I know the last chapter was really boring, but hopefully this will be more interesting... Don't lose your faith in the story, it will get a lot better! I am setting up a poll on my page so you can vote for your favorite tributes.

Chapter 2

Willow Farmer (14) from District 9's POV

I want to die now. I don't want to go into an arena full of people whose purpose is to kill everyone else, including me. I have absolutely no chance of winning. I know this, because I'm small, young, and have zero knowledge of survival or killing. But I have to try.

I am trying to win this for my family. They are starving back home, working all day. I am the oldest of 6 children, and the only way I can protect them is to win. If I win, we will have enough money and food to last for the rest of our lives. But if I don't win, they will have to fend for themselves because I am basically the main provider for them. Yes, I am familiar with the 'Hunger' part of the Hunger Games, but that doesn't give me any advantage whatsoever. The least I can do is hope that I can hide up in a tree somewhere and sleep through the whole Games while everyone else kills each other.

Oh, who am I kidding? There is NO CHANCE. No chance at all. I sigh and focus on right now. I am on the train, which I will say, is amazing. I haven't talked to my district partner (or anyone else, for that matter) since we left the Justice Building, after saying goodbye to my family. There was not a dry eye in that room. Anyway, though, my crazy escort (her name is Natasha Sparkle, which fits her) tells me that we are only about a half hour away from the Capitol. Oh joy.

Aidan Sprint (17) from District 6's POV

I don't know what to think at all. Part of me is devastated that I got chosen because I don't exactly want to kill people or be killed, but everyone in the Games ends up doing one or the other. I know that hiding won't help, because the President and the Gamemakers won't let that happen. The point of the Games isn't to have a victor that won by not killing anyone. The whole idea of it is to kill people. So, basically, if you refuse to kill, the Gamemakers will just kill you instead. I've seen it happen.

So, I make the straightaway decision to kill. I'm not comfortable with the choice, but I must do what I have to do to survive. I know I am capable of killing, as I am one of the few in District 6 that has training experience. I am competent with a sword, because I could afford fighting lessons. My family was one of the wealthier ones in District 6, but 'wealthy' there would be considered 'extremely poor' in the Capitol. This is confirmed when my train arrives.

We pass our living quarters, a six-story building made of bricks painted bright blue. "So all the tributes live there?" my district partner, McKayla, asks my escort, whose name I haven't bothered learning.

The escort bursts into laughter. "You think all the tributes would fit there? That's just for you two, me, your mentor, your stylists, and your prep teams. It will be a tight fit, I apologize; you two tributes might have to share a floor."

McKayla and I share a glance. Share a floor? Back home, I had to share a room with my brother because we didn't have enough space to add another room for him. And we were considered rich.

I might actually look forward to my stay here if I didn't know that in a week, I would be thrown to my death.

Amethyst Diamond (17) from District 1's POV

When my escort announced that Jamal and I had to share a floor, I was fuming. One of the main reasons I volunteered was so I could experience the royal treatment! I was expecting at least a floor to myself, and I can't believe I have to share a building with 11 other people! After all, it's only six stories. The food better be good, and if it's not, I volunteered for nothing. I guess the Capitol's not as luxurious as everyone says it is.

I also hate the fact that the girl gets reaped before the boy. It's honestly really annoying because it means if I were to volunteer (or get picked) I wouldn't know who my district partner was. I wouldn't have volunteered if I knew I would have to go in with Jamal. He's not even cute! So, as of now, I can't fake a relationship with him to get attention and sponsors because, honestly, that would just be really embarrassing for me.

We arrive at our living quarters, which is also where we are prepped to look good for the parade this evening. I am taken into a room on the third floor, where I'm supposed to meet my prep team. I almost faint when I walk in. Ew! The walls are white, the floor and ceiling are white, and everything in the room is white! These Capitol people have absolutely no taste.

I only have to wait about a minute before my prep team walks in. I did think there would be more than three people, but that's okay. They are three fashionable (which comes as a shock, considering everything else I've seen) women, each with bright-colored skin and hair. They seem to be the only people I've met so far that actually appreciate me.

I've come to the conclusion that when I win the Games with my beauty and charm, I will live in the Capitol. Who needs District 1? Even though the Capitol isn't as fabulous as I thought it would be, it's still better than back home. But if I do win, I will probably fake a sickness on the Victory Tour. I do not want to visit those filthy districts when I could be relaxing in a spa down at the Capitol.

My prep team finishes putting highlights in my hair (yay!) when they start to take my nail polish off. "What are you doing?" I scream at them. "I just got a manicure yesterday, now you completely wasted it! Don't tell me you're going to get rid of the pedicure, too!" I can't believe they're doing this to me!

"I'm sorry, miss," says a girl with green skin and pink hair. "We had to take off the polish; it won't match the tribute parade outfit. The new manicure will be even better than the old one." Wow, I love her accent! That will be something I will have to pick up when I win.

A different girl, one with blue skin and purple hair, starts painting my nails a sparkly silver color, and when she's finished with that, she glues diamond-looking jewels all over them. "Diamonds! Like my last name!" I exclaim.

She smiles. "Yes, we did that on purpose. Be careful, the diamonds are real." Finally, something that meets my expectations!

The woman that took off my nail polish says, "Okay, I think that's good. It's time for you to meet Maya, your stylist."

I have been waiting for this moment for so long! I hope my parade outfit is sparkly like my nails. Maybe it will even be covered in real diamonds! That would be one happy thing that happened in my life.

Austin Stocker (16) from District 10's POV

The last thing I want to do right now is to be in the tribute parade. My stylist is a complete idiot, and I can't help but feel very sorry for myself, and Celeste. This is because we are dressed in cow suits. Literally.

This is a very stupid decision, because

1) I can't see at all because of the mask.

2) I'm actually decently strong; I have muscle, but you can't see it at all because of the whole suit thing.

3) Do people actually think that we're going to get sponsors wearing this? Cows aren't exactly the most vicious animals.

Whatever chance I had of winning, it's gone now.

I step onto the chariot. Celeste is already there, looking identical to me. It just now sparks in my mind that people aren't even going to be able to tell which cow is me and which cow is Celeste.

My time as a tribute is off to a great start.

I've talked to Celeste a couple times. I didn't really know her before we got reaped. Now I know that she lost both of her parents in an animal accident five years ago. She didn't have any siblings, and she was already poor, so she was basically taking care of herself and starving for five years. That's why she was so upset when she got reaped – she was saying the devil is out to get her because everything bad that you could even imagine had already happened to her, and then this. I heard that no one even came to say goodbye to her at the Justice Building.

Because of this, I want to be allies with her. I want an ally in the arena, and I feel sorry for Celeste because I know she'll never survive in the Games by herself. Besides, if we work together, maybe we can bring a victor back home to District 10. How great would that be? Our district hasn't won the Hunger Games, at least for as long as I've lived. Maybe this year will be different.

My attention drifts back to the Tribute Parade as the President welcomes us and salutes us for our "bravery". It's not like we chose to be here. President Duke finishes up his little speech, and he announces that it's time for the parade to begin. And trust me, I am not very excited. Okay, fine, I'm not excited at all.