Train Rides Part I:


Blush Belfleur, 18, District One Female


Sitting down confidently, I let a smug smile purse over on my lips. I lift my right leg up carefully and cross it over my left leg, and take a sip of the orange juice that one of the Avox's brought to me. The little girl smiled once I thanked her – apparently nobody else has said 'Thank you' to her in a while – and thought that I was getting close with her. But no, I don't get close with anyone, and I'm sure she figured that out when I tested her emotions and verbally abused her. Sucks that she couldn't retaliate because of her tongue being cut, but I doubt she would've said anything back either way.

''You know what your problem is?'' Gari struts around the room, comes to a complete stop, and points his finger in my face as he leans into me. ''You don't get over things. You hold grudges and always want vindication! How annoying can you get?''

''I'm sorry, Gari, but vindication is what I desire,'' I state. Adonis and Hero stay back towards the corner of the room, speaking to the little girl as they discuss strategies, but it seems as if Gari and I disputing has caught their attention.''You obviously don't understand that craving for revenge because you've never had something as terrible as what you did to me happen to you.''

''Blush, I promise you that you will not get the better of me, never!'' Gari swipes his hand. I chuckle, acting as if his response doesn't mean a thing to me. But on the inside, I just want to grab his face and twist it around, poke his eyeballs out, and watch him cry and yell out in pain, fear, and agony. ''You think this is funny, you inconsiderate hoe?!''

''Gari, I think everything that has to do with making you pissed is funny,'' I yawn. ''And you call me a hoe? Gari, you fuck everything that has a pulse. I'm surprised you don't have paper cuts on your dick yet.''

''You think you're funny, huh?'' Gari grabs a hold of my shirt, inches away from my chest. I glare up at him and toss the orange juice right in his face, watch as it stains the top of his shirt, and fall back as I laugh. ''What the actual fuck!'' He yells. ''You know what, I don't care. At the end of the day, I'm still making bank. I'm the one who's made it out of the Arena, not you.''

''Oh, Gari, I'm going to make it out of the Arena,'' I reply. ''Have you seen my work?''

''You didn't even graduate from the Academy! You weren't even the chosen Volunteer! What work do you have?!''

''Gari, you're obviously a dickrider when it comes to the Academy. Calm the hell down, I didn't need approval from anyone to Volunteer. I know of my work, Gari, I'm fabulous. I can do everything ten times better than anyone else in District One. Your Games were a fluke, everyone was basic and irrelevant,'' I say. Turning my head, I watch as Hero holds onto the ears of the little girl and whispers for her not to listen. Adonis sits back and chuckles silently, seeming amused by our conversation. ''What you've done is honestly nothing to what I'm going to do.''

''And what makes you think that?''

''Because I'm smart as fuck, beautiful, and talented,'' I keep my calm. Right now, I really want to get up and claw at him, yell at him, but this façade of mine has been everything to me for the past eighteen years of my life. ''And before you say anything, I could care less about the response you have for that. We all know it's gonna be shitty and unworthy of hearing.''

''Whatever you say, I doubt you'll make it past Day Three. But we'll see about that,'' Gari laughs. ''And it doesn't matter. At the end of the day, who's gaining racks and living the life that everyone else wishes they could have? Not you, didn't you have to rely on your parents, you poor ass bitch?''

''Are you honestly serious right now?'' I ask, wanting to mock him. ''Gari, remember what you used to tell me when we were talking? I thought you were a poor little scumbag who stole from others just to survive during the day and night? I thought your mother was unemployed and was going through a seriously broken heart? I thought that you had nothing to go home to, and that you were nothing compared to everyone else in the District? And now, with a little bit of fame, you think you're the shit. Sit the fuck down, I've been more wealthy than you in a year than what you've been your entire life. If you wanna talk about wealth, stack up all the money that I've had in my entire lifetime with what you've earned in that massive house of yours in the Victors' Village, please. And then we'll compare.''

Gari goes quiet, and Adonis lets out a hollered laugh. ''You're good,'' he comments. I stare at the boy, eyeing him up and down, looking for his usefulness. He was chosen to Volunteer, along with his sister – who I took the spot of without permission because I wanted to get my revenge – so he must obviously have some worth. We'll see.

''You think that's funny?''

''Don't turn to him,'' I bark. ''Your business is with me.''

''Listen, I don't give a fuck what either of you say,'' he manages. ''When it's all said and done, I'll be sitting back relaxingly with my feet up on a table, holding onto the riches that I deserve. And you, you'll be dead. Just watch.''

''What does me being dead have to do with who has the most riches, Gari?'' I question. ''You changed the subject and now you want to switch it back because you've been beat. Look at the sweat dripping from your forehead, you're so pitiful. None of the things you say make sense, just like usual. You're so fake, it's upsetting.''

''None of my shit has to make sense, people just listen to what I say, unlike you,'' he rebutes. ''I just say that shit because I want to, you basic bitch. I can't fucking stand you!''

''You didn't tell me that you couldn't stand me when you were sucking on my manicured toes a while back,'' I bite. Adonis completely bursts out in laughter, and Hero coughs uncomfortably as he looks like he's about to freak out. Gari blushes in embarrassment. And Colette, she just starts to ponder and repeat the words to herself quietly.

''Hero, what's a basic bi— ''

''Nope!'' Hero falters just a bit, and removes Colette from the room. He turns away and spots me and Gari, both of our eyes meeting. ''Gari, could you come here for a minute, please? We need to talk about a lot; firstly...'' He looks down at Colette, and Gari mutters something under his breath.

He begins walking away, his hands clutched into balled up fists. ''See ya!'' I smile. Gari ignores me, and as soon as they leave the room, everything goes quiet. I turn and observe Adonis, who just sits there, still. ''Hey, kid, are you retarded? Or, impaired, if you want me to be less cruel? Or maybe you're just slow, if that helps?''

''No,'' he becomes amused. ''I just enjoy watching people interact. It helps me get a better understanding of what they're like, I'm sure you'd be able to understand that.'' I was right, he does have his usefulness. ''And slow isn't exactly how you would describe me...''

''Oh, I see, you're one of those kids who just hang back and watch everything unfold, never really getting into the action themselves unless the conversation calls for it,'' I catch on quickly. ''You're chill, I like that about you. You seem comfortable to be around, and you're good-looking, so that's a plus. But you're nothing special, probably just like all the other pretty boys from our District.''

''Just another pretty boy from District One? And I'm implying that you think I'll be an early death because every other boy from our District dies from something idiotic?'' He rolls his eyes. ''That's fine, if that's what you think. But you're forgetting that bitches like you always get screwed over in the end, whether you make it far or not. So, if you're gonna stereotype, at least add yourself into the mix.''

''Wow, you've got wit, don't you, kid?'' One thing I noticed, is that this kid doesn't ever falter. He's always calm in every situation, whether it's attacking him or attacking someone else. He enjoys the moments and loves sitting back, something new that I've learned. I love learning things about people like this, it makes it much easier to use them.

With Gari, whenever he's beaten in a verbal battle, he looks to attack someone who's less likely to bite back, like when he turned to Adonis just a few minutes ago. He seeks solace in gaining the advantage over those who don't seem like they're tough, but Adonis is. With his mouth and what people from the Academy have said about him, and how forward they were looking into watching the DiMae twins compete in the Games, I can tell that the kid's gonna do big things.

Adonis is someone who'd be easy to manipulate, someone that everyone could take advantage of if getting to know him. Though, I think the kid is smarter than to let anyone play into his fields. I'll keep him away, make sure he doesn't get too close and comfortable to me, because that's allowing him to take over and understand my emotions, but who says I can't enter his world and gain what I desire?

How people work is so fascinating, isn't it? Once you find out what you need, you can twist, bend, and turn them around with a finger snap. Adonis smiles and turns away from me, right when Hero and the little girl both walk back into the main lobby of the train.

''Where's Gari?'' Adonis asks.

''He's in his room, watching the Recaps by himself,'' Hero looks at peace, like a huge burden has been lifted from his shoulders. ''So, did you guys get to know each other and speak with your alone time?''

Staring down at the girl, I meet her huge, beautiful eyes. She smiles, I smile, but only to see how she interacts with others. She reminds me of myself, keeping people away at an arm's length and not really letting them invade her privacy and getting to know her. I like this girl, but I won't associate with her much, from what I can see. She'll grow up to be smart, I can see it now. With this childish guy protecting her, only good can come from it.

''Just a little bit,'' Adonis answers. ''She's had her first impressions on me, apparently being just like the other regular One males, and I've had my first impressions on her. Nothing much, really, but I guess we'll get to know each other later.''

''Yeah, later,'' I mimick.

''That's better than nothing,'' Hero nods his head. ''So, who's ready to watch the Recaps and analyze together?''

''Me!'' Colette says. Adonis ruffles the little girl's hair and looks to Hero for guidance. They all walk into the Recap Room, and Adonis holds the door open for me as I'm the last one to enter.

''Thanks,'' I say. ''Hey, there's something. You're pretty polite and not a fake, cunning little bitch like all the others.''

''Someone doesn't mince their words at all, huh? You tell it straight up.''

''Damn right.''


Zeppelin Cross, 18, District Four Male


''So, tell us how you two are feeling right now,'' Amille wonders. Turning my head a little bit, I stare at Clarice and drag my eyes back over to our Mentors. She sits comfortably and goes ahead, with me allowing her to start off first.

''I'm feeling good,'' she says. ''I did this for a reason, to better my life, actually. And if I carry out with my set of rules, I know that I'll be able to come back home to Four. There are things that I seek, and questions that I want answered.''

Brylan looks intrigued. I still can't believe that he's younger than the both of us. ''It's good to hear that you have something to motivate you, that's a big factor when it comes to the Games; most tributes don't have motivation and tend to give up quickly,'' he acknowledges, then turns to me. ''What about you? You've been quiet for a quite some time.''

Quietly, I pick my head up and meet eyes with Brylan, then turn to Amille. She smiles at me genuinely, mouthing that I go on and speak. When I lean back and stay quiet, she speaks up. ''Come on, there's obviously a reason why you Volunteered, Zeppelin! And I know that the reason wasn't just because you were the backup Volunteer or because you wanted to, you did this for something!''

Deciding to speak up, I answer shortly and simply. ''It's the only thing I have left.''

''Fair enough,'' Amille agrees. ''But... don't you want to go into further detail on that?'' Seconds pass by and they realize that I won't talk. Clarice's attention is focused on me, and it looks like she's about to get up and come to talk to me until one of the Avox's come in with two trays of hot coffee and bread with butter on the side.

''Right on time—'' Brylan says, but is quickly interrupted when the Avox trips over Clarice's feet. The Avox almost tumbles, but he twists his body to the left in order to make sure that he lands on the couch instead of on the floor. But with twisting his body, he accidentally drops the cup of hot coffee on Clarice's head, and the butter gets layed flat out on her outfit.

The coffee drips to the floor, and the Avox slips forward, doing a split and sending the second tray of food towards my head. Ducking just on time, I manage to escape the second cup of coffee that goes flying through the air, and get out of the way. Clarice looks completely infuriated, and gets up quicker than anything I've ever seen before.

She looks like she's trying to control her anger, but the Avox peers up and looks for something to ascend himself up with. He grabs onto the glass table full of goodies and lifts himself up, but during the action, he ends up hitting Clarice in the face with the backside of his left hand. Now over it, she's unable to control herself and attacks him.

Gripping the Avox's throat, Clarice shakes the soul out of him and slams him, face first, into the glass table. Repeatedly, she brings his head up and down until the man stops trying to struggle free. With a furious kick, she lands a brutal blow to his abdomen and all the air comes pouring out of the man, leaving him on the verge of becoming lifeless.

I twiddle my thumbs as this goes on, thinking about what my friend Dakota would have done in a situation like this – probably just yell at the Avox and curse for minutes on end. Shaking my head, I diminish that thought from my head and remind myself of the person I never wish to be. When I come back to reality, Brylan is pulling Clarice off of the Avox by her waist, and Amille is checking his pulse.

With a sigh, I fold my hands across my chest, and shake my head. ''Why would you brutally attack him like that?'' Amille asks, tending to the man. She says that he's good and that he has a pulse, but he's definitely knocked out cold for a while. ''He didn't deserve that, it was an acciden—!''

''That's what he deserves,'' I nod. Moving forward, I purposely step on the Avox's vulnerable fingers and kick him in the face. I'm sorry. On the inside, I'm upset with myself, shaking my head, even, but on the outside, I have to keep this strong appeal. I can't show any sympathy towards others, I've gotta stay cold. Noticing that everyone's staring at me, I add,'' Just something to deepen the wounds, y'know?''

''You two are—''

''No, Amille, I know what you're gonna say but hear this out,'' Brylan claps his hands together, and I cup my hands up over my face with my back turned to everyone. ''Both of them are fierce, they've got fire burning deep in them. Save that anger and use it in the Arena, at the Bloodbath. Those emotions are gonna guide you places, and maybe, if you learn to control them, one of you is gonna come out on top.''

''Whatever,'' Amille breathes. ''I think we should go watch the Recaps now, I don't wanna look at this anymore. If we stick around, one of us is gonna have to come up with an excuse on why the Avox would be needing a funeral because of these two.''

''I agree,'' Brylan comments.

The two Mentors lead the way and I follow after, turning back to see the Avox still lying down on the ground, but also breathing with the rise and fall of his chest. I shake my head in guilt, feeling terrible for kicking him in the head. He didn't deserve it. Nobody really does.

But this is what I've gotta do to leave a mark for myself, to show everyone that I can be the Career that not only my Father, but District Four wants. I can be that guy who feels no remorse for his victims, and does anything that he can to bring back another crown to his District. But what's hard is that I do feel bad, I do feel emotional when I do these things.

I know that it's wrong, but I also know that this is what's gonna help save me in the end. Narrowing my eyes, I ignore my surroundings and think about how willing I am. I mind doing this, but I also don't it at the same time. It's a balance of good or bad for me, and I'm leaning more towards the side that will benefit me and my District in the end. No matter how terrible I feel on the inside, it's still worth it. Right?

''Come sit, come sit!'' Palvena, District Four's Escort, says as she takes a sip of her mango smoothie and scoots over to the side. Clarice and Brylan take a seat next to her, Amille takes a seat on one of the beanie chairs in the middle of the room, and I sit near the air conditioning vent near the corner of the room, letting it flap my hair across my face. ''I was just on the District Three Reaping, but I can rewind it if you'd like, my sweeties!''

''Thank you,'' Brylan answers for us all. ''Now, before we start, I think it's a good idea to tell you guys to take notes. Focus on the tributes' reactions and how they deal with being Reaped or how they do when Volunteering, and mark who you know you for-sure want as an ally. Don't automatically assume that all the Careers are great, some could be a fluke.''

With that, Palvena presses the rewind button and restarts the Recaps.

In a surreptitious way, the cameras descend from the clear morning sky of District One and place a beautiful scenery on the sybaritic District Square. The crowd is roaring with applause, coming back from two Victors in a row. Not surprised, you'd see something relatively similar to that if it was Four. The Escort walks out calmly, wearing nothing other than what you'd say was common Capitol fashion, and starts off by announcing the District's win streak.

''Her outfit is absolutely sublime,'' Palvena twirls her hair and claws her hands in the air, making growling noises as she takes in how 'amazing' the Escort's outfit is.

She picks up a slip and calls out a random girl's name, and it doesn't surprise me to hear someone Volunteer in an instance. Although, this one was way quicker than I've ever seen before. The cameras zoom in on some girl's face, who looks absolutely shocked and unsatisfied with what's just happened. The girl who does mount that stage takes a look at one of the Mentors from One and glares at him. He mouths something to her, making it seem like they're adversaries or something. She introduces herself like most cocky District One girls do, and ends her speech the same way.

A boy gets called up, and this time, unlike the girl, the male Volunteer springs up with a bit joy. His Volunteering was definitely tantalizing, riling up the crowd. He introduces himself in a placid way and the two of them shake hands. Making eye-contact, the boy smiles but the girl turns her head away and keeps her focus locked on the Mentor. They exchange a couple of words, and I'm not sure whether it's playful banter or a heated argument.

''The girl is a stereotypical District One bitch,'' Clarice holds nothing back. ''The boy is over-the-top and looks like a strong opponent, but he's gonna fall a mighty death. Just look at how excited he was getting up there. Maybe it was just in the moment, but he's not gonna be someone to think of as a massive threat. Unless you count the sponsors that he'll receive for his charm and good looks, there's not much to fear when it comes to him.''

I stay quiet and keep my focus locked on the screen, watching carefully as District Two now appears. The people are ready for another year, knowing that their Volunteers won't disappoint them. After calling a girl's name, a Volunteer mounts the stage. In a stolid way, the girl announces her name as 'Sigrid Lapierre', and keeps an aura of mystery around her.

Palvena seems baffled by the way she announced herself. ''That's it?'' She asks. ''No, 'I'm going to do my best to give the District a Victor' nonsense that all these valiant Two tributes do? Either she's incongruous to the District, or she's just very good at hiding her perilous attitude.''

Now a boy is called, and this time it seems like there will be no Volunteer. He makes it halfway up the ailse until a boy from the eighteen-year-old section steps out and holds the boy by his shoulders. A look of mere regret flashes upon the boy's face, but he ultimately decides to Volunteer and take the other boy's place. He approaches the stage and once he gets up, he announces who he is and and leaves an amiable first impression on himself. Wonder if he knew the boy he Volunteered for.

''He's cute!'' Palvena points out.

Besides that, nobody else says anything. Like, it's as if everyone else has been drained of thought and have no interpretation on these two tributes, so I rise to the call and state my opinions this one time. ''Sigrid's a girl of mystery, that's obvious by just how she started off. Not much to go off of, we'll just have to learn more about her later. And Atlas is definitely the charmer. With the good looks that he has and the personality that he's shown, it's easy to say that he's going to be a Capitol favorite who's gonna rack up the total number of sponsors. If he joins the Careers, he'll be incredibly helpful in our chances of surviving with needed supplies.''

''Look at you, Zepp!'' Amille says. ''Is it okay if I call you Zepp? I like your inferences, you seem like a natural at this. I think we all agree on Atlas, and Sigrid's just gonna be someone else to get to understand, just like Adonis. Seems as though the Careers have some interesting dynamics that are gonna form this year.''

''Ah, so you're not frugal after all, child,'' Palvena winks at me. ''You know, if you weren't so quiet, you'd be able to rack up sponsors as well. You've been blessed with handsome features, kid.''

Amille tells me to come sit next to her and slides over another beanie chair, but I ignore her and stay away. Getting close to people is a no for me, despite who they are. Amille's older than me – she's also my Mentor – but things could happen and in time, I might have to help her out and lend her my shoulder. Same goes for Brylan, Palvena, and maybe even Clarice. I've known Clarice before, we had a 'thing' a long while ago, but it's still not worth faltering and showing people that I can be soft – that I can be nice.

''And you can actually control yourself, unlike your pig of a District Partner over here,'' Palvena says, her face displaying such intense feelings toward Clarice. ''I saw what you did out there, heard you yelling, and to a poor, helpless Avox as well.''

''What the fuck did you just call me?'' Clarice bolts up.

''Oh, darling, please sit down, the wrinkles on your forehead are bulging and it's not a good look on you,'' she yawns. ''In fact, nothing is...''

''I don't know what your problem is, but—''

''But please sit down, I'm trying to avoid staring at you on this long train ride back to the Capitol. I have more important things to do than listen to an unstable girl who can't control her actions properly. Your mother obviously didn't do a good job in raising you, because you lack manners, darling.''

Clarice digs her fingers into Palvina's shirt, catching her skin and clawing through the fabric of the aero-colored tank top that the woman wears. She grabs the amber hair of Palvena and knocks away the smoothie in her hand with a high knee, growling as she pulls her closer to her.

Palvena sits there in absolute shock, as do Brylan and Amille. ''What are you doing?'' Palvena grunts, trying to pull away from Clarice's grip. She holds on tight, though, not allowing our Escort to get away. ''L-Let go! Get off of me, you're mad! T-The amount of t-trouble that you'll get in for doing t-this..!''

''You know,'' Clarice pauses and inches towards Palvena's face. ''I don't care what the consequences for my actions are. Make sure that I get no sponsors in the Arena, punish me with no desert after every meal, whatever you do won't matter to me. I couldn't care less with what I had to deal with for doing this to you!''

Rushing into action – a regretful idea of mine – I remove Clarice's grip from Palvena's hair and thrust her aside. With Palvena, I kindly stroke her cheek and say, ''It's alright, you're fine.'' She stares up at me with hurt but thankful almond eyes and mouths something that has to do with appreciation for me, and that I can make Four proud when it's all said and done. I now turn to Clarice, and she's absolutely freaking out, her body temperature soaring and her breathing happening at high rates.

''Hey, hey, calm down,'' I hold onto her shoulders. Unlike her reaction with Brylan, she begins to slow down her breathing with me, and relaxes her tense muscles. Her disposition has changed completely, all with one sentence. ''Look at me, hey. You're fine, don't listen to what an Escort thinks about you, prove them wrong and show them what you can do. Enough of that clamorous yelling, everything is gonna be alright.''

Clarice smiles for about a milisecond but I catch a small glimpse of it, and walks back to her seat, sitting down as she puffs lightly and pats her disheveled hair away from her face. Looking away from the rest of us, I realize that everyone else is staring straight up at me.

''Seems like there's a... lighter side to you, maybe?'' Amille realizes.

''Seems like we also might have an early relationship growing in the Careers,'' Brylan adds, in a whisper, though, so only Amille and I hear. ''He calms her down easily, but she's still fierce. If you think about it, the two could become close and be an unstoppable duo in the Games. They just have to trust and rely on each other. Honestly, it could potentially come down to them as the final two tributes.''

They both look up at me and smile at the exact same time. And this was exactly what I was trying to avoid, having someone seeking to rely on me, and me giving the support.

Oh, no. What have I gotten myself into?


Poet Monroe, 17, District Six Male


Dallas sits in front of Bree and I, chuckling to himself as he tries not to spill the red whine in his glass cup. He snaps his fingers – and it's apparent that he's trying to get our attention – so I stare up, but Bree continues to look down and keep quiet. ''What's her deal?''

Sighing, I wipe away the tears that are still welled up in the corner of my eyes and turn to Bree. The only thing she's really doing is sniffling. Nothing more, nothing less, and it's sad to see her like that. Scooting closer to her, I compel myself to begin a conversation. I don't like seeing her down like this, or anyone, in fact.

''Hey, Bree,'' I acknowledge. She peers up at me for a quick second and looks back down, her eyes stained with the color of blood red. She's been quiet for the majority of the ride, and I just don't like how this is going. She doesn't deserve to be upset and quiet like this, she was so vocal before. Getting Reaped has gotten to her. ''You okay?''

''What type of scheme are you pulling, kid?'' Dallas brings himself into the conversation. He reaches out for the goodies on the glass table, and pops a purple grape into his mouth. Arrogantly, he begins talking with his mouth full and says, ''Don't try to show sympathy towards her, you're going into the Hunger Games! Have some fire in your soul. Be happy!''

Ignoring him, I turn back and grab a hold of Bree's left hand. She stops moving for a moment, and I can tell just how sad she is by how cold her hands are. They're soft but freezing, and she still hasn't moved. I grab her other hand gently and place one on top of the other, then state, ''I don't know you well yet, and I hope to soon, but just know that I'll always be here to talk if something's wrong.''

''...Thanks,'' she hesitates. ''But... we're going into the Games, how are you gonna always be there for me if I need something?'' I can hear the hint of sarcasm in her voice, but it's fine, honestly.

I now place my hand on her back, smiling at her. I don't know if she finds the friendly gesture weird or not, but I just want her to know that she'll have a shoulder to lean on if she ever needs one. ''Yeah, but we're not in the Games yet.'' I reply. ''We have a week before going in, so during those seven days, if you ever need it, I can be here to talk with you if you wanna get anything off your mind. I don't mind listening to whatever you have to say, because it seems like there's a lot you wanna let out.''

She doesn't have to stay quiet, but I don't mind if she does. I'll be willing to listen to any of the problems that she has, whether it's with our Mentors, with the Escort, another tribute, or just how she's feeling overall. ''Nobody deserves to be isolated and have to weigh everything on their own shoulders, Bree. I just want you to know that.''

''Oh, aren't you just sweet!'' Dallas interferes. ''Is this how the Six boys get around now, by acting all kind and considerate? You seem so thoughtful. All you Six boys get better and better every year and gain more and more play, don't you?''

''No, Dallas, it's not like that,'' I say calmly, looking at him with a soft smile. ''I just don't want to see her like this.''

''You don't even know her. What does it matter to you if you see her like that or not? Let her deal with it herself, at least you're not going to be one of those tributes who sulk around the entire Games. With any luck, she'll maybe get a sponsor or two for her looks.''

''Dallas, that's not a nice thing to say,'' I frown.

''I'm not a nice person,'' he rebutes.

I sigh. Dallas is a nice person, though. He's just ended up in the wrong place. I know that deep down, he cares for us and wants to see us succeed and wishes the best for us, but he's putting on this cold exterior. He's ended up in the wrong place, being rude and uncaring to those around him for no reason, and it's not right. He shouldn't be like this, it won't do him any good. ''Dallas, I wish you'd understand that you are a good person. Can't you—''

''Whatever you say is wrong, I hope you know that,'' he stops me. Bree tightens her grip and is suddenly squeezing my hand. I'm not sure what it's for, but when I look over at her, she's biting down on her lips, like she's trying to hold back even more tears from breaking through.

I'm about to open my mouth until she stops me. ''Don't even talk about Dallas being nice. He's not nice. How the hell is he nice if he's made fun of us throughout this entire ride?'' She claims. ''Oh, yeah, just because he's taking the time out of his day to say something to us – rude or not – that means he's a nice person, right?''

''That is what I am talking about!'' Dallas bounces up. ''Bree understands me! See, Bree isn't a nice person either! Oh, look at all that sarcasm, all that sass! The girl has an acidic tongue, Poet, is she also a nice person just like me?''

''Yes.''

''You just don't see people's flaws, do you? Me... I don't give a shit about either of you two, and when it comes down to it, Bree won't care about you,'' he laughs. ''You're funny, child. Don't you see people's intentions properly? Are you blind? You don't really understand people, do you?''

''No, that's not it,'' I try. ''People just aren't bad, things happen in their lives that make the road bumpy and change them. Nobody is truly bad, and nobody truly has bad intentions. It's just the things that happen in their life, Dallas. Just listen to yourself. On the inside, there's a good guy in there. You might be cruel now, but that's only to take your anger out on someone, and I understand that, but—''

''Are you trying to accuse me of something?'' Dallas rises to his feet once again, just after taking another seat. ''Don't assume things. You've been ignoring every bad part about everyone this entire ride! I do not care about either of you. Whatever bump it is that you're talking about, sometimes it doesn't exist. People have bad intentions because they choose to be that way, not because they fell into a darker side or whatever nonsense you're talking about.''

After he says this, Bree looks back down, I pout my lips, and our Mentors both walk into the living room of the train after discussing a few topics back in the dining area. ''So,'' Alexias claps her hands together. ''We've talked about you two, and we'd like to know whether or not you'd like to be mentored together or separately?'' She eyes our hands together. ''I'm guessing that's a yes?''

''I don't mind,'' Bree drawls; I nod my head kindly.

''You two sure?'' Dalan wants clarification. ''Once we decide this, there's no going back.'' The both of us nod again, but Bree nodding slower than me. Interlacing his fingers together and leaning against the wooden counter to the far left of the room, he exhales and agrees. ''Alright, well, we've got some questions to ask—''

''My mascara is simply fabulous, is it not?'' Dallas looks at his reflection in one of those mini-mirror cases. Bree looks at the decedant train food, her eyes picking out what she'd like to eat. She looks like she's going to decide on one of the large, powdered donuts, so I decide to use the kitchen utensil that's lying out right in front of us to grab it, place it on a large plate, and hand it to her. She nods at me in thanks, and smiles faintly. ''I mean, look at the way it's held up onto my face! It's simply marvelous!''

''No, it is not,'' I bring out the truth. Filling up my own plate of food, I take two triangle sandwiches and pour a cup of tea for myself. ''I'm sorry to say, but your eyeliner looks like someone attacked you with a Sharpie.''

He gasps and looks incredibly offended. ''How dare you!''

''Dallas, I can't lie to you like that. But you asked, and I'm telling you the truth.'' Making eye-contact with him, I continue. ''It looks like you used gallons of makeup today, and I'm serious when I tell you that I don't know whether you used a brush or just dipped your face in it. If you smashed your face against paper, you could make an incredible self-portrait.''

Jumping up, he seems as if he's about to lunge at me until he turns around and presses his face against the window. ''I'm sorry, Dallas, I really am, but there's a distinction between fabulous and smearing your face with something that doesn't need to be used to make you pretty. You can be pretty without the makeup, look at yourself without painting a mask.''

''You clown!'' Dallas shouts, throwing a tantrum like a child. He hops up and down and scoffs. ''How rude!'' With that, he storms off out of the room with puffed up cheeks and an offended facial expression. He begins to yell once he leaves the room, and his words slowly drift apart. ''Idiotic District children, always so rude and illmannered and..!''

They fade away.

''Anyway,'' Dalan moves on. ''We'd like to learn a couple of things about you two. If you wouldn't mind, would like to introduce yourselves?''

Bree keeps herself preoccupied in her food and takes small bites in her donut. She chews slowly and effortlessly. We both stay quiet, but I start brainstorming to find out something interesting about myself to share with the others. I'd love to get to meet them all more properly, and I guess the only way to do that is to start by going first, maybe?

''Like, just anything you want, really,'' Alexias smiles. ''Whatever you want to mention. There's no limit, we're just curious to learn about you two to see how we can make all of this work together.''

''Well, I, um, I have two siblings named Vito and Talita – they're twins – and I love them both to pieces, but sometimes I really want to avoid them. Vito's the snarky one who I wish would grow out of his phase the most, and Talita's the more harsh one who says a lot of terrible things.''

''Oh, go on?''

''I love helping people, I've always seen it as an act of kindness to show them that you're there to support them and help them out,'' I begin to grow a flow. ''I don't mind when they rely on me to help them out, I don't like seeing people in terrible situations, I like bouncing up at the situation whenever I can to make sure that people are feeling okay, and I used to love exploring District Six and going out to play with one of my best friends but...''

Bree quickly looks up at me just as I stop talking, seeming interested by my sudden stop but wanting me to continue. But my flow has perished.

''But?'' Alexias asks. ''Sweetie, continue, please. We'd love to hear more about this. You have us all locked around your finger now. You don't have to continue if you don't want to, but we're captivated...''

Sighing, I put my plate down and bestow the rest of my sentence. ''S-She wasn't j-just my best friend,'' I begin to grow emotional. ''She was my sister, a-and I loved her to bits. But she... She's no longer here with me. With anyone, actually. She... She's gone.''

The entire room becomes surrounded with a perpetual feeling of sorrow. Maybe it's just me, but I don't really feel anything around us anymore. Maybe it was just how the moment was brought up, or maybe it's what I was reminded of when speaking about myself. Either way, I don't really want to continue.

''Bree?'' I turn. ''If you don't mind, I'd love to hear a couple of things about you.''


Ceres Golovin, 12 District Twelve Female


''Wow!'' Ocelot is so fascinated in Jay – our Escort. This is his first year being an Escort, but he seems like a professional. Ocelot sits right next to him, following his exact movements as Jay stops just as a fork and a meatball are halfway into his mouth.

I consider getting up and leaving the room, but I don't do so only because our Mentors told us to stay put for a little bit. Calieh told me that he was going to talk to me individually, but he was evidently sick when he started coughing roughly, balls of spit flying out of his mouth in a disgusting manner.

Pulling the hood of the jacket over my head, I sit and censor myself away from Ocelot and Jay. It's like I mentally block out their communcation and leave myself in a dead-set creepy environment. Being Reaped replays over and over again in my head, from the moment I just abruptly thought that it couldn't have possibly been me that was called, to the moment where I just fell and wailed.

I try to get up, using my weak, trembling arms as support, and I stand, until my shaky legs collapse and bring me down to the floor instantly. My arms smack against the table full of delicacies. Instead of getting back up, I let my sore body just lie there on the floor.

The only thing that I do is curl up against the table legs and hold my jacket around me – my dirty white jacket, where all of my disheveled hair straps itself onto. Mentally, I'm screaming. I have to bury my face in the dingy fabric of my jacket sleeves to muffle the little noises.

I'm struck by a feeling of falling – falling into some deep dark pit full of assorted poisonous insects. Nothing feels the same. The world just doesn't seem stable anymore. How could someone possibly do this to others? It's been a hundred and seventy-five years! Surely you'd think something like this would have been over with ages ago, but no! And now I'm being sentenced to my death! And what for?!

Jay approaches me and places a hand on the back of my shoulder. He picks me up and places my arms around his shoulders, then places me back down on the coach where I lie there, shivering. Sitting next to me, he begins to poke my shoulder until I respond. ''Are you okay?''

''N-No...'' I swipe my jacket sleeve across my nose. My snot sticks onto my jacket sleeve, which is disgusting to all three of us, especially Ocelot – he went as far as to shout out 'Ew!' from the other side of the room. Though, neither him nor I should be disgusted by this. We originate from District Twelve, where things are ten times worse than boogers. ''I'm sorry.''

''Don't be.'' Jay walks out of the room and back in a couple of seconds, with a roll of paper towels this time. He rips out at least five of them and cleans up my sleeve for me. I thank him and he says, ''Don't worry about it.'' We sit there awkwardly for a couple of minutes, but then he begins speaking again. ''Were you crying because of being Reaped? Again..?''

Nodding my head, I let out a small mhm and try to hold back more tears from falling as I crinkle my nose. ''Listen,'' Jay instructs. ''Don't cry. You're acting as if you're already dead. You haven't seen either of the other tributes yet, or made it into the Arena. Don't act like it's over, there's no reason to cry early on.''

''Yes, I know,'' I say kindly. ''But I'm not stupid, Jay. I may not be the smartest kid out there, but I know that a twelve-year-old like me doesn't stand a chance in these Games.'' I snivel. ''There are always Careers with bloodlust in their eyes, and even some stronger Outer District tributes. How am I supposed to compete against them?''

''Ceres, have faith in yourself,'' he commands. ''Okay, yes, there are always the Careers that everyone in the Capitol roots for and spends money to sponsor, and maybe District Twelve children usually don't do all too well,'' he stares at me with a weak smile. ''But the only reason why that happens is because you guys don't believe in yourselves. I can ask any Escort who's ever spoken to a District Twelve child and they would all say that Twelve tributes had no hope and always gave up. But you, I see something in you, and Ocelot, too. You both have the strength to go far, if only you believe in it. You can be the underdogs!''

Smiling, I begin to fiddle with my fingers. ''Well...''

''No wells, Ceres.'' Jay takes me by my hand. ''You can't—''

''How can you cry in front of a Capitolite?!'' Ocelot looks dumbfounded. ''I mean, they're great! He's right, this is why we really don't ever get anything. Inferiors like you from Twelve always make a fool out of themselves whenever they're around such greatnes—''

''Ocelot, now is not the time,'' Jay warns. Ocelot quiets down and smiles, nods his head, and takes a seat. ''Now, listen up, the both of you. Ocelot, we've talked, you're a smart kid. You have the analytical thinking thing down, I know that. Ceres, you're an adorable little girl. You and Ocelot are both mature for your ages, and both intelligent in your own ways.''

''Thank you,'' we both say at the same time.

''I don't want to see either of you crying, especially not you, Ceres,'' Jay pats my cheeks. ''When you're in those Games, don't think that you can't survive. Twelve year olds are just as likely to win as eighteen-year-old trained killers, okay?''

Jay gets back up and takes his seat next to Ocelot. I can't help but start thinking rationally – it's just who I am, someone who looks evenly for the pros and cons of a situation. He's right, maybe we do have a chance at winning. District Twelve has Victors – most of them are dead now, but we still have Victors. They won for a reason, because they didn't give up. They fought against the Careers, they fought against the other tributes, they fought against the Capitol. And even though they went through Hell and back, they still powered through, and that's inspiring.

But then again, there's only been one twelve-year-old Victor in the Games' history. She's currently Mentoring the District Five tributes, but she won because the Games destroyed her. People who were once like her, innocent and sweet, had to go through suffering and pain. And District Twelve hasn't had a Victor in almost eighty years. So when you add that with District Twelve's losing streak, with almost ninety tribute bodies counted in Twelve overall, and our Mentors being two elders who have most likely forgotten their older strategies, one of us winning this year is a very slim chance to none.

But Jay is right, we've gotta have some faith. I gotta to have some faith. ''Hey, Jay,'' I grab his attention. Both him and Ocelot look at me at the same time. ''Thank you.''

''Anything for you, honey,'' he states, and then begins to finish his meal. Ocelot pays attention to him closely and follows his exact movements. ''Do you still want to learn how to use a knife and fork properly, Ocelot?''

''Yes, Sir! I mean, yes, Sir, please,'' Ocelot says. It's nice to see the both of them together like that, smiling and having fun. I've never seen an Escort like Jay before – one who's kind and considerate and actually takes the time out of their day to reassure a tribute like me that anything is possible. I wish there were more people out in the world like him. He's the type of person who'd stay by your side forever, and you'd want to do the same thing right back.

''Okay, so here's how it goes. You're right handed, I suppose?'' Ocelot nods his head. ''Alright. You hold the fork in your left hand and your knife in your right when cutting your meal, as I'm doing now with this meatball. After cutting the food in half, place your knife down on the edge of your plate, it's proper, and switch your fork to your right hand to eat, with the tines facing upwards.''

''Like this?'' Ocelot exerts his energy to copy the exact same thing that Jay has done.

''Just like that!'' Jay holds his hand up and Ocelot high-fives it, a large grin on his face. Ocelot notices me staring through his peripheral vision and his smile fades, as does mine. ''There's a second way to do this as well. It's almost the exact same thing, except people in the Capitol tend to use this way more because the fork remains in your left hand, and the knife helps coax your food onto your fork. The tines remain facing downwards this time. Like... this.'' Jay observes Ocelot properly cutting up his food and hollers proudly, praising him for his valiant efforts. ''Ceres, would you like to try as well?''

Shaking my head, I place my chin onto both of my fists as I lean against my knees. Jay continues, though. ''I would teach you how to drink properly, but you're too young to drink.''

''It's okay, I can drink when I'm older and live in the Capitol!''

Assuming he lives that long, reality sinks in just as I was about to smile at his hopes and dreams. I shake those thoughts away from my mind and continue to observe Jay holding out his pinky as he holds up the stemware and fills his cup half-full with red whine. ''Don't fill the cup all the way, that's trashy not classy. You also don't just drink whine, you have to pair it with an aroma of food that matches the flavor.''

Jay goes on about how whine goes good with certain types of foods, especially cheese, apparently, and reaches his arm out to take a stick of mozarella cheese. Ocelot looks to grab it for him, but in the action, he accidentally elbows Jay's hand and causes Jay to spill the stemware with the whine all over himself. ''Oh, my God, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!''

''It's fine,'' Jay reassures. He looks around for something to dry himself off with, but there's nothing around. I get up with the paper towels that he grabbed for me and walk over to him with them. The whine is spilled all over the top of his outfit, drenched around the bottom of neck where his chest is located, and around his shoulders. I quickly begin to pat down the whine until at least three-fourths of the paper towels have been used and Jay's shirt isn't that wet anymore.

''Wow, thanks,'' Jay smiles at me. I tell him that it's no problem, that I don't mind helping people out. It's nice to be kind to anyone whenever I can be, and I'll always do my best to help out. Ocelot tries to pick up both of the plates by himself to move them away from everyone else, but with his unsteady balance and the sharp knives both on the edges of the plates, it looks like they're about to fall off and bury themselves in his chest.

One knife ends up tipping, and I quickly remove the plate from his grip as I yell, ''No!'' He's taken aback and loses his proper balance, tipping backwards towards me. This is like a trust fall situation, except the knife is being tipped closer towards me rather than him. It's either hold Ocelot up and save him from getting his head slammed into the ground, or get myself stabbed.

I choose self-preservation and remove myself from the area of where a potential accident could've occurred. Ocelot is about to slam hard against the floor until Jay comes in clutch and pulls him up, right before the impact would've happened. And it's like Joydin appeared from thin air because she pops up out of nowhere. She grabs the knife that's about to land right in front of my feet and places it on the table.

''Looks like this old lady's still got some skills,'' she smiles. Tilting her head back and forth, she says: ''It seems like you've all gotten to meet each other already. That's nice, but please be more careful next time. I love all three of you and really don't want to see either of you hurt already. Yes, that includes you, Jay.'' Jay blushes a little and stutters. Joydin begins laughing weakly and then comes to a slow stop. ''Ceres, Calieh will be out in just a minute or two. He's currently recovering from his pain medication. But when he does return, we have questions we want to ask the both of y... you!'' She coughs.

I pat her back softly and hold her hand as soon as I reach her, trying to get her to sit down. Once I do, I stand up with my hands on my hips and sigh. Ocelot gets my attention by quickly standing up and tapping my shoulder. He stands right in front of me, his eyes meeting mine, and asks, ''Why'd you save me? From the first incident, I mean.''

It doesn't take me that much time to find the appropriate words to say.

''Because we're District Partners. And whether we're allies or not, I'll always stay loyal and do the best I can to help out people who've come from my own District.''

Though that might not happen during the Games. My partners, who would be my main priority then, would be the people that I'd stay the most loyal to in the end. But even then, if I ever see Ocelot in the Arena, I hope he knows that I'd always help someone from home out. And that means him.

''And you know that you were trying too hard to get on good terms with Jay, right? He likes you already. That's why the accident occurred initially, because you weren't being you. Just be yourself, don't try too hard to be exactly like him, add your own little twist to wanting to be a Capitolite. Don't forget about the things you learned from home.''

He can trust me. I'd never let anything bad happen to anyone here – on this train, right now – as long as I can prevent it.


A/N: Ayeeee! So there's a lot to say, but I'm not going to because school ended yesterday and the first day of summer has officially started, and I don't wanna spend it writing out paragraphs about some random crap that's happened in my life on this A/N. So, just want to apologize about Zeppelin's POV being larger than the rest. I kinda really got into the flow of writing him, and it was absolute fun. Hopefully I did him right? (I should rephrase that) Ahahaaa, his creator knows who he is... Ahaaaaaa. Hopefully I wrote all of your tributes right so far. Don't hesitate to call me out if I fucked them up. And hopefully you can tell, but I had so much fun writing all four of these tributes. Especially Blush and Zepp, these Careers have this thing, man. Idk, I'm enjoying this a yeah! Enough of me talking, onto the questions. Same old, same old.

This is nothing new, maybe in a different order now? I don't know, I tend to forget. Buttt, I'm not rereading this A/N. So much stuff to do, y'know? But since it is summer, you can expect more frequent updates (hopefully), so I'll do my best to get much quicker chapters out. Especially because I really want to get into the Games, because I have sooooo many ideas for all of these tributes already and have my deaths planned out and who goes through that tought ass development and everything and I'm just so hype to get down to business and start the BB, so I might mix some chapters into one. Like having the Chariot Ride prepartions and Chariot Rides in whole together in one chapter. Some shit like that. Anyway...


Thoughts on each tribute?

Favorite POV/tribute?

Least favorite POV/tribute?

So, with four more tributes added to the list, I'd love to see who some early predictions on each tribute? Or, just, like, who you think would be a top 5 out of the 20 tributes you've seen so far?

I hope everyone's having a great day. This isn't a question, but just a friendly... saying? Idk, but yeah. :)


Anyway, I'm done for now. Yup, gotta go outside, spend time with friends, get that six pack that I've been wanting for eight years of my life after constant hardwork with basketball practice and games but it seems like this childish boy who looks like he's eight (me) can never gain that strong muscle and has to stick with being that average body size. Nooo. And I can't forget about slaying hoes on 2K. So yeah, that's all for now. I'm gonna hate getting phone calls from coach saying, ''Get to the courts in five minutes for practice.'' But yeah, enough about my first world problems. See y'all next time. Bye! ^-^