Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.
-Chinese Proverb
The Hemmings Residence, June 16th, 11:00 am
Linda Hemmings (17) POV
District 1 female
I'm sitting on my bed, across from my best friend, Aira, both of us shuffling around different shades of nail polish. The clock reads 11 am, so the Reaping is in 3 hours. Plenty of time to get ready and have some fun before I volunteer. I eventually decide to do my nails in alternating colors; light blue and silver, while Aira just chooses black. She's wearing torn leather pants and a red sweat shirt, but since I have to make a good impression, I pulled out a light weight blue dress from the back of my closet. The only other time I've ever worn it was at my uncle's wedding, because I'm not exactly a dress person. For now, though, I just wear a bright green tank top and black capri leggings.
Once we have our nails painted, we leave my house and enter the Square, hoping to do a bit of people watching before the Reaping starts. We walk through slowly, trying to look as inconspicuous as we can, in order to avoid suspicion. We look around, trying to pick the best possible person for what we have planned, and Aira finds him. Leaning against the side of a building with headphones in his ears and a roll hanging from his fingers- it's either a cigarette or a joint, we're too far away to tell- stands Garnet Palace, the douchiest guy that goes to the other school in the District. I only know him because my cousin Angela goes to school with him, and he once tried to get into her pants, so he has no idea who we are.
"You wanna lead this one, or me?" Aira asks. I pause for a beat, then smile.
"Go for it," I say.
Side by side, falling into the same rhythm of steps, we approach him, feet clacking on the sidewalk.
"Hey!" Aira calls.
He pulls his headphone out of his ear, and as we walk closer to him, I take a breath of whatever it is he's smoking. I flinch at the skunky smell: cheap pot. I nearly writhe in disgust. If he wants to blow his money on drugs, he might as well spend his money on the better grade stuff, not old weed you'd buy from a homeless middle aged man in an alley.
"Wha-" Garnet looks startled. "Do I know you?"
"No, but we thought you were really cute?" Aira says, making it sound more like a question. She twirls a strand of honey blonde hair around he finger and bites her lip slightly. "We were wondering if you wanted to play a game?"
I notice him not so subtly check both of us out, smirking a little bit. It doesn't really surprise me; objectively, Aira and I are pretty decent looking, more so her than I, but the point stands.
"What kind of game, babe?" he asks, taking the joint out of his mouth. I feel the strong urge to grab it and throw it, but I repress it, masking it with a cute smile.
"Well, my name's Cassandra," Aira says. "This is my friend, Melena." I offer a quick wave and a falsely shy giggle. "Basically, she's gonna flip a coin. If we win, Melena gets to slap you across the face. But if you win, you get to kiss both of us. Deal?"
"Definitely," he says, with a crooked grin.
"Heads we win, tails you lose?" I suggest. Aira suppresses a giggle, but Garnet doesn't notice. This kid's getting slapped no matter what.
"Deal," he says.
I pull a coin from the pocket of my black jacket and flip it clumsily. It lands on the pavement tail side up.
"Tails, you lose!" Aira says, feigning an apology.
"Wait, hang on a sec," he says.
"Sorry!" I trill.
I pull my hand back and slap him with all the strength I can muster. He stumbles backwards, and I can already see the red mark on his cheek.
"I had to because Angela wouldn't," I tell him. "Take your joint and go be a dick somewhere else."
He glares at us both, wrinkling his face into a sneer. He spits on the ground near our feet and storms off, flicking his joint over his shoulder at us.
"I think over all that's a success," Aira says. "I mean, it took a while, but success."
"Shit!" I say. "What time is it?"
"About 12:30," she says, glancing at her watch. "Why?"
"I promised Julius I'd meet him to train before the Reaping," I say. "I gotta go!"
"Some last minute training with your District partner?" she asks, raising her eyebrows and smirking. "Think he'll try anything?"
I give her an incredulous look, and say my next words slowly, as if she's a child first learning how to speak.
"You know he's gay, right?" I say.
"What?!" she screeches. "Nuh-uh. That boy is too hot to be gay, he's not allowed."
"He has a boyfriend!" I protest. "Plutus something?"
"Tell me Plutus Luxe isn't gay," she says, looking crestfallen. "He was my safety net!"
"Well, they're both gay," I say. "I need to go now, have you even seen Julius angry?"
"Is it hot?" she asks, smirking deviously.
"Doesn't matter," I say. I turn on my heel and jog to the training academy, shouting a quick goodbye over my shoulder.
The Training Academy, June 16th, 12:00 pm
Julius Helios (18) POV
District 1 male
I don't know why eighteen-year-olds continue to train for the Games after other volunteers have been chosen. You know that you're not going to be in the Games, so why continue to prepare for them? All of the other 18-year-olds here know that they will never be in the Games, since this is their last year of eligibility, and the Academy chose me and Linda Hemmings, a pretty 17-year-old to volunteer. It seems like a waste of time, especially if you just think of the training center as a place to hang out. People's parents have to pay a tuition for this, and they're wasting it.
Linda and I agreed to do some last minute training together, but she's nowhere to be seen, so I decide to train by myself. I grab a few knives off the rack near the dummies, and hold them all in my left hand so I can throw with my right. I wind up to toss the first knife from 20 yards away. Just as I'm about to release it from my grasp, a shout comes from across the room.
"Faggot!" the voice shouts.
Distracted, I throw the knife clumsily, and it lands on the ground in front of the dummy, where it would usually hit the center of the heart. I whirl around, trying to find the face that matches the voice. Before I figure it out, Linda steps out from a rack of swords, grabbing Lucian Platinum by his collar, pinning him to the wall, reaching her arm up against his throat. Linda's only 5'5", and Lucian's a good 6'4", so seeing her overtake him is sort of hysterical. While this is happening, I run over, in the unlikely event that she'll need any help.
"What'd you call him?" she asks, furious.
"I-" he murmers something unintelligible, and Linda shoves her arm harder against his windpipe. Se glares at him, and for a few seconds, I think she's going to punch him, or worse, but she just releases her grip on him and practically throws him across the room.
"Get out," she spits. "Just leave."
Lucian opens his mouth again, probably to say something homophobic about me, or, knowing him, a dumb blonde joke about Linda. But she cut him off before he can say anything stupid.
"I already slapped a bitch today," she says, looking him dead in the eye. "Do you want me to do it again?"
He gives a short, high pitched mimic of what she just said before storming out with his friends. Once they're gone, Linda grabs a knife out of my hand and chucks it blindly at a dummy, hitting it square in the chest.
"That, my dear, is why they picked you to volunteer," I say, laughing.
For about an hour, we practice with each other, brushing up on our weapon skills. It works, because we're really the only ones good enough for each other to have a challenge. We begin with swords, fighting with each other, making sure not to actually injure the other. After a while, we call it a match, because neither of us is pulling ahead. After swords, we do archery for a little while, which we both hate. We try to teach each other how to hold a bow properly, just in case a situation arises in which we'd need to use one. It's hopeless. Lastly, we move onto spiked clubs. Linda swings wildly with no real strategy, but I make a few calculated moves, "killing" my dummy faster.
Just as we're working up a sweat, the bells for the Reaping go off, meaning we have a half hour to get to the Square. It's only a ten minute walk, but Linda starts panicking.
"My dress is at home!" she says, frantically. "And my hair's a mess..."
"Wanna just grab clothes from the back room?" I ask.
"Sure," she says, looking slightly disappointed.
We go to the back room where the trainers keep extra Reaping clothes in case of an emergency like this. I push open the door and grab the first things I see in my size; a red polo shirt and tan pants. Good enough. Linda mulls over her options for a minute before deciding on a blue dress the same color of her nails, and a white jacket and shoes. She just turns around to change, and I look away.
Once we're both changed, we walk to the Square together. As we're walking, we run into a few of her friends as well as Plutus. Plutus greets me with a kiss, then laces his fingers through mine. Linda splits off with her friends, and gives me a small wave.
"See you on the train!" I call.
"Later!"
"You're really volunteering, then?" Plutus asks, meeting my eye.
"I have to," I say. "The Academy picked me, I can't let them down."
"Who's the backup volunteer?" he asks.
"Lucian," I sneer.
We approach the Capitol woman behind the desk, and she draws a sample of our blood. Afterward, we head off to the 18-year-old section.
"Alright, I changed my mind," he says. "You have to volunteer, and do better than he ever would."
"That was the plan," I assure him.
A few minutes after we get to the section, our escort, Livian Keene mounts the stage, her bright orange hair contrasting wildly with her ice blue eyes.
"Good afternoon, District 1!" she calls into the microphone. "Shall we start with the women?"
She crosses over to the girls' Reaping bowl and grabs a slip from the very top.
"This year's female tribute is Crystalline Flame!"
Following the announcement, a blonde girl from the 15-year-old section steps out onto the stage.
"Do we have any volunteers?" Livian asks.
"I volunteer as tribute!" Linda calls. She makes her way up to the stage, taking Crystalline's place.
"What's your name?" Livian asks, warming right up to her.
"Linda Hemmings."
"And now, for the men!" Livian says, smiling. "Our male tribute is Lucian Silver!"
Lucian walks up to the stage, stepping on my toes as he passes from the 17-year-old section. I elbow him in the side, and as he stumbles, I step out of my section and punch him in the gut.
"I volunteer!" I shout. I walk calmly up to the stage, and I see Livian eyeing me.
"What's your name, handsome?" she asks, batting her eyelashes.
"Julius Helios," I say, before directing my attention to her. "And before you get any ideas, I should tell you that I'm gay."
"We'll see about that," she whispers. "Ladies and gentlemen, District 1's tributes for the 227th Hunger Games: Linda Hemmings and Julius Helios! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"
The Justice Building, June 16th, 2:30 pm
Linda Hemmings (17) POV
District 1 female
The first people to come visit me in the Justice Building are my parents and my younger brother Jacob. I think in most Districts, Jacob wouldn't really understand my volunteering, but since we're a Career District, 10-year-olds know all there is to know about the Games. 10 is also usually when people start training, though I started when I was 8, and Julius started at 7.
"Linda, you need to win," Jacob says. "Or at least try your best."
"Oh, and why is that?" I ask, smiling down at him.
"I bet Parker that Julius would die before you, and if I lose, I have to give him $20," he explains. "But the deal's off if one of you kills the other."
"Well, I'll try my best," I say, laughing and messing up his hair. "I don't want you losing $20."
"You really will try to win, won't you?" Dad asks, a worried look on his face.
"Obviously," I say, giving him a warm smile.
"Good," Mom says. "We don't want to lose our daughter."
"Do you have a token?" Dad asks.
"No," I say, sadly. "I was gonna grab my anklet before the Reaping, but I lost track of time training with Julius."
"Good thing I grabbed it," Jacob says, pulling it out of his pocket. I take it out of his hands, inspecting it.
"You went in my room?" I demand.
"Sorry," he says.
Peacekeepers come in to take them out, and after they leave, Aira and our other friends, Brianna and Christine come in. For the duration of their time with me, we just gossip nonsensically, and they wish me luck before they're taken out.
I wait eagerly for everyone visiting Julius to leave so we can get on the train and be on our way to the Capitol.
The Justice Building, June 16th, 2:30 pm
Julius Helios (18) POV
District 1 male
My first visitor isn't my family or friends, as I expected, or even one of the trainers from the academy. It's Lucian.
"You fucking dick!" he shouts, swinging his fist madly.
I grab his wrist when it's inches from my face and pin his arm behind his back, forcing him to the ground.
"Something to say?" I ask him, inches from his face.
"You're a fag, and your District partner's a bitch," he says. "When you both die in the arena, I'm volunteering to show everyone what a real man looks like."
"So you're bringing a friend?" I ask. "Security!"
A Peacekeeper rushes in, grabbing Lucian by the scruff of his neck like a kitten, and he's soon replaced with my parents and my 15-year-old sister, Stella.
"I'm proud of you, Julius," my father says, clapping me on the back. "You're finally doing something worthwhile."
"Dexter, that's rude," my mother cuts in. "Not that we're not always proud of you, dear. It's just that this was such a big step for you."
"I think what Mom and Dad are tryingto say is that they're proud of you for volunteering, but they'd still be proud if you hadn't," Stella interjects. "Is that about right?"
"Exactly," says Mom.
"I don't know about all that," Dad says. "And did you have to announce your issue to everyone in Panem?"
"Me being gay isn't an issue," I stress. "Besides, a 30-something-year-old was hitting on me. What was I supposed to do?"
"Take it like a man!" Dad yells.
"I have a boyfriend!" I yell back.
After a few seconds of staring, he storms out of the room, leaving me with Mom and Stella.
"He's known for three years," I say. "I don't know why this is still so hard for him."
"Your dad's just old fashioned," Mom says. "He'll come around."
When I was 10, a girl in my class at school told me she liked me. For three years, our relationship grew from fake 5th grade puppy love to an actual relationship. However, a few months before I turned 14, I realized I didn't like her like that anymore, and neither did she. We broke up, and at 15, she was the first person I came out to. She helped me figure out how to tell my family, and to this day, Sterling Springs is my best friend in the world.
Two Peacekeepers come into the room, and tell my mom and sister that they have to leave. They go sadly, but without hesitation, not wanting a problem.
"Come home soon!" Stella calls over her shoulder.
"I will!" I yell after her.
After my family leaves, Plutus and Sterling come in. Steling gets to me first, throwing her arms around me and holding on tightly.
"This is real," she says when she pulls away. "You volunteered. You're actually going into the Games."
"You're sure you're okay with this?" Plutus asks.
"Positive," I assure him, giving him a quick kiss. "I've been waiting years to do this, I couldn't be happier."
"Well as long as you're happy, I'm happy," he says, hugging me even tighter than Sterling.
For the rest of their time visiting, we just talk about nonsense, not bothering with the Games themselves. This might be the last time I see them, and I don't want to waste it on the events of the next few weeks. I don't want anything to be any different than it has been for the last 3 years.
Before they're taken out, Plutus searches his pocket for something to give me as a token, but all he comes up with is a tan rubber band. He apologizes, but I slide it up my wrist and give him one last kiss.
"It's perfect," I say. "Thank you."
They're escorted out, and pretty soon, Livian and Linda come to my room, and we all board the train.
Thanks so much to DobbyTheFreeElf1290 for Linda and Jms2 for Julius!
Now that Capitol's Picks is finished, expect more frequent updates here. After all, we're only just getting started.
Questions!
1) Who do you like better, Linda or Julius?
2) What did you like about them?
3) What didn't you like about them?
4) Any predictions?
-No one says no to Gaston!