District 2 Reaping

Breccia Malcor, District 2

Life in District 2 hasn't been the easiest since the rebellion came to an end. Whether they were for the districts or for the Capitol, basically everyone around here was involved in the battle. We lost the most citizens out of every district, aside from 13, to my knowledge. To top it off, we were recently appointed the district responsible for training Peackeepers. Everyone ages eighteen to twenty-four were drafted into the force and dispersed among the districts, men and women alike. Add this all together, and you basically get a ghost town.

The people who are still here don't like me very much. Or my family. Or my partner in crime, Felix. We fought for the Capitol, having killed dozens upon dozens of our own neighbors. We're pretty much resented by half of the district.

But I don't really care. I never liked these people anyway. I had no problem killing my own sister, so why should I feel bad about killing anyone else?

Felix is really the only person I talk to anymore. He's seventeen now, meaning next year he'll be forced into Peacekeeper training. Then in two years, I'll be next. No one's sure just how long the Capitol is going to keep this rule in place.

Today is the day of the reaping. I'm still not entirely sure what it's all about, but apparently we're being entered in some sort of game that involves competing against the other districts. I really couldn't care less about it, but attendance to the ceremony is mandatory, so I have to be there.

Three knocks on Felix's door and I hear the familiar sound of his feet rushing down the steps to greet me. He pulls open the door and of course, he has to be shirtless.

"God, Felix," I complain. "Put some clothes on."

He smiles wickedly at me and flexes every muscle in his body. "Why? Do you find this…" He winks. "Distracting?" I roll my eyes and guess that he must have just gotten out of the shower. His dark hair is damp and messy and his body has small spots of precipitation all over. He has on a pair of jeans that hang low on his torso, just touching the bottom of his abdomen.

"Let me grab a shirt," he says suddenly. "I'll be out in a minute."

He disappears before I can stop him. I would never admit it to him - or anyone for that matter - but I would've loved for him to stand there for a few more seconds. If anyone found out, I would kill them, but when I'm with Felix, I feel like my heart beats a little faster. It's as if I had just chugged three cups of coffee.

But I do not have a crush on him. I would never. He's my best friend, my fellow soldier. I have no interest in romance.

Still, that doesn't mean I can't acknowledge that he's attractive, right?

"Ready?"

I almost have a heart attack as he returns,startling me as he closes the door behind him. He's slipped into sneakers and a tight, dark green T-shirt. I pull my eyes off his chest and snap out of my daze. "Let's go," I agree with a nod.

We step off his porch and head toward the town square, where the reaping is to be held. As we walk, we get glares from most people we meet, but I can assure you that from the looks we give them, they'll never think of staring at us like that again.

We move in silence for a bit before Felix speaks up. "Look at that." I gaze at where he's pointing and notice a dark blue van parked outside a run-down house. Cars are a rarity here in District 2, especially after the war. Our streets and a good fraction of the buildings are in horrible condition. Most people wouldn't even own a car, so what was it doing here?

"The side," Felix continues, and I see what he means. There's bold red print on the side of the van.

"Aeron Broadcasting Installation Unit," I read aloud. "What are they installing?

"Broadcasting," Felix repeats. "A television."

I examine the house a second time. It looks like they can't even afford new windows (the current ones are on the verge of shattering), how can they be spending money on a television?

Seemingly reading my mind, Felix says, "I think it has something to do with the Hunger Games. You think they're forcing people to watch?"

I chuckle, assuming he's making some sort of joke as we continue to walk once again. "Seriously? Why would they be forcing people to watch? This whole thing is stupid."

Felix shrugs, but maintains his serious expression. "I don't know, as a punishment? Consequences for fighting back during the rebellion?"

"That's ridiculous. Watching some dumb competition isn't going to teach anyone anything."

Felix stops walking. We've almost reached the square, so I guess he figures we have some time to spare. "You really don't know what the Hunger Games are all about, do you? Weren't you watching that TV special the other day?"

"No."

Rolling his eyes, Felix says, "The Hunger Games are a competition put together to remind us that the Capitol is in control at all times. All kids ages twelve to eighteen have the chance of being selected to compete against the other districts in a fight to the death. The last one alive wins."

My face lights up. "You know, that sounds considerably less stupid."

Felix laughs. "I know. Dangerous though. The tributes would have to take extreme caution and not get caught off guard. Victory gets you the glory and riches, but losing would cost you your life."

I glance around at the barren streets. "We're pretty short on teenagers here. What do you think the odds are of us getting picked?"

Felix's face drops a bit and he considers this. "Likely I guess. We're two of what, a hundred maybe? Less?"

"Not sure." I ponder this for a moment. Getting selected to compete would be cool. But what if Felix is chosen as well? It would be just like the times in the war, except one of us wouldn't make it in the end.

"Come on," Felix insists, nudging my arm. "We'll be late if we wait any longer."

Apparently he's right. As we arrive at the square, the ceremony is in full swing. Our pathetic amount of inhabitants are gathered just in front of the stage. Looking around, there seems to be about two Peacekeepers for every citizen present. That thought is sort of unsettling. Most of them are probably former residents of District 2, but a good handful must consist of some brutes from the Capitol.

The area is lamely decorated with silver ribbon and a few posters. A clump of balloons is tied down at the back of the stage and one seems to have gotten loose. A young boy is darting through the crowd trying to catch it before it can get away. Our mayor stands in front of a microphone and is explaining the procedure of the Games and the reaping as we find a spot in the middle of the crowd to watch.

"And so it was decided that two children, a boy and a girl, will be sent to the Capitol every year to compete against the other districts for fame, glory, and honor." He looks nervous and is obviously reciting a speech written for him by the Capitol. "Today, we select the two individuals that will be sent forth under the title of District 2's tributes. The names of the lucky young man and woman are located somewhere in these two baskets." He gestures to the baskets, which are sitting on a table to the side. I hadn't noticed them when we arrived, but they're filled with about fifty slips of paper each, it looks like, though it's hard to estimate from the ground. "Shall we select our competitors?"

The mayor makes his way over to the table and takes a moment to decide which basket he wants to reach out of first. "We'll start with the boys," he declares, shuffling around the names in the basket to the left. He studies them carefully before grabbing one and opening it slowly. "And our male tribute is...Felix Kory!"

There's a half-hearted applause from the audience and I think I can make out the encouraging shouts of Felix's mother from the back of the audience. I look at him, unsure whether to be concerned or proud, and the look of shock on his face doesn't help me make my decision. After a second, he smiles weakly and I notice an optimistic sort of look flash over his eyes. "Hey," he whispers, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze. "Maybe I'll finally do something Paloma can't." He winks and makes his way through the crowd, away from me.

I know what he means. Paloma is his younger half-sister. His dad always seemed to think she was the best at whatever she did and that Felix's accomplishments were mediocre compared to hers. Maybe Felix can impress even his father with competing in the Games.

I'm sort of disappointed. I think I wanted to be chosen for a second, get back on the battlefield or something, but now that Felix is going in, I can't wish for that, because that would mean having to kill him. And I can't do that.

"Thank you for your bravery, Felix," the mayor says as they shake hands. Felix wears a proud smile on his face, winning over the crowd I'm sure. I bet he'll have plenty of fans rooting for him throughout this thing.

"Now, for the girl," the mayor continues, sliding behind the second basket. Felix watches in anticipation as the name is selected, probably curious as to who his competition will be. "Breccia Malcor!"

I freeze. That's my name.

Felix immediately looks out across the audience and makes eye contact with me, a terrified expression taking over his previously confident face.

The applause around me washes out my thoughts, but one thing is clearly put together in my brain. Felix and I can't both make it out of this alive.

One of us has to die.

A/N: What do you guys think? I'm not sure how I feel about ending the chapter before she even makes it to the stage, but I figured I'd change it up a little. Leave your feedback in the reviews! District 3's reaping is coming up soon, so look out for that!

- Connor