Interviews II: Secrets Revealed

Beckett Lock, 14.

District Eight "Female".

They pace back and forth across the wing of the stage as Giovanni gets his makeup repowered and the audience takes their bathroom break.

They should come out.

No, they shouldn't.

Yes, they should. When else are they going to have the time to do this?

Never.

But what if everyone hates them for the real person they are?

It's been back and forth like this in their head for minutes, a tug of war of sorts between Beckett's mind and their heart. On one hand, they want to come out to the world to lift a massive weight they've been carrying for years of their shoulders. It just went well for Bruno, so it should go well for them, too. Plus, they know despite the fact that they got a six in training, their odds still aren't the best. They are probably going to die, and they want to tell their family the secret they've been harboring for so long. They deserve to know. And if they react badly, they're probably never going to have to see them again, right? Right.

But on the other hand, what if their allies end up being transphobic? What if they hate them for being genderfluid and kick them out of their alliance? Or what if all the Capitolites look at them like they're a monster? They don't want to deal with all the hate coming out as genderfluid and going against the norm will bring.

The five-minute commercial break comes to a close, and one of the avoxes finds them pacing and hurries her over to their original spot in line. They're next, and they have a clear view of the stage. They've always had stage fright, but no it's even more apparent, and it feels like a million butterflies are relentlessly flapping around in her stomach. They feel like they're going to hurl chunks everywhere.

Then out of nowhere, someone gives them a pat on the shoulder.

Turning around, Beckett stares right into the eyes of their district partner. He's smiling at them, his pearly white teeth even whiter in the reflection of the bright lights of the stage.

"You got this," he whispers.

They blink, nodding their head slowly. Somehow, that did make them feel a bit better. They're about to say thank you but then they hear Giovanni's voice again. Someone pushes them forward to the edge of the curtain, and they lose Gareth in the crowd.

"Welcome back folks! Next up we have the wonderful Beckett Lock from our favorite textile making district, District Eight!"

Instantly, they feel like every single bone in their body turned to ice. When they try to move their legs, they don't budge, and their face goes as pale as freshly fallen snow.

What if they're stuck here forever?

"Mrs. Lock?"

As soon as he says that their muscles seem to respond to their brain again, and they stumble out onto the stage. The bright lights blind them, and for a second, they can't see anything.

"Oh, there she is! Beckett, we thought you'd never come!"

Everyone laughs, and they feel even more like they're going to puke. Whatever bravery Gareth's pat instilled in them vanished, and now they feel even more scared and vulnerable than before.

The audience laughing at them. This couldn't be going more terribly.

Eventually, their eyes adjust to the bright lights, and they slowly make their way over to the tributes' seat. Giovanni smiles at them as they sit, and they try to smile back. Their lips don't seem to work though, for their terrified expression seems to stay put.

"How are you holding up in the Capitol, Beckett?"

They try to open their mouth but no words come out.

"Uh-uh-uh," is all that the microphones pick up, and the crowd instantly goes silent.

"Hey," Giovanni says, smiling widely at her. "You don't have to be afraid. We're all here to just learn more about you. No one is here to judge."

They nod their head. "I'm holding up fine," they whisper, which apparently is loud enough for everyone to hear because no one complains.

"That's good. Most of the time tributes don't take it too well, and especially after what happened during your reaping, we were worried about you. But it's good to know you've moved past it. Speaking of the reaping, was that a traumatic experience for you?"

"Yeah. I was pretty scary having someone else's blood on me. But actually, when I think about it, I can't really remember anything that happened. I just remember washing my dress after on the train and watching the blood run down the drain."

"After that, I'm guessing your experience in the Capitol was much better?"

"Mhm. I really like the food."

"Most tributes do," Giovanni responds. "But what's your favorite?"

"The apple pie. It's so good. I didn't think I'd like fruit since I don't really have a sweet tooth, but it was just delicious. I wish we had apples at home."

"And your home? Do you miss it?"

They nod. "Yeah, I miss all my family, but I miss my older brothers most of all. I hope they're watching."

"I bet they are. Beckett, do you have anything you want to tell them? Perhaps a something you never told them before?"

They nod their head slowly. Now's their chance, their chance to tell their family what they've been hiding for so long. They need to do it, even if they're scared. No one is here to judge them like Giovanni said. They can do it.

"Yeah. Sal, Oliver, Fredrick and Hugh, I love you guys more than anything, but I sometimes I didn't like it when you'd call me your baby sister. And mom and dad, other times I didn't like when you made me wear dresses. It's really complicated to explain, but sometimes, I just don't feel like a girl. I don't really know how to describe the feeling, but I kind of just feel wrong some days in dresses and when you call me your daughter or sister. Sometimes I feel more like a boy, and sometimes I wanted to wear more boyish clothes and for you to call me your son or brother instead. But sometimes I do still feel like a girl, and I like it when you call me sister. It's weird to explain."

"So you're genderfluid?"

Beckett nods. They never really knew the correct term for it, but as it rolled off Giovanni's tongue, it just sounded right.

"Yeah, I guess I'm genderfluid."

"That's excellent Beckett! How long have you known?"

"Since I was twelve. One day, the teacher separated us into boys and girls, and I just didn't feel right being called a girl. I've never told anyone though, not until now."

Everyone applauds, and they instantly feel a wave of relief wash over them. They did it.

They came out, and it feels like they're thirty pounds lighter.

Eliora Abraham, 16.

District Nine Female.

When the District Seven boy and District Eight girl – or rather, tribute – come out as bisexual and genderfluid, stealing the hearts of the audience, she just rolls her eyes.

She's been out as pansexual for years, but no one ever gave her a standing ovation. They just treated her like everyone else and moved on with their lives. She always wanted a big reaction when she told everyone she wasn't attracted to a gender, but no one ever gave her the attention she craved so badly.

When she told her aunt and uncle, they just said that they didn't care and still loved her the same, then walked away to go make dinner like it was every other night of their lives. And her cousin just told her she wasn't special and that she was probably just doing this to get attention. She wasn't though. Her feelings toward her girlfriend were as real as her hatred toward her bratty cousin.

Maybe she should talk up how much she loves her girlfriend to capture the audience's hearts too.

Gareth's interview flies by. He uses words she never even heard of as he talks fondly about his adoptive father and their life back home. Then he disappears off the left wing of the stage and it's her turn to try to woo the crowd over.

"And onto District Nine! Our first tribute from the district is the lovely redhead, the sweet Eliora Abraham!"

Sweet isn't the first word that comes to find when she thinks about words she could use to describe herself, but it's better than manipulative or bitch, which people have used before, so she'll take it.

"Oh Eliora, you look wonderful!" Giovanni chimes as she takes a seat.

"Thank you," she murmurs, looking down at her green strapless sundress. Her stylists actually did a decent job this time, picking a color the surprisingly didn't clash with her pale skin or fiery hair.

"So Eliora, how have you been?"

She smiles. "I've been well enough, considering that you know, I'm in the Hunger Games. And if you don't mind Giovanni, I'd like to skip the formalities and go straight to talking about my girlfriend."

He looks slightly surprised, his thick eyebrows arched upwards, and she feels her lips curve into a larger smile. Yep, my girlfriend. You heard that right. Girlfriend.

However, that's not what he's surprised about. "I've never gotten a request to skip the formalities, but if you insist, that's fine by me. So, tell us a bit about this obviously very special person in your life."

"Well my girlfriend's name is Tizrah, and she's literally the light of my life. My girlfriend is always so positive and my nickname for my girlfriend is sunshine because she's my ray of sunshine."

She makes sure to put extra emphasis on the word girlfriend because, by the audience's somewhat bored faces, it seems like they didn't exactly hear that it was a girl she was talking about.

"That's so cute!" Giovanni exclaims. "So, I'm guessing you want to get home to this sunshine of yours?"

"More than anything. I can't bear the thought of my girlfriend opening up my coffin and seeing my dead body inside it. It would just break her heart. I'm going to get home to her and I'll do anything to make sure we won't ever be separated for this long again. Once I get home, I'll try my best to spend every minute of every day with her, because being here has made me realize we might not have many left."

"Very touching. How long have you two been dating?"

"Only a few months, but it feels like so much longer. I love her more than anything."

To Eliora's surprise, no one seems to be that shocked. The all actually look slightly bored, like they heard this speech already tonight. And they did – the District Two girl gave practically the same one and they loved it, so why didn't they love her determination to get back to her girlfriend too?

Giovanni picks up on the audience's bored faces, for he changes the subject. "So, have you found any allies so far?"

"I thought we were talking about my girlfriend," Eliora asks, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

"Well we were, but we only have a minute more, so I thought it'd be best to move on."

Eliora's face slumps. The world is so unfair. Why did everyone love Hana but hate her?

"Oh, alright," she mutters quietly, dropping her head. "I have two allies, Lennox and Terra. They're both okay. Lennox reminds me a bit of my girlfriend. He's always so bright and sunny."

"Except when he had that outburst during training, right?"

For the first time during her interview, the audience attention seems to have perked. It was probably because Lennox was actually interesting, unlike her. Of course, he stole her spotlight even during her interview.

"Yeah, I guess."

"You guess? Weren't you scared when he threw that knife?"

"I mean," she huffs, "I'm probably going to die anyway, so what's the difference of a few days?"

Giovanni furrows his eyebrows. "But we're you just talking about how much you want to get home to your girlfriend?"

She shrugs. "I don't really know anymore."

The buzzer sounds and Giovanni looks slightly relieved. "Well, I guess that's it! May the odds be ever in your favor, Eliora!"

She receives one of the quietest applauses of the night.

Braxton Busbee, 16.

District Ten Male.

He twitches silently off to the side of the stage, sweating buckets in his forest green tuxedo embroidered with multicolored flowers. It's ugly – his and Marguerite's stylists were the worst of the bunch this year, deciding to not only coordinate their awful cow chariot costumes but also connect their interview outfits as well. The short girl is standing in front of him, wearing a white sundress with the same exact flowers knitted into them. Both their stylists were ecstatic when they saw them together, praising how good they wore the look and how flowers would be the next big trend in the Capitol.

He got an 8 in training, not trying to look like he is eight. He wants to be seen as a competitor people can bet on, not a child. His stylists really aren't helping.

Currently, the District Nine boy is on stage, and Braxton decides that he should be the one wearing the flowers instead of him. He's sunny and optimistic, explaining to Giovanni that he sees a path out of the games and that he's trying not to think about the fact that he or his allies could die tomorrow. Braxton is thinking about that though because unlike Coral's "we're all a big happy family" view of the alliance, he's not afraid to slit their throats. And apparently, Freyja wasn't either, because she left them without even a second glance. He doesn't blame her though. The only difference between him and her is that he's hiding the fact that he doesn't care about them, and she didn't bother to sugarcoat it.

"Next up is our favorite twelve-year-old, Marguerite Thorne!"

Braxton hears her snicker under her breath.

"After this, your best-liked twelve-year-old will be anyone else but me," she chuckles quietly to herself, then walks onto the stage, not bothering to fake a smile like most of the other competitors did.

If she wasn't so unfriendly, Braxton thinks he would actually like her.

"Hello, Marguerite! You look absolutely adorable!"

She frowns at him, which makes Braxton burst out into laughter. "I vehemently detest my stylist."

"Oh really? But they're only trying to help you, sweetie!"

"Don't call me sweetie."

"Marguerite is a bit of a handful though. Can we call you Margie? That's perfect for a little twelve-year-old like you!"

"No."

"How about Marg?"

"No."

"How about Rita?"

"How about you refer to me by my given name, Marguerite?" She quips back, smiling for the first time during her interview. Braxton laughs again.

"Okay. Marguerite, how are you?"

"Horrific."

"Why?"

"The Capitol is nauseating."

Giovanni chuckles. "Well, no one has used that word before. Why do you think that?"

For the rest of her interview, Marguerite talks about how horrendous her stay in the Capitol has been, and Braxton can help but laugh at everything she had to say. All of it was true – the people looked funny, the Games were savage, and everything just felt – well – so fake. He guesses many other tributes agree, but no one had the guts to point it out like she did. He certainly didn't.

Giovanni can't get through to her, and at the end of the interview, people boo. She just smiles though, eating it all up. It's like she likes people hating her. Or rather, she just doesn't want to play their game. He respects that, but he will. He wants to survive.

"Let's give a warm welcome to Braxton Busbee from Ten!"

The crowd applauds politely, and he steps out onto the stage. The light is bright but he manages to find his way over to the seat where he's supposed to be sitting, taking a seat beside Giovanni.

"Well, Braxton you look uh - "

"Interesting?"

Giovanni nods. "That's one word I'd use. You and your district partner's outfits look very similar. Was that planned?"

"I think so," he responds. "I mean – flowers aren't my favorite thing to wear, but I can deal with it for a few minutes. I don't know if she could, though."

Some people in the crowd chuckle and he can imagine his tiny District partner fuming off stage.

"What is your favorite thing to wear then?"

He chuckles. "Blood."

Giovanni raises a brow.

"I'm only kidding, don't worry. I'm not actually a murderer."

Not yet at least.

Giovanni sighs in relief. "Good, for a second I thought I'd have to call security! So Braxton, how are you doing on this fine evening?"

"I'm fantastic. How about you?"

"I'm well, thanks for asking. Have you been enjoying the Capitol?"

"Of course! I've met a lot of cool people, especially my allies! And the food is just to die for!"

Literally.

"What allies are you referring to?"

He smiles, looking out at the crowd.

"Well Skylar, he's just awesome. He's such a smart dude. He has an awesome strategy and planned something I think everyone's going to find interesting for the bloodbath tomorrow. Beckett's really quiet, but she – uh I mean they, they're just so brave. And Coral's cool too, she's just such a sweetheart. She calls our alliance "a big happy family" which makes it feel kind of like home, you know?"

"I don't, but I'm guessing the other tributes in the alliance are appreciative of that. And speaking of home, is there anyone back in Ten who you'd like to say some parting words to tonight?"

"My parents," he murmurs. "I know we haven't really been close in the past few years, and I know we had some disagreements, so I just wasn't to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done some of the things that I did, and I want to make you proud that I'm your son again. I'm going to show you that I can finish things, and I'm going to finish the games so I can get back to you. I know our goodbye wasn't the last time we'll ever see each other again, and if you can forgive me, I'll try to make all that lost time up to you."

He knows it's vague, but he doesn't want everyone to know he's a flake and ran away from home because he didn't want to be a responsible adult. His parents will understand, and so will he, which is all that matters.

Some people in the audience looked slightly confused, but before he has time to explain, the buzzer rings, and Giovanni is forced to say goodbye.

"Braxton, we're wishing you the best of luck, but I know with that 8 you received in training, you won't need it!"

Takei Sadeh, 17.

District Eleven Male.

Manisha's interview kind of makes him feel sorry for ignoring her during training, which is probably what it's supposed to do. Apparently, she was bullied all her life for being mixed race, and people back in Eleven thought she was weird because she liked technology. Maybe she was just trying to fit in when she lied to him. Still, after being lied to all his life, it's hard to forgive her.

"Next up, straight from District Eleven is the marvelous Takei Sadeh!"

He sees Winnifred on the other side of the stage give him a big thumbs up, and he walks out into the light. He's a little nervous – normally he isn't when talking in front of large groups of people, but tonight he is. He's worried that they're going to ask him about his home, and what's he going to say? He lived in a homonormative cult for 17 years and wasn't really allowed outside? That'll for sure gain sponsors.

He feels conflicted about whether he should talk about his home life at all. On one hand he wants to spread awareness that things like this exist out there, and they're restrictive and should be changed, but on the other hand, he doesn't want the people he loves to get hurt. What if they arrest his dads? What if they're shot and killed all because he exposed their community? What if his friends and siblings are hurt? He wants to bring change, but change comes at a price. He doesn't know if he's willing to pay it.

"Hey, Takei!" Giovanni greets as he sits down next to him.

Takei smiles back, noticing that his hands are still shaking slightly. "Hey."

"I see you have your hair done up in your signature afro again! Apparently, it's starting to become a big fashion statement in some Capitol circles! They're calling it the Sadeh! Isn't that awesome?"

Takei smiles. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm surprised it caught on so quickly here!"

"Everything catches on quickly here! That's why we're called the fashion Capitol of Panem! Are afros fashionable in Eleven?"

Takei shrugs. "I don't really know. I don't go out much."

Giovanni narrows his eyes. "What do you mean?"

Takei takes a deep breath. Maybe if his hairstyle caught on quickly, his passion for bringing change in restrictive communities could do. He needs to talk about his home, even if there is a chance of people getting hurt. "I don't actually live in Eleven."

"What?"

"I mean, I live in Eleven, but it's far away from the main city and the towns surrounding it. I live in a sub-community by the District Ten border, and since it's so far from everything else, we don't really leave a lot."

"Oh. I've never heard of sub-communities. Could you tell us more about it?"

Takei nods. "Sure. I mean, I can't really speak for every sub-community, since I know there's a lot out there in a lot of different districts, so not everyone is like mine. Actually, I'm pretty sure none of them are like mine."

"What's your's like?"

"Well, for one, everyone's gay."

People gasp in surprise, and Giovanni seems to look slightly stunned as well.

Takei continues. "I know it's a little shocking, and it was a little shocking for me too when I realized that in the outside world, it was the opposite, and it was normal to be straight. Which is good for me, because I've never really felt like I fit in there. I never liked all the boys my two dads tried to set me up with. I always liked girls more, but living there, everyone was gay, or at least people who weren't never spoke up about it. I felt like I was broken living there, but I'm relieved to know there are tons of people like me out in the regular world."

"If you don't mind me asking," Giovanni blurts, "this question is going to be a little odd, but there's no way for two men to have a baby or two women to have a baby. And you lived there your entire life. We're you adopted?"

Takei shakes his head. "No. Even though everyone either had two dads or two moms, after two of the same-sex people marry, they look for pairs of the opposite gender to pair up with. Then they have kids, and if the kid is a boy, like me, they're raised by the dads. If the kid is a girl, they're raised by the moms. It's actually kind of cool."

"I guess. So do you ever see your mom?"

"Not really. And we don't call her our mom, we call her our birthgiver. It's hard to understand the dynamic of things until you're there."

"So how have you adjusted to the outside world?" Giovanni asks.

"Well enough, considering it was a complete culture shock for me. My ally Winnifred's been helping me out though. She's a really good person to have on my side."

"That's excellent!" Giovanni exclaims. "It's good to find someone you can rely on, especially in your circumstance. And I've heard you guys have been getting close, too. Is there anything more than a friendship there?"

Takei's cheeks flush red, and he shakes his head back and forth. "No. Strictly friends," he lies, though she probably still sees them as that way.

"And how about your other ally, Manisha? Have you two been getting along?"

Takei shrugs. "She's alright. She's very nice, but I don't really know exactly how reliable she is."

In the middle of his sentence, the buzzer sounds.

"Well Takei, your interview was certainly one of the most informative of the night! Good luck to adjusting to the real world, and I'm sure everyone's curious to learn more about your strange home! Maybe if you get to the final eight family interview, we'll get to learn more about it!"

"Sponsor me so I can get there!" Takei yells on his way out.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure people are already on the phones making donations!"

North Brier, 14.

District Twelve Female.

She thought Twelve was screwed up, but when she heard Takei talk about his home that sounded more like a cult, she decided that she was lucky to have grown up on the streets. At least she had free will that way, even if she was hungry half the time.

Takei hurries off the stage, leaving her and Mortimer as the only ones left in the wing. Her district partner stands behind her, making it more than obvious he doesn't want to talk, his arms folded over his chest in a defensive position. He actually looks rather nice tonight too, dressed in a bronze tuxedo. A fancy watch worth probably twice as much as his house adorns his wrist, and he keeps checking the time on it as if he has somewhere he needs to be.

She, on the other hand, is dressed in a deep red glossy slip dress, with crimson lipstick to match. Golden jewelry hangs from her ears, wrists, and neck, and she wears tall gold heels that make her look normal height. She's gained a bit of weight even in her short time in the Capitol, and her ribs are a lot less protruding now, only sticking out from her tight dress slightly. Mortimer is still a tiny twig.

She hears Giovanni call her name and before walking onto the stage, she turns around and smiles at Mortimer.

"Good luck," she whispers.

He doesn't respond and pretends not to hear her, though she knows he does. Then she turns around and takes a deep breath even though she isn't nervous. What does she have to lose? She's already the little scrawny kid from Twelve who has no chance of winning, and the worst thing that could happen tonight is she makes a fool of herself and doesn't get any sponsors, but she's not getting any sponsors anyway. No one's betting on them, and when she walks out onto the stage, she sees almost half the crowd has left their seats anyway, probably already gone home for the night.

Taking a seat beside Giovanni, she crosses her legs and looks out at the crowd, not noticing that she's a bit wide-eyed.

"I've never seen so many people in my life," she blurts out, the words coming out before she even has a chance to think about what she's saying. "This is crazy."

"Well maybe if you win, you'll see these many people again," Giovanni replies. "Maybe more."

She shrugs. "Maybe."

"So North, how's the Capitol life been treating you?"

"Fine. Training has been kind of boring, and I wish there was more nature here. I miss watching the sunsets in Twelve. But everything else is a lot better. I like the food, and having my own bed, and being able to take showers."

"There's not showers back in Twelve?"

North shakes her head. "I live on the streets. The only showers I've ever taken are here."

"On the streets?" Giovanni asks, cocking his head to the side.

"Yeah. My mom's dead, and my dad – well, let's just say I never got the chance to meet him. I've never had a house to live in. I live with one of my friends in an ally. But it's a good life. I don't have any responsibilities, which is nice. It seems everyone here has so many things on their mind and so many things to do. I've just been taking it slow and soaking in as much as I can."

"That's a good way to look at it. Do you think you're ready for the games tomorrow?"

North shrugs. "As ready as I'll ever be. I'm just looking at it like another day to survive. I've been surviving my whole life, and tomorrow's not going to be any different."

"You act a lot older then you are," Giovanni points out. "You have a very realistic outlook on life."

North just laughs, glancing over at Mortimer. She sees him roll her eyes and then she laughs again. "You haven't seen the real me if you think I'm mature."

"What's the real you then?"

She winks at him. "You'll see during the games."

"Oh really?"

"Yep. I can't give anything away too soon. Then you'll have a reason to keep me around!"

"Mysterious," Giovanni chortles. "I like it. So, do you have any last words to say to your friend at home?"

She looks into one of the cameras and thinks about Eben. She wonders if he's watching now, like they did the last few years, huddled in front of the television shop in the cold, watching the interviews on a small, fuzzy television screen. He wishes he wasn't, but knowing him, he will be. He wants to protect her, even if she can't be protected anymore.

"No," she replies, looking back up at Giovanni. "He knows how I feel."

"Well, that's good you two had some closure! Anyway, I think we're just about at our time limit, so I thank you for your time and we'll see you during the games!"

A/N: And that's it for our interviews! I think I got everyone in there at least once, and now we're only two chapters away from where the real fun begins! Yay!

I've already finished the next chapter, so that should be out on Friday. Hopefully I'll be able to get the chapter before the bloodbath out on Sunday, because I'm going away to a place where there is absolutely NO internet access for two weeks after that, so there will be no updates until I get back. That's kind of why I wanted to get the bloodbath out by July, but I guess it's going to have to wait until I get back.

That being said, who's interview was your favorite between the two combined chapters?

See you all soon,

paper :)