vera vilde <> district 8

"Oh god, I think she's actually going to do it." I heard one of the many that now stood eyeing me down say to his friend. Quite the crowd had been forming as friends were gestured over wordlessly. This was all Harlan's fault really, he knew that I couldn't turn down a dare. O looked towards him and grinned. He covered his eyes in mock horror.

I let the centipede pinched between my fingers dance around freely in the air for a little bit longer. The crowd had dropped silent as I lifted the insect to my lips and gave it a little kiss on what I assumed to be its lips -- do insects have lips? I heard Sadie Jones gasp off to my left and that was all the motivation that was needed. I held the squirming creature far above my head and let it drop into my waiting mouth.

The shock of a thousand tiny legs hitting your tongue really sends you reeling for a bit; I almost let it crawl down my throat alive before the commotion of my peers around me snapped me back to reality. One quick bite put an end to that threat as I waited for the squealing around me to die down before going for the next act of my little one-woman show. I had to do this right, I knew I only had once chance to nail the big crunch effect that would really have them all reeling.

And get the crunch I did as my teeth sank down once again. Kalvin Relsius looked like he was struggling to keep his dinner down; I swear to god the noise bounced off every wall of the warehouse. The squirtback wasn't... pleasant, but my tongue was pretty numb at this point to Harlan's Horrifying Hooch. The anticipation inside me grew; I fed off the horror of those around me and I was eating good tonight. The final act still waited, however, and it was time to stick the landing.

I had to scan the crowd for a moment. I can handle my liquor so I'll blame it on the lighting, but there she was: Georgia van der Maas. I waited until I saw her looking and caught her eye, my own twinkling with glee. For the second time in just a few minutes an uproar started from me opening my mouth. I revealed to her, to them all, the remnants of that perfect crunch.

It's not every night we get this kind of victory.

"Now can a girl get a drink around here?"

now

"Wake up V, we gotta fuckin' go or we'll be in huge shit!"

I finally manage an eye open to see Harlan inches from my face. He looks particularly ugly this morning. I let out a not-so-soft groan as I can't decide if my head or back is in worse shape. I sit up on the concrete floor of Warehouse 459 -- designated location of last night's End of the World Party. It had become a tradition over the past few years on the eve of the Reaping to take the risk and have a night to remember. Or well, not remember in the my case. It was also one of the only parties I'd get invited to.

"Things kick off in like twenty minutes, we have to get over there or they might actually murder us."

He was right, I look around to see the place completely deserted. Of course nobody would bother to wake us up. I force myself to stand and start towards my home to change before Harlan correctly pointed out that I would be late as hell. God, my parents were going to pissed when I showed up dressed like this -- if they even recalled my existence today. We arrive to register right as the district officials are starting to stand and start the procedures.

The Reaping begins, but to say I was paying any attention to the histories being read would be an outright lie. I felt something crunchy up against my neck and realized a chunk of my hair encrusted with.. well, the aftermath of some truly horrifying hooch. I thought back to the events of the night, which were still a bit hazy in my mind. Things were always awkward at parties. I'm not bad company truly, but there are some weird rumours about me out there and only half of them hold any truth. To be seen as too friendly with me was basically to jump off a social cliff.

There were some drinking games I know, I think Harlan and I embarrassed some seniors in beer pong, and then we started playing truth or da---

Do you know that feeling you get when you suddenly realize you have taken things too far?

Disgust rolls through like a wave and suddenly my stomach becomes the capitol of my malady. My stomach feels like it is the site of a truly horrifying storm as it tries to reconcile what still sits inside of it. It's days like these that it feels truly hard to be me. I want to love and respect myself but sometimes I make that a really hard task.

Here, in the midst of my entire district I suddenly feel more alone than ever before. I pull these stunts for momentary attention and through it all create this stupid caricature of a human. The Vera that people see drifts further and further from the Vera that I want to be. Shame ripples within me, now embarrassed and the lengths I go through to get just an inkling of attention from these people who quite honestly are beneath me. But really? Is it my fault? I wasn't born with brains coming out of my ears like Sadie fucking Jones and I don't have an ass the size of District 11 like that BITCH Georgia van der Maas. And don't get me started on Nico, my parents would probably want to double marry him if it wasn't fucking illegal to marry your own son! I have to do something to stand out or I'm just going to be some miserable wallflower for li-

For the second time today I feel Harlan shaking my shoulder. The mayor's ramblings that were playing background noise to my internal strife have fallen silent. It's the first time in my life that I don't feel euphoric as I look to my left and to my right and see that all eyes are on me.