deep in the meadow | p.m.

four.

the boy with the bread.

"primrose everdeen!"

groans and gasps issue throughout the square, just like every time a twelve-year-old gets reaped. all eyes turn back to find the little blonde head and there she is. her sky-blue eyes are wide, already pale face white, but she holds her head high and takes small steps toward the stage. effie beckons her up with a smile and words of encouragement but this only causes prim to tremble even more. i am thinking with a heavy heart, "poor katniss," when i hear a choked voice calling out for the little girl. 

again, heads swivel to see where the noise is coming from. julia arlock has burst into the aisle, running forward and pulling prim behind her. in her green dress with her golden brown hair tied out of her face and a fiercely protective look in her eyes, she looks unreal. "i volunteer! i volunteer as tribute!"

now everyone is in shock. i can't even remember the last time district 12 had a volunteer and i don't think we've ever had one where it wasn't a family member taking the place of another. 

"lovely!" effie says. "but i believe there is a small matter of introducing the reaping winner and then asking for volunteers, and then if one does come forth then we, um..."

"what does it matter?" the mayor mutters, looking at the two girls with an upset expression. 

prim screams, "no! no, julia, no!" julia tries to calm the little girl but she is fighting back tears of her own. 

"prim, go to katniss. it's okay." but katniss is running forward and trying to pull back her friend. "katniss, please. take her back. please!" after a moment, gale hawthorne and harlow morbrooke have to run forward and help peel them away. harlow turns to julia with prim in his arms and gives her a pained nod, urging her to climb the stairs.

the screams of katniss and prim fade away as julia reaches effie and turns to face us. she stands cool and composed but in her eyes, you can see the panic she is hiding so well. effie starts to clap spiritedly and says, "well, bravo! that's the spirit of the games. what is your name?" 

there is a beat before julia leans forward and says in a hollow voice, "julia arlock." she looks out at the crowd and i swear that our eyes meet. in that second, i get lost in how unfair this all is. julia is a good person. we were never close in school (i had my group and, while she got along with everyone, she only really spent time with katniss) and only had one real interaction with her but i always admired her from afar. a kind, smart, beautiful teenage girl is going off to the capitol to save her friend's sister and the odds that she will come back are not in her favor. 

"let's all give a big round of applause to our newest tribute!" effie exclaims. but no one claps. nobody seems to have the ability to. not with julia's mother wailing on the outskirts of the square, collapsed in mrs. everdeen's arms. not with her father staring stone-faced up at his daughter, no sign of any emotion. it's then that it hits me; julia's sister. lily arlock was reaped only five years before and now, the arlock's are losing their youngest daughter to the capitol, too. i remember julia screaming in the cafeteria as lily bled out in the desert arena, lifeless eyes being displayed all throughout panem. and still, she didn't hesitate to take prim's place. 

so when someone in the crowd presses three fingers to their lips and holds it out to her, everyone hurries to follow suit. the district 12 goodbye. a farewell to a person you love. my heart breaks when i see a tear escape julia's eye and roll down her cheek. 

haymitch comes up behind her and throw an arm around her neck, nearly knocking her off the stage. "i like this one. she's got ... spunk!" his face darkens and he charges to the front of the stage, gesturing wildly at the cameras following his every move. "more than you!" he takes a small misstep and goes tumbling in front of the eighteen-year-olds. someone shrieks in the audience while the peacekeepers run to pull him away on a stretcher. no one knows where to look. effie, desperate to regain some sort of order, walks briskly toward the male tribute bowl. 

"what an exciting day!" i can't help but bite back a smile at the sight of her wig slipping further off-center. "but more excitement to come! time to choose our boy tribute!" this time, there is no show of searching around. effie grabs the first name her fingers find and reads it into the microphone with one hand clutching her teetering wig. 

"peeta mellark!" 

what did she say? everyone is suddenly looking at me and i stare back at them, confused. and then what effie said registers in my brain and my chest turns cold.

peeta mellark. 

someone behind me gives me a small push and i force myself to let the momentum propel me forward. my feet grow numb with every step but i need to reach the stage. i can't look weak.

effie asks if there are any volunteers but i know no one will. i have older brothers but lyle is too old now and doug stays silent. i don't blame him. 

the mayor reads off the long treaty of treason like he does every year and i stare down at the people below. i can see delly with a hand over her mouth, eyes brimming with tears. rider's jaw is clenched tight but his eyes are wide.

so much for it being a seam kid. 

why did it have to be julia and me?

the mayor has her and i turn to shake hands and as soon as she shifts to face me, my mind goes blank. her face, though filled with lament, is strong, and even though in the next week we are supposed to become enemies, she gives me a solemn grin. i take her hand in mine and shake it, giving her what i hope comes across as a squeeze of reassurance. 

and even though emotions are running high and i could be imagining it, i swear she squeezes it back.