Luck of the Games

Chapter 1

It's funny, my younger brother and I are almost identical. We have dark brown hair and dark grey eyes, like my mother. But Juniper has lighter brown hair and light grey eyes, like my father did. Ash had them too. Before he died.

"Caerus..." he wont look up. "I know you miss him. We all do. But we can't let that affect the way Juniper sees the games."

"She doesn't remember Ash enough." Caerus snaps. "She doesn't remember when dad died. She doesn't understand the games. She doesn't know what it's like to lose someone. I know how it feels. She should get used to the idea that you could die. Or I could die. But she doesn't understand."

I just sigh. He's right. "I know. But there's more to this than June's perception of things. So why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing" Caerus fixes his eyes again on his bowl.

"Nothing?"

He's clearly lying. "Is it maybe that you're worried you'll be chosen?"

Caerus fist bangs the table and he stand swiftly up. His eyes glare at me from under a curtain of dark hair.

"Shut up! Shut up! I don't care if I'm chosen! I don't care if your chosen! Just shut up and leave me alone!" He pushes the bench away and runs out of the house. Slamming the door behind him.

I watch as he runs away and don't try to stop him. He can't mean that, but I know this is hard for him. After he lost Ash, the reaping was a reminder of the capitals ability to take away family.

Ash was our older brother. He was 18 and has his name in 49 times when he was chosen for the hunger games two years ago. The odds were not in his favor. He was strong, mostly because of his work in the mines. But he didn't make it far. He died in the final 10. June was little and didn't remember him well. But Caerus was especially close with him. He took Ash's death extremely hard. I can't blame him for being bitter. But it stings when he tells me he doesn't care if I'm practically sentenced to death.

I stand from the table and clear it. As I finish, June runs out from the backroom, and attaches to my leg.

"El! I picked out your dress! And Momma got your bath ready."

"Thank you sweetheart." The gently detach her and walk to my bedroom. There's a tub full of water waiting for me. But it's likely that June already bathed here.

I shut the door and  slip off my clothes. After bathing in the lukewarm water, I slip on the dress that I waiting for me. It's the one I've worn for the past many years. I'm not very big, so I don't have to worry about growing out of it. It's a pretty brown dress that cinches around the waist and has a v neck. After the dress, I put on boots that come up a bit past my ankle. I pull my hair back into a delicate half up half down. The cracked clock on the shelf tells me that it's 11:00. The reaping is at 2 o'clock, but my friend and I agreed we would meet before. I walk out to the kitchen where June is sitting at the table mixing the cheese for tonight. I kiss her head and hug my mother.

"I'm going to meet Daniel. I'll see you at the reaping."

Momma nods. "Will you send Caerus home?" She asks.

She must have heard him, but known where he would go. To Daniels house.

I pulled a soft leather jacket over my dress and kiss my mother's cheek

"I'll see you after the reaping." I say

She just nods.

I head out the door and down the street. Technically, we don't live in the poorest section of the seam. My father made a decent amount of money by his work in the mines, as well as working as a carpenter on the side. So our house was nicer. But after he died, Ash and I had to scramble for a source of income. When Ash died, my mother wasn't sure what to do. I'm not particularly strong, so being a carpenter wouldn't work.