"Mizuki! Breakfast!" my father calls from downstairs.
"Just a minute!" I yell, not looking up from my biology textbook. I can't go down to eat now, not when I'm reading ahead for science class. I've read this chapter on the human skeletal system before, but it's just so fascinating that I have to read it again. I dive back into my studying, quickly losing track of time.
"Mizuki, come downstairs!" my mother calls, and I groan.
"I'm not hungry!" I answer, hoping that it'll get them off my back. I really am not hungry - I ate a granola bar this morning when I woke up - and I'm too engrossed in my reading to go to breakfast anyways.
I hear footsteps approaching, and I try to ignore them. Then the door to my room opens, and my older sister walks in.
"Hey little sis," Kazue says. "Whatcha up to?"
I look up. Even if she's here to interrupt my studying, I don't have it in me to ask her to go away. Kazue and I are very close, after all. Just like me, she wants to be a doctor, but a pediatrician rather than an orthopedist. And she's fun, not annoying like my parents or rowdy like my younger brothers. Not that I hate my family or anything. We get along just fine, but Kazue is the one who understands me the most.
"Reading," I say with a smile, plopping my highlighter down onto the biology textbook. "Do I have to go down to breakfast? I know that's what you came here for."
"Clever, as always," Kazue says with a smile. "Why don't you bring your textbook downstairs? You can read while you eat."
I frown. "Dad won't like that," I say. "Can you tell everyone that I'll be down in five minutes? I'll definitely be there this time, I swear."
"Come on Mizuki, it's Reaping Day," Kazue says, squeezing my shoulder. "You'll need energy for later today. Just come eat breakfast with us and after that you can do what you want until the Reaping, 'kay?"
"Alright," I mutter, still not happy about my reading being interrupted. "But I'm bringing the textbook. Dad won't like it but I was just at a cool part."
"Come on, then," Kazue says, and I stand up to follow her downstairs, my biology textbook tucked under my arm.
"Remind me to call Diana's house in a bit," I say. "Maybe she can hang out with me and Carlos and the rest of us before the Reaping."
"She'll probably be at the Academy, sending off our chosen volunteers," Kazue says as we walk.
"Oh, right," I say, frowning slightly. "We'll train with her, then. Dad!"
"What is it, dear?" Dad asks as Kazue and I enter the kitchen. He's at the dining table with Mom, Yuuta, and Yuuma.
"After breakfast can I hang out with my friends?" I say. "I was thinking I could call Diana's house, and if she's at the Academy I can call Gaia instead and see what she's up to."
"Sure, as long as you help clean up and don't read while you eat," Dad says.
"Dammit," I mutter. "Alright, it's a deal."
I put my textbook on the floor and sit down, joining Kazue and the rest of my family at the dining table. Breakfast goes fine until Yuuma starts kicking me under the table.
"Stop kicking me," I say to my eight-year-old brother.
"Okay," he says, though he flashes his twin a cheeky grin. He stops kicking me under the table and starts chewing with his mouth open instead. I drop my spoon and glare at him. Yuuta lets out an obnoxious laugh.
"Boys, that's enough," Mom says. The twins quiet down, and I smile gratefully at my mother.
With everyone's help, breakfast is soon done and cleaned up, and I pick up my textbook. I make my way to the phone and call Diana's house.
Please be home, please be home, I think as Diana's mother picks up the phone.
"It's Mizuki," I say. "Can I talk to Diana?"
"I'm sorry, but Diana is at the Academy," Mrs. Stone says, and I let out an annoyed sigh. Why is she always training? Can't she see that there are better things in life than the Games?
"Her father drove her there earlier today," Diana's mother continues. "Since she's in the top five, she'll be there for the Reaping Day Luncheon as well. I can take a message to her when she comes back, though."
"Don't bother," I mutter, hanging up. Mom squeezes my shoulder.
"Do you think you could've been more polite?" she asks.
"We've known each other forever," I say with a sigh. "Well, I'm going to see what Gaia is up to and ask if we can go to the Academy for a few hours."
"I thought you wanted to study," Kazue pipes up from her seat at the dining table.
"Diana is more important," I say with a wave of my hand. I realize what I've said and glance at my sister with wide eyes.
"Don't get the wrong idea," I say quickly. I hurry out of the kitchen before anyone can say anything else.
I walk up the stairs, shaking my head. I think everyone knows that I like Diana as more than a friend at this point. Stupid me, I think as I reach my room and tuck my textbook into my backpack. I'd ask Diana out and just get this awkwardness over with, but the truth is that I'm terrified of losing that dummy. I still haven't convinced her to not volunteer for the Games.
I let out a huff and pack my bag before going back downstairs. Hopefully Carlos and Taiga are with Gaia right now. That way, all four of us can hang out together. And hopefully convince Diana to do something other than train for today.
A/N: I tend to lose motivation if I'm just working on one story, so this is a shorter SYOT I'll be working on alongside my main SYOT. Welcome everyone to Changes, the revamp of my discontinued story Raindrops.
Like Raindrops, this is a partial SYOT that is entirely from the POV of one character. As you can see, though, this time our main character is Mizuki Slater. She's still the District 2 Female, but she isn't a self-insert because last time I couldn't emotionally handle putting a character based on myself through the Hunger Games. Mizuki is not guaranteed to win these Games - if she doesn't win, the main story will end and there will be an epilogue containing the Victor.
Submissions are open for the remaining twenty-three tributes who will go into the 29th Games alongside Mizuki. I don't have many rules because I'm willing to take any tribute I get, but please visit my profile for submission guidelines. The submission deadline is Friday, December 20th, 2019 for the District 2 Male slot and Friday, February 7th, 2020 for all other tribute slots.
I still have all the forms I received for Raindrops, so if you want your Raindrops submission(s) in this story, you don't have to send a new form. Simply let me know that you want them in and I'll take them, with or without modifications.
Careers have been established, but this story isn't canon-compliant.
Here's the Google Form, which is also on my profile (remember to remove the spaces): forms . gle/3yNethWUu5aqHxyP8
Unlike last time, I have a pretty solid plan with the structure and pacing of this story, and I'm shooting for an update schedule of twice a month.
I'm going to include one Chapter Question per chapter this time around, and I'd appreciate if you could answer them in your reviews but you don't have to.
Chapter Question: What are your first impressions on Mizuki?
Please let me know what you think! I appreciate any and all feedback.
I'll see you all hopefully soon!