Quell
Six
"Jenna!" Aphrodite Sunburst says, tugging at my elbow. "It's time to watch the recap of the Reapings!"
"It's Brenna," I mutter mutinously. I wrench my elbow away from her.
"What?"
"Brenna," I snap, enunciating carefully so that this dimwitted woman can understand me. "My name is Brenna." Aphrodite laughs.
"Oh dear, silly me!" she chirps. Her voice is so squeaky. And the Capitol accent is absurd. "Well, come along, Brenna!" She totters off and I have no choice but to follow her. We go into the opulent "parlor carriage" and sit down on the huge sofa. Theo and Moreen, our mentor, are there as well. Aphrodite turns on the television and the Capitol seal fills the screen. Then we watch as the Reapings are replayed. Bizarre-looking women dressed in fluorescent colors prance up to the microphones and open envelopes and call names. Girl. Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl.
Twenty-two tributes other than me and Theo. Twenty-four in the arena. One victor.
A few faces stick with me. The vicious boy from 2. His name is Victor Goudge. Theo snorts when he hears this. The irony is not lost on me, either. Ibbot Rold, the boy from 3 who punches his younger brother in the face when he tries to volunteer to take Ibbot's place. The massive boy from 10, who could probably lift me up with one finger. And, worst of all, the tiny twelve-year-old from District 12. She has wide-set blue eyes and sleek, dark-brown hair and a scar on her temple. When I see her terrified little face, I begin shaking. A twelve year old. I will be competing against a twelve year old.
"Brenna?" Theo says. He can feel me shaking.
"I'm fine," I say, standing up. "I'm going to... to get some fresh air." I hurry out of the parlor car and head towards the back of the train, which has an open area where we can stand outside and watch Panem rushing past us.
My hair is whipping around my face, and my eyes are tearing up.
"Brenna." Theo's voice sounds from behind me, and I spin around.
"Hey," I croak.
"What's wrong? I could tell that you were freaking out," he says. I inhale, then exhale. My breath is unsteady.
"That little girl from 12. The boy from 2. The boy from 10. If I'm gonna win, all the rest of them are going to have to die. I can't do this, Theo!" I burst out. Tears are threatening to fall. There is a huge lump in my throat.
"I know," Theo whispers. "I know."
"It's Brenna," I mutter mutinously. I wrench my elbow away from her.
"What?"
"Brenna," I snap, enunciating carefully so that this dimwitted woman can understand me. "My name is Brenna." Aphrodite laughs.
"Oh dear, silly me!" she chirps. Her voice is so squeaky. And the Capitol accent is absurd. "Well, come along, Brenna!" She totters off and I have no choice but to follow her. We go into the opulent "parlor carriage" and sit down on the huge sofa. Theo and Moreen, our mentor, are there as well. Aphrodite turns on the television and the Capitol seal fills the screen. Then we watch as the Reapings are replayed. Bizarre-looking women dressed in fluorescent colors prance up to the microphones and open envelopes and call names. Girl. Boy. Girl. Boy. Girl.
Twenty-two tributes other than me and Theo. Twenty-four in the arena. One victor.
A few faces stick with me. The vicious boy from 2. His name is Victor Goudge. Theo snorts when he hears this. The irony is not lost on me, either. Ibbot Rold, the boy from 3 who punches his younger brother in the face when he tries to volunteer to take Ibbot's place. The massive boy from 10, who could probably lift me up with one finger. And, worst of all, the tiny twelve-year-old from District 12. She has wide-set blue eyes and sleek, dark-brown hair and a scar on her temple. When I see her terrified little face, I begin shaking. A twelve year old. I will be competing against a twelve year old.
"Brenna?" Theo says. He can feel me shaking.
"I'm fine," I say, standing up. "I'm going to... to get some fresh air." I hurry out of the parlor car and head towards the back of the train, which has an open area where we can stand outside and watch Panem rushing past us.
My hair is whipping around my face, and my eyes are tearing up.
"Brenna." Theo's voice sounds from behind me, and I spin around.
"Hey," I croak.
"What's wrong? I could tell that you were freaking out," he says. I inhale, then exhale. My breath is unsteady.
"That little girl from 12. The boy from 2. The boy from 10. If I'm gonna win, all the rest of them are going to have to die. I can't do this, Theo!" I burst out. Tears are threatening to fall. There is a huge lump in my throat.
"I know," Theo whispers. "I know."