Disclaimer: All characters belong to Suzanne Collins who is a goddess.
I always dread the walk from my house to the square surrounding the Justice Building. Although it's short, I've never really been too fond of the place itself. I guess I can't shake its connection to the games and on a regular day, I would try my best to avoid it. It's actually a pretty nice place to be though, unlike the other buildings in the District coated with dust from the mines. But with over eight thousand people there on Reaping day, it's spacious feel decreases quickly and claustrophobia isn't hard to come by.
"Hey Madge!" Peeta waves at me from across the street stuffing his face with a bagel.
"Peeta," I let out a sigh of relief and run over to meet him.
Peeta Mellark is the Baker's son. He's from town too, but you wouldn't ever guess it. He has plenty of friends, and I have had the privilege to be one of them since he lives just across the street. Plus, after mine and Gale's little explosion this morning, Peeta is the only person I would even consider talking to.
"Pretty dress!" He says bearing a dorky grin and pulling me in for a friendly hug.
"So I've been told," I chuckle "Thank you."
We continue walking in silence until Peeta speaks up.
"Is everything alright? You seem extra sad today. You hungry? You want some bagel?" he says as he shoves the bread in my face.
"No, really its okay," I laugh "It's just the reaping and.." my voice must have trailed off because he gives me a nudge in my side.
"And what!"
"Well it's just.. Gale and I got in a fight this morning , they came to my house to give me strawberries and he got on my case about how many entries I have. I just hate being from town sometimes.." my voice must of trailed off again because he starts speaking.
"Oh I know better than anyone, trust me." he puts his hands in his pockets as we slowly approach the square.
"Hey Madge?" he says
"Yeah?"
"Good Luck, okay?"
"Thanks, Peeta." I smile "You too."
Peeta lifts a finger between his upper lip and his nose as he mimics a Capitol accent.
"And may the odds be ever in your favor."
I snort and shove him in the direction of the boys check-in table.
I stop laughing when I remember where I am.
I walk up by myself as I had for the past four years. I've always been envious of the other girls walking up with Mother's and older sisters. I'm an only child and because of my Mother's anxiety after Aunt Maysilee was reaped, she is allowed to stay home. The Peacekeepers from District Twelve would never punish the Mayor's wife during a nationally televised event.
I find my place among the other girls in my year at school. Katniss is about five rows behind me with other sixteens from the poorer part of town. I gnaw at the inside of my cheek and try my best to appear calm as I focus my attention on the Capitol stage set up in front of the Justice Building. I see my Father sitting in one of the three chairs set up towards the back of the stage. He's staring down at his feet with his hands crossed on his lap. For my Father, this is odd. Something seems wrong.
I shake off my worries as I observe his company. On his left, I see our Districts escort, Effie Trinket. This year, Effie's hair is the same color pink as my ribbon and her skin paler than flour. She's making a sad attempt at talking to my Father who isn't the least bit interested in what she has to say. To his right, an empty chair which is probably designated for our District's mentor.
I try to scan the crowd to my left for Peeta when I hear the boom of the microphone and notice my Father making his way to the podium in the center of the stage.
"Hello everyone," He smiles with a hearty dose of Captiol charisma. Good job, Dad. I think.
"and welcome to District Twelve's Reaping for the Seventy-Fourth Annual Hunger Games."
He continues with the regular speech about the history of our country and how The Games came about. He speaks of the lives lost, and how grateful we should all be that the Captiol has saved us under The Treaty of Treason.
"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," his eyes find mine and he quickly gives me a worrisome nod.
As my Father is reading off his name as our sole victor, Haymitch Abernathy staggers on stage to fill the third chair almost on cue. He is not only disgustingly drunk, but he tries to give Effie a hug which she manages to deter with her handbag. My Father murmurs something under his breath, and introduces Effie Trinket to the microphone.
"Welcome, Welcome!" she cheers way too enthusiastically.
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"
She trots over to the reaping bowl placed directly in front of me on the stage.
"As usual, Ladies first,"
My eyes shoot down from the stage and I quickly decide to squeeze them shut. I can't hear anything besides my own heartbeat which is booming inside of my head. I realize now how hard I am squeezing my fists together as I feel blood begin to trickle down from where my fingernails have punctured my skin. Five of those slips say Margaret Undersee. Five in thousands. Five. Sure, the odds are in my favor, but what abo-
"Primrose Everdeen"
Oh, no. Not Prim!
But her name was only in once, right? Katniss never let her take out tessarae and her twelfth birthday was just last month.
I'm brought out of the depths of my own mind when I hear a strangled cry from behind me.
"Prim," Katniss "Prim!"
"I volunteer!" she chokes back her tears "I volunteer as tribute!"
My Father buries his face in his hands and a few girls around me start to cry.
"But I believe there's a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and if.." Effie's voice trails off
"What does it matter?" my Father shouts.
"What does it matter." he repeats sternly. "Let her come forward."
Prim is screaming as Katniss is escorted up to the stage clearly fighting with herself not to cry. Gale runs out of the crowd to meet Prim who is still trying to catch Katniss. He lifts her up over his shoulder and drags her back to where is is standing. Katniss makes her way up to the stage.
"Well, bravo!" Shut up, Effie. "That is the spirit of the games! What's your name?"
Katniss Everdeen is her name. Katniss. My friend.
"I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we? Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!"
Before I can even think about it, I press my three middle fingers to my lips and extend them toward the stage. One person catches on, then two. And suddenly, the whole crowd has followed my lead. It means thanks, it means admiration . . . it means goodbye to somebody you love.
An eternity passes before Effie reaches into the glass bowl holding the boy's names. I bow my head and pray that it won't be somebody I know this time. I do not approve. All of this is wrong.
"Peeta Mellark!"
Oh, no. The odds are not in our favor today.
I wait on line behind Peeta's Father and two older brothers who haven't met my bloodshot eyes once the entire time. Peeta's Mother is nowhere to be found. I'm still choking back tears when the Peacekeepers escort me into the room in which I find him sitting on a couch in the back corner.
I sit next to him and wordlessly nestle my head on his chest as my sobs synchronize with his.
"M-Madge," he finally stammers.
"I'm going to try my h-hardest to get her home. I know she's your friend a-and I'm gonna try my best to-"
"Peeta, stop." Suddenly my voice is steady.
"Stop it, okay? You're going to try your best to bring yourself home. I'm not going to lose the both of you. Whatever happens isn't up to you anymore, it's the Capitol's choice now."
He nods and tries to catch his breath. For as long as I've known Peeta, I've never once found him speechless. My fingers fumble with the pin on my dress until I have it in my hand.
"Peeta, take this as your token." I reach to pin the golden Mockingjay to his tunic but he shakes me off.
"Madge, give it to Katniss. I have plenty of memories with you, she doesn't have nearly as much as I do." somehow he manages a smile. "Come on, she'll love it."
The Peacekeepers burst through the door to retrieve me.
But it's only been a minute! I try to keep my composure long enough to find the right words to say to my dearest friend.
"Thank you for being my friend," is all I can manage in a whisper, "I'll see you soon, okay?" I kiss his cheek and hug him for what could be the last time.
"Okay, townie." he jokes. "I'll see you soon, then."
And with that I'm pulled out of the room. Goodbye, Peeta. I think. I'll never forget you.
I step across the hall onto the line to say goodbye to Katniss and surprisingly I end up behind Mr. Mellark again. I make the bold decision to remain calm when I enter the room. Be strong for Katniss, I think She's strong, you've got to be too. Now's your last chance. Don't cry. Mr. Mellark gives me a quick nod before he scurries into the room. He leaves just as quickly and then it's my turn. Judging from how quickly my time went with Peeta, I know Katniss and I won't have very long either. I practically run into the room to meet her.
She must have sensed the urgency in my demeanor because when she catches my eye she perks up and furrows her brow.
"They let you wear one thing from your district in the arena. One thing to remind you of home." I breathe.
"Will you wear this?" I say as I hold out my Aunt Maysilee's Golden Pin.
"Your pin?" she says worriedly.
"Here, I'll put it on your dress, all right?" I don't even really wait for an answer before I fix it to her blue dress that looks a lot like the one her Mother wore the day my Aunt Maysilee was reaped. She says nothing so I continue.
"Promise you'll wear it into the arena, Katniss? Promise?"
"Yes," she finally replies "I promise."
I pull her in and plant a kiss on her cheek. I once again have the impulse to tell her how much she's truly meant to me these past couple of years but I know I won't have enough time to say it in the right way.
I'm not even sure I can control my breathing as I'm escorted out of the building by Peacekeepers. I don't bother to look up from the floor to meet the eyes of the person who's going in next to say their final goodbyes to Katniss. I sink to the floor outside of the building and begin to cry again. My whole body is shaking and my throat is raw from choking on my sobs. I wipe my runny nose on my dress sleeve for what has to be the hundredth time when somebody scoots me a box of tissues from about a foot next to me.
Well, this is embarrassing. I wasn't aware that I had company. I refuse to look up from the ground as I somehow manage to say "Thanks."
"You're welcome." The voice says.
But that voice is a little too familiar for me to ignore.
I finally look up from the concrete I've been studying through my blurry eyes and find I'm sitting next to Gale Hawthorne.
His face is blank and hes staring off in the distance at some far away mountain range.
We sit in comfortable silence, trying to process what has just happened. Finally, Gale speaks.
"You know, just this morning I told Katniss we should run away,"
"Gale. . ."
"No, I'm serious. I told her we could do it. We could run away from the district, we'd go that way," he points to the mountains I'd found his eyes trailed on earlier.
"We'd make it, too. Me and her, we could have done it. . ." his voice trails off.
"Gale, they'd catch you." I immediately regret speaking. I know I'm walking on thin ice. Surprisingly enough he laughs at me.
"Yeah well, that's what she said too. But you know what?" he stops, "They'd probably kill us, sure, but that's what they're doing anyway."
There's a long pause as Gale breathes in and out slowly.
"Madge, if she dies. . ."
I can't think of anything to say so I scoot myself closer to him and my head finds a place on his chest. He puts his arm around my shoulders and just for a moment, everything seems alright.
Author's Note: ehHEHEHE HI YAY IM SO HAPPY IM WRITING FANFICTION. I think I'm going to be updating late at night like this all the time because sleeping is for losers and I l0VeE getting the creative juices flowing in the wee hours of the morning.
Also, I've always assumed that Peeta has a very dorky personality, very joke-y and playful before his hijacking. I also love to think that he and Madge were friends. I was really excited to develop that relationship so I hope it came across as girl-next-door-y and not I-have-a-crush-y. Also LOTS OF GADGE NEXT CHAPTER YEEEEEEE