THE 150th HUNGER GAMES

District 9 Reaping (All Ages)

Alicia Forevere's (District 9) P.O.V:

Will I be chosen? Am I the one destined to die? What about my three friends? My two sisters? Odds are it won't be anyone I care about. We each only have our name in there once this Reaping.

But things just seem to never be in my favor. I have the worst luck. But it's hard to anticipate the worst when there's still that small strand of hope I cling so desperately onto. That it'll be someone I'm not even acquainted with, a complete stranger, and Drake, Garrett, Rosa, and I will go racing down the streets, whooping with excitement at being free for another year.

I glance over at my littler sister. Lilac is only twelve, and rather childish even for that age. She was crying earlier- scared of being Reaped. It took a long time and a lot of reassuring that Malley or I would volunteer for her if she was chosen. Well, it went a little differently from that.

"Hey, don't worry Lilac, if you're chosen, I'll take your place."

"B-but, Alicia, you'll-you'll die!"

"Shh. But you won't, and that's all that matters."

"Ahem."

"Yeah, Malley?"

"I will not allow that. I will be taking her place, Alicia."

"Why can't I? I should be the one."

"You are going to die if you volunteer."

"And you have a better chance of survival? Yeah, right."

"I do not want you risking your life, Alicia."

"I am volunteering for Lilac, and that's that. She'll need you to take care of her, you'll be better at that then I ever will, and we both know I'm the one that is least needed around here."

"No, I will be taking her place! I'd rather I die than you!"

"Yeah, that's not happening, Malley."

"This conversation is over. I will be taking Lilac's place."

"Yeah, NO."

"ALICIA!"

"Yeah, Lilac? Hey, you're not crying anymore. You okay now?"

"MALLEY!"

"What is it? You are going to be fine, do not fret, Lilac. We've got this covered."

"You both realize you've been debating over whose going to volunteer for me when my chance of getting chosen is so slim all this bickering is pointless?"

It was very interesting. I smile, recalling our conversation. In the end, Lilac herself was able to make herself feel better. I spot her up ahead of me by her head of shiny black hair and the lilac flower tucked behind her ear. She looks pretty today. Older, too.

I glance behind me and locate Malley far towards the back with the other eighteen year olds. She looks more tired than usual. Perhaps it is because we never resolved our conflict of who is volunteering if the one slip that has Lilac Forevere's name on it is drawn.

"Hey, Lishie," Someone whispers in my ear. I whip around and see Rosa, one of my good friends. The two of us always hang out two guys named Drake and Garrett in our little friend group. There's barely ever a moment when we're apart. Except moments like this, where boys and girls are separated for the Reaping. Drake and Garrett are across on the other side of the square.

Rosa's icy blue eyes sparkle mischievously, and I groan. "What prank did you play this time?"

"I added exactly fifty slips with 'Armadilla Goslin' on it to the Reaping ball," she grins slyly. Armadilla Goslin is this stuck-up rich girl who only cares about herself. Rosa feels something beyond hate for her and is constantly pranking her. Sometimes, she gets in trouble. But with her fun, charismatic personality, Rosa somehow always manages to get out of punishments.

"ROSA SNOW!" I whisper-shout. "You didn't."

She shrugs in defeat. "Guilty as charged."

I sigh, shaking my head, but a smile is still on my face. She's going to get in trouble this time, bad trouble. But, hey, if Armadilla is actually drawn, we'll at least get a good laugh out of it. "Do the guys know?" She nods her head 'yes'. "We're doomed." Garrett's uncontrollable laughing often gives us away.

The escort comes out of the Justice Building, says the normal crap about how much of a privilege this is, and walks over to the male Reaping ball. I breathe in, breathe out, hoping with all my might that it's not Drake and it's not Garrett. It would be terrible if either of my friends were chosen. "Cain Vigle!" The escort calls out, and I glance over at my friends with a smile. Drake gives me a thumbs-up.

Cain- a tall, muscular, dark-haired guy who looks almost Career-ish, announces quietly that he is eighteen, and the escort proceeds to draw a female name. I shut my eyes, biting my lip as she draws the slip. Not me, not Rosa, not Malley, not Lilac. Armadilla Goslin, please?

But the name called isn't Armadilla Goslin, unfortunately. I am paralyzed in shock and I can't move and I can't speak and how awful this all turned out. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. It wasn't supposed to happen like this at all. No. No, no, no. I am stunned that that name was actually chosen. Out of all the names, it was that one.

Of course, I should have been preparing for the worst, considering how unlucky I am. It only makes sense that this would happen to me. It only makes sense that the girl with the white-blond hair taking her place as tribute in the Hunger Games beside the escort would be my best friend for the past six years. It only makes sense that the girl who tried to pull a prank and rig the Reaping so that Armadilla Goslin would be picked was drawn instead.

And it only makes sense that I would be too cowardly to volunteer for Rosa Snow, when I would have done it in a heartbeat for Lilac Forevere.