To Save a Victor

Chapter 9

In the music skip to 1:00, I know I probably should have used the studio version but this one hits different. 

Part 2-

The reaping is depressing. It's even more depressing when you have to watch kids get pulled that you are going to be forced to get to know. Kids whose lives are going to be in your hands. I was sitting in a chair next to Finnick watching Lilly draw names. The girl was Ariel Butenelli and the boy was Casper Reese. Ariel had been standing on the stage shaking like a leaf, but now that we were in the train car she was right up in my face. 

"I'm going to win, you know. I'm going to have the highest kill count the Hunger Games has ever seen!" 

Finnick looked up from buttering his roll. "Eight?"

 "Yeah!"

 He set the butter knife down, his green eyes bright with anger and annoyance, "You'll have to beat me then sister, I set that record when I was 14 years old." 

"That's a piece of cake." she said with a smug smirk as she leaned over to get in his face. 

"Speaking of cake does anyone want any?" I asked and they both blew me off. "Well I want some, and I also want to hurl myself off a cliff." 

Nothing, neither if them batted an eye. I wasn't sure what they were arguing about now but I cut myself a slice of cake and took it to the entertainment part of the train with my notepad to watch the recap of the reapings. 

The pair from Two was going to be a force. After them no one really struck me. I had almost fallen asleep by the time they got to District 12. Effie Trinket was parading around the stage when a drunk Haymitch climbed onto the stage and tried to give her a hug. She shooed him away and he promptly fell off the stage into the crowd. Effie's hair was tilted at a bazaar angle and she knew it. She quickly made her way to the large glass ball holding the girl's names and picked the first on off the top. "Primrose Everdeen." a little tiny blonde girl stepped out of the twelve year old's section. She was so tiny that if there was a wind that was to strong there was a good chance she would just blow away. There was a silence and then a yell. More like a shreak. 

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!" A taller dark haired girl had forced her way out of the crowd. 

Effie was as surprised as I was. 

"Finnick! Get in here!" I barked. 

"What?" 

"District 12 just had a volunteer!"

 All of a sudden he was next to me on the couch as the girl started up the steps. 

"She's a fighter too. Look at the way she holds herself." 

"She walks like Maggie did." 

"No she walks like you did. She's gonna win." Finnick said. "I'd put money on it." 

he sat back into the couch as Effie collected herself and moved onto the boys.  We had been so exited that we missed her name. 

"Peeta Mellark."

 I gasped, "No. Oh common!" 

"Was that the kid who gave us the cookies?" Finnick asked and I nodded. 

The crowd on the screen was silent. No hands went shooting up to volunteer for the baker boy. They shook hands though the girl looked lost in thought. Then the screen went dark. Finnick sat back against the velvet couch. 

"This will be a very interesting year." He said,

 "Why do you say that?" I scooted to the edge of the couch and set my half eaten slice of cake on the floor. 

"I don't know, I just have this feeling that these are the games that will do it." 

"Set fire to the rain in a way?" That was the phrase that had been taken to by all of the victors for the rebellion.

 "I think so." He looked at me and shook his head. "I really don't know Sage. I just feel like I don't have much time left." he looked down at his folded hands. "And the moment you turn 18 you are going to be sold in the Capitol. It has to be now."

 I nodded and we sat there in silence for a long long time while the train rumbled down the tracks. I really hoped that the girl from 12 did what Finnick said she would do. I agreed with him, I think that all of the victors have very limited time until Snow catches wind of what we are plotting. I just really hope that we all make it out alive.  

Hi guys! My notifications have been blowing up, thank you guys so much for all of the love that this series has been getting! I'm going to try and get another chapter up today for you guys because I haven't updated in a long time. If I don't though it will be up in the next week! For all of the readers in the U.S.  Happy Thanksgiving!

All the love❤

Buckaroobelle