Chapter Text
It was early morning when Kayla Valentine woke up that day. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning in her bed anxiously. The reason ? Today was the Reaping day, and most importantly, it was the first reaping with Adrian's name in the bowl, her little brother.
After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling and listening to the sound of the waves crashing outside, her favorite sound ever, Kayla finally stood up to start her day.
After washing her face with fresh water and brushing her hair, Kayla put on the dress she had planned for the Reaping. It was a simple light blue flare dress that reached her knees, and she wore a thin cotton cardigan on top of it. The dress was her mother's dress before hers, unfortunately she never got to see her daughter wearing it. She passed away before Kayla was grown enough to fit in the dress.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she wondered what would happen if her name was picked. For a moment, she saw herself standing on the stage, her brother crying in the crowd. But she quickly shook her head and left her room.
Walking into the kitchen, she immediately noticed that her night wasn't the only difficult one. Dark circles were visible under her baby brother's eyes. "Hey... how are you feeling ?"
Adrian barely lifted his gaze to answer, "Good... well, not really, but you know..." Laying her hand on his shoulder, Kayla smiled reassuringly at him.
"Yeah, I know... but don't worry, it's your first year. It's almost impossible that your name will be picked from that bowl."
"Yeah, key word being 'almost'. There's always a twelve years old in the Games, every year, why wouldn't it be me ?" Kayla knew that feeling all too well, having gone through it for four years already, the Gamemakers did always make sure a kid would be there to give an emotional sequence to the Capitol citizens. A sad death, a young soul gone too soon or whatever they wanted to call it.
"And why would it be you then ?" She didn't say anything more and instead just took her brother in her arms before letting go.
While she was cooking for her brother, their dad came back into the room from fishing. Usually Kayla came with him to help but today was a special day so she slept in instead, her father always insisted that she get a good nights rest before the Reaping, even though she could never really sleep that night.
Alaric was looking at both of his kids anxiously before he finally spoke to Adrian, smiling softly, "You look good," he then turned to Kayla, "you both do." Kayla smiled back and continued her cooking.
—
Kayla left her brother with their father in the house, she'd come back when it's time for the Reaping but she still had about an hour before that.
Instead she headed to the same place she always did on Reaping Day, the cemetery. She passed through the beach on her way there, it was her favorite place ever, the feeling of the sand, the sound of the waves, the scent of the sea... everything was incredibly soothing to her so she went there every days whenever she could.
The sound of people talking pretty loudly made her turn her head, a group of teenagers about her age were chatting not too far.
She recognized most of them from school, she never talked to them but she did know their faces. Except for Peter, she did talk to him, a few months ago she rejected his advances and ever since he had made his life's goal to make her life as miserable as he could.
For a moment Kayla thought about the fact that if it was him that was reaped today, she wouldn't feel an ounce of sympathy for him. That was an horrible thought to have of course, but that's what the Games did to you, they made you less human, more self centered.
Once she reached the cemetery, she walked her way to a specific spot that she knew too well.
The words Avalon Valentine were beautifully engraved in the white stone in front of her, "Hi Mom, just wanted to talk to you for a bit."
Kayla sat and started plucking some grass automatically, "Today's Reaping Day, the first one with Adrian's name in the bowl. He's nervous. I told him not to be because his name was only in there once, but I'm pretty nervous too, in a sense I'm glad you never got to experience that. Seeing your own children facing the Reaping each year, being helpless, just having to watch it happen from the back of the crowd." She sighed heavily.
"I hope some boy will volunteer, one of those idiots that wants to be in the Games, we have plenty of them here." Kayla never really understood why there was so many person in favor of the Games here in Four, but that made them a Career District, and they had their fair share of Victors. The last one to be crowned was Finnick Odair, youngest Victor ever, although he didn't volunteer. He had won four years ago and had been the Capitol's favorite ever since.
Kayla never got to meet him, he was quite a bit older so they weren't in school together, but from what she's seen of him he seemed pretty detached from reality, and he was really cocky and presumptuous. Always sucking at the Capitol's balls.
"But that made me realize something..." Kayla sighed, almost nervous to say that to her mother, even though she wasn't really here and therefore couldn't hear her, "I don't think I ever want a kid of my own, I couldn't bear having to go through all these years waiting anxiously to see if their name will be picked, it already scares me enough with Adrian." She sighed again at the thought of her little brother.
"And even worse, the fact that if it is, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. I couldn't even volunteer for them, I'd be too old. So yeah... I'm sorry mom but I won't give you any grandchildren, not in this world anyway."
People in the streets started to become more agitated, the Reaping will be held soon, she had to hurry. "Sorry but I have to go get Adrian and get ready, I'll come back later to update you though ! I love you mom, forever and ever."
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The time passed quickly, and before she could realize it, everyone was heading to the place.
Holding her brother's hand, she could sense his anxiety and see the fear in his eyes. "Hey, you know I'll always protect you, right ?" She stopped walking and turned him around so he could see her reassuring eyes.
Adrian was always more on the quiet side. He had always been a shy kid, even before their mother died, he was reserved and talked only when necessary. But today he was being extra quiet, so Kayla knew she had to try and make him feel at least a bit more at ease.
The boy looked up at her and tried to smile back. "Yes... I know." After squeezing his hand one last time, they walked toward the waiting crowd, where they were separated, Kayla joining the girls her age range, and Adrian joining the younger boys at the front of the crowd.
After a few minutes, the Capitol escort for District 4 walked onto the stage, his pearly white teeth showing through his huge smile. 'How could someone smile on a day like this ?' Kayla couldn't help thinking before she took in the complete look of the man before her.
He was dressed in a very eccentric neon green suit, sprinkled with light green feathers. His hair was tied into a light green ponytail, and his eyes were highlighted by a line of neon green eyeliner, creating a striking contrast with his dark skin.
"Welcome ! Welcome ! Happy 69th Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor ! Now, before we begin, we have a special message brought to you all the way from the Capitol !"
Beorich, that was his name, smiled as a documentary on the history of the games was projected on the screen. Some people watched it anxiously, while others seemed more confident. As she said previously, District 4 was a Career district, meaning that there was a fair number of people in favor of the games, not as much as in One and Two though. But still more than in most of the other districts.
After the documentary ended, Beorich sighed emotionally and wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Beautiful, isn't it ?"
He flashed a smile at the crowd before continuing enthusiastically, "Now let's get to my favorite part, as usual, ladies first !" Tension filled the air as Beorich dipped his hand into the bowl, mixing the papers until he finally settled on one, smiling with satisfaction as he walked back to the mic, paper in hand.
Beorich slowly opened the paper, and after a few seconds of tension, finally let the name he picked be known.
"Kayla Valentine !"
For a moment that seemed like an eternity to Kayla but was only a few seconds in reality, the world seemed to stop spinning. The sound of Beorich's voice calling her to the stage seemed distant, like it was a far-off dream. Her eardrums were ringing and her eyesight seemed blurred.
The girls around Kayla slowly moved away from her, creating a clear path to the stage. Taking a look around, she realized that every eyes were glued to her, including her brother's watery ones. It felt like she was still looking in the mirror, imagining everything that was happening.
When she slowly started walking toward the stage, she felt like she wasn't in control of her own body, like she was watching from a distance as she headed to her probable death.
As she finally reached the stage, Beorich smiled at her. "Hi, beautiful, tell me, how old are you ?" She needed a few seconds to process the question, but once she did, Kayla looked straight ahead, keeping her head high, her eyes fixed on her crying little brother in the crowd, trying to remain strong for him.
"I'm fifteen." Beorich gasped softly before turning to the crowd.
"Such a young, pretty girl !" He then quickly stepped away.
"And now, for the boys !" He walked to the boys' bowl and picked a paper before returning to the mic and once again, he waited in order to create a dramatic effect and raise the tension before saying the name he had on this paper.
Please don't let this be Adrian. Please don't let this be Adrian. Please don't let this be Adrian.
She kept going again and again, praying to all the Gods that her baby brother would be safe.
"Michael Payton !" She let out a deep breath that she didn't realize she was holding. Adrian was safe.
The crowd created a path toward the stage once again, everyone seemed a bit shocked at the name picked. Instead of relieved faces as usual they were all wearing the same dreadful expressions.
Kayla then realized that the path was created at the front of the crowd, where her brother was with the boys his age. In the middle of the path, a young boy about the same age as Adrian looked terrified but started walking forward anyway.
Once he reached the stage, Beorich quickly put a hand on his shoulder and smiled enthusiastically at him. "Now tell me, how old are you ? You seem like a really young boy !"
Michael turned to the man to answer, "Twelve..." The crowd gasped as Kayla took a deep breath, thinking about the fact that it could have been her brother's name, his name was in there only once.
The odds were the same.
Beorich took a step back to continue his speech. "My, my ! Quite young tributes for District 4 this year !" Kayla almost felt sick at the way he seemed to find it entertaining.
"Well, go on, you two, shake hands !"
Kayla turned to the little boy standing beside her and took his hand in her own. His hand was shaking in hers, it felt so weak and faint that she thought she might break it if she squeezed a little too hard.
"Here we are, our tributes from District 4 !"
•••
After a year of having this in my drafts I finally decided to post it ! I wanted to wait until I finished writing the whole thing but idk I felt like posting it now so I did.
Initially I'm posting this story on Wattpad, I have published 33 chapters so far but I decided to start posting here as well !
Anyways I hope you'll like it as much as I do <3
Baya