A/N : Big thank you for RavenclawStarshipRanger, Vuraangreg, MegGiry-TheAlbino, and RemusZaneRedvines for the lovely reviews! See, I told you I'll update faster if I got feedbacks :D

Another Reaping chapter, this time from District 11. I've seen many videos where Darren seems so close to Julia than the other girls so that's why I'm putting them together. In a ship. Which I don't know if it's going to sail or not, if you now what I'm talking about. Okay I'll just stop it there.

And from the reviews I got so far, I think there's a lot of Jopez shippers here! Don't worry, you'll see them soon enough if the feedbacks keep flowing in *evil laugh*

Happy New Year once again! ~ Vermouth19

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games or Team Starkid

District 11

Julia could feel her heart almost cannot handle the stress since yesterday. The comfort Darren gave them sounded like an empty promise and she knew that he knew it too. She could not blame him for being the usual Darren she knew since they were little; always gentlemen to the core like his deceased father.

She stood among the other girls at the square, waiting for the escort as usual. Few of her friends' face were already glistened with tears. The others bowed their head to the ground and tried their best to suppress the constant raise of fear. Her hands felt as if she had been holding ice cubes for days; the nice white dress she wore was wrinkled at both sides from her deadly grip on them.

Finally, the escort and members of district council stepped into the stage. The new escort (District 11 always got new every year since they were not a favorite, obviously) was a young handsome man with red and black suit. He appeared to be less grumpy like his predecessors, he never stopped smile politely at every council member he greeted so far.

Julia shifted her attention to the boys' line on the right side of the square, looking for Darren. She easily found him with his bushy hair and at the same time his eyes met her. He just nodded and smiled a little to comfort her, apparently could not bring himself to smile wider than that. Both of them broke the eye contact half heartedly when the escort opened the Hunger Games.

"Happy Hunger Games. My name is AJ Holmes and as you can see I will be the Disctrict 11's escort this year," AJ greeted them with a big warm smile. Julia thought she would like this man if he was not the one who pulled the names in the next minute.

He then read the change of rules that the Capitol made. None of them got response from the crowd since a) no one would ever volunteer for the game, and b) working in team would not change the fact that they were not prepared like the Career districts. Luckily AJ was kind enough to skip the stupid comments unlike the previous ones and moved on the worst part.

She could not care even less if she ruined her stupid dress at that point. Julia could not stand watching him stirring the names, she soon copying the others by looking at her trembling foot instead.

It won't be me or Darren, this is our last year. One more and you're free. Julia repeated it over and over until AJ's word turning her world upside down since then.

"Julia Albain!"

Darren's head snapped wildly at the name being spoken. It can't be . . .

"Julia Albain, please stepped forward," AJ repeated, looking for the girl himself.

"No!"

The terror on the voice he was been familiar with since their first meeting brought chill onto him. Frantically, he searched for her but the girls surrounded Julia to calm her. Without he even realised, he moved toward the source of panic before a hand pulled him back.

"What are you doing?" Harry hissed, still holding his arms.

"Julia, she can't . . ." Darren stammered his words in panic. No, not Julia . . .

"There's nothing you could do!"

Nothing. That word stabbed him harder than anything else. To think that he just gave her empty hope yesterday and now that hope was crushed in front of all of them. He could not even volunteer for her. He felt tears trickling down to his cheek as he hopelessly watched her frantic best friend being carried by forced to the stage since she could not bring herself forward.

For the first time in her life, she was in pure panic. Her feet felt like water when everything came to her sense; heart stopped beating; everything moved slowly like in dream world. That's right, it was only a dream. With her frantic eyes she searched for her best friend, her parents, anyone who could tell her that it was just a cruel dream.

She found none.

She thought she could handle it bravely, like yesterday when she and Darren stood for Mrs. Finnigan. But this time she could not; not without Darren on her side. Deep down in her heart where her sense still working, she hoped that Darren would get ripped along with her. But that was a cruel wish for him; he did not deserve to be in her place. Julia must accept that she was now on her own.

Few hands dragged her by force to the stage and she just let them. On the stairs, her watery eyes caught AJ holding up his hand to help her.

"Cheer up, Julia. The sponsors won't love you otherwise," he said quietly while helping her on each steps. He was right. She blinked twice, tried her best to stop the stream of tears and failed miserably. The only thing she was grateful for was that she got a caring escort for a start.

"Now, for the male tribute."

While AJ moved to the second bowl, for the first time since Julia got reaped, his eyes met her. She was wrecked from all the tears and fear still remained in her eyes. The one that confused him was her smile at him. The smile was honest and seemed grateful, and that was when it hit him.

She did not expect him to join her.

For the time, he prayed that AJ's hand would pick his name that day.

AJ had picked a piece of paper and moved toward the microphone to announce the name.

"Darren Criss!"

His heart skipped a beat. The shocked, terrified eyes of Julia confirmed his ears.

He felt no fear, no panic. Darren quickly ran to the stage and without thinking, embraced Julia as she sobbed hardly onto his shoulder. He did not care if everybody watched them, nor when the Peacekeepers led them away from the stage. He would never let her go again.

"I got you," Darren repeated his word again and this time she knew it was not a lie.

Everything went quickly after that. Since both of their family knew each other, they asked not to be separated for their farewell with them and thanks to AJ the Peacekeeper granted it. Darren and Julia embraced each of both families' members quickly before the time was up and they were brought to the train station. Along with AJ, they tried to eat District Eleven's view for the last time before the door was closed and the train started its journey to the Capitol.

"We should get inside," AJ suggested soon after they had left the station. "Clark has been waiting for both of you."

If the situation was different, Darren and Julia would be stunned by the room they had been led to. It was full of luxurious items they could never meet back in the district. The food smelled really good from the well polished table in the middle of the room. Apparently the reaping earlier had drained both of them, not even had the energy to care about it.

Clark Baxtresser stood near the dining table. He did not change much since his last year's victory. They did not see anybody else as a possible second mentor and nobody seemed to be surprised about this. Since the last rebellion, District Eleven had run out of victors until Clark by everyone's surprise won it last year. He won because the Capitol, for the first time, fell in love with District Eleven's tribute. His good looking face did take big part on it.

"Darren and Julia, right?"

Darren nodded for both of them.

"I think you should rest first before we can talk about our strategy. Your rooms are through that door," Clark said while pointing at the door on the end of compartment.

"Why not now?" Darren asked confusedly.

"Because if you don't attack these food the first time you both saw it like I did back then, then clearly you can't possibly digest what I'm about to say," he stated with serious face.

Darren and Julia did not argue and accepted the offer since they were indeed worn out. They walked through the alley and stopped in front of the door that led to the first bedroom.

"You can take it, I'll search for the other one," Darren offered softly but she shook her head.

"Stay with me?" He could see fear still remain in her eyes; her broken voice already clarified it. Darren nodded and they went into the room.

The bedroom was small but still beyond their standard back at the district. They just ignored the details and went straight to the bed without even bother to change their clothes. Being close friends since they were little made them trusted each other, that was why Julia did not protest or felt awkward when Darren lay closed to her as she faced the wall.

"Could you sing a song? Anything is fine," she asked quietly, did not turn around to face him because she was afraid breaking down once again if she did.

Julia could felt he shifted toward her and soon his voice filled the room.

I've been alone

Surrounded by darkness

I've seen how heartless

The world can be

I've seen you crying

You felt like it's hopeless

I'll always do my best

To make you see

Baby, you're not alone

'Cause you're here with me

And nothing's ever gonna bring us down

'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you

And you know it's true

It don't matter what'll come to be

Our love is all we need to make it through

She knew he would pick his favorite song. Darren often whispered it unconsciously on many occasion. However, until that day, Julia still could not find the girl he meant in that song because she never seen him close to any other girl than herself. Maybe before they went into the game, she could make him tell her instead. With that thought Julia finally fell asleep, letting the soft melody drifted her away.

Thanks for reading and please review! ;)