Steadily, I climb onto the stage. The second my foot hits the step I know exactly what I'm going to do- pretend to be weak. I know it'll work. They'll think I'm vulnerable, leave me alone, and then when they find out I'm the one to kill, it'll be too late.
"Would anyone like to volunteer?" Baily asks, obviously excited.
Shut up, Baily, I think, nobody ever volunteers.
My thoughts come true when not a single person in the crowd moves. I stand completely still. Of course, I'm scared. When it comes to the games, nobody can be sure of his or her life.
"Okay. Congratulations..." She looks back down at the slip. "Johanna!" I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
"Time to pick our boy tribute!" Baily screeches in her annoying Capitol accent.
"Amarack Tarral!"
Amarack Tarral... Amarack Tarral. I'm trying to think of how I know this name when suddenly the memories surface in my brain and I'm fighting for air, though nobody notices.
The sounds of Baily asking for volunteers gets muffled by my own thoughts. I remember Amarack Tarral.
"Johanna, you are the fattest, ugliest bitch I've ever seen. Nobody likes you. The world would be better without you!"
I was in the 8th grade, and that day, I punched him in the face, got punished . That was the day that I swore to myself if we ever ended up in the Hunger Games together, I'd kill him. I even told myself that the odds were against it, but somehow, here we are.
"Shake hands!" Baily orders.
Amarack smiles, reaches forward as if we're old friends, and offers his hand. I take it and squeeze it so hard he probably lost circulation for a moment. Then I flash a smile, turn back to the crowd, the cameras, and wave goodbye as we're escorted off the stage and to the Justice building, where I'll say my final goodbyes.
The first and only people I know will come in are my parents, and little sister, Zemetria. My mother, known to be weak, begins to cry the second she sees me sitting on the couch.
"Mama, it's alright," I say, though I'm not the best at comforting people.
Zem looks at me with her bright brown eyes, just how I looked when I was four.
"You will try to win, won't you Hannie?" She asks.
"Of course I will, but I can't promise you I will."
"Well, what happens if you lose?" Zemmie asks. I bite my lip.
"Well... you..." My mother doesn't let her watch the Games, so she doesn't know what goes on. I take in a deep breathe. I'm going to tell her, I know that if I lose, she'll be wondering why I'm not going to be coming back.
"You die," I say shortly.
Her eyes widen immediately, a tear rolls down her cheek, and I start crying, too, because if I'm going to be weak, I have to cry.
When the Peacekeeper orders them out, I prepare myself for the cameras. Weak face on. I turn and look at my family, and this may be the last time I see them in person. Then the Peacekeeper shoves me along and I load the train.
It begins to move so rapidly, my home is almost gone and we've only been on for several minutes.
I might start crying, but still, I say:
"Goodbye, District Seven."
