Hello Readers of Fanfiction.
I want to thank you simply because you are reading this.
This is my first 'Hunger Games' story, so wish me luck :D
Disclaimer: I do not own the rules or concepts of 'The Hunger Games,'
ForeverPotter17
Eric's POV:
The reaping.
It's the worst day ever.
First, you have to wear nice clothes, and I mean, what dude want's to wear nerdy pants and a dress shirt?
That's besides the point.
I was helping my father down at the lake, early in the morning, and suddenly he turned around.
"Son, I need to tell you something," he said.
I cast my pole and looked out onto the surface of the lake, watching as the early morning fog rolled down the bank.
"Your mother and I are having some difficulties, and…we've decided to separate," he told me.
I looked at him.
My dad has sandy blonde hair, and eyes that match the ocean. People say I looked just like him, and he got a lot of attention from women, so I took it as a complement.
The only difference is that I would never abandon my wife, unlike him.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, sighing as I reeled my line in.
My dad sat on the rock next to me.
"I haven't been happy for a long time, and your mother know's that. It's not that we don't love each other, we just don't love each other the same way as before," said my dad.
"Before, as in before me," I said.
I also had a kid brother, but I don't count him.
Sure, it's not really mature for a sixteen year old dude to exclude his little bro from the family, but hey, he's a brat.
"No, son, this has nothing to do with you or your brother. It is all to do with your mother and I," said my dad.
I stared at him.
"It's been coming along for a long time, I know that, but I expected you to get over yourself and actually care whether you are tearing your own family apart," I snapped at him, and then turned my back and headed for the house.
My Uncle lived in the Victors Village, and he let my poor excuse for a family live with him, because we're dirt poor.
I walked into the house to find my mother trying to wrestle my little brother into a tie.
My little brother's name is Michel, and its only his second year being entered into the reaping.
I have my name in four times, and he two, but I know a fifteen year old with eight in, because he signed up for tessera.
My mother gave me a knowing look, and I nodded in her general direction, climbing the stairs and closing the door.
I quickly patted my sandy blonde hair down, and changed into those nerdy pants and a plain white t-shirt.
I inspected myself in the mirror, and I know this sounds conceded, but damn I clean up well.
I then walked downstairs and followed my mother out of the door.
Page's POV:
You would think that after sixteen years of living in District 4, that I would be good at navigating my way from the butchers to my home, but you would be thinking wrong.
My name is Page.
The reaping is today.
I walked into my house after waving awkwardly to Old Bill, who was sitting on a rocking chair in his underwear, and then closed the door.
Old Bill was always a bit out there, but once he hit seventy, his mind might as well have never been there.
He had once mistaken my little sister for a chicken.
I have two little sisters, and an older brother.
My littlest sister, Ashen, is only four, my other little sisters name is Ashley, she is ten, and my older brother is eighteen, and his name is Nathanial.
Nathan look's like an exact replica of my father, who we do not speak of.
When I was ten, my father walked out on us, and I had learned that it was because of how mad my mom got at him while she was pregnant.
If he can't handle a pregnant women, then I can't handle speaking of him.
Simple as that.
My brother has always looked out for us, and today is his last day of entry for the reaping, because he's turning of age, which means that he wont be entered into the Hunger Games next year.
My mom owns a restaurant, and we've always been able to get by, so we only have our names the required amount for our age.
It's only Nathan and I who can enter.
As soon as I walked in, Nathan handed me a roll of bread and told me to go get a bath.
I scrubbed the smell of salt off of my skin (I had just finished swimming and untangling nets from ships and animals, which was my job) and then slipped into the very same dress I wore last year, a peach simple dress, which was a bit too tight due to the fact that I had worn it for three years in a row now.
My mother insisted on coming, but if she did, she would have to bring the girls.
For some reason, my mother decided that now was the right year to take Ashen and Ashlyn to the reaping, no matter how many times Nathan and I protested.
We didn't want the young girls to be experienced to this type of horror, but my mother insisted that they needed to be aware of the danger.
Nathan and I headed down to the square, which was where the District 4 reaping's were held, and I noticed that Nathan's shoulders were hunched, as if the weight of the world were weighing him down.
He wore simple loose fitting black pants, and a navy blue shirt, and his hair was gelled.
Once we got into the line up, I spotted my mother guiding my two sisters to the fifth row.
Let the games begin.
Eric's POV:
I walked with my little brother to the square.
My mom had finally gotten the tie around his neck, and he was still tugging on it.
"You know, you should really listen to her," I said.
"Oh please," said my brother with an eye roll, "Just because you're the good son, you have to give me lectures,"
"No I don't, it's because you're my brother that I have to give you lectures, Einstein," I say,
We then walk in silence.
"Hey, Eric," whispered Michel.
"What?" I ask.
"I'm scared," he admitted.
I turned to him, and got on one knee.
"There is nothing to worry about. We're both safe, and nothing will happen to us, okay?" I reassure him.
He simply nods.
I get in the sixteen year group, and spot my long time friend and admitted secret crush, Page, waving to me, with a smile that would make any man swoon.
I swear, every single time I spot her, my heart stops for a couple of seconds.
Page has sun blonde hair, and bright, bright, blue eyes, and almost every single boy in our class has asked her out at least once.
I wave back, a big goofy smile on my face, and she turns away, smiling.
Just then, a guy with purple hair jumps onto the stage, and announces that his name is "Claudius" and that he was going to be our new escort.
"Let's find out who will represent District 4 in the 68th Hunger Games! You know, this year, I'm going to change it up a bit," said Claudius, after we were forced to watch some stupid clip about the rebellion that nobody wants to see.
"I'm going to call gentlemen first," he said.
Oh, what a daredevil.
Claudius walks over to a giant glass bowl which they keep the names in, and then he plucks the very first one on the top.
He holds it up for the audience to see, and then calls out the poor saps name.
"Eric Farlen," he said.
I feel bad for whoever-
Oh god wait.
That's my name!My heart suddenly lurches, and I see peacekeepers making their way to me.
I send a look to Page, as see that she is horrified.
I am let to the stage by a couple peacekeepers, and I climb the stairs, with a expressionless face.
Some one will volunteer.
Here in District 4, we get a volunteer every couple of years.
I guess this wasn't one of them.
"Alright, moving onto the girls," said Claudius.
He plucked a name from the middle, and held it up, once more before stopping my heart.
"Page Whiterun," he read.
NO!
Pages POV:
I couldn't believe was Eric's name that was pulled out by that purple haired weirdo!
I caught his eye and he looked frightened. For Eric to look scared in any way was a stretch, but terrified?
Eric straightened his face and it would have occurred to most people expressionless, but I knew Eric was horrified, and I couldn't have looked much better.
Eric and I had been friends since we were born, because our mothers were best friends.
I had always considered Eric my best friend, no matter how much I actually loved him.
I did not just tell you that!
Whatever, find, you caught me, I like Eric. Way more than I should!
Whenever I see those sparking ocean blue eyes, I melt just a little bit inside. But he only see's me as his friend, that much I know.
I am barley paying attention to Claudius, due to the fact that I am staring at Eric, when I hear,
"Page Whiterun."
That's my name!
My eyes snap back onto Claudius, who is smiling out into the crowd.
"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour," he said.
I stepped up to the stage and gulped as I saw Eric's expression.
His expression had went back to horror.
I stepped right next to him, and he pulled me into his arms while I sobbed.
It couldn't be me! It just couldn't!
Claudius pulled us apart, still smiling.
I glanced up through my tears and saw my mother was sobbing.
"Why is sissy crying, mama?" asked Ashen.
My brother looked pissed off.
I didn't catch what Claudius had said until he was ushering us forward into the Justice Building.
Eric's POV:
I sat on the couch in the waiting room, and had my fists clenched.
Those stupid peacekeepers separated Page and I, just when she needed me the most.
My heart just broke seeing her sob like that.
Just as I was about to open the door to tell off the peacekeepers, my family entered.
My mother and father pulled me into a giant hug.
My mother was sobbing, and even my father was crying. He never cry's.
In fact, I'm fighting back tears myself as soon as my brother hands me a necklace.
It's leather, and has a sea shell hanging in the middle.
"I made this for you," he said, "It's your token."
I looked at him for a moment before pulling him into a giant hug.
"I had this horrible feeling and then I made it for you," said Michel.
"Thanks Michel," I say.
"Don't die, okay?" said Michel. I nod.
"I wont," I say.
He and I both know I won't make it out, but I think he needed to hear it.
Pages POV:
I hardly pay attention as Claudius led me forward and into a car.
I sat right next to Eric, and he held my hand as I cried.
We both couldn't be going in! He was my friend! I loved him!
And I might have to kill him.
I couldn't do it. I could not kill Eric.
I would just have to try and save both of us, and then hope a miracle happens.
I had shed a bunch of tears while I was saying goodbye to my family, and I needed to keep it together.
I twirled the ring on my finger. My mother had given me her wedding ring as a token, and I wasn't keen to let it out of my sight.
As I stepped out of the car, knowing I was live on every camera, I couldn't hide the fact that I was crying.
Eric grabbed my hand and the audience that was waiting outside the train went crazy.
Claudius guided me by the hand into the big silvery train, and as he closed the doors, I got the last glimpse of District 4 that I would get in a while.
"Isn't this exciting?" Claudius said in a bored voice.
I turned just in time to see him take off his purple wig and throw it on the floor.
"I hate wearing those stupid wigs!" he yelled.
I turned to him in shock.
"I thought you were a capitolite! What happened to 'Mr. Capitol'?" asked Eric.
Claudius grinned.
"All a show isn't it? By the way, call me Claud," said Claud.
I smiled.
"Thank god, I thought you were one of those 'I want to hump the capitol' kind of people," said Eric, who then sat on a couch.
I sat next to him and then noticed that three people had joined us.
One of them was a girl, who looked about sixty, who had blondish/greyish hair and grey eyes, I recognized her as the previous Victor of the 30th Hunger Games, the man next to her had white hair, and green eyes, and looked to be about 40, and the last was a boy who I recognized as Finnick Odar who had won the Hunger Games four years back.
He still looked like a teenager, and his handsomeness was overwhelming.
He, in my opinion, was second hottest in the room, next to Eric.
"Hi," said the older women, "I'm Mags," she said.
The man next to her grunted. "My name is Gavin," he said, and then walked out.
Mags rolled her eyes.
"Don't worry about him dears, he's just grumpy that I wouldn't let him stay home," she said.
"Okay," Eric and I said together.
"As you know, we are your mentors, and we will be helping you stay alive," said Finnick with a wink in my direction.
Eric caught that.
"As long as you don't congratulate us, I'm game for whatever you people tell me," said Eric.
"Alright," said Mags with a sweat smile.
I sat in silence while Eric and Finnick went back and forth, talking about shelter.
I only half listened, bits about fire and rope and fishing, it all made my head spin, and this whole ordeal more real.
"I'm going to go to bed," I announced.
Eric stood.
"Let me walk you there," he said.
I gave him a tiny smile and then he follow's me down the hallway.
Once we get to a door labelled, 'Female Tribute', I turned and gave him a hug.
He pulled me close and whispered, "Don't worry, you'll be fine," he said.
"I'm worried," I admitted in an unusually small voice.
He pulled away and looked down in my face.
It must have looked terrified, because he smiled comfortingly.
Then, he did something unexpected.
He leaned in, and kissed me.
I felt a swirl of excitement and then, after getting over the shock, I kissed him back.
I don't know how, but suddenly, for the very first time since my stupid name was drawn out of the stupid glass bowl, I wanted to survive, so that I could live happily with Eric.
For the moment, the fact that only one of the two of us could possibly survive, was completely forgotten.
I hope you like this story!
I will be writing this in the Point of View's of both Eric and Page, and maybe I'll do special chapters from the Districts, the Capitol, or the Familes.
I promise, there will be lot's of action!
I created a poll on my profile, and that is where you can vote on which characters shouls win, and you can sponcier Eric or Page and if there are enough sponciers, you can vote on what to sent them.
Chapter 2 up tomorrow!
-ForeverPotter17