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Interviews Part Two
The White Page

Jai Fallyn, 13
Brother of Brie Fallyn

Jai paced the floor of his cell, still hoping for an explanation.

The day after the reaping, they had come for him. Taken him to a different building, a smaller cell. He'd had no visitors. Nobody except the man who had brought him food. There was a small television, but they had only turned it on three times. Once for the tribute parade. Once to show the training scores. And now.

Tribute after tribute appeared onscreen. District after district. At last, Brie took the stage, wearing a bright red dress with a black ribbon around the waist, smiling at Cornelius and the audience.

Cornelius didn't waste any time. "So, Brie. A volunteer from District Five. What prompted that, I wonder?"

Brie's face grew serious. "My little brother, Jai. He was arrested. They say…" She looked away.

"Take your time," Cornelius nodded.

Brie nodded. "They say he committed treason. That he was helping some rebels hide from the Capitol. But there's been a mistake – I know it. And if I win, I can use the money to hire someone to do a proper investigation – prove he's innocent."

Jai stared. Treason? What was she getting at? He'd been trying to smuggle a little food home for their father – nothing more. Why was she lying?

Of course, it explained everything. The change of cells. The lack of visitors. Whatever was going on, she was in on it, and that made him feel a little better.

But her plan – whatever it is – would only help if she won. Jai's attention drifted back to the television, where the boy from Five now sat opposite Cornelius, dressed in a pale suit with red cuffs and a red peony. "So, Harakuise," Cornelius smiled. "What do you think of the Capitol?"

Harakuise leaned back. "To be perfectly honest, Cornelius, it's not as if we've seen much of the Capitol. Oh, we've seen the training center. The City Circle during the chariot rides. But the actual Capitol? The people – how they live, what they do – that's still a mystery to me." He smiled a little – a rather unnerving smile. "And I don't like mysteries, Cornelius. They tend to eat at me until they're solved. I have to say, I won't be quite satisfied until I've seen more of this wonderful Capitol of yours."

Cornelius beamed. "I'll tell you what, Harakuise. You win these Games, and I'll give you a tour myself."

Harakuise nodded a little. "I'll hold you to that, Cornelius. You haven't seen the last of me."

Cornelius grinned. "I don't doubt it."

Jai shuddered. No. No, he wouldn't win. Brie would. She had to.

For both their sakes.

Axel Carter, 19
Brother of Pike Carter

It felt odd to have something good come out of the Games.

A few hours after the reaping, Prius' father had approached Axel and paid him nearly double what he had promised for the yellow roadster that Axel and Pike had been preparing. It was a gift, he said, for his daughter – when she won the Games. For the first time in years, their family had more than enough.

But each of them would have given every cent to have Pike with them.

Axel put an arm around Azure as District Six's turn came. Prius came first, wearing a sky blue dress decorated with white – like the sky after a jet had just passed. She was grinning and waving at the cameras. Axel smiled a little. She was ridiculous, yes, but somewhere in their district was a little girl who was grateful this strange, peppy Capitolite had taken her place.

She greeted Cornelius like an old friend, and, soon, the two of them were chattering away. At last, Cornelius managed to calm her down a little and ask what was on everyone's mind. "Prius, I think we all know that the Games were created as a reminder of the rebellion – a price the districts had to pay. So what would prompt you, a Capitol citizen, to want to take part in them?"

Axel hadn't thought it was possible for Prius' grin to grow any wider, but, apparently, it was. "Oh, I know the Games were originally meant as a punishment for the rebellion – still are, I suppose – but I think they're more than that. They're an opportunity – not just to make up for the rebellion, but to take advantage of the Capitol's forgiveness and generosity. They're a chance for teenagers across Panem to show what they're made of – their courage, their honor, their skill. And why shouldn't we have that chance, too?"

Axel shook his head sadly, wondering what idiot had written her speech. An opportunity? Was she really that naïve? An opportunity to do what? To die horribly, brutally, alone? To kill the very people who were onstage with her?

To kill his brother?

Axel held back tears as his little brother took Prius' place, wearing a light blue shirt that matched the Capitolite's, along with khaki pants and polished black dress shoes. Maybe their stylists had arranged their coordination. Axel's thoughts wandered back to the tribute parade, where Prius had lifted Pike onto her shoulders. No. No, surely she wouldn't be the one to kill him. She was naïve, yes, but she didn't seem cruel.

Pike, for his part, managed to laugh along with Cornelius for a while, as if he wasn't nervous at all. Axel knew better. His brother was terrified. Anyone in their right mind would be. But he hid it well.

"So, Pike, what's been your favorite part of the Capitol so far?" Cornelius asked with a smile.

"Learning what's edible," Pike replied without missing a beat.

"Edible?" Cornelius asked, confused. "You mean the plants in the arena?"

Pike giggled a little. "No, no, no. The food here. Who knew you could actually eat snails?"

Cornelius burst out laughing. "And did you like them?"

Pike made a face. "They were terrible! But the chocolate cake – that's to die for. Quite literally, I guess."

Axel winced. Even Cornelius didn't seem to know how to respond to that one. But Pike just grinned and kept on gushing about the cookies and cake, content to keep up the goofy act for a while longer.

He'd made his point.

Abi Therms, 32
Sister of Sterling Therms

Bailey was still awake.

Abi fully intended to keep her promise not to let the little girl watch the Games, but she couldn't refuse what might be her last chance to see her father. They had watched the tribute parade together, Bailey giggling at the way Sterling waved his wand. That alone had nearly been enough to bring Abi to tears. The thought that he may never hear Bailey laugh again…

No. No, she had to stop thinking like that. He would come back. He had to. He would do anything, she knew, to see Bailey again.

Anything.

"Look, Aunt Abi, a princess!" Bailey giggled as the girl, Cahra, took the stage. She was wearing a green silk dress that came to her knees and flared out from the waist down. She certainly did look like a princess – except for the fact that she still refused to smile.

Not that Abi blamed her; there wasn't much to smile about. All this celebration, all this pomp, was merely a distraction from the fact that twenty-three of the children onstage would be dead very, very soon.

"So, Cahra, can you give us any idea of what we should expect from you during the Games?"

"Nothing," Cahra shrugged. "Don't have any expectations, and then you'll be surprised. And you like surprises, right?"

Cornelius grinned. "I love surprises."

Cahra actually smiled a little. "So if I were to tell you that I have a knife hidden in my dress, and I could come over there and slit your throat at any moment – would that be a surprise?"

Cornelius giggled nervously and backed up a little. Abi covered Bailey's ears for the rest of the interview.

But no knife was forthcoming, and Sterling soon took Cahra's place. He was wearing a black sports coat, a white shirt, and a blue tie, but it was Patches that caught Abi's eye, still tucked snugly in his pocket. It wasn't long before Cornelius asked to see it, and Sterling obliged.

"Does this belong to your daughter?" Cornelius asked.

Sterling nodded. "Her name's Bailey. She's only three years old, and I … I want to see her again more than anything. But even if I … if I don't, I'd want her to know that she's always been the best part of my life, and deciding to keep her was the best thing I ever did."

"Keep her?"

Sterling nodded. "Her mother – we weren't together, and I haven't seen her since. She left Bailey on my doorstep one night with a note asking me to take care of her, because she couldn't. Abi – my older sister – thought I should take her to the community home, at first. She said I was still a child, and I wasn't ready to raise one of my own."

Cornelius nodded. "And what did you say?"

Sterling smiled a little. "I asked if she had been ready to raise me. Our parents died when I was little, and she took care of me – and I like to think I turned out all right."

Cornelius smiled reassuringly. "That you did. And I'm sure she will, too, because you'll be back there to raise her soon."

Bailey looked up at Abi. "He will be back, right?"

Abi held her niece close. "Of course, he will, Bailey. Of course he will."

She wished she was as sure.

Shaw Peters, 16
Brother of Nicoline Peters

It should have been him.

Shaw sat with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the screen, trying to appear emotionless while the rest of his family huddled together. But all he could feel was guilt. It should have been him, not the other boy. He should be there with Nicoline. Helping her. Protecting her.

She certainly looked like she needed protecting. Sitting next to Cornelius in an elegant, dark green dress, she still looked so small. So vulnerable. Shaw clenched his fists, hoping someone would be there for her in the Games when she needed it, because he couldn't be.

"So, Nicoline," Cornelius grinned. "I understand that you work for District Eight's very own victor, Lander Katz. Tell me, what's that like?"

Nicoline smiled sweetly. "It's a privilege, Cornelius. And he's been so helpful these last few days. He's treated me more like a sister than a maid. And if I make it back, we'll be neighbors – that would be wonderful."

The camera panned to Lander for a moment. He was smiling, but Shaw knew it was forced. All he ever heard about Nicoline's job was how much Lander frightened her. Being his neighbor would be awful.

But it would be better than being dead.

Too soon, Nicoline's time was up, and the boy, Zione, took the stage, wearing a black suit with white spirals that started small at the wrists and grew larger as they spun their way up his arms. He was smiling as he shook Cornelius' hand and took his seat. Shaw gritted his teeth. That should be him.

"So, Zione," Cornelius began. "A volunteer from District Eight – that's certainly a rare thing. Tell us what was going through your mind during the reaping."

Zione leaned back a little. "Well, I wasn't planning to volunteer – it was my last reaping, after all. All I had to do was stay quiet, and I would be safe. But safe for what? Safe to work in a factory for the rest of my life? Safe to watch a brother and sister fight to the death in the arena? And I thought, Isn't it better to try to do something worthwhile? Isn't it better to save a life, to help a family? And maybe that's a bit of an old-fashioned idea…"

"I don't think so." Cornelius leaned forward a little. "I think it's very noble. And that's not the only thing that's impressive. A ten in training. Tell me about that. Where does a boy in District Eight pick up the fighting skills to earn a ten?"

Zione shrugged. "I've been in my share of scuffles. And I'm a quick study. Still, I was quite surprised, I'll admit." He smiled mischievously. "I think Lander might be a bit jealous that I broke his record for our district, though."

Huddled nearby, Mabel giggled quietly. Even Shaw managed a smile. Of course, by this time tomorrow, those scores would mean nothing, and Lander would have nothing to be jealous of unless Zione actually won. Still, as the camera showed Lander's expression, Shaw couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction. Anyone who made fun of the man who terrified his little sister couldn't be that bad.

But he still had to die if Nicoline was going to live.

"White. It serves as a beginning. The white cloth can be dyed. The white page can be overwritten."