To Save a Girl- A Hunger Games Fanfiction

Chapter 2

The next day was reaping day, and I was awakened by someone jumping up and down on my stomach. I opened my eyes to see the youngest Odair boy, Devin. He was only 6 but he followed Aly everywhere. Then I remembered that I had told Aly last night that I would do her hair for the reaping. I looked towards the door frame to see both Aly and Cedar looking at me.

 "I'm up I'm up! Get this little monster off of me!" I grabbed Devin and started tickling him and he started laughing, 

"No, Sagie, no!" 

Aly laughed and rescued Deven. 

"All right now get up!" 

I rolled out of bed and walked to the closet, where my reaping outfit was. A white blouse with a plaid skirt and knee high stockings. I dressed quickly and armed with a hair brush, comb, and spray bottle, made my way to the kitchen. Aly sat on a stool watching while my mom did Ceder's hair. I stood behind Aly and brushed her long bronze hair. 

"What do you want me to do?"

 Aly thought for a moment before answering. 

"I want the two braids like you do every year." 

I nod and part her hair down the middle. Just as I was starting the first braid, someone rapped on the door.

 "Can someone get that?" I yelled. 

Little Devin ran to the door and threw it open.

 "Finnick!" He yelled with elation and jumped into his brother's arms

 "Hey buddy!" Finnick said and both of them came into the kitchen. 

Percy walked over to me.

"What's up?" 

I pulled the braid tighter.

 "The sky." I said as I continued to braid and Finnick barked a laugh.

 "I like her, she's spunky." 

I glared at him 

"Shouldn't you boys be getting ready?"

 "Okay, Mom!" Percy said and I gave him a look.

 "Sorry Sage." 

"Thank you."

 I put the elastic on the end of the first braid and started on the next one. Ceder hopped off of her stool and ran over to me. 

"Do you want me to braid your hair?"

 I smiled at my little sister.

"Yes, that would be amazing."

 I grabbed the brush and brushed out the other section of Aly's hair, before handing it to Cedar. She parted and brushed my hair out. I had to hand it to my little sister, she was almost better at braiding than our mom, if that was possible. The only difference between my hair and Cedar's was that Cedar's is about 2 shades lighter than mine. She takes after our father while I favor our mother's dark locks. I finished Aly's braids and sprayed something on them to hold them in. While Cedar finished my hair I was able to have Percy help me lace up my knee high boots, they were the only shoes that I owned so I only wore them for special events. When Cedar released me I ran outside to feed mom's chickens. Then we were off. 

It was a real shame that we held the reaping in the marketplace, because it held some really happy memories. I suppose it wasn't the market's fault that I hated the Hunger Games. As soon as we got there Finnick broke off from our group, but not before he kissed his mom and sister and told Percy to be brave. When he turned to me he patted me on the shoulder and said,

 "Stay strong Spunky."

 Then he walked over to the stage where there was a roped off area for the victors. Percy looked at me, 

"What was that about?"

 I waved him off as I hugged my mom, and Cedar. Aly also hugged me, her little arms wrapped around my waist and squeezed as hard as she could. I looked at this group of people that I called a family.

 "Love you guys, I'll meet you back here after this is all over."

 I showed Aly and Cedar where to check in for the Reaping. Then Percy and I walked over to where they were checking in the 16 year olds. I tried not to wince when they pricked my finger, then I waited for Percy. I made my way through the crowd to the roped off area for 16 year olds.  Then I got to thinking, the odds were not in my favor. I looked at the big glass ball that held the girl's names. My name was in there 80 times. When I was 12 I had put my name in 5 times. We were unemployed and my father had just left us. Percy was in there 32 times. I felt Percy take my hand as the mayor stood up and began to speak. There was nothing romantic about the gesture, but it was meant to comfort me. He leaned over and whispered in my ear.

 "Aly's name is only in that ball once and Cedar's is only in twice. It's a one in 100 chance they'll get picked."

 I'm glad he didn't say anything about my 80 and his 32. It made me feel a little better to know that my girls were about as safe as they could be. I looked at the three chairs on the stage, Mayor Drummond sat in the first one. Then Lilly Ketchum, and in the final chair sat Finnick. I had recently learned that the Victors circulated through who got to sit in the chair, but I didn't understand how. I guess that wasn't a problem for District 12 who only had one Victor, a drunk named Haymitch Abernathy, that rarely showed up for the reapings. No wonder they hadn't had a victor since he had won the 50th. The Mayor finished his speech and Lilly stood up and clapped enthusiastically.

 "Welcome! Thank you to Mayor Drummond for that beautiful speech."

 To be honest she said that every year, He could have done the chicken dance and she would tell him it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Lilly's high pitched voice snapped me back to reality.

 "I have brought you a message straight from the Capitol!"

 The movie was projected onto the big screen and the anthem started playing. It was the same movie every year, how the district's rebelled and how the capitol had heroically beaten them. Then came the part about how the Hunger Games had come to be. The Capitol had come to an agreement that each year, the 12 districts of Panem would offer up one male and female tributes to be trained and then they would fight to the death, on live TV aka the Treaty of Treason. Ya, it's fun, it's all one big party to the Capitol,  I keep my comments to myself. I always have and probably always will. That's the best way to keep your head on your shoulders. I watched as Lilly mouthed the last phrase of the film. May the odds be ever in your favor. 

"Now, the time has come, the moment we have all been waiting for,"

  The moment you've been waiting for not so much us. 

"It is time to draw one girl and one boy to represent District 4 in the 73rd annual Hunger Games! As always, ladies first!" 

She walked over to the giant glass ball. Percy held my hand tighter, and I crossed my fingers, praying it wouldn't be me, not me, anyone but me. Lilly pulled out a slip of paper and walked to the microphone, then smoothing it out, she cleared her throat. Then clear and loud, she read the name on the paper. 

"Alya Odiar."

As always I don't own the Hunger Games, Suzann Collins does. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
❤︎All the love
Buckaroobelle