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"It looks great on you," Dove reassured him. "So. . . You're giving me this beautiful necklace, so I feel guilty about not giving you anything?" Melo joked.
"That's not what-" "That's a wonderful idea. There's no way I'm going to the other side without giving my precious baby sister a necklace too." His jokey side was showing at the perfect moment.
"What about me?" Angel's eyes looked at her little brother playfully, "Do I get any necklaces? Or since I'm the older one, I don't get anything?" Melo smirked at her while grabbing the two bottles of wine.
"But our independent and beautiful Angelique doesn't need me to give her any necklaces since she can get them herself, doesn't she?" He mocked her, changing his District 4 accent when pronouncing her name. Turning around, he chuckled and walked with his back facing the main door.
"Ugh, just accept Dove is your favourite sibling already! I know I do," Melo used the opportunity to pretend to be hurt with a loud gasp.
"I'll go to Finnick's house after giving Muscida the wine. I'll be back before it's time to go to the town square. Don't miss me too much!" Kissing his sisters and mother's cheek, he left the women as he exited the house.
After some seconds of silence, their mother spoke up. "I think Muscida will probably need the company" The two girls nodded and followed her to the main entrance to say goodbye.
"What now? There are still a couple of hours before noon, and going through the market or town is completely pointless." Dove said, looking at her older sister, waiting for a plan that would thankfully take their minds off the reality for a while.
"Should we cook dinner? When we're back from the town square, we'll be starving," her older sister replied. It wasn't a terrible plan. Cooking would get them entertained. But the 'when we're back' felt out of place. It's as if Angel said it to reassure herself, and it probably had been like that.
"IF we all make it back, of course," Dove muttered under her breath. Angel made as if she had heard nothing and directed herself to the kitchen, thinking about what to cook to improve everyone's mood.
"Dove, what about if we cook salmon? Your favourite!" With a smile on her face, Angel tried to direct her sister's attention to another matter.
"Yeah, sure. But, I'll remind you that the last time you and I cooked, we weren't much better than mum. We didn't almost burn the kitchen, though. Still, I think we should wait for Melo. He'll kill us if we mess up the food," Dove giggled and paused for a second.
"Yeah, you make a good point. Then how about you sing for me? You were in the middle of writing something, weren't you?" Everyone knew about Dove's knack for singing, but there were few times when she would actually sing for them. One of those days was the Reaping day. She would sing to get off the stress and anxiety she had on her shoulders.
"I can show you the lyrics I've come up with so far, but I don't have much yet," Angel nodded. The two went up to Dove's room as Angel stood behind her sister, watching how Dove opened a hidden compartment in the third drawer of her desk. Respecting her sister's privacy, she looked through the window until she heard the drawer closing.
Both sat down on the bed. Angel never took her eyes off of her little sister. She would love to stop time right there. Listening to her sister rant about some unfinished song was adorable. And she might never experience it again.
She wanted to take it all in. She wanted to remember her sister exactly like that, a young girl with silly teenage problems. Not the anxious mess she had become, since she understood what death meant in their world.
They stood there talking. Angel tried to help her sister on her songwriting, while Dove sang anything her older sister proposed. The time until the reaping was shortening at a fast speed, and none of them wanted it to reach them.
But no one can stop time. The two teens got startled by their brother's sudden arrival. He hadn't knocked. Again. It's time. Everyone thought. While the two older teens went downstairs, meeting their mum on the way. Dove hid her adored song book. After a few minutes of last moment preparations, the family made their way to the town square.
They reached the registration entry, giving their mum a goodbye kiss. The siblings watched as she went with the rest of the victors. "Next!" One person in the entry register shouted. Angel held her head high, and without hesitation extended her arm.
"Next!" another shouted, and Melo passed without problems. Now she was the last to go. "Next!" My turn. She thought. This was the second time she had gone through the entry registration. It didn't make things easier, though. Feeling the sharp pain on her finger was definitely not pleasant.
Finally, she could go to her seat in the thirteen-year-old side, and start hoping for the day to end as soon as possible. Once everyone got to their respective spots, the ceremony started. The escort, whose name Dove didn't know and couldn't care less about, started talking and showing propaganda of Panem, the Capitol and President Snow. As always.
Oh war, terrible war. . . Yeah, same shit, every year. Her thoughts got wilder by the minute the video kept playing. After some seconds, she paid no mind. Instead, she started thinking about the dinner they had promised her.
Salmon was her favourite meal. Moreover, when her brother would cook. Anyone who had the pleasure of eating one of his meals would agree that he's the best cook in all District 4.
"As always, ladies first!" Suddenly, she couldn't think of anything comforting anymore. This was the decisive moment. If her sister was chosen as tribute, she had to volunteer. The escort's hand reached the bottom of the bowl containing all the names. And did a little motion, as if she was indecisive.
"Athaliah Demetrius," relaxation and exhaustion took over her. It wasn't her sister. She had one more year to get ready. The feeling didn't last long, though. Once she paid attention to the female tribute.
A girl similar to her. She was younger than her, since she had appeared from the twelve-year-old row. The poor girl looked terrified, fighting back the urge to cry. It was a horrible sight.
District Four wouldn't be pleased with her. She looked weak, which they hated in a tribute more than anything else in life. Dove could sense the displeasure of everyone around her as they looked at that year's humiliating tribute. Still, no one volunteered for her when they got the chance.
"Wonderful! Now for the boys!" The escort's cheeriness was getting too annoying at this point of the Reaping. That woman made Dove uncomfortable. The way she talked, walked, or basically moved. It was annoying and sickening.
Making little circular motions with her hand again, she drew the name of the male tribute. The woman's face hardened for a split moment. But she put on a weirdly fake smile immediately after, as if to cover her mistake from before.
"Melo Ogilvy!" The air got extracted from her body, as if someone had punched her. She couldn't breathe, nor could see. The overflowing tears blurred her vision. She must have heard wrong, right? There's no way her brother would go. He was the second oldest! He should have had at least one or two more years before going!
There were whispers everywhere. It seemed like the people from her district were curious about the so-called son of the Victor Librae Ogilvy. Mum! Dove thought while looking for her. She didn't want to believe what she had heard. But her mum's face said everything to her.
She had her hands clenched into tight fists. Looking up at the cameras. Holding her head high, with a straight face. Putting up that strong front only meant one thing. She wanted to send a message to President Snow.
You can take my son from me. You can take my daughters from me. You can take everything else from me, but you can't take away my pride. The pride of an Ogilvy. Dove knew perfectly that once the cameras were off of them. Her mum would cry her heart out and drown herself in wine alongside Muscida.
Mags looked at her with pity, and Muscida had a knowing look. She understood what Librae was going through at the moment. Sympathy was the only thing the victors' eyes had.
After the initial commotion, the crowd let her brother pass through. Melo marched steadily to the platform. His blond hair shined even brighter under the bright sun. He looked around one more time. Linking eyes with his older sister before going up the stairs.
Angel's eyes, although being on the verge of teas, weren't wavering. Both wondered why he had been chosen before her. It made more sense to send the oldest first. Moreover, when next year would be her last being eligible for the games. It made no sense. But they knew it wasn't the time to worry about it. They had greater issues to worry about.
Once Melo stood next to the escort. It was time for the volunteers' opportunity to exchange places with him. There had been rumours about how the latest months hadn't been the best for District Four.
Many losses in the rough sea. Increasing poverty. This normally would lead to desperate people taking the tribute's places, but they hadn't reached that point yet. No one would volunteer for either of the tributes. Much less for an Ogilvy. The kind gift from the Capitol still lasted for the people from District Four.
It was ironic that they only gave this gift for the survival of Finnick Odair at the last Hunger Games. One of the youngest Victors at fourteen. It was selfish to think that if it wasn't for his survival, maybe people would be desperate.
Perhaps someone would volunteer in her brother's stead, even if he was an Ogilvy. If only he could be spared. But she couldn't blame Finnick for staying alive. Even if her brother survived this year's reaping. Nothing guaranteed next year he wouldn't be chosen again.
Considering both her older siblings could go to the games next year. She felt like she owed the Capitol some kind of appreciation. But it didn't last for long. Watching the female tribute and her brother shake hands made her snap back to her senses. It didn't matter whose fault it was. It didn't. As long as her brother came back safely and alive.
Having such thoughts repulsed Dove, but no other came to mind. Her brother and an unknown girl would fight to keep themselves alive in a week. She didn't have time to feel bad about the girl whose life was at stake. She could only think of Melo and his sudden trip to death.
By the time she had time to register what was happening, many types of emotions filled her mind. It was notorious that people had mixed feelings about this year's reaping.
On the one hand, there was the humiliation with the female tribute. Who likely had no family left, thanks to the floods. Or they couldn't volunteer in her place. Or, like sometimes happened, the siblings refused to put their lives on the line for their family.
On the other hand, the child of the infamous hiding Victor. Everyone looked pleased at the odds for a second. Soon enough, the ceremony ended. Peacekeepers dismissed everyone out of the place. And started gathering each tribute's remaining families to give the tributes their blessings and goodbyes inside the building.
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