Finishing the first chapter now. XD

I walked slowly to the reaping. We all knew it was coming, yet all those around me went so slowly, you would think they thought that if they went slow enough, the Capital would decide to skip this quarter quell. If only. This years' quarter quell hunger games was something no one could have anticipated. Not that any of the themes are ever known before the televised announcement. Seeing a familiar face, I sped up and reached for the hand of my best friend, Ayuka. She turned to me. I knew she was just as scared as I was, though she was always the daring, courageous girl who said what she thought, was very well known, but always made time for her forever best friend, Alaqua. Me. "You won't get picked. You never will. What are the odds?" I knew she was talking just as much to herself as she was to me. This year's quarter quell was creative: Two tributes will be chosen from the higher populated gender of each district. That meant, that in our district, district eight, specialty weaving and sewing, they would take two girls. "The odds are higher than ever." I was trying to be honest, as this was usually Ayuka's job, but right now it was left unfulfilled by the girl who filled the role of the only one I could talk to without being scared of persecution. We walked to the platform where Martima Cods stood, in her usual bright green dress and shining strawberry blonde hair. She was smiling like this was going to be the best day of her life. That was how she was forced to treat each reaping: like a holiday. This was a torture device developed by the Capital to send two tributes from every one of the twelve districts of Panem. This was supposed to be the biggest holiday of the year. We got a day off of school, we got a parade and festival, but this was nothing but a cruel reminder to do what you're told without hesitation. "Good afternoon, friends! I'm so glad you all attended this year's reaping! This one is special, you know! I will be taking two girls with me to the Hunger Games!" She tossed a curly lock of hair over her shoulder. "I don't want to keep you waiting any longer, so I'll announce our winners right this minute!" she clapped her hands twice, and a man in a matching suit scurried up with a bowl of white slips of paper that held two people's fates. She covered her eyes with one hand and with the other she drew a paper from the bottom. She slowly opened it, smiling at the crowd. "Alaqua Bane!" she looked over the crown as my eyes widened. 'I must have heard wrong.' I thought, although I knew it wasn't true. I walked to the raised platform begrudgingly. "Any volunteers?" asked Martima once I had walked to her side. "I volunteer!" A voice rang from the crowd. I knew who it was in my heart before I did in my mind. Ayuka volunteered to take my place. She quickly ascended the steps to stand in my place. Our eyes met and I saw a love that I couldn't live without. The love of a sister-by-heart. "Okay, Ayuka Swan has volunteered to take the place of our first tribute!" she smiled sweetly, "Now for our next tribute." she repeated the process of drawing a name. "Toxie polyester!" I had never known Toxie, but with the look in her eyes a pain shot through my chest. I had never had a conversation with her, or even met her sad brown eyes, but I knew what everyone knew. She didn't have any parents and had five sisters, all of which were very young, and didn't have anyone besides their sister to take care of them. A cry rang out from the crowd, and I realized who had volunteered with an even bigger shock than when I had been volunteered for. It was someone I never expected to volunteer for this unfortunate girl. It was me. I walked to the stage wondering what I had done. I now had to face my best friend in the arena. She would want to protect me, and I wanted  protect her. What had I done? We finished the reaping, and the entire time I was dazed, only horrific ideas of the future in my mind.