The 122nd Annual Hunger Games: The Anti-Careers

District 4 Reaping

IV – Gray Devon

"Give up already!" Dominic cried out to me with a burst of laughter as he pushed harder down on my arm; I was losing the arm wrestling match badly this time. He was almost halfway towards my side when his winning grin stamped his face, his chin riding high and mighty above my loss. "And there you go!" he cheered once he finally forced my arm down to the chipped wood table. "I believe that's eighty-eight wins now?" he jested. "And you're at zero. We'll continue working me towards one hundred after the reaping."

"Don't get full of yourself," I snapped, leaning back in my chair and folding my arms to display my pride. "Besides, you've never outrun me!"

"But Gray, don't forget I always swim two laps before you can do one!"

"But who lifts more? Me, of course."

"Yet I still do more pullups!"

"You don't have as much muscle to weigh you down is all!"

"At least I don't have excuses for when I lose!"

He was right, but I still didn't ever let go of the fact that I was stronger overall.

"Whatever," I muttered to stop the silly argument as I stood up to slump my coat from the chair over my shoulder. "Let's just get this death lottery over with."

"Right," he replied and did the same.

Dominic was my best friend but he was more of my rival. It usually gets hectic whenever we argue about who's better but then one of us chooses to save it for later; we both constantly strived for glory over the other. In fact, sometimes we hated each other, but that's what rivals do, hate and compete and be friends if that's their situation. As a result, we were considered one of the strongest candidates for The Hunger Games but we promised each other to never volunteer for them; we were smarter than to volunteer to die.

Upon signing in and filing into our age section, we realized that we were rather early, having to wait around thirty minutes until the rest of the possible tributes showed up so that our escort, Calipurn Heist, could show her face. Dominic and I chatted quietly until she introduced herself with her unforgettable mighty Capitol accent-annoying as always-and began the reaping ceremony. My guess for that year's reaping was that we would fail to provide District 1 and 2 with Careers for the third year in a row as in we wouldn't have any volunteers for the third year in a row, an unusual trend in our district, and I'd be damned if I volunteered; I had already been requested to volunteer sometime in the future to try to revive our District's popularity, and Dominic too, but it wasn't ever a date in our agendas. I always saw Careers as annoying brats whenever I saw clips of them on the television. I never wanted to be one of those lame, over-hyped rich kids.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is time to select our boy and girl to represent District 4 in the 122nd Annual Hunger Games!" she announced delighted as she headed to the girl's bowl. After selecting her folded paper, she revealed it to the sea of children and proceeded to unfold it. "Our girl tribute for The Hunger Games is," she began as she worked towards finding the name inside. "River Murk!" she bellowed through the microphone that reached every ear in District 4.

River Murk was somewhat of a Career, a definitely better tribute as compared to the 120th and 121st games. She was in my class as well, Dominic too, and I had seen her try her skills in the Career training center but gave up on it a year before being reaped for the 122nd games. River moved herself on stage to announce her age, sixteen.

"And now for the boy!" she stated slowly but with purpose. She read the next name aloud to the crowd once she readied the second paper in her hand. "Our boy tribute for the 122nd Annual Hunger Games, is Dominic Strelley!"

Dominic looked to me, his power grin non-existent.

That loser, I thought. How? I can't let him take all the glory!

I shot up my hand a few seconds after his name was called and shouted, "I volunteer!"

Eyes fell on me from all around. Wait, did I just volunteer for The Hunger Games? Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! I looked down to the ground with my pride dissolving as I stood there.

"Oh, goody! A volunteer!" the fancy lady cheered, clapping her hands a few times to congratulate me.

Dominic shot his eyes at me to argue quietly to me, "but you said you would never volunteer!"

"Yeah, I know" I scoffed as I tightened my fists, feeling my own rage flush my face an angry crimson.

"Well, come on up, mister volunteer!" she called out. The peacekeepers headed over to me to take me away to prison.

I turned to Dominic in a snap and jabbed my finger in his face one inch from his nose to make him wince as I said, "mark my words, Dominic Strelley, I'm coming back from The Hunger Games and I'll be better than you ever will be!" It was the only thing I could before being ushered away and pushed on stage.

"Who might you be, young man?" the escort questioned with that enormous smile of hers.

I looked out to everyone and confidently feigned the excitement in my announcement. "I'm Gray Devon and I'm sixteen years old." I guess it's time to start being an annoying rich kid.

"Everyone, give it up for your District 4 tributes, River Murk and Gray Devon!"