Meant to Be

Chapter 1

I woke up, the morning of the reaping and for the first time in my life, was not excited to go.   I was furious that the academy hadn't picked me, but I decided it was for the best. After all, I was only 14 years old and still needed a couple of years until I was fully prepared to enter the Hunger Games. I thought I was ready though, I felt ready, and have been through much worse than just the games. I have been at the top of my class for nearly two years now. Why wasn't I picked? I know that over the past few years, our district always had a victor to welcome home. Did they think I was going to break that streak, just because I was younger than all of them? What reason could they possibly have to not pick me? I guess it could also be because of my mother....I never liked to talk about my family, my brother got his throat slit which caused my mother to get a little crazy. As for my father we never saw him much, he was always working and never helped out at the house. But none of that really mattered anymore, I had to attend the reaping. I had no choice. I forced myself out of bed and lingered towards my wardrobe to get on my best clothes. Which wasn't anything too special. Just a plain cream colored dress, with a brown belt to go with it. " Clove?" my mother's cracking voice came from the kitchen, "Sweaty, could you help your brother get dressed?," Clove approached the place where her mother had been " Mom, don't you remember?" Her mother had baggy eyes and her brown hair seemed to be knotted in a tangled mess. She looked down at me with a very confused look and shook her head. "Alby is dead. He died five years ago." I said harshly as if it would help her remember. I had to be the responsible one in the family now. Once father awoke, we all walked to the Hall of Justice and waited for the ceremony to begin. Then started the usual stuff, a peacekeeper went on the stage then we watched the video about war and blah, blah, blah. I didn't care much at this point and was bored out of my mind. Finally, the peacekeeper picked a paper from the bowl. He opened the note and proclaimed, "And the tribute from District 2 is Clove Kentwell" My eyes lit up and I was about to walk towards the stage when I remembered, I couldn't do anything about it. The chosen one by the academy, Amelia was going to volunteer any second now. Everybody waited in silence. I looked through the crowd just in time to find Amelia collapsed to the ground and cries burst out of her with the force of a tsunami. I looked back at the stairs and mumbled to myself, "What a WIMP" the peacekeeper tried to look for me in the parade of people and shouted this time, "Clove Kentwell??? Please come to the stage!" I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go or stay put. " Come along Clove! Snow doesn't like to be kept waiting." his tone appeared angrier than it was a second ago. Hesitating on what to do, I looked over my shoulder at my mom and she encouraged me to walk up the stage and accept my fate. So of course, I walked to the peacekeeper, gladly and while trying  to contain my excitement, but could barely help it, so once I arrived at the stage I kept my head facing down at the ground," Now for the boy tribute" the peacekeeper continued, "Camera-" The academy boy, Vince blurted out. "I volunteer as tribute" Then thought to myself, WAIT A MINUTE. How come that voice sounds so familiar? I looked up just to be sure that it was actually Vince, but to my horror it wasn't- "CATO??"