Corey spun his spear in his hands as he walked onto the field behind his father, Max White, for one last training session before the reapings. Max had been convinced for years that he would be reaped one day, but so far he'd been safe. He just had to survive today, and he'd survive life.
Corey's face lit up as Roxana, his lifelong training partner came into view. He thought she was the most beautiful thing on earth, or at least the part he'd seen of it, District 2. Her hair had once been long and curly, but one afternoon, she'd begged him to cut it shorter. It had been the best afternoon of his life. They'd sat in the woods, and he'd cut it as slowly as he dared, just to spend more time with her alone. She was always scared when she was with her father. So now her hair was short and curly.
"Alright, Corey, this is your last chance to practice before the reapings, and also your last chance to be reaped. This is when the Capitol will make their move, if they're going too. And this time, at least try to at least beat that girl. You could win if you stopped letting her win" Max looked his son sternly in the eye, but Corey shrugged.
"She needs the confidence more than me"
"And you need the practice more. You haven't tried to actually win in years. There is a high chance that you'll have to kill that girl in the arena in a matter of weeks." Corey shuddered at the thought of killing Roxana, and slowly pulling out the deadly dagger she was afraid of, wiping the warm blood on the grass.
"No way" Corey said, with finality to his voice, but Max White only shrugged with indifference.
"It's your life, son, not mine. I had to kill Davina in the arena. She was my best friend"
Now Roxana was standing near them with her father. Corey always felt a rush of a adrenaline when he imagined sticking his spear through his throat-that man had never done anything good, except perhaps when he created Roxana.
"Hiya, Corey" Roxana said, pulling Corey out of his violent daydreams.
"Hi Ana" Roxana didn't like it when Corey teased her by calling her Ana, it made her nervous.
"You using the bow and arrow today?" Corey asked casually. "I've got my spear. And remember, torso and back only. That's where I have all the extra padding. If you shoot anywhere else, I'll lose a leg, or an arm, or an eye or something." Corey laughed at himself, but Roxana only smiled nervously. They took five bog steps back each, as they always did, and waited for Max to give the go signal. As soon as Max yelled, Roxana strung her bow and fired at Corey, Corey threw his spear like a javelin just before the momentum of the arrow knocked him to the ground, he pulled the point out of the hard leather underneath his shirt, and looked up in time to see Roxana lunge at him. Hand-to-hand combat time. His favourite. When they were wrestling he could just smell her hair. She hit him across the chest, and winded him, but he brushed it off quickly and pressed one hand against her chest, and another behind her legs, and spun her onto her back so that she was lying on the floor. Roxana kicked him in the face.
"Ow! Not the face! That's not fair!" Corey cried, cradling his cheek.
"Really? Oh, then when you're in the arena and someone is about to kill you, at least it won't be fair" Roxana teased, smiling at him. For a moment Corey's heart lifted and the pain in his face vanished.
"In the arena, Roxana, Corey would've killed you by now." The pain was back. Along with the burning hatred for Brock Quartz.
While Corey put his reaping clothes on, I hoped that it would impress Roxana, get her attention. He looked good, and he couldn't wait to see what Roxana was wearing. She looked spectacular last year, this year she would be amazing.
"Corey! Look what I drew for you!" Sofia came running into his room waving a colourful crayon drawing in her hand. "It's a picture of you and me holding hands!"
"That's lovely Sofia!" Carey said enthusiastically, looking the picture over. Sofia had drawn herself with long blonde hair, when in reality it was short and brown.
"I want to show Mummy and Daddy!" Sofia squealed, wrenching the paper out of Corey's hand. Corey laughed as Sofia skipped away. He loved his little sister, she was so funny. So oblivious to the dangerous world she lived in.
The houses in Victor Village were always bustling with life on reaping days. Corey could hear the Dexter family across the road, talking and yelling at each other. He could hear Geoffrey Vater screaming at his wife again in the house next to theirs. And downstairs he could hear his father sobbing through the closed door, and he could hear his mother comforting him.
Corey gave his father a moment before opening the kitchen door and allowing himself in. His father had regained himself and his mother was humming as she ate her breakfast. In her hand she held Sofia's picture.
"It's a very good picture, isn't it, Corey? Take it with you, as a good luck charm" Corey took the paper from his mother's hand and put it in his pocket.
"Thanks. Dad, we need to be going. We were training longer than you realised, you need to be up on the stage before the reapings begin." Max sighed.
"Yes. Alright then. I'll see you later, Isa" Max kissed his wife, Isabella on the cheek and left swiftly with his son.
Corey settled down in the uncomfortable fold-out seat. He gave a little wave to Roxana who rewarded him with a smile. She looked beautiful, in her light blue dress, with her black shoes and earrings.
"Good morning!" Avitus bellowed. He had walked onto the stage without Corey noticing. His stomach tightened. It wouldn't be long now. It wouldn't be long until he and Roxana were safe forever. But then again…It might not be long until they might be sent to their deaths.
"The Female Tribute for District Two in the 85th Hunger Games will be…!" Avitus dipped his hand into a bowl full of paper. He bought one out agonizingly slowly and looked at it for a further ten seconds. Then he squinted.
"R-Roxana Quartz!" He stammered, but then looked up as if the fact that Roxana had been reaped was wonderful. Corey didn't know what to do. Surely someone would volunteer for her? But no, Roxana walked onto the stage. Corey thought she looked a bit scared, and he didn't blame her. In a matter of weeks she could be dead….But she'd trained, hadn't she? She was strong! She would win!
Avitus then stuck his hand into the reaping bowl and read the male tributes name out with the same agonizing tension.
"Corey White!" He said, still smiling. Corey wanted to punch the smile of his face, but he kept his anger hidden. Then he made the link. Roxana Quartz and Corey White, both going in the arena together, both the eldest children of champions. Well, well. What a surprise. The reapings had been rigged, and now Corey had to decide between helping Roxana win, and therefore killing himself in the process, or fighting to survive so he could come back for his family.
And his family didn't need him that much.