I wake up with my oldest brother Robert shaking me. Robert has the same blue eyes and curly blonde hair as I do; my other older brother Rye has brown hair and green eyes like my mother. Rye is like my mother all the way around. He has a cold heart but is affectionate in a way. Robert and I are like my father we are true and whole hearted, we have feelings and know not to abuse them. I look up at Robert I can see the crease form on his forehead and his eyes are filled with worry. I give him a questioning look until I realize there's sweat running down my face, my eyes formed with newly formed tears and my throat hurts like you wouldn't believe. I must've woke him up with my screaming.
I finish explaining my nightmare about the girl from the Seam and how the Careers got to her and there was no way I could save her. Just explaining it make my eyes burn with tears just one week till the Reaping. She'll be safe and I'll be safe and after the reaping I'll confess my feelings to her. About how I've loved her since I was five years old and saw her in the red plaid dress with her hair in two braids instead on one. Oh, what a weight would be lifted off my shoulders and hopefully, just hopefully she feels the same, but I doubt that. Why would such a perfect girl like Katniss fall for an imperfect guy like me? The scars on my hands from the bread oven are just an example. Yes, I may be strong but my messy hair and my ugly blue eyes are just a few more things about me that disgust even myself.
WACK! I turn around to see my brother Rye smack me in the back of the head. Leave it up to Rye or my mother to whip me in to shape.
I start work early 7:00 on the dot, my mom told me I'd be working till about eight tonight. We have to prepare bread and cakes before the reaping. The people who don't have their children snatched away from them celebrate with one of our decorated cakes or our fresh, hot, steamy bread. Wow! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. I remember poor Gary and Flora Gerbing, their son had just turned twelve, and his birthday was the day of the reaping. They had bought a cake ahead of time planning to celebrate his birthday after the reaping. His parents even bought him a new bike, which was a capitol specialty thy must have saved up for years for. He was horrified as was everyone else. I see Effie Trinket with her blue wig and green attire with her normal white makeup and teal eye shadow and matching lipstick, leave it to Effie to have the weirdest outfits. Apparently to the capitol she had one of the best styles, people actually tried to model her look!
"Ladies first!" She rolls her hand in the girls bowl and pulls out a slip of paper, somebody life was going to be taken away in three, two, and one.
"Violet Alberry" A teenaged girl probably fifteen walked up. She had black hair that resembled the night sky, dark green eyes that where filled with horror and she was thin, unremarkably thin, and unnatural actually. I was so distracted examining Violet I forgot about the boys.
"George Gerbing" Oh no, not him please don't be him! Then I see the red haired brown eyed boy, the red hair from his mother and the dark brown eyes from his father. He was young but you could see his body was like his fathers, strong. He had a round face like his father but his features he got from his mother, the small nose, the big round flashy like eyes, and his small pink lips. What a perfect boy, what a life gone to waste! After the reaping his parents went into denial, watched the games and cheered like their son wasn't in them. Until he died. He set a fire and he attracted the careers. He died a slow death and painful it was. His parents got depressed, then went crazy and now they never come out of the house. Poor family.
I hear a knock on the back door and figure it's the hunters; they only use the back door unless it's during the day. It's Gale? What about Katniss? Then it hits me like my brother hits me in the back in the head the fight! What did her do to her? He obviously hurt her bad but why? They are supposed to be best friends! I can feel my blood boil.
"What did you do to her?" I ask well somewhat yelled. The look he gave me was priceless he was knowing but confused, angry but calm, he knew what I meant.
"Why do you want to know? All you are is a nosey merchant boy who has no idea what the real world is! You get all the food you want and everything you need. You wouldn't last a day in the Seam without crumbling to pieces." So that's what was really on his mind but I still don't know what happened to Katniss but who cares now, I mean I still do but I can't believe he just said that! I don't get what I want! I live off of stale bread and hunters' meat! All the Seam kids think of us like we all think of the capitol. But we don't have all we need we barely get by.
"What do you know about me and my family? I might be a merchant but I still don't live "the good life", I live off the stale bread left over and hunters' meat. We are NOT like the capitol and if that's what you assume you're wrong! Now what did you do to Katniss!"
My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. His eyes filled with anger, his nostrils flaring and his fist clenched was just a sign that he was also hurt by what happened.
"Nothing that concerns you Merchant Brat!" That was it the last line, I tried to be rational but he didn't! He assumes I'm some spoiled capitol-like child who lives like royalty, well I'm not and I will not take it any longer! Before I knew it I punched him in his face just missing his jaw bone. I give him credit for a Seam boy he is strong. His jaw hurt my hand a little but not enough to stop what I started. He reached up and tried to hit my left side of my face and I ducked just missed but then he went for my right and that's when he got me right in the temple. My vision went blurry for a minute but then I remember what I was doing. Before I knew it I was on top of Gale throwing punches every chance I got until I heard the unmistakable voice of the girl with the braid.
"STOP! STOP! What are you two doing?!" She pulled us apart and I could see the confusion in her usually emotion less face. But I can always see emotion through her walls she puts up. She refuses to let anyone in but Gale, His family and her own.
"What did he do to you?" I finally ask after a couple moments of unbearable silence. She looks me dead in the eyes; I can tell she's examining me which make me feel self-cautious. Then it hits me, I remember one night it was rainy and around summer time. It was after Katniss's dad had died in the mining explosion. My mom was yelling and I heard a thump, then a seen it Katniss was standing outside behind a tree she had just come from the dumpster. I was baking bread and lowered the two loaves into the fire to burn not all of it but just the edges. My mom saw the burned bread and slapped me across the face. She told me to feed it to the pigs. I tore off some and threw it to the pigs until my mom was out of sight then I threw it to Katniss. I ran inside hoping my mom didn't see, luckily she didn't.
"Nothing its fine, I promise." She and Gale then walked away. Her voice was cracked and her eyes filled with unshed tears. If only I could hold her and tell her it'll be alright. I just wish...