"Your sister signed up for tesserae." My mother says. At least she isn't dead.
"Why? We have money!" I argue. Tesserae is for the poor people, in poor districts, not a Career district.
"She figured that she needs to do whatever she can. She isn't old enough to have a job." She tells me. This is probably the first time that a victor's family has signed up for tesserae. It is all the stupid Capitol's fault.
"Well, don't let her sign up for more! I'm going to get our boat back!" She puts her hand on my shoulder.
"Even if she does get picked, we all know how good you will do mentoring." Mentoring my own sister would be terrible. If I was filled with guilt and dread when I didn't know the tribute, it would be around ten gazillion times more.
"Well, maybe I won't mentor next year." I say as I stomp up the stairs. Signing up for tesserae is horrible. Why would she do that? Does she have a brain in her head?
When I get up to my room, the phone starts ringing. Nobody else would call me except the Capitol.
"What?" I answer.
"I see you were in the Capitol. Sad you left so soon." President Snow says. His voice sounds like a snake crawling out of the phone and into my ear. I hold the phone a little farther away.
"Well, I got everything I needed." I tell him.
"Don't be so smart with me boy. Talk to the Crestas and then decide if you really want to argue with me." The phone goes dead. I hate that guy. I wonder what the Crestas know. They couldn't be my stalker, or could they?
I climb out the window and walk over to the Crestas' home. I knock on the door and Annie's mom ushers me in.
"Annie is with the doctor. Do you want to come back?" She asks. The house smells of lemons and everything is very prim.
"Oh, no. I was actually here to talk to you." I explain. She looks at me with a confused expression.
"Oh, okay then. Just take a seat in the office. I'll be right there." She walks down the hallway and I open the door to the office. Inside is just a simple desk with a chair behind it and two chairs in front. I sit down and a few moments later, Annie's mom is back in with a glass of lemonade.
"Fresh, just squeezed it this morning. Ah, I forgot, my name is Maria." She says as she puts the glass down in front of me, making sure a coaster is underneath.
"Now, what do you need?" She says as she walks to the other side of the desk.
"Well, I was talking to President Snow. You see, I found some bones in a cave earlier this week and he told me you knew something about them." I explain. She looks at me with a worried expression, like I know something I shouldn't.
"Never mention that again. I can't believe you found them. Let me explain. When Annie was reaped, her older brother, wanted to do anything to bring her back home. He got in touch with the Capitol and promised them that he would do anything in order to assure her safe return. The Capitol agreed but said that they would try their best to make sure she had sponsors. When the Games started, they told him to burn down your dad's boat one night. Well, he didn't. In order to punish him, they locked him up in that cave. The bones were sent to him with a note that said that they were Annie's and that she had died. He drove himself mad and he died of hunger." She said as she wiped away tears.
"Does Annie know?" I ask.
"Of course not. We just told her that he was away, doing important things for the Capitol and that he wouldn't be returning. It's best not to harm her any more, considering her condition." I try to understand everything Maria tells me but my brain is incapable.
"Thank you. I can't tell you that I won't take action because that is wrong." I get up to leave but she grabs my arm and pulls me back.
"Don't. Every action causes a chain reaction." She lets me go and I run all the way home. I climb up into my room. I am so utterly bothered by the events that have occurred in the past few days. I decide to call the Capitol anyway. I pick up the phone and dial 1, the direct number for Snow's office.
"How could you do that?" I fume. I can almost see him smirking.
"That is called crime and punishment." He says.
"Dude, you even had somebody stalk me so you could make sure I figured out what was happening! That is messed up!"
"Well, what is your solution?" He asks.
"Um, throw Aero Peter in jail for stalking, and stop driving people insane!"
"Well maybe, you wish you could take back those words because Aero is certainly not going to jail for serving her country."
"I don't even considering taking back what I said!" I slam the phone back down on the charger.
I get out my notebook and just scribble all over the pages. I hate him. I hate Aero. I hate myself for figuring out what is going on.
I control myself again. What is the most pressing matter? I decide to fall asleep and let the idea rest in my dreams.
The next morning, I wake up fairly early. I head downstairs and make breakfast for my family. When no one comes down for work and school, I head upstairs to check on them. My parents aren't in their bedroom but they are gathered around my sister's bed.
It looks like my sister won't be available to get tesserae this year after all.
She won't be alive long enough to experience the reaping.
I felt terrible writing this chapter! Ugh! Anyway, the contest is still going on so review!