Happy reaping day everyone. Here we have the very first of the reaping chapters. For the sake of organization (and easier reading) I'm planning to do all the districts in order. However, this does mean that I'll need some of the higher districts filled before I can carry on (particularly 3 and 5). I'm hoping that won't take too long. Until then I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I really hope that I've managed to do your characters justice, I had a lot of fun writing them.

District 1 Reaping

Titania Eberron, 18

The steps leading up to the Academy of Specialized Learning look like a warzone. Broken glass, crushed beer cans, and cigarette stubs litter the pale marble. In scrawling red spray-paint someone has written phrases like 'Long live District 1' and 'Watch your back 10', as well as drawn some rather crude images of what I can only imagine are tributes from last year's games.

"As you can see, someone has taken it upon themselves to…redecorate our Academy." It's a warm day out—a perfect blue sky and only the slightest of a breeze—but Headmaster Midas' tone is cold enough to send a shiver down my spine. He sweeps a hand backwards, as if to highlight the mess before pressing on. "While I certainly appreciate the sentiment, such a display hardly reflects well on this institution. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is strictly forbidden under academy policy, not to mention vandalism."

Whispers run through the small group of eighteen year old's assembled before the imposing marble façade. I catch Levi's eye and he shrugs.

The phone call had come early this morning, requesting all final year students to gather at the Academy an hour before reaping. I'd assumed we'd be meeting to celebrate the completion of our training, perhaps even to congratulate those of us who'd been selected for the honor of volunteering. What I hadn't expected was to be rounded up and accused like common criminals. The nerve of the whole thing.

"I take it none of you know who is behind this mess?" I'm certain that every single one of us has at least an idea who might be behind it but no one speaks. Somewhere at the back of the crowd a boy snickers. Headmaster Midas zeros in on the offender with eagle eyed precision. "Anything to say Mr. Lumin?"

I glance back through the small assembly just in time to see Alabaster sweep a hand through his pale hair. "Nothing at all headmaster." He lies with a straight face and I feel my blood boil.

"Very well." Midas crosses his arms. "If that is the case then the punishment will fall on all of you.

One of Alabaster's cronies—Electrum—lets out a little whoop. On most days twenty laps would be nothing, most of us are used to running that just as a warm up. But today isn't most days.

"But Sir!" I raise my hand. "The reaping is in an hour. Surely some of us should be exempt." I'm already in my reaping clothes: the beautiful aqua dress that my father had ordered specifically from one of District 1's finest fashion houses. My hair has been arranged in an elaborate braid, my lips rouged with one of my mother's lipsticks. All of it has been done just right, so that when I am presented to the nation of Panem for the first time I will nothing short of perfect. Now the headmaster wants to ruin that image by making me run twenty laps in the heat.

His eyes are hard. "So long as you are my students—which all of you will be until the conclusion of today's reaping—I expect orders to be followed without complaint. Is that clear?"

I jerk my chin up. "Yes sir."

How dare he speak to me that way? After all the money my father has given the Academy, not to mention that fact that soon I would be District 1's next victor.

"Come on." Levi grabs my arm and tugs me away as the assembly disintegrate and students begin jogging around the sides of the Academy's main building. I slip off my sandals and wrinkle my nose at the feeling of my feet on the dirty asphalt. Together we break into a light jog. I'm careful not to go to fast, desperate to avoid messing up my hair or wrinkling my dress.

"It's so unfair of him to punish us all like this." I brush away a drop of sweat threatening to roll down my forehead. "We all know who did it."

Levi keeps pace easily beside me. He's always been much better at strength and conditioning, not that I'd admit it to anyone. "I know. I was walking behind them on the way here and they were boasting the whole way."

"He thinks he can get away with anything because his family is so rich."

Levi frowns. "Can't he?"

"Maybe here. But not in the capitol. They'll see through him in a second." I try to infuse my voice with confidence. In truth I've seen how charming he can be. In all our years at the Academy he's never once faced any repercussions for any of his actions.

"Are you excited?" Levi asks after a few more laps of the building. "For the games I mean."

I let out a little laugh. "Is that even a question?" What girl in District 1 doesn't dream of winning the games? I'd spent practically my whole childhood pestering my parents to enroll me at the Academy.

"But aren't you nervous?"

"Of what? I've spent years preparing for this."

I can see the concern in his eyes, "Yeah but so did Satin and that boy from 10 still got her."

"You think Satin was better than me?" I throw back, hearing the tinge of defensiveness in my words.

"That's not what I meant! I just—" He fumbles with the words for a moment, "I'm just worried ok? It's not every day that your best friend volunteers for the Hunger Games."

I think of Satin Dereau, with her beautiful hair and her brilliant smile. She'd been only a year above me in training and I'd watched her on the sparring mats plenty of times. I couldn't pretend that she hadn't been a capable tribute, but she'd lacked that special something and ultimately it had cost her. Satin hadn't sparkled the way I knew I could.

"You're sweet Levi." I give him my most brilliant smile, "But I'm going to be the most famous victor 1 has ever seen. Just you wait."

"Talking about your glorious victory again Titania?" I stumble and almost trip on the uneven paving stones. While Levi and I have been talking Alabaster and two of his cronies have managed to race up behind us. His blond hair is plastered flat to her forehead. Clearly he doesn't care about being sweaty for the cameras. "I wouldn't count your eggs before they hatch if I were you."

"What? You think you're going to beat me?"

He grins in a flash of white teeth. "All's fair in love and war."

I scoff. "I'd like to see you try."

"Whatever you say princess." He turns mid step and gives me a little salute before racing off again with his friends.

I wait until I'm sure he's out of earshot to let out a noise of exasperation. "I wish he wasn't going to be my district partner. What were the trainers thinking anyways?"

"Probably that he's the best fighter we've turned out in years even if he is an incurable ass." Then Levi grins, "But think of the positives: it'll feel that much better when you kill him in the arena."

I can't help but smile at that.

Alabaster Lumin, 18

"Your hair is a mess!" My mother practically shrieks when she catches sight of me, "And you've gotten dirt all over your shirt!"

I duck out from under her ministrations and clasp hands with Bastion. My older brother pulls me into a hug. All around us people are streaming towards the central square, where the Justice Building presides over all with it's graceful marble colonnades. The lampposts that line the central streets have all been bedecked by streamers and little Panem flags. Overhead the sky is a beautiful crystalline blue.

He looks me up and down, "Mom's right though, you do look like a bit of a mess. What'd you do? Break into another bar with Electrum?" There's the slightest bit of disapproval in his voice but he masks it well.

"Nah. Midas had us running laps all morning. Someone got a bit wild at the academy last night. Left a bit of a mess." I don't mention that that someone was me and my friends. Bastion might be my brother but he can be just as uptight as my parents when the mood takes him. Guess that's what happens when the family's hopes and dreams are riding on you.

"Yes he called this morning." My mother's voice is icy as she produces a silky handkerchief and begins to dab at a speck of dirt on my shirt. "Apparently they left graffiti all over the front steps. I assured him that no boy bearing the name Lumin would ever do something so unseemly." The way she says it is like a challenge, as if she's daring me to contradict her by confessing. I don't rise to the bait so she steamrollers on. "Honestly Al, you should really think more about your image. If you don't start behaving respectably people will start to talk."

I let out a little laugh. When you've spent your whole life knowing that you might be dead before your nineteenth birthday little things like behaving respectably really lose their appeal.

"We thought you wouldn't show up." Bastion crosses his arms, trying to look stern. The twinkle in his eyes gives him away. "Mom was practically having conniptions."

"What? And miss the big show. I wouldn't dream of it."

My mother takes another stab at smoothing my hair. "Your father is already at the Justice Building." She purses her over rouged lips, "He so wanted to be here to wish you luck but he had a very important meeting before the reaping that he just couldn't miss."

"Yeah yeah, whatever." My mother might make excuses for my father's absence but it'd long ago stopped bothering me. "It's not as if his son going into the Games is a big deal or anything."

"Of course it's a big deal!" My mother frowns. "But we've had a lot of new orders recently, and you know how important these meetings with the clients are." Unsurprising. My father runs the largest jewelry house in the district and on a day when 1 is crawling with capitolites he's bound to make a minor fortune.

"Money first, that should be our family motto."

She opens her mouth as if to reprimand my impertinence but Bastion quickly interrupts her. "So, are you ready for your big moment?"

"Please." I roll my eyes. "I was born ready." Not exactly a lie. After all, what else are second sons for?

"You've gotta get back at 10 for that embarrassment from last year."

I think of the slogans we'd sprayed on the Academy's steps. "Oh I plan on it."

"Good." He claps me on the back. "I know you'll make us proud."

I spread my hands in a mockery of diplomacy. "When have I ever let you down?"

Bastion laughs and my mother lets out a disapproving little sniff but says nothing.

We're almost to the main square. The streets are becoming more and more crowded with men and women and nervous children, all decked out in their reaping best. There's a feeling of anticipation on the air. Everyone's equal parts anxious and excited to see who will represent District 1 this year. I can feel more than a few pairs of eyes following me as we push through the crowd. The Academy officially released it's nominations to volunteer only a week ago, but I guess news travels fast. Not that the Academy nomination guaranteed a spot. At the end of the day the tribute would be whoever was the quickest and loudest.

I part from my family on the edge of the main square. Like every year, a whole section in front of the Justice Building has been roped off and long lines of teenagers are waiting to be checked in by peacekeepers in spotless armor. I push my way to the front of the throng, ignoring the protests of those around me.

"Name?" One of the peacekeepers at the desk looks up at me. I can see my face reflected back in the smooth plastic of the visor. "Alabaster Lumin."

As always the eighteen years olds are positioned closest to the Justice buildings, and I have to shove and maneuver my way through the throng of younger kids to reach the place where my friends are standing. Electrum gives me a high five and Brilliance claps me on the back as I take my place among them.

"Where have you been?" Brilliance asks, "We were here ages ago."

I gesture back towards the edge of the square. "My mom."

"Ah." Electrum nods sagely, "Let me guess, lecturing you on the importance of maintaining the family's good name?"

"Always."

"You think they'd get tired of it after a while." Electrum laughs. He's the eldest in a family even older and more important than mine—they've owned the diamond mines for generations. At least I have Bastion to shoulder the bulk of the family's expectations but Electrum takes the brunt of his parent's nagging. "Honestly at this point I've lost track of how many times I've besmirched the family names."

"Does she know it was us who messed up the Academy?" Brilliance asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Unlike Electrum and I he doesn't have the luxury of rich parents to bail him out when he puts a toe out of line.

"Hell no." I shake my head and run a hand through my hair. "She'd probably have a heart attack."

"I'm hoping my parents never find out. They'd ship me off to the peacekeepers in a heartbeat."

"Tough luck." Electrum pats him on the back. "Although don't they know that half the peacekeepers in the lower districts are drunks and gamblers?"

"How would you know?"

"Opal's uncle used to serve in 8. Always tells the wildest stories."

"Bullshit."

They continue to bicker as I turn away and scan the crowd. A few of the girls from the academy catch my eye and I wink causing them to giggle amongst themselves. I spy Titania at the front of the girl section. She's all smiles for the cameras, and despite her earlier fears there's not a blonde hair out of place.

"Checking out the competition?" Brilliance asks, noticing where my gaze is fixed.

"I don't know why she's volunteering." I frown. "She's hardly top in the class." In fact I can't remember the last time I'd seen her on the sparring mats. She's always on the sidelines gossiping with the other girls or fixing her makeup.

He shrugs. "Maybe she's hoping to skate by on looks. A nice face always gets lots of sponsors."

I watch Titania blow a kiss to one of the cameras perched on the roof of the Justice Building. She's pretty, I'll give her that. Maybe even prettier than Satin was. But it takes more than beauty to survive the games.

Titania Eberron, 18

I'm bouncing on the balls of my feet, every muscle in my body tensed and ready to spring. This is it. My moment.

Up on the steps of the Justice Building our escort—a gemstone bedecked woman named Faustina—is going on and on about the honor of serving as a tribute. Behind her the silky banners emblazoned with the symbols of the Capitol and District 1 flutter in the warm breeze.

"And now the moment you've all been waiting for!" Faustina announces and the crowd goes absolutely silent. I can hear the clack of her heals on the marble as she crosses to the first of the two crystal reaping bowls. My heart hammers in my chest as she dips one glittering hand into the dish and pulls a slip of paper from the very top. "The female tribute from District 1 will be Emerald Sta—"

"I volunteer!" The words leave my mouth as the scream. "I volunteer." I repeat again, more calmly. Remember to smile. I wave to the crowd as I mount the steps, beaming.

"And what is your name my dear?" Faustina practically thrusts the microphone into my face.

I look out over the heads of the crowd and repeat the words that I've practiced in the mirror at least a hundred times. "My name is Titania Eberron, and I would be honored to be the tribute for District 1."

Faustina snatches the microphone back, "Well it looks like we have a little patriot. It's lovely to meet you Titania." She clips back across the stage to the boys bowl. I keep my smile fixed firmly in place as she calls out a name and Alabaster darts forward to volunteer. He swaggers up onto the stage, planting himself firmly beside me. "And your name young man?"

"Alabaster Lumin, but please just call me Al." He winks at Faustina, and even under the layers of makeup I can see her blush.

She lets out a rather undignified giggle. "Watch out folks we have a charmer here."

He's trying to play himself off as charming! A little jolt of outrage shoots through me. That's my angle! As if he could ever pull it off as well as I do.

Faustina seems to have recovered herself because she turns back to address the crowd. "Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen: the tributes from District 1." A wild cheer goes up from the crowd and Alabaster and I turn to face each other. I smile at him as if we are the best of friends. Later when the capitol picks through the footage of our reapings no one will be able to say I was anything but agreeable and lovely. I hold out my hand and he takes it, squeezing hard enough that I hope I worry it might bruise.

Behind the charming smile Alabaster's eyes are cool as ice. "Happy Hunger Games Princess."

Oof, one reaping down and 11 more to go! Again I really hope I did everyone's tributes justice. Leave a review and let me know what you think of our first two tributes!