Define Future

Sometimes knowing your future sucked. Seriously, ignorence is bliss. If I knew anything about what was comming up in the next hours, the summary would go as follows: Laci Kinglsy's so-called perfect life was ruined in a matter of seconds.

The games. Every single freaking girl in District 1 except me wanted to be in them this year for two reasons. One, was that it was the games. Fame, glory, going down in histroy of another one of District 1's many victors. Reason two, it wasn't just any games this year...it was a quell. And not just any quell, the 100th Games. Now everyone who wasn't stupid knew that this year would be fantastic and that it would be an honor to be apart of games history this year. Serioulsy every parent in the district was trainng their child. The one catch, I was going to be in the games.

It was inevitable. I was a child of a victor. And my brother won too. And my cousin Lithe, who was also my best friend. And now that I think about it I think my mom's dad or grandfather won too. It was unavoidable. I would be going into the games this year. It was too obvious, we knew they would want a girl with such a history to be in this year. It's just the stupid fact that I hate the games and quite frankly want no part in them.

So my problem faced me at breakfast this morning, the particular moring of the reaping. The morning where every girl between 12-18 was nervous getting dressed, I was sitting in my pajamas with bedhead eating breakfast with my family and my boyfriend.

"So what do you think that the theme this year will be?" My dad asked me as he put another piece of waffle into his mouth. He looked a lot like Leather, but with brown hair and a sharper face. I figure he was pretty attractive back when he won his games but that didn't really matter now, he had Leather to re-live his glory.

"I think their going to do a combination of the last ones" Leather piped in, thinking to the last 3 quells.

Lithe flipped her hair, swirling her food around on her plate. After the games she had never really been the same. Lithe was my cousin. She had one the games before Leather, continuing the legacy of winning in the family. Before the games she was super competitive, always focusing, and so hard. Nowadays she was softer, and changed. She hated to talk about them more then I did. We were best friends, and told each other anything before the games. But afterwards, her parents were killed in a terrible accident. She stayed with us most of the time. I think she just didn't want to be alone.

Lithe had fallen in love with a boy from District 2, and the two of them were the final two. You would think the duo would have a hard time deciding who would live and who would die. But it wasn't hard. Lithe and the boy decided to duel it out like true competitors, Lithe being the winner. She has always had to live with his death, and like I said had never been the same. I never watched her games, or maybe I did. I was too young to remember.

"Maybe an older age range. Or all 12 year olds?" she suggested with an out-of-it shrug.

Brendon looked over to me, who was silent, and gave me an apologetic look. He knew how much I hated talking about the games. I realised, the look was for the coming storm.

"Children of Victors." Brednon said quietly, then went back to staring at his plate. We were all silent for a second, then everyone looked at me who turned pink yet again. I wasn't even going to say anything.

Then my dad spoke up, "I think your right Brendon." he said simply, and he was already thinking about which of his victor friends had sons eligible for the games.

Leather nodded, "Don't freak out Lace, we've been training for a while chill out." I know he was already searching my face for me to show some emotion. I decided to start putting on a fake face, I was going to need it for the games.

"I'm fine. This is no surprse to me." I said finally, everyone lookng to my lying face as I spoke. I gave them a confident nod back, "I'm serious, I'm ready."

Brendon put his arm around me, "If you go in I'm going in with you" he reassured. He had been saying this ever since my brother was in the arena.

"No Bren, please don't." I couldn't bare to lose him, if I was coming home I needed something to come home to.

But Brendon was stubborn, and I this is the only thng he'd ever said no to me wtth. "I'm going in, you guys agree right?" he asked looking to my dad and brother. I guess the good thing about having an insanely strong family was that if any boy was going to get to me, they had to get through them. I had crappy luck.

Leather nodded, "Its great, the two of you would make such an amazing pair. Seriously instoppable."

"Yes, I think the capitol wouldnt be able to get enough of the two of you." My dad added in agreement. I seriously wanted to kill them.

I desperatly looked to Lithe for support, she was never one for romance in the games. For obvious reasons. Lithe gave me a look, her aqua eyes that matched mine sparkled in comfort. It showed agreement. It showed love of best friends. It showed the pain that she knew, once those guys put their mind to something there is no going back.

Brendon smirked victoriously, putting an arm around me. "Great, now that that's settled." He pulled some of my hair around so he could lean in a whisper something to me when I abruptly got up.

"Um...I'm going to get ready for the reapiing now" I quickly muttered, swiftly going up the stairs before I could hear protest.

I know they would be able to hear my door slam, so I slammed it and went over to my closet to figure out what to wear to my death sentence.

I looked through the aray of clothes my unoffical stylist had supplied. Now only Victors could keep their prep teams, but I had already been interviewed when my brother was in the finals, and they wanted me to look nice. And if the capitol ever did anything on Victors or if there was a party that the whole family was invited too, then I was to look good for it. I think we even had lunch with the president once. So yeah I had so many stuff to choose from, and I wanted to look beutiful and innocent, as to make the capital regret doing this to me.

There was a light knock at my door. "What?" I asked, probably sounding irritated. Lithe came in, her dark brown hair softly over her shoulders as she closed my door. She went and sat on my bed, and I walked over to her and looked down at my lap.

Lithe was one of the only people I could be me around, other then Brendon. I leaned in, resting my head on her shoulder as she put a comforting arm around me. We didn't need to say anything, even if we were cousins, we were sisters. And the bond between sisters was inseparable. She knew me as well as I knew her. And she knew that I was breaking down in fear. That I wanted to look strong for everyone.

"Lithe," I whispered to her, "Was it worth it? Coming back without him?" I asked her quietly. She knew how I would feel, if Brendon really went in the games.

"No. I wish I were with him. Honestly." Lithe said to me, as we listened to the silence tried to penetrate the bond we had. Then Lithe took a tiny breath ending the silence, "Ok get dressed Lace," she said getting up.

I gave her a tight, quick hug, before watching her leave my room. Then I turned to my clothes.

Simple, light baby pink lace dress. It was beautiful, handmade from the captiol. And the best part was the back went down into a v neck all the way to the waist, with a pink bow at the end of the dip. It was classic. So I grabbed it before going over to my shower. Capitol showeres were complicated so usually I just used the same Jasmne Vanilla sent every day.

As I undressed I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror, I realsied I was either looking at a really pretty dead girl walking or a future murderer. Take your pick Lace, because that was what was in store. Descisions, Decisions.