I awaken to the sound of pans knocking into one another and the sizzling of something frying. Which means that Faren, our family Avox, must be cooking a big breakfast for reaping day. I just hope that Father has already gone off to work.
Yawning and stretching, I silently creep over to my ornately decorated dresser and pull open the top drawer, trying to decide what to wear to this year's reaping. Normally I would just throw on the first dress I see, but this year's different. This year is the year that I will become tribute, and hopefully the year where I will become victor, and I want to make a good impression. Impressions are always important when it comes to the Hunger Games.
After a few minutes of decision, I decide to go with a simple navy blue dress that had once been my mother's.
I see the blood rushing down her face, and the tears of pain as she mouths to me, "Go, Andromeda, go."
Snapping back to reality, I quickly slam the drawer shut and pull on the dress. It even smells like her old perfume. Lilac.
I head downstairs, practically floating down the grand staircase, but stop in my track when I see my father seated at the kitchen table, devouring his scrambled eggs. Noticing my arrival, he looks up from his meal and grins that terrifying grin of his. I gulp.
"Morning, Andromeda." He says, not taking off that smirk of his.
I've barely ever been afraid of anything or anyone in my life. Not even my trainer, Calliope, who is one of the most vicious and cruel women that I have ever known. But my father is a whole different story. He terrifies me on a level that I can't even comprehend. Everything about him makes my skin crawl. His menacing grin, his shaved head, his yellowing teeth, his huge muscles. Everything. Every time I see him I feel like crawling back underneath my warm comforter and pretend that he doesn't exist. And that my mother's still alive.
I scream as I watch her. Bleeding. Screaming. I just want it to end. But he doesn't stop, he just continues to cackle as I watch my mother slowly dying.
"Hello, Father." I respond, trying to avoid his unrelenting gaze as I take my seat at the table. Faren immediately piles my plate high with toast and sausage. All of the sudden I'm not all that hungry, but I eat anyways just to distract myself from my father. Just his simple presence at the kitchen table chills me to the very core.
We continue to sit in silence until I've finished my meal. The reaping is in only a few hours, and I desperately want to get away from my father.
As I begin to head for the door, he springs up from his chair and grabs my arm roughly. I try not to shake, knowing that fear only makes him stronger.
"Good luck." He whispers into my ear and lets me go. It's just like him to try to break me on the day of the reaping, but I won't give him the satisfaction.
Feeling slightly cocky at the moment and knowing this would be one of my last moments with my father, I simply say to him, "I don't need it."
And with that, I walk out the front door and head off to the main square of District 2 in pursuit of Helena.
…...
I spot Star Mankard first, in a flowery pink dress next to the cosmetics store. Although extremely annoying and a bit slutty, it is almost impossible for me to hate her. She's just too... nice, and sometimes I can't stand how the boys of District 2 take advantage of how naive and sweet she is. She's always been a "people pleaser".
She notices me and waves me over, where I see she's examining two different colors of shiny lip gloss from the Capitol.
"You look beautiful, Andromeda." She says, giving a flip of her straight black hair.
I know she's just flattering me, but I thank her anyway. "Thanks, Star. You too."
She smiles down at me. She's already four inches taller than me, but the three inch heels that she's wearing make her even taller.
She immediately shoves the lip glosses in front of my faces. "Do you think I'd look good in Rose Red or Forsythia Yellow?"
Although I honestly couldn't care less, I answer her anyway. "Definitely Rose Red."
I begin to scan the crowds of people for Helena. I know that she has to be here. She always comes to the square in the morning to meet me.
I soon spot her over by a small plant shop, examining a bouquet of purple and yellow flowers and talking to a boy that I don't recognize.
"I'll catch up with you later, Star." I say, walking away before she can even reply.
I jog up to Helena, who's wearing a frilly yellow dress. She smiles brightly when she sees me.
"Hey, Andy." She says and pulls me into a hug. Even though I am trained and she has the strength of an eleven year old girl, Helena is still much bigger than I am. She's about six feet tall and is one of the tallest girls in District 2.
"Hey, Helena." I say to her, smiling back.
I notice the boy looking me up and down. He seems kind of familiar and I try to put a name to his face. He has short, dark blonde hair and is almost a foot taller than me. He's well-built and I can easily tell that he's trained.
"Andy, this is Cato. He's one of my father's students. He's volunteering this year." Helena says, probably noticing my confused glances.
Helena's father is one of the District's most respected and most unattainable trainers, so Cato has to be pretty skilled for Helena's father to accept him.
"Pleased to meet you, Andy." Cato says, smirking. There's an almost evil glint in his eye that makes me nervous.
"It's Andromeda." I say in an annoyed tone. Helena is the only person that I allow to call me that.
He just continues to smirk, which kind of pisses me off, but I don't let it show for Helena's sake. Today might be the last day that I see Helena, and I'm not going to let my temper get the best of me.
"Helena?" I say, turning towards her. "I need to talk to you about something." Then, glancing at Cato, I say. "Alone."
He gets the message and begins to walk away. "Bye, Helena. Bye, Andy."
I swear that if Helena wasn't there I would've smacked that stupid grin off of his face.
"What's wrong?" Helena asks, and I can see a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Helena, I need to talk to you about something... serious." I say, gulping nervously. I desperately hope that she won't get upset with me. I don't want my last moments with her to be like that.
Her face begins to pale, bringing out the red in her strawberry blonde hair. "What is it, Andy?"
My eyes look around the square nervously. "Helena, if I d-d-die in that arena, do you swear that you'll move on?"
I know it's a tough question, but I need to know this before I volunteer. I don't want to leave knowing that I'm tearing my best friend apart.
She looks down at the floor for a second, and I can see a small tear rolling over her nose. I hate doing this to her, but it's important.
"I mean, I know you'll be depressed, but do you promise me that you'll move on?" I say, putting a hand on her now slightly shaky shoulder.
She nods slowly, and I quickly pull her into a hug. It takes all of my strength to not cry along with her.
The last thing I see before Helena and I leave the shop is Cato grinning at me. I make a note to kill him first if we end up in the arena together.