Hello everyone, here's the new chapter. Sorry it took so long, but the university is doing its best to keep me occupied. Anyway, updates should become more frequent after January. I'm trying to find an update scheme that will work.

Anyway, two people reserved a spot and didn't submit the tribute for it, which means that this SYOT is open again. Feel free to submit, I'd say.

In the meantime, enjoy the chapter and please review. Nothing makes me happier.

Chapter 4

District 7 reaping

Sophia Greenleaf, 14

Sophia woke to the slamming front door at half past six in the morning. She knew it was her father going out to work, trying to work a bit before the reapings, nothing new. She turned on her other side and tried to get another hour of sleep. But she was awake now and it was no use at all trying to go back to sleep. The light was creeping into the room now as well.

Better get out, girl, Sophia thought at herself.

And she did, although she had no idea what to do with herself now. Her mother was still asleep, there was no school because of reaping day and she doubted her friends would be out and about so early in the morning. But staying inside the silent house didn't look like a tempting prospect either, so in the end she settled for grabbing breakfast with her, eating it as she walked through the district in search for a familiar face.

She found one opposite the district's main store. Or rather, it found her.

'Hey, Sophia! Over here!'

Her head swivelled in the direction of the noise, spotting her best friends Cara and Leah sitting under the big oak tree in the square.

'You're up early,' she commented, joining them. 'How come?'

'Miss Talltrunk, of course,' Leah replied, grimacing. 'She thought it would be funny to throw things at our windows to make sure we didn't get the chance to sleep in on the one day we don't have school.'

'Stupid, annoying…,' Cara started a constant stream of curses under her breath.

'… scheming bitch?' Leah finished helpfully with a grin on her face. 'Hey, So, you don't mean to say you escaped Miss Perfect's attempts at waking you up?'

Sophia shrugged. 'Guess I did. I was awake anyway. My dad left quite early this morning. For work,' she clarified as her friends shot her confused looks.

'I am sorry to say, So, but your dad is about the worst workaholic I've ever heard about,' Leah declared.

'Tell me all about it,' Sophia muttered. Working was all her dad ever did. He said it was to make sure that they wouldn't live in poverty, and they didn't. But the way things were now, she hardly knew her own father at all.

'Let's get in the tree,' Cara proposed suddenly.

The other two girls frowned at her. 'Why would we want to climb in the tree?' Leah demanded. 'I'll have you know that this is my reaping dress and my mother is going to throw a fit if I make it dirty.'

Cara shrugged. 'It's your choice. But I'd rather face my mum's wrath than Elizabeth Talltrunk's bullying today.'

'Shit!' Sophia muttered, her eyes quickly scanning the place for their personal demon. 'Where?'

'North end of square,' Cara replied. The quiet but clever girl was already making a run, or rather climb for it, with Leah hot on her heels.

Sophia almost automatically glanced in the wrong direction.

'That's south, silly,' Cara hissed. 'Hurry up now, will you? She'll see us and the we won't have any peace for the rest of the day.'

Now she caught sight of the bullying girl. Fortunately it looked like she hadn't noticed her favourite victims yet, but that couldn't last much longer. Sophia knew that face. Elizabeth was on the warpath.

'Hurry up, So,' Leah's voice came from somewhere above her. 'If you're quite done assessing the situation, could you please get up here now?'

She didn't need to be told twice. Making sure Elizabeth wasn't looking in her direction she quickly climbed up the tree out of sight. She shouldn't have hesitated any longer. Elizabeth's eyes searched the square and when she didn't spot what she was looking for, the expression on her face would have sufficed to turn milk sour. She looked one last time and then marched off.

Sophia let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. 'That was close.'

Flynn Wade Smythe, 15

Flynn was just opening the shop as he saw his three classmates literally fleeing into the big oak in the middle of the square. He opened the door of the shop and immediately saw the reason for it: Elizabeth Talltrunk, the school's very own archbully. Better get out of her line of sight before she saw him.

'Come on, Flynn, we haven't got all day,' his mother called from behind the counter.

All too true, he supposed, with the reapings being today. He shuddered at the thought of them, even though he didn't want to. He knew he had very little chance of actually being reaped, because he took no tesserae, as lots of other kids in the district did, but there was something about the reapings and the Capitol for that matter, that never failed to intimidate him.

'Coming, mum.' He walked back to her, taking a box with him on the way back.

There was at least one good thing about the reapings, he pondered as he started filling up the shelves. People did want to celebrate that they had made it out of another reaping unscathed tonight, so they spent a little extra money on food they couldn't normally afford. Since that meant extra income for the shop, he couldn't really hate reaping day, not really, not when that was their own guarantee of making a bit more money. With some luck they could afford some small luxuries themselves at the end of the day.

'Hey, Flynn.'

Flynn didn't even need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. 'Hey, Harley. What are you doing here?'

'Well, this is the main store, isn't it?' his best friend joked. 'And mum has decreed I should take it upon myself to carry her heavy loads back home again.'

Flynn glanced back to the counter where Harley's mother was busy getting the supplies for the feast that would be held tonight. 'I see. You didn't come socialising, then?'

Harley snorted. 'Aren't you too busy for that today? You're supposed to help your mum out, aren't you?'

'We could use an extra pair of hands,' Flynn hinted. It wasn't that he disliked working in the shop, quite the contrary, but today would be a busy day and since Harley was a bit taller than him, he wouldn't have a problem reaching the highest shelves. 'Come on, it could be fun.'

'Doubt your mother agrees,' Harley remarked. 'Last time she wasn't too amused either.'

There was no denying that. 'Well, you didn't mean to drop those bags of flour, did you? Anyway, it will be s busy she'll hardly notice anyway. And I could really, really use the help.' He gave his friend a pleading look. 'Please?'

Harley sighed, annoyed. 'Fine!' he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. 'but next year just enlist your brother or something.'

'Darius is working,' Flynn felt obliged to point out. 'You know that.'

Harley suddenly realised his mouth had gotten ahead of him. 'Oops. Sorry, mate. I didn't mean it like that.'

'I know you didn't.' And with your family still intact, how could you know? Your father hasn't left because he's a thief and your siblings don't need to work their arses off to keep the household afloat. But Flynn immediately bit back those comments. Harley really didn't mean anything by it.

So instead he opted on showing his best friend a teasing grin. 'I might think about forgiveness if you help me out here today.'

'It's a deal,' Harley agreed. 'But let me play glorified shopping cart for my mum first, will you? I'll come straight back.'

'It's a deal,' Flynn agreed. It looked like today could be good after all.

Sophia Greenleaf, 14

The square was packed with people by the time the Greenleaf family arrived and even though she didn't want to, Sophia could feel the nerves taking hold of her stomach, as they always did.

'You'll be fine,' her sister Milly told her. 'You don't take tesserae, so the odds are definitely "in your favour".' That last bit was spoken in exactly the same voice that overenthusiastic Capitol woman always spoke them.

Sophia chuckled.

'So, you'll be fine,' Milly repeated.

'I'll be fine,' Sophia nodded, not really believing it until after the reapings had finished.

She signed in and started to look for her friends in her age group. It was so crowded here she could barely see three meters ahead of her.

She was yanked to the right abruptly. 'Here, silly,' Leah's voice said.

'Leah!' Because of the shock it came out louder than she had intended. 'You scared me!'

Her friend looked wholly unconcerned. 'Sorry about that,' she apologised, not sounding sorry at all. 'But I thought you would want to be saved an encounter with the lovely Elizabeth.' She beckoned at a point four meters before them, where said girl was having a conversation with her friends.

'At all costs,' she agreed.

The reapings started soon after, with the Treaty of Treason being read and the film being shown.

'I swear they're doing the same one each and every year,' Leah muttered under her breath.

'Not true,' Cara objected. 'They do change the order of the sequences every three to four years.'

Leah rolled her eyes. 'As I was saying.'

The Capitol woman, a ridiculous looking person with silver hair (as in literally silver) and golden eyes, stepped forward on heels that were so high Sophia was actually surprised she hadn't fallen yet. 'I am so happy to be back in the lovely District Seven again,' she sighed in the microphone. 'And how glad I am to see all these beautiful children here before me. I wish you Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!' Having said that, she became a lot more business-like straight away. 'And now, let us choose our brave female tribute!'

'Don't know if brave has anything to do with it,' Leah muttered darkly, glancing at the youngest kids. Some of them were practically trembling with fear.

Sophia didn't react. The nerves that had been disappearing since meeting up with her friends returned with a vengeance. She held her hands clenched into fists as the escort, Antonia Ice, walked over to the girls' bowl, selected a slip of paper and walked back to the microphone. 'Sophia Greenleaf!' she announced.

In the silence that followed she could feel the tears rolling down her face.

Flynn Wade Smythe, 15

Flynn felt almost sick as he heard the name of his classmate being called out. True, he didn't really know her that well, but still. It always was painful to see someone you knew being reaped, knowing there was almost no chance at all that they would return.

Sophia was escorted up to the stage, her eyes red and swollen. She looked like she was on the verge of collapse, but she held herself together admirably even as the escort cooed her approval. Stupid woman. She should try living here for a while and see for herself how "great" it was to live here.

'And then, let us choose our male tribute for the fifty-first annual Hunger Games!' Antonia announced. The enthusiasm was just sickening.

She walked over to the boys' bowl and picked out a name. 'Flynn Smythe!' she exclaimed.

No. No. No. This could not be happening. This was some kind of sick joke, surely. He didn't take tesserae, he never had. His name was in that bowl so few times compared to the other kids. The chance of being reaped was so small! And yet, here he stood, having just heard his name called as a tribute for the Hunger Games.

If he walked up to that stage now, he knew he would never come back again. the Hunger Games were a sure death sentence for almost everyone that was not at least over sixteen and somewhat trained. Flynn knew that. He knew it all too well and he wanted to break down in tears because it was just so unfair.

Harley's not so gentle nudge in the side snapped him out of it. 'Don't!' his friend hissed. 'Do not give them the satisfaction. Don't, Flynn.'

He nodded. Harley was right. He would not give them the satisfaction of seeing him cry like a baby. So he pulled himself together and walked slowly to the stage, ignoring Antonia's big smile best he could.

'And now we have our two absolutely lovely tributes for this year's annual Hunger Games!' Antonia squeaked, almost bouncing with excitement as she took a hand of each of them and held them high to present them to the public. 'Give a warm applause for Sophia Greenleaf and Flynn Smythe!'

Almost nobody clapped. After all that would mean that people actually approved of what happened here and they didn't. No one did.

Antonia couldn't be bothered by it. 'Come on, shake hands,' she encouraged them.

They did, nodding at the other in respect as they did so. Flynn knew Sophia not very well, but they had been classmates. Maybe they could team up for this dangerous game as well. It would be nice to have someone on his side that he actually knew and trusted.

Antonia ushered them into the Justice building. Sophia was led to a room and Flynn to another, awaiting his visitors. And he didn't need to wait long. His mother and brother came in. Marie Smythe burst through the door, already in tears, crushing her youngest son in a hug that felt like she would never ever want to let him go. 'My baby,' she whispered. 'My baby.'

As embarrassing as that might be, Flynn couldn't bring himself to be bothered by it now. He might as well let her now. It was most likely the last time he would see her.

'Let him go, mum,' Darius's calm voice interrupted his mother's wails. 'Flynn will do just fine.' That were only words though. Flynn could hear the uncertainty that was lying just beneath the surface. But he appreciated what his big brother was doing, looking out for him as much as he possibly could. As he had always done, even though Flynn hadn't always liked it.

'Yes, I'll be just fine,' he repeated, trying to put on a brave face. 'I'll be fine, mum.'

'Oh, Flynny.' His mother was still crying, not preparing to let go just yet. Darius needed to help her and lead her out of the room.

'We'll be rooting for you, little brother,' Darius promised.

Flynn nodded. 'Thank you.'

His family was immediately replaced by Harley. He obviously didn't know what to do with himself, so in the end Flynn took the decision out of his hands and gave his best friends a hug. 'You're going to be fine, right?'

Harley looked at him, confused. 'Shouldn't I be asking you that question?' he demanded.

Flynn shrugged, not trying to show how scared he really was. 'You looked like you were about to faint.' I know I looked like I was about to.

'I can help your mum from now on.' Harley looked at his shoes as he said that. 'On reaping days, in the store.'

Flynn summoned up a smile. 'As long as you don't drop the bags of flour I'm sure she'd love the help.'

That got a chuckle out of his friend. 'I'm sure she'd chase me out of the shop. But seriously, Flynn, I'd much rather not need to help her. Just don't die, please?'

He was gone before Flynn could react.

Sophia Greenleaf, 14

As soon as they had left her on her own she surrendered to the tears that had had been wanting to escape ever since she had heard that she was reaped to compete in the Hunger Games. She was going to die, she was never going back. She would be shipped off to the Capitol and killed for its citizens' amusement.

She had never really given the Hunger Games much thought. That was something that happened to other people, not to her. But here she was, reaped to compete.

The door was almost swung off its hinges as her parents and sister came in. Her father caught her in an embrace and muttered comforting words. Sophia could feel herself freeze in spite of herself. She had never been close with him because he was never home and she couldn't just let herself be hugged by a practical stranger.

Maybe he noticed, maybe he didn't. Either way he let her go and he was replaced by her mother and Milly, who hugged her at the same time. Both of them had been crying. She could tell it by their eyes, that were red. Milly at least had regained some sort of control over herself, but her mother was still weeping.

'You can do this, little sis,' Milly told her. 'You're smart, you know about edible plants and you can throw axes. And you can climb trees like no other. You can do this.'

Sophia nodded.

Her mother must have seen she wasn't convinced. 'You can, Sophia. I know you can. Stay away from everyone, wait it out. You can stay hidden, especially if there are trees.'

Trees. If there were trees in the arena she would stand a chance. If only there were trees. But it was a start, a ray of hope in all the misery. And so she nodded. 'I'll stick to the trees,' she promised them.

Soon after the Peacekeeper came to tell them that time was up and her family was led away. The door had hardly closed behind them before Leah and Cara came in, knocking her almost off her feet as they all but jumped in her arms.

'It's not fair!' Cara exclaimed. 'Your name was only in there three times! The chances were so small, only…'

Leah cut her off. 'No maths now please, Cara.'

Sophia didn't mind it anyway. Cara's know-it-all chatter was just what she needed to distract her. 'It's okay, Leah,' she told her.

Leah misinterpreted. 'No, it's not!' she declared loudly. 'Cara's right, the chances were so small, yet you're the one they pick.'

'But I'll be fine.' If she said that often enough, it might just become true. 'I can climb and stay out of everyone's way and I'll be fine.'

Her friends were obviously not convinced, but they nodded and Cara held out a small wooden carving. 'Here, for you,' she said. 'As a token. It's small, so you can easily keep it with you. And they won't forbid it, I think, so…'

Sophia didn't let her finish, instead opting on taking the wooden bird and giving both her friends a hug again. 'I'll be fine,' she told them again. If only I could believe it myself.

That's it for now. Let me know what you thought and until next reaping!