The Hunger Games

My mother tugs gently at my hair, trying to decide how she is going to style it. I told her she can do whatever she likes with it. While I silently hope I like it, so I won't disappoint her.
"I love this dress, Faye!" She tells me. "It's perfect for you."
"Thanks! That's what Jennavive said, too. She picked it out, actually," I reply.
"You have good taste then." My mother smiles at Jennavive and she smiles in return.
I wonder to myself if Jennavive ever wants to go on dates with her boyfriend from Eleven. In ways I feel bad for her, but in other ways I'm upset with her for breaking the rules; a big one at that. She can be killed if she is ever caught; for both seeing him and hunting illegally.
There's a soft knock at the door.
"I'll be right back," my mother says, smoothing out her skirt before disappearing to answer the door.
"So, where's Peeta taking you?" Jennavive asks me.
"I have no idea," I admit. "He won't tell me."
"Either way, are you excited?" she asks.
"Yes, nervous too."
"Well, you shouldn't be, it's just Peeta!" Jennavive rolls her eyes jokingly.
"I know, I know, but..." I trail off, unsure of what to say. "I don't really know why I'm nervous... It must just me in my head, with the Hunger Games coming up and all."
"Yeah, I'm nervous for that too with...well, you know who." Jennavive murmurs.
"Oh, yeah. I'm sure you know who will be fine." I reassure her; knowing that she is talking about Cato.
"I sure hope you're right." she says, worry on her face.
I am about to say something when my mother walks back into the room. "Sorry, Sarah came by to pick up her laundry." she says, getting immediately back to working on my hair; ending mine and Jennavive's conversation.
Eventually, my mother stops tugging at my hair; walking around me, inspecting her work. "What do you think, Jennavive?" she asks.
"I like it. It's very pretty. Unique." she says with a half smile, seeming distant.
"Go have a look," my mother encourages.
I stand and walk over to the mirror on the wall, examining myself.
My hair is halfway pinned back and my mother curled it a little. Jennavive is right, it is unique.
I run my fingers through my hair absently. "I like it," I tell my mother. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." my mother seems to have something on her mind as well, but then she disappears into the back room; where I can hear her start to wash clothes.
"Peeta's going to love your look. You're going to just blow him away!" Jennavive pauses, and gives a little chuckle. "Then you'll never know where your date is."
I smile. "I better know where it is! The suspense is killing me!"
Jennavive laughs. "But what if ya don't? Does that mean you'll die?"
I shrug. " I sure hope not," I don't want to think about death, but now it had come into my mind. Just the word sends shivers down my spine.
"Are you cold?" Jennavive asks, placing her hand on my shoulder.
"Kinda," I reply softly, my head spinning with so many emotions.
"Want a blanket or something? I'll go get your mother." Jennavive waits for my answer, studying my face.
"No, no. I'll be alright." I force a smile to my face.
"Will you?" she gives me a stern look. I can never fool her. "And don't lie." she adds.
"I'm just worried about...well everything." I confess, lowering my gaze to the floor, my fingers playing with the bottom of my dress.
"What's everything?" Jennavive asks softly, looking worried.
"The Hunger Games; who will be chosen, Peeta, Cato, my brother..." I trail off, not wanting to overwhelm my best friend.
"Faye, we're all worried about the Games. I worry about who's going to be chosen as well. But we can't protect the ones we love forever. We just have to try." Jennavive rubs my back, trying to comfort me.
But her words do not comfort me. They only upset me more. None of this would be a problem if the Games never existed. If the Capitol seized to exist. But I can't do anything about it, so why am I worrying? It's been this way for a long time and will continue for a long time to come. It's just the way things are and will forever be. I shouldn't complain.
"You're right," I let out a long breath. "I should just focus on the present."
"There's that good attitude of yours! And don't worry, we won't watch a second of the Games! We can... help Peeta with those danishes he decorates, or something! Don't worry, you'll be safe this year, I promise. The Games will come and go just as they do every year. Now, go get your coat, it's almost six!" Jennavive says, guiding me to the door.
"He decorates cakes, not danishes!" I laugh.
"Whatever! He's still decorating something!" she laughs along with me.
As if on cue, there is a knock on the door, just as I am slipping on my shoes.
I slowly open the door, and once it's open, I see Peeta standing there; a bouquet of my favorite kind of flowers -white roses- in his hands. They aren't around District Twelve; so Peeta must've gone into the woods earlier today in search of them.
I see he is wearing a faded blue plaid shirt, unbuttoned, with a white T-shirt on underneath. he must've remembered that I love him in blue. He is wearing khaki pants, that aren't faded, so I know those are his own.
He smiles at me shyly, biting his lip, holding the flowers out to me, his breathtaking blue eyes locking with mine. I smile and take the flowers, our hands brushing.
"They're beautiful." I murmur, bringing the delicate petals up to my nose, smelling their sweet scent.
"No, you're beautiful." he says, his gaze never leaving mine. I can feel my cheeks grow warm as I blush. "Especially in that dress." he pauses. "We color coordinate!" he grins.
"Uhm, bleh! I'd like to keep what little food I have in my stomach down my esophagus, if you don't mind!" Jennavive says in a joking tone.
Peeta rolls his eyes, still grinning. "Your problem, not mine." he teases, sticking his tongue out at her.
Jennavive sticks her tongue out back at him. "Bring it, breadboy! I can take you any day!" she says with a laugh.
"Yeah? Well, I can always frost you to death," Peeta backfires, making me laugh.
"Ooh, frosting, I'm so scared! Yeah right!" Jennavive smiles. "How's frosting going to compete with my bow, huh breadboy?"
"Fine, you win." Peeta says, defeated. "C'mon, Faye. We better go now, so that we aren't late for the broadcast later." Peeta makes a face, looking as though he'd prefer to miss it, but knowing he can't.
"See ya, Jennavive. And may the odds be ever in your favor," he says, mocking the saying that is said every year during the Hunger Games.
"Catch ya later, Peeta." Jennavive half smiles. "Oh, and don't you two be up to any funny business either, wherever it is you two are going."
I look down at my feet, but Peeta laughs.
"No worries." he says, and then shuts the door behind us.
Peeta takes my hand in his and we start walking. "You really do look amazing in that dress." he says.
"Thanks," I smile. "You look pretty good yourself."
We walk until we are at the electric fence of Twelve. My heart begins to race, although the fence is off. I have been past it's boundries before, but I always feel adrenaline run through me each time I stand near it.
Peeta releases my hand and ducks under the fence, me doing the same. I smile to myself. We are now free. Well, about as free as we will ever be, anyway.
We walk through the forest, not speaking; the only sound being the leaves crunching from under our feet.
"So, where was Jennavive today?" Peeta asks me, breaking the silence.
"With Cato." I respond. The only ones who know about Jennavive and Cato are Peeta and I.
I remember when I had first told Peeta about them. He had wanted to tell the Peacekeepers, but I stopped him, just barely.
"What if he's just using her?" Peeta had asked. "We have no idea what he's like!"
"Obviously he's not using her if she trusts him! She's not an idiot, Peeta!" I had argued.
We had argued some more, resulting in both of us mad at each other. We hadn't talked for the rest of that day, or the day after. I had been worried that Peeta would tell someone during our fight, but he hadn't.
We weren't a couple then, only friends.
"Ah," Peeta's voice brings me back from the memory. Something glints in his eyes, and I know he's remembering the memory as well.
"Do you still worry about them?" I ask.
"Not really," Peeta shrugs his shoulders. "You were right, Jennavive is cautious. Cato must be a good guy if she's been seeing him for so long." Peeta pauses. "I'm more worried about her getting caught than Cato hurting her."
I nod in agreement. "Yeah. I just hope she realizes how much danger she puts herself in everyday."
We walk deeper and deeper into the forest. Does Peeta even know where we're going?
Peeta chuckles, smiling to himself. "Besides, if Cato ever did hurt her, she could always shoot him!"
I laugh with him. "Well she does have good aim."
"She kind of has to, with taking care of her family and all." Peeta says.
Jennavive hunts for her family, supplying nearly all their food. She basically is the one keeping her mother and sister alive.
My father works in the mines all day, so he is the supplier of our family, along with me working at the bakery.
"She'd definately be a survivor in the Games," he muses. I look at him in shock, wondering why he would say such a thing. I honestly don't know what I'd do if Jennavive became a tribute for the Hunger Games.
"What brought that to mind?" I ask, curious now.
Peeta suddenly turns left. I hope we get to our date soon; although being here with him is good as well.
"The Games have been on my mind a lot, I guess." Peeta says. "And... I don't know. She just seems, to me, the type that would be able to win."
"I think they have been on all our minds lately." I mutter.
I try to imagine Jennavive killing someone, but I come up short. It can't be as easy as just releasing the string, can it?
"I can't see Jennavive killing anyone." I speak my thoughts aloud.
Peeta thinks about this for a moment. "Maybe she wouldn't have to. She is quite smart, and even if she did-"
"Can we stop?" I interrupt, suddenly unable to bear the thought of Jennavive going into the arena. With the way we're talking it is as if she is already on her way.
"Yes, I'm sorry," Peeta says softly, seeing my distress.
The trees start thinning until we are in a clearing. The land ends arruptly, just hanging over the edge of the earth it seems. Curious, I walk closer, releasing Peeta's hand from mine.
It's a cliff. Underneath, the ground is so far away.