The First Hunger Games

Spark and the Bomber

"What the hell man! You totally ripped me off!" Spark said throwing her hands up in the air above her head. Earlier today she had traded an old-ish computer for a new or slightly used motherboard, or so she thought. Turns out, It was broken and couldn't be fixed. So she tracked the guy down.

"What, no?!" The Guy was at least 4 inches taller than her and looked extremely strong.

"Uh...yeah, you did! I asked for a motherboard and you gave me a broken one!" She crossed her arms and leaned onto one leg.

"Exactly, you asked for a motherboard. Not a working one." The guy looked proud of himself for that comment, but not for long because as soon as those words were processed into Sparks brain she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to eye level. She's smiling but her eyebrows are arched and she looks like she's about to murder the whole town. Then she speaks to him in a soft but firm tone.

"Now I know you probably think you're so clever, messing with a fourteen-year-old, but in reality, you have a brain the size of a nut. But I didn't come down here to beat you to a pulp so why don't you go get me that part, okay?" She pats the side of his cheek and smiles a toothy grin as she lets his shirt go. He stumbles backward and runs to his shop. She crosses her arms and smiles to herself as she watches the guy fumble around his shop to find a working motherboard. All of a sudden, from behind her she hears someone clapping slowly. She spins around and sees a boy around her age walking up to her. He had light brown hair and honey colored eyes. His skin was a light latte shade and his teeth shone white when he smiled. His smile made her cringe on the inside.

"What do you want?" Spark asks straightening her posture and crossing her arms again.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on making Murray afraid of you. Most people can't even work up the courage to talk to him and ask him for parts." He held out his hand for Spark to shake but she just looked at it.

"Well, I'm not most people." She replied. The boy retreated his hand and smirked.

"You're a feisty one aren't you. I like that in a girl." He winked. Spark cringed not only on the inside this time, but on the outside as well. She was not about to have a conversation with a flirt like this boy, so she turned around and started to walk towards Murray's shop to get the motherboard from him, but the boy follows closely behind her. She spins around once more.

"What do you want from me!" She practically yells at him, but he doesn't flinch like the others whom she's yelled at. He just stood there and smiled.

"I want your name." Something about his smile was just so irritating that she felt she needed to close her eyes and take a deep breath.

"Spark, now please leave me alone." She rubbed her temples and opened her eyes.

"Alright, I have a feeling I'm going to see you again soon, Sparky." He smirks and walks away. Spark roles her eyes and heads into the shop.

. . .

"Dad! I'm Home!" Spark entered the small apartment. She dropped her messenger bag onto the floor near the door, it made a large "clunk". Her father appeared around the corner a moment later wearing his nicest clothes.

"Uh, Dad. Why are you wearing that?"She asks with a confused look on her face.

"Didn't I tell you?" He questions, fixing his glasses while he speaks. Spark shakes her head and sticks her hands in the pockets of her brown overalls.

"President Perses has asked everyone in the twelve districts to gather in their town squares for something they call The Hunger Games."

"The Hunger Games," she repeats, "What the hell are the Hunger Games!"