A/N : I'm glad I got some reviews on the prologue and that it was successful. I hope to continue this story and make it as good as I can.
Disclaimer : All these characters belong to the genius Suzanne Collins.
Chapter 1
The breeze was warm like a blanket as it blew over the empty streets of District 12. I knew where everybody was, most likely preparing for the worst day of their lives. Reaping day.
I decided to go for a walk before it began, I had to blow off some steam. Not more than an hour ago, Katniss Everdeen and her stupid bestfriend Gale Hawthorne showed up at my house with strawberries. I have no problem with Katniss, we are friends, I suppose, it's Gale I have a problem with.
He walks around with his chest puffed out and acting like he knows everything about the Capitol and how bad they really are and he doesn't even try to hide his hatred for them or me for that matter.
I am the mayors daughter, so of course I don't live in poverty like most of District 12 does, but it's not my fault. Out of the twelve districts of Panem, we live in the farthest one away from the Capitol, and just so happens to be the one with the highest poverty rate.
Being the mayors daughter I grew up playing and interacting with all the towns kids, who all look the same, we could all be related. Like most of the towns kids I have blonde wavy hair and bright blew eyes, unlike the kids from the seam who usually have dark hair and grey eyes.
The seam is where most of Districts 12 poverty lays. It's where the coal mines are located, if you can't afford to own a business in the town then you are automatically working in the mines and most likely living in one of the small houses near the mines.
I walk there now, to the Seam, and I notice there are no kids playing in the ash covered streets. Everyone was inside, preparing to see if they were the ones who will be chosen to go fight to the death in an arena somewhere in the wilderness for a couple of weeks at the Capitols enjoyment.
The Hunger Games.
The wind blew and my dress ruffled in the wind, and then I heard a pair of footsteps that weren't my own, I turn around to see my least favourite person, Gale.
"Madge Undersee, who would have thought you would be walking the filthy streets of the Seam." He spits on the ground beside him and fixs the collar on his white button up t-shirt, he is dressed in his reaping clothes.
"There's a lot you don't know about me Hawthorn." I straighten my spine as I speak, he smirks and takes a step towards me.
"Yeah, and theres a lot you don't know about the Seam."
I cock my head to the side and reply; "You are right, there is a lot I don't know."
He opens his mouth to say another thing but the whistle from the towns square blows, letting us all know that it is two o'clock, and time for the reaping.
"Good luck Hawthorn." I say, despite the fact I hate his guts, I still wouldn't want him to die.
"May the odds be ever in your favor Undersee." He says in a fake Capitol accent and I smirk.
I walk towards the square alone and I see the sea of people flooding into the square. I see most of the girls from my classes but none of them wave to me, and I could probably care less. I wait inline, a few people behind Katniss and I watch as she blankly stares off towards the direction her little sister is headed. Primrose Everdeen. She was as beautiful and innocent as the flower she was named after. There was not one person in this whole district who could hate her. She has such a kind soul, and giving for a twelve year old girl, and today is her first ever reaping.
Katniss and mine friendship was really quiet, we never really talked about our private lives, we never saw a need to discuss it, but when we did, Prim was usually on our list to talk about, Gale usually stayed off that list because Katniss understood the tension between us.
A few more people signed in and then it was my turn.
"Next." The lady in the white said motioning for my finger. I reached my hand over and she grabbed in the pricked it, I flinched and gasped a bit. A bead of my blood dropped out onto the paper, she held a scanner over it and it made a beeping noise.
"Next." She said sternly, and I walked over to where the other sixteen year old girls stood. I was a few rows behind Katniss and I searched the boys crowd for another friend of mine.
Peeta Mellark.
He was the son of the districts baker, and he was quite the baker himself. Our parents decided when we were young that we should get married, they forced us on a couple of dates and it was only a disaster. We decided to be friends and let our parents think we were going on dates when really, he was trying to get advice to talk to Katniss.
He has had a crush on her for as long as I can remember and I try and urge him to talk to her but he never actually does.
I made eye contact with Peeta, and he gave me a curt nod before looking back to the front, my eyes then met the gaze of Gale. He was staring right at me, no maybe Katniss, I squinted my eyes and looked better, no he was looking at me. I could feel my face grow warm and I stare at my feet.
It wasn't long before people started to come out on the stage. First my father, then some other important people. Effie Trinket, the bubbly capitol representative floats onto the stage with her bright pink wig and her tight skirt and tapped the microphone.
"Welcome, welcome to the 74th annual Hunger Games! We have a special video brought to all the way from the Capitol!" Her accent squeaked across the crowd and I didn't dare watch the screen, it was the same video every time. The video talked about courage and the honour that the victor of killing twenty three other kids would get. Twenty four teens from the ages twelve to eighteen were put into a random draw and somehow this was to help the districts remember that rebelling against the Capitol was the worst thing you could possibly do.
The video ended and Effie just clapped her hands together. A bead of sweat formed at the top of my eyebrow, the hot burning sun was boring down on us.
"I just love that!" She squeals, "Now its time to select one courageous man and woman to represent District 12 in this years annual Hunger Games." She grins at us all and then waddles over to one of the bowls that hold thousands of slips with names on them, four with my name on them. I was lucky, I never had to take out tesserae like most of the kids from the seam, where the Capitol would give you food and necessary living utilities for the exchange of having your name in once more for every person in your house, I only had to have my name in there the mandatory amount for a sixteen year old, four.
Still I might not have a big chance compared to half of the people around me to be getting picked, but there was four chances I could be.
"Ladies first." She says and her hand spins through the papers. My heart raises to my throat and thumps loudly, my palms begin to sweat and I wipe them anxiously on my dress.
She finally picks up a piece of paper that holds the name of the "lucky" girl to be choosen. My breathing picks up at she walks over to the microphone and clears her throat. Effie takes her time unfolding the small slip of paper and I wish she would just get it over with.
Her lips move and the name was rung out all over the square; "Primrose Everdeen." My heart sank to my stomach immediately. It couldn't be Prim, she was so sweet and kind, never did anything wrong to anyone, sweet innocent little Prim.
But it was, Prim made her way to the aisle and I could feel a nagging in my stomach that told me to volunteer for her, to save her life. Before I could even think of anymore there was a scream.
I see girls moving out of there way as Katniss pushes through them, and run to her baby sister.
"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" The crowd goes silent. Prim begins to scream and throws herself at her sister, and a lump forms in my throat.
"Prim, get out of here go find mom, GO!" I hear Katniss yell at her, almost as if Katniss was trying to make herself feel better. Prim screamed and refused until I notice Gale walk out of his place in the crowd and pick her up, despite her efforts, Gale brings Prim to her mother, who is also crying. I watch as Katniss climbs to the stage and tells everyone her name and Effie goes off about how this is all so exciting district 12 has its first volunteer, and thats when Haymitch Abernathy waddles out, very drunkly might I add, onto the stage and grabs the microphone.
"This one is a good one! Shes got alot of hmmm... Spunk!" He decides thats the best word to describe Katniss. He mumbles a few more words before diving, face first off of the stage. Some people chuckle and shake their heads, but a pang of pain hits me in the stomach. See, Haymitch was a mentor for all the contestants in the Hunger Games ever since he won the 50th Hunger Games, the same ones my aunt was in.
Him and my aunt Maysilee had a alliance before they decided to split, and once they did, she was killed by a bird, he stayed with her until she died, until the very end. Sometimes he'll stare at me like I am her and I remind him of her. Once I was walking through the town and I swear, I heard him call me 'May'.
I flash back to reality just as Effie is unfolding the paper to the boys. My heart beats faster, I know that this year I am safe, but still I was frightened.
It only had to be the worst reaping ever as 'Peeta Mellark' rung out. Peeta looked around the square as if this couldn't be happening to him, but it was. It was happening to all of us. I wish I could volunteer for him, to call out and save him like Katniss did for Prim but I couldn't, it wasn't allowed.
Peeta climbed the stage and stood beside Katniss and realization hit me, Peeta was in love with her, and now had to kill her. He could never do it and I know he couldn't but he had to. They shook hands and then were ushered off into the Justice building.
Two of my friends were reaped. Two of them. Only one could come home, and I don't want either of them too. If both of them can't come home, then it will never be the same again. I looked as the crowd dissembled as if nothing was happening, as if district twelve didn't just loose their best hunter or baker. I couldn't believe how selfish they were, they all got to go home free while Katniss and Peeta risk their lives.
I really have no faith in humanity. I walked briskly towards the justice building, to see my friends, maybe for the last time ever. I open the big wooden doors and the secretary looks up at me.
"Ah, Madge here to see your father?" She asks politely.
"Sorry Janet, I am here to see the tributes." Janet nods at my curtly and points to the elevator. The ride up was long, and hard, I see Gale waiting outside of Katniss' room and I stand at Peeta's. We make eye contact instantly but then look away.
"Here to see your boy friend Madge?" Gale sneers I let out a loud huff.
Peeta's father comes out and nods at me and I give him a sad smile. I enter Peeta's room and he looks at me, his blue eyes swimming with tears. I run to him and hug him, I say nothing but I can feel his tears in my shirt.
I usher him over to the couch and we sit down together. We don't say a word to each other, we sit there holding hands with each other until the peace keeper comes in and tells me its time for me to go. I give his hand one last squeeze and stand up.
"Madge?" He asks and I turn around.
"Yes Peeta?" I look at him.
"She's coming home." My heart sunk, he was planning on doing anything to get her home, I would have thought this was what was going to happen.
"I know Peeta." I whispered before walking out of the room. I walk out of the room and at the last minute decide to go into Katniss'. She isn't crying like Peeta, but just staring blankly at the wall, she looks shocked that I am there. I don't give her time to speak, I say all my words fast and jumbled together, I give her tips and then I unpin the pin of my shirt, forcing her to wear it and I make her promise me she will wear it in the arena, she simply nods. I kiss her on the cheek and then leave.
I walk into the elevator and the minute it dings, I stalk past Janet and down the steps into the town square, I see the person that I want to talk to.
"You could have volunteered" I sneered at him and Gale turns around.
"What good what that have done?" He spat at me.
"You could have saved him, and protected her." I screamed at him, advancing towards him and he laughs at me, I am taken aback by his laughter.
"And what Undersee? Died? Maybe have her die?"
I bit my lip and looked around, I knew he was right.
"I don't know, but you could have done something." I blamed him for this.
"Madge, I couldn't leave my family like that." And my ears grew hot. I forgot he lost his dad in the mining accident, he was the only care giver for his family of five.
"Still you could have done something instead of letting them both die like this!" I yelled my eyes filled with tears.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save your little boy friend." He sneered and I smirked.
"You're an asshole Hawthorne."
"So be it then, she can do this and she will come back, without your little baker boy." I walked straight up to him and shoved him.
"He is not my little baker boy for your information, we are just friends."
"That's not what your parents think."
"Our parents don't know anything." He smirks again and crosses his arms. "You have no idea."
"And you have an idea about me?" He yells at me.
"I don't, and I don't want too." I turn to walk away but he calls after me.
"I don't believe you Undersee."
I look back at him, "Believe what?"
"That you don't want to know me." He gives me a sly smile.
I shake my head and turn back around and walk towards the town, calling after me. "Don't be too sure Hawthorne."