okay so I have internet on and off woohoo
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Haymitch and I take it upon ourselves to help Katniss train the best she can. Madge joins us aswell, and sometimes so do Livia and Estelle. The rest of my little academy seem to draw away. Maybe they, too, sense that Katniss will be going in and understand that I will pick my sister above whoever goes in alongside her, no matter how awful it will make me feel.
Katniss, of course, is already in a better position to win the Games than I ever was. But sometimes, that means nothing. Thresh should have been able to win, and that didn't happen either.
Magde is easily the fastest runner I've ever met, Livia shows a certain apititude for knife throwing and Estelle has a swift grasp on all things medical.
Every morning we do exercises to strengthen their bodies. We have them run and lift things and stretch their muscles. Every afternoon we work on combat skills, throwing knives, fighting hand to hand; Katniss and I even teach them to climb trees. Gale and Rory teach everyone about snares. Madge brings her dad's Capitol newspapers.
Officially, tributes aren't supposed to train, but no one tries to stop us. Even in regular years, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 show up able to wield spears and swords. This is nothing by comparison.
We try to make out who we already know of the competition. Effie sends me a list of all the possible legacy tributes we know of, which means family of a victor.
Haymitch crosses out some and circles others."They know the victors are the main connection between districts,"he tells me one day as he marks Chaff's niece down as very likely,"Get the rebelling district's victors to fight eachother, communication breaks down entirely. That's why Satin here,"he crosses out Cashmere and Gloss's cousin,"won't go in, I'm sure. Snow thinks he has the Addlington twins in the bag; wouldn't make sense to give them a reason to fight him. Well, another reason."
I nod and add Clove's sister Olive to the list of likely tributes. Her sister's stunt must have bought her a ticket to the Capitol. Plus, her aunt's a victor, and from some of Effie and Haymitch's hints, possibly the rebells' connection in Two after what happened with Clove.
The day of the reaping comes much too soon. It is hot and sultry. The population of District Twelve waits, sweating and silent, in the square with machine guns trained on them.
I sit on stage between Haymitch and Madge's dad.
"They're not even trying to be subtle,"Haymitch snorts next to me. I frown and he indicates the glass balls holding the name slips. I'm so used to there being two I didn't even think about it. With all girls, one should be enough, unless the whole thing is rigged. Which, of course, it is. I guess they could have told the escorts who to call, but then they would have run the risk of them not doing it. I shudder at the thought of Effie getting herself arrested over refusing to read Katniss's name. I stare at the glass balls and then turn back to Haymitch."Sends a message, huh? We're cheating and you know it, but what are you going to do about it?"
He lets out a barking, mirthless laugh. Effie, in her new metallic gold wig, gives me a wide smile that doesn't reach her eyes as she moves over to the microphone.
"Welcome, welcome,"she intones, as usual,"this year we celebrate our third Quarter Quell. Isn't that exciting?"
The "ladies first" dies on her tongue as she looks the sea of faces, girls only, who stare back at her.
Her hand hovers over the first reaping ball and I think no one is surprised when she reads out the name,"Katniss Everdeen."
My sister makes her way onto stage, looking angry and intimidating and very much like someone the Capitolites will want to sponsor. That doesn't make it any easier, though.
After chirping some nonsense she doesn't mean about how lovely it is to have Katniss in the Games, Effie goes to pull the second name.
The little gasp she can't contain and the terrified look she throws over her shoulder lets me know it's bad before she reads the name.
"Margaret Undersee."
I grab the mayor by the arm to keep him from getting up, my heart pounding. It wasn't enough for Snow to target my sister, he had to target my friend, her friend alongside her. I should never have allowed myself to get close to her. I doomed her. But when my eyes find Haymitch, his jaw clenched and his hands balled into shaking fists, I realise this isn't about me. Throwing Maysilee's niece into the Games was all they could do to him, all they could do in hopes of him and me turning on eachother.
Madge gracefully ascend the stage, looking as determind as Katniss but much friendlier. Instead of shaking hands like Effie tells them to, they hug eachother, which prompts Thread to usher us all of stage and Haymitch and me to the station.
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extra special thanks taniaroxx10 who started review not only a lot of this story, but Everbody's Darling too and was super into it all! It made me very happy!