Alrighty so this is my fourth and last update for the day, and just so we all know, I already had these chapters written so my future updates are not as likely to be this fast :P
Daniel Di Vinci POV
One more hour in the electronics lab can't hurt. I've tinkering with a little robot that is meant to be able create an electromagnetic field in its vicinity, by so far I've had nothing produced except a little static electricity. Even though we have the Reapings today I really want to get this done. It really isn't going to serve a purpose; I just wanted to see if I could do it.
"Hey Danny" comes a whisper from the shadows. "Whatchya workin on?"
I nearly fly out of my chair in surprise, but then I see it's my best friend Hunter. Knowing it's him calms me down slightly but I still feel a little nervous. "Don't creep up on me like that man, you know that's my style." He laughs and shrugs his shoulders. Hiding in the shadows is my thing tho, which is why I'm tucked in here at the electronics lab at school. "It's meant to be a portable EM field but I just can't get enough electricity to form.
His eyebrows crease "have you tried increasing the current?" he moves away from the door and comes closer but now I just feel self-conscious. Hunter and I have known each other since we were three, but I still wouldn't trust him around my experiments.
"Whoa man, personal space, you know I hate it when people watch me doing something." I turn back to the little machine, flicking my fringe out of my eye as I do so, only to have I fall back over it immediately. "I tried increasing the current, voltage, reversing the polarity of the electrodes; I'm seriously getting nothing man!"
People don't think I'm actually that smart because of my looks. Girls can call me cute or hot or whatever, but I'm still the guy who likes to hide in the shadows. Sure I flirt with the girls, if it's in my interests or I can get a hook-up out of it, but otherwise I'd much rather be in here and actually using my brain to make stuff.
"C'mon man you need to get some air; seriously it's like a freakin' boiler room in here. And I'd know, my dad works in the same power plant as yours remember? Except on work experience I had to go there and you got to work in that sweet robotics factory."
Hunter is trying to convince me to leave, and it's so tempting, but if I just had one more hour...
"I'll call Alyssa on you"
That makes me stand up straight away. If there's one person you don't want 'convincing' you to do anything it's my other best friend Alyssa. Usually her form of convincing is grabbing me by the ear and dragging me out. It's happened that many times that as soon as someone mentions her name I bolt away from whatever I'm doing.
Hunter laughs as he trails after me and closes the door behind us. The room locks itself but the school has trusted me with a key considering how advanced I am with the electronic equipment. My little experiment is safe and will still be there when I get back.
Once we leave the building I change from my geeky self to my much more charismatic and suave self. With a little swagger in my step the girls always take a second glance. I like playing around with the girls' feelings, breaks up the monotony a little. As more people start to look our way Hunter seems to slink further and further into my shadow.
Despite how he is around me he's actually quite a shy person. Four years ago when hunter and I were 12 he was Reaped. Thankfully another kid volunteered for him and Hunter was saved. But then he had to watch as the boy who saved his life was butchered on national television after making it to the top three. He's just never been the same since, just a lot shyer, quieter. A lot like me when I want to be.
Alyssa sees us from across the street and comes running over to us. "Oh thank GOD I found you guys" she blurts out. "I was just walking around minding my own business when all of a sudden George Dunstan came out of nowhere and we was all like, 'Whatchya doin here, this is my territory'. Well you know what I said to him then! I said..."
Hunter and I have learned to tune out when Alyssa goes on one of her rants. They happen far too often and usually have no relevance to anything whatsoever.
"...And that's why you should never slap a sleeping turtle" she finished smiling proudly.
We just smile and pretend like we were listening as we continue on our walk to the Reapings. It's a little chilly so I pull up the hood on my favourite hoodie. It's Black and yellow, a present from my dad. We don't get to see him a lot at home so it's sort of a big deal for me. All three of us realize at the same time that, we're just a fraction late for the Reaping ceremony, and that our escort is about to call the name of the male tribute. Alyssa gives us both the thumbs up and sneaks her way through to the group of 16 year old girls next to us.
"And the male tribute from District 3 is... Daniel Di Vinci!"
For the first time in my life my overactive brain shuts down. Did she really just call my name. Next to me Hunter looks equally stunned, then he raises his hand. He's going to volunteer. I force my brain to work again and cover his mouth before he can shout. He can see the look in my eyes. I'm saying that I won't let him die for me. Fate gave him a second chance, and now it's my turn to let fate run its course.
He looks stricken, and tears start cascading down his face, but he nods his understanding.
I turn around and begin my walk to the podium. It's the longest walk I've ever had to make. Suddenly I smile. If they had to pick someone, at least they picked one of the smartest kids in District 3.
Tayla Candrum POV
I miss the Capitol. All the pretty lights and tall buildings. Or at least that's all of it I can remember from my childhood. My mother married a Peacekeeper back when she still lived in D3. That thought alone sends shivers down my spine. How anyone could fall in love with one of them and especially my dad I'll never know. But it happened, and when he was promoted to Head peacekeeper they were relocated to the Capitol. My mum was grateful. She had kids to worry about and a life in the Capitol was a life of luxury and protection. That's when I was born. I was first though, by a minute; because suddenly out popped Sam and Andra too. Triplets. My parents were so happy. Then.
My dad was never one for the rules, which is why I 'm so surprised he was promoted so early on in his career. He used to take us kids out beyond the fences when we were younger. There were us three, my older Sisters Dryna and Raina, and my older brother Erik too. One thing I am glad for is that our father taught us how to survive in the wild. Back then he was a good dad, teaching us everything we needed to know about life. Apparently he had a book about the Mockingjay Katniss Everdeen that he loaned from President Swift on the proviso that he read the book so that nothing like that rebellion ever happens again. Like I said my father was never one for the rules. He taught us all about Katniss, hunting, surviving in the wild. Dryna and I were the fastest learners, and he took the two of us out sometimes to teach us the more advanced stuff, like how to use weapons, poisons, all the ways to prevent others from surviving.
But – like I said – my dad was never one for the rules, which after while extended to the rules of marriage. His power went to his head and he began abusing it. He started staying out late, sleeping around. Eventually he got fed up with all of us and divorced my mother. It wasn't like she could say no. So here we are back in District 3, the home I never knew.
Mum tries to work, but it's harder for her now. After she miscarried a year ago she became depressed, and turned to morphling and alcohol for comfort. Dryna has sort of become our mother figure now, since our actual mother can't really do much these days. Luckily I inherited her aptitude for electronics, so I've been trying to keep up with the work she needs to get done so we can still earn some money and feed our family. It's a big burden being one of the youngest and doing all the work, but it has to be done or we just won't survive, and if there's one thing my useless father taught me, it's how to survive.
I've been up all night on one of my mother's projects. It's actually a recycled idea from over a hundred years ago. There was this GUY, Beetee. He was a freaking genius! He was part-way through designing a revolutionary technology that would make crop harvesting almost completely labour-free. Unfortunately he died before his dream could be realized, but my mother found one of his old books and picked it up. Now that my mum is practically incapacitated it's fallen to me to keep the dream alive, and i have no intention of letting it die.
Dryna taps me on the shoulder and tells me its time to get going. It's really annoying because I'm so close to a breakthrough! But she is right, I can't miss the Reapings, and I can always come back to it after. She walks us triplets to the 16 year old area and Erik who is 18 goes off on his own.
For some reason I feel more nervous than usual. Maybe it's because I've only been to 2 other Reapings before. I grab onto Sam and Andra's hands; their palms are sweaty too. Maybe we're all feeling it.
The boy's name is called and its Danny Di Vinci. I actually know him, his in my advanced electronics class. We might not be good friends but it still breaks my heart to see him up there. It's so much harder when it's someone you know. I can't really make out his face though, he's too far away and I'm far-sighted, but I know that he's probably wearing that cocky smile of his.
As our escort reaches her hand into the bowl to pick the female tribute my hands tighten on those of my siblings and we all look at each other.
"Your female tribute from district 3 is Tayla Candrum! Come on down Tayla!" comes the call.
I feel like my chest has been ripped in two. It's hard to breathe. I know in a way that it's a good thing. At least it was me and none of my other siblings; they were never as good at picking up the survival skills as I was. We say nothing, but share a look that says it all. I will come back to them.
When I make my way to my place on the podium, sure enough I see Daniel's cocky smile, but I also see something else. There's fear behind that smile. He looks at me and I know that he recognises me. Well, at least I'm not going into these games completely alone.