Sally beckoned Carla excitedly to the stage, clearly elated that District 12 may finally get some screen time this year. This was exactly the sort of interesting content she'd been craving for years.
Carla climbed the stairs slowly. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the square trained firmly on her. As she reached the stage, Sally put an arm around her waist, guiding her towards the microphone.
"And what's your name, sweetheart?" She asked, chirpily, eyes glistening with anticipation. Carla cringed at the term.
"Carla." She murmured. Sally let out a small laugh.
"Carla?" She raised her eyebrows, prompting her to continue. Carla sighed.
"Carla Donavon..."
Sally let out a dramatic gasp, clearly putting two and two together.
"So you're related?" She pushed, clearly wanting to take the drama to the next level. Carla nodded.
"He's my brother." She stated, quietly. She felt Rob's hand slip into her own, and was grateful for the comforting gesture.
"Well, would you look at that!" Sally exclaimed, addressing the crowd once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you: your tributes!"
Carla felt herself being ushered into the town hall. She thought she'd feel frightened, or perhaps a wave of sudden adrenaline. But all she felt was numb. She was guided into a room just off of the main corridor.
It was quite decorative for a building in District 12. The walls were painted in a shade of deep red, and there was a plush rug laying in the middle of the floor. A single sofa sat across one wall.
The door closed behind her, leaving her alone in the room with Rob. They didn't speak: just pulled each other into a tight hug. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder as he stroked her hair. It was the way they'd always comforted each other growing up, and now it felt as though they needed it more than ever.
Rob sighed as he pulled away from her. He opened his mouth to speak, the words clearly catching in his throat, as he closed it again, choosing to settle instead for a shake of the head.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do." Carla whispered. Her act first, think later nature had often gotten her into trouble, but none more so than this. Although, strangely, she didn't regret it.
"Well, at least it'll make good television." Rob smirked, sadly. "We might actually be remembered for something..."
"Yeah, that's exactly why I did it." Carla replied, sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that deep down I actually care about you, and couldn't bear to watch you go through this alone."
Rob wrinkled his nose, somewhat embarrassed by his sister's confession. In the past, he'd often felt suffocated by Carla's need to seemingly control him. In reality he knew it was simply because she cared. In fact, Carla had often acted like more of a mother to him than their own had. Despite his initial reservations, he was glad that she was here now.
"Thanks, sis..." He whispered, offering a subtle smile. She shrugged, wrapping her arms around his waist.
The door burst open, and their mother entered the room, a tissue pressed up to her nose.
"What the hell did you do that for?" She yelled, as soon as the door had closed behind her. "Was it not enough for you to watch me lose him? Now I'm going to lose you as well!"
"Not everything is about you." Carla stated, through gritted teeth. She felt Rob place a steady arm around her shoulders.
"She did what she thought was best, mum..." He tried to calm her. He would always take Carla's side in an argument against their mother, whether he thought she was right or not.
"He needed someone on his side. At least if I'm with him there's more chance for me to protect him." Carla explained, although their mother wasn't listening.
"I'm losing both of my children!" She wailed, dabbing at her eyes with the tissue once again.
"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence." Carla sneered, sarcastically. "It's hardly going to be a loss, is it? You haven't been there for us since the day dad left. Why should you suddenly start caring now?"
"I did my best for you!" She snapped, jabbing a finger in their direction. Carla laughed, taking Rob by surprise.
"Oh really? Who was it going out to work to provide for us? Who was it that stopped eating so Rob could get a decent meal? Who's money was it you stole to feed your habit?" Carla shouted, finally losing her temper. Her mother looked taken aback.
"Well, I hope you're happy with your decision." She sniffed. "You won't have to put up with me anymore."
She approached Rob, arms open for a hug. He gave her what she wanted, carefully eyeing Carla while he wrapped his arms around her.
"I love you, son. Stay safe." She whispered.
"I love you too." He replied, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to hold back tears.
As she pulled away, she took Carla's hand. For some unknown reason, she didn't resist.
"I'm sorry, love." She pulled her into a hug. For the first time in years, Carla allowed herself to relax in her mother's arms, even going as far as wrapping her own arms around her tiny waist. "You're my brave girl. I don't know what I'll do without you."
They pulled away from each other as the door of the room was opened. Their time was up. As their mother reached the doorway, she turned around, taking in one last look at her children.
"Look after each other..." She said, before leaving the room in tears.
"She hasn't got much faith in us, has she?" Carla pointed out, trying, in her usual way, to make light of the situation.
"She's just being realistic." Rob sighed. He turned to Carla, a serious expression on his face. "Carla, no one from District 12 ever makes it through the first two days. We don't stand a chance."
"Please don't give up already."
"Why would it be any different for us? You've just admitted you haven't had a decent meal in god knows how long, which, by the way, I'm not happy about. What were you thinking?"
"Right, we're doing that now are we?" The last thing Carla wanted was an argument. "The difference is, Rob, that we have each other."
Robs eyes dropped to the floor. "There can only be one winner..."
Before Carla had the chance to formulate a response, the door was pushed open once again.
"Time to go." A man they didn't recognise stated. They met each other's eyes once more, Rob taking Carla's hand, and left the building.
