Hopeless

Chapter 2 - To the Capitol

Chapter 2! Dedicated to LaunaLynn. Apparently, she's Morgan's friend. That makes her a friend of mine. But also, she was my second fan.

----------------------------------------------------------

I can't believe it. My name hangs in the air. The group around me moves out of my way. When I show no signs of moving, someone behind me pushes me forward. I stumble along. 

A small scream is stuck in my throat. Someone is crying, but I can't tell who. I go up onto the stage, and Corina smiles at me.

"Excellent! You must be Eleanor." She smiles cheerfully, which only makes me scowl. Her voice is freaking annoying.

"And what if I am?"

She laughs cautiously, then turns to the bowl that holds the boy's names. She pulls out another thick slip of paper and opens it. She reads it off without hesitation.

"Jackson Heathers."

I roll my eyes. Jackson. God, this is so stupid. Jackson hates me, so he'll be directly after my life. She basically just said that I was going to die, no matter what. I hate this. All of this. Jackson, Corina, the games.... My life sucks.

I watch as Jackson's dark head of hair goes through the crowd, until I can see his face. Cocky, smug, and a general idiot all around. He climbs up confidently and smirks at me. I roll my eyes and hold out my hand for him to shake it. He hesitates before taking it, obviously displeased at the idea of having to touch me. I manage not to laugh.

The peacekeepers escort us into the Justice Building to have our goodbyes. Our final goodbyes. I sit and glare daggers at the couch in the room they escort me to, until my parents walk in. My mom immediately starts sobbing, collapsing onto a chair. I walk over and hold her tight, wetting her shoulder with my own tears. My dad wraps his arms around both of us, and we sit like this for most of their time. Then my dad hands me something.

"This. This is your district token. Please."

I accept what he gives me. My heart breaks when I see it. It's the family's most prized possession, a copper pin shaped like a wolf.

"Dad, I can't take this," I say gently. I don't want to hurt him.

"Ella, please." My mom asks this time, and I can't ever say no to her. She's too fragile and delicate, and life in the Seam only accentuates that. I finally nod, and my mom pins it to my shirt, still crying. Then the peacekeepers come in and pull them away. My mom is screaming, trying to make them let go of her so she can run back to me. The door slams behind them and I sit on the couch. The next person was who I expected. Annie.

She comes in and doesn't even bother hugging me. She just stares at me, before giving me a small smile.

"Well, well. E in the Games."

I laugh joylessly. "Don't remind me."

Suddenly, her stance changes. Her tone does, as well. "You could win, you know. There's always a chance you could win." I can tell she's serious.

"Yes. I can, if everyone decides they want to kill themselves instead of killing me."

"You're smart, and fast. Animals like you, if they aren't birds. And you, my dear, are absolutely insane. You can blow up the brains of the dorks who think they're so cool, simply by speaking to them and using your sense of logic."

I laugh softly. "I'll be sure to try."

Annie pulls me into a tight hug, then releases me. The peacekeepers come in to take her away, and she smiles at me.