Skye Wesley POV
"Kids, calm down! Come sit down."
Tatiana looked over to Mrs Baxlor then glanced back over to me, a grin on her face. Her shoulder length brown curls hung around her face, framing her thin eyebrows and brown eyes. She bit her lip with a smile on her face.
"What say we go over there, Skye?" She grinned. I nodded vigorously.
"Secret wave first." I insisted. Tatiana sighed deeply, but still had a smile. She raised her right hand and opened and shut it 5 times. I returned it and Tatiana chuckled, shuffling forward and picking me up, hoisting me up onto her hip. I giggled as Tatiana grunted with the effort.
"Wow, Skye, you're getting big!" She exclaimed.
"I'm a big kid now," I insisted, holding up four fingers, "I'm this many now!"
Tatiana laughed and shook her head, beginning to walk over to Mrs Baxlor. "Honey, that's four fingers. You're five. This is five," she held up five of her fingers, smiling at me. She walked over to Mrs Baxlor, still holding me on her hip.
"I really can't thank you enough, Tatiana," Mrs Baxlor smiled at Tatiana, "With all of your studies it'd probably a bit of a nuisance to come here, but I'm really glad you do. The kids love you."
"It's no trouble," Tatiana replied breezily, "I love it here."
"I'm glad you do," Mrs Baxlor smiled. Her gaze wandered over to me and a smile spread across her face. "Hello, Miss Skye. How are you today?"
"Good!" I responded brightly. Mrs Baxlor smiled, then turned back to Tatiana.
"We'll have to get the kids dressed up, the reaping's in about an hour and the walk is half an hour."
Tatiana nodded. "Yep, I'll help out if you want. Mum isn't expecting me home for a while."
Mrs Baxlor smiled and put her hand on Tatiana's shoulder. "Gosh, you're a legend."
Tatiana chuckled and turned away from Mrs Baxlor. She reached the crowd of kids with Mrs Baxlor sitting at the front and put me down gently, shushing me as Mrs Baxlor began to speak.
"Now kids, have you had fun today?"
"YES!" came the reply.
"Great!" Mrs Baxlor smiled, "Now, the reaping is today, so you'll have to get all dressed up in your special clothes. They're in the cupboard, and remember kids, no shoving!"
~
Tatiana smoothed out the wrinkles in my dress, fanning out the skirt and adjusting the collar slightly. She herself had gotten dressed and was wearing a navy blue skater dress, with white patterns on the bodice.
"Alright, Skye, you're all ready to go!"
"Tatiana?" I asked.
"Yea?" she replied, glancing up to meet my gaze.
"What are the reapings? And why does everyone seem so sad about it?"
Tatiana froze up for a moment, her expression somber. Then she snapped out of it and shot me a half-hearted smile.
"Well, people get chosen to go into a big event that the Capitol controls. If you win you get lots of money and other stuff."
"Do you get lots of pretty dresses?"
Tatiana laughed and nodded slightly, "All the pretty dresses you want."
"I want to be chosen!" I said confidently. I wanted all those pretty dresses and that money! To my surprise, Tatiana's happy expression died immediately.
"Skye, no, you don't want to get chosen," She said solemnly. I shuffled my feet and looked at the floor.
"Okay," I mumbled.
"Alright kids, line up!" Mrs Baxlor called. Tatiana stood up and held onto my hand, walking me slowly towards the group of kids. She let go of my hand and walked towards the front of the line, talking to Mrs Baxlor about something. Mrs Baxlor turned to the group, smiling.
"Alright guys, we're going to walk to the reaping now! Remember to stick together! And say goodbye to Tatiana guys, she has to go home to get ready for the reaping. Say bye!"
"Bye Tatiana!" all the kids chorused in unison. Tatiana smiled.
"I'll be back tomorrow!" She called out as she backed towards the door. She gave us a mock salute and then walked through the door, her hair flying out around her.
~
"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"
Mystique, the escort for our District, smiled out at the crowd, an almost sympathetic look on her face. I stood beside my dad, holding tightly onto his hand. He'd rushed in at the last minute after everyone else had already arrived, muttering something about his job. I was struggling to see through the crowds, but I still got little snippets of the stage in my vision.
"Ladies first!" Mystique called. She waltzed over to one of the glass bowls and pulled out a slip of paper. She unfolded it and called out the name.
"Valentina Curtis!"
A girl with long, blonde hair and a confident smile rushed towards the stage, flipping her hair as she did so. Her black dress fanned out around her as she jogged up the steps, coming to a stop at the microphone.
"My name is Valentina Curtis, I am 15 years old, and I am willing to do what it takes to make it to the Ultimate Games!"
The crowd remained silent, apart from a few cheers from the section Valentina was standing in previously, probably her friends. Valentina smiled and waved as she sat down in one of the 6 seats to the side of the stage.
"Now for our next lucky girl!" Mystique called out. She pulled out another slip of paper and opened it, pausing for dramatic event.
"Amaya Mills!"
A girl with caramel coloured skin and brown, curly hair walked towards the stage, glancing around nervously at the crowd. She walked up the stage and stared out at the crowd, looking shaken to the core.
"I'm 16." She muttered under her breath. Then she walked over to the chairs and sat down next to Valentina, eying her warily. Valentina noticed her nervous stare and shot her a wide smile, flashing her pearly white teeth.
"And now for our final female tributes!" Mystique called. She ventured over to the glass bowl and dug around in it for a moment. Then she pulled out a slip of paper and walked back to the microphone, unfolding it slowly.
"Tatiana Whiteman!"
I stared, open mouthed, as Tatiana walked from the females section, walking very slowly towards the stage.
"That's Tatiana!" I whispered to my dad, "Daddy, what's happening? Why is Tatiana going up there?" My dad didn't answer, just looked down at me with a sympathetic look. I raised my arms up towards him, in an attempt to get him to pick me up. He complied and bent down, picking me up beneath the arms and putting me down on his shoulders. I could see the stage now. Tatiana was standing at the microphone, looking fearful.
"My name is Tatiana Whiteman and I am 17," she murmured. I waved my arms wildly, trying to catch her attention, but she didn't see me. Tatiana ventured to her seat and sat down next to Amaya, putting her head in her hands.
"She can't see me!" I mumbled to my dad.
"Now for the boys!" Mystique called out. I didn't pay attention. All I really knew was that two boys called Jonathan Roy, who said he was 12, and a 14 year old boy named Victor Soto were chosen. Someone in the audience cried when Victor walked up to the stage, but other than that I didn't catch anything else. I was still feverishly waving at Tatiana, trying to get her attention. Finally, as Mystique called out the final person, 18 year old Doug Matthews, Tatiana looked up from the floor and gazed around the audience, her eyes shimmering. Her gaze fell on me.
"Tatiana!" I called. People in the audience turned to me but I didn't care - I had gotten Tatiana's attention. She smiled sadly, although from where I was it was hard to see her face. I held my hand up and opened and closed it multiple times, mouthing the words 'Secret wave'. Tatiana smiled and raised her hand, opening and shutting her fist 5 times. A huge smile broke out on my face as I returned the wave.
"District 9, here are your tributes! Valentina Curtis, Amaya Mills, Tatiana Whiteman, Jonathan Roy, Victor Soto and Doug Matthews. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" Then Mystique nodded at the mayor and walked towards the Justice Building, signaling at the 6 tributes to follow her. They all walked into the building in a line, and the last thing I saw was Tatiana's face before the door slammed shut. Still on my dad's shoulders, I leaned forward so that my head was dangling in front of his, my hair hanging down below me.
"Daddy, when is Tatiana coming back?" I asked. Dad sighed.
"Honey, I don't think Tatiana is going to be coming back."