Maliara Rocht's POV

Ah. I could watch him all day. Alden Bart from District 3. I know it's weird that I'm crushing on a twelve year-old, but he's so dreamy. I'm definitely watching him in the Games.

Someone clicks his fingers, and I snap out of my dream world. It's James. He pushes me onto my bed and orders me to get dressed. He throws a loaf of bread into my face and tells me it's breakfast.

My reaping outfit is really beautiful. It's handcrafted with a pale yellow fabric and some bright golden thread. It reflects the grain industry in our district.

I slip it on and walk into the lounge area of our small home. My father is nowhere to be seen. Ever since my mother died while giving birth to me, he's never been the same. I think it's why he rejects me so much.

All I have is James. He's pushy at times, but overall he's a goofy, friendly person. I don't know what life would be like without him. Horrible, I imagine.

James walks over to me and whispers in my ear. "Where's your sweet little Alden?" Damn. He found out a few days ago and he's abusing me with it. I really feel lie punching him in the face right now. But I restrain myself. That's what I'm good at. Displaying false innocence.

I go to the backyard of our house. It's where I feel comfortable. I have my weights and my rocks to practice with. I pick up the 5-kilogram weight and begin to lift it. I feel great as my muscles flex with every lift. It's what I'm good at.

After a grueling ten minutes of lifting, I drop the weight and pick up a rock. It feels about 4.5 kilograms, so I prepare myself for it. My target is positioned ten metres away. I throw it with force, and it smashes into the center of the target.

I hear it in an instant. The Reaping siren. I take one last throw of a rock and hit the target perfectly again. I wave goodbye to my possessions, as there is a small chance that I'll never see them again.

I give my brother a huge hug, and I tell him I'll be fine. I feel a tear drop onto my shoulder, and I squeeze him very tight. Then I walk out the door, unsure if I'll ever see this place again.

Vex Haynes' POV

I tell Noelle and Lucy to punch me in the stomach. They do, and I don't feel a thing. All the endless hours of work in the fields have given me a well-built body that can withstand a lot.

"How do you do that, Vex?" Noelle asks. I simply smile and give her a wink. She makes a confused face and walks off. Lucy does the same. Gotta love little sisters. Skylar calls out to the girls, but I still go. I need to talk to her.

When I walk into the kitchen, the girls are eating. Skylar is frying something up, but I'm unsure what it is. I walk over to her and give her a hug.

Our parents died in a grain fire. A flame let loose and the dry crops were turned to ash. Our parents were in that field and they didn't know what hit them. The hospital tried to heal their burns, but it was too much. That was two years ago.

Ever since then, Skylar has been there for us. She has turned into our mother. She cooks, cleans, washes, feeds and generally cares for us. I don't know where we would be without her.

"What's up, Vex?" she inquires. I give her a smile and another huge hug. "I have a bad feeling that I'll be reaped today."

Skylar looks at me sympathetically and tries to smile. "Vex, if you are reaped, I know you can win it. You're the sort of person that could make it through."

I thank her for her words of encouragement and sit down to eat the mysterious fried thing. It turns out to be something called French toast. It's sweet yet slightly savory at the same time. Yummy.

I go into my room to get dressed. The outfit that has been laid out for me is amazing. The shirt and pants are designed with intricate little patterns made of thread. I wonder how Skylar got her hands on this.

The siren calls out to the District 9 children. I quickly slip on the outfit and say a few goodbyes. First to Noelle and Lucy, and then to Skylar. As I leave, I see the teardrops begin to flow from Skylar's eyes.

Maliara Rocht's POV

I see our escort, Ronald Dimple, pull out a name from the girls bowl. "District 9's female tribute is…" I feel it coming. He'll say my name. I'm sure of it.

"Maliara Rocht."

I knew it was coming. It always was. I walk up onto the stage solemnly. I shake hands with Ronald and look out at the other girls. I can see the relief in their faces. Unfortunately, I can't share that with them.

Vex Haynes' POV

Maliara seems emotionless. I guess she's putting herself in the right frame of mind for this thing. Ronald walks over to the other bowl and snatches a name from the top.

"Vex Haynes."

The world seems to slow down as I feel myself leaving District 9 behind. I slowly walk up onto the stage. I have horrid visions. Visions of my family crying for me. Visions of them being tortured. I force it out of my mind.

Then Maliara and I are taken away, never to see it again.