Remember they're people too.

Nikoleta Vedrix

District One Escort

I take my time applying my lipstick, bright green of course. Much as I love it, wearing just lemon yellow would be stupid. It would look worse than Styliani Zappide's wardrobe. I glance at the mirror once more before I leave the room.

I make my way into the hallway and go and find myself some breakfast. The deep red carpet is almost springy beneath my feet, like you could sink into it. As I walk into the breakfast room, an avox points to the table and I can't help feeling a little annoyed. They've obviously never worked on a tribute train before, because us escorts are sensible enough to know what breakfast looks like. They must think I'm stupid, so I glare at them before serving myself with breakfast. I find myself doing my usual thing of looking out the window at the passing scenery. I only left the Capitol late last night, as District One isn't that far away.

"Miss Nikoleta, we'll be in the district in an hour." One of the attendants announces from behind me. Good. I'll be in and out in two hours maximum, and that's all I can bear with a good district. It was a nightmare when I used to escort District Eight. We pull into the station and as I get onto the platform someone arrives to escort me to the car so I can get to the town square. It's a quick drive, only a few minutes, and then we're at the square.

The justice building is shining in the morning sun, the square has been cleaned like it has every year. District One is always good at looking decent enough for the camera crews.

"When we arrive I make my way up onto the stage and take my seat next to Mayor Shimmering, and the mentors this year, Brandi Midas and Gleam Price. Gleam spends all his time showing off to pretty much anyone he meets, but Brandi is smart and strong, a proper Victor. Gleam just hid once his alliance started to kill each other. A lot of the Capitol loves him, and a lot of the Capitol hates him.

The square fills quickly, and I wonder who will try to volunteer this year. Bad luck for them, really. It's a real honour to volunteer here. One of the things I like about this district. They actually have a sense of district pride. Unlike District Eight. They were terrible.

Mayor Shimmering starts her yearly speech, the mentors look bored, and I watch the crowd. Two kids in particular stand out to me. A girl and a boy in the eighteen-year-old section. The girl makes a huge show of constantly brushing her streaky brown plait behind her shoulder. The boy just looks uninterested. Good for them.

"Now, it is time for Nikoleta to draw the names."

"Thank you, thank you. Now, it's time to draw the names!" I put on a winning smile, glance around the crowd. "Ladies first!"

Before I even have the chance to see the name, the yearly volunteering begins.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Yells the confident girl with the braid as she runs up to the stage. I give her a smile, the only thing I can do.

"I'm sorry, but volunteering isn't happening this year." I say, loudly so the whole crowd can hear. The gasp I hear is my conformation that they heard it. "The female tribute for District One is…."

I am aware of a commotion going on behind me. The mentors weren't informed ahead of time, instead, they find out now. "Sophie Barat!"

Someone from the eighteen-year-old section starts making their way up to the stage, smiling confidently with every step. I hear a barely audible sigh of relief from behind me, indicating an at least competent tribute. The mentors always seem to see which tributes will be good.

"The male tribute for District One is…."

Hope for the best.

Ezio Palmer, 17

District One Male

I wish Dax would shut up about the fact he's going to volunteer. He's been talking about it all morning. He goes on and on about everything Hunger Games, from the arena to the chariot outfits to the weapons in the training centre. Apparently Gleam says they have all sorts of things, axes, knives, spears, maces, bows, you name it, they've got it. Not that I'll ever get to see it. "You can all come and live with me in Victor's Village." He says.

"Not if you kill me with boredom first." I say.

"Ezio. Don't be like that." He replies.

"Well, if you do, at least you have practice for the arena." The whole family looks at me like I said something terrible, and then go back to what they were doing. This is normal.

Dax is having a party in half an hour, half the training centre is coming over and the other half is going to be at Ruby's party. The training centre encourages it. It's like they're saying "You've been chosen to go into a situation where you'll probably die. Have fun!" Which is something they would do. It's not surprising. They did it to Opal. I'm not going to forgive them for that.

There's a knock on the door.

"Ezio, Winston, go and get ready please." Dad says. Probably because there's going to be some alcohol involved. Or maybe because he doesn't want Dax's friends to know his little brother is a disappointment. I make my way upstairs, slowly, because my knee is hurting again, and into my bedroom

We're not in the richest neighbourhood in District One. And we're not related to a victor. But we're not poor. I find a nice shirt, put something nice on. Comb my hair. Sit around wishing I could actually train for the games. But that's never going to happen. Wish Opal didn't die. Hope Dax doesn't die.

Someone knocks on my bedroom door.

"Hey, Ezio, can I come in?" Winston asks.

"Yeah, sure." I call back. He comes in and sits with me on the bed.

"You worried about Dax?"

"Yeah. I don't want what happened to Opal happening to him." I say.

"Opal was unlucky. I'm sure Dax will kill the other volunteers before they kill him." Winston reminds me. He's pretty optimistic about these things, which means while he's imagining life in Victor's Village and fancy parties, I'm thinking about funerals and Ruby the crazy knife-thrower.

"Yeah. I suppose he will."

"And if he doesn't win, I will." Winston tells me. Of course, the training centre wouldn't let me in, so the middle brother gets skipped.

"Winston, Ezio. We're leaving." Dad yells from downstairs. We go downstairs, and I find myself on the tail end of the massive group who were at Dax's party. They're all pretty rowdy, and the crowds part for them. Volunteer parties always seem to have right of way on reaping morning. In fact, you could say the reaping parties are being followed through the streets

The square is probably the happiest in Panem. I hear people laughing, talking about how District One will have a victor three years in a row.

Mayor Shimmering stands in front of us all, with a wide smile on her face.

"Hello, welcome, thank you for coming. We are gathered here today for the reaping of the Hunger Games, as a reminder for the crimes of the Districts during the dark days." She says.

In his area, Dax yawns. No one here cares about the Dark Days, they just care about the volunteers, the mentors and the games themselves. "Now, it is time for Nikoleta to draw the names."

"Thank you, thank you. Now, it's time to draw the names!" She smiles brightly, throwing her hands in the air. Her lemon yellow nails glint in the sunlight. "Ladies first!"

She reaches for a slip from one of the reaping bowls and raises it in the air, but when she goes to unfold it someone yells in the crowd.

"I volunteer as tribute!" Ruby yells running up to the stage, her braid swinging from side to side. Nikoleta smiles at her.

"I'm sorry, but volunteering isn't happening this year." Nikoleta says. There is an audible gasp from the crowd, because this is unheard of. Volunteering has happened every single year since everyone remembers. "The female tribute for District One is…."

Now a lot of the younger kids seem nervous, worried they'll get chosen before their year. Ruby looks like she just sucked a lemon. "Sophie Barat!"

Sophie was another contender for volunteer this year. Unfortunately for them, they got knocked out of the running before the final three. They seem pretty confident as they make their way up to the stage. They wave to the crowd and the cameras, and then Nikoleta goes to draw the other name.

"The male tribute from District One is…." She pulls out another slip and unfolds it slowly, and this time no one yells out to volunteer. "Ezio Palmer!"

Oh no. That's my immediate reaction. And then I have to try and stop myself laughing. I'll bet the mentors are going to be angry tonight. I make my way up to the stage, slowly, and notice Dax looking at me with an expression on his face that's half angry half sorry. The mayor, the escort and the mentors don't look particularly happy with me as a tribute. Everyone was hoping we'd have a victor three years in a row, and they all know how useless I am. Oh well. Sophie might have a shot though.

When I get to the stage, Nikoleta smiles at me, and then she gets me and Sophie to shake hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the tributes of District One!"

It's been a while... oops. That was a fun chapter to write. These two were complete opposites to write, which has been fun. I would like to thank FireflyLlama for submitting Ezio and Leafpool8788 for submitting Sophie.