Important Authors Note: Hello fellas, welcome! My first HG fanfic, mixed with a few elements of Glee, but I will not go as far as to say it is a crossover because it isn't really; I'm just borrowing song ideas. But I will say that I own neither Hunger Games nor Glee, this is just my idea for a musical version of the Hunger Games. And also, I've muddled around the districts of people on purpose, so don't mind that. I've named this story after the song by Marc Anthony. Rated T for some mature language, and ehhh other stuffs.

My Katniss cannot hunt and my Peeta is an independent, strong and snarky jerk with a bright soul. Enjoy, and eh please go easy on me, first HG fic x_x

Katniss POV.

I bit my nails till my fingers throbbed from the sides. I'm so nervous; I can't sit still or organize my thoughts. I tapped my sneakered foot on the velvet-carpeted floor of the maroon waiting room for the tryouts. This is my chance to enter the most exclusive and brilliant school in all of Panem, where only the rich kids go because their wealthy parents can afford it and they've been training from the time they toddled. Until now. The Panem Academy for the Musically Gifted or the AMG for short, recently opened scholarships to the districts. Every year, twelve people between the ages of 12 and 18 get in and only twelve. They always manage to pick one from each of the 12 districts. I am already at a disadvantage, seeing as I am poor and only have a shot through a scholarship, and I'm up against about five hundred other applicants, most of whom must be well-off and probably more talented. There are only three scholarships available this year.

I'm not doing this because I have hopes of becoming the next biggest thing. I'm trying to get in because the districts of those who are accepted through scholarships are publicized for a few weeks, because getting into the AMG is a big deal, especially if you're poor. And the Capitol can't exactly glorify a poverty-stricken town, so if I get in, they'll clean up and take care of my district for a couple of weeks. I live in the poorer parts of District 12, and this package they promise isn't going to eradicate the long-term starvation that is prevalent, but it will help greatly. I have been the bread-winner of my family for the last five years. My father died in a plane-crash around the time I was 11. My mother zoned out and left me and my sister Prim to fend for ourselves. There were days when she'd just stare at the wall. So since then, I've had to run odd jobs for people, help Greasy Sae serve soup and sing at the Hob and other public events.

My singing hauled in the most, so I couldn't drop that, as much as I initially hated it. It only made me miss my father more, because he was the one who taught me how to sing. He was a wonderful singer. It was the reason my mother married him. After a while, I even started enjoying it a bit. But I still feel pained every time I sing my father's favorites. Gradually, my mother picked herself up and opened an apothecary in the house. Prim tried to help as much as she could by selling the milk and cheese from her goat, Lady.

In all my anxiety, I totally blocked out the other people in the room. There were about 15 people, also tapping their feet and biting their nails. The likelihood of seeing any of them ever again would be close to zero, because the chances of more than one of us getting into the AMG are about the same. One younger girl sitting on the other end of the room, dark-skinned and brunette, was taking deep breaths. I smiled at her and she smiled back. Wow. Katniss Everdeen actually stepped out of her bubble. Not bad, Katniss. It's not that I'm shy; I just don't like to talk a lot.

The door to the audition room opened and a woman in a ridiculous neon orange frock stepped out with her clipboard. She had nice azure eyes but she chose to compliment them with overly-done pink makeup, which I didn't like. She was obviously from Capitol, or District 1 or 2, the only places they actually value this sort of appearance. Her hair was a bounce of blonde curls, the only normal thing to be seen. She looked at her clipboard and called out the next name for audition.

"Rue Phoenix!" The dark-haired girl in front of me got up and smiled at me again before she followed the weird lady through the door. I got more fidgety after that, it was only a matter of minutes before I was called in.

After about half an hour, I was called. There were only two of us left. The other boy, ginger-haired, sneered at me and said, "Good luck, Seamslut." I would have slapped him right there, but I maintained my good-girl aura and said "Break a leg" in the coldest, most sincere way possible. 'Seam' was the general term, but now it became an insult for the poor people of this country. How he knew of my status, I will never know. Maybe the non-designer tank-top, jacket, ripped jeans and worn-out sneakers tipped him off. I followed the woman through a long, dark corridor that led to a bright, yellow room. I walked over to an X in the middle of the room, where the mike was. I stood awkwardly, waiting for the judges to finish talking amongst themselves. One of them, a woman, had her baby in a carrier on the side. The three judges in front of me were solemn and looked rather displeased. Perhaps there wasn't the rush of vocal magic they anticipated. Well, at least they have a lower standard now, if anything.

"You are Katniss Everdeen?" The one in the middle asked.

"Yes", I replied.

"Age?"

"Sixteen."

"District?"

"District 12."

"Alright, tell us why you'd like to go to the Academy for the Musically Gifted and not Paylor's Dream Choir."

Gee. You'd think school officials would be less upfront about their rivalry with other schools. PDC is another widely-renowned musically-inclined school. It's actually thanks to them that AMG opened scholarships, in an attempt to be seen as more "generous", I suppose. It also does wonders for admission. Anyway, PDC has generally been more popular, but in the recent years, both schools have high laurels and they've had almost equal number of wins at Sectionals, Regionals and Nationals. So I give a very vague answer.

"The Academy seems to offer more freedom, more opportunity and the courses sound great. If I wanted to be a part of Paylor's Dream Choir, I'd be over there, wouldn't I?"

The judge in the middle just stared. I think I was too bold with that answer. So I run a hand through my wavy elbow-length dark brown hair with embarrassment. I stand and wait as the mother judge writes something down on a sheet. Shit, I may have just screwed up my chance. The third judge, who has yet to do anything but sit, says "Okay, honey, and I suppose you are aiming for a scholarship?" How is it so obvious?! Do I emit some Seam-ish waves that are detected by everyone's radars but mine? "Yes, sir", I reply sheepishly. The middle judge finally stops staring and speaks.

"What will you sing, Ms. Everdeen?" There is a hint of a threat in his question. I talk back even-toned.

"Hey Jude, by the Beatles." The middle judge looked at me as if I couldn't do it. The mother judge looked at me as if to say "You're deluding yourself, hon." But the third judge had a genuine smile of encouragement.

"Whenever you're ready, Katniss." I took a deep breath and counted to three in my heart. I gripped the standing mike. Then I pulled out my iPod and started the instrumental of the song for the judges to hear. I opened my mouth to sing.

"Tommy used to work on the docks…"

As I sang Livin' On A Prayer, I lost myself in the song. It was such a good one, that even if I didn't get into AMG, I'd still be happy with my audition. I chuckled in my head as the judges looked confused. I liked surprising them like this. I often did this in the Square, where I'd sing a song that wasn't the one I promised the audience. In the moments that I bothered to look at the judges' faces, I saw shock. Or disgust. It was one of the two, but I couldn't tell because of the ridiculous make-up these Capitol citizens wear. So I sang my heart out.

"Oh ohh, livin' on a prayer!"

They still hadn't stopped me by the second chorus, so I finished after that. I panted silently and wiped my sweaty hands on my jacket. What would they say? That ridiculous look was still on their faces. Did they not like it? I knew it. Never cover a great song because you'll never match up or even get anywhere close.

"Bon Jovi's finest, eh?" I say, with a nervous laugh. The third judge nods slowly, but quickly stops and composes himself, as do the other two. The middle judge drums his right-hand fingers on the side of his face and says,

"Truly. Thank you, Ms. Everdeen. You will be notified soon on whether or not you have been accepted into the Academy. You may leave now." I nod my thanks and walk out the other door.

It's been three days since my audition and I haven't received my rejection letter. Of course I'm going to be rejected, after the way I acted. I have such a problem with rules, you'd think I did it on purpose, but it's all impulse. They'll see me as too non-conforming and they probably struck my name off as soon as I left the place. I contemplate my actions and curse myself as I tie Prim's hair. She asks me something, and I'm caught off-guard, so I ask her to repeat herself.

"Do you think I'll ever see you if you get into the Academy?"

"Duh. There are the holidays and the weekends. Plus, don't count on your sister getting in. She behaved atrociously at the audition."

"What happened?" I gave her a full account of the audition. Prim smacked my arm and I hissed.

"So you see, it's not very likely that I get into the Academy. I guess you're stuck with me, little Duck", I said, pinching her nose. She smiled, bounced off my lap and walked out of my room. I lay back on my bed. What would I do without Prim? I don't have any actual friends. And she's the only reason I tolerate my weak mother. As I thought this, my mother walked in and sat on my bed. I allowed it but I didn't acknowledge her presence. She looks at her hands for a moment and then at me.

"Have you heard from the Academy?" she asks.

"Nope. Not going to get in", I replied monotonously.

"Why is that, sweetie?" I flinch at this nickname. I sit back up.

"Mom, we're Seam. Would you really want someone who looked like me in your school? And plus, the judges just looked shocked throughout my audition." Mom looked at me sympathetically. No amount of sympathy will earn my forgiveness for zoning us out when my father died. She reached across and moved the hairs from my face to the side. I allow this too.

"You are beautiful. They would be lucky to have you in their school." With that, she left my room. I hate being so hard on her, but every time I see her, I feel flames on my sides. I don't detest my mother, but the fact that she wasn't there for us makes her emotionally incapable. For me, anyway. Prim has a forgiving soul. She shares a good relationship with Mother. I get off the bed and dress in my favorite acid-washed jeans and a black V-neck. I wear a light-grey scarf around my neck. It used to be my father's, and in a funny way, I feel as though I am blessed with his quality of voice every time I wear it around my throat. I yell to Prim that I'm leaving the house and I walk out the door.

An hour later, I am helping Sae serve up her soup. She's such a kind soul.

"Katniss, you singin' tonight?" She asks. It really is a beautiful evening. The pink-tinged sky has stars.

"I don't know. I feel a little down, Sae." She smiles at me for saying this.

"The nice thing 'bout singin' is that you have happy songs and sad songs. Go on and sing us somethin' sweet."

I laugh and wink at Sae. She's so good to me. She never over-charges customers and yet is able to support herself and pay me. I get out of my apron and walk over to the Square podium. There isn't a uniform audience, there never is, but people scattered around the square look at me as I stand on podium. I grab the podium mike.

"Great night, right?" I say with a smile. Some people smile and I hear a couple of 'yeahs'. "Are we feeling good?" More people reply with 'yeahs'. I say nothing else, but sing.

"It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life…" I sing Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" in a husky tone. The audience claps with the beat. I feel my scarf around me, and I'm sure that without it, I'd never feel so confident in front of a large audience.

"…and I'm feeling good."

I finish and bow and I receive a round of applause. It isn't the reception that warms my heart, but the feeling that I've connected with my father on a higher level. They say that when he sang, even the birds stopped to listen. I smile at everyone and jump off the podium. The hat I left on the side of it is full of money. I pick it up and walk through the audience. Some people pat me on the back as I make my way through, some praise me. I thank everyone and walk back home. It is now dark. But the lanterns on the trees help me find my way.

"Katniss! Wake up wake up wake up!"

I groan as I am forced to sit up in bed, with an eager little duck on my side. Why is Prim waking me up so early on a Saturday morning? It's only 11 o' clock.

"What, Primrose?" I growl to show that she better have a good reason for disturbing me. Prim smiles so widely at me that it irritates me. She holds up a letter addressed to me, from the AMG. I gasp and claw at the letter. I look once at Prim before opening it.

"What if I didn't get in?" I ask in a very self-conscious way that is not me. I mentally slap myself and take a breath.

"Silly, you don't even know that. Just open it", Prim says calmly, but I know this is more exciting for her. I open it and pull out my letter. I read it out to Prim.

"Dear Katniss Everdeen, it is with great regret that we inform you that you must pack up your bags and leave home, because you have been accepted into The Panem Academy for the Musically Gifted!" I stop reading and look at Prim. We both scream girlishly which causes my mother to walk in my room. I continue reading.

"The Academy is located in the Aldrich region of Capitol. You must report to the train station at 6 a.m. on Monday morning. The journey to Capitol will take approximately 24 hours, so breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided on-board." I chucked the letter to my mom so she could read the rest of it. Prim and I did a little victory dance on the bed. I couldn't believe it. I'd actually gotten into the school. I've gotten my district just what it needs.

"Katniss, I'll help you pack. Looks like we won't be seeing you for a bit", my mother said. What?

"What does it say?" I ask.

"It says that this entire month, you'll have to spend the weekends in the school. It's just to get you oriented to it, I suppose. From next month, you can visit us on the weekends. And of course, the winter, summer and spring holidays…" I feel a little sad about this. I'll feel homesick, I'm sure of it. Even Prim looks a little down now. I give her a tight hug and go brush my teeth.

I spend the whole of Sunday packing with my family. It's very tedious, even though I know that I'll only be wearing these clothes on special occasions and weekends. AMG has a uniform for the students. I chat with Prim about the dark-haired girl I saw in the audition room. She reminded me so much of Prim, with the same posture and soft features. I wonder how she sings and what song she might have auditioned with. Prim was not happy with my song choice. She's a hard-core Madonna fan, weirdly enough, and enjoys pop music.

At night, I am alone in the kitchen with my mother. I sit at the table and slice an apple. Mom washes the dishes. She makes polite conversation.

"All set for tomorrow?"

"Yes. I'll wake up early to say goodbye to Sae."

"Prim will miss you. She really loves you."

"I know. I will miss her too." I try to be as cutting and short with my sentences. I accidently cut the back of my hand with the knife and wince. "Fuck!"

Mom turned around immediately and saw my hand. She didn't waste a moment in pulling out gauze and some medicinal leaves from the cupboard. She pulled me from my seat and held my hand over the sink and washed it. I sat back down after a minute; by then she had crushed the leaves into a paste and she applied it over the cut. It was very wide but thankfully not too deep. She wrapped the gauze around my hand twice. She pat my hand and said, "I'll cut the apple."

It was at times like this when I am reminded of my mother's true healer instinct. She goes into this mode of absolute control where she blocks out the world but knows exactly what she is doing with her patient. This is my mother's strength. I eat a couple of slices and then go up to bed.

I wake up very early in the morning. I get dressed and walk downstairs to see Prim and my mother already eating breakfast at the table.

"Good morning, Katniss!" Prim chirps. I smile and kiss her on the head. Man, I'll miss her so much. I walk off to say goodbye to Sae. When I return, there's a car waiting outside my house. This is it. My suitcase is already inside and my mother hands me my rucksack. I hug her stiffly and whisper, "Take care of my sister." She nods against my head. I bend down to Prim and smile. She's going to cry, so I give her a quick bear-hug and say, "Be good, little duck. I'll see you soon." I let her kiss my cheek, and I get into the car. My hands start sweating already.

I reach the station, get on the train and let the food on it rule me. I have never dined like this. Lamb stew and chocolate fondue. Is this what Capitol eats on a daily basis? Unreal. I spend a lot of time reading on the train and staring out the window. I gaze at the fields of flowers and crops in District 11, animals in 10, trees in 7, and other things I have never seen off TV. Train attendants tend to my every need and I take full advantage. I sleep on luxurious duvets, and wake up to the sun streaming through my window. The train has stopped. I jump out of my sheets and look out. What a metallic city Capitol is. Not a single tree in sight, but skyscrapers and machines. I feel disappointed.

A knock on my door indicates that I must get ready. I take a lot, hot shower and then wear a green full-sleeve shirt and my light-blue ripped skinny jeans. I put on my father's scarf and pull on my boots. Satisfied with this simple but nice look, I go to the lounge room of the train with my bags. I leave my hair open and play with the ends, until my escort to the Academy arrives. He walks in, but in a very strange manner. He groans and I realize that he's hung-over. He looks about forty and I see that his hair is dirty blonde with lighter natural highlights here and there. He looks down at me, inspects me and says, "Everdeen?" I nod warily and he says "Follow me." He calls an attendant to get my bags, but I cling on to my rucksack. We walk out of the train into a car. We leave the station and my escort holds his hand out.

"Haymitch Abernathy, your mentor", he says. I shake it and say, "Katniss Everdeen." My mentor?

We remain silent the first fifteen minutes. He looks exhausted. Then I ask questions about the school, like when was it erected, who the principal was, how many kids went there, when finally, he says, "Sweetheart, I need to sleep, so just shut it for five minutes, 'kay?" I don't speak to him anymore. I don't really want to after that. He subsequently grumbled about how "one kids not enough, pile on another". I didn't know what he was talking about. We finally arrived at the gates of the Academy. It was so grand. I was especially pleased at the number of trees I spotted around the campus. Beautiful. We got out of the car and walked about fifty meters to the giant doors of the Academy.

Boring you guys yet? Don't worry, this is just the beginning. It's going to get much, much more fun, I promise. Our favorite blonde baker makes his first appearance next week, along with all our favorites ;) So, thanks for giving it a read! I'll try and update twice a week, if not, then once. Please leave feedback, then I'd know if I was doing something wrong or right :P

Hope you enjoyed. Stay tuned!