The Boy With The Bread- By Peeta

Chapter 2 - Happy Hunger Games

If you have any better names for my chapters, then please let me know!

I swear I’ve heard that name before, but I don’t know where. Then I hear Effie’s high-pitched voice. “Primrose Everdeen? Primrose, where are you?” A petit girl of around ten with blond curls flowing down her back steps up to the stage. She is wearing a smart blue blouse and skirt but her cheeks are puffy and red. She is crying and shouting. What I don’t expect is a girl with a thick, brown braid down her back to do what she does next. This girl starts to shout aswell. “Prim!” Then the girl pushes Prim behind her and starts to shout again. “I volunteer. I volunteer as tribute.” 

There is a lot of confused faces on the stage as this mystery girl walks forward. I recognise her face. As District 12 haven’t had a volunteer tribute in years, the protocol is somewhat outdated. Then it hit me. ‘Everdeen’. Oh. My. God. A bit embarrassing really, but the girl who has just stepped up, has been my crush since I was five years old. Katniss Everdeen. And she has just volunteered to take her sister’s place in the Games. Why didn’t I tell her sooner? Why didn’t I tell her that I liked her? Ever since the day when our teacher asked who knew the valley song, and her hand shot up, I knew she was the one for me. I’m sure that I will lose her. Prim starts to yell in between watery sobs. “Katniss! No Katniss you can’t go! Katniss no, please. You can’t leave me!” Katniss tells her to let go , because, by the looks of things it’s upsetting her too. As she tries to make way to the stage, Prim starts to yell again and Katniss; friend Gale picks Prim up off the ground, whilst she kicks and shoves like a baby tiger. Gale Hawthorne. I see him and Katniss go walking in the woods; usually hunting and shooting game. I often see Katniss trading at the Hob which is basically a black market. I see her speaking with Greasy Sae who works there. She does well for her family that girl. Gathering food, taking her sister to school. getting in the meat. My thoughts turn back to the reaping as Effie bustles to the front of the stage. “Well bravo!” she gushes, offering a hand out to Katniss. “Name?”

“Umm. Katniss Everdeen.” she mutters.

“How lovely! I bet my buttons that was your sister?” Effie trills. Katniss nods her head in agreement. “Well everybody!” continues Effie. “Let’s give a hand to our newest district of District 12. Katniss Everdeen!” Not one person claps. Then silence. Instead, almost every member of the audience touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to her. At that very touching moment, Haymitch staggers out of his chair to congratulate her. “Look at this girl!” he hollers, throwing an unsteady arm around her shoulders. “I like her you know! More than you!” he says, pointing to the main camera. As her opens his mouth to make another pointless remark, he dives off the stage, knocking himself unconscious. Every television screen in Panem is watching this moment. He is taken away on a stretcher, with a bandage on his head, and then the reaping continues. “Well everyone, we certainly have had a real good show today haven’t we? Now for the boys!” continues Effie happily. She plunges her hand into the other glass ball and after another scrabble in the pot, she pulls out a neatly folded piece of paper and lucks her eyes on the audience.  Once again, she smoothes it out on the podium and says what I am least expecting to hear. “Peeta Mellark.” she smiles. No. No. No. I have just been chosen. Shock spreads over my body as I slowly climb the steps onto the stage. “Peeta!” Effie says patronizingly. I smile at Katniss who nods at me shyly. Effie stands in between us and takes our arms. “District 12. I give you your tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games. And as always, may the odds be ever in your favour! Happy Hunger Games!” she says lovingly. Clearly the odds are not in my favour today.