Hahaha, glad you guys liked Kristina and Nahla.

Chapter 27

My heart beats rapidly. President Snow won't tell me my punishment, he's dragging this out. If Prim's dead… well if Prim's dead, I am too. He continues to stare at me. I watch his mouth in anticipation. The lips part, "Finnick, are you familiar with the Hunger games?"

I feel slightly relieved. I know that for the time being, Prim is alive. "Yes sir, both my parents were victors of those games."

He gives me an annoyed smile, "Yes I'm aware. As your punishment we are bringing those games back. We will have a boy and a girl from each district compete in these games."

I look down in sorrow, "So you'll have me and any other trouble makers be the contestants."

I look up to see him smiling darkly, "Oh there's no saying who will be reaped." He says this but it's apparent to me that he knows every person he's going to send into these games. I hold back a cough. I know if I let it escape, I will scream. President Snow nods to the door, "You may go."

I get up and leave. I close the door quietly behind me. I shove my hands deep into my pockets and begin walking the streets. I keep walking even though I have no idea where I am going.

I look up from my feet to see that I am standing at the District's edge. I stare at the new electric fence the Capitol has put up. I stare into the woods on the other side.

This is the same forest that I first kissed Prim in. It's the same place we played hide 'n seek. I think of the game. "I heard that they invented it a long time ago to prepare kids for the Hunger Games." Prim's words ring through my head. That game scared me to death, how will I deal with the real thing?

This place brings up painful memories so I leave. I start walking again. Subconsciously I find myself at the abandoned train station. Was it really so long ago that Prim and I walked here every Friday to be taken to the Capitol? I never thought I'd say it, but I miss those days. Even if I did have work, life was so much simpler then.

I return to walking the streets. I arrive at the community center. I laugh at Prim's hatred for this place. When I walk again, I arrive home.

We haven't had television since the Capitol took over. Still, I turn it on out of habit. To my surprise, there's a signal. It's President Snow. He announces that everyone must report to the town center on Friday, May 29th. I frown, that's one week from today. I basically am being told I have one week until my death sentence.

The weekend consists of me sulking around my house sadly. In the late afternoon on Sunday there is a knock on my door. I answer it. I look at the petite figure in front of me in confusion. Without me saying anything, the girl allows herself into my house. I close the door behind her and stare at her. She brushes a straight dark lock out of her eyes. "Nahla what are you doing here? Where's Kristina?"

"Kristina? Yeah, she's one of my best friends, but that doesn't mean I have to do everything with her."

I nod, "Yeah, that makes sense but you never said why you were here."

She bites her lip nervously, "I've heard some rumors about you. And honestly, I just wanted clarification so I can call people dirty liars for saying stuff like that." She smiles brightly.

I scratch my head, "Well what are they saying?"

She opens my fridge and bites on an apple. "They're actually saying your purity ring is a lie and you're a whore."

I stand there in silence.

"It's just a rumor right?"

I stay silent.

She chokes on a bite of apple and coughs, "Oh my gosh, it's not, is it?"

I shake my head, "How did people find out?"

Her eyes grow wide almost in fright. I repeat my question. "Well, it does have something to do with why I'm not with Kristina right now."

"She told everyone? How'd she find out?"

She shrugs her shoulders, "Kristina has a weird sixth sense about stuff like that. She gets stuff out of people even if they don't say anything. I think it was when you were fingering your ring."

I can only let a small, "Oh." Escape my lips.

"I can still tell people off when they say that kind of stuff about you. I already told three girls, Kristina included, that they need to keep their overly sized noses out of other peoples business."

I laugh, "What did she do?"

Nahla shrugs, "What do you think? She called me stupid, rude, and then I walked away before she could finish."

I laugh. Nahla looks really uncomfortable, "What's wrong?"

"I feel really bad. I wouldn't have come here if I knew it was true. I just thought you'd get a kick out of what people make up about others sometimes."

I shake my head, "No it's fine. Really, it's nothing compared to what I've been through."

"So is that how you were associated with the Capitol?"

I sit down at the kitchen table and she follows. I hardly know her, but I still tell her everything about me. I explain how all the victor's children and a few others who were found attractive enough, had to work by entertaining capitol residents. I tell her how we ran away to protect Prim from Josh. I tell her about Jessica and Maple. I tell her of how I wanted to wait until we were married with Prim. I flat out tell her everything. I stop for a second, "To be honest, I'm surprised you were never called. You must have been low enough under the radar."

She laughs sweetly, "Yeah, well by the way you describe it, I'm glad I was never called." She laughs again, "A Yodeler?" she laughs again. I laugh with her. She stops. "So is that why they sent her away, is that your punishment for running away?"

"No."

"Then what is?"

"Did you hear the announcement today?"

"To meet at the town center next Friday? Yeah why?"

"They're starting the hunger games back up and the reapings are fixed so I'll be a contestant."

Her mouth falls open, "Oh my gosh, that's awful. What are you going to do?"

I hear static. I listen carefully to where it came from. "Nick?"

"Shh, just a second, I hear something." I follow the sound to my home's phone. I take the covering off and see the little electronic recorder. My home had been bugged. "Oh no." I say.

"What, what is it?"

"I just fixed your reaping."

:O uh oh.