Unexpected~ A Hunger Games Fan-Fiction

Chapter 1- Reaped

  This chapter is dedicated to one of my best friends, Annie  :D                                                 

                                                                 Chapter 1~ Reaped

I lay quietly in my bed, listening to hear if there was any noise coming from the other room. There was only silence. Good, I thought. Everyone's asleep. 

I got up and slipped on some shoes, tiptoeing over to my window. I slid it open and jumped out onto the ground. 

I took a few steps back, admiring our one-story ranch house. My grandparents built it when they moved out into the country part of District 10. My family still lives in it now. 

I turned and ran out to the back of the house, making my way to the barn we shared with our neighbors, the Wilson's. They were the family of my best friend Cody.  

I turned on the light in the barn, all the horses and dairy cows making sounds of distress. 

Cody's horse wasn't in his stall; they were already at the place. I picked up the pace; I didn't want to keep him waiting. I led Jasmine, my horse, out of her stall and put a bridal on her. Then I swung up onto her without bothering with a saddle, and galloped out into the fields. 

It took about five minutes to reach our spot. It was in an abandoned field high up on our property. It hasn't been used since my dad's death. 

We started going there about five years ago, when we were twelve, old enough for our names to be put into the Reaping. The night before each Reaping, we'd sneak out of our houses and come here, comforting each other about the upcoming event. 

Cody was already there, his horse grazing a few yards away. I led Jasmine over to his horse and walked over to Cody.  

He was sitting with his back to me, looking at the fields sprawled out before us. The moonlight shone on his thick brown hair, making it glow. I sat down next to him, silently, and we sat there for a while, saying nothing. 

"Only two more years," I said quietly, breaking the silence. 

"Yeah," he responded, turning to look at me. "Rose's name is put in the Reaping, now." 

Rose was his little sister, and she was now twelve, old enough to be entered in the Reaping. 

I reached out to touch his arm in a comforting gesture. "Her name's only in there once. The odds are in her favor, unlike us." 

Since we're older, our names were entered in multiple times.  

I wrapped my arms around Cody, giving him a friendly squeeze. "Everything's gonna be ok." 

He smiled down at me and my heart did a little jump. I smiled back, hoping something would happen, but nothing ever did. I tended to do this a lot; wishing for something that would never happen. He was my best friend. I don't think we could be anything more than that. 

He only shrugged off his jacket and handed it to me. "You're shivering." 

I realized that I wasn't wearing a jacket, only wearing a tang top and shorts. Goosebumps covered my arms and legs and I was shaking from the cold. 

I took the jacket graciously and slipped it on, the worn leather warm against my skin. 

"Thanks," I whispered, pulling my legs close to me. 

We passed the remainder of the night with pointless chatter, trying not to dwell on the fact that tomorrow one of us could be chosen for death. 

The horizon started to lighten, signaling morning. Cody stood up, "I'm gonna head back now. See you at the Reaping."