Katalina wasn't the average girl living in district two, she wasn't lethal or eager to kill. She was quiet, afraid of the games unlike most, and she had a secret. She was hooking up with the boy everyone in town wanted - Cato Hadley. They were compl...
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I volunteer as tribute!
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Today was reaping day.
The day where our terrible country drafts kids, no not into war, but into an arena to kill other children. I've had nightmares since I was a child about this day.
Technically since I don't have much to lose, I shouldn't be too worried if I got chosen. My parents aren't home half the time, do they really care about me? If I even have to question it I'm sure their care isn't up to standards. I bet deep down they do, but lately it feels like everything I do, is wrong.
Cato isn't my boyfriend, obviously. He wants to keep the odd relationship that we had a secret anyway.
Honestly the only person who seems to care about me these days is Roland and his family.
Speaking of people who don't care about me, my mother was brushing out the knots in the back of my hair. She yanked the brush down, the back of my head started feeling as though she ripped out half of my hair.
"Okay, I think that's enough," I mutter holding the back of my now sore head.
Instead she moves onto tying the back of my dress tightly. I stare at myself in the mirror, this side of me only comes out once a year. The dresses aren't me, the light makeup that we had isn't me. None of this will ever be me. But it is my mother. And I always have to please her.
"Why the look on your face? Do you not like the dress?" My mother asks. God is that all she cares about?
"The dress is fine, Mom. I'm nervous for today," There was an unsettling feeling in my stomach. How could she not realize I was upset because of the reaping?
"You'll be fine, Katalina." Wow, how reassuring. I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and my mother pulled it back out.
"Don't do that, your face isn't shaped the right way for you to do that." I sigh, not bothering to respond. I wasn't in the mood to fight today. She finished up making sure the bow that she had tied on the back of my dress was perfect.
"Let's say there's a one in a million chance you do get picked. If your cousin can win the games, you can win to. I'm sick of your Aunt bragging about Amelia's win at every family dinner."
"Amelia and I aren't the same," I stare at her through the mirror. It wasn't fair for me to be compared to her. We're two different people, even if we are related. "She had inside training too."
"Enough with the excuses. It would be an honor for you to go in those games. Even if you just go in."
Even if I just go in? Is she joking?
I nodded anyway even though I didn't agree with her. I just kept my mouth shut - like I always do. She studied my outfit to make sure everything was perfect. That's all she really cares about anyway.
