The Games The Capital Forgot

District 1 Reaping

"So. What do you want to tell me?" She asked shifting her weight in the chair warily as if she was afraid it would crack like the last one.

I sigh, letting the distress of the situation show on my face. "Look... You know how my family has to share a house with my relatives, right?" I asked, my face reding at the embarrassment of my family's financial state.

Ameile nodded as if it was no big deal, even though it really was.

"You know my cousin Paisley, right?" I asked, a little twinge of anger bubbling up inside of me just at the thought of him.

She nodded, "I know you dislike him strongly... But you never explained to me why you don't like him..." She said cautiously knowing she was treading on dangerous ground.

I pursed my lips, trying to find the right words for my jealously. "Paisley is favorite. Everyone in the house will admit it. Even my own mother is like 'Why can't you be more like Paisley?'  Everything seems to come easy to him, and he's very charismatic, everyone who meets him loves him... I mean honestly! What does he have that I don't?!!" I paused my rant briefly as I remembered yesterday's event. "When I asked him yesterday why he's not a career, he said 'I don't want to kill things... I'm not like that.... I want to make the world a more beautiful place.' How stupid is that?!! I HATE him so much!!!" I scream pounding my fist on the table and a crack appeared in it.

"Woah Nellie..." Ameile chuckled "Don't take your anger out on the poor table."

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breathes before sighing, a few tears clogging up my throat. "Just once, Id like to have my parents look at me proudly and say 'That's our girl, I can't believe we thought Paisley was better than her.' But I don't think they ever will.... I need to show them. I need them to see me and him in another light. That's why I'm volunteering this year. And so is Paisley." I say straightening up, and wiping the tears from my eyes.

"Wait." Ameile asked confused "Paisleys not a career... What would make him volunteer?"

I smiled darkly, the genius of my plan, making me shiver in pleasure. It had taken me days to devise, but now I think I had it. "He would volunteer if he thought Mouse was going to volunteer."

"Who's Mouse?" Ameile asked bluntly, still rather confused.

"This little crippled kid he took under his wing about a year ago, he really cares about him." I explained

"Ok... So how are you going to get Mouse to volunteer?" Ameile asked doubtfully

"He's not." I smiled slyly "Paisley just needs to think he is. I'll break 'the news' to him minutes before the reaping, he won't have time to ask Mouse, or see if any older kids are volunteering. He will probably volunteer as fast as he can to 'save' Mouse, then vola! I have my revenge!"

Ameile stared at me for a long time, her face blank, though I could tell she was thinking. Then finally she spoke, "Girl, you are downright prime evil!" She laughed "Though are you sure Paisley will buy it?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's as gullible as they come."

"He better be, I'd hate to see your plan fail." Ameile said checking her watch, "Look I gotta go, mom will kill me if I'm not back by 9, I'll see you at the reaping!"

We both stood up, knowing that Ameile's mom was not a force to be reckoned with. I hugged my friend goodby and we parted ways.

The sun had risen so the sky was brighter now, I must of been talking with Ameile longer than I had thought, I realized. I wondered if anyone had noticed my absence.... I doubt it. I thought bitterly, sometimes I wondered if they would care if I fell off the edge of the earth.