I am the people
I am the storm
I am the riot
I am the swarm

Tenzin Mainali

District 9, Male, 12

(2 Months Prior the Reaping)

...

"Get set...Go!" As soon as I hear the clap (that we use to substitute for a whistle) I begin running as fast as I can, the finish line is only a few hundred metres away and I sprint toward it, the wind blowing through my face. I'm almost there! Have I done it? Have I won? As I reach the finish line, I look behind me to see nobody there, instead they are all already sitting down and resting. I lost. Again.

"Maggie won again!" Jim shouts, he gives me a sympathetic smile and it immediately makes me feel slightly worse, I don't want to be pitied for being a loser. I look over at Maggie, jealousy residing in my eyes but once I see her beautiful face, I can't feel any anger at her. Her smooth, tanned skin and wavy brown hair is only one thing that makes me fall for her, she is also kind and funny and extremely athletic. I've had a crush on her ever since she came to the orphanage at the age of five.
"Game of football?" Asks Corey and everybody agrees, maybe this is something I can win at, after all, it's a team game. "Let's do a schoolyard pick, Maggie and me will be the captains since we are probably the best." Nobody complains because everybody knows they are, I'm just crossing my fingers that I won't be picked last. "Alright, first on my team...Paul!" Corey says, my heart drops a little but I still keep a confident composure.
"Uhm, Sophia?" Maggie picks and I start losing a little hope, second to last pick still isn't bad though.
"Sorry, Tenzin. Jim." I pretend to put on a smile and tell him it's all good.

I walk over to Maggie's team and we begin to strategise. Of course, I'm put in goal and it hurts a little but I tell myself I'll just have to be the best goalkeeper they have ever seen in their entire lives. Once the game starts, Maggie and Corey begin to fight for possession of the ball and, finally, Corey takes it, passing it to Paul who has a clear shot to shoot. Jim one taps it and it starts flying toward me, I miss it by an inch and they score.

Maggie and Sophia look let down which makes me feel really bad. "Sorry." I mumble and they play it off like they don't care, I roll the ball to Maggie and she begins dribbling it toward the goal, Sophia next to her for backup. Paul comes charging at her so she plays it to Sophia who boots it into the goal, scoring us a point, I cheer loudly and can't wipe the smile from my face. Maybe I actually can win for once.

Eighty eight minutes later and it's tied 4-4, I'm yet to save any goals whereas the other team has saved several so it makes me think if Maggie and Sophia are wishing they had Jim instead of me. I get super anxious thinking about it that I don't realise the incoming ball coming at me in the perfect angle for me to save, I miss it and it goes right in, gaining them the winning point.

They cheer and run around the pitch chanting, I secretly wish I could've cheated and said I was able to save it because it was easy for me to play that off but they are my friends and I really can't cheat around them, although I think about it every day. I'm constantly thinking about ways I can cheat to better myself and I'm usually so tempted to do them but I'm just not able to do that to my friends who I know would never do the same to me.

"Good job!" I shout to the other team and give Corey a fist bump.
"You did good, Tenzin, don't worry about not winning." Maggie tells me and I smile, I know she's just saying it to make me feel better but, in all honestly, it does make me feel better.

"Dinner!" We hear screamed from the house and start rushing toward it. We all live in the same orphanage and we have since we were really young, it's why we're so close and always hanging out. I have never met my parents as they abandoned me to the orphanage only days after I was born but they must have had a good reason, right? Sometimes I worry they just thought I was too weak or too ugly and they're right, I can never win anything and I'm constantly coming last. I feel like they would be disappointed in me if they saw me right now.

Gena Cooper

District 9, Female, 12

(Reaping Day)

...

"I said I wanted pancakes! I hate waffles!" I scream at my parents, it's only the morning and they have already ruined my day. I told them yesterday, clearly, that I wanted pancakes for my reaping day breakfast but they think it's okay to make waffles.
"We're sorry, Gena. They didn't have any pancake mix and we thought you would like these better." My dad pleads and tries to hug me.
"Well you should've know better. Pass me a waffle!" I shout and push him away from a hug.

I climb up onto the stool for the table, across from my brother Adam. My mom passes me 2 waffles while she gives Adam one.
"I want two as well Mom!" He whines and I cackle.
"Sorry, not enough Adam."
"Do you want mine?" I ask, teasing him by waving it front of his face. He snatches it from me and I start screaming and crying.
"Adam! Give that back to your sister right now, you horrible boy." I stick my tongue out at him as he rolls his eyes and passes it back. If it isn't obvious already, I am the favourite of my family. My parents always wanted a girl and when they gave birth to Adam, they were really disappointed but a few years later, I was the sunshine to their darkness and they have given me everything I've ever wanted since then.

I gobble up my waffles as Adam stares at me, clearly jealous.
"Once you are finished with your waffle, come outside, we have a surprise for you." My mom says, winking at me and heading out of the front door. I quickly wash my hands from the maple syrup and slip on my shoes, running outside. I squeal with excitement once I see what's standing out there for me.
"This pony is going to take you to the reaping this morning!" She says and I jump up and down, without wasting anymore time, I jump on the pony and my family starts walking to the reaping, telling Adam to clean up the dishes before coming.

A few minutes later, we arrive at the reaping and my parents tell me I can't keep the pony. I start sobbing and tell them they are the worst parents ever before stomping off to the line, my arms crossed. I get my finger pricked and make my way toward the reaping area, pushing people out of the way to get to the front.

I wait for a few minutes before getting impatient. "Someone start this thing! I'm bored!" I scream and I hear everybody around me groan. "Shut up you little freaks!" I shout at them and start chanting, "Start the show! Start the show! Start the show!" Around an eternity later, a woman with weird yellow skin and an over the top green outfit exits the Justice Building.

"Hello District 9! My name is Nettie Cortez and I am your fabulous escort. Now, let me introduce, the one and only, winner of the 11th Hunger Games and your mentor...Mikayla Tate!" The crowd erupts in applause and I roll my eyes, she doesn't deserve all that attention, I'm way prettier than her. I stomp my foot several times, screaming. "Now, let's start by picking our male tribute." The weird woman says and takes a piece of paper from a bowl, she opens it and reads out "Tenzin Mainali."

I see a shocked boy with tanned skin and brown hair and eyes staring back at the TV screen. He looks slightly shocked for a second but quickly collects himself and starts walking up to the stage, for some reason, nobody is clapping for him. As he reaches the stage he sighs and stares blankly at the rest of the district. Soon, the woman picks out a name from the other bowl and reads. "Gena Cooper!"

What? Why me? I start screaming and bawling my eyes out, maybe if they realise I'm a sweet innocent girl then they won't take me away, tears run down my face and I continue to scream. That's when I hear laughing and I see my brother, Adam, pointing at me and laughing, I scream at him and start crying more, stomping my feet around. Peacekeepers start dragging me to the stage and I try and get away but they won't let me go.

"Stop it! This isn't fair! I hate you Adam!" I scream into the microphone and I'm pulled back by Peacekeepers, for some reason, nobody in my district looks sad.
"Your tributes from District 9: Gena Cooper and Tenzin Mainali!"

A/N: We're getting close to the train rides, just 3 more reaping chapters left. Thank you to Very New To This for Tenzin and wiifan2002 for Gena, I enjoyed writing them both and appreciate you submitting them to me. Questions:

What do you think of Tenzin? Of Gena?

Are either of them winner material?

Who is your current favourite tribute?

- Neb