The 100th Annual Hunger Games Quarter Quell: District Revenge

Mason Corduroy ~ Reaping Day

"I'm so sorry Mason." Avalon's soft purple lips whispered that one simple little sentence. Simple enough that in that sentence lays my name. Mason. She chose my name, and I will never forgive her for that. As if life couldn't get any harder. The girl of my dreams reaped my name. Out of the tens of thousands of boys to chose from, Avalon picks mines. Maybe she saw a hint of an "M" on the card. That's why she chose it, because she doesn't want to be alone. Selfish. But she has Ellaydra. Why would she need me?

"Say his last name for the cameras dear, no need to apologize." Divine coaxed Avalon.

"Mason Corduroy." Avalon's voice was shaking. I could tell she didn't want to do this. Nobody wants to do this. But it's mandatory.

"Mason where are you?" Divine sings.

I raise my hand and walk out into the isle. "Here!" I yell.

"Oh great, I was starting to think you skipped the reapings, wouldn't want to cause another episode!" She glanced at Isa, the Morphling girl. Isa spit in Divine's direction.

I unsteadily walk up to the stage. I'm nervous. I see my icy blue hair that matches my ice blue eyes on the big screen. My heart is pounding a mile a second and all I could see was Avalon's beautiful Hazel eyes with specs of gold. She looks stunning as always but there's something majestic that lingers in the air when she's standing in front of me.

"Well look at you!" Divine gushes. "How tall are you?"

"Six foot two," I say flatly.

"Very handsome you are indeed!" She says.

I can't help but blush. Not the fact on what Divine said or that Avalon is standing just a few inches from me but most of my nervousness is coming from the cameras in my face.

"How old are you Mason?" Divine asks.

"Seventeen," I reply.

"So I can tell from you and Avalon's faces that you two must fancy each other."

I scratch my head. Avalon's eyes wonder seamlessly to the ground.

"Mhmm, seems as though we might have a romance in the Games this year!" Divine

The District Officials applaud but not the citizens. I stare at my mother's cold empty eyes, she is cuddling my little brother, Xavier, he's only eleven. I won't be there to comfort him during his reaping. I won't be there to hold my mother's hand when I die from having one of Caldesia's arrow stuck in my chest or being beaten to death by Ellaydra or Dazzle.

"No!" Avalon shouts. She shaking her hands nervously. "We're just friends!"

"What a load of crap Avalon!" I scream.

"Excuse me?" She says appalled.

"We're just friends? Your only saying that because you feel bad about reaping my name. You know I love you Avalon, why act such a way?"

"The Games."

I shake her by her shoulders. "What about the Games?"

"Thirty-six of us, only one can survive." Her voice was robotic like, as if those were the only thoughts that flustered through her mind.

"That one is going to be you, Avalon. By any means necessary, Ellaydra and I will make sure that happens. If anyone deserves to be Victor, it's you." I'm smiling into her eyes. One, two, three, specs of gold that flutter in her radiant pupils. She's happy. I like to see her happy. The Citizens make sappy "Awwwww" noises and chant our names.

"Um.. excuse me," Dazzle stands up trying to get everyone's attention back on her. "Um yeah, I'm sorry, but you two love birds," she points at us with her finger. "Yeah, the brown headed girl with blue ends, what's your name?"