My Mentor (A Cato Hadley Love Story)

Introduction and The Reaping

Name: Claire-Louise Eris (Air-es)

Age: 16

District: 2 (Masonry)
 
I know what you’re thinking, “District 2”, “Rich”, “Career”. But that isn’t the case with me; you see I live in the poorer part of district 2 in a run down house, with hardly any food to survive on.
Why? Well my mother died giving birth to me so I never knew her, but growing up my dad would always tell me how much I reminded him of her and how I looked exactly like her. He tried his best to provide for us and we even snuck out to the woods where he taught me how to hunt, I miss those times… He died a few months ago in a horrible accident; they wouldn’t even let me see the body.
I cried for days on end but I had to put on a brave face and provide for myself.

Today is my first reaping without him there to comfort me; I just hope I don’t get picked…
 
(Reaping Time)
I dressed myself in one of my mum’s old dresses and paired it with some white heels and some silver jewellery. It’s a good thing my dad didn’t throw her stuff away, I practically inherited her wardrobe; I wonder what she was like… I shook away the thought as I remembered that in a few hours I could be well on my way to my deathbed.

The walk the long walk to the Justice Building and get my blood taken form the lady at the front table,
“Alright… ‘Claire-Louise’ section 6, move along.” She said harshly. Could she not bit a little compassionate, I was shaking I was so terrified! My name is in there 26 times!

I went and took my place with the other girls my age as we waited for the “fashionable” Alia Heart. Honestly I couldn’t stand the woman. Who would want to choose children to die? And why was she so happy all the time?
My thoughts got interrupted as ‘she’ started walking onstage looking like a walking rainbow.
“Welcome! Welcome! I am so excited to be here in District 2 to select two lucky tributes for the 74th annual hunger games! But first here is a video brought all the way from the Capitol!” She exclaimed in her funny Capitol accent and the video began to play.
Yay! We get to watch the same video that plays every year! I mouthed the words along with the video until it ended and Alia’s high-pitched voice graced our ears again.
“I just love that!” She smiled. “As usual, Ladies first!” She exclaimed and reached into the bowl of names picking one person’s name out. It didn’t matter whose name was pulled out, someone was likely to volunteer anyway… yet I still didn’t want that name to be me.
Please don’t let it be me!
Alia cleared her throat and out came the name that made my heart stop,
 
“Claire-Louise Eris!”

I waited for someone to volunteer, WHY WAS NO ONE VOLUTEERING! The peacekeepers dragged me up onto the stage and I looked out into the sea of people who were staring back at me.
 
Well shit.