Hello dear readers. I had some time left and so I decided to write another reaping. The family picked the number two today, so here you have it: the district 2 reaping. I hope I got the characters right. Enjoy reading and please leave me a review if you've got a moment!

Chapter 3

District 2 reaping

Jacob Aaron Stoneman, 18

The Training Academy was all but deserted in the early hours of the morning, but Jacob didn't really mind. It did have its advantages to be alone and not hear the endless chatter of the other boys and girls training here. Now he had the training centre all to himself.

There were unlikely to be many people coming in today. There never were on reaping day. Everyone took the day off to speculate about who would and wouldn't volunteer for this year's Hunger Games, making bets on it, exchange opinions on how much chance certain individuals would stand.

Today, however, no one would bet on the male tribute from District Two this year. They all knew it was going to be one Jacob Aaron Stoneman, the orphaned guy, who was a true devil when someone gave him a weapon.

Things will be better, he promised himself, same as every morning. He picked up a sword and started his routine. After the Games everything will be better. After the Games he would have a proper house and people would remember his name for different reasons than because of him being orphaned at age five. He couldn't say how much he longed for that day. All his life he had heard people pitying him for that tragic accident, never to his face. The whispers had always been behind his back. He used to hit the person responsible, hard, but the whispering didn't stop. It just didn't take place within his earshot anymore.

But he couldn't deny that he felt frustrated by it. True, no one doubted his abilities here, but it was always mixed up with the pity, the unspoken thought that he was only doing this to prove that he was not a softie, that he was only doing this to get a better life. The point was that there was some truth in their whispering and it frustrated Jacob to almost no end.

He decapitated a training dummy almost thoughtlessly. There wasn't any real challenge in dummies anymore. They were too easy: unmoving, defenceless and about as dangerous as a new-born baby. He liked to spar with a real person, someone who would make him work for it. This was just pointless.

He was about to quit, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. 'I thought I'd find you here.'

Jacob put his sword away. 'Natalya,' he acknowledged without looking up.

'I brought you some breakfast,' she announced, seating herself on the ground. 'I went over to John's and he said you hadn't collected your bread for today.'

He seated himself opposite her. 'I had some leftovers from yesterday.'

'Yes, and I had a Capitol feast last night,' she shot back, using that phrase to tell him exactly how much she believed of that speech.

And of course she was spot on. 'I decided to skip breakfast, get in some last minute practise.'

'Idiot,' she said mildly. 'Come on, eat. You're going to faint at the reaping and miss your chance to volunteer if you don't get some food in your stomach.'

'Like that's likely to happen!' he countered, but he accepted the bread and sunk his teeth in it. He would never admit it to anyone but himself, but it felt good to eat something. 'Any thoughts on who my district partner is going to be?'

Natalya wasn't a real gossipy kind of girl, but no one who stepped foot outside today could possibly miss the heated arguments on this year's tributes. It would go on all morning until the reaping and after the reaping the winners would collect their money and then the betting would start anew, this time about how much chance the tributes stood in the arena.

Natalya shook her head. 'Nope,' she replied. 'There's a lot of names going around there. There are a lot of bets on someone from the very extended Penance-Gibbs clan.'

Jacob huffed. 'Safe bet,' he commented. 'There's so many of them you're almost bound to be right. How many are there of them anyway?'

Natalya stole a piece of his bread and laughed. 'My thoughts exactly. Some people also say Gina Rock thinks about volunteering.'

That caused him to almost choke on his bread, with laughter. 'What, that tiny seventeen year old whose aim is so bad she hit the dummy to the far right instead of the middle one at knife throwing?'

'The very one.' His best friend slowly chewed on her, or rather his, bread. 'And of course Ria Nuts boats about planning to volunteer, but nothing new there.'

'Like that is ever going to happen.' Ria's surname wasn't really Nuts. It was a nickname and it was crystal clear to everyone who knew her why she was called that. It was common knowledge in District Two that Ria wasn't in her right mind, but in her defence, she had never been. It was being said that the untimely death of her parents had driven her mad. Jacob for one, supported that theory.

'So,' he started, swallowing the last of his bread. 'And what about the males?'

She nudged him. 'Just one name.'

Just as it should be.

Rosemary Gibbs, 17

It was hard to get a bit of peace and quiet on the Gibbs estate around reaping day. Only when you got up really early and sneaked out of the house as softly as you possibly could and you managed not to wake anyone, you might just manage it. Rosemary Gibbs had become rather skilled at it and a good thing it was too.

It was reaping day today and the house was just full. No, cramped was probably a better word. And she needed to get up before the whole bloody lot opened their eyes and started making so much noise the Capitol could probably hear it. And she had just about enough of it.

Romy, as she'd much rather be called, went over her mental list one more time before leaving her room. Reaping clothes, check. Red lipstick, check. Raw carrots, check. And now it was just a matter of getting out before everyone woke.

Well, at least Rain was still asleep on the mattress they had put on the floor. On days like these there were just too few beds, or too many people, depending on how you looked at it. Romy preferred to think of it as too many people, who all of them refused to take her seriously. It was dramatic.

Romy's room was on the far end of the corridor, as far away from the stairs as could possibly be. First she had to cross all the rooms and make sure no one got up. From where she was standing it almost looked like an impossible task.

Come on, Romy, don't be such a baby, she told herself. It's not like you couldn't deal with all of them.

And so she started her risky journey. First she had to pass the room that normally belonged to Nolan, but now harboured all three of her brothers, including Lennon. Why the annoying I'm-the-Victor-so-I-am-great-idiot couldn't have stayed in his house across the street was a mystery to her. Then past her parents room, her aunt Lucinda, correction Auntie Lu, uncle Darvey and then past the room her sister Dianthe and cousin Paisley shared and then, finally, past what normally was Levi's room, but since he was staying with Nolan, the room was now taken by her cousins Jett and Kipton.

She held her breath when she finally came to the stairs, but it all appeared to be very peaceful and very quiet, apart from Kipton's snores that could have woken the dead.

You did it, she congratulated herself, getting down the stairs and out of the house as fast as she could.

It wasn't that she didn't like her family, she pondered as she slowly strolled down the street, chewing on one of the carrots. But the feeling was ambivalent at the very least. Having three Victors and several other big guys (and girls) in the family did mean they all were rather full of themselves, looking down on the family members that hadn't proved themselves yet. That was all okay with Nolan, who didn't do anything but partying. He just didn't care. And Rain never did a thing either, yet no one seemed to care. The same was true for Levi. Yet they all loved picking on Romy and she could not for the life of her figure why.

Yes, you do. Because she secretly loved the fights, the quick witticisms and the adrenaline that came with it. She loved the feeling of being alive, not holding back and just lash out with either her weapon or her tongue, or both. It would just seem that her family didn't like her insults very well. Not that she could blame them. In their place she wouldn't like to be called 'a fat cow with the brains of a slug' either. But she'd die before she admit to actually loving to fight. She was sure that announcement would succeed in turning quite the number of heads and not in a good way. They'd probably look at her as if not Ria Nuts but Rosemary Gibbs was the District's lunatic. No, thanks very much.

'Romy! Rosemary!' The loud calling of her name finally made her look up, and made her realise she had just eaten the last one of her carrots. Oh, crap.

She turned on the spot. 'Hey, Sebastian. You're up early.'

'I could say the same about you,' he shot back.

'I needed an escape,' she told him. 'It's reaping day, remember? And they're all there. the lot of them. Not counting my father's part of the family.'

Her boyfriend hooked his arm through hers as they walked down to wherever it was that they were going. 'I thought you said you liked your family?' he asked, confused.

'I do,' she told him. 'But my family should come in small quantities and for a very limited amount of time for full appreciation.'

That got a laugh out of him. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek. 'You could come over to my place, have breakfast there.'

'Yes to the first, no to the second,' Romy replied. 'I already ate. Had I known you were coming, I would have saved you some carrots.'

As predicted his nose wrinkled in disgust. 'Ugh, Romy. That's just gross. And for breakfast at that!'

She shrugged. 'It's a gift. Can I stay at your place until reaping?'

He nudged her. 'Like you wouldn't know you could.'

'And here I was thinking you were always telling me I should work on my manners. There's just no pleasing you sometimes, is there?' she teased back.

She loved Sebastian to pieces and still thought it a miracle that the two of them were actually together. They were as different as day to night. She came from a Victor's family, he was the son of two healers from District Six, who hated the Hunger Games. She loved fighting, he hated it. Yet somehow they had ended up together. There had to be some truth in that saying about opposites attracting.

Well, who cared about all this anyway, Romy thought as they walked down to the reaping several hours later. Sebastian's parents had let het use the bathroom to change. She was altogether pleased with her own appearance, with the red skirt and the top that showed the perfectly smooth skin of her stomach, because it wasn't low enough.

Auntie Lu's going to have a heart attack. That though pleased her more than it probably should, but for the last day she had been trying to get Romy to wear that awful red dress that didn't match with her also red hair. There was just no way she was going to wear that monstrosity, one of the reasons she had sneaked out so early that morning.

'I'm going to face my family,' she told Sebastian when she spotted them. 'I'll see you later.'

He kissed her on the lips and winked at her. 'Maybe not the small quantities, but at least the limited amount of time, eh? See you after reaping!' he was gone before she could comment.

You cheeky so-and-so. He really was the only one who could verbally keep up with her, which might be why she liked him so much. She shook her head in mild amusement and walked off to her family.

'Rosemary, look at what you've done!' There was no mistaking that annoyed wailing, or the use of her full name.

'Good afternoon, Auntie Lu,' Romy greeted politely.

'Where's the dress?' Her aunt wasted no time in getting to the point.

She decided to play innocent. 'What dress?'

It wasn't working. 'You know what dress!' Rain accused her.

'Shut it, Rain.' The two girls might look alike, so much that they could pass as sisters, but that was where the resemblance stopped. Because Rain was an annoying, blackmailing, gossipy and loud-mouthed slut, and Romy was everything Rain was not. Or that was what she liked to think anyway.

'Come on, girl,' Auntie Lu said impatiently. 'There's still time to change. Put on that dress and you'll be right as Rain.'

And that joke is seriously getting old. No, forget the old. The joke was positively ancient. 'Not going to happen,' she told them all.

'Romy…' Rain started that irritating little girl's wail.

The next moment Romy's fist collided with Rain's eye. The girl staggered back, glaring at Romy with her good eye. 'You gave me a black eye!'

Romy shrugged, not impressed. 'It matches your dress.' From the corner of her eye she could swear she saw her father laughing. 'See you after reaping.' She made a run for it before anyone could come up with an intelligent reply and tried to ignore the many accusations of 'Coward!' that were shouted after her, in many different voices. These days she was so good in convincing herself that she didn't hear them that she really almost didn't anymore.

The escort was already babbling away as Romy took her place beside her friend Coralie. 'Sorry I'm late,' she whispered.

'What took you so long?' she hissed back. 'Caught up with Sebastian again?'

Romy chose to ignore that. 'Minor disagreement with the dreary cousin.'

Coralie chuckled. 'That bad?'

'She came out with a shiner, I with nothing.' And she was proud of it. 'But, let's pay attention, shall we? I don't think we're going to make much of an impression chattering through the reaping.'

The escort, a positively ridiculous Capitol woman with orange hair by the name of Julia Light was already walking over to the girl's bowl, wasting no time in finding a slip and taking it over to the microphone. 'Rain Penance!' she announced.

Rain stood some meters away, but even from where Romy stood she could see the vicious gleam in her cousin's eyes. Rain was a good fighter, strong fast. She would make it out alive. She would take the glory and rub it in until Romy would start going as mad as Ria Nuts. No way.

'I volunteer!' she called out.

Jacob Aaron Stoneman, 18

Jacob didn't even look up as he heard the volunteering shout coming from somewhere in the girl's section. He did look up however as the reaped girl, one Rain Penance, sporting a big black eye, positively glared at the girl who was taking her place. They had the same red hair as Rain and looked so much like her that they were probably sisters. How charming. He was getting a sentimental self-sacrificing girl for a district partner. Great.

The volunteer was helped up the stage. Well, at least she didn't suffer from a lack of self-confidence. She gazed over the crowd looking very, very pleased with herself. Maybe he shouldn't be too quick to underestimate her.

'And who are you, dear?' Julia asked.

'Rosemary Gibbs,' the girl replied. Her face twisted in a smirk. 'Beat you, Rain,' she teased the reaped girl who looked like she was positively seething. Some family rivalry or something, Jacob suspected.

Spirited, that was what she was. She might actually do well in the Career alliance.

'Well, I think I speak for all of us when I say we're glad to have you,' Julia said enthusiastically. 'And now, let's choose our brave male tribute.' She marched over to the boy's bowl, selected a slip and read a name Jacob didn't even hear.

This was what he had been waiting for, what he had been training for ever since his parents died. This was his chance, his final chance of getting into the Hunger Games, of winning and finally gain the respect of the people in this District. Victor's Village, here I come. 'I volunteer!' he shouted.

People nodded at him respectfully as he made his way up the stage. There were no looks of surprise now, as there had been when Rosemary Gibbs volunteered. His volunteering had been expected and, according to Natalya, there hadn't even been any bets against it. Everyone expected it of him.

'Wow, aren't you a dashing young man,' Julia cooed. Jacob tried to think of another word for it, but his mind failed to come up with any. 'Will you please tell us all your name?'

You're the only one who doesn't know it yet. 'Jacob Stoneman.'

'And a pretty name as well. Now, come on, shake hands.' Julia seemed just too excited. If it wasn't so extremely annoying, it might have been hilarious.

He met Rosemary's grey eyes. They were kind of distracted looking. Whatever she was thinking about, it clearly wasn't the reaping. But she gave him a small nod, signalling that she had noticed him. Shame he would have to kill her. She seemed like a nice girl.

'I present you your tributes for this year's Hunger Games: Rosemary Gibbs and Jacob Stoneman!' Julia exclaimed, before guiding them both into the Justice building.

Well, at least that circus is out of the way. Now it was just the goodbyes and he would be off to do what he knew he did best: the Hunger Games, fighting and winning.

The head trainer, Eddard, came in first. 'Well done, boy. Well done,' he told Jacob, grabbing his hand in a firm grip. From anyone else the patronising "boy" might have been annoying, but not from Eddard. The man was like a father to Jacob. 'You can do this, you know.'

'I know.'

'You just make sure you come back. We do need you to make our weapons.'

He was good in making them, he knew that, but that would not be the reason he would be returning. He would return because he wanted to win for himself, not for anyone else.

Eddard gave him a few last pointers and was then replaced by John and Natalya. The latter caught him in a bearlike hug. 'Told you,' she called in a sing-song voice. 'Told you there was no one else!'

John grinned. 'Please tell her she's right. That might just shut her up.'

'All right, you're right. Hear, I admit it.' Jacob was so excited by now that he didn't really mind their excitement. 'Now you've got to admit I was right about something.' That was some kind of silly game they had played years ago.

'Okay, you were right about Ria Nuts not volunteering,' she offered immediately. 'So, now we wish you the very best of luck and we make you promise to invite us over once you're settled in your new Victor house.'

That was a promise easily made. 'Sure,' he agreed.

'Well, you'd better,' John warned him. 'I swear she'll drive you crazy if you won't. And you know how maddening she can be.'

Jacob grinned at his friend. 'Don't I know it.' He watched after them as they left the room and shut the door behind them. It had begun.

Rosemary Gibbs, 17

The house had felt cramped, but it was only now Romy understood the real meaning of it. There was no room left to breathe, or that was what it felt like, and the fact that there were several very not amused people in this room didn't really help either.

Her entire family had squeezed itself in here in one go, leaving no room for anyone else. It's like I've entered the madhouse here. Nolan was clapping enthusiastically to her, but Romy had smelled the alcohol on his breath and knew exactly what was causing it. Auntie Lu was enthusiastic as well, but only because she was convinced someone in the Capitol would surely make her look so pretty once they had done something about 'that horrible hair of yours'. Romy silently promised herself not to let the stylists touch her hair, if only to spite her aunt.

But those two were relatively easy to ignore. The shouting was much harder. Rain was, understandably, livid about Romy taking her "rightful" place in the Games, but Romy was kind of used to that by now. And that Levi was backing Rain up was no news to anyone either.

'Get a grip, Rain,' she told her cousin, trying to look as bored as she possible could. 'If I hadn't volunteered, someone else would have.'

'That's not the point!' Rain insisted. 'It was rude.'

'I don't know what you're fussing about,' Romy remarked with perfect indifference. 'Not even the most skilled stylist would have been able to mask that beautiful shiner of yours. You should try again next year, when it's looking better.'

If looks could kill, Romy would have been dead long before she could get to the arena. She was relieved that the Peacekeeper chose that moment to tell them time was up. The whole family started leaving, giving her father, who had been remarkably quiet until then, to catch her in a massive hug. Romy didn't need words to know that he was sad over her leaving.

'I'll be back,' she promised. 'You just wait and see.'

He merely nodded. It was her mother that spoke. 'You go and make me proud.' They were gone before she could say another word.

Paisley came, nodded and gave her a pat on the back. Well, wonders never cease. Did she really just wish me luck?

She was just starting to feel slightly pleased when she realised Lennon, the Victor brother and her mentor to be, was still in the room. His icy gaze should have sent shivers down her spine, but as it was, the shock of seeing him, so close, was keeping her from it.

He shook his head, disapproving. 'You don't stand a chance.'

Romy was thinking of something that would come across as a strong reply, but was saved from her own tongue and her brother by the arrival of her little group of friends. Coralie almost literally flew in her arms crying.

'Whoa!' Romy exclaimed. 'Hold your horses.'

'You can't go!' Coralie sobbed.

From over her friend's shoulder she could see Lennon smirk. 'You don't stand a chance,' he mouthed at her. The thought of that seemed to please him. He had left the room before Romy could come up with a sensible reply.

'I am going,' she told Coralie. 'Nothing to be done about it.'

'Awesome!' Martha commented. 'Honestly, Romy, did you see Rain's face?'

Martha and her brother Rory, two of her closest friends, seemed to be a whole lot more optimistic than Coralie, which was a relief.

'I may have noticed it, yes,' she teased. 'Yes, she didn't look too pleased with me now, did she?'

Rory gave her a big grin as Martha chuckled. He tossed her something and Romy had to let go of Coralie in order to catch it.

'What's that?' she demanded.

'Well, people who actually do have eyes call it a ring,' he informed her. 'You know, jewellery you could wear around your finger?'

'I may have heard about it once or twice,' she teased back. 'What's it for?'

'Ever heard of this thing called a token?' he shot back. 'That's what this is. And you're going to wear it.'

Romy obediently slipped it around her finger. 'Yes, sir. Martha, is Sebastian outside already?'

Her friend bit her lip and averted her eyes.

'Martha?' she urged.

'He isn't coming,' the younger girl said softly.

That was like a physical blow. Of course she knew that Sebastian didn't like the Games, and he wouldn't support her decision to volunteer, but she had expected him to be here for her, even when he disagreed with what she'd done. Because that was what a boyfriend did, didn't he?

'He isn't coming?' she repeated, her voice dangerously low. She could feel her blood starting to boil. 'Well, you can tell him that if his morals interfere with saying goodbye to his own freaking girlfriend, who, for his information, might just die,' she ignored Coralie's whimpering at that word, 'he can better take a reality check, because there's bound to be something very wrong with his head.'

But her anger only masked the hurt and when her friends were finally told to leave, she hit the wall in frustration. For heaven's sake, Sebastian! You should have been here! And then she allowed herself to cry. What a freaking mess.

That's it for today. I would like to remind you that some of you still have a reservation for some spots. I only hold reservations for a week, so some of you only have a few days left to submit.

I hope you enjoyed this piece. Let me know your thoughts please!