Clarisse La Rue, 18, District 1 Female

I wake up at the break of dawn and hear the birds chirping outside. Today is the day of the reaping, and I won the competition to be the volunteer. I feel a bit nervous, but I'm sure that everything will go fine. I have some time to train before the reaping starts, so I head downstairs to make myself breakfast.

I have to be quiet because my parents and siblings are asleep. My dad owns the largest jewellery company in the district, so we have everything we could ever want and more. I make myself an omelet and toast for breakfast, throw on my training suit, and jog to the training centre. It only takes me 15 minutes to run there, as I have grown quite fast at running over the years.

Since we are quite well off, I was able to start training at the academy when I was 9 years old. I can't believe I'm twice as old now as when I started! I have won the volunteer competition for the last three years, but I gave up my spot to the person next in line because my parents urged me to wait until I was 18, so I have the best chance of winning. I was disappointed at first, but I know my parents just want the best for me.

I arrive at the training centre and see some young kids lurking around outside.

"Hey Clarisse!", one kid says, "why didn't you volunteer last year? Or the year before? Loser! Bet you'll chicken out this year too!"

"Shut it, punk!", I respond, pretending not to care, but he did hit a nerve. Most kids volunteer as soon as they win the competition, but I gave up my spot two years in a row. Well, this year is different. I'm going to volunteer and I'm going to win.

I get to the room I like to train in, and grab my spear. At the academy, we all have to specialize in a weapon of choice, and I chose the spear. I can throw my spear long distances and stab it at a close range. I start stabbing, slashing, and throwing my spear through the practice dummies in the room. After a few minutes, there is stuffing all over the floor and pieces of dummy everywhere.

I stop moving, and hear someone clapping. I look around the room and see the winner of the male volunteer competition, Ethan Nakamura. He is shorter than me, as most people are, and he has had one eye for as long as I can remember. He specialized in knife throwing, but he is also pretty handy with a sword.

"Hey", Ethan says.

"What do you think you're doing?" I respond.

"I wanted to know if you want to spar. It is our last day to practice here, after all."

"Sure. But don't ever watch me again without my permission." I snap.

He raises his hands and says, "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to peep."

We get our cut proof armor on and prepare to spar.

Ethan Nakamura,18, District 1 Male

I wake up and feel a sense of excitement before I can even remember what day it is. Then I remember. It's reaping day. I have been trying to qualify for as long as I can remember. My parents have been encouraging me to achieve my goal of becoming the victor of the hunger games ever since I was young, but they can get quite mad when I don't do as well as they hope. They were very proud of me when I finally won the volunteer competition this year, though.

I woke up extra early today to try and get some training in before the reaping in the afternoon. I make myself a breakfast of oatmeal and head on over to the training centre. I lift weights, do the obstacle course, and practice my knife throwing until I hear someone else arrive. It's probably Clarisse. She won the volunteer competition for the girls for the third year in a row.

I don't know Clarisse well, but I want us to be good allies, so I decide to start us off well by asking her to spar with me. She is amazing at using a spear, and she is incredibly strong. We use cut proof armor so that we don't get hurt, and we both get quite a good workout. Clarisse is a whirl of metal and fabric, stabbing her spear at various places as I block her with my sword. I prefer knives, but in this type of fight I use a sword. Too soon we have to finish sparring to get ready for the reaping.

"That was fun, Clarisse", I say, "We should do this again in the Capitol."

"Sure, punk." She says, but I see a spark in her eyes that wasn't there before.

We pack up, and I head home to get ready for the reaping. Ugh, I stink. I take a shower, and put on my nicest clothes. Once I am all dressed, I head downstairs to walk to the reaping with my parents.

"Hi Ethan, are you excited to finally go to the Capitol?" My mom remarks as soon as I step off the bottom stair.

"Yeah, you are our only hope for a victor." says my father.

My parents tried to have many kids, but I was the only one that my mother carried to full term. This means that they expect me to carry out all their dreams and be the perfect child. I almost wish I didn't have to train so hard to make it to the hunger games, but I know it will all be worth it if I win.

"I guess I'm excited, I mean, I've never been on a train before."

"That's the spirit! Let's head to the square now." my mom responds.

We travel the short distance to the square, and I leave my parents. I get my finger pricked and head to the boys age 18 place. As I enter the roped off area, I hear whispers, as usual.

There's the boy with one eye! I hear he won the volunteer competition this year. Doubtful. That was probably just a rumour.

They always whisper about me because I lost my eye when I was young. I lost my eye when my father was trying to teach me swordfighting when I was really young, and I'm used to my blind side as well as the whispers that follow me everywhere. That was what got me eliminated from the volunteer competition two years ago, and that taught me to be even more aware of my surroundings.

Trilly Seahair is our district's escort, and she introduces our many prior victors as well as the hunger games. The video explaining about why we have the hunger games plays, but I'm not paying attention. I have watched this video every year since I was born, and I don't want to spend my last minutes in this district, at least for a few weeks, watching some boring video. Instead, I rehearse all my knife and sword skills and list all the ways I know to make poison.

Sooner than I know, it is time for the reaping.

"I will now draw a name from the girls' bowl." Trilly Seahair reaches her hair in, swishes it around for a second, and pulls out a piece of paper.

"Silena Beauregard" she announces.

"I volunteer as tribute!" exclaims Clarisse in a loud voice.

"All right then! And may I ask what your name is?"

"Clarisse La Rue."

"Well everyone, here is our female tribute, Clarisse La Rue! Now onto the boys we go!"

She reaches her hand into the boy's bowl and pulls out, "Mitchell Dayroot!"

I swallow, then quickly say, "I volunteer as tribute!"

Then I walk up to the stage where Clarisse and Trilly are standing.

"Well, well, well, a second volunteer! Not unexpected for District 1. What is your name, young man?"

"I'm Ethan Nakamura"

"Very nice. Everyone, here are your tributes from District 1! Clarisse La Rue and Ethan Nakamura." Trilly announces to the crowd.

Then she quietly says, "Shake hands, you too!"

We shake hands, and Clarisse has quite the strong grip.

Then we are ushered off to the justice building, where we will say goodbye to our families before heading to the Capitol.