Begging On My Knees // G. Hawthorne

Two - Volunteers

Thalia's POV:

Primrose Everdeen.

That's the name that Effie Trinket had called. I stand there in shock as I watch Prim walk onto the stage. No, not Prim. I refuse. No.

I stand there frozen and the only thing that seems to snap me out of my trance is Prim tucking in her blouse.

Immediately, I jump into action. "PRIM! Prim no!" Two peacekeepers move towards me and begin to hold me back, but I break through their grip just to say, "I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute."

I can tell my voice reeks of desperation, but I don't care. All I cared about was Prim in that moment.

I rush onto the stage where I bring Prim into a tight hug before quietly whispering in her ear, "Go find Katniss and wait there with her until the reaping is over, ok?"

"Ok." She answers crying. 

"I love you, little duck." I say to her as she was ripped away from my arms by peacekeepers before grabbed by Katniss.

I slowly walk towards Effie before taking my place by her side. 

"My, my." She says excitedly. "We have our first ever volunteer! What's your name dearie?"

"Thalia Runners." I say staring straight into the camera that was zoomed in on my face. I took care not to cry and to appear unbothered.

"Excellent, now let's all give a big round of applause to Thalia Runners!" Effie exclaims.

But no one clapped. No made a sound.

Instead, they all raise three fingers to their lips before turning and raising them in the air. A sign of goodbye and good luck to their very own guardian angel.

Gale's POV:

I raise my hand like everyone else, but a plan is already forming in my head. I can't let Thalia, the girl I'm secretly in love, with go into these Games alone.

So, when Effie Trinket pulls out the male tribute's name saying, "Peeta Mellark!" I quickly step forward.

Now, what I do next has to have been the most stupid and reckless thing I've ever done.

"I volunteer as tribute." I call out, my voice clear.

Peeta, who hasn't even moved gave me a look of relief and gratitude. A path is parted for me like the red sea as I quickly walk on stage.

Even from here I can see the look on Thalia's face. It's a mixture of shock, confusion, sadness, relief, and anger.

However, all those emotions form into one the second I reach the stage and I hug her. Every emotion she was felling before turns into sadness as she crumbles into my arms and cries into my chest as I hold her up with one hand on the back of her head and the other around her waist.

Thalia's POV:

When Gale volunteers, I'm angry. Why would he do something so stupid? At the same time, I'm shocked, confused, and a little relieved.

But the emotion that only really hits me hard is when he reached the stage and brought me into one of his hugs, he knew I loved so much.

So, I broke. I fall into his arms and start sobbing. Why me? I think. Why me?

I bury my face in his chest so no one will see me crying but I'm sure people can still tell. My body is shaking in sobs.

I hear Effie ask Gale what his name was. "Gale. Gale Hawthorn." He answers. I didn't have to see his face to know that he didn't look up from me once, that he didn't look into the camera and try to act confident. I know he's just staring down at me, trying to comfort me.

"Well, there you have it," Effie exclaims but this time less enthusiastically seeing as I'm full on having a panic attack. "District 12's first ever volunteers and 74th Hunger Games Tributes!"

Nothing can save us now.

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A/n:

Sorry for the shorter chapter but I felt that this deserved its own chapter, so yeah.

Love y'all and happy reading!

WORD COUNT: 644 words