Chapter 1 - Madge

I finish tying the pink ribbon around my hair tightly, just as my father had instructed. As I blew on a strand of hair, I looked at my reflection in the hallway mirror. My dress was white with lace, reaching my knees. It was beautiful, maybe not on me, but pretty. Even though my hair looked quite good up, I always leave it down. today was the reaping. I prefer not fighting to the death. Just as I was going to tell my father I was ready to go, there was a soft knock on the back door.

 

"Madge, dear! Someone's at the door!" I heard my father yell from his bedroom. I gladly walk to the mud room, reaching the back door. I open the door.

 

There stands Gale and Katniss, Gale with a basket of strawberries. You see, Gale sells me and my father strawberries every so often. I skip a beat every time I see him, with his striking gray eyes, and tan complection. I've had a secret crush on him since like the 3rd grade. Nobody knows, not even Katniss.

"Hey Katniss. Gale.." I blush.

"Hey Madge," Katniss says.

"Pretty dress," Gale says randomly. My insides flip around when I hear this.

"Well, I want to look nice for the capitol, don't I?" I joke. Katniss chuckles, but Gale's response is quite different.

"It's not like you're going to get picked. Your name's in there- what? 5, 6 times? No way you'll get picked." Gale snaps coldly. I jump, taken back by his change in mood. I know that's his personality, but today, of all days?

Katniss glares at Gale, while I just stand there a tad embarrassed. Gale says nothing more, hands me the strawberries and walks off.

"Sorry about that. Well, see ya. Good luck," Katniss tells me and walks off after Gale.

I think for a minute then realize something. "You forgot the money! Wait!" I run back into the house, grab some money for them and is met at the back door by Gale.

"Sorry," he says. Gale grabs the money and walks away. I am quite taken back that he apologized. It's not Gale's usual self to be..'nice'. I forgive him, it's his usual snappy self that I still love.

"Madge, honey! Come on, we're leaving! Time to go!" I snap back into reality when my father yells from the car. I run and grab my mockingjay pin, for good luck.

Katniss and I go and stand in the 16 year section while Gale goes in the 18. Little Prim is in the 12 year section, alone and frightened. Haymitch, the mentor for this year's tributes, is drunk on the stage, wobbling around like a zombie. I stare at him for the longest time until Effie joins the stage and clears her voice.

"Attention everyone! Attention!," she pauses waiting for silence. "Well then, happy 74th annual Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor."

The crowd stays silent. I mean seriously? Me and Katniss look at each other. Good luck, she mouths. I nod.

"Ok then," she says in that peppy tone of hers, "As you know, ladies first!"

I gulp as she fingers around for one. She finally pulls a single one out and reads it off loud and clear. "And our female tribute is..

Please not me, please not me.

"Margret Undersee."

Author's Note

What do you think?