This is a longer one!
Ryker Haynes, 17, District 10 Male
If the private session yesterday wasn't enough to make me a ball of nerves, today is the day of the interviews. In no way am I prepared for what is to come, but all I can do is try to get through this rubbish day the best I can. It's only a few minutes for the interview, anyway. Just a few minutes to talk to the stupid host, answer the stupid questions, and then I'm done. It's not exactly like that's a reprieve, though.
I could very well end up dead in 24 hours.
Becky tells me to not think about it.
"You'll eat yourself up imagining all the scenarios in your head. Remember what you said the other day? It will be like camping." The tint in her hair shines a bright red in the morning light, and for a moment I imagine blood.
"Who says it's going to be an outdoor arena?" I ask her with a nervousness in my voice. "Maybe it's some kind of weird indoor building we're going to be trapped in without any kind of sunlight… think of the vitamin D deficiency…"
Becky grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me lightly as if to snap me out of my panicking state.
"Don't think too much about it," she assures me. "Just focus on today before you think about tomorrow."
For the time being I try to take her words to heart and focus on what is sure to be a stressful day ahead of me. She is determined to coach me on all the best things to do during the interview, such as how to look professional, and cross my legs correctly. All to make a good impression.
"You're unlucky," she tells me. "People are usually bored by the time District 10 comes on, so you've got to make a really good impression to get them to remember you."
I don't know if I want anyone to remember me. I'd prefer to be a bit of a wallflower. I'm already in an alliance with a brother and sister, so people might see me as some sort of third-wheel or write-off.
I miss home. I miss my brother and sister. Tyler and Emmy are probably anxious to see me onscreen later, as it might be the last time they see me alive and well. Never mind how I might feel about dying, it would rip out my sibling's hearts to see their older brother murdered before their much too young eyes. That's lost innocence they'll never be able to regain. At least I was Reaped instead of Tyler. I'm equally grateful my brother did not volunteer for me, as I instructed.
Salalai seems more stable than before. Becky says it's the effect of the medication she's received, formulated to suppress the split personalities within her.
I wasn't surprised when I heard exactly what was up with her. She'd be calm and introverted one minute only to get furious the next. In even stranger cases, she'd suddenly be brushing her leg against mine at the table, looking at me sideways with a strange, foreign intensity in her eyes that didn't seem like her at all.
Becky asks me if I'll look out for her in the arena.
"No promises," I say simply. Becky berates me for leaving my mentally ill partner in the dust.
"She's your district partner, you can't just forget about her!" Becky complains. I tensely fold my arms.
"Look, I have my own survival to worry about. I won't kill her if I run into her, but I also can't babysit her either. Plus, I'm already in an alliance."
Becky sighs, having no response. I understand where she's coming from, but in the arena I won't make promises I can't keep. I reaffirm that I will not let Salalai die at my own hands, which seems to satisfy Becky.
After brunch we're taken to the ground level and loaded into a vehicle, the kind that are luxurious and sleek, not to mention long. Becky sits next to me and Salalai across from me.
"Where are we going?" Salalai asks. It's the first time I've heard her speak in days.
"Interview hall," Becky mumbles. "It's not far."
Sure enough, within minutes, we've arrived at a tall, platinum building with hidden lights illuminating it even in broad daylight. As we're led inside I can't keep my eyes off of the multi-coloured structure. Even Salalai seems enchanted.
Since Becky is our sole mentor, she's assigned to me for coaching, while our escort Leenie is given to Salalai. Leenie seems to have a soft-spot for my partner, and her kind and patient demeanor, quite uncharacteristic for a Capitolite, allows Salalai to come out of her shell a little bit.
Hours upon hours pass of finding the right angle. Becky rules out being a simple farmer, because it's forgettable at best. Suddenly she lights up.
"Say you felt the need to ally with the siblings because of your siblings. Say you're a family man."
I think for a moment before nodding. It's better than nothing.
After I wave goodbye to Becky I'm reunited with my stylist, Shanell, who is incredibly eager to 'work her magic' on me again. After a grueling hair and makeup session, she returns with my interview outfit.
"I'm really happy with how it came out," she admits to me as she unzips the bag, revealing a dark green, almost emerald-coloured suit with a silver undershirt. Her pale grey eyes are lighting up with excitement as she describes exactly how she assembled the outfit.
"It's really nice," I tell her. She leaves the room to allow me to get into the suit and when she returns, she clasps her hands together in admiration.
"Perfect!"
Shanell pulls something out of the pocket of her shimmery purple dress, and I raise my eyebrows in surprise. It's the bracelet Ty and Emmy made me, with the green string and carved wooden star in the middle. I had taken it off during the makeovers when I first arrived and hadn't seen it since. I assumed it would be returned to me right before the Games after they inspected it, as with all tokens.
"I just thought it matched well," Shanell tells me. Before I know it tears are welling up in my eyes, and I try with all my might to suppress them as I slide it on my wrist. All this time, I had been convincing myself that I was just on some silly holiday trip, something I may or may not return from. Thinking more and more about my siblings is only making the distance harder, as well as accepting the fact that I'll probably never see them, the farm, my friends, or my parents ever again. Every tribute is sad to be torn from their family, but it feels hurtful on an incredibly personal level, like the Capitol enjoys doing this to families.
So, Becky was right, I am a family man. I don't even mind if that's the only thing that defines me as a tribute in these peoples' eyes, because for me, it's all the motivation I need.
Lilac Rafflesia, 16, District 12 Female
Although I'm not what most would call 'feminine', I do feel quite girly in the wine-purple skirt my stylist gave me. The matching headband with a silver skull motif is my favourite. I seem to have an aura of death surrounding me, which I think fits me perfectly. It's almost charming.
Damon is tenser than I've ever seen him before. My usual suggestions to 'chill out' are going unheard, as he only seems to be focused on nervously pacing back and forth in our green room. I approach him, urging my brother to look me in the eye.
"Look, we'll see Ryker in a few, and it'll be like a cool little hangout. We can act like self-righteous famous people or something." Part of me is sort of looking forward to this. All of us are dressed in our best, and for what it's worth, we do look like celebrities. Tributes practically are celebrities. I've never liked the thought of a spotlight shining on me but I might as well enjoy it for what it's worth.
Yolanda leads us down to the waiting area. According to her, the interviews are in exactly four hours.
"Where's Careleen?" I ask her. Yolanda tells me she is in the audience, gathering our supporters.
"Do we really have supporters?" Damon questions. It's the first time I've seen him engaged with any aspect of the day. Yolanda returns a sly grin, her green eyes shining.
"I said I'd get you kids some help, and I did!"
Little did I expect that Yolanda practically founded a fan club for us. She's eager to show the dozens of supporters who have taken to calling us the Grim Reapers. Ugh, that was a name I instantly shot down amongst the three of us, but the Capitolites seem to have taken a liking to it.
Various posters are displayed, most of them on black or pale purple poster board.
Wait, it's not pale purple. It's lilac. Clever.
Phrases such as We Really DIG the Sibs! and For The Other Districts It's Looking GRIM ! make me chuckle, and even Damon seems amused.
"Are you positive Ryker wants to be associated with us?" Damon mutters under his breath. "We're kind of a freak show."
"Nonsense," I tell my brother, admiring a poster with my name on it, along with lots of skull drawings. "We fit the theme of the event perfectly."
Ryker is very impressed with our following, laughing along when he notices the posters as well. He tells me that he's never had this much attention on him before.
"Neither have we," I say, giggling. "Can't say I'm complaining, though."
A few teenagers that have some sort of backstage pass approach us after mingling with the other tributes in the area, and they look very interested in Ryker. One girl with white, braided hair asks him for a picture and a hug. She seems to lock him in an embrace for a long time, unwilling to let go. Finally, she does, and wishes Ryker luck before blowing him a kiss and prancing off with her friends.
"Well, well, well," Damon teases, "it looks like you have an admirer."
"She can admire me with her wallet," Ryker jokes, and I laugh before realizing that he has a good point.
Some more time passes before we're escorted to a long, brightly-lit hallway. My heart starts to pound out of my chest upon realizing this is where we're going to line up before we're called to the stage for the interviews.
"Crap, crap, crap," I hiss under my breath, and Ryker gives me a supportive pat.
"Calm down, kiddo. You know you're going last, right?" he reminds me. My breathing steadies a little upon realizing this. It's just like the private sessions, I'll have lots of time to marinate in my own thoughts. Though, part of me wishes I was from District 1 so I could just get this damn thing over and done with.
We sit on benches, ours being the one farthest from the door. The tributes whose interviews are closer are standing, however.
The first interview is Armahni Holm. He's wearing a suit that looks like a marble countertop.
"So, you potentially had a career in basketball, Armahni?" Corinna questions. "I gotta say, I think you would have done pretty well." The audience laughs as she silently alludes to Armahni's towering height. He has to be at least over six feet and five inches tall.
"Basketball is fun, but the arena is my true calling," Armahni tells the audience, who dutifully cheer in response. If this boy dies in the arena, I'm sure his final thoughts will be the exact opposite of what he just said. 'Oh crap, I'm going to die. I should have done basketball after all.'
Vinna Hegarty is next, and her slim, blood red dress fits her almost evil persona perfectly.
"I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow morning," she says in a trancelike voice. The audience whoops and cheers in anticipation of what's to come from this bloodthirsty Career.
"Sounds exciting, girl. I think we're all expecting a lot from you." Vinna smiles at Corinna in a cunning, mysterious way, which sends chills down my spine. Most girls who look like her go for a 'dumb blonde' angle but that's not what Vinna is doing at all. I was already wary of her, obviously, but now I'm a bit terrified of this girl.
Kyle freaks both me and probably the entire audience out with his unhinged and erratic way of speaking. All my muscles untense once he stomps off the stage.
Note to self: stay away from him.
Coilee looks pretty in her knee-length silver dress, and comes off as very sweet and sensitive.
"My family is my entire world," she says in a soft voice. "I'm doing this for them." The crowd gives a collective aww. Coilee then turns to the camera and looks directly into it, her blue eyes glittering.
"Hi, Mom and Dad! Hi, Megara! I love you and I miss you. I'll see you soon."
Careers usually never mention their family, being driven by their desire to win instead. I'm starting to wonder if she's a Career at all. Her score of eight was unusually low for District 2.
I notice Albert and Sophia engage in a passionate kiss before Albert goes off to do his interview. Butterflies form in my stomach at the sight. I turn to Ryker, who smiles nervously and blushes at me. Damon seems to catch wind of our silent interaction.
"Don't even think about it, you two," he playfully warns us. I sigh in defeat. Just Damon being my protective brother, as usual. Most sisters would be irritated, but in the arena, having him is invaluable.
I scoot a couple inches away from Ryker on the bench before focusing on Albert's interview.
Corinna Alcantara, 29, Capitol Broadcaster
Albert seems to be the usual brainiac from District 3, but has the audience's attention when he mentions his girlfriend.
"Want to say hi to the lucky lady?" I ask him. Albert chuckles and shakes his head.
"Actually, she's right there!" The crowd cheers wildly as Sophia sheepishly steps into view, giggling and hiding her face. Her dark blue dress matches Albert's suit, giving them a visual sense of unity. They hold hands as Albert answers a couple more questions, before walking off and allowing Sophia to conduct her interview solo.
She comes off as a girl who believes in the idea of 'fake it till you make it'.
"Tomorrow's going to be a stressful day, for sure, but I'll face it with a smile." Sophia flashes a grin for the camera, receiving polite applause in response. I'm hoping she manages to maintain her composure like she says.
Aslan Dreadstorm, the leader of the Career pack, is everything I expected him to be. Confident, determined. I won't say handsome, because he's over a decade my junior.
He sort of just answers the questions without putting much of a twist on anything, probably preferring to wait until it really matters to show his talents.
"I'm guessing all the other tributes will dread being found by you," I quip, and the audience bursts into laughter. All Aslan gives me is a slight smirk before his face falls again.
Azure looks pretty in her white chiffon dress and dutch braid hairstyle that makes her look younger than she is.
"I'm sweet, but vicious," Azure tells the audience, who seem intrigued based on the various sounds of interest.
"Like a yandere?" I question, and Azure giggles softly.
"A yandere would be frowned upon in the real world, but I think one would thrive in the arena, don't you?" Azure's innocent smile but somewhat crazed eyes make me pity any helpless tribute that will cross her path.
"So, does that mean you're looking for love?" I ask Azure. She grins at me, but looks a little floored by the question.
"Well, I'm not, personally. Love and the Games don't really mix."
It's probably a good thing, too. Any girl who showed interest in a potential sweetheart of hers would end up with their face in the sky.
Ethan is tall and lanky, and I express disbelief at him being only twelve years old. He says if he was able to grow an ounce of facial hair, he'd look even older.
Pontiki comes out wearing a black two-piece outfit. The cropped style of her top is somewhat daring.
"I'm more than a straight-A student," she tells everyone. "I strive for perfection."
"So, you're going to treat the Games like an important school test." School and the Games, something teenagers are equally exposed to growing up, could not be more different from one another, but her logic isn't terrible. Being perfect is the only way to win the Games. No room for error, really.
"I didn't get the highest score, sadly, but I will definitely get the highest placement." Her witty confidence is admirable.
Indy's in a loud red and yellow suit, and immediately wins the crowd over with his charisma.
"Hopefully the arena is a race track. I think I'd do really well there." The audience laughs, amused by his fantasy that probably won't come true.
"So, you're into racing?" I ask him.
"Racing's my life! If I win I'd probably get a sick car collection, sicker than the one I have already."
In the audience I spot a bright poster decorated with cars, that says Vroom Vroom. I wonder if that one was meant for Indy.
Aston, sweet little Aston, has to practically be coerced into coming onstage. I do my best to make her comfortable, but she's clearly a bit tense being in front of so many people.
Her poofy purple dress gives her an air of innocence, and the audience seems to find her adorable.
"What's been your favorite part of the Capitol so far?"
Aston smiles slightly and shifts in her seat.
"Playing hooky from training, probably. Sorry if I wasn't supposed to do that. But it was fun to hang out with Pontiki." It was common knowledge that they skipped training, but it was more endearing than rebellious-looking, because the two girls are seen as weak.
Garrett's suit, which appears to be made of twigs, looks more uncomfortable than fashionable.
"Climbing trees was probably my favorite part of home," he tells me. "I haven't fallen from one yet. Knock on wood." He lightly knocks the arm of his chair, which is, in fact, not made of wood.
Magnolia comes out wearing an orange suit that fades to red at the bottom, sort of fire-like in a way, which is fitting.
"A firefighter is a very noble profession," I tell them. "You're a very brave person for putting your life on the line to save others."
"It's just what I do," Magnolia says sheepishly. "It's actually pretty rewarding."
Magnolia receives applause for their troubles, although I have to admit that neither I nor anyone in the audience was even aware that Seven had firefighters.
Brocade comes in a, well, brocade suit and already looks angry with me.
"Is it alright if I call you 'bro'?" I ask jokingly, generating some chuckles. Brocade coldly tells me to not call him that.
Okay then.
Esther, his partner, is more of a triumph. She comes off as very clever and slightly sneaky.
"I'm glad to have a few friends," she tells me. "I was so worried I'd enter these Games as a loner."
"Friendship is strong, but strong enough to last through the Games? We'll have to see."
People are endeared by little Altaïr Muhammed, wearing a sharp black tuxedo that seems a little mature for his age.
"I love Assassin's Creed," he tells the audience. A few cheers pierce the general sounds of confusion.
"Sounds like we've got some gamers in the audience. Is that your favourite hobby?"
Altaïr blushes. "I wouldn't say that. Makes me seem like a bit of a loser. I like to parkour, as well."
After a couple more questions, Altaïr rises to conclude his interview and the audience starts to get riled up.
"Let's see if this assassin will get some work done tomorrow!" I tell the crowd as the girl from Nine steps onto the stage for her interview. My stomach drops at the sight of her.
Nerezza Elsera. An anomaly from the moment she was Reaped, and even more of one once I finally meet her in person.
Her dramatic makeup and dark outfit makes her look like some kind of evil fairy, but she is not very frightening, as she was probably going for. Once again, her beauty fails her.
"I'm actually not that scared for tomorrow," she tells me in a light voice. She's fluttering her eyelashes rapidly, as if the bright lights were overwhelming her.
"Confident, huh? I like that!" I always try to encourage tributes the best I can, even if most of them end up as bloodbath fodder.
Nerezza goes on about how she is excited to 'go home'. Seems like she's looking to the future already. Knowing what I have heard about her, she probably means that in some kind of weird way.
Aemma Marsay, 7, Gleeful Capitolite Girl
After scary Nerezza walks off the stage, Corinna tells us all to give Ryker Haynes from District 10 a warm welcome.
"Welcome!" I scream as loud as I can to the stage from my booth high in the sky. "Welcome, welcome, welcome!"
Ryker is in a green jacket and pants, which looks very beautiful with all the lights shining onto him.
He is very nice, and talks about many things, like how much he loves his siblings.
"I wish I had a brother or sister," I tell Weaver. He tells me that he is my brother. I turn back to Ryker.
"I'd love to be a father one day," he says to Corinna, and the crowd goes aww. I turn back to my classmates sitting near me.
"I want a baby, too, but Mama says I can't have one until I'm thirty," I say to Rosetta, who is sitting on the other side of me. "That's like, fifty or a hundred years away." Rosetta giggles and says Ryker is just trying to make the audience like him.
Salalai is wearing green, too, except she is in a dress. I can't quite explain it very well, but she seems very, very sad.
"Don't be upset!" Corinna says to her in a supportive way, patting her shoulder. "Your chances aren't completely none. They're one in twenty-four!" The audience starts to laugh, and I try counting on my fingers to twenty-four. I get to thirteen, but I forget what comes next. That must be a big number. Her chances probably aren't good after all and Corinna is telling her a fib, which is like a lie, only not with bad intent.
After she leaves, Andrew comes on the stage in a black 'tuxedo', as Rosetta says. His hair is spiky, and it looks like there is lots of hair gel in it. Mama uses that stuff to style my baby hairs.
"My stylist said I needed this stuff, but I look like a porcupine," he says, and the crowd laughs. He really does look like a porcupine.
"What's been your favorite part of the Capitol so far?" Corinna asks. Andrew leans back in his chair and sighs.
"Probably how this place already feels like home. And I'm looking forward to coming home soon." I start to clap very fast for him as he leaves the stage when his interview time is over.
Sixtine is next and she's in a pretty purple dress with flowy sleeves. I like her dress the best so far because purple is my favorite colour.
"Sixtine, what happened at your Reaping?!" Corinna asks her, very curious. "I think I speak for all of Panem when I say we would very much like to know the backstory behind that."
"My crazy father tried to kill me," she tells the crowd in a giggly voice. "Luckily, the Capitol saved me when I got Reaped!" We cheer for her, but I secretly ask myself if she really got saved at all. Doesn't she know she's going into the Hunger Games? Maybe she does.
Finally, the District 12 brother and sister I am waiting for arrives. The boy, Damon, comes out first.
"Out of our usual crop of coal miners, a grave digger is definitely different!" I sort of expected Damon to be sad because of having to be around dead people all the time, but he seems happy.
His sister is like him, giggly and jokey and silly. Her jokes, however, are a bit different than most jokes I've heard. Mama would call her 'sarcastic'.
"I'm just going to bury the competition," she tells everyone, smiling widely. "It's going to be a very grave situation for anyone not from District 12."
I start to laugh, very loudly, because I understand her jokes! Grave situation, because they dig graves! And when they dig graves they bury the bodies! Ha!
Weaver is not so impressed.
"I hate puns," he tells me. "If I was president, I'd tear out people's tongues if they used puns."
After that, Corinna says the interviews are over and thanks everyone for joining her. She reminds everyone the Games begin tomorrow, and then the anthem plays.
"The Games are tomorrow, can you believe it?!" I ask my friends as we're escorted from the interview hall. "I'm so excited, I don't think I'll be able to sleep!"
"Can we sleep in your room tonight?" Rosetta asks me, and Aloe and Ariel look at me with big eyes, begging like a puppy.
This is a perfect time for a sleepover! Mama is busy all night and there will be no one else to tell me no. Thinking of staying up all night having fun makes me think of what the tributes are doing the night before the biggest day of their lives. Are they excited? I hope they are, I know I would be.
One more 'last night' chapter, then the launch, then the bloodbath…