Hi, everyone! I've updated the first chapter and my profile. Now, you can submit sponsors, if you want. I'm going to write some chapters focusing on the interactions between them and mentors. PM me if interested.
As promised, this chapter will be about the Reaping of District 1. We'll get to know the first two tributes. Let me know what you think about them in your reviews. Enjoy your reading :)
Last year
Claude Dulac (17)- Citizen of District 1
It's pouring. I wrap myself tight in my sweater to protect myself from the chilly air that sends shivers down my spine. I wish it stopped. I wish I could go home. But Excelsa would certainly get angry at me, if I didn't wait for her as usual. So here I am, under a canopy that barely prevents me from getting wet. Sometimes, I feel like a stalker… waiting right outside the girls' locker room at the academy. Yes, if Excelsa was not my girlfriend, I would call myself a stalker.
Girls start to get out of the building with umbrellas in hand, heading home quickly, or to whatever place they must go. When Excelsa finally emerges from that noisy swarm, I can tell from the way she looks at me that something went wrong. Her eyes are reddish, as if she had wept. Weeping? That's not of her!
"What's up?" I ask her.
"I was beaten!" she answers with clenched fists, hardly repressing her frustration.
"Well, that's not the end of the world… I mean, just a single defeat won't make the difference, you're still a good fighter."
"But it would make it in the arena, Claude! If I want to win the Hunger Games, good is not enough, I need to be the best!" she retorts.
Excelsa is right. Make one mistake in the arena and you are dead. That's what the academy is for, to select the best tributes. But there is still some room for bad luck. After all, who knows what may happen in the arena? Even Gamemakers have no crystal ball.
"Who did you fight against?"
She snorts. "That's the worst part of all. I lost against a sixteen-year-old. A sixteen-year-old! I don't even remember her name, but I've heard from some trainers that she is quite promising. Wouldn't be surprised, if she volunteered for the Games this year. Our trainers would be glad of that, at least."
I can tell from her tone that she has given up the idea of getting into the Games, at least for this year. Excelsa can be so stubborn at times that there's no use in trying to make her change her mind. Once a decision is made, that's it.
"Next year, you will turn eighteen, you will still be able to volunteer. But you'll have to show that you're up to the Games, Excelsa. I suggest you start training from now. The last one to the park is a wuss!"
That said, I start running, regardless of the rain.
"Hey, that's not fair!" I hear Excelsa shout from behind.
I can't help giggling. Although I have a head start on her, she quickly catches up. We get to the park at the same time. Well, "park" is a nice word for a ragged meadow with some rusty roundabouts and a tree. But it's the place where we first met and kissed… it's special in its own way. Excelsa and I climb the tree till we reach a branch solid enough to support our weights. There we stop, panting. For a while, neither of us says anything, we just look at each other. Even if soaking wet, Excelsa is still the prettiest girl I have ever met. Her long, blonde hair and her fierce, grey eyes… under the rain, they seem even greyer, even fiercer.
At some point, she smiles. "What about you?" she asks under her breath.
"What?"
"What about your training?" she specifies.
"Oh, well… our trainers are still on the fence, but I stand a chance. You know, we haven't got that chosen-tribute thing like in Two, but I'm sure no one at the academy would complain, if I decided to volunteer."
"Glad to hear that."
We have silently agreed that the Hunger Games are a priority, that our relationship will never prevent us from becoming tributes. We have planned to volunteer in two different years, of course. Yet, now that we're both seventeen, I start wondering whether I really want to risk my life in the arena, to risk losing Excelsa forever. As a matter of fact, District 1 hasn't been lucky in recent years. Who am I to change things? No! This is no way to think! I've been training for the Games all my life, I can't miss the opportunity to represent my district in front of the entire nation! I will volunteer this year!
To dispel all those negative thoughts, I decide to change the subject. "And what about your brother? Has he made some friends at the academy?" I ask.
"Prince? You know how sociable he is! Yes, he enrolled later than the others, but had no problem integrating. He's so happy and motivated, but… I don't know…" - she hesitates and takes a deep breath- "… I don't think he has what it takes… you know, he got cut because he lacked physical strength, he was accepted this year only due to our parents' influence. Of course, I don't dare to tell them that, you know how they would react…"
I nod. Of course I know it. Their parents were both average trainees, therefore they were never taken into consideration for the Games, and ended up working as trainers at the academy. Certainly, they have pinned their hopes on their kids. Telling them that their son isn't up to their expectations would be definitely awkward. Excelsa and Prince have been taught to be ambitious since childhood. Once, I heard their father scold Excelsa, because she had fallen during an obstacle course and was moaning: "Where do you think you are, kid? Here we train fighters, not whiners! Get up and start the exercise again! Make your family proud for once!"
Suddenly, Excelsa starts climbing higher, as if she had read my thoughts.
"Hey! What are you doing?" I ask.
"We are training to win the Games, aren't we? We must be prepared for the arena. Who knows? Being good climbers might give us a head start," she answers, without interrupting her climbing.
"Pay attention, then, the bark is slippery," I say, following her.
She climbs higher and higher, but at some point she stops, because the foliage is too thick. As she's trying to climb down, she loses her grip. I look up with terror as she falls on me, but I manage somehow to catch her and maintain my grip on the tree. Now, she's all wrapped around me like an ape, trembling with fear. It takes a while for her to recover, but eventually she's able to descend to the ground, safe and sound. I start climbing down as well, but I'm not as lucky as my girlfriend. I slip and fall. I try to catch one of the lowest branches but fail. I land- don't know how- on my feet, but the impact with the ground has been too violent. I hear a tremendous "crack" from my right ankle, and a burst of searing pain runs immediately through my body. I'm not able to keep my balance and fall to the ground, my trembling hands around my ankle.
"Claude!" I hear Excelsa shout as she comes running to me. She kneels down beside me, her grey eyes full of terror. "Don't worry, Claude! I'll carry you to the hospital, they'll fix your ankle in no time!"
But it's too late, Excelsa, I already know that it has broken beyond repair…
…...
5 years ago
Kyle Whiteswan (12)- Citizen of District 1
I look out of the limousine's window, lost in my thoughts. The lights of the city by night are flashing before my eyes like a kaleidoscope. Normally, district citizens aren't allowed to visit the Capitol, unless they're tributes in the Games. But I'm an exception. I'm the son of King and Crystal Whiteswan, victors of the Hunger Games. My parents have been invited to a party here in the Capitol- not an uncommon occurrence- and they have decided to take me with them. It's my first time, though. They got a special permit, I suppose.
"Kyle! Are you listening to me?" the pitch of my mother turns suddenly higher.
I need all my self-control to avoid wincing, while I'm dragged back into reality. I look in her direction and find her severe, violet eyes trained on me. I can't hold her gaze for too long, in fact I look down almost immediately, ashamed.
Before I got lost in my thoughts, my mother was instructing me about manners, so I venture an answer: "Well, uh… yeah, I'll be as pleasant as a sugar cube, mom. I mean… being invited to the Capitol, that's a great honour for our family… I won't make you look bad, I promise."
As pleasant as a sugar cube? Where's the hell did that come from? I can only hope that what I said is enough to quell her for a while.
"Your father and I count on that. Don't disappoint us, will you?" she says in her normal tone.
Don't disappoint us ergo if you do disappoint us, we'll make your life a living hell. I bite my lip. My life could actually be much worse than it is. Now, I'm of Reaping age, and certainly my parents will expect me to volunteer for the Games in a few years to follow their footsteps. Maybe that's why they took me with them, to display me like a prize. Look, Panem, here's the future victor of the Hunger Games. But I don't want this. I don't want to get into the Games. I train at the academy just in case I get reaped and nobody volunteers to take my place. In this way, it's more likely I come back home alive. Shell-shocked but still alive. And the worst part of all is that since I've started training, I've always got high scores. How can I excel at something I don't like? That's a mystery.
In the meantime, the limousine has stopped. My mother quickly adjusts the pin with the logo of our family on her silver dress, and then she gives me and my father two identical items. The logo is quite simple: it represents a white swan in flight as the constellation. Only one of its eyes is visible and is replaced by a little amethyst. A violet gem, violet like the eyes of my mother, which I've taken after her as I will inherit the jewelry business she has started alongside my father after her victory.
"Wear your pins, you two. A bit of publicity won't hurt," she says.
I realize that I've been only fumbling with my pin instead of wearing it, and so has my father.
"They'll be too busy gorging themselves, Crystal, they won't even notice your little pins. Besides, we don't need extra publicity, our business is going well," he remarks.
"Capitolites are among our best customers, we can't miss this opportunity!" she retorts, and then pins the item on his black shirt.
I wear it as well. After that, we all get out of the limousine. I can't help but gape when I see the majestic villa in which the party takes place. As son of two victors, I'm used to some luxury, but even our mansion in Victor's Village seems a shack if compared to this palace. The white stairway, the grooved, marble pillars with golden decorations, the ornamental garden with fountains… this place exudes a dreamlike aura, as if it belonged to another era, to another world. The owner must be filthy rich. As soon as this thought dawns on me, I'm filled with loathing. District 1 is certainly more well-off compared to other districts, but there are people who struggle to make a living, though. Sometimes, I wander around on the outskirts of town- without my parents knowing it, of course- and I can see misery in the eyes of people who live there.
"This villa belongs to the president's family. Maybe we'll be lucky and meet him tonight," says my father.
"Umm... very unlikely. You know, he is said to hate parties like that, especially with outsiders as guests," replies my mother with a frown.
"What do you mean by outsiders?" I chime in, confused.
"We are the outsiders, Kyle," she answers.
"After the war, President Smith has tried to limit social contacts between district citizens and Capitolites. But we- your mother and I- won the Games before the uprising and did not join those mindless rebels. Loyal victors are always welcome in the Capitol, don't worry," explains my father with a kind smile, patting my head.
"President or not president, we'll enjoy this party, anyway! Come on, let's go in! Keeping our hosts waiting is definitely impolite!" says my mother.
The inside of the villa is as majestic as the outside. A valet in white uniform lets us in a great hall that seems to be made of pure gold, except for the giant glass chandeliers hanging on the ceiling, and the great windows on both sides that look into the garden and the wonderful starry sky. Tables and tables full of any possible kind of food and drink are lined around the dancefloor, and there is also a little orchestra in one corner. It is immediately clear to me that the quantity of food is excessive in proportion to the number of guests, which is much lower than I expected. Guess this party is only for the closest friends, then. Soon, I get bored of the conversations- which, just for a change, are mainly about the Hunger Games- and focus on the food. Sweet, salty, bitter, spicy… I eat so much that my sense of taste starts to get confused. At some point, I notice a plate with exotic, yellow fruit cut so as to form many little triangles in a spiral around the centre of the plate, where the top of the original fruit stands- long-pointed, green leaves and the skin with some kind of geometrical pattern. I nibble on a triangle. It's sour and juicy.
"It is called pineapple," says a voice behind my back.
I turn around and see a girl with a pair of piercing, brown eyes watching me. She is clearly much older than me, with shoulder-length, curly, brown hair and rosy skin. She's wearing a broad, pink dress and a tiara on her head like a princess.
"I'm Venus, by the way," she introduces herself.
"Nice to meet you, my name is Kyle. The… pineapple is delicious."
"Oh, I can see that you like it," she says with a faint smile. Before I can get what she means, she adds: "Maybe you should go to the restroom to wash those stains on your shirt."
I look down and see that the pineapple's juice has dripped and stained my white shirt. I immediately blush, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Yeah, the… the pineapple… the pineapple was juicier than I expected. I… I'm sorry, I must seem a savage to you now…" I stammer, without looking at Venus.
I hate pineapples! And I had promised not to embarrass myself! My parents will kill me! But, to my surprise, she just chuckles and shows me where the restroom is.
…...
Present day
Excelsa Serafin (18)- Citizen of District 1
I stop to wipe away the sweat from my brow and take a sip of water. The sun is slowly rising but can hardly pierce the thick fog of this morning. What a gloomy day! Not the best one to hold a Reaping. But I don't care. This gonna be my day, the day in which Panem will get to know me. I finish my usual run in the neighborhood and head home for a shower. Today, I must look nice, but not nice as one of those princess-like girls who usually represent District 1, nice as a warrior ready to fight. I smirk at the thought. No dresses and makeup today. All those frills are pointless in the arena. I'll wear a blue blouse, black leggings, and white sneakers. I comb my hair in a ponytail. I look at my reflection in the mirror and smile. That's just me, pure and simple.
As I walk down the stairs, Prince surpasses me, running towards the kitchen.
"You're a snail, sis!" he shouts.
He seems to me more excited than I am about the Reaping. And he's only fourteen, he won't be getting into the Games this year. Not in a Career district, that's for sure. I join him in the kitchen, where our parents are already having breakfast- scrambled eggs, bacon, and orange juice. As usual, there isn't much talking. I eat a piece of bacon, and I already feel stuffed. I put down my fork.
"You should eat, Excelsa, it gonna be a busy day," says my mother.
"I'm not hungry," I reply.
"Is everything ok? No second thoughts, I hope, this is your last chance," she continues doubtfully.
"I'm fine," I assure her. "What about my possible fellows?" I ask just to change the subject.
"Well, there are some promising trainees this year, but no one you should really worry about. Good allies, yes, but when the pack splits, they won't stand a chance against you, Excelsa, you're definitely better trained," answers my father.
He's right about my training. My parents made me drop school years ago, so that I could focus exclusively on honing my physical skills for the Games. I can devote more time to training than the majority of my contemporaries, and I must thank them for that. With such a preparation, nobody will ever be able to stop me.
We finish breakfast and head to the square. The streets are slowly filling with people. Luckily, the fog has disappeared, and, in its place, the merry sun is now shining. Mainly trainers with their families live in our part of District 1, so I know most of them from the academy.
"Excelsa!" I hear shout from behind.
I immediately recognize the voice. It's Virginia, the daughter of our neighbors, the Embers. I often hang out with her, when I'm not training. Today, she's wearing a tight, violet t-shirt and a bell-shaped, black skirt. I point to her outfit, bewildered. That's not her style. She has always been a tomboy.
"If I get reaped, I'll have my five-second glory before you upstage me, and I want to look nice for the cameras," she explains with a wide smile.
She knows, of course, that I'm going to volunteer. Everyone at the academy knows it. I can only hope that none of the girls will be so stupid to do it as well.
When we reach the square in front of the Justice Building, I part from my parents and head to eighteen-year-old section alongside Virginia. I spot Claude in the crowd and my heart sinks. His ankle has not fully healed, so he'll be forced to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. As a consequence, he had to renounce the Hunger Games. A crippled boy cannot be a Career, after all. And it's all my fault. Claude has never reproached me for it, but I can't forgive myself. I don't even know if I should still call him my boyfriend; actually, our relationship has cooled down since his accident.
In the meantime, the mayor has started reading the Treaty of Treason. Then, the escort from the Capitol is introduced- a rather little woman, whose outfit seems to be made of the same transparent plastic bottles are made. Under that… thing, she wears a white petticoat.
"Good morning, District 1! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" she squeaks on the mic.
What a shrill voice! I'd like to cover my ears, but here, in the front row, she could see me. She bounces towards the girl ball, but I can't wait for her to pull out a slip of paper.
In fact, I immediately shout: "I volunteer!" and fiercely mount the stage.
"Oh, you're an eager tribute, you are! What's your name, dearie?" the escort asks me.
"My name is Excelsa Serafin, your future victor!" I answer with a confident smile.
"Well, let's find out who your fellow tribute is, Excelsa!" she says, willing to be again the centre of attention, which I stole from her before the time.
She rummages in the male ball for a while, then chooses a slip, and finally reads the name: "Kyle Whiteswan!"
A boy emerges from the seventeen-year-old section. Tall, athletic, ashy blonde hair, and his eyes… his eyes are of a wonderful violet. He's so handsome. This thought dawns on me before I can stop it. Whiteswan… this name is familiar to me, though. Of course! The Whiteswans! His parents are two victors! I bite my lip. Handsome, son of two victors… the Capitol will definitely love him.
"I volunteer!" I hear shout from the crowd below. No, no, please, not you… but Claude is already limping towards the stage.
"You want to get into the Games with that foot!? I don't think so!" says Kyle.
"What!? I'm saving your life, you idiot! Get off the stage, I'll be the male tribute of District 1! You can always get your chance next year!" rebuts Claude, his eyes full of rage.
"There's no way I'll let you take my place! I've been reaped and I'll certainly be a better tribute than this… cripple."
Kyle wants to sound disgusted, I suppose, but there's something in his voice that tells me he's only pretending… a little pity maybe.
"You…"
Claude is about to attack Kyle, but two peacekeepers stop him. At this stage, Jay Grayfogg- District 1 last victor- leaps from his seat behind my back with an annoyed expression on his face. "I think we've had enough of this ridiculous spectacle. Mr. Whiteswan is right, and he'll be our male tribute."
The peacekeepers drag Claude back to his section, while he's squirming like crazy. "No! That's unfair! Excelsa! You can't go alone!"
I avoid looking at him. Kyle and I shake hands and are quickly let inside the Justice Building.
The first person to visit me is Claude. He immediately hugs me, but I break his embrace.
"You made yourself look ridiculous. What were you thinking?" I ask him as coolly as I can, even though the uneasiness between us is palpable.
"I-I'm sorry, Excelsa, I-I don't know what got into me… just… the fear of losing you overwhelmed me, I volunteered to protect you, to make you win," he answers with a broken voice, as if he was sobbing.
"You would accept to die to make me win!?"
"Sure! There's nothing else worth fighting for! At least, in the Games, I would do something useful…"
"I mean nothing to you, then… our relation means nothing, our dream to live together..." I retort almost crying.
"Excelsa, I…"
"Get out of here! I've heard enough! I've been training all my life for the Hunger Games, more than any other Career in the history of Panem! I will win even without your pathetic sacrifice, that's for sure!" I shout, watching him right in the eye.
When Claude gets out the waiting room, I'd like so badly to keel over on the ground and cry, but I know that I can't, not with all those cameras rolling outside, ready to broadcast my moment of weakness in all of Panem. Weakness, that's what it is. Love is weakness, and I won't give in to it. I'll win for myself, because that's what I want, what I was born for, not because someone expects me to do it, not because someone wants me to come back. I compose myself, waiting for my next visitors.
My parents and Prince come next.
My brother hugs me. "I'm so proud of you. The Capitolite was so annoyed 'cause you volunteered too soon! What an epic scene!" he says, chuckling.
I smile back. "I couldn't wait any longer."
My parents start talking about strategy. Luckily, no one mentions what happened at the Reaping with Claude. I don't want to think about him right now.
"Beware your district partner, Excelsa, he's one on the best trainees of his age. Make sure he joins the pack, but don't trust him," says my father.
"He's the son of two victors, he'll certainly get many sponsors. You have to show them that you're better than him, you may need some help once in the arena," adds my mother.
"I have no intention of letting him win. The crown is waiting for me. Being to son of two victors won't save his life," I say with a smirk.
They give me other advice, then leave the room. Also Virginia comes to say goodbye alongside other girls, but I'm thinking about something else at the moment, my mind is already travelling to the Capitol and to my future victory.
…...
Kyle Whiteswan (17)- District 1 male tribute
My parents hug me tight. I'd like this embrace to last forever, but, at some point, it must be broken. We sit on the soft velvet couches of the waiting room.
"We're so proud of you, my son. It's a pity you couldn't volunteer, but you're a Career, anyway. You'll prove yourself and give Panem another Whiteswan victor, won't you?" says my mother, teary.
I limit myself to nod. I'm afraid that if I spoke, my true feelings might emerge. Why me? I don't want to get into the Games. I don't want to be a Career. I don't want to kill. But it's too late to get cold feet. Now, I'm the male tribute of District 1 in the 99th Hunger Games. I could have let that boy take my place at the Reaping, but he would have walked into a certain death. Maybe that's precisely what he wanted. But I stand a chance to survive, at least. A capable tribute is always better than one who is already dead, I suppose.
"You have already proved yourself when you faced that crippled boy at the Reaping. Well done, Kyle. I wonder how he dared to volunteer, he cannot hold a candle to a true Career like you!" says my father.
"Guess he wanted to protect the girl," I reply.
"He would get himself killed, depriving his district of the opportunity to have a victor. What a selfish boy!" he retorts.
"Anyway, since we won't see each other for a couple of weeks, I'd like you to take something with you to the Capitol," my mother chimes in.
She gives me a pin with the logo of our family.
"Mom! You want me to promote our business even in the arena!?" I speak up, unbelieving.
She shakes her head. "No, I just want you to have something of home. Consider it as a district token," she replies with a sad smile.
There is so much tenderness in her voice that I'd like to cry, but I hold back. I stand up and hug her. "Don't worry, I'll come back in no time, you won't even notice my absence," I say under my breath.
It's weird, I'm going to fight to the death, and I'm the one who comforts instead of being comforted.
After my parents are gone, I sit down again on one of the couches, waiting for a peacekeeper to call me. But I get an unexpected visit. It's the crippled boy of the Reaping. At first, I just stand up, unable to speak.
"What do you want?" I ask him eventually.
I hope that my tone isn't aggressive. Actually, I don't know what I should expect from him, so I'm a bit on edge.
"Why do you want to be in the Games?" he replies with another question.
"If I had let you volunteer, you would have died in the arena."
"So, you're in the Games out of pity?"
"Out of empathy maybe," I correct him.
"Empathy?"
I can tell by his expression that he's rather confused.
"She's your girlfriend, isn't she?"
He nods in response.
"What's your name?" I ask him.
"Claude," he answers.
"Well, Claude, I'm really sorry for what happened at the Reaping, for the way I treated you… believe me, it was just for the cameras, I didn't mean to be…"
"Such an asshole?" he finishes my utterance.
I can't help chuckling. "Yes, maybe that's the right word. Anyway, if you had got into the Games, your girlfriend would have lost you forever in order to win. Did you want that to happen?"
He doesn't say anything in response.
"I bet not. Now, she has someone waiting for her at home, someone to fight for," I add.
"You don't want to win, then?"
"Of course I'd like to win! But if I didn't, I'd like her to be crowned victor. Don't worry, I'll do my best to make sure a tribute from our district survives."
So, Excelsa Serafin and Kyle Whiteswan are the tributes of District 1 in the 99th Hunger Games. What do you think of them? If you were them, would you behave the same way?
