She’d always been a rebel with a cause, and such was the case especially today, when all the children from every district lined up to see their fate either postponed or condemned by a piece of paper selected at random from none other than the sickly hands of a Capitol member. She hated it, loathed the entire system, from as young as she could remember, back to her little tyke days, she was walking in search of freedom and talking with the goal of anarchy.
But today, she would make HISTORY. Her and James alike, the two childhood best friends who had pledged their allegiance to fighting for the cause, to save their own people from any sort of harm. They could do it, Beckett knew. The two of them, together. This is what they’d been preparing their entire lives for, and she knew it from the second James raised his hand, and raised the brows of the entire District 7 whom were watching, breath hitched, praying it wouldn’t be their own children ripe for the taking.
The men were selected first, and so he offered himself, with such speed and decisiveness the woman at the bowl didn’t even have a chance to constrict her elongated nails around the name of another.
She met his eyes with a smile.
If the Nikolas was nervous, she didn’t show it. Indeed, she would rather DIE a warrior than spend the rest of her life succumbing to the tyranny of the Capitol. So with a nod of encouragement in the man’s direction, she awaited the woman’s response, acknowledging James as the selected, male member of District 7, before stepping forward, too.
❛ I volunteer as tribute. ❜
Her emerald hues were steeled with determination as she stepped forward, not even waiting for the woman to acknowledge her own words. There was no way Beckett was going to let this opportunity slip through her dainty fingers; even if that meant striding earnestly towards possible death. Besides, she really had nothing to lose – She’d never been close with her parents, who seemed more preoccupied with ANYTHING else than with their daughter. She was an only child, had no relation to much of anyone except for James. All her free time had been spent secretly preparing for this moment. And it was hers now for the taking. ❛ And let it be known that from this day forward, District 7 takes their fate into their OWN hands. No longer will we be the product of the Capitol’s games. I volunteer not only in place of whomever would have been selected but in honour of ALL my people ! ❜
She was met with a roar from the audience, and, despite the clearly unsettling aura of the peacemakers around them, Beckett cocked her head to smile tauntingly at the men with all their weapons. She didn’t need any, Bex knew. She had her mouth, her brain, and James. And that was good enough. ❛ So if we’re done here, Capitol lady, I believe we have a train to catch. ❜
James’s smile never left his face, as he heard the slight gasp from his mother. Now he would like to make it clear, he didn’t do this to make his parents crazy.
No he did it because deep down he knew that Beckett was right. Living in this fear just made people weak. He saw it with his father bowing his head down to the capital puppets.
He saw it in the faces of the children he was standing in front of. They looked scared and relieved.
This wasn’t fair, it was fear. He knew the look well. Still he pushed that feeling of bile down when he watched his best friend walk up. He didn’t make a move to stop her speech or to hold her hand knowing that the Captiol’s eyes were now on them.
He wasn’t after all the mouth piece between them, he was the brawn and he best act like it if he was going to keep them safe for their journey ahead. Where she was fierce he had to be likable so with a vapid smile that didn’t fit his inner self he leaned and hugged the capitol lady.
“Let’s make you proud right ma’am! To everyone out there I just want to say it’s going to be one hell of a game, may the odds be ever in your favor.”
With that he turned to enter the building and gave Beckett a look knowing that she’d know what it meant the fake smile slipping off his face. Out of the two of them he was going to be likable and get them sponsors. She was the one that was going to tell them the message. They had to meet with their people, but the both of them knew that they wouldn’t really bother.
He waited for a moment knowing that if no one came both him an Beckett could have a minute alone. He wondered briefly if his parents would come, but since he just embarrassed them he doubted it. They probably would pull his sister away with them too. The only person he had in the world right now was already coming with him to the capitol.
