Chapter Two
The news hits me like a title wave, but I'm not completely submerged. Prim? Did I hear Effie Trinket right? Prim was one paper slip out of thousands, and she got chosen.
People in the crowds whisper with discontent as they always do when a twelve year old is picked out of the reaping ball. Everybody likes Prim. She's sweet, innocent and nice to everybody. Prim of all people doesn't deserve this.
Prim walks up to the stage, pale and scared looking. I know that Prim won't last long in the Hunger Games. She can't hurt anything, she'll die quickly. It only takes one painful second for me to realize that Prim won't be in the Hunger Games at all. Katniss would never let that happen.
"Prim!" The strangled cry comes out from Katniss. "Prim!"
Katniss doesn't even need to push through the crowd, the other kids move so Katniss can run up to the stage. She pushes Prim behind her.
"I volunteer!" She gasps. "I volunteer as tribute!"
People can volunteer to take over for another tribute after their name is called if they are the same gender. I would have done that for Prim if I weren't a boy. District 12 hasn't had a volunteer in decades, so the crowd is confused.
"Katniss." I moan softly. For some reason, this feels like one of the things that can happen to anybody, anybody in the world but me. This day doesn't feel real, I long to just wake up and find that it all is a dream.
"Lovely." says Effie Trinket. "But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if one does come forth then we um…" She trails off, unsure.
My fists are clenched. Everything about Effie Trinket sets me off. Her garrulous and naïve personality bugs me beyond what I'd expect. It's partly because she draws the fate of so many kids in our district, and partly just because she's from the Capitol.
"What does it matter?" says the mayor. He pauses a moment. "What does it matter? Let her come forward."
Prim is screaming hysterically behind Katniss and I silently beg for it to stop. Prim's pained sounds ring out, cutting deeply into me, provoking the sorrow to emerge.
"No, Katniss! No! You can't go!" She cries, her arms wrapped around her sister.
"Prim, let go." Katniss says harshly. She's not crying, but I know she wants to, just like I want to wrap my arms around her and tell her that it's okay.
I feel like I'm suffocating, powerless. I can't force myself to move and I don't even feel like part of this world, like the only real things are Katniss, Prim and the rest of the people on stage.
Suddenly, I gain the strength to walk forward to the stage and peel Prim off Katniss's back. It's what she'd want me to do and now that Katniss is the District 12 female tribute, I have to protect her family. Prim thrashes in my arms but she's no match for me.
"Up you go, Catnip." I say, fighting to keep my voice steady.
I turn away before I get the chance to embarrass myself and carry Prim to Katniss's mother.
"Katniss! Katniss!" Prim cries. She reminds me of the wounded animals that Katniss and I hunt, crying for mercy.
It breaks my heart but I continue forward, all the while, listening to what's happening on stage.
"Well, bravo!" Effie Trinket says. "That's the spirit of the games!" She's probably happy that something interesting is going on, which makes me add another note to my mental list of why I hate Effie Trinket. "What's your name?" Effie asks.
"Katniss Everdeen." I hear Katniss say.
Hearing Katniss's name makes me really realize what's going on. The weight of the situation crashes down on me with annihilating force. Katniss Everdeen, my best friend, will be fighting for survival in a whole new way.
I almost run back on stage to do I don't know what, but I need to get Prim to her mother. Finally, I reach Mrs. Everdeen and let Prim go. Prim crashes into her mother and they cry together. I have no idea what to do.
"I'm so sorry." is all I can manage to choke out.
I turn back to the stage.
"I bet all my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we?" Effie says.
My lip curls up in a snarl. How oblivious can this stupid woman get? Steal the glory? Is that what she thought it was about when Katniss rushed up to the stage desperately as Prim sobbed and clung onto her?
"Come on everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" Effie exclaims.
Nobody claps. The safe children, their families, even the betters all are silent. Maybe it's because they know Katniss, or Prim (who everyone likes) or maybe it's just that they've witness Katniss's undying love and protection for her little sister, that everybody stays in silent in respect. None of us agree with this punishment. This isn't right. The Hunger Games have to stop.
I take my left hand, press my three middle fingers to my mouth, and then raise it to Katniss. Katniss's family follows my actions, and soon, one by one, practically the whole District 12 is doing it. This is an old and rarely used gesture of our district. The gesture means admiration, and goodbye to a loved one.
The moment of peace and respect is broken when Haymitch staggers across the stage.
"Look at her. Look at this one!" He says, throwing an arm around Katniss.
My lip curls up in anger.
"Touch her one more time." I say threateningly under my breath.
"I like her!" Haymitch bellows. "Lot's of…" He pauses for an unusually long time to think of the word. "Spunk!" He finishes. "More than you!" Haymitch shouts. "More than you!" He points to the camera before tumbling off stage and knocking himself out.
Was Haymitch mocking the audience, or does he actually have the audacity to taunt the Capitol? Every camera turns on him and I take this as a chance to look at Katniss. She's not crying, she can't afford to look weak. I admire her strength as she turns and looks at the woods. Is she reconsidering running away? Now, part of me thinks we should have gone, Katniss would never have to go to the Hunger Games if we had left. But then Prim would be left to be tortured in the games, and our families left to starve. All I can think about is how I never told Katniss how pretty she looked in her blue dress.
Haymitch is taken away on a stretcher while Effie Trinket tries to regain the attention of the audience.
"What an exiting day!" She remarks, as she tries to straighten what only can be a wig on her head.
Today has been exiting, but not in a way that I'd hoped. I'd use words more like mortifying or horrible to describe today, but at least Effie Trinket got something halfway right for once.
"But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute!" Effie Trinket announces.
My stomach gives a big lurch. If my name is drawn, then I go into the games with Katniss. I suppose it would be better to have a friend in there, but then only one of us could return, which I would only let be Katniss. But if both of us are in the games, nobody could feed our families.
Effie grabs a slip and quickly unfolds it.
"Peeta Mellark!" She says quickly.
I know who Peeta is, but I haven't spoken to him directly. I think he's in Katniss's grade, but I know he's the baker's son. He has two older brothers, one is too old for the reaping and the other probably won't volunteer. This is what happens most of the time, Katniss and Prim were a remarkable exception.
Peeta walks up to the stage, clearly fighting to stay unemotional. He's medium height, stocky and has blond hair. The shock on his face is clearly legible, and his eyes depict those of prey that I hunt when they know there's no way out.
In only a moment do I realize that this scared boy is going to have to die if Katniss is going to live. I watch as he walks up onto the stage and nobody volunteers. The mayor proceeds, reading the Treaty of Treason, but I can't focus on that. I watch as Katniss and Peeta sit side by side, at least one of them will die. I hate to wish for somebody's death, but the only way my best friend can live, is if Peeta dies.
Of course, Peeta looks strong, muscular, so he has an advantage there. But he's not from the Seam, he probably doesn't know half as much about survival as Katniss does. Also, Katniss knows how to use weapons, she's very knowledgeable about poisonous plants and she knows what it's like to be hungry.
I slap my leg hard, scolding myself. This is just what the Capitol wants! They want us to be angry, they want us to want the other tributes to die, they want to divide us so they can control us. I'm falling right into their trap and I hate myself for it.
I look back at Prim and her mother, still holding hands, tear tracks are imprinted on their faces. How hard will it be for Prim to watch her sister fight to the death if she can't bear the thought of killing animals for simply food? These next months will be torture for all of us, especially young Prim.
I watch as Peeta and Katniss shake hands. It probably is crossing both of their minds that at least one of them is going to die. The anthem plays as they turn around to face the crowd.
How is Katniss going to survive the Hunger Games? How am I going to survive watching them, knowing that Katniss Everdeen's small chances of survival are becoming even slimmer?