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Johanna’s best defense has always been her sharp tongue. She’s pretty handy with an axe, this is District 7 after all and she’s been chopping wood her whole life, but it’s her words that she’s known for. When Johanna Mason starts talking, everyone else shuts up.
Maybe that’s why the reaping is so unsettling, the whole District herded into one place and still there is silence. Even Johanna’s mouth stays closed.
There are whispers she knows, about how she’s all talk with nothing to back up her words, otherwise she’d protest, make a scene, do something. But on reaping day Johanna holds her tongue just like the rest of them.
The snide remarks roll off Johanna’s back, when you’ve got twice as many chances to have your name called you bite your tongue, no point in giving them even more reasons to ship you off to the Capitol.
Logically, Johanna knows that she only has to worry about the first draw. She was born a girl, the Capital has note of her being a girl, hell, she’s even a girl today. But it’s hard to keep secrets from the Capitol when there are peacekeepers swarming about, so Johanna can’t say for sure that they don’t know that she could be a boy tomorrow. If being girl today is all it takes to have her name drawn, being a boy tomorrow is probably all it takes too.
Her fingers tremble when that manicured hand dips into the bowl holding all the names, she clenches them into fists. She doesn’t need to give the crowd another reason to think she’s a coward.
She still holds her breath until the name is called though.
Johanna recognizes the girl, a few years older than she is, walking toward the stage. Johanna hears someone behind her crying, the girl’s sister maybe, or her best friend. The rest of the girls near her have let out a sigh of relief, Johanna however keeps the air in her lungs, her heart is still racing.
The blood is pounding so loudly in her ears that Johanna can hardly hear the name they call, but she sees the little boy from next door get escorted to the stage, she hadn’t even known he was 12 yet. Johanna chokes on the stale breath she’s been holding in. The tributes shake hands and Johanna’s hands shake.
She’s safe. For one more year she is safe.