Glaze Woodthrow, 14
Glaze woke up. He got out of his bed in the dormitory and wandered over to the cabinet where the boys kept their clothes. Glaze pulled out a shirt and pants and got dressed. Then, he opened the dormitory door, slamming it on his way down to breakfast.
Glaze stomped into the cafeteria. He got his food from the counter and looked for a table. Since he had gotten down late, none were free. He walked over to a couple of little kids.
"Get up, I'm sitting here." he said.
"But we're still eating." said one of them.
"I said get up." he growled. Why wouldn't they get up? Glaze bent down and grabbed one of them, shoving the kid out of his seat. Glaze sat down and started eating his breakfast. His toast was cold. He hated it when his stuff was cold. Couldn't the idiots keep it warm long enough for him to finish sleeping? Glaze banged his hand on the table in frustration. However, that did nothing but hurt his hand. Stupid table, hurting his hand like that.
Glaze left his gross cold breakfast on the table and walked out of the cafeteria. While walking out, he ran into his little brother, Alder.
"Idiot! How many times have I told you? Never touch me!" Glaze grabbed Alder's shoulders and shook him. He raised his hand, ready to slap his brother in the face, when Alder opened his mouth.
"I'm going to volunteer." Alder said.
"What? You're not allowed. I won't let you!" Glaze yelled.
"You can't exactly stop me." said his brother. Glaze settled for slapping his brother in the face. As Alder clutched his face and walked away, Glaze let out a yell of anger. Why was everyone always leaving? His parents died, and now Alder was going to too! Didn't they love him? They were supposed to love him! Everyone should love him! And not leave him! Ever! Glaze went to go back to his room, but was blocked by one of the orphanage staff.
"It's time to leave for the Reapings." she told him. Glaze turned around and headed for the orphanage door instead. There was a large group of kids crowded by the door. He couldn't see Alder, but he had to be there somewhere. Hard to volunteer without going to the Reapings. He felt a tug on his shirt and turned around. It was a small child, maybe four. "
What?" Glaze asked.
"Where are we going?" the kid asked.
"The Reapings, you idiot. Now stop asking me questions." he answered. The kid walked away. Ugh. Glaze hated the little kids. They were so annoying, always asking stupid questions like 'what's a toenail made of'. How was he supposed to know? The group started to walk out of the building. The kids were crowded together, so people kept bumping into him. Didn't they know not to touch him? He hated being touched.
Glaze pushed through a group of younger kids until he was a few feet to the right of the rest of the group. He began to walk again, now that he had some personal space. Glaze wandered off towards the Reaping Centre. He didn't need to follow the others, he wasn't five or something. When he got to the Centre, he went to stand in line. There were a bunch of other kids in front of him. That was annoying, he hated waiting. Stupid other kids, getting here first. Glaze stepped on the heel of the girl in front of him.
"Hey! What was that for!" she shouted.
"Being in front of me." Glaze said. A little while later, Glaze got to the front of the line. The Peacekeeper had to prick his finger. Again with people touching him! He touched other people, not vice versa! He headed over to the fourteen-year-old boys' section. He wondered if any of these other boys thought they'd volunteer. Given it was a bunch of teenage boys, probably. But Alder was planning to. But Alder wasn't going to either. Alder didn't get to leave him… even if it meant he had to leave Alder.
The District 7 escort, Livia Wyss, walked onstage. Also on stage were the mayor and the Victors, including mentors Waverly Brennan and Acker Benjamin. The mayor played the video that was played every year. Glaze picked at his fingernails. Stupid boring video. Finally, the video ended and Livia walked to the front of the stage.
"May I have the male volunteer?" she asked. Glaze raised his hand. He couldn't let Alder go, he wasn't allowed to leave. Only Glaze was. Livia pointed at him.
"Come on up to the stage!" Livia shouted. Glaze walked up to the stage. He took the microphone from Livia.
"Glaze Woodthrow." he said, scowling.
Acacia Londerdottir, 12
Acacia felt someone shaking her shoulder. Really, she was trying to sleep. She rolled over. She felt a tug on her hair. Ugh, Ash. Acacia opened her eyes.
"Stop it, Ash." she told her brother.
"Acacia, it's time to wake up." her older brother said. Acacia sat up and looked over at Ash.
"Do I have to?" she asked.
"Well, it's kind of legally required to attend the Reapings." said Ash.
"Fine." Acacia said. She got out of bed. She went over to the closet to get dressed. She looked over at her brother.
"Are you going to leave the room so I can get dressed or not?" she said.
"Oops. Sorry." Ash replied, hurrying out of their bedroom. Acacia opened her drawer and looked for her Reaping dress. Ash's shirt… Ash's socks… Ash's pants… why did he keep putting his clothes in her drawer? It made it hard to find things. Acacia finally found her Reaping dress and put it on. She grabbed a rubber band, put her hair in a ponytail, and left her bedroom. She headed downstairs to see what there was for breakfast. Acacia's mom, Tracey, was already in the kitchen.
"Morning Acacia. You slept in again. Your brother was up by seven-thirty, you know." her mom said.
"Seven-thirty! Who would want to wake up that early! I don't get morning people. At all." Acacia said. Her mom and Ash always got up early, but Acacia was definitely more of a night owl.
"People in Iceland woke up early." Acacia's mom replied. Acacia's family apparently came from this really old country called Iceland. Her mom was kind of obsessive about it, always trying to get them to be like people from Iceland. Like, the place hadn't existed for ages. Why did her mom like it so much?
"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? We don't live in Iceland." Acacia said. Acacia sat down at the kitchen table to eat her breakfast. Once she had finished eating, she wandered off to her bedroom. She picked up her assigned book from school. Technically she wasn't supposed to read ahead, but it wasn't like she had anything better to do.
Once Acacia was about halfway through the chapter, her mom called her downstairs. She marked her page and went downstairs.
"Are you two ready for the Reapings?" her mom asked.
"Yeah, Mom." Ash said.
"Yeah, me too." said Acacia.
They left their house and began the walk to the Reaping Centre. Once they got to the Reaping Centre, Ash and Acacia separated from their mom to go stand in line. While Acacia was in line, she felt someone moving behind her. She turned around to see her friend Vesa.
"Hi Vesa!" she said.
"Acacia, I need to tell you something." Vesa said.
"What is it, Vesa?" she asked.
"Mom and Dad told me I had to - had to volunteer! Acacia, I don't want to go!" said Vesa.
"You don't have to, Vesa. Your parents can't force you to raise your hand. Someone else will go." Acacia told her.
"No, they won't. My parents already told a bunch of people that I'm going to volunteer. They said to make sure nobody else does." Vesa replied.
"So? That just means the Peacekeepers will make someone go, most likely not you." Acacia said.
"I don't want that. I don't want it to be my fault that some random kid gets picked. I have to go." Vesa said.
"No. You don't. I do." Acacia replied. Vesa stared at her for a few seconds.
"What? Acacia, no!" said Vesa.
"Vesa. I'm going. Not you. This is not your fault. Someone has to go anyway." Acacia said.
"You're sure?" Vesa asked.
"I'm sure." replied Acacia. Ash, Vesa, and her reached the front of the check-in line. Ash got checked in first, then her and Vesa. The two girls went off to the twelve-year-old girls' section. They waited for a few moments before the escort, Livia Wyss, came onstage. Acacia half-watched as she played the video. Livia turned the video off and asked for the male volunteer. Acacia didn't recognize the boy tribute, but he said his name was Glaze Woodthrow. Then, Livia took the microphone again.
"Can I please have the female volunteer?" Acacia hesitated for a few seconds. Maybe someone else would go? But nobody else raised their hand. So, Acacia raised her hand and walked up to the stage. Once she got up there, Livis handed her the microphone. Acacia took it and said her name.
"Acacia Londerdottir." she said.
Glaze Woodthrow, 14
After Glaze shook hands with the girl, a Peacekeeper led him to a small room. He sat down in one of the chairs. He didn't exactly know what this room was for. Probably some sort of waiting area before they took him to the Capitol. A few minutes later, his brother Alder came in. What was he doing here? Were they taking him to the Capitol too? That didn't make sense. There was another kid with him. Glaze had seen him once or twice in the orphanage, but he didn't know anything about him.
"Rowan, meet my brother Glaze. Glaze, this is my boyfriend, Ash." Glaze was furious. His brother had a boyfriend? And didn't tell him? His brother wasn't allowed to date, let alone other boys, let alone without telling Glaze! Glaze yelled and ran at Alder. Almost immediately, though, a Peacekeeper came into the room and grabbed him. Alder and Rowan left.
"By the way, Glaze, I was never going to volunteer. I just wanted to get rid of you." said Alder on his way out. Glaze screamed at the top of his lungs. People were supposed to love him! And do what he wanted! Why didn't they realize that?
Acacia Londerdottir, 12
Acacia shook hands with Glaze and followed a Peacekeeper to a room. She sat down in a chair. It was only a minute or so before her mom, Ash, Vesa, and her other friend Aspen burst into the room. Ash and her mom ran over to her first.
"Acacia! What are you doing?" cried her mom.
"Vesa's parents were going to make her volunteer. I went instead." Acacia explained.
"Well, okay, I guess. But what about you?" said Ash.
"I'll try my best." said Acacia. Her mom and brother gave her a hug, then left the room. Aspen came over to talk to her.
"Well, I'll make sure Ash doesn't mess with your things while you're gone." he said.
"Can you tell him not to put his clothes in my drawer? It's hard to find anything." she said.
"I'll do that. Can you not die?" he asked.
"I'll do that." said Acacia. Aspen left the room. Vesa was the last to talk to Acacia.
"Thank you. You didn't have to do that, you know." she said.
"Yes, I did. I wasn't just going to let your parents make you volunteer." Acacia told her.
"But now you have to go." Vesa said.
"At least I chose to." said Acacia.
"Here. Take this. My parents wanted it to be my token, but..." Vesa handed her a green beaded bracelet.
"Thanks, Vesa." she said, sliding the bracelet onto her wrist. One of the Peacekeepers called from the hall to say their time was up.
"Bye Acacia." Vesa said.
"Bye Vesa." replied Acacia.
A/N: What did you think of those two? Predictions? Thanks to Emily-Owl99 for Glaze and Annabeth Pie for Acacia.
