This can't be happening, first the girl I've loved my whole life gets chosen, and now I get chosen. I can feel my jaw lowering, my face must be looking hilarious right now. But to me, this is the most horrible moment of my life. Why me?
I can feel someone nudging me towards the stage, why? Why is this happening? One step feels like a mile, and every time, it feels one mile closer to my certain death.
Way to cheer myself up.
When I get on stage I try to keep as calm of a look as I can, but I see Katniss staring at me, she's a hunter, and she must know what fear looks like, extremely well for that matter. I know that's what my eyes must look like...fearful. For my life.
A few moments later, Effie grabs our hands, places them together and shouts "Please welcome the courageous new tributes of district twelve, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, May the odds be ever in your favour!"
Well, I hope, they haven't been very favorable as of late.
As I shake Katniss's hand, I give her a resuring squeeze, she squeezes back, I wonder if the love of my life will enjoy watching me die.
Peacekeepers guard us as we're taken into the Justice building to say our final goodbyes. Let me guess, my mother, my father and my brothers will be here, I don't think any of my friends will come, none of them and I have a great connection, just some friendly chit-chat, nothing special. Except for Xander of course.
I wonder who Katniss will be visited by, her mom and Prim, Hawthorne. Does she have any major friends? I see her hanging out with Madge sometimes. I wonder if she'll come see her.
Why am I thinking about her right now, I need to think of a game plan. Appear as a weakling? Pretend to be tougher than I am? Join the careers, everyone would hate me if I did that, I wouldn't be allowed back in this town again, but I probably wont survive anyway, what if...
I'm overthinking. I need to focus on saying my goodbyes, if I cry I'll cry, if I don't I don't, why should I care what they think. I'll have plenty of time in the next week to think of a game plan, now I have to focus on not going insane, they'll put me in no matter what condition I'm in, I could be half paralyzed, just laying on the ground, such an easy target, and the Capitol wouldn't care. They would most likely find it funny and entertaining.
I'm sitting on a velvet couch in a plum red room, when my father walks in, probably the only person I truly trust, yet my throat drys up suddenly and no words are able to come out.
"Hi son, how you feeling" he pats me on the back and says in a sympathetic tone. Yet still nothing comes out, "I understand your shock, you take all the time you need." My father was always the calm one in the family. I give him a curt nod, then finally do something, cry. He continues patting my back in a slightly reassuring but also slightly awkward way. But I still appreciate it greatly.
"You can do it you know, you can win, your strong, and likable you could maybe form an alliance with someone, you can handle a knife and I bet your good with hand-to-hand combat, you can come back, and we'll have open arms to you, we always will, I love you son." This just makes me cry more, he brings me into a hug. I start to joke around,
"Who will want to form an alliance with the boy who crys half the time" He gives a quick laugh, I join in to, "Thanks dad, I love you too." It's true I do love him probably the most in my family, he is the closest thing I have to a living best friend, I'll miss that.
A peacekeeper comes in "Sorry sir, your time is up" my father gives me a quick hug and squeezes my hand. Just before he is out of the door, I say,
"Bye Pa, I'll miss you" He nods, it's the full truth, I will miss him, greatly.
