Never Underestimate Her

The Reaping

-Evergreen's P.O.V.-

I took a deep breath and joined the other twelve-year-old girls. Everyone is nervous, they're all looking around but I don't I just look down at the pavement. I was standing beside Madden with Tavi not far from us. There is the clatter of boots on to the stage, I look up to see Enobaria and Brutus, the last district 2 victors on the stage along with the escort, Valora. Enobaria bares her sharpened teeth at the audience and everyone flinched with fear and I hated to admit it but she was even scarier than I imagined. Valora smiles at the crowd

"Hello, district 2 and welcome to the reaping of the 71st hunger games!" She exclaims with a smile "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" She says and everyone claps

"First, the female tribute" she announces and reaches her hand into the jar. I silently remind myself that there is only one slip of paper with my name on it, one compared to all of the people in district two, all of the older kids who have their names in two or three of four or five or even six times. All of those kids are more likely to get reaped than me and even if I do, surely someone who wants to compete will volunteer or even just to save a little twelve year old's life? Will all of my thoughts I don't notice that a paper has already been drawn out of the jar, I only notice when she reads off the one name I was dreading.

"Evergreen Sallow" Valora calls out and my siblings and parents turn to me then slowly I can feel everyone's eyes turning to the twelve year old girl who's fate has just been sealed. The world seemed to slow down for a moment, and I stayed frozen looking up at Valora. The people around me stepped away, leaving me standing in one spot surrounded by people. Then two guards started walking towards me as Valora called

"Will anyone volunteer in her place? Anyone?". I expected someone to speak up but no one did, when I ran through this scenario in my head I had felt afraid and nervous, but now I felt something else entirely. I felt angry but angry wasn't the right word to describe it, I felt like I wanted to scream, like I wanted to hurt someone. The guards grabbed my arms, not so much that it hurt but a firm grip so I couldn't run away. I barely walked, only put one foot in front of the other and let the guards drag me to the stage. I could hear whispers but I couldn't make out what they were saying, not that I wanted too, I could also feel they're gazed locked on me, but I didn't look back. I was already thinking about what I would do in the arena, I probably wouldn't even survive until day three! I knew one thing that I had to do in the arena and that was to avoid the bloodbath at the cornucopia, most of the deaths happened there, especially weak little kids like me. I finally looked up and saw two people staring at me in horror, Madden, and Tavi. I couldn't bear to look back at the two for more than a second before the pain became unbearable. 

"Now for the male tribute!" She exclaimed and was about to reach her hand into the jar when a boy spoke up

"I volunteer!" He said. I recognized him immediately, his name was Seven and he was Octavious's older brother. Seven was seventeen and the best kid at the academy, he had beaten every kid he had spared with and it was no surprise to anyone that he was volunteering.  

"Ah, what is your name, young man?" Valora asked

"Seven Fernsby" He said as he walked up to the stage.

"Well then, everyone give a round of applause to Evergreen Sallow and Seven Fernsby. May the odds be ever in your favor" She exclaimed joyfully

***

I am taken to the justice building with Seven and in to our separate rooms. I keep looking ahead and thinking to myself, 'don't cry, don't cry, don't cry'. The first to visit me are my family, my parents walk in to the room, followed by Brynlee, then Camden then Dagwood. They all sit down in the chairs across from me and everyone is silent for a few moments, I don't even look at them. Finally, father speaks up

"Do the best you can to get in to an alliance with the other careers, they're you best chance of surviving for a while" He says and I note how he says surviving for a while instead of winning, wow even my own father doesn't believe in me.

"Just remember, that we love you and we will always remember you if you don't name it" Brynlee adds awkwardly and I nod

"And don't ever give up" Camdon chirps up

"ever" Dagwood finishes. I nod not sure what to say, none of them believe in me and this just makes me angrier, I dig my nails in to my palm and look down. They all bid their goodbyes and leave, the next to come in are Octavious and Madden. Madden comes in at a quicker pace and Tavi is a little slow, he is obviously sad that his brother and best friend both got reaped. Madden throws her arms around me

"I can't believe this is happening!" She cried and I pat her on the back

"I know, but I promise that I will try my best to come back in one piece" I tell her. My voice comes out shakier than I wanted it too.

"No, you can do more than that, you can win, I believe in you" She tells me with a smile and I try to smile back

"You can do it" Octavious said "I know you can, you know your herbs and berries better than anyone out there" he tells me while barely looking up at me.

"and one more thing before we leave" Madden tells me and hands me a gold anklet with the letters M, O and E on it, it also has our district symbol, I smile when I look at it. "Please wear it in to the arena, it will help you remember home" she tells me and even Octavious is now looking at me to see my response.

"Of course I will" I assure them and they smile a little. I clasp the anklet around my ankle and thethree of us hug once more before they leave. When all of Seven's visitors have left (Which takes a while), Seven and I are escorted in to the cars which take us to the train station. I have already thought about my strategy and I finally came up with one I liked and felt like I could stick too. I liked to call it; dainty but dangerous. Esentually, I was going to act weak and volnurable in front of the cameras so the other tributes wouldn't consider me to be a threat then if I made it to the final five, I would reveal how dangerous I could be. It sounded pretty good in theory but I knew nothing was for sure. When we got out of the car, I started crying a little letting some tears fall down my face. Just like I planned the reporters started snapping pictures, soon my face would be on TV and I wouldn't be considered a threat only a weak little girl.