(Age 23, The 75th Hunger Games- Quarter Quell )

Cashmere sighed for what seemed like the tenth time. Her constant sighs had me rolling my eyes in annoyance. I rose an eyebrow at her and she scoffed indicating to the screen infront of us. "You know it's all her fault right? If I'm reaped I'm killing her first".

I rolled my eyes again as I turned back to the screen where Katniss Everdeen twirled around in what was maybe her eighth wedding dress of the day. I turned back to Cashmere with a smirk of my own. "You and me both".

She was right of course. It was no coincidence that two victors were crowned last year, only for all of us now having to pay the price. I didn't think anyone could out do what happened in my games, but Katniss Everdeen had. She was from District Twelve, the poorest of us all.

People actually rallied in the outer districts during her games. I don't think anyone bothered to do such a reckless thing in my own games. Probably, because I threw the idea of rebellion in the districts faces when I ended up killing everyone. Not that I'd even know if they had, District One is so isolated from everything but the Capitol. But I figured not because well...Snow would do more than kill my family and make me a sex slave if they had.

Cashmere glared at the giggling seventeen year old on my screen. She slumped further in her seat and started picking her nails. Uninterested in whatever dress number nine would turn out to be. She'd stormed into my house first thing this moring, more so in a fit of rage. But she was yet to bring up the one subject that had both of us scared out of our minds. The reason she hasn't left my side today...The Quarter Quell.

Even for a couple of Careers like ourselves, it was a dreaded thought. Being from District One, the odds were in our favor. But we'd be going up against experienced killers. We were 'trained' in all things hunger games our whole lives. But in the outer districts? They had skills we couldn't be taught. Like the Victors of District Three who use their freaky brains as a weapon, The Victors of District Ten who, from carving meat everyday know the exact spot to easily paralyze and kill you. I could go on for a while. The point is now the outer districts were to fear because once in a blue moon they produced a Victor. And a Victor that comes from an outer district shouldn't be over looked. Why? because despite not training for it their whole lives, they were able to out smart us all.

Everyone's a Career now and that scared me to my core. I chewed on my lip as I studied Katniss Everdeen. Average face, but she was popular in the Capitol. There was no doubt in my mind that people wouldn't hesitate to sponsor her. I knew she was skilled with a bow but we hadn't seen enough kills from her in the arena to know just how good her aim actually is. She'll stick to Peeta like glue though, whether her romance is real or not it doesn't matter. She can't ditch him without losing those sponsors. Plus, she doesn't know any other Victors, so making alliances is going to be too hard for her. Essentially, District Twelve will have no choice but to stick together in these games.

And Peeta Mellark? Peeta's amputated leg would be both of their downfall. If she stays with him then she won't be able to outrun anyone. It was sad but the thought caused me to smirk. She wouldn't be my biggest threat when she's reaped. But she wouldn't be an easy kill either, then again I doubt anyone would be in these games.

It sickened me sometimes the way my brain was trained to think. But I couldn't help it. I'd spent nearly my whole life in that academy, trained to shut off my emotions with limited contact from friends and family. I think that's why Cashmere and Gloss are so close. Despite the rules, they were always seen together as children. They were allowed to play together under the pretence of 'family'.

Cashmere huffed. "I actually think that dress has a chance of making it".

I turned my head towards Charshmere who seemed to be analysing the screen infront of us. Not the dress, she was analysing Katniss. Cashmere despite her sexy Capitol persona wasn't a dumb blond. She was cunning and observant, I knew she was making me sit through this so we could analyse the girl on fire's every move. Even if Katniss herself was acting like a giggling princess, let's add poor actress to list while we're at it. Training and Mentoring. Cashmere never stopped that role, neither of us did. I sometimes think it's all we knew how to do. That and...fucking whoever Snow tells us too. I snorted. "A child won't survive a marriage".

Cashmere, accustomed to the language picked up on my words easily. We don't outright discuss killing people in District One. It's not considered proper so most things people say have a double meaning. The dress has a chance of getting through, Katniss might make it. A child won't survive a marriage, she won't survive the games. A language of killers, a language of snakes and the language of a career.

I could see Cashmere smirk while watching Katniss gush over a pair of heels. Like Katniss Everdeen would survive the Quarter Quell, a mere child from District Twelve. Not bloody likely, especially when the quell is to get back at her for those berries from last year.

As the day went on I realised Cashmere wanted to watch a video on every living Victor. She was disguising it under wanting to 'catch up on her shows'. She wanted to visibly size everyone up, look for their strengths and weaknesses. See what their Capitol persona is and see the real person underneath.

Training. Snow had only announced the Quell last night and yet she comes here, not to Gloss but to me. She comes to me, first thing in the morning to train together. Because Gloss could be her competition now. Afterall, District One would only needs one female tribute. I wasn't going to be a threat to her. Two heads are always better than one.

I felt sorry for her though, but I knew she'd give me so much shit for bringing that subject up. So, I continued to ignore our joint mentiong of eachother. And maybe it was to humor her, or maybe it was because I'm still scared out of my godamn mind. But I never brought it up. I continued to pretend that it was a normal day. I'm simply watching TV with my bestfriend instead of mentally preparing ourselves for a fight to the death. Yep, we're defiently not mentoring eachother out of fear.

The next day at exactly six in the morining, a shrill ringing was echoing from every second room in my mansion. I groaned and pulled my pillow over my ears to drown it out. The beeping of my answering machine blared before Cashmere's voice echoed all around me.

She sounded chipper and pissed off at the same time. "Hey Val, It's me! . Thought we'd go for a run this morning, if you're not at my place in twenty minutes then not to worry I'll swing by. That's what neighbors are for, you'll thank me later. See you soon!"

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

I'm gonna kill her. I know she means well. But we'd trained our entire lives for the hunger games. Yet, she's insisting that we spend what could be the last week of our lives training. But not just training. Pretending not to train and disguising it as regular day to day activities so we don't scare ourselves shitless!

Yesterday was so boring. We'd watched at least one interview of every living Victor until 2 A.M. And now she's ringing me up at the crack of dawn for a goddamn run!

Don't get me wrong I love her, she's my bestfriend but sometimes I just need a break from Cashmere. Unfortunatly we're eachothers only friends so I practically see her everyday anyways.

I bit my lip frustratedly before finally ripping my sheets off and getting ready. Time to train. And so we did, everyday at the crack of dawn Cashmere would either call or wake me up by storming into my house uninvited.

I could tell she was just as scared as I was. Occasionally she'd let the facade slip and mutter something like "someone will volunteer", "It won't be us", "We're the ones that get to live in peace, always". Before she'd turn to me with a smile and ask if I wanted her to teach me how to use knifes for a new hobbie. Or I'd kindly suggest that I was bored and felt the need to have a race from the town square and back. Of course both were lies. We couldn't waste even five minutes before one of us cracked and suggest something out of fear.

Normally we'd hardly see anyone roaming around Victor's Villiage. Most Victors chose to isolate themselves within their respected castles. But now...now it looked and felt like the academy, except our dormitories had gotten a massive upgrade. I hoped they wern't training out of fear like Cashmere and I, but training to hopefully volunteer instead.

The day of the reaping I was a complete and utter mess. So far I've tried on five seperate outfits and none of them felt like me. Not that I knew who or what I really was other than a product of the Capitol. Do I dress slutty like everyone expects? or classy for something different? My own subtle rebellion is dressing up like myself. But It's harder than I thought it would be. Mainly because I don't even know who I am anymore.

I huffed and stared at a simple little black dress. I smirked, it's the one. Black to signify death, to show mourning. Although, to everyone else it'd shown I was being sexy, fulfilling my Capitol persona and keeping my mother safe. Snow would approve for one reason, and I'd approve for another reason entirely.

I stepped out of my house with shaky legs and stopped short at the two peacekeepers standing by my door. An escort? for District One? You've got to be kidding me.

This was new. I whipped my head to the house beside mine and made eyecontact with Cashmere. She openly glared at the pecekeepers surrounding her own door before she held my stare and nodded.

I swallowed before walking towards the justice building of District One. The peacekeepers hot on my heels. The Victor's of District One formed one long line and all of us marched as one, a sea of white surrounding us.

I knew we'd hit the town square by the defening sounds of screaming. Not in fear or panic, but in excitment and anticpation. If I hadn't been in that arena five years ago I'd probably be one of them.

From this moment on the games have offically started. Even before we're reaped we know that other tributes and sponsors will be watching this back. Watching our every move, theres no way I can drop my act now. I have to embody the career I'm trained to be. Have to embody the sexy beautiful and leathal persona that is the famous Velvet Watts. Just in case it's my name on that slip.

There is exactly twenty-two living victors in District One. Nine are women, Thirteen are men. Our District has won more than a quarter of the seventy-four games that has previously occurred. A record here, that was our most treasured hounor to our entire District. I knew to the crowd of screaming people before me that these games to them would be the honour of the century if we win. Forever the bragging rights. Forever the strongest district in all of Panem.

No one supports the Mockingjay here, people won't salute or whistle at us. No, here they're going to praise us for our sacrifice and the great honour it is to be representing District One.

I know more than 10% of the crowd are secretly jealous though, the children aged 12-18. They're upset it was a year they'd lose the opportunity to volunteer. Cashmere has a cousin whose eighteen and she openly screamed in Cashmere's face how she'd already had her turn. I mean, I get where she's coming from. If you train your life for something only to have it ripped away...what else is there to live for?

I didn't blame the children of my district for not loving the idea, infact it was the only thing keeping me going. That even though it was for a fucked up reason, a fair few in District One wern't happy to be at this reaping. A first. Of course they were drowned out by everyone else's screams.

We were escorted into pens, well sections of the stage marked with velvet rope. All nine of us squished together, raging from ages 23-70. Us on the right and all thriteen of the male victors in a pen to the left. I felt someone squeeze my hand and found Cashmere's pretty confident smirk.

Sadly I knew my face was matching hers. The only thing that might give us both away was the detached, void look in our eyes. We were taught not to feel, it seems neither of us hesitated before tuning out our feelings. I saw her eyes briefly search the mens section before they stayed in one place. There was no point in turning around, I knew she and Gloss were staring at eachother.

I looked just above the crowd at a tree. I focussed on it and not the screaming fanatics below. It made me seem confident and above them. It showed the arrogence that I had to pretend I still had since winning my games. The clicking of heels got closer and when I heard rustling in the bowl the screaming below intensified. Yep, my District is seriously messed up.

Our escort walked excitedly to the microphone and started a speech. A video was played but I never once looked away from the godamn tree. Our escort was called Mavis. She was kind but ditzy. Cashmere and I both couldn't stand her.

She breathed into the mircophone and squeeled. "Are you ready? I'm holding the name of our first tribute!"

Again screams. I heard my name being shouted amoungst all the other names of various female victors. That never sat well with me, that to some people out there I was their favourite Victor. The one they looked up to, the person that little girls in the academy inspired to be.

But I drowned it all out. Smirk never wavering and eyes never leaving that tree. I was listening only to Mavis, only to the name I chanted over and over in my head not to be picked.

I heard the seal being broken on the slip before Mavis squealed again. It was obviously someone well known to get that kind of response. I prayed it wasn't Cahsmere, she was very popular here and in the Capitol.

"The Female Victor who has the great honour of representing District One in this year's very special Quarter Quell...Velvet Watts!"

Fuck.

I felt Cashmere's hand instantly drop before she pulled me into a fake congratulatory hug. Her head went to the crook of my neck as she whispered "Walk up there and someone will volunteer, they always do!".

She then pulled me back, holding my arms out infront of her while she giggled. I instantly repeated her actions, I knew we were belivable actresses. We came off as two perfect career's whose found out their best friend has just won the opportunity of a lifetime. The crowd loved our display of affection and before I could even command my legs, I found myself next to Mavis while smiling eagerly from ear to ear.

Mavis winked at me before leaning into the microphone and held her hand up to silecnce the ecstatic crowd. I didn't know I was this popular in my district, but I'ts not like I'd really left my house in the past five years to find out. Turns out I'm a favourite...not just in the Capitol but here too.

Maivs smiled towards the remaining eight tributes in the pen. She cleared her throat and indicated to me. "If anyone wishes to volunteer themselves now is the time to do so. Remember it's the first person to raise their hand. If you raise your hand at the same time as someone else you can always fight it out".

The victors made eye contact with one another, all of whom seemed to be...hesitating. No!...someone do it...it's never not happened...they always do...always...

I felt Mavis grip my shoulder before raising my hand high in the air. "You're Female Victor, Velvet Watts!"

Screams.

This isn't happening. I'm really going back. It's a first, not a single volunteer. I'm dead...I'm going to die. My eyes instantly stared back at the tree with determination. I can't drop the act...not now that I'm the one going back.

I focussed on the tree until I had to shake the hand of the male victor. Instead before I even realised it, a hand firmly gripped mine and rose our joint hands up in the air. I turned my face to find Gloss' eager smile behind dead eyes. The same look I was currently giving him. He nodded at me just like Cashmere had and I realised then that his reaping took too long. It was longer than mine. I swallowed, he'd volunteered the only question is why?