A/N: Here's chapter 2. It's not at good as chapter 1, but I promise that as the story goes on, it will get much better! Thank you so much for reading! Again, feel free to review! I do not own the Hunger Games. I'm just a huge fan! Enjoy!
Chapter 2-
"Primrose Everdeen," Effie Trinket's voice was filled with too much enthusiasm as she called the twelve year old girl's name. From the crowd you could hear the grumbles of the few people of the district who took bets on whose name was going to be call. Nobody likes when a twelve year old is called. It's just unfair. Everyone except for the Capital knows that. As Prim starts to walk up to the stage, I look over that Katniss. I wonder if she's breathing or not. Prim is everything to her. Everyone knows that. Even I know that, and she doesn't even speak to me.
Prim is almost at the stage when Katniss pushes out from the crowd of girls. She places herself in front of her younger sister, and she says what I both dreaded and knew she was going to say.
"I volunteer!" Her voice is desperate and frantic. Afraid that she wasn't heard she repeats herself, in a calmer, but equally as desperate way. "I volunteer as tribute." That was the moment my heart sank. I had to swallow to keep from throwing up. My mind is racing. I hear Effie Trinket try to make sense of the situation. Under the sound of her voice over the mic, the crowd mutters. Volunteers are very rare in District 12. From what I can remember from the few volunteer situations I've seen on television the rule is that once a boy or a girl is chosen another eligible boy or girl can take their place.
In other districts where children are raised to be a part of the games the volunteer rule can get complicated, but what Katniss did is almost unthinkable in District 12. Effie Trinket goes on about the rules when Mayor Undersee speaks up.
"What does it matter?" Effie looks stunned, but what I am more concerned about is the look in the mayor eyes. He seems hurt. "What does it matter?" his voice is rough when he repeats himself. "Let her come forward." As soon as Katniss pushes forward to the stage, Prim begins to scream. She's wrapped herself around her older sister.
"No. Katniss! No! You can't go!" Prim's desperate screams can be heard throughout the crowd. Katniss turns her head slightly, making sure not to make eye contact with her sister and seems to say something nobody can hear. Her eyes seem glosser than before. Surely she's holding in her tears, but Katniss has never been one to show weakness. Now is no different than when she just stood there taking my mother's harsh words. Gale steps forward from the crowd as well to pull Prim off of Katniss. Prim's screams just get louder and more intense. Gale gives Katniss one last look before carrying Prim off across the crowd. His eyes are full of fear. Effie Trinket, still overly excited for this whole ordeal, asks Katniss for her name, and after Katniss answers she continues.
"I bet my buttons that was your sister. Don't want her to steal all the glory, do we?" Effie Trinket says with a grin. "Come on, everybody! Let's give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" She raised her arms encouraging us to cheer. Nobody in the crowd clapped, and I felt enraged. It is not a glory being tribute. I wish I could say it out loud. I would if I wasn't biting my lip so hard, trying to stay strong. The silence stuck around longer. How could they clap? Everyone in District 12 either knew Prim, Katniss, or their father personally. Clapping would show approval. Today everyone in District 12 would be grieving for Katniss.
One by one everyone in the crowd put their three middle fingers on their lips. The movement caught throughout the crowd and soon my fingers were on my lips also. In unison, everyone lifted their hands to Katniss. This gesture has long been discouraged to be used. It is a sign usually held during funerals. It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love. Just as the silence came it was taken away by Haymitch. He got up from his chair and stammered to Katniss. He threw his arm around her and continued to shout, "Look at her. Look at this one!" His force seems to be crushing Katniss under his arm. "I like her! Lots of…" He pauses searching for the right word, "Spunk!" As the last word he let go of Katniss and walks to the front of the stage. "More than you!" He's pointing at the cameras while shouting this. "More than you!"
Before Haymitch could continue what he was saying, he falls off the stages and lays in dirt unconscious. All the camera crews focus on him, but I focus my eyes on Katniss. She seems to be shifting. Her face before was braves, but it was also worried and nervous. Not now though. Now she looks cold and hard. Her expression is blank, and she stares off into the distance. I can no longer read her face. As I look away from Katniss, Haymitch is on a stretcher. He is taken away and Effie Trinket starts up again.
"What an exciting day!" She straightens her pink wig and continues. "But more excitement to come! It's time to choose our boy tribute. She trots over to the glass ball and grasps a slip of paper for a second time. Then she walks back over to the mic. She unfolds the piece of paper, and I am not prepared for the name I hear.
"Peeta Mellark." Effie Trinket smiles as she reads off my name. I got deaf. I can see people's lips moving, but I can't hear them. Everyone around me looks at me. They say goodbye with their eyes, and I slowly make my way up to the stage wishing I was as brave as Katniss had been walking up the stage. My heart is beating so loud that I swear everyone can hear it. Katniss' eyes flicker towards me once I am on the stage. I stand there waiting as Effie Trinket asks if there are any volunteers. I look towards Dylan who is in the front row; he catches my eyes and looks away quickly. I knew he wasn't going to volunteer for me, but I was hoping for some kind of encouragement. I look into the crowd and see my father. His hands are in fists, and I probably look the same way as he does right now. Scared. My mother stands next to him. She is emotionless. I've never been her favorite son, and in her eyes I'm the weakest one of her sons. She's expecting me to die, but I still love her.
My heart beat is still loud in my ears, and I don't hear the mayor continue the ceremony. My mind is on the games. One thing I am sure of is that I'm going to die. The second thing I am sure of is I'm going to make sure Katniss survives. She has so much more to come home to than I. Her family needs her. I would just come home to family who barely likes me now except for my father. I'm going to have to let go of him. He'll be proud to watch me protect Katniss.
The mayor finishes the last part of the ceremony and pushes Katniss and I together so we can shake hands. Her hand is in mine, and I never want to let go. Despite how much work she does, they are still soft. I give her hand a squeeze before releasing it. My heart is still beating loudly in my ears as the Panem anthem plays. We turn and walk towards the Justice Building. My mind is focused. I need to get Katniss to trust me, so I can protect her. This will be hard. She'll be expecting me to be trying to kill her. I thought the odds were in my favor and they weren't, but I'll make sure they are in hers.