Rikki Neptune

District 4

I closed my large gray eyes and groaned, trying to will myself back asleep. But of course I couldn't because another reaping day had come upon us. Slowly they opened, and my mood suddenly turned into the storm clouds my eyes looked like. Angry.

The reapings were terrifying for me. If I got picked, how would my family survive? My oldest sister was seven!

I just sighed and stretched my arms a bit, then went straight to work on getting ready. I knew I didn't have much time; I probably would have to help Luna get ready.

I slipped on an adorable baby blue dress that went down to be knees. I put the gray belt I had gotten for it right underneath my bust, so it looked a lot less plain. I pulled on a pair of 1 inch gray heels my mother gave my last year for the reapings, and last but definitely not least, my headband. My headband was beautiful, with its white class lotus. I loved it; even though it was only silver otherwise.

Before I made my way to help Luna get ready I put my long, wavy dark brown hair in my regular pigtails. I grinned at the outcome. I looked like I was 12.

I made my way downstairs, all along my heels making an irritating clack sound. When I got down I found Mist, my 7-year-old sister, already dressed in an adorable pink dress. My mom was handing them each a strand of plastic pearl necklaces, but I denied it and instead went to help Luna.

"So what do you want to wear today?" I took her tiny hand and pulled her over to wear we kept all our dresses. "How about something… red?"

By the shocked and astonished look on my 5-year-old sisters face, I knew I had read her mind. It figures, she loved red. I picked out a cute red dress with a white sash in the middle, that I wore once when I was little, and so had my mother before me. She grabbed it along with the pearl necklace and ran off to change.

"You think you can handle bringing them to the reaping? I got friends to meet." I asked my mom, and she nodded with a smile on her face.

Lily, Dani, and I were all going to the reapings together. They were my closest friends; we have been through everything together. Including my dad's death.

My dad died a few days after I turned seven. His left arm had been mauled by a shark, and was, you know, ripped off. Soon after it was infected, and he died off blood poisoning, To this day my family is still saddened by the memory

When I started walking Lilly and Dani pretty much materialized beside me, not literally, but they were pretty fast.

"It's the reaping today! Do you think any of us will get picked?" Lilly's forehead was wrinkled with worry.

"If anyone gets picked, I'm sure it would be me. I have a boatload of tesserae. You guys are a bit better off then me." I reassured her.

We continued to walk in comfortable silence for a bit, the steady click, clack, of my shoes driving us all insane.

"Rikki!" I heard a boy yell from behind me, and I spun around. If I hadn't been so irritated by my shoes, maybe I would have paid more attention and realized someone was there earlier.

"Hey Jesse. You ready for the reaping?" Once Jesse caught up to us, Lilly and Dani fell back to be with his friends Talon and Jason.

"No. You?" I shook my head. Of course I wasn't ready, was anyone ever ready?

We continued to walk, chattering about school things, and other unimportant stuff, the way friends do. I laughed when he pointed out the clacking of my shoes, and he offered to take them. I let him. I couldn't stand them anyway.

OoOoO

We got to the reaping right before they start the treaty, and made our way to the 14's section. As we made our way in we were stopped by the head peacekeeper.

"Hey, you can't bring your little sister over there." He pointed to me, and then pointed to the 12's. "12's go that way." We stood confused for a minute before I broke out into laughter.

"No, I think your mistaken. I am 14. Promise." I try to keep the smile off my face, and he looks into my eyes to see if I am lying. He sees that I'm not and lets us go on our way.

"And now welcome Dee Farell!" A man with black skin and otherwise white features steps forward.

"Ladies first!" He sticks his hand in the bowl and pulls out a small slip. It's amazing how something so tiny could change so many lives.

"Rikki Neptune!"

I heard a gasp beside me and my eyes widened. This can't be happening! I push forward, though, to the stage. One step at a time I make my way up there, trying to make them take as long as I can. At a time like this, every second literally counts.

As I step up, I try to put away how shocked I feel and instead try to help everyone think I was fine.

"And now the boys!" Dee made his way over to the boys' bowel, and picked a slip right from the top.

"Jesse Gale!"

Jesse was walking up in his green shirt and gray pants, and my jaw was practically on the ground. He looked so calm, how could he? One of us would have to die. One of us wouldn't make it back.

I felt the tears about to fall when no one volunteered, but I held them back. Now was not the time, I had to stay strong.

Dee nodded to us, and we shook hands, the standard thing to do.

"Congratulations to the tributes from District four, Rikki and Jesse! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

OoOoO

Luna and Mist were first. I was holding Luna in my arms, which she was of course too old for. But I think I could make an exception. Mist was holding onto my waist and would not let go.

"No! Rikki don't go! Please stay!" Luna was sobbing onto my shoulder, and I can admit I was crying too. Maybe if Jesse hadn't been picked, I wouldn't be so sad.

"I'm just going for a trip, ok? I have to go play pretend in a show on T.V." Mist knew what the Games were, but Luna was still young. She thought they were merely a show, where people pretended to die. Oh how I wish that were true.

Luna's eyes instantly brightened, and her smile was contagious. "Your going to go be on the show? The games?" She had heard that the people on the prize won lots of money. In her position, I would be excited too.

"Yes. Now Luna I need to talk to Mist, alone. Can you go sit by momma?" I nodded to the door, and Luna skipped out of the room. I pushed mist away and backed up a couple steps, so I could see her.

"I will come home, ok? For all of you. I promise." I looked into her eyes and continued to stand, locked in a staring contest.

Finally Mist spoke. "Take care of everyone, especially Jesse. Make sure death is quick and painless. I'll take care of the family." She spun around, her pink dress fluffing around at the motion, and I held back the tears that had once again begun to form.

She was seven. Didn't the capitol get it? My seven-year-old sister had just told me she wanted to make sure everyone died painlessly.

…And, she would have to drop out of school to work on the ships. Of course they would let her, she was smart. There had already been talk of advancing her in school.

My seven-year-old sister should be laughing with her friends, learning how to read. Not knowing what death all entailed. Not knowing of the games.

My mother didn't come in, but the few glimpses I caught through the door were enough to know she couldn't. She was beginning t break down again, like after father died. For about a month she cried constantly. And if I died… If I died it would happen again.

So it was as simple as that. Don't die.

After Mist, Lilly and Dani came in. They cried about how they should have volunteered, should have stayed with me this morning. But I reassured them, it was fine.

By the time Jesse came in, I had been about to fall asleep on the floor.

"Hello there Sleeping Beauty. Would you like your glass slippers back?" He was grinning and I slapped him playfully as he proceeded to put the annoying shoes back on my feet.

"What are we going to do?" I moaned. Jesse was one of my good friends! And… I thought maybe… One day… More then friends. I could never let him die, but I wasn't about to die either.

"We play it by ear." He grinned I pulled me up to my feet, and I wondered why he was so calm. "Well, lets go to the trains. They are probably waiting." He then continued to pull me to the train.

Click, clack.

One of us was going to die.

Click, clack.

And it wouldn't be me.

Click, clack.

I'm sorry Jesse…

A/N – I hope you all enjoyed the brownie Sorry for not updating yesterday, I went to a friends before I could finish. That means when I came back, I had major writing block. So keep that in mind when you look at the parts after Rikki's name was called and think, wow, this sucks. So any who, I still want to know your favorite characters so far! And I am open to suggestions for couples, whether it be for you character or other characters you like.

Well, as request by a few people, you can have brownies for reviewing this time. AND a cupcake. Yeah (: