The Simpson's Hunger Games

Chapter 5

Lisa:

I walk into the Training Room, an uneasy feeling in my stomach. On one side, there is all the Sponsors and the even the head Gamemaker himself, Akira, who are feasting on a huge table going from one side of the room to the other. The sight of the delicious-looking food makes me feel sick but, shaking, I take my place in the centre, where they can all see. In a trembling voice, I call out, "Lisa Simpson. District 5". A few of them laugh, and I blush. I can't go on like this, or I'll never get sponsors. I can't have done all this work over the last three days for nothing. I go up to the knives stand and confidently take a knife. I take my aim and hit the knife in the centre of the target, as always. The few sponsors that are still watching me look impressed, and call over to the others about my talents. I throw two more knives, and they land perfectly. I move on to all the weapons and do quite well in all of them. The Sponsors and Akira are bored now. I have to think of something. Something good and surprising. 

I have to be rebellious. They have probably seen this all before; the small girl being good at everything. At least it boosts my chances of a good score. But I could get an even better one if I shocked them. Which I intend to do. I'm not the shy bookworm from Springfield anymore. They're going to turn me into something much worse. I run over to the Edible Insects Station, and scoop up a handful of insects. Silently saying sorry to them, I bind them into a ball, and take my aim. I throw and the ball flies right through the air, straight to my target: The Feast. I take in a breath, as the ball of insects lands right in the centre of the Roast Pig in the centre of the table. The Sponsors scream and recoil, and Akira seems the only calm one. I look at him, and read a look of anger on his face. I gulp. I'm in trouble now. However, the last ounce of courage I have in me comes out, and I say, "Don't worry, they're edible", and then turn my back and sprint to the exit. 

It takes Millhouse all evening to make me tell him about the Training Session. It's only when we are alone, do I dare to recount to him what happened behind that door. He goes slightly pale, and I wait for him to say something, anything, that would reassure me I did well and I would get a good score. "Lis," he says quietly, "You had so much potential, why did you throw it all away by playing a stupid prank on them to make them think you're unusual. You would have got a brilliant score, and I had no doubt you would, but to be honest, now I'm not so sure." As soon as he says this, Clancy comes in unexpectedly, with Snake following her. "Time to watch the scores, kids", she grunts and sinks into the leather sofa in the room we're in. Snake takes a different seat, and flicks on the flat screen TV on the wall opposite. Instantly, the smiling face of a man from the Capitol who is presenting the Games for this year appears on the screen, his face stretching from the enthusiasm. "Welcome! As you know, tonight we will be broadcasting the long-awaited scores!," he beams at the camera, and continues to read out all of the tribute's scores. The Careers all get high numbers naturally, and District 3 does quite well also. District 4 get the average score, and I hold my breath when my District comes all too soon onto the TV.

A picture of Millhouse's face flickers across my vision, with the number 9 underneath. I congratulate him, and he smiles shortly. Suddenly, it's my score. I hold my breath as my familiar picture goes across the screen, and I hear in the host's bright voice, "Lisa Simpson, District 5... 12". I gasp as the number 12 comes along with my picture, but luckily it's gone before I can freak out too much on the inside, and the presenter is onto District 6. Everyone in the room stares at me, and I hide my face in my hands. It was never meant to be this way. I'm the one who should be rebelling the Games, not be a good competitor! After all the tribute's scores are broad casted, Akira shows up on screen with the Talk show Host. "So, Akira, I think we have to all agree that we should start with the legendary Lisa Simpson!", laughs the host, focusing on Akira. Akira grins, and replies, "Yes, she shows a lot of potential", and the presenter says something else about it being almost hilarious that the shy, timid girl from District 5 the Nation watched at her Reaping could turn into a killing machine. I can't watch anymore, and walk out of the room. 

Back in Springfield:

"Bart! Homer! Stop fighting and come and watch the TV!", screamed Marge, anxiously flicking her eyes to the old, beaten up TV they owned. She was desperate to see her daughter's score, as was the rest of the town. Millhouse was predictable, he was quite strong and had a rational mind; his score would be good enough to impress some of the Sponsors at least. Lisa, however, wouldn't hurt a fly, and was small for her age. She looked like one of the ones who would be killed first. Marge felt sick whenever she thought of it. She still had a small hope though, that her daughter would somehow miraculously get a good score, even if it wasn't as high as Millhouse's. Bart soon strode into the room, Homer taking a detour to the fridge to grab a beer. Maggie sat silently in Marge's lap on the sofa, just as nervous as her mother, even if she didn't fully understand the situation. 

It took a while to tune the TV properly, so they could see a picture, and by that time, the Host was onto District 4 already. Marge hushed her noisy husband and teenage son, and for once, they obeyed. She saw Millhouse got a 9, but it was her Lisa she was waiting for. She saw her picture, and saw her number. 12. The Lisa she knew was the Lisa that spent all her spare time with her nose in books, the Lisa she knew always helped Marge around the house. This new Lisa, the fighting and killing Lisa, was completely new to her. For ten minutes, the whole family sat on the old sofa in silence with their mouths wide open. How was it possible? Bart was the first to speak, "So...can I go out now?", and it was then Marge exploded. "How can you possibly sit there, and say things like that when your sister is fighting for her life out there, in completely new surroundings, with no one she knows apart from your best friend?! How can you be so...so dismissive?!", Marge shouted, making Bart slightly shocked. He stood up anyway, and walked out the house, grabbing his skateboard that was way too small for him.

Bart left the house, and rode his skateboard to the Park, where he could think. Bart had never fully grown up, he just looked older. He never stopped being 10 inside, even if he was 18 on the outside. The truth was, Bart was scared of growing up. He didn't want to go to work, and get a house, he didn't want to get married and have kids. He wanted to stay a kid forever. He didn't know how to cope with being anyone else other than his menacing, pranking self. He wanted things to stay with just him and Millhouse pranking his sister and causing havoc around the neighbourhood. Homer helped him get his first job, and said he had to start earning his keep. That terrified Bart. That was why he started using his old pranks on Lisa, to try to get back to being a kid. But it seemed Lisa had grown up with the rest of the world, leaving him behind. She knew all the pranks, and avoided them. Millhouse had grown up too. Millhouse was taller than Bart, and more mature. Millhouse had started his new job a year before, and seems to be managing fine. He's too old for pranks. Bart felt like he was on a desert island, all by himself, trapped in childhood. 

He realised now though, that it was time to start moving on. Childhood is a happy time, especially if you're Bart Simpson, but now it was time to grow up and set out a life for himself. Lisa and Millhouse going into the Games made him realise that. It made him realise that he had to prepare himself to lose his best friend or his sister or both, and he can't afford to throw his life away now he has freedom from being reaped ever again. Bart then stepped off the skateboard he had used since he was 8, and picked it up. He walked down the path back the way he had come, and dumped the skateboard in the nearest bin. From that moment, Bart was 18, not 10 years old.