Selected Future (Hunger games-Cato love story-AU)

Good News and Bad News

Chapter 1
Nightmares... That's all I get whenever I close my eyes. Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you. The reason I have nightmares is because I watched my best friend torn to pieces right in front of me on television. Now I fear the life of my older brother and younger sister who are now eligible enough to enter the games.

More specifically, the Hunger Games... The 72 Hunger games in fact which is in 2 weeks. What makes it worse is that i'm from district 2 and this year the mayor announced that a random girl will be approached in three days time and will be told to volunteer. Same goes for the boys... anybody could go into the games.

Luckily we are prepared for the games from the ages of 10 to 15. Currently i'm 16, my older brother is 18, and our younger sister is only 12. My father works day in and day out, so we hardly see him. even though my sister is in the academy I still feel like she's not ready for the games just yet. "Ash Wake up!" My brother banged on the door telling me to get to work already, "Alright, hold up!"

I get out of my bed and walk to my closet and take my usual outfit: my dark skinny jeans, one of my mom's old t-shirts, and my favorite black shoes. I never like dressing fancy no matter where I go and my father never questions me. My brother on the other hand always gets on my case about never acting like a real girl that will most likely cost me a boyfriend.

I mean sure his girlfriend is a super rich doll face that has an attitude when it comes to being alone with me. My sister is another story, she spoils her with new dresses almost every day and a new manicure every week. I mean she's literally taking the only people I care about away from me and leaving me alone like I usually am at afternoon classes. Last year my best friend was chosen to volunteer for the games and she promised to return, but she never did. Instead I got to watch as her so called partner for the games left her wounded for dead to the mutated wolves in the game.

Every since that day I've been wary around dogs or anything close to a dog. I noticed I was spacing out while brushing my hair, so I shook my head and hurriedly brushed my teeth. I walked back into my room and took my uniform out of the drawer and put it on. Once I put my clothes on I check the time and saw it was already 7:30! Man I'm going to be late if I don't hurry and my boss will not be happy at all. I grab my satchel with my drawing book and pencil and also my wallet before running out of my room.

I race downstairs ,barely missing my brother on the stairs, and into the kitchen to find my sister eating ceral while reading her fifth book this week. "Morning Ella." She looks up and gives me a disapointed look, "It's 'Good morning Ella', not 'Morning Ella! I swear Ash you need to learn to speak properly like a women for once." I shrug and pick up an apple "Sorry Ella, maybe you can teach me once I know what it's like to actually be treated like a lady." she huffs in fustration and I just smile at her before going out the back door and getting on my bike I use all the time.

Once I get on the street I began to ride to the center of town where I work at a high-class bakery I was lucky enough to actually get hired at. As I was speeding down the bike path I looked to the side for a second and looked at the house that my best friend use to live in. I continued going to work while also thinking if I should add a new design to a cake or cupcake for this weeks special. I smile when I see the bright building of the bakery ahead of me and steer to the left and onto the walk path that leads to the bike stands. Once I park I take my satchel off and lock my bike into the stand before walking another block to the front doors of the bakery. I take a deep breath and walk inside to be greeted with the scent of fresh flour and icing mixes that are awaiting my very comand to create a cake.

I walk into the back and check in by scaning my employee I.D., then I walk to the work area I always keep my stuff at and take my drawing pad out along with my pencil. I try to think of ideas of what to make for a cake design when my boss comes in, in a happy mood(For once) and smiles at me. "Ash, I have a special order I want you to do for me... Is that alright for you?" I smile and nod, trying so hard to keep his mood up. "Yeah, sure what is it?" He rushes to his office and comes back out with two papers. He hands them to me and nods in encouragement for me to look at them. I lift them up and the minute I see the name and photo my body freezes, and flashes of the horrible nightmares I had last night came rushing into my brain. I see the smile of the one person I've hated for nearly half a year with a request that I bake him a cake for his victorious win of the last Hunger Games and also his birhtday coming up. He wanted a four layered cake that showed his strength, personality, and above all his win of the Hunger Games.

What made it worse was at the very bottom he also requested that I make this cake and serve it personally at his party in three days. Today turned from a good morning to the worst morning beside the morning after my first night of nightmares. I looked at my boss to see him smiling the biggest smile I think anyone could make. I fake a smile and just nod to him telling him I'll except the job because I'm afraid my voice will give away my fear but also my anger. My boss laughes and pats my back rather harshly and smiles at me in an almost inhumanly way. Now my boss was freaking me way the hell out. I chuckle nervously and turn around to once again pick up my drawing book and pencil to start drawing the designs out, Just as I was about to go into the baking area my boss catches my attention once again to tell me some more dreadful news I didn't want to hear.

"Oh and Ash... I already set up an appointment with your costumer to go over the designs you have for his cake alright?" I nod and smile the best I could. Once my boss leaves to go and open the bakery doors, I bang the drawing pad on my forehead and sigh deeply, 'Why me... Why torture me? Why not someone else?' I thought to myself and I sit down to go through the two papers my boss gave me a minute ago. I cringe at the name but more at the photo at the top of the first page. I sigh once again and put the papers down, then I pick up my drawing book and start on my first design. I needed to finish this design if I was going to meet my 'costumer' this afternoon. The more I thought about it, the more I dreaded the thoght of ever meeting him face-to-face after what he did to my one and only friend. I finally realized by the time I finished my first design and started my second that by this afternoon I will have to work for him, for the one boy who ruined my life.

The famous 17 year old victor of the Hunger Games, who left my friend for dead...

Cato Hadley