No, no, it wasn't me. I'm sure of it. There's other Marissa Finches, right? I looked around for the real Marissa Finch. She was nowhere to be found.
I looked at my parents. My dad looked like he had seen a ghost. My mother was crying. Then I looked to my sister, with facial features as blank as stone. Then they came. The Peacekeepers, who grabbed my arms to my sides. Lulu, who was still cheerful and bubbly, asked, "Any volunteers for Miss Finch?" I looked to my sister, who was my only hope. She met eyes with me, and then she looked away. I knew she wasn't going to volunteer. I was going into the Hunger Games.
"Okay, everyone, meet your 74th Hunger Games tributes, Miss Marissa Finch and Mr. Travis Oakland! Shake hands, kids!" Lulu said. Travis and I grabbed each other's hands and firmly made a handshake. Then, Lulu clapped, and signaled for everyone else too as well. Light applause came from the people who bet on which kids are going into the Games, and some of the safe kids clapped as well. My parents were hugging as my mom cried. My sister stood still and blank.
The next thing I know, Travis and I are led into the Town Hall building, which I have never been in before, and we go up an elevator. Peacekeepers split us up and take us into two separate rooms so we can say our goodbyes. I sat down on the lone chair in the room.
Then, my parents came in. My mom ran to me and gave me a huge hug. She was bawling, but she choked out, "Mary…I…I…." I hugged her tighter. "I will try to win, Momma," I said in a whisper. "I really will." "I…I know," She stood back up, and I wiped the tears from her face. "It'll be okay, Momma," I said. "You still have Evangeline." After it came out, I knew I shouldn't have said that. My mother just knelt down and looked me in the eyes. "Mary, you are so smart…you have a good chance. Evie is nowhere near as intelligent or determined as you. Please, come home." "I will. I love you, Mom." I hugged her again. She didn't say anything to me ever again after that.
My dad walked up to me next. He hugged me, and I hugged him back. I always loved and admired my dad. He was so strong and determined no matter what was thrown upon him. He is my example. "Dad, I will try…" Dad put his finger over my mouth. He pulled the ink pencil out of his pocket. He wrote on my hand, "I love you, Foxy." Foxy. That's what he called me when I was little, when he could still talk. He said my hair and how smart and sly I was, and am, reminded him of a fox. That's the best thing he could've said to me.
I hugged him again, and said, "I love you, too." I'm not very emotional, but Dad can pull emotions out of me. I started crying. Silently, tears ran down my face. "Dad, I…" I started to say how much I admire him, and that I will come home, but Peacekeepers came and took my parents away. I reached my arm out, and cried, "Dad!" But all I got back was the Peacekeepers slamming the door. I sat back down and waited for my next visitor. I wiped my tears off. Then, after a few minutes, there was a rap on the door. I expected Evangeline, but Travis walked through the door.
I thought, Are tributes even allowed to visit each other? What if he tries to choke me? But Peacekeepers followed him, and I guess they had the same idea. "Hey," he said. "Marissa. Marissa Finch. That's my name, if you were unaware." I hatefully spit it out. I was angry at this selfish guy. Jealous, too, but mostly angry. "I know." He was being defensive. "Why did you come to see me, anyways?" "Well, I thought I should apologize for talking to my twin sister Tina while I was trying to say something to you." Twin sister? Well, that girl did kind of look like him. "Oh, I didn't know that was your sister. Stinks for her."
Travis looked at me with a weird glint in his eye. "Good luck." He held out his hand. I decided best not to make any friends before I am sent into a room to kill everyone in it. Or in my case, evade. So, I turned my back and we stood there until the Peacekeepers escorted him out.
I sat down in the chair and waited for my sister. She will come, I thought. She's not so self-centered and delusional that she wouldn't even have the decency to say goodbye to me before my death match. Right?
Eventually, I heard another rap on the door. My heart fluttered. Then, walked in the pink stilettos of Ms. Lulu Granger, who screeched, "The train has arrived, Miss Finch." I felt heartbroken. Like my own sister had watched me being chosen for death then leaving me with nothing. Actually, that's exactly what happened. "Umm, is there anyone else here… to see me?" I asked timidly as I stood up. Lulu looked down the hallways and said, "Doesn't look like it. Come on, Travis and Andree are waiting for us."