Elver Darlin- 18

Ten years ago

I sat at the table eating lunch between classes. My friends Coley and Ayden sat on either side of me, and another friend, Caster, saw across from me.

"Did you get your homework done?" Ayden asked.

"I did most of it," Caster said.

"Not me," Coley said. "It's stupid. I'm going to the Academy in a year anyway."

"Did your parents say you could go?" I asked. He shrugged.

"It doesn't matter. They can't stop me," he said.

"Mine have always wanted me to go," Caster said. I knew Ayden's did, too. My parents let me talk about training and never said they wouldn't allow it, but I could tell they didn't want me to actually get picked.

"Elver's going too, so we'll all be there together," Ayden said. I did plan to train, though I didn't know why. It just seemed like everyone was going, unless they planned to fish all their lives. Half the kids in school were always talking about how they were going to win the Games.

"We'll have to go decide who goes on which year," Caster said.

"I'll go first, since I'll still be able to win," Coley said. "I'm going to get real good with a sword and chop everyone else up."

"I'm going to use a bow for the Tributes that are too scared to fight. Then I'll use a knife for the other Careers," Ayden said. "How about you?" he asked me.

"I dunno. A trident, I guess," I said. It didn't seem as exciting as it had before. So many of us wanted to get into the Games that it wasn't even a big deal. What if I wasn't even good enough to go? I'd be just one of hundreds of washouts. There would be nothing special about me. I could go fish like everyone else, but that even more boring. I didn't want to be just part of the crowd.

What did I want? I wanted to win, of course. But I didn't want to be another boring Four Victor with the same old tricks. I wanted to stand out. Maybe I wouldn't use a trident after all. Everyone from Four used a trident. I should use something really cool, like a whip with razors on it. And I should play the Game differently, too. Instead of sticking with the pack, I could kill them all on the first day when they weren't even expecting it. Then I'd go after the stronger Tributes first to show how fierce I was.

Four was cool and all, but it was really boring sometimes. You fished, you made nets, or you trained. We even looked the same. My friends and I all had the same tan skin and green eyes. You could hardly tell us apart. I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to be unique. I wasn't going to be a fisher or even a normal Career. I was going to be one in a million.

Marley Xander- 18

Training was the best part of my day. I got to be with all my friends and do all the crazy physical stuff I loved. My parents say I was the loudest baby they'd ever seen, and I didn't shut up until they let me come to the Academy. I didn't really shut up then, either. I just had more people to talk to. Atlanta and I were sparring as Pacifica spotted us, and I kept up the commentary.

"Who do you think they're going to pick?" I asked. I parried Atlanta's punch, or tried to. Hand-to-hand wasn't my strong suit. I knew I'd have to keep enemies at arm's length.

"Probably me. Maybe you or Pacifica, though. Otherwise, most likely Thalassa," Atlanta said. I feinted a strike and she flipped me back on my butt.

"Shoot, you know I suck at this. Let me do something I'm good at," I said. We went to the weapons stations and picked up some knives.

"Best of five?" I asked. Atlanta rolled her eyes.

"Best of five hundred, it doesn't matter," she said. It was true, too. I wasn't good at hitting people with blunt things, but pointy things were my game. I hit a row of bullseyes and crowed in triumph.

"I'm glad you're from my District," Atlanta said.

"If only the Games allowed teams," Pacifica said. I tossed my hair.

"Yeah. We'd burn the place down," I said. "Whichever of us gets picked has to do a good job. Otherwise they wasted the other two's time."

"I'll do my best," Atlanta said. I stuck my tongue out at her and we started roughhousing, pretending to pull hair and scratch at each other while we shrieked. The instructors called for a rest period and we lay next to each other on the floor.

"What do you think the hardest part will be?" I asked the others.

"I don't want to kill the little kids. They didn't do anything," Pacifica said.

"Yeah, that won't be fun. I think the worst will be living outside for so long. It'll be smelly and gross. I just hope the Arena isn't a mountain or something. Even a desert would at least have sand," I said.

"Maybe it will be inside, like that one time," Atlanta said.

"That would work," I said. "I suppose whoever goes will have Elver as a partner."

"He's cute at least," Atlanta said. I rolled onto my stomach and looked at him sitting with the other boys.

"He's all right. Not really my type," I said. I was more interested in someone more spontaneous and adventurous. Elver was quiet and dull. He was a good fighter, but he was a wet blanket.

Sitting with my friends, training for the Games, I felt like everything was great. I was ready to go out and fight the biggest fight of my life, but the Games were going to be so much more than that. I loved being with people, and I was about to meet millions of Capitolites and fans. I'd get to talk on national TV, and I loved talking. The Games were going to be an epic adventure. I couldn't wait to get started.

Elver is your plain Four boy, oddly enough. He has tan skin, green eyes and brown hair. Marley is the same, but she has a few pimples. Elver is tall and Marley is slightly taller than average. Marley's muscles are more noticeable.

I'm going to wait a day or two before the rest of the Reapings. It's because one of you readers who regularly submits didn't notice this page was up until the slots were filled, and I didn't notice she wasn't there until I filled the slots. Normally I'd wait to give anyone two slots until anyone had one. I won't revoke anyone's submission or reservation, but if anyone who has two slots is willing to give one up, that would be really cool.