The Games We Play

Chapter 2

Y/N's POV

I've been standing in line for around 2 minutes. Katniss and Prim are right next to me. It's Prim's turn. She turns to Kat.
"No, it'll be ok. They'll just prick your finger. You won't even feel it. They only do it long enough to get a spot of blood." Kat pushes her gently. She tightens up as the sharp tool inserts her finger, but relaxes in another second when it's out. The lady who pricked Prim's finger presses the blood to a name.
"Primrose Everdeen?" The lady's voice is stern. Prim nods. "Section 1 female. Next."
It's my turn. I go up and the lady pulls my hand forward. She takes the small metal stabbing tool and puts it in my finger. She takes it out after a second. She puts my blood to my name.
"Y/N Matthews?" She looks up.
"Yes, that's me."
"Section 2 female." I walk past the stand and look through the crowd of people, searching for Prim. My eyes land on her and I breath a breathe I didn't know I was holding.
Katniss comes up behind me. "Let's go."
We head over to our section and stand next to each other. Even though I've been doing this for 3 years now, I still get freaked out. I grab Kat's hand and intertwine our fingers, locking our palms together. I look over to section 2 male and find Gale Hawthorne.
Gale, Kat, and I grew up together. We have always been inseparable. Kind of like that trio from some series that people used to read starting in like 2001. Oh yeah, Harry Potter and The Golden Trio! Gale and I met when I was 6.
I walk over to Katniss's house and run to her room. I walk in and see a boy was there. He has deep brown hair and eyes. I scrunch my nose and pout. "Who's this, Kat?"
"This is my friend, Gale!"
"Hi, do you want to be friends?"
"Sure!" I sit next to him. Katniss's dad comes in and smiles. "Hi, Mr. Everdeen!"
"Hey, kids. I'm going to work, I'll see you later."
Ever since then, we've been best friends.
I give Gale a smile. It might have been an extremely weak smile, but it was something. He smiles back and nods at me.
"Welcome, welcome. Today is a very special day. Today, we will be picking names for the 74th annual Hunger Games." The escort of District 12, Effie Trinket, starts clapping and smiling awkwardly. "But first, a video from our sponsors."
She clicks a button and a video starts playing.

Panem's anthem rings throughout the court yard.
"War, terrible war. Widows. Orphans. A motherless child." I shutter at the mans voice. "This was the uprising that brought our land. 13 districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained." I feel as if I'm in a high school history class with this monotone voice and facts of war. "And then came the peace, hard fought. There's only one, the people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost, and the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation, we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up and tribute one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safe guard our future."
Everyone in my district, besides the peace keepers, Effie, and the people who came down from Panem, put up their three middle left had fingers to their lips. We all then stick our hands in the arm.
"Wasn't that wonderful?" Effie smiles awkwardly, "Time to pick names, and as usual, ladies first!"
She sticks her gloved hand into the clear glass bowl that hold tons of folded white papers that hold my districts females names. Effie swishes her hand around in a fairy like manner. She finally pulls out a name.
"Ahem." Effie does a little cough. "Primrose Everdeen."