Okay, two more Reapings and then we can move on to more fun stuff! Yip-yip-YIPPEE!

Cole

"Hey, Cole!"

I turn at the sound and see my best friend, David, standing by the front door to my school. He waves me over to where he's standing. I run over to him. "Hi." I say. He nods to me, and together, we walk out of the building. "You nervous for the Reaping tonight?" I shrug. "Not really." I say honestly. "I mean, there are tons of names that can be chosen. What are the chances that it'll be one of us?" David shrugs. "I guess you have a point…" He says. "But I don't know. Plus, your mom's a Hunger Games victor, and you know how much the Capitol loves to watch a victor's child in the arena. What if they rig the system and make sure you get chosen?" I shake my head. "They wouldn't do that." I promise. "They're not that cruel." "Well, they're cruel enough to throw 24 children into an arena, with only one leaving alive." David mutters. I don't respond. He has a point, I guess, but it doesn't matter. I know I won't be picked. I can't… can I?

Before long, we've arrived at my house in the victor's village. David says goodbye to me and walks in the opposite direction, while I walk through the door. "Cole?" My father shouts from his bedroom. "Is that you?" "Yup!" I respond. "Go get ready-" My dad's sentence is interrupted by a bout of coughing. "For the Reaping!" He finishes, his voice a wheeze. I sigh. My dad is seriously ill with a disease that has no known cure. My mom has spent almost all of our money trying to find a way to heal him, but so far, we've had no luck. I hope we can figure something out soon. I'm not sure how long my dad's going to last. I'm sure he'll pull through, though. He has to. He has to get better.

I bounce up the stairs and into my room, where I pull on a light blue polo shirt and khaki pants. I slip on simple black shoes and run into the bathroom, where I begin to comb out my short, wispy brown hair. Once it looks somewhat reasonable, I sprint downstairs, where my mom is yelling at me to hurry up. "Coming, coming!" I grumble. My dad is there as well, but it seems as though he can barely stand and is leaning on my mom for support. I open the door, and together, my family and I head outside to the Reaping.

xxx

I met up with David at the square. We waited in line together to get our fingers pricked by the Peacekeeper. We came at about the same time as everyone else, so the line inched forwards extremely slowly. Finally, we reached the front. The Peacekeeper grabs my hand with rough fingers and pricks me with his needle. I wince in pain. He flips through the book in front of him until he finds my name, presses my finger into it, and waves me through.

I stand patiently in the 23 year old section, waiting for the mayor to come on. Finally, he hops onto the stage. He reads off Panem's history and introduced us to the two victors still living- my mom, of course, and Cassa Rose. My gaze rests on Cassa for a long time. Now 42, Cassa was the victor of the 23rd Hunger Games. I've heard that she won almost completely due to luck. I have to admit, if I were to ever go into the Hunger Games, I would probably have to rely on luck too. Unlike most of the District, she has light skin- just like me. She's tall and somewhat lean, with long, light blond hair and a sharp face. She seems uncomfortable up on the stage in front of a huge crowd of people.

After the mayor's speech, the escort, Fleminco Hemmingshaw, comes bouncing on. He wears a ridiculous green wig and long green robes with purple flowers attached to it. "Goooood MORNING!" He says, though he's obviously displeased to be in our district. In the twelve years he's escorted, he hasn't had a single victor. "I hope you're excited to choose some kids to represent this district!" Fleminco shouts. "I certainly am! Let's pick a girl…" He grabs a slip from the bowl. "Angelica Broome!" I crane my neck to see who the female is- and my heart stops.

A girl about my age steps out of the crowd. Her skin is dark-ish, and she has a thin frame. Her long, luscious black hair is pulled back in two intricate braids, and her face is soft and warm. The most compelling thing about her, however, is her eyes. They are a brilliant blue, prettier than any eyes I've ever seen before. As I watch, they fill with tears, but the girl- Angelica, I guess her name is- wipes them away quickly. She walks quickly to the stage, her steps small and shaky.

"Are there any volunteers?" Fleminco asks. Please. I think desperately. Someone please volunteer. But no one does, and she's forced to stay onstage.

I'm so distracted by her beauty that I barely hear the name that's called for the boys. "Cole Cambridge!"

Wait, what?

I snap back to reality, where I see the boys in front of me creating a path for me to step through. Silent tears trickle down my cheeks as I walk to the stage. I don't understand… how could this have happened to me? I did nothing wrong!

What if they rig the system and make sure you get chosen? David's words from earlier today ring in my ears, but I shake the thought away.

"Any volunteers?" Fleminco asks, staring around the crowd. Silence. My mom lets out a sob from the stage. "Very well! Shake hands!" I turn to Angelica; she's even more beautiful up close. I manage to hold my hand out, and she hesitantly takes it. Her hand feels warm, and she smells like cinnamon.

Finally, I'm forced to let go and am taken into the Justice Building. There, I'm roughly placed in a room filled with all sorts of crazy expensive furniture.

My dad bursts in, crying. He holds me tight and slowly rocks me back and forth. "It's okay." He whispers, his voice strained from his sickness. "You're going to be fine." I nod, holding him tightly. "Where's mom?" I finally murmur. "You'll see her soon enough." My dad assures me. "You're going to see her on the train. She'll be your mentor." My face lights up. Being Reaped suddenly doesn't seem too bad. If anyone's going to help me win, it's my mom.

Soon, my dad is forced to leave by a grumpy Peacekeeper. A few of my friends come to visit me afterwards, including David, but I don't focus on them. My attention has turned back to the girl I've been Reaped with. She's an angel, just like her name. And I love her.

But that's exactly the problem. We're both going to into the Hunger Games, a place where only one person can leave alive. Both of us can't win.

But if I live and she dies, is surviving even worth it?

Angelica

"Angelica?"

My eyes flutter open as I hear a tiny voice and immediately recognize it as my brother, Jaime. "Angelica?" The voice becomes louder and more panicked. I sit up in bed and spot him on the other side of the room, staring at me with wide, terrified eyes. I slip out of bed and tiptoe over to him, sitting down on the edge of the hard cot he lies on. "Hey." I murmur. "What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare." Jaime whimpers, his voice shrill. I can see tears filling in his eyes. "I was…" He stops for a moment, his voice cracking. After a moment, he's able to continue. "I was reaped for the Hunger Games." I stroke his hair gently. "You don't have to worry about being picked for a whole year." I remind him. "And besides, even when the time does come, you'll never be picked." Jaime looks up at me, his eyes huge and scared. "You promise?" He asks. I smile down at him. "I promise."

xxx

I blindly reach for the tiny loaf of bread in the cabinet, still groggy from the little sleep I was able to get last night. I grab it and set it on a plate, cutting it up into three thin slices: one for me, one for Jaime, and one for my mom. I set each piece on a plate and place them on the table. I sit down and immediately begin gobbling up the toast. Despite the Reaping being today, they still make us go to school, and if I don't hurry up, I'm going to be late.

As I finish my bread, I see my brother stumble down the stairs. I give him a quick hug. "See you later today!" I tell him. Then I grab my backpack and hurry out the door.

I walk for a little ways until I see my best friend, Dena, strolling down the sidewalk. I sprint towards her. When I've finally caught up to her, I'm panting heavily. "Hey." I say. "Hey." She greets. "You nervous about the big day today?" "Nervous for you." I admit. She looks at me. "Why?" I shrug. "I don't think I could bear seeing you go into the games. Besides, you've taken out so much tesserae…" "So have you." Dena points out. She's right. I'd rather go into the Hunger Games myself than watch her suffer through it, though. Sure, the thought of going into an arena, where I would be forced to fight innocent children to the death while facing weeks of hunger and pain, unbearable sadness, and fear of my death… it terrifies me. But it would be better than watching my best friend endure that same pain.

We finally reach the school, where kids are crowding around the front door, talking and laughing. We join the crowd and enter the building, walking down busy corridors until we reach our class.

I dearly hope that this won't be the last time we ever walk these halls.

xxx

The hardest part of the Reaping wasn't watching Fleminco, our escort, prance around the stage like an idiot, acting like the Hunger Games were some sort of happy occasion. It wasn't hearing my name being called and the unimaginable fear I felt. It wasn't seeing Jaime sobbing in the audience, screaming my name. It wasn't the the fact that I knew, deep down in the bottom of my heart, that I would never go home to this district again alive.

No, the hardest part of it was seeing the boy who was Reaped with me.

He had wispy brown hair and bright blue eyes that shone with tears. He was somewhat short, and nothing about him was especially striking. He was just another kid. But he was perfect to me.

I was so caught up in all of his glory that it didn't strike me that both of us wouldn't be able to leave the arena alive until I turned to him to shake hands. That thought alone was worse than dying the most gruesome death possible.

We're taken into the Justice Building and I'm forced into a small but somewhat fancy room. I sit on the delicate couch and wait, my mind buzzing.

It's not long before Jaime and my mom both burst in. Jaime throws himself into me, crying like a wild animal. My mom just sits in the corner, rocking back and forth, murmuring to herself and sobbing quietly.

I hold Jaime in my arms, pressing my forehead into his neck. I want to tell him encouraging words, that I'll be alright, but I can't lie to him. So I just hold him, cherishing the moment.

After Jaime's tears have dried, I move to my mom. She looks up at me, terror evident on her face. "You're going to die." She whispers. "Just like your father. They're going to kill you. They're going to kill you. They'll kill you. They'll kill you, and I'll be forced to watch. No. I have to kill them first. I can't let them take you away from me…" My mom buries her face in her hands.

I stretch my fingers out to touch her shoulder. "Mom." I say, quietly but firmly. She looks up, a little surprised. "Mom." I say again. "They might kill me. I might die a quiet, painful, and agonizing death. But you can't let them break you. You can't fall apart. That's exactly what they want you to do. You can't play their game. You have to stay strong. Take care of Jaime. He needs you. You have to stay focused. Don't grieve. It's all going to work out all right." My mom doesn't have time to reply before a Peacekeeper bursts in, glaring around the room. "Everyone, out!" He shouts. My family protests, but he finally gets them to leave.

Dena visits me next. We don't say much; we don't have to. Just her company is enough for me. Soon, she's gone, too, and before I know it, I'm being taken to the train. As I stand at the station and look into the huge crowd of people surrounding it, I manage to catch a glimpse of Jaime. I blow him a kiss as the train pulls up and I'm pushed onto it.

Goodbye.

Okay, that's that! Only one more Reaping to go! By the way, Angelica and Cole's ship name is Angelicole.

What color eyes does Angelica have?

What is the name of Cole's best friend?