The 62nd Hunger Games

Justice Building

Soon after the ceremony is over Alex and I are escorted to the Justice Building and taken into different rooms where we will both get to say good bye to our loved ones, only our loved ones are the same. My mother and sisters come and see me first they feircly embrace me, they are all crying. I pick up Kendall and give her the biggest hug and kiss I can manage and tell her I love her more than anything in the world. I then sweep Blair up in my arms and cradle her like a baby.

“I’m so sorry Ashy!” Blair gasps through sobs.

“You don’t have to be sorry Blair Bear, this wasn’t your fault” I say, stroking her hair back.

“I was so worried about me that I didn’t even think about you and I should of!”

“Oh Blair, it doesn’t matter now! But you have to go see Al okay? I love you so much Blair! And I’m so sorry!” I say, my voice starting to crack with tears.

“I love you too Ashy! More than you will ever, ever know!” she whispers giving me another tight squeeze and kiss on the cheek.

Mother comes up and hugs me then, a tight hug, a comforting hug that only a mother could give.

“You are so much like me Ashton! So much, maybe you could win this thing! Maybe just maybe you will be able to pull the whole thing off!” she says, gripping my arms tightly.

“I will try, mum, I won’t go down without a fight but Al has a better chance than me at winning!” I say, serious in my words. The truth is Al has been training for the Games for as long as I can remember. He has had practice with a trident and swords and can even through knives well. He taught me some of his tricks so I know how to through a knife and lodge it in a tree without a second thought and I can hit objects pretty well with a trident, but everything else is foreign to me.

“I know, but I think you have it in you to pull it off!” She gives me a kiss on the head and then takes the girls out the door.

My next guest is my only friend at school, Kelsey May, she is a short and small girl with bleach blonde hair and bright blue eyes, her skin is a tan tone the complete opposite to my albino white. Hey! Maybe that can be an advantage in the arena, the light reflection of my white skin! Kelsey runs in and swoops me up in a hug, she is fully crying, her eyes already blood shot.

“Oh Ashton! Why you? Why Al? I hate this whole thing!” She blurts out still crying hysterically. “Ash, I have to tell you something before I leave. I am in love with your brother.”

My jaw drops, in the midst of all this madness and good byes she tells me this. I crack the biggest smile I can manage.

“Well, if the situation was different I would be glad to have you as my sister-in-law.” I laugh and before we know it we are both on the ground in hysterics.

“I love you Ash, I love Al, I love your family, I can’t believe this is happening!” She says just before a guard tells her to hurry up and move on.

My last guest is the man who I have had a crush on for the last 10 years, even though I was only 6 at the time. I look at him, and my heart starts crashing in my chest, his hair is a dirty blonde which is cut into a short cut, his tall and muscular with tan skin. The most captivating part about him is his beautiful green eyes, unlike my light ones they are dark and mysterious. I always had a fascination with him and when I was little I would go to his house in Victors Village and he would play with me in the massive backyard of his house. Even though I was completely infatuated with him, I knew that he could never love me. I was 10 years younger. As I got older I would still go over and just talk to him, sometimes I would bring over my homework. I may sound like a stalker and someone completely obsessed but I was just… I don’t know how to explain it.

“Ashton…”

Before he can continue I fling myself into his arms and hold on. I bury my head in the crook of his neck and rest like that for a good few minutes.

“You know I am a mentor in these games?” James whispers in my ear.

“I know, you’re my mentor though, aren’t you?” I whisper back letting go and stepping back.

His eyes lock with mine and my stomach flutters.

“I will if you want me to be…” he says slowly, looking at me with sadness.

I can’t explain it but it seems like there is something behind the look his is giving me. It tells me he really does care about me. That he doesn’t want me to go into the Hunger Games. I ignore it. He doesn’t love me. He can’t. Anyway, he has a million girls back home that would trip over their own feet to be his girlfriend.

“We better get going now, Ashton. We will meet up with your brother and Kaylie who will be mentoring him.” Jamie says, taking my hand and leading me through the corridors of the Justice Building.

I can’t help but think, maybe if I didn’t get reaped and I continued my visits with Jamie that maybe, just maybe, he could have fallen in love with me.