POV District 4 Mekyl Clugar
"This'll be fun, won't it?" I said as I walked out into the kitchen, my sister sitting at the table.
She smiled and nodded at me. "Every year," She agreed before throwing a walnut at the back of my head.
"So very nice," I mocked. "Where's mom and dad anyway? We need to get going don't we? What time is it?"
"Calm down!" She said, sounding exasperated, and she rolled her eyes when I glanced at her. "They went out to talk to the neighbors. I was sent in to get you."
"Oh, well this is a good idea, sitting down to lunch and waiting for me," I retorted. "Think you can draw me out like a bear? What would you have done if I never came out?" I pointed out, heading towards the door.
"I didn't think I'd bother walking into a fish net," Kinche replied, getting up and following me out to meet our parents. "I know you, Mekyl. There is no way you'd be late to the Reaping."
She had a point there. I had been excited about the Reaping even before I could get in them. I can remember talking about the Hunger Games the entire time I was learning to fish with Kinche. And then Kinche pushed me in the water afterwards. "Let's go," My mother said once she saw the two of us. I kicked along behind them for a while, kicking up so many rocks that Kinche shoved me after a while. And I stumbled right into a different family.
"Watch where you're going!" The oldest girl snapped at me.
Our parents had disappeared into the growing crowd, but Kinche stepped over beside me. "Need any assistance?" She asked, giving a look to the girl.
"No," I told her, glancing back to the girl. "I'm just fine."
"Whatever you say," She said before hurrying off, probably to find our parents.
"I'm Mekyl," I said, offering my hand to her. She just glared at me.
She had too little sisters scampering behind her, who heard my greeting. "My name's Seras!" The twelve-year-old girl said, pushing her way between the two of us. Seras looked like a mini version of her sister - long blond hair, pale blue eyes.
"And I'm Aledy!" The eight-year-old girl was almost the complete opposite, with dark brown hair and eyes.
"Well hello," I said with a smile.
"I think you're sister is trying to get your attention," The girl said, staring straight ahead. I saw Kinche standing by the lines of other kids waiting for the reaping, waving her hand back at me. "Sisters should stay together."
"Eh, you can catch up with you later. It would assume that your twelve, but I don't want to die to one, so you can say 'Hi' to Kinche with the other sixteen-year-olds, I'll be sure to have her stalk you," I said with a smirk before disappearing into the crowd. I could almost feel her trying to pull my hair out before I got away. "Hey," I greeted as I jogged up to meet her.
"Have fun getting stabbed, because that's what it looked like she was about to do," Kinche commented as she got into the line behind me.
"More than you could know," I replied with a smile.
After that we were silent. We were the last two in line, and I had to jump over to the other line so they could stab us and we could be off faster. We both had to run to our sections and duck under the ropes. Drik Maneso, District 4's escort, had already started playing the Dark Days video, giving the two of a glare before turning back to the video. "Well, now that everybody's here," he said, giving a poisonous glance at the two of us, remember exactly where the latecomers were standing. "We're going to pick the names of the tributes that will representing District 4 in the fourth Quarter Quell."
The stumpy man was wearing a teal and orange suit, and he had dark brown hair that was clearly a wig. He had tall shoes on, though probably if he was barefooted he'd have to get on his tiptoes to reach in the bowl. He dug to the very bottom of the bowl, and he had to brush some of the slips out of the cuffs of his sleeves back into the bowl. He carefully made his way back to the microphone, trying not to fall in his high heel shoes. "Poldra Umenvor."
I glanced towards the girls, expecting to see Kinche either shrug or volunteer, as we do every year when we don't get picked. But she was focused on the girl passing her to get to the stage. She kept he head down low, but I recognized her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. It was the same girl I had run into, with the little sisters - Seras and Aledy. Once she had gotten up to the stage, he quickly made his way to the bowl full of boy names and game back beside Poldra. "Eingi-"
"I volunteer!" I called out, raising my hand high in the air and ducking under the rope.
"Apparently we have a volunteer," Drik said, giving me a glare when he recognized it was me. I practically ran up to the stage, not allowing the peacekeepers to keep up with me. When I got up there, I could see all the color had drained from Poldra's face. "So what's your name?" Drik asked.
"Mekyl Clugar," I replied, leaning into the microphone. I could see one fourteen-year-old flushed. I guessed he was Eingi whoever, the one who's spot I stole. I couldn't wipe the broad smile to my face. I turned toward the girls side, and I saw Kinche just staring at me. I shrugged, and she smiled back at me. She was the first one to start clapping, starting while Drik announced to, receiving another glare from him. We weren't helping him at all. And now he'd be stuck with me for a while longer.
Drik then hustled us off into the Justice Building. As soon as the doors closed, Poldra turned and started giving me a death glare. At first, I ignored her, acting as if I didn't have anything bugging me. Then I turned to her, putting on a rather surprised and hurt face. And then I just gave her a smile. She was so mad she looked like she'd be in tears. But it was her problem, not mine. She would have to get used to it. Unless she wanted to forfeit her automatic acceptance into the Career alliance, she would be dealing with me even after the games begin.
POV District 4 Poldra Umenvor
"Hey," I looked up as my father's voice as he entered, with Seras and Aledy stampeding in after him. "I thought you'd be more excited about getting in the fourth Quarter Quell - it's a big deal."
"Yeah, I was," I said, pulling Aledy up onto my lap and Seras plopping onto the seat next to me. "Until Mekyl Clugar volunteered."
"Well, who's Mekyl Clugar?" He asked, sitting on the other side of Seras.
"This obnoxious kid I met right before the Reaping," I growled, setting Aledy beside me.
"I thought he was nice!" Seras protested, and Aledy nodded in agreement, bouncing on the velvet cushions. I sneered at her response.
"Well, you might want to try and warm up to him," My father suggested. "Because the only way you can get away from him is if you don't ally with the other careers - and trust me," He added before I got any ideas. "That'll be the death of you."
"It might be the death of me to stay with them too," I retorted. "He's insane!"
"Well, you don't always have to make friends wit him," Seras pointed out. "To win, he'll have to die at some point. It's good to trust and have trust in the alliances, but you don't want to put yourself in a position where you'll miss him if he goes."
I nodded, staying silent for a moment. I put my arm over her shoulder, pulling her in for a hug. "You are a lot more grown up than I thought." Aledy joined in, and when my father decided to stay out, Aledy and Seras jumped up on him.
"I think he likes you," Aledy said innocently.
"Yeah well," I told her with a sigh, "If he does, he's very bad at getting me to like him."
"Well, if he does, he'll be dead soon," My father added. Seras and Aledy both started laughing, and while I glare at him, I was smiling.
"It's time to go," The peacekeeper informed us when he opened the door.
"Bye Poldra!" Seras said, jumping off our father's lap.
"Bye," Aledy agreed.
"Goodbye, you'll be great!" My father added as he herded the two wild girls out the door.
"And you can come with me," The peacekeeper added after they had left. When I got out, I found Mekyl leaving at the exact same time.
"Hello," He said, putting on the same wide, smug smile on his face. I gave him a hard look. I somewhat wanted to say something harsh, my lips quivering, but I felt that the silence was harsher. "Hmm," He simply responded, his hands behind his back as he strolled after the peacekeepers on the way to the train. I was frozen for a minute, my arms crossed over my chest, before stomping on after him.