Sorry that they aren't in a Career District Magical Cupcakes! But I'm sure they'll be in the Career Alliance. I hope you enjoy! And the same thing to everybody else!
Oh! And my favorite book? Jeez...I can't decide, I've got so many! But thank you everybody for immediately reviewing, as ALWAYS you're awesome.
District 3 Sibblings: Crystal and Shawn Blane
"Okay Toast, we've been training for weeks on knife throwing, if you can throw that knife into that apple...then we'll go on into sword fight," I say to my little brother Shawn, who is only 10 but a pure warrior, like me.
We could have trained him in a training center, but they only accept 12 year old's and up, so it's up to me to teach Shawn how to survive.
"Right Cris," he said, he settled in a position and faster than a blink of an eye, he shot the knife and it flew across our backyard to hit the apple in the perfect center. Half of the knife was left and half of the knife was right. Enough to kill somebody.
"Great Shawn!" I said. Then I got the apple, took the knife off and bit the apple. It was juicy and crunchy. I'm the ULTIMATE APPLE FAN! It's my only weakness, food. I can stay 1 week without it, only drinking water. But if I don't have any food for 1 week and a day...I die. Food qualifies as anything edible by the way.
"Eww," he says at me. "Great, can we go to swordfighting now? I'm really bored."
"Sure," I throw the apple core into our compose box and I make sure he wears an extra safety outfit for the swordfighting and I put on his mask.
"Okay Shawn, you know the basics, but I'm going to get more advanced. What would you do...if I ducked and slashed at your knees and legs?" I ask.
He is silent, he doesn't know, he was never a tactics machine and his brain isn't THAT fast, to tell you the truth. Well, you can't have everything!
"You back-up and while the person is not armed, you slice their head off, of course you can't do that with me but...you understand right? Or you disarm them by slashing their sword out."
"I get it," said Shawn nodding apprehensively.
"What would you do if the person you're fighting with just keeps slashing and slashing and backs you up against a tree?" I say and I explain due to Shawn's confused look.
"You put your sword horizontally and push your sword forward to push the tribute backwards, making them fall and you stick your sword in a deadly body part."
I explain more techniques, tricks and situations to my little brother and I tell him to warm up for simulation. I went to the simulation room, being from District 3, building is one of my fortes along with energy and electricity.
I have a room full of them, but I also name my simulations.
"Bob, Mara, Jenna, George, Marley, Sammy...BINGO! LORETTA!" I said choosing a curly brown haired and green-eyed simulation. She's designed to practice swordfight with and one of the newest simulations.
I grab her down the stairs, set her down on the grass, and go into the kitchen while Shawn continues warming up, now with his sword, practicing some positions I taught him.
I go into the kitchen.
"Hello Crystal!" she said as I entered. "Looking for a snack?"
"Yeah," I said going to the sweets cabinet and opening it, revealing a whole stash of sweets, including my favorite one that makes me ultra hyper...
CHOCOLATE!
I am about to grab one before I feel my mom's hand wrapped around my wrist and stopping my hand from a delicious journey.
"Nuh-uh Crystal," she says, "you're still ON DIET, remember? Plus, you're getting pretty stuffy I mean. To be frank, a bit fat."
Fat? What does she mean about being fat? Well, I'm like 5 times skinnier than her, though I am pretty muscular but I don't know what she's talking about! I'm thin! And I'm toned enough for god's sake!
"MOM, can we stop that dumb diet, I'm pretty skinny!" I said and she shakes her head.
She gives me a cup of fresh carrot juice along with a granola bar and she shooes me out of the kitchen, since she's going to do bake some stuff and my mom needs her privacy when she bakes.
I go out and sit down on a chair and turn on the AUTOMATIC mode in my simulation and Loretta stands up, her sword sharp and her fake eyes keen.
I talk into my microphone in my creepiest Darth Vader way, "I AM GOING TO DESTROY YOU!"
Loretta repeats after me and Shawn laughs, "You won't scare me THIS time Cris. I'm going to seek revenge on you and I'll crush your simulation!"
He's talking about the time when he was like 6 or 7 when I used to tell him sleeping stories and one time, he freaked out when I was reading the Little Red Riding Hood to him but in a Darth Vader voice. He peed in his pants and then he went to the bathroom, only to accidently lock himself inside. It took us all 7 hours to get him out and sleeping.
Loretta said (which mean I said it too), "IN YOUR DREAMS LITTLE BROTHER!"
He grinned and I turned my simulation to HARD BUT NOT KILLING and watched the show while I munched my granola bar. Ugh...nuts, so tasteless, I wish there were some honey in this sugar-less thing!
Loretta slashed and slashed while Shawn did what I told him, he put his sword horizontally and pushed, Loretta did fall a bit back but she flipped back and her iron foot kicked his chin. Hopefully it didn't break anything. But then Shawn struck her in the arm and Loretta yelped. He took this opportunity to keep slashing her, wrists, ankles, shoulders but then Loretta just kept pushing and slamming into Shawn I thought she was going to kill him.
Almost, if it weren't for my simulation thing.
Loretta slashed and slashed until my brother was backed up against the fence and her sword touched the tip of his belly, not killing him.
"DEAD," I said. "LORETTA, SLEEP."
Loretta fell down and I looked at my brother who took of his mask. "COME ON Crystal! It was a robot! The tributes aren't THAT good. Give me another chance!"
"No Shawn," I said. "Some tributes will be bigger than Loretta, stronger, smarter and as good as her. They'll make you Shawn-sushi. They'll crush you, you're not ready. You can't volunteer."
"WHY NOT?" he whined. See, we're District 3 Careers, born to win and kill. I've been training Shawn for him to volunteer but he's OBVIOUSLY not ready. "How come YOU volunteer?"
"Because I'm ready," I say getting Loretta in place in the simulation room. "And you're NOT."
"Oh come-"
"NO IS NO, now I'm going to the training center to train. Mom's waiting for you so that she can teach you some algebra and advanced numeric expressions," I said and before he could utter anything I went out to the training center.
"FASTER! FASTER! SLASH! MORE POWER! STRAIGHT THROUGH! YOU HEAR ME? I DON'T WANT YOU TO PIERCE AND HURT, I WANT YOU TO KILL! KILL, KILL, KILL!"
Gosh, I think Shawn should actually THANK me, that was my trainer, Katana Davis, she fought in the Second Rebellion as a General. She's violent, tough, cold and blood-thirsty. It's hard to imagine she's ever loved somebody. My BFF Chelsea told me Katana once loved this guy who didn't love her back and broke her heart. I think Chelse told me his name was Ben or Brandon or Beetee. Whatever.
They come from everywhere! Simulations and simulations, so I keep running, kicking, slashing and beheading. Fake blood (ketchup!) pours out everywhere but I'm not scared. I slide while cutting 3 pairs of legs at a time, then I punch one simulation until it falls. And then I kill it. Then I kill the other two, stomped their fake corpses and look for Katana for approval.
Secretly, Katana has been training me since I was 5. When I was only a little girl and I had a gap in my front teeth. She whipped me into a killer and today, she smiles at me in a cruel way. "You're ready to volunteer."
How long I have waited for her to say that.
I nodded and saw my friend Chelsea outside, from 11 to 1 o'clock I would spend time at her house watching past Hunger Games as we always do and giggle at dumb-looking girls and pointing out hot boys.
She waves and I smile back as we both go to her house to start our annual tradition.
O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O- O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-
"Hey Toast! Got news, they're going to choose Ms. District 3!" said my best mate Charlie waved to me as I finally got out of my house and met him at rendezvous.
They call me Toast, because my skin is like a perfectly warmed up piece of toast, unlike my big sis' perfect tanned skin. And I have brown hair and eyes, which are as brown as peanut butter or Nutella. Unlike my sister's perfect dark brown.
"Charlie," I say as we walk, "why in the world would they choose Ms. District 3 in a Hunger Games day?"
Charlie shrugged, "Beats me but Kyle told me the girls were HOT. Plus, my dad got us both tickets! And they were FREE!"
He waved the tickets in front of me and I said, "What are we waiting for? Let's go! Mom says it's too inappropriate but whatever."
We went in and found ourselves in the third row of seats and we looked at the gigantic podium where thirteen District 3 girls stood.
"I like the blonde," I said to Charlie and he snorted.
"WHICH blonde? Twelve of them are blonde dude," he said and I pointed to a blonde woman with flowing golden hair and bright blue eyes.
"I like the brunette, she stands out in the crowd of blondies," smiled Charlie. "Now I know where the term, dumb blonde comes from."
"Not every blonde is dumb," I said. "But I DO want to see the interview parts, when they embarass themselves it's HILARIOUS."
"I know!" he said. "Especially when they don't know something, and they just like, smile like this!" He smiled like a little princess and I laughed, high-fiving in.
So the thing started. This time they were just going to choose the semifinalists and after swimsuits and gowns...it was the interviews!
(AN: You all remember Ms. Utah, right? Do you remember her interview? I mean, no offense, pressure really crushes your mind and she is a pretty woman but even I COULD have answered that better.)
There were like 8 people to be semifinalists, my blonde which was Lise, Charlie's brunette who was Colette, and 6 other women called Clara, Nadine, Jane, Lola, Kayenne and Tara.
After a few questions and cracks of laughter (mostly me and Charlie, I'm really confused on why they didn't kick us out) when people just smiled innocently at them or got a question wrong. Then, only Lise, Colette, Clara, Nadine, Jane and Tara were left and the thing ended.
Not before me and Charlie sneaked into the changing rooms and got Lise and Colette's autographs and we went out.
"That was hilarious Charlie!" I said. "You really need to tell me when the semi's are going to happen."
"Next Tuesday, my dad booked in advance!" he said and we high-fived. We walked home where mom was waiting for me. Charlie waved to my mom who smiled back and we went up to play videogames.
Then he had to go home because it was soon the Reaping.
I dressed in a white shirt with long sleeves, brown pants and formal dress shoes. My dad had arrived home and picked me up like I was as light as a feather. He's really strong. Mom dressed in a white dress and dad in a formal uniform.
"Heavens, what is that girl doing? We'll be LATE. Shawn, be a dear and go call your sister back home!" mom said and I nodded.
I ran down the street to Chelsea Macathon's house where my sister and her were doubt to be watching the past Hunger Games and pointing out 'hot boys.'
Girls.
I knock on the door and Georgia, Chelsea's 12 year old sister who just seems obsessed with me squeals and I groan.
"OH, H-HEY S-SHAWN!" she says smiling.
"Hi Georgia," I mutter. "Is my big sister here? Can you tell her to come home?"
"SURE!" Georgia says. "CRYSTAL, YOUR BROTHER IS HERE!"
My sister and her friend Chelsea hop down the stairs laughing, my sister is already in her Reaping outfit, a beautiful golden dress and she waves to Chelsea.
"BYE CHELSE! I'LL SEE YOU WHEN I WIN THE GAMES!"
Chelsea snorts, "I wish I can live to see it!"
They laugh and she turns to me, "What now dork?"
"I'm not a dork," I said as we walked, "are you REALLY going to volunteer this year?"
"Katana said I was ready," she said, "I think I'm ready but you're not so don't even think about it little brat, or you'll be the one I first torture."
The last part is a joke, but still...NEVER go against Crystal. It's dangerous. Like, REALLY dangerous.
Then we meet with mom and dad and talk about today's District 3 pageant. Me and Crystal agree it was HILARIOUS but mom and dad said it was rude to laugh.
Then mom talks to me about me being fat (I don't know what fat is in her dictionary, I'm skinnier than Crystal! And she's thin!) and dad talks to Crystal about volunteering.
So we go and line up, it's my first year but it's strange that I'm not nervous, about me or Crystal. I mean, she'll win, she's the best fighter I know.
Then when the dumb Capitol representative, Amanda Cresthallow (me and Crystal call her Ms. Rainbow Pigeon Brain) and she smiles after she finishes her speech.
And the Reaping starts.
First is some girl named Ashes Oliver (yeah, Crystal will turn her into Ashes!) and then some boy named Calvex Copperdeen and then what I was waiting for.
"ALISHA-"
"I VOLUNTEER!" shouted my sister and I felt pride for her.
She went up, smiling like she was a billionaire and waving to the crowd happily, Ashes rolled her eyes and Calvex shook his head. I wanted to throw them in a pit of lava, both of them.
Then, the unpredictable.
"SHAWN BLANE!"
Me.
Wow, I got chosen! Just what I wanted to do! But that meant...that only one of us would come back, Crystal or me.
Crystal's face almost drops but she composes herself and smiles as I stand next to her and she pats me, "Don't worry Shawn, you're well trained."
"I know...but Crystal, one of us isn't going to come back," I whisper and she looks down.
"Look Shawn, as much as I want to win these Games...I'm going to help you win, I won't come back. You understand? You've got to keep the Blane legacy going."
"NO! I mean...you've been training so long for this, it's your chance."
"Look Toast," she said. "I'm doing this because you're my brother and I love you, very much."
Guys, I'm not the sentimental dude but I wanted to cry, like seriously. My sister, training since she was 3, so for 13 years...she has been wanting to win and now, she won't because of me. She wants me to live.
"Thanks Crystal," I said. "I love you too."
I promise I will win. Keep on the Blane legacy. Go on. Live.
I won't let my sister die in vain.