The Rebel Victor | I [THG]

Chapter One | The Beach

— THE MORNING OF THE REAPING WENT AS NORMAL. Most of the population of the District gathered in the square to watch the dealings for district one, two, and three. A small number of them cheered for the tributes while a majority clapped unenthusiastically or did nothing at all except stand there watching while the sun got higher in the sky. The orphans from the warehouse however took their time getting to the square, most of them took their time to look as presentable as possible. Quinn and Jensen were some of the few who arrived early enough to watch the reapings unfold on the screens set up on either side of the Justice Hall.

        As usual, One had a pair of tributes that would be a powerful part of the careers. Fiona Threadson was the youngest that One had for a while, she couldn't have been much older than thirteen. She had curly red hair that fell nicely over her shoulders, and her face was riddled with freckles. Then, based on the cheering from District One, Max Jones was their preferred winner. Tall, broad shouldered, and if Quinn were being honest— handsome. He would be a favorite this year. District Two had picked a girl by the name of Leanne Winter, her full blond hair matched her pale skin. She was about Quinn's age, maybe a bit older. Quinn didn't catch the boys name before Jensen got her attention.

"Do you think we've already seen the Victor?" he questioned, adjusting his stance as he looked down at Quinn. His murky green eyes flickered back to the screen.

"My bets would be on the boy from One." Quinn replied, "He looked...promising."

Jensen smirked, "I could take him..."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I'm sure one of your fishing hooks would do the trick."

"Are you sure you want to watch the rest?" he asked, changing the subject, "Let's go to the beach for a bit, before we have to be back to be checked in."

Quinn glanced back at the screen before reluctantly nodding in agreement. "As long as we aren't late for Fours' reaping."

Jensen sighed, "I'd like to actually get my supplies for all the tessrae this year." he replied, "We'll get here for check-in in plenty of time."

         The two of them turned and made their way out of the crowd. The ocean wasn't far from the square, if it was the middle of the night, you could actually hear the rolling waves from the square. There were times that they wished that the square was further inland, during the rainy months flooding was a consistent problem. But on most days, anyone who didn't actually work at the docks couldn't go to the beach. But on reaping day while all of the attention was on keeping the peace at the square, it wasn't hard to sneak off and go there.

        Jensen led the way, taking the rocky and uneven route down to the sandy beach that was littered with rocks. The two of them found a sandy place to sit, already enjoying being away from the crowd.

Quinn had a few memories of the beach with her father.
 
        During the sixty-fifth and sixth games, he would bring Quinn and her sister there. At the time maybe as a distraction for himself. He couldn't bare to watch the games, remembering the way the sixty-fourth games ended for Quintin. But it couldn't have just been because the weather was perfect, and the breeze that came into the district from the ocean had always been something that he found refreshing. Quinn couldn't ever tell what his reasoning had been. But now, looking back it may have been a reason for him to get out of the house, away from her mother after a night of drunken arguments after Quintin died.

"How many times is your name in this year?" Jensen asked, breaking the silence that had surrounded them.

Quinn took a moment to count. One and one extra for every year, two extra this year..."Thirteen times, you?"

"Fourteen..." he replied, the number was a painful reminder than Jensen was a year older than she was.

Quinn sighed, "You won't get chosen..." she sighed. Mostly just as a way to assure herself that she wouldn't lose him like she had lost everyone else.

        She didn't know what she would do if she lost him. He was easily her only real friend in Four. She wasn't good at making friends, he was the only one who really didn't mind her brashness. He had known her a bit before her family died, he was the one to first bring her to the warehouse. He showed her the ropes of surviving as a orphan in Four. But before her family died, and after he and his little sister lost theirs'— the Mavericks would let them wash up at their house, would give them what food they could afford to lose. They even stayed there on cold nights. Quinn wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure she remembered her father stepping in and defending Jensen when he had a run in with a peacekeeper. Not wanting him to meet the same fate his parents met.

        His parents had been well-to-do's. They were well off and high on the social latter of Four. His father was a captain and operated his own fishing boat, and his mother had been a teacher for the younger kids. But one day his mother had decided to go out of her way to help some sick kids that lived in the dirtier part of the district by bringing them home. Some of their neighbors hadn't liked them being around, so she was shot right there for supposedly smuggling in runaways. And his father was shipped off, enrolled to become a peacekeeer himself. And since peacekeepers couldn't have families, it left Jensen and his sister, Rosa.

"If I am, you'll look after Rosa, right?" he asked, knowing already that Quinn would watch out for the thirteen year old.

Quinn nodded, "Yeah. Of course." she said, a small smile spreading across her lips. "I need someone to look after if you're gone." she added.

If I didn't have anyone, I'd go insane.