Reaping Day: Part 1 out of 6
ORCHID WELLSHIRE, DISTRICT 9
Branning's been doing better lately. I can take more shifts in the fields
since he needs me less and less.
It's almost been a year and a half since my brother lost both of his legs
in a farming accident, and I've had to take care of him on a small portion
of my peacekeeper father's salary-when he decides to send some home.
Branning insists that he's fine, and I know he's embarrassed that his little
sister has to take care of him like he's elderly and incompetent. But he
needs someone here with him at least for a few hours a day, since he can't
even get out of bed by himself. He's at least excused from attending the
reaping, and his name is finally out of that bowl now that he's nineteen.
I'm not so lucky, though. I only took out a few tesserae this year, though.
It felt weird only asking for three or so when they took this year's
tesserae orders a month ago. It used to be a...few more.
I used to take out hundreds back when I was with the raes. But after my
brother's accident, I realized that the chances we were taking just weren't
worth it.
The raes were my best friends, and had been since I was a small child. We
were all poor and weak, with bad money situations and absent or abusive
parents. When we turned twelve and were eligible for tesserae, we tried a
new business model that no one's gone for before: selling tesserae. Our own
tesserae.
We used to take out hundreds of it for each of us, then sell the
subscriptions to our own supplies. I'm honestly shocked that none of us got
reaped, even with our names in hundreds of times. We were pretty young when
we left home to do this full time, traveling for most of the year selling
what we'd sell for the coming year and delivering what we sold last year. We
were a second family to each other and our relationship with the public was
mixed.
They felt scammed by us but at the same time appreciated the miles we
traveled and the work we did to save their children from more entries in the
reaping. We were edgier and different than most of nine, with brightly
colored clothes and makeup because we could afford it, and genders that they
couldn't guess by looking at us. But they still shook our hands and dropped
more and more of our envelopes into the bowls.
We did this for five years until my brother ran into an accident with a hay
baler than crushed both of his legs. He needed a double amputation and I had
to go home. They took this as a betrayal after hearing me talk badly about
my strict, hardened, patriotic brother for years. The rest of them still run
their business, and I'm sure I'll be seeing them at the reaping.
Which starts in three hours.
I tie up my fiery hair quickly, since it's blisteringly hot outside. The
only fancy thing I have is a black dress I bought with the raes last year.
Great.
I try to leave quietly but Branning stops me.
"I don't expect your name to come out of that bowl. You don't either...
right?"
"I've told you a thousand times, I don't work with them anymore. It's in
there eight times."
"And how many times are Tiff and the rest of those bitches in?"
I sniff. "Teff. And hundreds, probably. Last year he was 400. And I'm not
going to get picked."
"I know." He crosses his arms. "Love you, Orchid."
"I love you too."
It's a long walk from our tiny house to the capital of district 9, but at
least we can walk. Some people have to travel for days. In a big district
like ours, only eligible kids have to attend the reaping. There's just not
room for a few hundred thousand people in the capital courtyard.
After a couple hours of walking, the courtyard comes into view.
And so do the raes, sitting in their usual spot behind the brick wall.
All five of them. Oatley and Teff are in the middle, cloying all over each
other. It grosses me out way more now than it used to for some reason. I
used to be kind of into Teff, back before we really got into the business
world. I'm totally over him. He and Oatley are super into each other-they
can't keep their hands to themselves. It's a shock she's not pregnant,
honestly.
Amara and Miller and to the side holding hands. The two of them are super
quiet and haven't ever kissed or anything. They just stay close to each
other. I was super close with Amara and she never really turned on me like
the rest of them did. Farro and Ash are on the opposite side with the price
notebook, probably adding up today's initial sales.
I walk quietly towards the check-in line but my staring errors me- I lock
eyes with Farro and he quietly suggests that they get in line. I keep
shuffling forward and desperately hope that someone comes in between us.
But no, I hear Oatley's deep and Teff's ironically high voice behind me
talking about what district they want to place bets on tonight. Oatley's bet
on District 2 every year since we had enough money to bribe our way into
bets. She's won once or twice, but the rest of them are all 11 and 12 buffs.
I can practically feel her eyes glaring into the back of my head before I
hear Miller.
"Hey, is that..." they whisper.
Oakley puts a hand on my shoulder and turns me around.
"Um...hi." I say. I wish this line would hurry up. I'm begging to be stabbed
in the finger by the checker waiting hundreds of people ahead of me.
"You know, it's funny seeing you here after all this time." Oatley runs her
tongue over her teeth and leans away from Teff.
"It hasn't been that long," I mumble.
"Sure. Your hair's still curly. Thought that was too alternative for your
farm girl life."
I grit my teeth. "Funny, I thought you'd be too busy counting your scammed
coins than to bother with us farm folk."
Teff chuckles, placing a giant hand on Oatley's tiny shoulder. "Oh, come on,
Orchie. We all know you miss the good old days as much as we do."
Oatley looks like she wants to slit his throat for calling when I was with
them the good old days.
"You mean the days before my brother got mauled and I realized what a bunch
of hypocrites you all are?"
"Lay off, both of you." Miller interrupts us, though they're still glaring
at me. "There's more important things to focus on today."
"Right, like which innocent kids to place your bets on this year? Or maybe
how many starving people you'll con into buying your tesserae scheme?"
Oatley pulls down her shirt, which covers less skin than a swimsuit. She's
the least alternative of all of them, and in different clothes she could
pass for a farmer.
"You all look... different," I say, trying to distract myself from the
conflict that just occurred.
And they do. Amara's long, straight black hair and brightly colored makeup
is swapped for shoulder length and layered with dark eyeliner. Ash has more
boyish hair and more eyelashes and lip color than before.
"Trying to skirt away from our little debate?" Farro juts, interrupting my
quiet fantasy of this altercation being finished.
"I'm just trying to have a civilized conversation, but I guess that's too
much to ask from you."
Teff runs a hand through his hair and smirks. "Don't act like you're better
than us, Orchid. We all know where you came from."
I'm so done with this. "And I know where you're still stuck. Living off the