Over and Over: The 32nd Hunger Games SYOT

Chapter 11

I got the new Tributes so here are the last Reapings! I took the first three I got, so I'm sorry if I couldn't take your submission. I'll be doing more, but it stinks to have to wait.

Asper Fin POV

"Don't worry. It's going to be okay," I told Allen as we stood next to each other in line. The only good part about Reaping Day was that I got to see him. Splitting a marriage splits a family, and visits were never enough. I'd never stop hoping that Mom and Dad would somehow fall back in love and we'd all be together again.

Capitol trends are unfathomable. This year long skirts must have been "in", since Mariposa's red dress stretched all the way across the stage. She carefully stepped over all the fabric and tiptoed to the bowl containing the girls' names. After a short spiel on how lovely Panem was and how lucky we all were, she picked a name.

"Myrtle Bloom!" she called.

"What?" someone, I would assume Myrtle, shouted. A tall girl with brown hair stomped toward the stage streaming profanities and insults. It was almost comical compared to the usual terrified reactions we got. She threw up her arms when she got to the stage and sighed dramatically. Mariposa turned to the male bowl and things got serious. It would be one thing if I got Reaped, but Allen was delicate. I'd rather have him watch me die than watch him die. I tried to plead with the universe as Mariposa held up the slip.

"Allen Fin!" her voice rang out. I couldn't make sense of the letters and tried to figure out what name she had called. The contents of my stomach rose and I tried to hear past the drone in my head. Something brushed my arm and someone was screaming by me. Did she call Allen? She couldn't have. There was a boy on the stage, but he couldn't be my brother. I would have volunteered if she had called Allen.

After the Reaping was over, a Peacekeeper took my arm and escorted me to the Justice Hall. I couldn't imagine why he wanted me to go there. I had to find Allen and get back home. The Peacekeeper showed me to a room and opened the door. Allen was inside, and the rest of our family was crying and holding him. Everything became clear and I realized what I'd done. Allen had been Reaped, and I hadn't saved him. I'd left my own brother to die. Allen couldn't die. He was going to be a doctor. He was a genius. He was too good to die. I watched the rest of the family comfort him as I stood in the doorway trying to comprehend what was happening. Then Mom said something about giving us a minute and they left us alone.

"I guess I won't be a doctor. I'm going to die," Allen said.

"I'm sorry," I said. I should have volunteered. There was nothing for Allen to say. I wanted to run and find Mariposa to tell her I wanted to volunteer, but it was too late. There had to be a way to save him. I looked at his form, the mirror image of mine, and realized the only option left.

"I love you, bro. You're going to be the best doctor ever," I said.

"What?" Allen asked. Then I hauled off and punched him in the jaw. He fell onto the bench and I hurriedly swapped clothes with him. At the last moment I remembered his leather bracelet and took that too. The Peacekeepers came in a moment later to collect Allen, and I went with them. They must have assumed "Asper" was overcome and fainted, since they didn't say a word. If anyone was going to die, it was going to be me.

Myrtle Bloom POV

I stuck my tongue out at Poplar's back. Maybe I'd get lucky and they'd take her. Then she'd stop whining all the time. The Careers would take one look at her and take care of that. Usually I didn't think that nasty of things about my sister, but there were no relatives on Reaping Day. All that seemed real was the possibility that you'd be the one to vanish like brush in a forest fire. Most of us would have sold our mothers to be spared, and Poplar was considerably less of a sacrifice.

The Anthem started to play and then some talking head droned on about how horrible the District were and how wonderful the Capitol was. I wanted to throw up.

"Oh, come off it!" I yelled. Mariposa tried to find me so she could glare at me, but I blended with the crowd. She tossed her head and bent over the bowl when the dumb speech was finally over.

"Seven's female representative will be Myrtle Bloom!" she shouted. What?!

"What?!" I yelled. You were supposed to call Myrtle, not me! Every vile word I'd ever heard came to my lips and I left a streak of profanity behind me as I stomped to the stage to clear matters up. Some drip named Allen followed me and stood next to me shaking and wide-eyed. Mariposa ignored my objections and grabbed our hands.

"Let's have a big round of applause for Myrtle Bloom and Allen Fin!" she cried.

"And bugger you all!" I added.

"Couldn't Dad come?" I asked when my step-father Timber came back with Poplar, Mom, and Spruce. Mom gave me that look you give a little kid when he picks his nose in public, then sat down next to me.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said. "You should have been there. There was this poor little girl named Acia who got Reaped, but she was blind so I knew I had to volunteer for her-"

"You did not," Poplar said. I rolled me eyes. She ruined everything. I knew I'd probably be scared as soon as everyone left, but at the moment I was just really mad. Didn't I have enough trouble without this?

Right before they had to leave, Mom gasped.

"We forgot your token," she said.

"Aw, Mom," I groaned. Now I didn't even get a token?

"Hold on," Poplar said. Wait, you remembered? And cared? I thought. She pulled a twig from her pocket and smirked at me.

"I will treasure it always," I sneered as I took it. After all that had happened, it seemed only appropriate.