Alright, I won't lie: I've been wanting to write one of these stories for awhile now. I know it's been done a thousand times, but oh well. When you have the inspiration you write whatever.

Anyway, this is a boring chapter. It's just the introduction. The next chapter is still kind of boring. But, the third chapter starts with them on the train so it should pick up from there. If nothing else, it'll get interesting once they get into the arena. Enjoy the story!


Brushing copper colored hair out of her face, Adriana glanced up at the clock, willing the time to go by faster. If it wasn't bad enough having to be cooped up in school all day, she still had a five hour shift to put in down at the factory before she could even think about anything else.

As if having read her mind the bell rang, marking the end of the school day. Breathing a sigh of relief, Adriana gathered up her books and followed the stream of students leaving the school. Finally getting outside, Adriana took a big gulp of air, letting the sun shine down on her.

"Soak it up while you can, reports say the sun isn't coming back till Sunday." Falling into step beside her is her best friend, Daniel Crossiere. He squints up into the sun, mustering a small sigh. "What a shame, it makes the district look a little less bleak."

"Sunday," Adriana muses, completely ignoring the final bit of what Daniel had said. "How fitting."

"Yeah, right," Daniel snorts. Sunday just so happened to be the annual reaping for the Hunger Games and with both of them being fifteen-sixteen next week in Adriana's case-they were still open candidates to be drawn for the games.

"Don't you remember my theory? It's always sunny on reaping day," Adriana joked. The Hunger Games were something Adriana greatly feared, but her family had never been so far into troubled times that she had to draw tesserae like some of the other kids in the District. She knew never to prod the subject too fiercely for Daniel, unlike her, had needed to start drawing tesserae, and he always drew more to keep the names of his younger brother and sister out of the candidacy as much as possible.

Daniel opened his mouth to reply but instead clears his throat and shuts his mouth. Adriana is confused until she is smacked in the side of the head with a paper ball. She bends and picks it up, eyes falling on a small group of the 'popular' kids. They all snicker at her as she clenches the paper in her fist, her eyes locked on one individual in particular.

"Adriana let it alone," Daniel warns her. Adriana glares at the kids, but turns and walks away alongside Daniel.

"I just don't understand why he has to act so childish," Adriana mutters angrily. By 'he' they both knew she meant Ashton, not only one of the so-called populars, but also her twin brother. A brother she hates calling her twin for more than one reason.

"Let him act like one," Daniel tells her. "He'll gain nothing from it." Adriana sighs and nods in agreement. She hates that Ashton can so easily get under her skin. It's at those moments that she's glad that Daniel is beside her; so level-headed and calm he always draws her back from that angry place Ashton always draws her too. "He's waiting for the one day you attack back; don't give him that."

"Can I adopt you as my twin instead?" Adriana asks. Daniel laughs and unfortunately has to shake his head.

"No, but you've still got me as your best friend," Daniel replies. They've arrived at Adriana's specified work factory and she sighs, knowing that that is all she has time to accept.

"I guess settling for best friend is okay," She says, her tone making it seem like it's the worst option. Daniel flashed a smile and bid goodbye, heading off towards his own factory. Taking one last look up at the sun, Adriana turned and headed inside, silently bemoaning the work she had before her.


"How was school?" Adriana glanced up from pushing the food around on her plate to look at her mother. Dinners were usually silent and quick, when small talk was started it was a sign that a bigger conversation was stewing beneath the surface.

"Fine," She answers softly. "Mr. Johnson did a really funny impression of Mayor Thompson."

Mother beams at her as if she'd told her she'd been promoted to a Capitol job. "That's too funny! I knew Vince when he was a younger, he was always a clown." Ashton stabs his fork into the chicken a little too forcefully and catches their Mother's attention. "Is something wrong sweetheart?"

"You know I hate when you try to make small talk," Ashton says. "Just get to what you and Dad have to say."

Mother is taken aback by Ashton's bluntness, but shakes the surprise off quickly, replacing it with a solemn gaze. She sets down her fork and folds her hands in front of her. Father does the same and Adriana feels obliged to follow their lead. They gaze at her and Ashton like they used to when they were younger and had done something unsatisfactory.

"You both know what Sunday is."

Silence hangs in the air and Adriana glances over at Ashton who rolls his eyes and starts stuffing what is left of his dinner into his mouth. It's the same talk they've been given since they were twelve. Adriana knows it inside and out, but still feels enraptured by just how serious they are whenever the subject comes up.

"The reaping," She answera and they both nod.

"You're both fifteen-"

"Sixteen on Thursday," Ashton reminds them.

Their Mother purses her lips, but merely nods. "Yes, but come Sunday you'll still be fifteen. I know this is the same talk we give you every year, but until you are both eighteen, it'll be the same thing you hear. We've never needed either of you to draw tesserae, so of course all you'll have entered are four slips, but there is still always a chance…," Mother trails off, her eyes swelling with tears. She always gets emotional thinking about either of them being taken away to the games. "Just remain calm and, if you do get chosen…," She trails off once more.

"You'll represent your District like any other tribute would," Father finishes. "Proudly."

Adriana nods her head in agreement, while Ashton barely hides a snort of disgust. He's never really taken the talk seriously, not ever since he turned thirteen, started hanging with the populars and moved on from those 'childish fears'.

"It's late and you've both another full day of work tomorrow," Her Mother says, standing from the table. Ashton is already out of the room and halfway upstairs by the time Adriana stands. Her Father has similarly disappeared. Adriana stay behind and silently helps gather up the dishes and follow her Mother into the kitchen. Looking at the two of them it is easy to tell that they're related. Ashton and her both inherited their Mother's copper-colored hair, though Ashton's is a darker shade; Adriana and her Mother both had blue eyes that are same piercing shade with lightly tanned skin. "Such a sweetheart," Her Mother whispers, touching her cheek gently.

Adriana stands and dries the dishes that her Mother determinedly scrubs spotless. Adriana usually tries to be helpful, but doesn't usually bother trying to do dishes; washing and scrubbing, it all seemed so pointless to her, pointless and boring.

"Is something the matter?" Her Mother asks. "You usually are such a chatty little bird."

Adriana sighs and puts down the plate she'd been drying. "What would you do if…Ashton or I actually did get picked?" Her Mother pauses, but only for a second. She doesn't answer at first, but Adriana knows she's thinking of her answer carefully. She's very meticulous when it comes to answering questions such as these.

"Honestly, I don't know what I'd do," She admits. "I'd be proud, or at least act like I am; just like they tell us too," She adds absently. "But I would be frightened mostly. I love you and your brother so much that the mere thought of having to watch you fight and suffer would probably tear me apart." She sighs before turning to Adriana, looking more serious than Adriana can ever remembering seeing her. "But you won't get picked, neither will Ashton." She speaks so confidently that Adriana finds herself nodding, unable to resist.

Quietly they both resume their activities. Unfortunately it gives Adriana time to think, and as she glances over at her Mother, who moments before had so much confidence and trust that neither Ashton nor she would be reaped that she had to agree, she began to question how it is her Mother can be so confident. Even with the minimum amount of slips in the reaping bowl there's always a chance…isn't there?


Just as her theory had been correct before, it doesn't disappoint as Adriana and her family leave their house and head towards the town. The sun is bright and shining, giving off such a false image of a happy Sunday when, in reality, it's so bleak and depressing. Two kids, kids she probably knows too, will be reaped and sent to the Capitol. They'll be fighting for their lives and everyone in the country will be watching with baited breath to see which competitor will come up victorious.

"What a beautiful day," Her Mother chimes in cheerfully. Ashton snorts and Adriana elbows him in the ribs and he glares at her. They are only a fairly short walk from the town, but even though they had left early the town was already swarming with people. Everyone was in their nicest clothes, norm of Reaping Day, and Adriana quickly searched the crowds for Daniel, but couldn't pick him out of the crowd.

"It's almost time for the reaping to start," Father warns. "Better get in your places." He and her Mother disappear and for a brief moment Adriana is left alone with only Ashton.

He looks at her and says, "I hope you get picked." With those lovely parting words he disappears and she sighs, marching over to stand in the same roped area as the other fifteen year olds. She stands next to Janessa Silverwood. She's a quiet, shy girl who lives on the same street as her own family.

"Hello Adriana," She says politely.

"Hey Janessa," She says, ignoring all politeness. "I like your hair clip," She compliments. The clip holding her brown hair together in a tight bun is oval shaped, studded with tiny shimmering jewels.

"Thank you, it was my great grandmother's," She explains. Before Adriana can continue admiring it she is violently tugged on from behind.

"Hey copper-head!" She smiles and throws her arms around another one of her good friends.

"I thought you were going to get a reprieve from coming," Adriana says, scanning Bria's face worriedly. She's pale and has those dark circles under her eyes, but still has the bright light in her eyes. She'd been sick for the past week with some illness; Adriana had missed her distractions in the factory.

"Yeah, well, you know the Capitol," Bria says. "They'd rather me stand here, worsening by the second and probably end up dying then at home recuperating to get back to being a good little district worker."

"Bria, shh," Adriana whispers hastily as they're shot looks from other people. Bria is such a blunt person, almost like Ashton, but her bluntness always gets her in trouble. The last thing Adriana wanted to happen was have her get in trouble with the Capitol and for Adriana to never see her again.

"Alright, alright, I'll keep all bad thoughts to myself," She promises. A bell chimes somewhere above their heads and Bria gives her another hug and moves to stand with the other sixteen year olds. Sometimes Adriana hate having her birthday so far in the spring; it meant always being grouped with the kids younger than she was.

The chiming sound continues until the entire town is in dead silence. Adriana looks around, silently thinking that even the birds are silenced for the reaping. District Six's mayor, a tall, burly man named Hendrick Thompson stands and makes the long, carefully constructed speech detailing the history of Panem and the hunger games. Adriana had heard this speech enough times that she could probably stand up there and deliver it without fault.

By the time he's done, her attention span has reached its limits and she had started drawing small patterns in the dirt with the tip of her shoe. Just as she put the finishing touches on her interpretation of a sparrow the district escort bounces up to the podium. Felicity Wabbershaw has got to be the most ridiculous woman in all of Panem. With baby blue hair that is curled and toppled on her head and that fake, high-pitched laugh of hers, Adriana was glad that she only thus far had to witness this woman and have never had to be in her presence.

"Another year, some more lucky, lucky tributes," Felicity laughs into the microphone. "As always, ladies first!" With a little hop, she skips to the glass bowl that contains the name of every eligible girl in the District. She reaches her hand inside, stirring the slips around to create suspense and then draws one with some weird confidence that has Janessa whimpering beside Adriana. She skips her way back over to the podium and stares at the slip before beaming out at the audience before her. "Adriana Carrow!"