The Hunger Games X District 14 OC

Chapter 2 (In Progress)

Cedar and I walk into fourteen's bakery. A downcast woman is waiting behind the counter. She brightens up at our entrance.

"Ah. I wasn't expecting any customers today, things being what they are, but I guess you two are on duty today," she winked at us, hinting about the school, "I believe you've met my son?" I take this as code for, 'My son is in the program, how is he?'. 

"Oh, yes! Wonderful kid," (I mean this when I say it, something about her makes me sure she's Kirk's mom.) 

She grins when she hears that her son is thriving. I think I can see little tears in her eyes. It's so unfair that a mother has to give her baby to be raised by neighbors and away from her. It's not right that in order to protect her most precious child, she has to send him away.

I regret nothing, rather this than the boy be only feet from death. Cedar tightens his grip on my hand, then loosens it again. I look up into his handsome hazel-brown eyes. He feels what I'm feeling. I'm comforted by the feeling of his thumb moving in gentle circles on the back of my hand.

Cedar and I buy three loafs of bread. Really, we should buy more, but for one, bread is expensive, despite the very sweet discount Kirk's mother gave us, and secondly more than that, it would be suspicious. Peacekeepers make everything more difficult. Even these three loafs could be questioned. The excuse circulating my brain is that they're for my mother's reaping party.

The trip to the butcher goes much faster. In and out, ten fantastic cuts of turkey and five squirrels. Even more suspicious and expensive. I'm not too worried about spreading it between so many kids, the evening meals are larger and fueled by secret donations. I remind myself to check the calendar for who's shift is tonight.

No Peacekeepers stopped us this time and thank goodness so. How would we possibly explain bringing all this food for two people to clean?

Cedar and I close the door behind us quickly. I turn to him, holding the bread. 

"I could have helped carry some of the meat."

"Yeah, but I managed fine," Cedar shrugs and puts the bag of meat on the table. I do the same with the bag of bread.

I met Cedar five years ago, in school. Not this school, they don't let you even start volunteering here until you're fifteen. You can't work here and make money until you're seventeen. What I mean is the school that kids from fourteen go to. 

Once you turn ten, the teachers look at what you excelled at and decide what districts to focus you on for the rest of your education. I was scared that they would say that I failed at everything and that I would never get a job. Of course, back then I hadn't yet realized how fourteen works as a community. 

So, I hid in a closet that nobody really used and cried until I had no tears left. It was stupid, I admit, but I thought I would never be able to help my mother make money. Somebody heard me crying and I looked up as he opened the door and sat by me.

"Why are you crying..." he broke off, awkwardly unsure of my name.

"Silver," I whispered.

"Okay then, why are you crying, Silver?" he asked me patiently.

"I'm crying because they might say I'm bad at everything and kick me out of school," I leaned into his shirt and cried some more. I felt his strong arms around my shoulders as he comforted me. I think I might have liked him that moment I met him. It was a little weird to be crying on someone who's name I didn't even know, but social barriers hardly exist for children.

"It's okay," he had said, "the worst that can happen is they take you in for a little extra testing until they know what you're best at!"

"Really?" I sniffled.

"Trust me, that's what happened to me," his words made me feel much better.

"Wait so you were already evaluated?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Yes, I'm eleven," he told me.

That day was the most important day of my life. Not just because I found out that when I was older, I'd be teaching districts seven and twelve, but because I met Cedar.