Chapter Two

"Would somebody like to get that? I think it's for me."
- Shabazz K. Milton Berle

Huey vaguely heard Rollo Goodlove and Senator Bennett explain that they would be headed to Michigan after spending one last day with their families. To reduce the risk of the game elects escaping by crashing the plane or jumping out of it, as others had done in the past, they would be transported by car. The ride would take nearly nine hours. They would leave at 5:00 am, and after a week of being introduced to sponsors and mentors, they would have two weeks to prepare before the games officially began.

Each child selected was now under the jurisdiction of the Annual Hunger Games. They were not allowed to run. The elects were under strict orders to make sure that they were available and ready for pickup. If they declined for valid reasoning outlined in Wuncler Law, the next of kin closest to their age group would be selected to fight in the Hunger Games. This was only permissible if their appeal to United States Congress was approved within twelve hours of submission, which was highly unlikely for the average person. Even if they committed suicide, the games would replace them with the next eligible child in their familial unit. They were encouraged not to kill any other elects or potential elects prior to the start of the games. Doing so would result in the deaths of the elects and their families.

They also could not leave state lines. The elects were not permitted to bring more than ten articles of clothing for training and one item from their loved ones. These items would be heavily inspected for illegal substances and weaponry prior to their departures. They were forbidden from speaking with the media. They were also not allowed to contact anyone outside of the games after departing from their home state. Nobody outside of the arena on today could know about what they had been told. Every elect in the room was now the property of the Hunger Games. Pawns to do their bidding.

"I'll give you and your friend time to talk." Rollo's voice seemed to echo around the empty auditorium. Only their families remained, waiting. "Don't try to run. That chip embedded into your wrist will kill you, and even if it defaults, there are other ways of hunting you two down. It sends a signal out to the National Defense Confederation. You won't win against them."

When Jazmine and Huey stared at him, Rollo went behind the curtain and revealed a heaping table filled with food. The sight of it startled them. Huey couldn't even fight the involuntary response. They both hopped back. It had been years since they had seen that much food. The scent made their mouths water. A little drool dripped out of the corner of his mouth. He'd forgotten how things had been just a few years ago. His eyes narrowed.

"Ya'll want some?" Rollo glanced over at them, already digging into the food himself. "We've got some good stuff over here. Shrimp, steak, chicken, salad, green beans, spaghetti."

"I thought we were out of food?" Jazmine hadn't meant anything by it. The statement was just bad timing. "Where did you even get all of this?"

"Our sponsors were gracious enough to donate tao this year's elects." Ed Wuncler Senior was watching her intently. They hadn't even known he was there until he emerged from a location in the back. "We wouldn't want to disappoint them. Dig in."

The rest of the workers immediately got up, crowding around the table full of food. Jazmine and Huey didn't move. Rollo came over and nudged them toward the table. "That means ya'll too."

"My stomach can't handle as much without consistency." Jazmine's voice sounded so honest. Huey knew her well enough to know that she was lying. "I can't go from eating to not eating in two weeks and expect to have a fighting chance in the games. Can I? It's probably best that I stick to my regular diet for now."

Rollo could barely stand to look at her. He knew that this was wrong.

"Of course." He muttered, walking away. "Damn. I didn't even think about no shit like that."

Huey could see Wuncler staring at them for a moment. Finally, he turned to another person and whispered something into their ear. There was no dramatic exit. He didn't yell. Yet, Wuncler leaving left a lingering worry that he just couldn't escape from. He could tell that it had gotten to Jazmine too.

He reached out and pulled his hand into hers.

They sat like that until the elects were allowed to return with their families. Both hoping that if they squeezed their hands tightly enough, it would prove that this wasn't real.

They all looked like hell that night. Aunt Cookie, Sarah, Tom, and Granddad were standing in front of the teens, who all sat on the couch.

"God's got ya'll." Aunt Cookie nodded. Her head was lowered in prayer. "He's got you two covered."

"By who's blood?" Huey stared at his great-aunt. "Mine or hers?"

"She's just trying to help, Huey." Jazmine placed a hand on his shoulder. She was sitting between him and Riley. "Don't be like this."

"I'm the one who has to go and die in two weeks with you dragging me down. So now's not the time, Jazmine." He snorted. "I can say what I want. I have to kill or be killed. So do you. If God is real, he's not in this."

Jazmine jerked back. "You don't mean that."

He didn't say anything. It was cruel, but he wasn't lying. He would be able to maneuver the arena a lot easier without having her to worry about. Now, he would have to create an entire strategy based around her. And he couldn't think of a good strategy that wouldn't end in her being even more fucked up by the games when it ended than if he hadn't entered them at all.

"Stop." Riley's voice cut through. It was quiet. Filled with a fear they hadn't expected from him. "What the fuck is wrong with ya'll? Huey just got drafted. He has the right to be mad. Leave him alone."

"Thank you." Huey huffed. He sat back down on the couch and relaxed for a moment.

"It still doesn't give you the right to say that shit to MC." He nodded his head over to Jazmine, who despite the situation, rolled her eyes at the nickname. "This shit ain't her fault. I would've gone myself if I'd known you'd lash out at us like this."

"What do you want me to do, Riley?" Huey shot him a glare. "Throw a parade? This isn't a festive occasion. Look around!"

"Yes, Huey!" Riley slammed his hand on the wall. The noise richoted around the quiet of the room. "Our asses are all fucked up either way! You've got about 36 hours until the two of you are shipped off to fucking Michigan where none of our asses can get to you two! And we all know what happens to the family members of the favorites. Ask George. His sister was found dead today."

The adults winced. Huey stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Riley. I'm sorry that I stepped forward and volunteered for your ungrateful bony ass! You were the one running around here acting like the Great Ed Wuncler the Third would spare us because your dumbass shot him out of a window when you were six!"

"You're the one who had to have a fucking breakdown over somebody who wasn't even your best friend to begin with!" Riley shoved him. "You pulled us into this shit!"

"Stop!" Jazmine yelled. "Guys, stop!"

"No, everybody stopping is what got us here in the first place!" Huey glanced over at Tom. "Why the hell did you defend the rebels so publicly? You didn't think about what would happen to them? What would happen to her? To your goddamned wife?"

"Nobody else would touch it, Huey!" Tom shot him a glare. "For someone who put your own brother at risk, I think you would understand. They needed help."

"Help! Not your one trick pony theatrics! Sicking the media on a dictator like it's still the 1960s!" Huey growled. "What did you think would happen? Wasn't what happened with your kid and that shoddy business contract enough of a warning? You know how the Wunclers get down. You practically shoved Jazmine right into their arms!"

"Now wait a minute now, boy." Granddad was struggling to hold Huey back. He was so angry. Angrier than any of them had ever seen him before. "You're taking this too damn far."

"He needs to hear it! Before he does something that makes it worst during the games and really screws it all up!" Granddad stared at him and let him talk. "You all need to hear it! This isn't the same. There's only one organized group here, and it isn't us. You can't talk your way around it. You can't manipulate the media around it. There's no way out. There is nothing that we can do. And the fact that I'm the only one angry about this? Proves my point."

"You're not the only one who's angry, Huey." Jazmine clenched her jaw. "How dare you."

"How dare you!" Everybody flinched when Huey turned to the girl, finally releasing the full extent of his anger onto her. "You've been flouncing around here all day, acting strong and brave! I've been strong and brave my whole goddamn life! So excuse me if I'm not exactly the nicest right now. I hope your God saves you when you die first!"

"Shut the fuck up!" Sarah glided past Tom and into Huey's face, narrowing her eyes. "She's not dying first. You're smart. She's the entertaining one. She has more of the fighting chance. You're the one they're coming for first. You're the one who abandoned Chicago. You're the one whose brother got put up because of your infamous rant that they're going to air the first chance they get."

"Sarah, shut the fuck up." Huey gave her a dull look. "They could care less. There's an eight-year-old who got selected and an entire roster full of Chicago kids. Your words sound cute in theory, but you can't play me. This is my house and Riley's at the end of the day. You can get the fuck out if you don't want to hear the truth. It's my back she's riding to the end, and we all know it."

"No." Jazmine narrowed her eyes. "I'll do it. I'll kill when the time comes. I'm the best archer between both of us, and even you can't deny it. I know that I haven't always pulled my weight before. But I'll do it now. I promise."

Huey regretted it instantly. Even if what he'd said was true, they didn't need this right now. It wasn't like she'd sat around being useless. Hell, the girl fed the entire neighborhood without being caught. It was just that she didn't stand a chance in this.

None of them did.

"Jaz, wait."

Sarah and Tom wrapped their arms around the girl protectively. He backed away.

"Just let them sleep it off, baby." Aunt Cookie gave him a hug. "They just need a little time. That's all."

He nodded. His eyes didn't waver from the window as they watched the Dubois' walk across the street.

Before he knew it, his entire head was reeling. "And don't ever let me hear you talking to them like that again, little boy!"

Aunt Cookie had gone upside his head with one of her world-famous slaps.

"The hell's wrong with you?" She grumbled, walking with an amused Granddad toward the kitchen. "In here talking about he owns this house. His parents bought this goddamn house. I don't care if your narrow behind got elected, drafted, whatever! Your ass better get up in the morning and apologize to that girl!"

"Mmhmmm." Granddad nodded. "Kids nowadays don't know respect. See how fast they get to running off at the mouth? I remember when I was in shootout with the Black Panthers. Yep. Was I yelling at everybody? Nope."

"You weren't in no Black Panthers, Granddad!" Riley shot him a look. "And if you were, you probably got that ass tapped."

Aunt Cookie's shoe flew across the room and popped Riley in the center of his forehead.

"Ow!"

Huey headed up the stairs.

"See, they know better than to put our ass in some hunger games! We know a thing or two about surviving hardships." Granddad nodded. "Let his little ass cool off. I'll talk to him later."

4 Years Ago…

"What did you say, lil nigga?" Ed stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

Huey glanced around. He'd realized too late that things were different now. He'd gotten too comfortable, and now he was going to be reminded of the consequences of being a black man that was too relaxed around mixed company.

"Say it, nigga!" Ed Wuncler III was screaming the words now. "Get yo speech giving ass up here, and tell they asses what you just told her!"

When he didn't move, Riley tried to step in.

"Aye, man." He laughed uncomfortably. "You know how he gets. It's all good. Let's just turn the fuck up. Like old times."

Ed Wuncler settled in on Riley. "Ahhhh. Old times. Like trying to kill people by shooting them out of 2 nd story windows. I thought you two would have grown out of that delinquent behavior by now. It's time you learned your place."

Jazmine was trying to tug them both back, and Ed grabbed the girl roughly. His hands were quickly gliding upward. He was about to wring them around her neck. "Bitch! Don't you ever-"

"What's the problem, Ed?" Granddad's voice was steady, but there was a steel behind it that Huey had never heard from him before. He had smoothly pulled all of the twelve-year-olds behind him. "I heard you all the way over there."

Ed tipped his hat towards him, but he still spoke in that same patronizing tone. "You know how it is. Kids."

"Yeah." Granddad nodded. "I do."

He glanced behind him and nodded at both boys, dragging Jazmine alongside him as they headed towards his red vehicle, parked several feet away.

"Don't leave, Robert!" Ed called after them. "The party's just getting started!"

Huey heard his Granddad whisper something. Something he wasn't even sure the old man had actually said.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Huey couldn't sleep. He'd do it later. For now, he was studying his competition.

Tasha Fight, 18. Huey googled the Chicagoan native's name and was surprised to see how popular the girl was. She was on every Homecoming court. She looked beautiful and made up in the photos with her family and seemed to keep her peers in check. On her pinned tweet, the students seemed fearful as she walked past them to campaign for something in the halls. He scribbled the world 'ruthless' next to her name. Her level of fighting would be mental first.

Kevin Bryce, 18. Another Chicagoan native that played football. He had been the star quarterback a couple of years ago. There was a huge following surrounding him at the time. He was known for his unbelievable strength and had been until one of the defensive linebackers from Wuncler High had knocked the boy out, permanently damaging his spine. He should've had an exception from the games, but Huey could see why he wasn't granted one. On top of Kevin being black, he had still managed to score over 100 points alone prior to his injury. Wuncler High hadn't been able to keep up even after setting out to permanently injure him in retaliation. He'd been very outspoken about them rigging the game, and not coincidentally, he had also dated Tasha Fight for almost four years. There were pictures up of them all over her social media feed.

Makayla English, 8. Huey blinked as he stared at the girl's age. A single digit. The same age as Riley when they had moved here after the death of their parents. She was the niece of a high-profile businesswoman named Jerrica Bartlett in Chicago. She'd been rumored to take the stock market by storm and hailed herself as a proud bougie auntie. Huey stared at a recent photo of the little girl. She was so gaunt now that it was terrifying. She loved strawberry shortcake and old Disney movies. Both Makayla and her aunt loved to share them whenever they could, which was likely far and in between now that the woman was dead. Jerrica had filed a lawsuit against Rummy for stalking, assault, and child endangerment. Before her death, she had been her parent's pride and joy. She loved board games and track and had passed those hobbies on to her niece. Makayla had been hailed as the fastest runner across the globe, beating Usain Bolt's record of 100 meters in 9.6 seconds by 2 seconds. He could work with that. He doubted very seriously that most candidates with sense would try to kill her, at least not immediately.

Vince Steadman, 16. He seemed pretty cut and dry. Good kid. Well liked. Very similar to Morris Chestnut. He felt like he knew this kid. He was the poster child for Jazmine Dubois' type in a normal world. Like they would have met on their annual skip school day and fallen in love. He was very calm. Diplomatic. Class president. Another strong social game contender. He knew that he would love Jazmine just staring at his social media pages. The boy had a type, and Jazmine met the criteria a thousand percent. Unfortunately, that meant that Vince could swing either way as far as he was concerned. Huey winced as he kept reading. Vince's dad had been an employee at a Wuncler warehouse back in the day; interestingly enough, he couldn't find much more on the boy's father. It was almost as if his entire media presence had been wiped from the internet. He was able to see an IV in the background of one of Vince's Twitter feeds. He wouldn't be surprised if his father was receiving a hefty settlement from whatever had happened to him as a direct result of Wuncler's negligence, making this even more personal for Vince.

Ming Lee, 16. He could never forget her. She was his most formidable opponent back in the day. She had played him like a fiddle, and Huey had made sure that she suffered during that game of kickball as a result. From what he could see, she was still just as cunning. Ming was the first contestant that had actually deleted her social media. If Huey had to guess, her weakness was that she was too arrogant. She always let her guard down way too soon. He was positive that if they avoided her in the beginning, they stood a better chance of overpowering her at the end.

Hiro Otomo, 16. All that he could find about him was that he was a math and engineering whiz. He was well known for being able to hack into any system at the age of five. He'd been accepted into several universities but had chosen to stay back to enjoy his childhood. He was also adamant about not allowing his skills to fall into the wrong hands. His refusal, though innocent, had likely motivated his election.

Jennifer Harmon, 16. She had allowed Wuncler to use her once. She was probably being used as a spy. He'd always been suspicious of her when she had moved to Chicago. And for good reason. The girl was devious. She'd been tied to a lot of petty crime out in the Chicago area and was well known for pinning her crimes onto others. He didn't trust that she was a regular contestant at all. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for her.

Cairo Wright, 16. Huey could have cared less. Cairo was whiny, spoiled, and privileged. He didn't deserve to die for it, and he definitely didn't want to kill him. But Huey wasn't above it. His patience with the boy was already thin, and he knew Cairo better than he knew himself. He was even more hotheaded than Huey was, which meant he would burn out just as quickly as he fired up.

Isis Wright, 15. Dope name. She was a dancer like Jazmine. She was also a huge advocate for the rights of black women across the globe, and she had empowered a lot of young black girls their age to invest in their education. She was also partnering with Spelman to teach young girls the importance of leveraging their resources to conserve the environment in support of legislative initiatives to bring the ecosystem back to its equilibrium. This ended up crashing the value of some of Wuncler's products a couple years back. Another victim of a one-sided personal vendetta with Ed Wuncler Sr.

Michael Caesar, 16. He'd seen this guy on occasion. Huey and Caesar had gotten along pretty well when they'd talked back in the day. He was funny and had a mind of his own. Hopefully that hadn't changed. From what he remembered, Caesar was likeable, and he would need all the help he could get in that department. He was good at sports, and Taekwondo. A sleeping giant, in Huey's opinion.

Cindy McPhearson, 16. Grits didn't have a last name, 17. They were white, which meant the games were rigged in their favor, no matter how mediocre they played. They were also both fully in support of the games. Their social media was full of supportive praise for Wuncler and Ruckus' views. They had even posted about what an honor it had been to be selected to serve their country in the 4th Annual Hunger Games. They were one in the same. Two people who would become victims of the very rhetoric they had been positioned to praise. His heart sank when he saw how they handled the weaponry. On top of being completely on board with the cruelty of the games, they were also vicious. They wouldn't hesitate to kill anyone, and they would make an example out of anybody who got in their way as soon as the games started.

He glanced at the remaining names. 36 other children, ranging from ages 12- 18. They probably wouldn't even make it. He'd seen their faces back at the arena, and they didn't even seem to have a strategy like the other kids did. Even the eight-year-old could do some damage to them if she really wanted to.

He stumbled over to his bed, his head hitting the pillow.

"Hey, Huey." Riley was in his room, sleeping on the floor beside his bed. He'd probably come in earlier while he was engrossed in planning. He hadn't even heard him walk in.

For once, Huey didn't mind it. "Yeah?"

"Don't die, okay?" His brother's voice was desperate. He needed something comforting. No matter how much Huey hated not being honest with him.

"I won't."

The last day at home flew by quicker than he'd expected. Aunt Cookie had gone back home. She had protested, but Granddad had pointed out that the police would likely be making sure that she had actually returned home to Chicago as they'd instructed. If she wasn't there, they would throw a fit, and nobody wanted Cookie Freeman dead less than all of them.

He hadn't seen Jazmine since their huge blowup on yesterday. The Dubois house didn't have anyone coming in or out of it. To his surprise, Riley and Granddad had done the same. They hadn't bothered him much at all. They seemed to acknowledge that he needed space, and they had been quiet all day.

When the sun began to set, Granddad sat with Huey at the table, staring at his grandson. He passed him a plate with a veggie burger on it. He ignored the boy's questions about where he'd gotten the rare treat and made sure that Huey ate it before he started talking.

"Remember when you tried to save me and Riley from that salmonella pandemic?" The elderly man smiled at him. "You stocked up this house with Cheerios and green beans. Your crazy ass even made some sort of contraption that turned pee into drinkable water. I was a little relieved when they took all that shit away in the raid. It was probably stale anyway."

They both laughed.

"I'm worried." Granddad stared past the door frame, clearly watching for Riley. "But I know you can come out of this okay. On one condition."

"Depends on the condition." Huey took another bite of the veggie burger. His Granddad sighed and placed his palms on the table. He stared at him until Huey set it down and returned his intense gaze.

He wasn't used to his grandfather being so serious with him. He was normally the type to let them find out for themselves but he understood why this was different.

The stakes were higher now. He was telling him this for the same reason that he'd yelled at everybody the other day. The truth was better said now than later. Lives were at stake. His life was at stake. They could no longer afford to lie to each other.

"This isn't like the chicken flu." Granddad looked him square in the eye. "You can't add little baby to the plan and expect things to magically turn out okay. You have to decide for yourself when it comes down to you two. Kill? Or be killed?"

Huey was surprised. "Granddad, you don't think she's gonna make it that far."

"You've been formulating a plan around her just like you did the first time." Granddad gave him a knowing look. "And I'm not saying you shouldn't. I'm just saying that things never go according to plan. You need to prepare for that."

"You and Riley won't be there to mess it up this time." Huey shot him a look. "It can work."

"There will be 50 people in the arena who can." Granddad returned the look verbatim. "I'm including you in that number. Don't forget what happened to George. He had a little plan too."

Huey's head dropped. "I can't."

"I know." Granddad sighed. "It's like you told cutie pie that day. You can't save everyone else. If you tried, you'd just end up saving nobody."

Huey was surprised. He hadn't even known his grandfather had been listening that day. He didn't know that he'd been listening at all.

"I had cameras installed after you two destroyed my house while I was gone." His granddad smirked at him. "Don't look so surprised. I know you. Just like I know that you only said what you said yesterday to make Jazmine angry. You'd say anything to make sure that she'll have a better chance at winning."

"So you're telling me to just by and let this happen?" Huey tried to keep his voice down. "You want me to be selfish?"

"Yes!" His granddad clapped his hands together. His voice was stern. "Yes, please be selfish. I love you. You and your brother are the last I have of Rashaad, and I –"

Huey glanced down, trying to keep from getting emotional. They never said their parents names in this house. Not ever.

"I want you to do everything that you can to come back to me." Granddad glanced at him. His eyes were watery. "I know you care about Jazmine. I know you don't want that little eight-year-old girl to die. I know you're going to look out for some Chicago kids. But Huey, trust me. You will die trying to take this on. Promise me."

"I can't." Huey stared at him, shaking his head. "I know that you want me to let them kill her, but I can't. Granddad, I-"

"I didn't say that." Granddad shook his head, cutting him off. "You do what you can. Just like I taught you. But you shift when the plan does. You'll see. It isn't gonna go how you have it mapped out. I'm just telling you that you shouldn't lose sight of your survival for everybody else if nothing's gonna change."

Granddad got up, leaving Huey with his thoughts. He turned out the lights. "Go on up there and lay in that bed. At least give yourself a little rest. They'll be here for you soon."

Huey stood, staring at Granddad.

When he didn't move, the older man came up to him, wrapping him tightly in his arms. "I love you, boy. Don't worry about us. We'll be okay."

"If this goes left." Huey pulled back, staring his granddad in the eye. "You and Riley need to make a run for it and head to Canada. I told Aunt Cookie the same thing. The way Ed Sr was looking at us today…"

"Already ahead of ya, boy." Granddad patted his shoulders. "I've got it from here. You just focus on getting back to me and your brother, and us grown folks will handle the rest."

Huey hugged his grandfather again, glancing up at a tearful Riley, who joined in on the hug. "I love ya'll."

When they finally separated, Huey headed up the stairs, letting his head hit the pillow. He wouldn't do much sleeping.

Unfortunately, his time to rest was up.

When the black car came to pick them up, Huey gave his brother and granddad one last hug outside the porch of their house. Jazmine hugged her mother, and then clung to Tom tightly until the guards cleared their throat. They stepped back.

"Ladies first." The guard said gruffly. Jazmine crawled inside, her braid cornrowed into a neat style with intricate patterns that caught Huey's attention.

Huey was about to follow after her, but Tom grabbed his shoulder tightly. The guards drew their rifles and pointed them in their direction. They slowly crept towards them. Ready to shoot at any moment.

"Look out for her." The man whispered.

Huey lifted his hands and backed away. The guards put the guns down, and Huey walked over to the car and turned back to their families. He gazed at his brother, at his grandfather, at Sarah, and at Tom. He looked over at Jazmine and back to Tom before nodding and sinking into the cool leather of the backseat. He could see Tom and Sarah sigh out in relief while his grandfather stared directly at him, sending a final warning his way.

When the door closed and the car moved down the street, he pulled Jazmine into his arms, his head resting on top of hers.

"I got you." He kept his eyes on the road, watching their surroundings. "You don't have to be strong. Not for me. We have nine hours."

He felt her head shake. Her body trembled in his arms. Then, she let out a whimper. Until she cried in his arms. Screaming until her voice gave out. He gripped her tighter, trying to ease the feeling of discomfort that rang throughout his own body. The game had started long before they'd called their names.

There was no turning back now.