Sunflower Seeds

Chapter Two

    "Tytania Lousse!"

    A deafening silence fills the Center as my full name echos off the buildings. My palms start sweating as the other girls part a path for me. I glance at Niall and the look on his face is pure agony. He didn't expect me to be picked. But he doesn't make a sound, and I'm glad for that because I think if he tried to stop me I'd burst into tears and I know that this is a televised event. The other tributes cannot see me as a weakling or I'll become an instant target. At least now I have someone to fight for, and I will come home for him.

    I climb onto the stage and Flaurina grins at me. I now see that her teeth are tattooed with little pink and purple butterflies. What an odd place for fashion, the Capitol. My heart is pounding so hard, I almost don't hear her call for a round of applause "for our newest District Nine tribute". A pained, forced cheer is heard but dies away quickly. I can hear someone sobbing and I notice my Momma, in the back, clutching Clara into her with tears rolling freely down her face and strangled cries errupting from something deep inside her. I bite my lip hard as Flaurina skips over to the boys bowl and makes a big deal of pulling a name. I think my heart stops as she draws a slip and unrolls it.

    "Niall Horan!"

    Oh, my God, no. This cannot be happening. This has to be a joke, a dream, anything but reality. Everything gets fuzzy, and I think for a minute I'm going to faint. Or vomit. Or both at once.

    It's like the world has stopped. Nobody moves to let Niall onstage and he doesn't try to push them. I can see the pure shock in his face from here. Everyone in Nine knows me and Niall are practically joined at the hip. And now we're being tossed into the arena to kill each other. You might as well have just told me I died and went to Hell because this is pretty much synonymous. But slowly, people start moving, and Niall moves up to the stage, his face bright red with the effort of keeping his composure and his hands shaking. He moves up to the opposite side of Flaurina, but this time, when she calls for applause, no one moves to clap. Not a sound is made, just ear-splitting silence.

    Flaurina fidgets about awkwardly for a minute, then backs away.

    "Okay, you two shake hands!" She says, but before I can even turn, Niall launches himself at me, pulling me into a rib-crushing hug.

    "I'm sorry, Ty, I'm so sorry." He whispers hoarsly in my ear, and I know that the careless, fun-loving boy I knew is gone. I hear Flaurina gasp to herself and I try to hold onto Niall for as long as I can, but I feel the rough, unforgiving hands of Peacekeepers yanking us apart. And just like that, my life and will to live is flung into the garbage heap.

~

    I sit in a velvet chair in the Justice Building, my head between my knees so I don't pass out. The reality of what just happened hits me like a speeding train, and I suddenly want to throw up. But I hear the door open and close and I look up to see my Momma's tear stained face. I run to her and pull her into a hug.

    "Promise me you'll try to come home." She says, sounding desperate.

    "I will." I say, but I know it's a lie. If I have to live without Niall, I'd rather not live at all.

    "I love you, I've always loved you." She whispers, stroking my now-frazzled hair.

    "I love you, too, Momma." A lump rises in my throat but I choke it down. She has to think I'm going to try. Suddenly, Peacekeepers come barging in, ripping her away from me. I want to cry out, scream at them and beat them so I can stay with her for a bit longer, but I just watch as they pull her away. The oak door slams shut, but only moments later, Clara comes stumbling in.

   "Oh, Clara." I murmur, running to her and sweeping her into my arms.

    "Ty, what's going on? Where are you going?" She asks nervously, her green eyes big with worry. I smile at her.

    "I'm just going on a little vacation, I'll be back before you know it." I bop her on the nose and she giggles.

    "I brought you this." Clara says, holding out a sunflower. She probably got it from the sunflower field behind our house. Literally everywhere you turn in Nine you will find sunflowers. It could be our District flower. I take the flower gently from her, careful not to break off any of it's delicate petals, and I hug her again.

    "I love you, Clara. I will treasure this forever." I say quietly.

    "I love you, too, Ty-Ty." She giggles, not understanding why we are exchanging these goodbyes if I'm coming back soon. A single Peacekeeper comes in and carries her out of the room.

    Various people come in to say goodbye to me, no one I really pay attention to, though. Niall's mother and father come in. My old school teacher. A close friend from school. My father, of course, is nowhere to be seen.

    Once everyone has left, I sink into a velvet seat and pull my knees up to my chest, twirling Clara's sunflower in my fingers. My head is spinning and I feel a bit unstable. I can hear the faint sound of many people talking outside the door, but other than that it's silent. I know Peacekeepers are going to come in soon to take me to the train, so I try to enjoy my last moments in District Nine. My stomach grumbles inappropriatly, and I remember how Niall had offered me some of his sunflower seeds this morning, and, suddenly, I wish I had taken them.