Silver Treble Clefs

Chapter 1: Torn At The Seams

NOTE: This is a gay romance novel in the Hunger Games Universe from a different perspective, starting the year before Katniss's Games. I hope you all enjoy it! <3

Blaine has seen the faces before, shining with fear and disbelief. He's watched the big screens as his classmates, vague acquaintances and random strangers from throughout the Districts take the stage. Never had he expected to see his own face gracing the screen. No, not gracing, simply showing. Nothing about this walk up to the stage is graceful, nothing about hearing his name being shouted across the square at the Justice Building is as glamorous as the images on his television make it seem. When he entered his name this year, he had somewhat expected to be safe. He is eighteen, his last year of putting his name in the bowl and there was no way this could be his fate.

He looks up to the stage, into his brother's eyes and thinks God, what did my parents do to deserve this fate? It's a silly thought, of course, but he can't help thinking it. Cooper's eyes are wide with fear and bitterness, Blaine can see the way he's fighting back tears. He smiles, though, for the cameras. Always for the cameras. Blaine can't manage a smile, not like this where he knows he's walking towards his death. There's no way a family's odds can be this much in their favour.

He knows it's happened before, siblings being reaped. Even here, in District 9, it has happened before. Blaine knows it's happened, but never have two siblings survived that weren't Careers. Only trained people going into the Arena ever come out. And the occasional lucky one like Cooper Anderson, his brother, and from this point on out his Mentor. Next to Cooper stands his other Mentor, Quinn Fabray. She doesn't look as concerned, probably hasn't registered yet that it's Blaine's name that has been called.

But it is, Blaine's name has been called and he is now climbing the stairs onto the stage. Cooper holds out his hand, Blaine takes it gracefully and tries to ignore the obvious sound of sobbing from where his mother is in the crowd. Her second son sent off to fight in the Arena, her second son to say goodbye to. He thinks, again, the only siblings ever survived are those who volunteered to enter the Arena, those who trained and trained and took another person's place. No one here will take his place. The only person who would, who cares that much, stands behind him and is supposed to help him get out of there.

Quinn still stares blankly ahead as Blaine takes his place next to Isabelle Wright, who grabs his hand, raises it above his head. She shouts his name in excitement. No one in the crowd cheers, it almost feels like no one even breathes. They all know, Blaine realizes, they all know Cooper Anderson's little brother is about to board the Death Express.

Blaine feels Cooper's hand on his back, he is sure Cooper is supposed to stand back, next to a motionless Quinn Fabray. Blaine knows her, knows her well. She's the only neighbour they have in victor's Village, she's Cooper's best friend. She's a fierce woman, every year she is the one to give the new Tributes a bright smile. Cooper usually says she is the one to comfort them, tell them she and Cooper will do everything to get them out.

They never succeeded; currently Cooper Anderson and Quinn Fabray are District 9's only victors. All the other Tributes from 9 have either died long before Cooper and Quinn won their two consecutive years, or died in the Arena since. This year will be no different, Blaine knows, he is going to die. He tries not to look next to him, where a fifteen year old girl's eyes are as wide as Blaine's. It's then that Blaine realises why Quinn hasn't greeted him the way she greeted her, the way she has greeted every single Tribute in the past twelve years. She has never sent anyone she knows into the Arena before, she has never really had to say goodbye.

After another short word from Isabelle Wright, she ushers Cooper away from Blaine, then turns him and the girl around. Tish. Blaine hears Cooper call her by that name. Isabelle then ushers them both inside the Justice Building. Everything around him happens in a blur, he is ordered to stay in one room to wait for his family as Tish, Quinn and Cooper stay outside. He hears a door right next to his open and close, assumes that's where Tish is to wait for her family. He tries to drown out her sobs, tries to focus on what he can do. She is going to die, he knows that much. He's heard Cooper talk about tribute strategies often enough the past twelve years. For as long as he can remember, his brother was a victor. Off to The Capitol with two new Tributes every year. He knows that Cooper, and Quinn, who had won the year before Cooper, pick one they think they can save the most each year. He knows this year it will be him. Sure, Tish is more delicate and people will want her saved, but there isn't any way she will get out of that Arena alive.

Blaine feels sick thinking about it, about knowing he is going to spend the next few days with her, being a team. Sharing a train, sharing Nine's quarters and sharing an Arena. It's not what he wants, he doesn't want this person's, or any person's, death on his conscience. He doesn't want to go into these ridiculous Games and he most certainly doesn't want to say goodbye to his parents.

His silence and thoughts are disturbed the moment the door opens and his mother and father walk through. Her eyes are rimmed with red blotches and her nose is dripping, she's breathing heavily and irregularly. Blaine can see she's trying to hide the sobs, but there really is no way to get around it; his mom is here assuming she'll never
see him again.