Alice Rizzo (D1)

Alice Rizzo nibbled at the ends of her fingers, safely secured beneath the soft blanket, listening to the hushed hoot of an owl outside. Owl weren't supposed to be in District One. The mayor, decreeing the beasts as unclean, had outlawed them years ago. Laughing bitterly, Alice thought that perhaps they ought to put all the beasts in an arena, Hunger Games style. She could see the squat and round mayor laughing and kicking his legs as he watched the birds slay each other. She supposed it was the same when children left for the Capital. So long as a District One child was a winning, everything was just a game. Just like the name.

A stern knock came from her bedroom door. A part of Alice-some small part still clinging on to the childhood she had never truly lived-wanted to crawl underneath the red blanket and disappear. If she didn't answer they would go away. But that was a lie, and Alice cared little for lies. They were useless. Same with dreams. Utterly useless.

The door creaked open and the heavy echo of boot steps tingled across the wooden floor. Mark Rizzo, a stern man with stern features appeared before her. It wasn't fair at all to say Mark was not a good looking man, or to merely use one word to describe his features, but to Alice everything was stern. His voice, his square jaw, his blue-gray eyes, his large hands, everything was just simply stern.

Mark, her father, glared down at Alice, his cool eyes unwavering, as always. "It's almost sunrise. Why are you still sleeping?" When Alice answered with silence, Mark slammed a fist against the wall. She hoped he wouldn't leave a dent, the house was nicer than most in the district, even by District One standards-it helped having parents as peacekeepers- and destroying even an inch of it seemed like a crime. "Training, now." He all but bit the words out. He stalked out of the room, his broad shoulders tense in anger.

Her mother, Jane, stepped in shortly after. She guietly laid down two outfits at the end of Alice's bed. With a meaningful look shot at Alice, she left the room and followed her husband down the stairs.

Two different outfits. One, obviously for training, the other had a different reason entirely. Ah, Alice thought, that's why.

Today was the reaping day.

Wonder Graize (D1)

Wonder Graize smiled stupidly down at his girlfriend, Rhinestone. He thought her name was perfect, bright and shiny, like all things were meant to be in his life. He was Wonder Graize. Everything in life was made to be his.

Rhinestone sighed as she filed her nails, glaring against the intrusion of Clarissa Graize, Wonder's fair haired mother. Wonder's mother stood at a proud 5'4, her blonde hair the only noticeable similarities between mother and son.

"Good morning," Clarissa smiled at the pair sweetly, saying nothing against a girl spending the night in her son's room, "what would you like for breakfast?"

"You're cooking?" Rhinestone sneered.

"Florence is. What should I tell her you'd like?"

"The usual." Wonder told his mother without sparing her a glance. His eyes were elsewhere, gazing down something that held his interest far better than his mother ever could. "And Rhinestone will have…"

"Eggs benedict."

Wonder grimaced. He hated tasting her lips after she had that dish. She knew that, so why did she insist on eating it? "You know I hate that sauce they put on it."

Rhinestone smirked up at him. "Yes, but I love it."

Wonder glared at her. He hated it when she didn't do as he pleased. "Well, I won't be kissing you after that."

"I'm sure I could find other things to do." Wonder smiled and shooed his mother away. He leaned towards his girlfriend. "You know, the reaping is today."

Rhinestone sighed. "Yes, I know."

"I have a special surprise for it today."

Rhinestone rolled her eyes. "It's not much of a surprise when you say it when it's like that. Now I know what you're going to do." She turned to look at him. "Why would you volunteer? You don't need the money the winner gets at all."

"I want the fame that goes with it. I could care less about the money." He slid a hand down her leg. "Although there are other things I do care about."

"Like what would happen to me if you went and died in the Hunger Games?"

Wonder groaned. "Not this again."

"Well, I am your girlfriend. What am I supposed to do if you're gone?"

Wonder glowered at her. "Stay away from other males, that's what." Rhinestone rolled her eyes at him. "What? Are you still mad about the whole tribute thing?"

"I don't want to go to the arena!"

"I told you I'm paying for someone to volunteer if your name comes up."

"Who?"

"It's all hush-hush, you know the Capital would be upset if they knew I was doing it." He rubbed her legs. She really didn't know about his other girls. She held the title of girlfriend, and that was all that mattered. "If you want, I could make sure you're taken care of should I die-which I won't, but if it'll put your mind to ease…" He kissed her neck.

Rhinestone smirked. "You'd sign something and everything?"

"Yeah, whatever you want babe."

Rhinestone's smirk grew.

Alice Rizzo (D1)

The water rolled off her slim body as Alice stood in the shower. Her father was particularly harsh in training today. Her mother wasn't as bad, almost kind, but that was for another reason. They hoped she'd be reaped, or that she'd volunteer, or just be gone in some way. It wouldn't do to have training scars and bruises marring her body with all of Panem setting their eyes upon her for the first time. It wouldn't do for sponsors.

Not that she'd get too many if she was in the Hunger Games. If, if, if. She sighed, shutting off the water and wrapping a towel around her thin frame. She ran a hand through her light ash/brown hair, gritting her teeth as she ran into knots. Was she a pretty girl? Thick lashes surrounded baby blue eyes, her body was slim but fit, just enough curves to tempt the boys. She yanked at her hair, brushing it straight and pinning it and parting it to the right. Others might see her as a pretty girl. If she smiled, they might really think so. She tried to smile, but it felt unnatural. So much for sponsors. They liked the charismatic tributes, the ones able to command attention. No, she wouldn't have sponsors if she was in the Hunger Games. There was that "if" again.

Alice silently slipped on the thin, silk dress her mother had laid out for her. It was a useless fabric, pretty, but wouldn't keep her warm. Luckily enough, the air was hot and muggy. Maybe it would storm.

Her parents were already gone, surveying the people with watchful eyes in the center of the District. While in other districts people jeered for the Games and feared against it, District One had a bloodbath at reapings, not out of fear, but of desire. Everyone wanted to win the Hunger Games. It was an honor. Wasn't that why her parents had pushed her so hard at so young an age? That small part of her still felt the pangs of jealousy as she watched young girls walk hand and hand with their parents down the street. Had she ever experience that? No. Stop thinking about it, she scolded herself. But still, as she stood with the other seventeen year-old girls in the very center of the district, she found her eyes wandering around to all the little girls who were held close by loving, doting mothers and proud, protective fathers. Why couldn't she have that? Why?

The Capital man kept rumbling on until he finally plucked a single paper from a large bowl. He called a name out-a name Alice didn't bother to hear or remember-and stepped back as girls attacked each other trying to rush onto the stage. Alice looked from the happy families with young girls to her own parents who let the girls rip at each other's flesh with unsuppressed smiles on their faces. Her feet moved of their own accord and soon she found herself on the stage, her eyes empty as she peered down at her parents from her perch. If this is what it took, so be it.

"I volunteer."

Wonder Graize (D1)

Wonder Graize expected cheers and an applauding audience as he stepped on the platform. He received neither. Several people rolled their eyes, but Wonder took no notice. He waved at the crowd, opening his mouth to give his speech when Marcus Drake, the mentor of District One, rudely shoved him aside and dismissed the crowd.

Wonder glared at him. "That was rude!"

Marcus rolled his eyes at him, and crossed his arms. "Look kid, I did you a favor there. I saved you from making yourself from looking like a bigger fool than you already are."

"I'm no fool! I'm your next winner."

Marcus laughed bitterly. "Yeah. That's what he said once as well." Wonder, lost in his confusion, didn't bother to ask what he meant as Marcus walked away from him. Let the Drake boy act superior, everyone knew the Graize family was superior to the Drake family. Everyone knew it.

Wonder watched people leave the center of the district and smiled. When he came back, they would all applaud.

First reaping! For those who read my last story, you know every tribute/district will have an aftermath once we have our winner, so even if your tribute doesn't win, look out for those. I'm going to have a few surprises… I plan to have the mentor story up soon as well, so until then, the mentors are going to jump in and out of this story.