Never Yours (Peeta Mellark X Reader)

Chapter 2--"I volunteer!"

Slow, draggy footsteps carried you through the huge crowd of potential tributes and their families in the early afternoon the very next day, the sun shining brightly just as it did the day before, but it wasn't as nice as it had looked. You wore nothing but a simple (F/C) dress that your mother passed down, as well as an old pendant that she once wore when she was little. It was a very simple pendant, actually--just one with a sparkling sapphire, and a golden bird wrapped around it.

"Tributes are allowed to carry one thing as their district token," your mom told you. "You would wear it if you get reaped, would you?"

You nodded. "I will, mom. I promise."

Your mom smiled and gave you a hug now, and then off you went.

Every tribute had to sign in with a prick of a finger and a blood sample to confirm your attendance. Soon, you found yourself lined up behind a whole group of scared 14-year-old girls, even some 12-year-old girls who were entering the reaping for the first time. One of these girls, a young one with blond hair styled into two separate braids, started hyperventilating as she saw the blood withdrawals, and began to cry. The girl beside her, a taller one with brown hair, looked around wildly before crouching down to calm her sister down.

"That must be Katniss," you whispered to yourself.

"Next," the Peacekeeper barked, holding out a hand to you.

You only gave a bored glance as you handed her your hand, felt the pricking sensation in your fingertip as she took out some of your blood onto a heavy book. The name (Y/L/N), (Y/N) flashed out from a machine.

"Good. Next," the Peacekeeper instructed.

You quickly made your way through the throng of people, standing with some of the other girls from your region. Off to your right, a few girls away, you saw Delly with a simple baby blue frock donned over her form, her hair half up, half down in a ponytail. You immediately caught her eye and waved.

"It'll be okay," Delly mouthed, and you nodded.

Just then, everyone stopped talking as the escort for District 12, Effie Trinket, approached the mic and tested it, tapping it once, twice, thrice before speaking into it.

"Welcome, welcome welcome!" she greeted you all with a smile--genuine, in your opinion, but creepy at the same time amidst the pale white makeup she put on her face. "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"

Of course, no one responds. The Hunger Games, you knew in your district, meant sending two people literally to their demise. No one in District 12 has ever came out of the games alive--well, except for two people, one of whom is still alive. And even he, you knew, couldn't even train the tributes well from scratch unless they have raw talent.

"Now, before we begin, we have a very special film. Brought to you, all the way from the Capitol!" Effie chirped, gesturing you to the big screens that were placed right beside the Justice Buildings.

Instantly, music began to play--the classic soundtrack from the film that Effie spoke of that you have grown to hate. You glanced back briefly, taking a glimpse of the boys' side in hopes to find Peeta, only to have seen one of the eighteen-year-olds with brown hair and dark grey eyes mouth out, War. Terrible war.

You had to resist rolling your eyes as you glanced at the film, paying absolutely no attention to it. What is the use of hearing your own land's history over and over again, anyway? You can't help but imagine what life would have been like, though, without any sign of the rebellion against the Capitol that resulted in one district's downfall. Would people still have been able to fight back if they had learned to accept the Capitol's decisions to govern you the way they did? You knew only a discussion with Peeta would help you find the answers, but he's too far away. The most you could do was grasp onto your left wrist as the video continued to play.