A few days later, we were getting ready for the announcement of the 75th Hunger Game or Quarter Quell. Quarter Quells were different from the normal Hunger Games. They happen every twenty-five years and the rules change. Mom, Kat, and Prim were all sitting on the couch while I sat on the arm rest at the end, watching the screen as Snow appeared.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the 75th year of The Hunger Games. And it was written in the charter of The Games that every twenty-five years, there would be a Quarter Quell to keep fresh for each new generation the memory of those who died in the uprising against The Capitol. Each Quarter Quell is distinguished by Games of a special significance. And now on this the 75th anniversary of our defeat of the rebellion, we celebrate the 3rd Quarter Quell." The crowd cheers in the background. " As a reminder that even the strongest cannot overcome the power of The Capitol." I lent forward at the sentence. "On this, the 3rd Quarter Quell Games, the male and female Tributes are to be reaped from the existing pool of Victors in each District." I slowly removed myself from the couch.
"No!" My mother cried. Kat just stared at the screen, frozen.
"Who does he mean?" Prim asked me.
"Victors shall present themselves on Reaping Day regardless of age . . ." I began to walk out of the living room.
"Calla . . ." I ran, my mother's sobbing following me out the door. Just ran, all the way into the woods where no one could find me. I could hardly breathe as I ran, pushing branches out of my way. I collided with a small tree and sank down to the freezing ground, panting.
"No." I said softly to myself as I began to shake with silent sobs. I sat there for nearly an hour before I got up and ran back to the Village. I needed to talk to Haymitch about the Games. I knew no matter what we did, Peeta would be with me in the Games. The Capitol would make sure of it. But Peeta had to be the one who comes home this time, I'd make sure of it. I ran up the steps and open Haymitch's door. Bottles clinking as I walked in. Walking to the living room, I stop a foot away from Haymitch.
"Ah. There she is." He said. I moved to sit in the chair beside him. "Finally did the math, huh?" He asked me. "And you've come to, what? Ask me to . . . Die?" I reached my hand out for the bottle.
"Here to drink." I told him and took the bottle from him.
"Oh." I took a big sip. "Finally, something I can help you with." I looked at him for a minute.
"I know that Peeta was probably here before me." Haymitch nodded. "And I know I haven't been the best Girlfriend lately, either." Another nod. "But I know, Peeta will be with me in the Games. So what I want from you Haymitch is to make sure that Peeta lives." He stares at me. "He has to come home."
"Alright." Haymitch said. I sent him a small smile.
"Thank you, Haymitch." I told him. I got up and went back home to my family. Kat and Prim meet me at the door with red puffy eyes, holding onto me as they cried softly. I walked to mom's room and slid into bed with her, letting her hold me for the first time in six years as I cried myself to sleep. The morning of the reaping, my mother helped me get ready in a black jumpsuit, my black boots, and french braided my hair. The Peacekeepers escorted Haymitch, Peeta, and I to the Hall. I glanced at my family standing in the front of the crowd as we walked up the stage.
"Welcome. Welcome." Effie said into the microphone. Her monarch butterfly outfit a bit to bright for this occasion. "As we celebrate the 75th anniversary and 3rd Quarter Quell of The Hunger Games. As always, ladies first." She walked over to my side, spearing me a glance as she picked up the only slip of paper from the bowl and walked back to the microphone. "The female Tribute from District Twelve, Calla Lily Everdeen." A lone tear fell from my eye. I look towards Effie while the tear rolled down my face and walked over to her. "Wonderful." She said, I knew she was still trying to be cheerful when all she wanted was to cry. She clears her throat. "And now for the men." She walks over to their bowl and takes one of the slips and comes back to the microphone. "The make Tribute from District Twelve." She lets out a sigh of regret. "Haymitch Abernathy." I jerked my head up and towards her, in horror.
"I volunteer as Tribute." I heard Peeta say. Haymitch grabs his arm.
"I can't let you do that." Peeta looked at him.
"You can't stop me." He told him
"Peeta."
"Let go." he walked over to Effie and me.
"Very well." Effie said in a breathless tone. "The Tributes from District Twelve. Calla Lily Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Well, all that remains is . . ." She trailed off as my sisters and mom do the three finger salute with the rest of the District following. Peeta and I raised our three fingers into the air. "Oh, no. But, but, but . . ." A Peacekeeper begins to pull me away from the stage and into the Hall. I begin to fight back.
"Calla!" I heard Prim and Kat yell.
"I get to say goodbye." I told the Peacekeeper.
"Calla!" They called again.
"New plan. Straight to the train." He told me.
"No, I have to say goodbye." I argue and try to get away from him.
"Calla!"
"No." I halfway sob as we went into a hallway. "Goodbye!" I screamed out to them, hoping they could hear me. The first thing I did when I was put on the train was to throw all of the vases with white roses onto the ground. I jumped on them to smash them into oblivion. I started to scream and sob loudly as someone picked me up by the waist and move me away from the mess. I hit and punch the person holding me to their chest. "I hate him." I cried.
"Shush." They started to pet my hair.
"I didn't get to say goodbye." I sobbed, my hands taking clumps of the person shirt in my fist.
"I know, sweetheart. I know." When I finally calm down enough, Haymitch moves me over to the chairs and sits me down in one closer to the window. I stare out the window for a bit before look over to him when he sat down across from me with a drink in hand.
"Where's Effie and Peeta?" I asked in a congested voice.
"Effie went to her room to change and Peeta is going through the whole train to get rid of the roses after seeing your reaction to them." I nodded and looked back out the window. We both look up when the door opens and Peeta walks in.
"There all gone." He told me as he sat down beside me, taking my hand in his. I simply nodded again and went back to staring out the window again.
"All right." Effie clears her throat. "Before we begin, I've had a thought."
"You don't say?" Haymitch snarked.
"Calla Lily has her gold Mockingjay pin. I have my hair. I'm going to get you two boys something gold." Haymitch looked at Peeta then back at her.
"Uh . . . Why is that?"
"A token." She exclaimed. "Show them we are a team. And they can't just . . ." I look up at her and take her hand in mine.
"Thank you." I told her. And I meant it, for everything she's done for us. She smiles down at me. Haymitch takes her other hand.
"All right. Now," She exhales. "Everything will be different, because it's a Quarter Quell. The Capitol has spared no expense. A new training center. New tributes living quarters. And of course, a very special arena." We arrived at the Capitol and are taken to the new center. We take the elevator up to the twelfth floor. "But this year you'll be facing other Victors. Capitol favorites. Smart, cunning, skilled. And they all know one another. You two are the outsiders." Effie left us into Haymitch's care as we went over the reaping.
"I want you guys to forget everything you think you know about the Games. Last year was child's play." Haymitch told as we ate. "This year, you're dealing with all experienced killers."
"All right. What does that mean for us?" Peeta asked him.
"That means you're gonna have to have some allies." He said as he walked over to us.
"Okay. I think that if . . ." Haymitch interrupts him.
"Whoop. You're not the problem." He points a finger over my head. I frowned at the table.
"No." I told him, I wasn't going to have anymore allies after Rue.
"Look, you're starting at a disadvantage." He told me as he sat down. "Most of these people have been friends for years."
"Which puts us higher on the kill list." I snapped.
"Do it your own way, but I know these people. You go it alone, their first move is gonna be to hunt yo down. Both of you." I sighed and looked over to him.
"Callie, come on." Peeta said.
"How could any of us even trust each other?" I asked.
"It's not about trust. It's about staying alive." He flicks the TV on. "Cashmere and Gloss." A brunette man and blonde woman show up on the screen. " Brother and sister. District One. They won back-to-back Games. Capitol favorites."
"I think I've seen the woman before while I was here for that two month stay." I said.
"Most likely, Cals." Haymitch agreed. "Lots of sponsors. They will be lethal." He flicks it again. "And the other half of the Career Pack, Brutus and Enobaria." I raised an eyebrow at her teeth.
"What's with her teeth?" I asked.
"She had them filed into fangs so she could rip people's throats out." I grimaced.
"She's committed. I'll give her that." Peeta said.
"Wiress and Beetee. Not fighters, but brilliant. And weird. Real tech-savvy. He won his Games by electrocuting six Tributes at once." I stare at the two middle age couple on the screen with interest. "The Morphlings. Masters of camouflage. Basically, won their Games by hiding until everyone else was dead. Self-medicating ever since. Which I applaud. Not a threat." Then a bronze hair, handsome man came onto the screen. I sat up straight at the sight of him, it was the rude guy from the club. "Finnick Odair. He won his Games at fourteen. Youngest ever. Extremely humble."
"You're kidding." I snorted.
"Yes, I'm kidding. He's a peacock. A total preener. But he's the Capitol darling. The love him here. Charming, smart, and very skilled at combat. Especially in the water."
"What about weaknesses?" Peeta asked. I stared at the boy smirking and smiling at the crowd, who was in the same position as me but had the nerve to call me out on it.
"One. Mags." Haymitch points to a old woman on screen. "She volunteered for Annie. Mags was his mentor and basically raised him. If he's trying to protect her in any way, it exposes him."
"Like us." I said.
"Yeah, like you guys." Odair hugs Mags, kissing her on the head and whispered something to her.