Shine

Chapter 3

District 5 Reapings

Serena Holden –16- -D5- POV

I look into the mirror as I zip up my black dress. The Reaping is today. I look at myself in the mirror. I have small bags under my brown eyes, and my chocolate-brown hair is tied back in a ponytail like it usually is. I don't know why I bother looking nice. Nobody cares anyway, it's not like anyone is going to think better of me because I wore a nice dress. I'm tempted to throw the dress back on the bed and grab a t-shirt and pants, but I don't have the time. I sigh, and walk out into the living room where I know my parents are waiting.

"Ready to go, Serena?" My mother, Marianne, asks.

"I guess," I say, and we walk out the door towards the Reaping.

Emery Colt –17- -D5- POV

"Emery! Emery!"

"What?" I ask, putting a pillow over my head. I don't want to get up, it's not early enough yet.

"It's Reaping Day!" Luka, my best friend, shouts back. Crap.

"Do you have a suit I could borrow?" I ask, quickly getting out of bed. Last night was not a night to sleep at his house, as if I was at home, I would have my clothes. And my mother wouldn't have let me sleep in.

"Yeah," he says. "I thought you would want one since you didn't get up earlier," he pops in the door, holding a suit. "Here you go. Be quick, we have like five minutes."

"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" I ask.

"Two reasons: One, you need your beauty sleep," he smiles at his own joke, "two, I tried to wake you up, but you stayed asleep. What would you have me do, throw you out of bed?"

"Okay, okay," I say. "Now leave, I need to change."

"Okay," he says, and pokes back out through the door. I quickly put on the offered suit and run a hand through my hair, in a mostly futile attempt to tame the curls. It'll be alright, it always looks like that. I walk out the door to see Luka and his family standing there.

"Let's go," he says, and we head out the door.

Serena Holden –16- -D5- POV

I arrive at the Reaping. I have no friends here, or anywhere else in the District. I'm here later than I should be, but I didn't want to have to endure the whispers. Nevertheless, I hear them, from all around me.

"There she is – that girl, what was her name?"

"Who, the rapists brother?"

"Yeah, her."

"I don't know. Does it matter?"

"I guess not." And those were the nice ones. I see people pointing fingers at me, and I as I try to walk inconspicuously to the Female, Sixteen section. The crowd parts around me, eventually forming into a small circle when I reach the edge of my section. Nobody wants to even touch me. That's their problem, I guess. What? Do they think that I knew what my brother did? That I supported it? That I endorsed it? I was the one who turned him in, for goodness's sake! But, all they see is the monster's sister, nothing else. Not me, not Serena, just Dermot's sister. Fine. Let them see that. I still remember the execution. I still remember the photos they showed me of Lysette. Do people think that I still loved him? After what he did? I didn't shed a tear at his execution. Maybe that's why people think I'm like him. If only they had seen what had happened when the Peacekeepers showed me pictures of her body… Then they would know that I'm not like him. They would know that I would never do those things. Or, would I?

"District Five! Everybody to their places!" Our escort, Jupiter, says from onstage. I hear a few conversations quickly end, to be replaced by silence, as everyone waits for Jupiter to start the Reaping. "Ladies first!" Jupiter says, and reaches into the glass bowl, pulling out a single piece of paper and unfolding it ever so slowly, ever too slowly. I wonder what poor girl will be picked. I don't really care, I just want to go home. And sleep. Or maybe I'll work, if Dad is working today. "The Female Tribute from District Five is… Serena Holden!" Jupiter says, cheerily. No. It can't be me. I feel the circle close around me, and hands push me up to the stage. Nice. Now you can touch me, now that you're sending me to my death. Then I hear the whispers.

"She's finally getting what she deserves..."

"… that little b- I hope she gets tortured…"

Hearing those whispers make me start walking towards the stage by myself. If they want me to die, screw them. I'll live, just for spite. I walk up to the stage almost confidently by the end, and shake hands with Jupiter.

Emery Colt –17- -D5- POV

I don't bother looking around for my family. I'm sure Ella's here, somewhere, but I'll talk to her after the Reaping. Maybe I shouldn't be so mean. Maybe I should try to say something – I'm distracted from my thoughts about my family by a tap on the shoulder from Luka.

"Hey," he points to the left, to where a girl is talking with her friends. Not just a girl, Mia. Her caramel hair is down, and I see her brown eyes light up as she smiles. Her smile lights up her whole face, and shows off her cute dimples. "You gonna talk to her?"

"No," I say. "You know I'm terrified."
"You could get Reaped today," he says. "You could die, and never see her again."

"Thanks for that," I say, "but I doubt that will happen. What are the odds?"
"You never know," he says.

"Fine," I say. "If I get Reaped, you can tell her how I feel. It won't matter then anyway." I'm not going to get Reaped, so there shouldn't be a problem with me making that promise. "We should get going, the Reaping is about to start."

"Okay, okay," he says. "I still think you should tell her. She doesn't have a boyfriend, but who knows how long that will be the case. Somebody might snatch her up soon."

"I know, I know," I say. "I'll think about it."

"Right..." he says. I notice a group of people in a circle around one girl.

"Hey, why is everybody refusing to touch that one girl?" I ask.

"You don't know?" Luka asks. "She's the brother of that monster kid a while back. Everybody's afraid she'll end up like him."

"Oh," I say. "Why are they afraid of that?"

"Like brother, like sister, I guess," he says.

"That doesn't make sense," I say. "She could be perfectly wonderful."

"I guess," he says.

"What's her name?" I ask.

"I don't know," he says. " 'S' something, I think."

"Okay," I say. I wonder if I should try to talk to her after the Reaping. She seems like she needs a friend, and it's not like I'm the most popular person in the District anyway.

"District Five! Everybody to their places!" Jupiter says. I and Luka were already in out places, so we wait for the last conversations to die out.

"Ladies first!" Jupiter says. She reaches into the bowl and pulls out a piece of paper. She unfolds it and reads it. "The Female Tribute from District Five is… Serena Holden!" I don't know that name. At least it wasn't Mia. I don't know what I would do if it was. Or if it was Ella. She may be spoiled sometimes, but she's still my sister and I love her. I shouldn't think about that. It didn't happen. Now as long as it's not Luka or Cole, we're good. I really do hope it's not anyone I know. I see the girl who walks onstage. It's the girl I was asking Luka about earlier. Bad luck, I guess. I'll try to talk to her on the train. We're both outcasts, we might get along.

"And the Male Tribute from District Five is…" Jupiter reaches into the bowl, taking forever to unfold the slip of paper. "… Emery Colt!" Well, crap. I guess it wasn't anyone I know. As I walk toward the stage, I'm nervous. Scared that I might not come home. That I might not come home to… to what? What's here for me? I reach the stage, and turn around. I see a sad face, her brown eyes uncharacteristically devoid of light in the crowd. That's what's here for me. Mia. Mia and Luka. My best friend, and, well, and Mia. I shake hands with Jupiter. I'll come home. For them. Then I look at the girl onstage next to me. But what about her, or the twenty-two others?

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the first 'real' one! Thank you to Hawkmaid and Andii99 for our amazing Tributes featured in this chapter! Apparently District Five doesn't have the nicest people, two social outcasts were Reaped. Anyway, please tell me what you thought of this chapter and of our Tributes! Also, please keep submitting your Tributes! Counting reservations, we currently have six Tributes! I only need eighteen more before the Games can start! May the odds be ever in your favor!

Tribute list:

D1M: Open

D1F: Diamond Knowles, 18, by Tyquavis (Previous character connection)

D2M: Ares Moretti, 18, by Andii99

D2F: Open

D3M: Open

D3F: Open

D4M: Open

D4F: Thia Zollis, 15, by JustAPersonReading

D5M: Emery Colt, 17, by Hawkmaid

D5F: Serena Holden, 16, by Andii99

D6M: Reserved

D6F: Open

D7M: Open

D7F: Vallory Stensland, 16, by Hawkmaid

D8M: Open

D8F: Open

D9M: Open

D9F: Open

D10M: Open

D10F: Open

D11M: Open

D11F: Open

D12M: Open

D12F: Open