Sapphire Wilkes, District 1 Girl

Necali Reinerston, District 1 Boy

Life Before The Reaping

Necali Reinerston, 18

One knife, two knives, three knives, and the fourth knife flew out of the room when the door suddenly opened and the intruder had to duck to keep it from piercing in his skull. Sasha Reinerston sent his eldest son a fierce glare just as Necali's fourth knife sunk in the opposite wall.

"Care to explain why the hell you're throwing knives at your bedroom door?" Necali's father snapped his eyes filled with the intensity of anger.

"You were the one who told me to keep practicing for the games, father. Why would I even dare to disobey your word?" Necali said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You talk properly to your father, boy!" Sasha growled.

Suddenly, Necali's fifth knife came hurtling towards Sasha and he ducked once again, looking back to watch it sink in the opposite wall beside the fourth knife.

"Oops," Necali drawled.

In rage, Sasha stomped his way to his son who uninterestedly stared back with his olive green eyes and lazily raked his hand through his golden-brown hair.

"Is that what they teach you in the training center, you filthy piece of –"

"No, it's not what they teach in the godforsaken training center because I don't give a crap with what they teach there and I do and act what and how I want and I don't want you or the idiots in your precious training center to tell me to do otherwise!"

Pushing his father out of the way, Necali trotted down the hall to the staircase. Ignoring his father's calls, he slid down the smooth railing of the stairs until he reached the bottom floor and jumped off, walking briskly towards the front door.

Necali could safely say that District One was definitely one of the most feared and leading competitors in the Hunger Games. They were part of the well-known alliance of the career tributes and for the past four years, the victors participated in that alliance. For Necali, winning would be fairly easy as he's trained his whole life only to have that moment of glory in front of the world as the year's victor for the Games. It's what his father dreamed of for years. Having one of his children hold the name of Reinerston as a victor was what he wished his children would achieve. Obviously since Necali was the first-born, his father tried his very best to prepare him to volunteer at eighteen.

The memory of his father forcing him to enter the training center was still fresh in his head. He was only seven and quite terrified, but he didn't like to show it. Who wouldn't be terrified at seven years old when they were being forced to learn how to use weapons on other people? Necali knew how easy it was to simply drop his weapons and disobey his father, but he didn't really want to become homeless at such a young age.

Without intending to do so, Necali's short walk outside to escape his home led him to District One's training center. Screwing his face up in disgust, he turned to walk away but unluckily, one of his trainers walked out of the building right at that moment and spotted the disgusted blonde.

"Ah, Necali!" he said cheerfully, his dark hair flat on his head and his bright blue eyes shining behind a pair of old spectacles. "I was wondering when you'd show up for today's training!"

"Today is my free day," Necali replied coldly, his voice low and his eyes piercing his trainer's blue ones.

"Is it?" Necali's trainer said sounding genuinely confused. "I didn't know you had free days, Necali! Your father just doesn't seem like the kind of man who would give you breaks from this kind of thing."

"Well, he doesn't know and he's not never going to, am I right, Watzen?" Necali dangerously murmured in Watzen's ear, slightly pulling his knife out of the inner pocket of his jacket and making sure Watzen saw it.

It was very risky to threaten one of the trainers in the training center, but Necali was lucky enough to run into the weakest trainer out of all. Gulping, Watzen nodded shakily and Necali stepped back with a satisfied smile and pocketed his knife once again.

"Very good," Necali said. "Now, what are you going to say if my father asks what I did for training today?"

"He did very well," Watzen said fearfully, his eyes darting from Necali and back to the entrance of the building.

"Precisely."

After finally letting Watzen run back into the training center, Necali turned to walk again, still further away from his home and the hands of his sadistic, controlling father.

The Reaping

Necali Reinerston, 18

Everyone was out and the training center was supposedly closed during Reaping Day. Though after being forced by his father, Necali had to borrow a key from one of the trainers to let himself in and practice with his knives one last time. He brought a few friends with him though and the three friends simply watched him train not looking interested in any way.

"How long do you even have to stay here?" a tall, muscular ginger asked impatiently.

"Maybe we can stay here until after the reaping," Necali said monotonously with a shrug, whipping his arm forward with his sixth knife and he watched it sink in the middle of his target board.

A short, smirking brunette snickered at Necali's words.

"Why suddenly a coward before the reaping, Necali?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Her sentence made Necali stop his throwing and turn to her.

"I am no coward," he hissed, raising his arm and throwing his seventh knife at the same target board without even looking. The seventh knife sunk in beside his sixth and the muscular boy looked reasonably impressed.

"That's not a nice way to talk, Necali," the girl purred with a vicious smile. "How on earth are you supposed to get sponsors that way? I'll probably end up getting more sponsors than you will this year. What do you think, Reg?"

"Quit it, Sapphire," Reg said, rolling his eyes. "As if you can win against Necali."

"You're supposed to agree with me," Sapphire snapped, slapping Reg's muscular arm.

"Just because Necali has anger issues doesn't mean–"

"I don't have anger issues!" Necali snapped hearing a loud thud just as his eighth knife sunk in one of the mannequins in the knife-throwing center.

Not being able to take Reg's stupidity and Sapphire's arrogance, Necali decided to stop his training and finally leave the training center to go to the reaping. Him and Sapphire were volunteering this year and God knows what his father would do to him if he didn't actually show up. He just wanted to get this over with. As he got closer to the reaping square, he finally started to feel the pressure of volunteering. He had to win. He didn't really want an early death and his father was practically telling him he wouldn't be considered as one of his sons if he did not do well and win the games.

After a yawn-worthy speech given by the mayor of District One, the escort Caramel Flay greeted everyone once again with delight. Some citizens cheered with the escort. Caramel was pleased with the reaction, adjusting his insanely printed polo and pulled up his unbelted blue jeans. He walked over to the reaping bowl for the girls and pulled out a name. Barely even reading the name, Sapphire already pushed her way through the crowd and raised her hand with the biggest smirk on her face.

"I volunteer!" she loudly announced, her voice filled with pride.

"Well, come up here and introduce yourself, young lady!" Caramel said excitedly with a huge grin.

"District One, I am Sapphire Wilkes and I will return as your victor," she said confidently into the microphone the moment she stepped on stage.

Necali scowled at his old friend as she stood on stage with determination. He watched Caramel pick a slip from the bowl for boys and he read the name out loud. He let the thirteen year-old sweat a bit, not speaking up to volunteer just yet. He suddenly caught the piercing pale eyes of his father who stood behind the rope that separated the adults and little children from those of reaping age. The message behind his father's piercing gaze was clear. Volunteer now, or you'll be saying goodbye to everything you have.

"Do we have any volunteers?" Caramel's voice echoed in the silence. The young boy already stood on stage, sweating profusely and at the verge of tears.

Taking a deep breath, Necali slowly walked forward with a straight face and his hands deep inside the pockets of his slacks.

"I volunteer," he said loud enough to be heard by everyone, but he didn't shout like Sapphire did.

Necali watched the boy hop down from the stage, obviously relieved. Sighing, Necali walked up to the stage and faced the whole of his district. He didn't dare look into his father's eyes again, but he knew he was still staring.

"Necali Reinerston," he said into the microphone without any fancy promises such as saying he'd return as victor or bringing glory to his district.

Caramel seemed pretty surprised at his short introduction on introducing himself but she let it pass.

"Well, please welcome your tributes, District One! Sapphire Wilkes and Necali Reinerston!"

The Justice Building

Necali Reinerston, 18

His arms crossed and his eyes staring blankly at the door, Necali waited for his parents to come and give him their last words before they finally sent him into the arena like they always wanted. The last thing Necali wanted to do was speak to them as they put him up in this mess, but like always, he had no choice. He didn't want to hear anymore from them since anything they would say would probably just add up to the pressure that was already on his back. Maybe his siblings would come with his parents to visit, but he highly doubted that since they were probably already forced to return to the training center right after the reaping.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Sasha and Opal finally stepped in with their usual scowls on their face.

"You're going to win this, Necali. You must," Opal said.

"He has no choice but to win this," Sasha said in a low tone directed to his wife.

"Indeed," Opal said with a tight nod. "Put all your training into good use and win this for us and for yourself."

"Mostly just for you guys," Necali muttered, refusing to meet his parents stares.

"You believe you wont get anything out of winning this?" Sasha said in disbelief. "Boy, we are talking about a lifetime of riches and glory! How could you say that this would only benefit us? We are doing you a favor here, Necali."

"Well, I don't want your favors! I'm so sick of you trying to run my life just to benefit your own!"

Opal clicked her tongue in disapproval. "Do you really think you are going to win this with that kind of attitude, Necali?"

"If I'm going to win the games, then I'm going to do it my way," Necali snarled, ignoring his mother's comment. "I'm not going to answer to your demands anymore. I'm the one who volunteered, not you."

A peacekeeper then entered the room and announced the end of Sasha and Opal's time with their son.

"Do not even think of embarrassing our family name out there, Necali," Sasha hissed. "Play that game well."

Necali's parents then left the room and the door slammed shut behind them. Sitting down on the couch, Necali let a small smirk grow on his face. Let the games begin, dad.

Hello! Fast update yay! Here's the last reaping chapter! I'm so excited to get into the pre-game stuff like training and the interviews and the chariot rides. Just so you guys know, I put up a poll for your favourite tributes! You can vote up to three. I'm still going to choose whoever the victor will be and maybe this poll will help. I won't guarantee that the favourite will be the victor though. I just want to know who you all like. Also, please don't vote for your own tributes so I there's no bias. The poll is in my profile. Thank you! :)

What do you guys think of Necali? I actually like him. He was really fun to write which was why I look a short while to finish his chapter. Please review what you think and if you have any suggestions, I'm open to them all. :)

~jess