EDIT: I sincerely apologize. I confused the naming between districts one and two, I thought district two made the gems and jewels and luxury items but my memory evidently failed me again, which is no surprise really. Anyways, for those of you who read the names and remembered them, and were thereby confused by them, I apologize. I will make it up to you with awesome chapters up ahead.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Once Remembered

It will never again be forgotten.

Part One – The Reaping

Chapter Ten

I'd fallen asleep myself against the door, I woke with the sun on my face. That meant there was only a couple more hours of the train ride left. I got up and stretched finally noticing the dry blood down my arm.

My eyes widened as I grasped just how much blood I'd lost. I stumbled a little because I was a little faint. Then I saw the floor and saw that the blood pool was a little bigger than I had expected too, it'd slid under the door.

Shit.

I pushed the desk away and ran to the bathroom for a towel. I snapped the door open and Theo fell back into the remained of the small blood pool. He'd been asleep.

He snapped awake before he hit the ground but didn't get a chance to save himself. We stood frozen at the doorway before I got my senses back to clean the spot where Theo had been sitting. He had cleaned the blood outside. He knew.

I closed the door then and walked around to clean up my mess. Theo stood frozen by the door. He just stared at me with unwavering eyes. He was worried. He was worried. "Take a shower," I suggested as I washed down the floor. He did as I said and started his shower. I cleaned up the mess meanwhile. Because there was only one washroom in my room and I couldn't risk going outside to be found out, Theo had to leave the washroom open. I kept my eyes from the shower, but his silhouette was more palpable than it should have been.

Theo finished his shower quickly and found me sitting on the bed waiting for my turn. "Stay away from me Theo. We are enemies, if you survive long enough, I'm going to be the one who will kill you." I emphasized in case he didn't know what the word meant.

His eyes were sad, he looked like he wanted to say something to me. I could tell he was about to tell me whatever was hurting him so much too, but he changed his mind at the last moment. He couldn't say anything, just like how I couldn't. We were at stalemate.

"What happened between you and Siena?"

"Do you ever listen to anything I say? Stay away from me. What happened between me and her is none of your business. You have better things to worry about than your enemy." I said warily. I walked passed him to the washroom.

He reached for my hand but I pulled away, expecting it.

"I always listen to what you say. You're the one who never listens."

"I'm everybody's fool aren't I? Well, well! Isn't that simply peachy? You must all be geniuses!"

Theo's eyes widened. "Melanie. You know that's not what I—"

"Shut up." I spat. "I don't want to hear you say these things anymore. You're annoying. You're so annoying you don't even know it. I hate you. Do you want me to spell it out for you? I hate you. I don't know why you volunteered, but you're nothing but trouble for me. You should just kill yourself now to save me the trouble."

I finally hit something. Theo took a weak step back, away from me. "Melanie. I volunteered because…"

I waited. "Because?"

"I can't Melanie. I… can't…" His head drooped down and I wondered… I wondered if he was crying. I'd never seen him cry, and was tempted to force his head up just to see. Theo backed away quietly and was leaning to the door when he finally lifted his head.

He was smiling.

"I'll see you later." He murmured softly, and then disappeared closing the door behind him.

That smile. That stupid smile. I had my hands in my hair and I wanted to pull it all out. He was going to drive me insane. How was I supposed to follow the orders my father had given me with him loitering around with a smile that made me want to kill myself. Kill myself for hurting him. He did nothing wrong, in fact he did too much right. I was the one who didn't belong, I was holding him back.

I turned on the television to watch the reaping in the rest of the districts, Winter sat on the bed with me. After my shower I had gone to see her and accepted her as my mentor. I was making a big deal out of nothing. Winter was fine, whatever judgments I had made was gone from my brain. She was the only one left, and I was tired of neglect. I'd known too much of it.

District One:

Sapphire Fuere – Female – 17

Maxim Newlorn – Male – 18

District Two:

Delara Retch – Female – 18

Malphite "Mal" Gesto – Male – 18

District Three:

Enerem Helt – Female – 16

Cirk Wellenatreno – Male – 15

District Four:

Melanie "Lainy" Savie – Female – 17

Theodore Echovern – Male – 17

District Five:

Jillian Dathel – Female – 17

Heath Peltor – Male – 18

District Six:

Rinsh Telmore – Female – 18

Engenne Westley – Male – 18

District Seven:

Willow Boeheth – Female – 17

Light Valen – Male – 16

District Eight:

Gardien "Rini" Qualen – Female – 16

Samier Yorick – Male – 18

District Nine:

Carmen Deite – Female – 17

Flavir Jules – Male – 17

District Ten:

Sache Rewill – Female – 18

Buddy "Bud" Gutnick – Male – 16

District Eleven:

Caitlyn Melville – Female - 17

Jeremiah Ficker – Male – 18

District Twelve:

Laura Whitler – Female – 18

Liam Zelphe – Male – 18

Then just as we finished the videos, we hit the heart of Panem, the Capitol.

Millions of hands flew in the air, waving. The window in my room was tinted so they couldn't see me but I saw several bulletin boards in my name. Winter had already informed me that I'd become a favorite. Winter rushed me into the lounge where everyone was already settled. Theo was waving out the window, and several girls were screaming at his sight.

Even I was surprised at the cheer when I showed my face. I was just peeking out the window but they saw me and they pointed and waved and screamed devotions.

"Lainy! Lainy! Lainy!" They chanted. How did they know that name?

I saw my face on several poster boards, it was so weird I couldn't even find it in me to be flattered. I smiled anyways at the foolish Capitol people and waved back. They were so gleeful to see me. I was disgusted by them however, many of them were obese, they looked like pigs. Make-up filled their entire face without the horror of even a shred of their real skin.

They were fake too the core, like most other things in Panem. Everything was so fake. The train was already slowing, but I saw the crowd excite as it came to a complete stop. I had a feeling I would have been ripped apart piece by piece if not for the railings that kept the people back. Hardly.

"Oh my darlings!" Nelly murmured just as the train stopped, she sounded like she'd fallen in love. I turned to her and realized she had. Winter had dressed me up like a doll in a white dress that emphasized my hair color. Everything emphasized my hair. Theo was in a lazy polo and bagged jeans, he looked like he was in perfect contrast to me. He didn't care at all, while I cared too much. "You two look absolutely marvelous!"

I bowed to Nelly lightly, holding up my dress and she squealed. If all the Capitol people were as easy to please as her, then I knew I definitely had the cat in the bag.

Nelly led me and Theo into the sun. I had to take a moment to adjust my eyes to the blazing light, but in time I could see again. I had seen the Capitol many times, most of them were on television through the Hunger Games that were mandatory for us all to watch. I had thought it was plastic then.

Other times I saw the Capitol was when my father talked to some official over a webcam. The Capitol people walked around with high tech laptops or equipment where they could basically do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. My father recorded everything, and often went over important conversations. I thought it was plastic those times too.

Now, as I stand in heels that Winter had me wear, a dress that swayed with the wind, and eyes that took in every detail, I still think the entire city is plastic. If you think calling it plastic is an insult, then you are mistaken. There are too many worse words, that stain my mind for even the thoughts, for me to use in description for the city. Sure it had a beauty of some sort, but it didn't reach me.

It was like I had lived in a cave my entire life, and outside my little cave was a beautiful mansion with things I couldn't even dream of, right there. I would be disgusted by it, by the ugly thoughts that created such a mansion. I looked up to the skyscrapers, I was disgusted by the ugly thoughts that had created the city. It was nothing to behold, it was just plastic trash.

I forced a smile on my face as Nelly led me and Theo into the Training Centre. There the real test would soon begin, and I would need to win my audience over absolutely and positively. I was here to win, and there was nothing that was going to stop me. My resolve had been returned. I walked on ahead of Theo.

- END OF PART ONE -

Author's Note

I will kill someone if I have to come up with another name. I will.

Edit: Be strong for Melanie! Keep on reading, and leave me a review while you're at it! They tell me that you care ;_;

-creativename