all those watching all over Panem! I wish you a Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" I'm gonna die.
And so the Tributes from 11 Districts have been chosen! Yeah I know we didn't see all the tributes but I do have them planned out. That means this won't be a SYOT story, sorry! I have a specific idea in mind for this story and i'll be working on it as much as I can! So please please please! REVIEW FAVORITE FOLLOW!
~AMS