Regina Soto, 17

District 1 Female


Regina sat on a white ouch, using her reflection in the window to fix her hair. The wind at the reaping had messed up the braids Glitty had spent so long on, and there would be more cameras at the train station. She needed to look perfect.

The door opened and Regina's parents came in. Her mom had tears in her eyes, and took Regina's hands in hers, gushing over her. However, her voice was quiet and her eyes were squinted, which made Regina frown. She was clearly still hungover from a party last night.

"There she is, my best girl!" her dad bellowed, throwing his arms out. "First a volunteer, then a victor, and then, someday, a mayor!" Regina giggled.

"Thanks dad," she said. "But I'm not sure if I want to be mayor."

"Well, you have plenty of time to change your mind," he said with a laugh. He pulled Regina and her mom into a hug.

"You're going to do great things sweetie," her mom said, putting a hand on Regina's cheek.

"I know," she said with a grin. "I can't wait!"

After a few more hugs and praises, her parents left, making room for Glitty. Her best friend flew into the room and launched herself at Regina, tackling her in a bear hug.

"I'm so proud of you!" Glitty screeched, almost lifting Regina off the ground. Regina laughed loudly, returning the embrace.

"You're going to be amazing," she gushed, releasing Regina and taking her hands. "Just be careful, okay? You're not allowed to die on me."

"I won't die," Regina said with a laugh. "I promise. I've got this."

The girls sat down on the plush couch and began to talk, laughing at the ridiculous girls who were in the crowd this morning and commenting on which boys looked the hottest. Though eventually they moved on to topics from their childhood; funny school days, favorite dolls, and amazing sleepovers. It made Regina sad. She would miss Glitty while she was gone. They were almost never apart.

Finally, Velvet came in, and Glitty left with one more hug. Regina let her boyfriend sweep her into a deep kiss, sighing against his lips.

"I miss you already," she breathed when they separated. Velvet smiled sadly.

"I miss you too," he said. "But you're going to be amazing, and you're going to come back to me."

"I will," she replied, kissing him again.

"And, for extra incentive…" Velvet stepped back and reached into his pocket. Regina gasped.

He got down on one knee and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring. Tears sprang to Regina's eyes.

"Regina Sapphire Soto, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" Regina gasped, holding out her hand. "Of course!"

Velvet slid the ring onto her finger right as a Peacekeeper knocked on the door. Velvet leaned in to kiss her again.

"See you soon… fiancee."


Adelind Genoa, 18

District 4 Female


Adelind sat perfectly still, trying their hardest not to cry. They couldn't believe they were reaped, after refusing the volunteer spot. Had they rigged it? She wouldn't put it past the Capitol. They'd do anything to get a good show.

The door swung open and Adelind was tackled in a massive hug from Riley, who was crying. Seeing her tears made Adelind's resolve break and she began to cry as well. Their mom joined the hug, stroking Adelind's hair.

"I'm so sorry this happened," she said when she pulled back. "But you're trained. You do stand a chance."

"Thanks mom," they whispered, wiping their eyes.

"You're going to come home," Riley said confidently, despite her tears. "You're the smartest person in District 4. You're trained. You're talented. We believe in you."

"Thank you," Adelind said. "It just sucks. I said no and it didn't even matter." They didn't share their concerns about the rigged reaping. It would worry their mom and sister too much.

She fingered the locket hanging around her neck. One side was a picture of her mom, and on the other side was a picture of Riley. It would be her token in the arena. Because she really was going into the Hunger Games.

Another sob rose in her throat, but Adelind choked it back down, pulling her mom into another hug. She wished she was 4 years old again, where her biggest worries were the summer storms and everything could be solved with a hug from her mom.

Riley joined the hug again, taking Adelind's hand and giving it a squeeze.

"Come back," she whispered.

"I'll do my best," Adelind said. "I promise I'll try as hard as I can."

"We know," their mom said. "That's all you can do."

Someone knocked on the door and her family released her, allowing a Peacekeeper to escort them out. As another one came to collect her, Adelind tried to look on the bright side. This would be the adventure of a lifetime. And she was trained. She was smart. Maybe she really could do it.


Dieter Weiss, 12

District 5 Male


Dieter sat curled up on a lumpy sofa, choking on his sobs. It wasn't fair! Things were finally getting a little bit better, and now he was going to die! He laid down on his side, hugging his stomach as he cried. He wished he was little again, when his dad was still around and Solaris hadn't been born.

The door opened with a creak and Dieter sat up, wiping his eyes. Julia and Sparky stepped inside. Julia was carrying Solaris. Sparky opened his arms hesitantly, and Dieter lunged forward, embracing his foster father in a tight hug. Sparky hugged him back, stroking his hair.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered."

"It's… it's not your fault," Dieter stammered, pulling back.

Julia put Solaris down and hugged Dieter as well. She was crying along with him.

"I know things have been hard," Julia said, pulling back and putting her hands on Dieter's shoulders. "But it has been an absolute honor to be your family Dieter. We love you, and we always will."

More tears spilled down Dieter's cheeks as he hugged Julia again. Why had it taken until now for her to say that? He was going to die! He could already imagine the feeling of cold metal sliding into his abdomen. The thought made him cry harder.

"Thank you," he finally managed to say to her. Julia just nodded, still tearful. She opened her mouth to say something else but someone knocked firmly on the door.

"Time's up!" a Peacekeeper called. Solaris barreled past Julia and Sparky to hug Dieter. He wasn't sure if his brother fully understood what was happening, but he was clearly afraid. Dieter hugged him back, giving him a pat on the back. Then Sparky picked him up and they were gone.

Dieter was about to sit back down when the door opened again. He looked up and gasped in surprise. It was his mother, who was crying hysterically.

"Dieter!" she cried, throwing herself at him in a hug that was a little too forceful. He staggered back, but she kept him upright. It had been slightly over a year since he'd seen her, and he didn't know how to feel.

"How could they?" Gerda gasped, releasing him. "First, they take my babies and now they're killing my babies!" Dieter burst into tears again at the thought of dying, and his mom sobbed along with him. This was the end.


Theo Wondderoo, 17

District 8 Male


Theo sat quietly on his own, fists clenched to keep his hands from shaking. Though he hadn't shown it onstage, he was absolutely terrified. How was he, a random kid from 8, supposed to face off against the Careers and tributes who could easily identify plants and hunt for animals? He caught a glimpse of his pale face in the window and winced. He had to get it together or he wouldn't get any sponsor.

The door opened and his parents rushed in, followed by Jeff. His mom was crying, which forced Theo to choke back his own tears. Instead, he took a deep breath and reached out to hug her.

"It'll be okay," he said.

"Of course it will," Jeff said. "Theo is a top student and super athletic. He'll be okay."

"That's true," his dad said. "Theo, you definitely stand a chance."

"Thanks," Theo said, forcing a smile.

Though they did have a point. He was captain of his soccer team and a star player. He was class president. He was a straight A student. He wasn't completely unskilled. And he really didn't want to die. That was a damn good motivator. Adrenaline and desperation could power the human body in incredible ways.

His family was doing the best they could to comfort him. Jeff told funny stories about the shenanigans he and Theo would get into when they were young. His parents reminisced about when the boys were babies. And it did make Theo feel a bit better. But eventually a Peacekeeper knocked on the door, and they had to go.

His best friends Margaret and Aleksander came in next. Margaret had tears in her eyes, but she wasn't fully crying. Alek's face was pale and hard.

"Hey guys," Theo said, suddenly at a loss for words. Margaret gave him a half-hearted smile as she leaned in for a hug, which he returned.

"I'm sorry this happened," Alek said. Theo shook his head.

"You had no control over it."

"It still sucks," Margaret said with a sniffle. Theo nodded.

"It really does. But don't count me out."

"We definitely won't," Alek promised. "I may even be able to convince my mom to ask her boss to sponsor you."

"Really?" Theo asked. Alek's mom was a manager at one of the largest factories in District 8. Her boss had quite a bit of money. "That would be amazing."

"No matter what happens, I'll always be grateful for your friendship," Theo said. Margaret finally began to cry.

"Don't talk like that!" she protested. "You're going to win!"

"Just in case," he said, shrugging.

Alek clapped him on the shoulder.

"We won't forget," he said.

"We love you," Margaret whispered, pulling him in for one final hug. Aleksander hesitantly joined it, and Theo basked in the warmth of friendship for what could be the last time.


Hey everyone! Here are the goodbyes. I hope you enjoy them, and I'm sorry if they're not the best. My little brother gave me his cold and I'm pretty sick.

Questions:

1) What did you think of Regina's engagement?

2) Which goodbye POV was your favorite? Why?

3) Do you think Theo is right to be confident?

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona