I changed some interview outfits, but that shouldn't really matter. The only reason I did was if they were too similar to others.

District 8

Felix Camacho

When my eyes flicker open, all I can see is Akantha's face grinning widely, only inches from my own. I let out a garbled yell as I scramble to sit up. Her smile doesn't diminish, and actually widens when she sees that I've woken up.

"Why were you in my room? Smiling like that?" I demand, clutching my beating chest. Akantha hops away and breaks into some sort of hopping dance.

"It's interview day!" she reminds me, excitedly hopping around my room. This cheers me up a bit. I mean, I'm nervous about the interview, like most people would be, but I don't have stage fright or anything and I'm usually pretty good at getting people to like me. The only reason I'm concerned is that I can't forget how much rides on this interview. It's a really big deal; if I don't make a good impression, then I won't get sponsors and won't survive.

And it will be tough getting sponsors - after getting a three in training, I doubt people are lining up to sponsor me. I got one of the lowest scores, only tied with the Siamese twins who can't even speed-walk without toppling over and the little girl from 9 (who, according to Linen, didn't have her weapon with her). Getting a 3 was really disappointing - I didn't expect to get a good score or anything, but I was hoping for at least a 5.

I showed my knot-tying skills. I should have known that wouldn't have turned out well (especially since both Quinten and Zaira warned me) but I thought the Gamemakers might appreciate a good knot-tying demonstration. I was wrong. My knots weren't bad, they were actually pretty good, but it was clear they were hoping for a more impressive skill than some kid playing with rope for ten minutes.

"Aren't the interviews at night, though?" I ask, after a moment of thought. "What are we supposed to do all day?" Akantha squeals excitedly.

"That's where I come in! I'm supposed to teach you about manners in the afternoon. I'm more than just a friendly presence!" Akantha exclaims.

"What about in the morning?"

"That's when Lucretia mentors you about interview angles and stuff. But the exciting part is when I talk to you about manners!" Akantha exclaims. I don't really believe her, since getting lectured about manners all afternoon is not my idea of fun, but who knows? Maybe she'll make it interesting.

Akantha and I eat a short breakfast (joined at the very end by a grumpy Linen, who is most definitely not a morning person) before my mentor, Lucretia and I begin discussing my interview strategy.

"What do you think your angle should be?" Lucretia inquires. We're sitting on the comfy couch in front of the television, while Linena and Akantha are discussing manners in Linen's bedroom. Linen's mentor, Velvet, is in the kitchen snacking and just hanging about until it's her turn to mentor.

"My angle?" I ask blankly.

"Yes, your angle. The type of person you want to come across as to the Capitol," Lucretia explains patiently. When I'm still confused, she goes into deeper detail. "Stuff like intelligent, sexy, mysterious… but I don't think any of those would work for you. If you watch old interviews - I don't know why you would, but if you did - you'd notice that each tribute has some sort of angle. For example, I had the whole "intelligent" angle. Velvet was… mysterious, I think. What do you think you should be?"

"I thought I could just be myself…" I mutter, now unsure of myself.

"Well, some tributes just answer all of Cupid's questions honestly, but that usually doesn't work unless they have some interesting or tragic backstory," Lucretia explains. Suddenly, a lightbulb goes off in the back of my mind.

"That's perfect!" I exclaim, way more confident now that I have a plan. Lucretia looks surprised, then her expression morphs into one of doubt.

"I don't know if that's the best for you, Felix…" she starts, but I cut her off.

"I know exactly what to say! There might be mixed reactions… but it will definitely help me be remembered. And I'll definitely gain the favor of some Capitol citizens."

"It's controversial?" she asks, still sounding unsure. "That could go badly…"

"Lucretia, I need this," I remind her. "I need to be remembered, even at a risk. I got a three in training, Cupid keeps calling me 'Freddie' and Leandros can't even remember my name. I was ranked most likely to die in the Bloodbath, even after all of the children and the two-headed girl - sorry, Siamese twins. People think the girls who can barely walk will do better than me. I have nothing to lose." Lucretia shrugs, considering it.

"You make a good point," she says. "Let's hear it."

District 7

Zaira Quentin

Ruce is dead… It's difficult to comprehend. I don't know why I'm so shaken up about it; I definitely didn't like Ruce, and one more than one occasion, hoped he would die in the Bloodbath. But now that he's dead, things are different. I don't know if it's because it happened so suddenly or I would have acted like this whenever the time came for him to die, but I can't seem to wrap my brain around it. He just… died.

He had to die for you to win, I tell myself, but the words don't register. Sure, he had to die, but it didn't have to happen so early and in such a brutal way. I didn't see his body, but Chance went into great detail about it. And when he walked back onto our floor, looking as if he had seen a ghost, he tracked bloody footprints all along the floor. Ruce's blood had stained where he had stood breathing only hours before.

I'm already trying to come to terms with Ruce's death. I guess the first death is always the hardest. But now I have to meet my new District partner, who may or may not kill me. Or I may or may not kill them. It's weird that I have so little time to get to know them. I knew Ruce inside out, since he stupidly blabbed about his strategy right in front of me. Now I have to alter my plan to involve whoever this new guy is.

Apparently, he'll arrive only a few minutes before we head down to the interview. Leon already went downstairs to meet him, but I was forced to stay up here so my prep team can make some last-minute adjustments to my outfit and overall appearance. There are butterflies in my stomach as each member of my team weave through the room in the Remake Center, each clambering to do their job.

Caligula, a very tiny woman with spiky red hair, is painting my nails. Cornelia, whose skin is dyed completely gold, is making sure every strand of hair is in place. And Cassian, who is very tall and skeletally thin, is fixing the hem on my dress which he claimed was too crooked.

"I think Atilius knew what he was doing when he made my costume," I say to Cassian. I let out a yelp as the needle pricks my leg.

"The needle wouldn't hurt you if you stayed still," Cassian hisses to me. I glare at him.

"You do need to stay still, honey," Caligula says as she dabs a stray bit of nail polish off my cuticle.

I ignore her, looking anxiously toward the door. Leon would be coming in at any minute to take my new District partner and me down to the interviews. Apparently, they had a second Reaping in District 7, but haven't aired it yet. They want him to be revealed for the first time during the interviews. He was even prepped and got into his outfit on the train, so he doesn't need to bother in the Remake Center.

The thought of the interview coming up makes my stomach squirm. I have to deal with a lot tonight. I have to be up on the stage with cameras and lights pointed directly at me, and meet my new District partner for the first time, and make a lasting impression on the sponsors… it's a lot to handle.

Just as my prep team is finishing up, the door opens. Leon walks in, trailed by my new District partner.

"Hi," he says, nervously. He's tall and very handsome. He has tan skin and wavy black hair. My eyes are immediately drawn to his biceps, which are visible even through his dark green suit. He looks very strong, suggesting that he's a lumberjack. I'm much more afraid of him than I was of Ruce; not only his he stronger, but he looks smarter than Ruce. I can't tell how smart, but there's careful calculation going on behind those blue eyes.

"Hi," I reply. Cassian pricks my leg, which just causes me to jump a bit. Caligula and Cornelia both let out exasperated sighs as they're forced to quickly jump back, so they won't mess up all of their progress.

"They want all tributes inside the studio in ten minutes," Leon explains to my prep team.

"We aren't done prepping her!" Caligula complains. She roughly grabs my hand and holds it up so Leon can see the two unpainted nails.

"Just paint them quickly. It's not like anyone can see the details when she's sitting up on the stage, anyway," my new District partner explains. Caligula clucks her tongue, but when she returns to painting my nails she moves her brush with much less precision.

"What's your name?" I ask him as my prep team hurries to finish prepping me. "I'm Zaira."

"I know. I mean, everyone in the District knew Ruce and you. You were our tributes, so we were rooting for one of you guys to win. Well, especially you. No one really liked Ruce, save for his parents," he explains. "I guess they're rooting for both of us, now. I'm Vincent Elm." He reaches over to shake my free hand, but Caligula hisses a reminder about the wet paint.

"I'll shake your hand later," I sigh. Cornelia and Cassian both step back, so it's just Caligula left working. She finishes the last nail without any care, simply covering it in green nail polish.

"Don't move your hands until it's dry!" she reminds me. I nod, and stand up. The hem of my brownish-green dress is considerably less attractive, even more crooked than before. I notice Leon, who thinks crimes against fashion should be punishable by death, eying it with a sour expression. However, he keeps calm and doesn't say anything.

I feel my heart race as we exit the Remake room. It's time for the interviews.

District 2

Glitter Monique

My silky red, very revealing dress, drags on the floor as Glorian and I walk through the thin corridor behind the stage. I faintly hear the crowd chattering excitedly through the wall, and I know any minute, Cupid Bloke will walk out and begin the interview process. I get frustrated as one of my heels gets caught on the fabric and I nearly trip. Luckily, I have good balance and manage to catch myself.

"I hate this dress," I grunt as I hike the skirt up to allow my feet to walk over to the side of the stage without falling. Georgia looks at me disapprovingly, but doesn't say anything. She usually doesn't comment on stuff I do, because after our chaotic train ride, she decided it was best to just let me do my own thing.

Glorian has a similar outfit, but his is much easier to walk in. He has a red tuxedo, made out of the same fabric as my dress, but he doesn't have a skirt that gets caught on his shoes. And the back of his outfit doesn't slope all the way down to his tailbone. And the front of his shirt isn't cut so low that if he doesn't watch his amount of movement, one of his breasts may pop out.

Not for the first time, I find myself growing jealous of Glorian and his good fortune. Even though he's attractive, he isn't objectified like I am. My stylist, Aren, explained that this was the best way to get sponsors, particularly men, but I don't care. I could get sponsors on my strength alone; I don't need to wear the least fabric possible and play dumb.

My mentor, Judah, told me to act ditzy, but there's no way I'm following his advice. Even wearing this stupid dress, already seen as a weakling among the Careers (for some reason, unbeknownst to me), I'll keep my pride. I refuse to answer all of Cupid's questions with stupidity and nonchalant flirtation. When I'm on the stage, I'll cling to my last shred of dignity (along with the collar of my dress, so I don't actually flash all of Panem) and answer all of the questions the way I would; with confidence and ruthlessness.

We reach the side of the stage, where's there a small corridor with a curtain where we enter the stage. About half of the tributes are already lined up against the wall. Some are chatting with allies or District partners, but most are staring straight ahead, terrified. Glorian and I take our place at the front of the line (Cecelia and Trajan have yet to arrive) and stand still. Neither of us strikes up a conversation with the other. While we respect each other, we have no intention of becoming any closer than allies.

More tributes come in pairs and take their place in line. Cecelia and Trajan arrive not too long after we do, which eases the tension between Glorian and I. It's not a super comfortable group since I don't particularly like Cecelia or Trajan any more than I do Glorian. I suppose I don't get along well with anyone in the alliance… that's not good. If I'm the only one without a closer ally, I'll be the one killed when it comes time to split. Cecelia and Noelani are obviously close. Glorian's the leader, so he's not going anywhere, and he and Lucretius are slowly growing closer. Trajan… he isn't close with anyone either, but everyone hates him so it probably wouldn't be a good idea to associate myself with him.

When Noelani and Lucretius arrive, the tension is lightened considerably. Cecelia and Glorian both head of to talk to them, which just leaves Trajan and I waiting in line. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to get him on my side… he did score a 10, after all.

"Hi," I say to him.

"Hey," he replies casually, inspecting the beige tuxedo he's dressed in.

"So, why did you Volunteer?" I ask him, searching for a conversation. His expression suddenly brightens and he looks much more interested in the conversation than he did a moment ago. He turns to face me.

"To separate the wolves from the sheep. Are you a wolf, or are you a sheep?" Trajan asks me.

"I don't really know what you're talking about," I admit. "But I'd say a wolf." Trajan looks glad, and is about to open his mouth to say something else when a hush falls over the line of tributes. I turn to see why they suddenly stopped talking, and notice the girl from District 7 approaching with a handsome boy I've never seen before.

Everyone knows about Sprucen's death. Well, we don't know who caused it, but we know that he was killed on the roof (which is why we've been warned that the roof is now banned and there is security up there). But no one has met the replacement yet. So when he first comes walking toward us, behind Zaira, it's a pretty big deal.

He's really handsome, and I feel butterflies flutter in my stomach. For once, I'm glad I'm wearing this revealing dress. It may be uncomfortable, but it makes me one of the most appealing girls here. He and Zaira take their spots in the line quietly, pretending to not notice everyone watching them.

Trajan turns back to me, looking like he wants to continue his weird conversation about farm animals, but I no longer have a use for him. Trajan is unlikable. I don't like anyone else in my alliance. So what should I do to find an ally that I like? Add one to the alliance.

I ditch Trajan and the rest of the Careers and sashay over to the District 7 male. Who cares about dignity or ruthlessness? It's time to turn on my charm. I make sure the collar of my dress is low enough before plastering a giant smile on my face and walk in front of the District 7 male, so he can't miss me. I hold out my hand for a handshake.

"Hi, I'm Glitter Monique," I giggle.

District 1

Trajan Seth

Glitter returns from talking to the new tributes just as Cupid Bloke runs out onto the stage. She smiles widely at us. In the background, the crowd cheers relentlessly.

"What did you do?" I inquire as she squeezes into her place between Glorian and me.

"Vincent is now part of our alliance," she says. "You're welcome."

"You're welcome?" I repeat in disbelief. "What makes you think I want a new tribute, who none of us know anything about, into our alliance? We don't know what he can do, we don't know if he's dangerous. We don't know if he's going to backstab all of us. Why would it be a good idea to put him in the alliance?" Glitter sniffs, slightly offended.

"Well, we need some more allies. The only outer District person we have is Kade," she reminds me, with obvious distaste. I see her look past me to glare at Cecelia, who doesn't notice. She's too busy preparing herself for her interview.

"Alright, I hate Kade, too, and I wish we'd had a vote -" I look at Cecelia angrily as well, and this time she notices.

"We did have a vote!" she says. "Luc, Noelani, and I voted to add Kade if he got a 7 in training. Which he did. And I already asked Glorian, and he said he would have voted for Kade, as well. That's four against two."

"Whatever," I say, turning back to Glitter. "Just because we need more people doesn't mean you have the ability to add anyone you want without a vote or at least asking our leader."

"Right, because you get Glorian's permission before doing anything," Glitter says sarcastically.

"I didn't impulsively add anyone to the alliance!"

Glitter opens her mouth to respond, probably with an insult but falls silent when a woman with a headset and clipboard strides over.

"Quiet!" she demands, and everyone falls silent. "Any minute now, Cupid will announce the District 1 female. The moment he says your name, go out onto the stage," she says, looking at Cecelia. "You'll have three minutes to try and win the Capitol over the best you can. After that, you must get off the stage to allow the next tribute to go on. Stay quiet."

Glitter and I don't get to finish our argument about the District 7 male, which I suppose means he's in our alliance. The Bloodbath is tomorrow (wow, that's barely twelve hours) so I won't get any other opportunities to talk to Glitter. I suppose I can confront her after she's done with her interview…

"Panem, please welcome to the stage… Cecelia Hart!" I hear Cupid shout. He's immediately drowned out by the audience's loud screams. I hope Cecelia doesn't get a big head, thinking it's all for her. They're just excited to start the interview. Cecelia walks out onto the stage, after some frantic pushing by the woman in the headset.

Cecelia walks over to Cupid wearing a lavender gown. All of the other tributes watch her on the television mounted on the wall, but I'm right next to the curtain, so I'm able to peek through it. Cecelia smiles and waves, but the minute she sits down on the loveseat, her cheery facade is dropped. She answers Cupid's questions with very few words and comes across as a little bit cold. I expect it to backfire, but somehow, it's effective. The audience is intrigued by her and by the time the buzzer goes off, indicating her time's up, they're all whining and shouting for more.

"Let's say goodbye to Cecelia, because now we get to see Trajan Seth!" Cupid shouts. I straighten my tie and walk out onto the stage, grinning. I don't wave though. I only have three minutes to get my point across, I need to save my time. I sit down across from Cupid and the interview begins. "Hello, Trajan."

"Hello, Cupid."

"I think we should start with the question we've all been dying to know… why did you volunteer?" Cupid holds his microphone in front of my face. My mentor, Nereus, told me to be honest. He said that the audience always 'loves crazy tributes'. I wasn't a big fan of the way he phrased it, but I'm using his advice either way.

"To separate the wolves from the sheep," I say, lounging back on the sofa. "Are you a wolf, or are you a sheep?" Cupid chuckles nervously.

"I'm not sure I understand…"

"There are two types of people in the world. Wolves and sheep. My job is to separate the two and eliminate the sheep. Are you a wolf or a sheep?"

"I'm a human," Cupid says, evoking one or two laughs from the audience. Most people stay quiet, watching this exchange carefully.

"No…" I begin, sittting forward in my sheep. "You look like a sheep to me."

The buzzer buzzes, and Cupid looks relieved.

"I guess that's all the time we have with Trajan -" Cupid begins, but the audience drowns him out with shouts of disappointment. As I leave the stage, I can barely hear Cupid introduce Glitter. I set off the side of the stage, watching the audience.

Look at all those sheep.

District 3

Nikola Allegra

"Introducing, Glitter Monique!" Cupid shouts, and the crowd screams in approval as Glitter walks out onto the stage wearing an incredibly revealing dress. It's clear what angle Glitter's stylist was going for, but like Cecelia, her answers completely contrast with her clothes. She seems very confident, and is winning the audience's favor until Cupid comments on how she looks like she belongs in District 1. Glitter freaks out and begins insulting District 1, which is a little surprising and scary. The buzzer buzzes and she leaves the audience confused.

Glorian goes out next, receiving a lot of applause from the crowd. He acts very determined and slightly mysterious. He's very vague when Cupid asks about his past, and when he comments on his high score, Glorian just smirks to the crowd and doesn't say anything. He talks a bit about how he hopes he can make it home to his family, but doesn't tell us anything about his family. The audience is very intrigued, and are disappointed when he leaves.

Lennox goes on next, wearing a dark red velvet dress speckled in black cheetah print. Her interview is very interesting, to me at least, because we haven't talked a lot. When we were on the train, I asked about her family and she refused to tell me about anything. But suddenly she's completely talking about caring for her deceased best friend's daughter, and how she will do anything to return to her. Toward the end, she seems to realize how much she spilled, but it's too late. She leaves the stage looking mad at herself, but the audience loves her and I'm sure she gained plenty of sponsors.

"Next, please welcome up Nikola Allegra!" Cupid shouts. I gasp, just noticing that I'm at the front of the line. The woman with the headset urges me to go, but I can't move. How am I supposed to follow all of these popular tributes? I have to talk in front of everyone…

"Go!" the woman hisses, and shoves me forward. I stumble slightly, but find my will to move. I begin walking along the stage, keeping my head down so I don't look at the crowd and freeze up. I hear the crowd politely clap, but it's not as deafening as it was with a lot of the other tributes. I take a seat on the loveseat across from Cupid. I stare at my navy blue dress shoes.

"You look a bit nervous. Are you nervous, Nikola?" Cupid asks.

Duh.

Instead of responding, I lift my shoulders in a bit of a shrug. I still stare at my shoes, afraid that if I look up I won't be able to talk at all.

"Is there something interesting on the floor? Because you seem to be staring rather hard at it," Cupid jokes, and the audience bursts into laughter. I feel my face burn, but it convinces me to look Cupid in the eye. His eyes are violet. For a moment, I'm confused, because I heard it was impossible, but then I realize he must be wearing colored contacts. "So, Nikola, is there anything you enjoy doing at home?"

"Um, well… I like to build things," I mutter with the mic shoved in front of my mouth. My voice booms through the room, sounding pathetic even to me.

"What kinds of things?" Cupid asks, sounding sympathetic. He's no longer making fun of my nervousness.

"Machines. Robots. That kind of thing. I like inventing stuff," I say.

"So, kind of like Necessity from last year?" Cupid asks.

"I guess," I shrug. But I don't like comparing myself to Necessity; she was much more likable and strategic and things didn't work out well for her, anyways.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters back home?" Cupid asks.

"Yeah. I have a brother - Thomas. A lot of people like him. He's really popular," I say.

"How do you feel about going into the Hunger Games, tomorrow?" Cupid asks me. "Do you have a plan?"

No. I have no idea what to do.

"Yes," I lie. "I have a plan that will help me survive."

The buzzer buzzes, ending my interview. I let out an audible sigh of relief and the audience chuckles. I blush and scamper off the stage. I rush to the other end of the stage, where all of the tributes who have already been interviewed are waiting. I head over to Lennox, who is watching the other tributes being interviewed on the screen.

"Are we allowed to head back to the Tribute Center yet?" I ask hopefully. She shakes her head.

"Not until everyone is done interviewing."

I sigh and lean against the wall. I take off my navy blue suit jacket and bowtie so I can get a bit more comfortable. I might as well watch the rest of the interviews - something important might come up.

Noelani walks on next, wearing a floor-length turquoise dress that's probably a nod to her mermaid costume from the chariot rides. She acts very flirtatious with Cupid, and their banter barely allows them to touch upon her home life. She's pretty brief about her life in District 4, only mentioning how she loves her family, has trained for the Hunger Games for a long time, and after some pressing from Cupid, she reveals how she lost her arm - she got it caught in a cannery when she was a child. It's very anticlimactic, and a lot of the audience is disappointed. She's forced to leave them that way, despite making a good impression before then.

Lucretius Marlo walks out next, wearing a turquoise suit that resembles fish scales and reflects the colored lights glaring down on him. He is very funny and optimistic, and he and Cupid have some very effective banter that gets the audience in stitches, even though all of us backstage don't think it's that funny. It works for the audience, though, who have a very strange sense of humor. There's barely any time to discuss his home life, but he quickly squeezes in something about his brother toward the end. Then, he leaves the stage with the audience cheering for him.

"Now we have not one but two tributes who I think we've all been very curious about… Macey and Tracey Aderyn!"

District 5

Tracey Aderyn

I hear Macey and my names boom through the theater, and I know it's time for us to walk out. I take a deep breath, but Macey takes a step forward and I know it's time for me to walk, as well.

We each take a step forward one by one, making the short walk to the center of the stage an agonizingly slow crawl. The lights shining on me so bright, I can barely see the crowd. They were clapping when we first entered the stage but by now, they're just watching in silence as we struggle to make to the chair.

We finally reach Cupid and fall back on the loveseat. I smooth out my black dress (Macey's half is white, to show the contrast between us) and sit up, trying to look presentable. Macey seems to care less because her skirt is still all rumpled.

"I think we're all curious to know - how did you get two heads?" Cupid asks. This question bugs me, but Macey more so. I can always tell when she gets angry because our blood pumps faster.

"We didn't 'get two heads'," Macey says through gritted teeth. I know she's about to explode, so I decide to cut in.

"Well, uh… I d-don't see us as having t-two heads. We just have one, uh, body," I say. It definitely doesn't sound very eloquent, especially with all of my stuttering, but it's better than having Macey yell at the interviewer and the Capitol for the next three minutes; although, I suppose we don't have much time left, since the clock begins when he announces us. Our walk to the stage must have left us with only two or so minutes.

"Alright - then how did you get one body?" Cupid asks.

"We were born like this," Macey says.

"Yeah? I didn't know someone could be born with two heads," Cupid says. He immediately notices Macey's glare. "One body! Sorry. So, you guys are obviously at a disadvantage. You're stuck together, only scored a three in training, and we all saw how long it took you guys to get across the stage." The audience chuckles at our expense. "You definitely don't have very high odds. Currently, the betting is 1-150 for you guys. I'm not allowed to bet, but if I could, it definitely wouldn't be on you. I would probably be on… never mind. But what do you guys think sponsors should know before you go into the arena?"

"We're smart. We learn really fast and have a good memory. We're good at camouflage, so we can hide from the other tributes and live off the land. Tributes win by hiding all the time. People who score threes win sometimes. So you shouldn't count us out just yet," Macey says confidently. There's a light smatter of applause.

"Y-yeah, and two heads are better than one, right?" I ask just as the buzzer buzzes.

"Well, that's all the time we have," Cupid says. Macey and I begin our slow pace back to the side of the stage as Cupid introduces Dennis. Luckily, we manage to get behind the curtain and off the stage right before Dennis comes walking out, dressed in a pure-black tuxedo.

Macey and I hobble over to a bench, where we sit down next to the girl from District 3 to watch the rest of the interviews.

Dennis's interview goes okay. He stays silent almost the entire time, only answering questions with a 'yes' or a 'no'. When he gets any questions with an answer that isn't one word, he doesn't say anything. It's sort of off-putting, but a lot of the Capitol loves that sort of thing, so at least half of the audience was cheering for him as he left the stage.

Tristana comes on next, wearing a poofy black dress. She sits next to Cupid and they begin talking. She's very open and optimistic, talking a lot about her family, especially her younger siblings. She comes across as very bubbly, which the Capitol definitely likes, but she doesn't make much of an impression. Cupid and she discuss her impressive score of seven, and she pins it on hard work and determination. When she leaves, she gets a considerable round of applause, but I doubt anyone's going to remember her interview.

The moment Axel steps onto the stage sporting a lilac tuxedo, the crowd bursts into applause. Axel looks a little startled but walks over to Cupid with his head high. Axel is so adored by the Capitol, his interview could literally be a disaster and he would still have sponsors. His interview isn't a disaster, but he makes some bad choices. Instead of playing up his cuteness, he tries to win the Capitol over with his wits. It is sort of effective, but it would have been better if he had gone for the 'adorable' angle.

Zaira is introduced and she walks out wearing a brown and green dress (probably supposed to resemble a tree) with a really crooked, messed up hem. She acts really happy and excited when she's talking to Cupid, but it's clear she's terrified. She stammers a lot and while she smiles, there's a look of terror in her eyes. She doesn't mention a lot about her life in District 7, but gains some sympathy by talking about her dad's death. When she leaves, the audience claps politely but she doesn't gain much attention; everyone's too excited to see her District partner.

Everyone freaks out when Vincent Elm walks onto the stage in a green suit. I've already seen him, but this is the first time I found out anything about him. The Capitol is very excited to see such a promising tribute and I can hear a lot of ladies commenting on his attractiveness. He talks a little bit about his life, but Cupid is mostly pressing him to talk about his skills. We hear a lot about his lumberjacking experience, and he only touches a bit on his parents. The audience is outraged when the buzzer sounds, but he's forced to leave the stage, anyway.

Wearing a fluffy, cute mint dress, Linen steps out onto the stage. She acts very determined, refusing to admit there's a chance she may die. I'm sure she knows it but just wants to come across as confident. She does something that would have been stupid, bad-mouthing the Careers, but luckily, none of them are paying attention. She talks about her family and job, and her interview would have gone well if everyone hadn't been busy speculating about Vincent.

Felix enters wearing a maroon tuxedo. His interview mostly consists of him as acting like a funny underdog, talking a little bit about his friends but not about his family. He comments on his low score after some insisting from Cupid, and implies that he got a low score on purpose. I find that unlikely, since I saw him attempt stuff during training, but the audience seems intrigued. Just when the buzzer is about to buzz, he reveals that he's gay. He's forced to leave the stage almost immediately after, but he definitely made an impression. A lot of the crowd looks interested and are cheering him on, but a few look disgusted or livid.

Unlike Axel, Savanna goes for the innocent child angle. She's wearing a simple olive dress, but her blonde hair and makeup are styled to make her look much younger and much more innocent than she has before. Her blue eyes are way wider and she looks three years younger. She answers a lot of questions with short answers, but gains some sympathy by talking about how she's been bullied. At the end, a few people adore her, but most are indifferent. I suppose that's the best she could hope for, though.

Hadley walks out wearing an olive suit that matches his District partner's. It's clear their stylists coordinated when designing their interview outfits. Similar to Savanna, he uses his sad backstory for sympathy, but his is a little more successful since the audience actually has high hopes for him. He talks a lot about his younger brothers, and implies that bad things might happen to them if he doesn't survive. He's pretty likable, so he has definitely won the Capitol over by the time is interview ends.

Arabella also goes for the 'cute' angle, but she is very talkative and energetic which makes it a great deal more successful than most of the other children's. Arabella wears a long, sparkly amber dress than nearly makes her trip when she rushes over to the stage. She laughs along with the audience, and manages to get them laughing with her, at her expense for most of the interview. She talks Cupid's ear off about her family, and Cupid consistently makes jokes about her overwhelming presence, but she laughs with everyone else. The audience loves her and applauds loudly as she leaves the stage. I don't know if they actually liked her or find her as comic relief, but it's definitely not the worse strategy.

Buck, wearing a copper suit, earns a lot of cheering when he walks on. He acts indifferent for the whole interview and answers a lot of Cupid's questions with short, honest answers. He talks about his sick mother a lot, which gains some sympathy from the audience. Even though he acts bored, the audience adores him. I don't know why they have such high expectations for Buck, but it seems, like Axel, he's so adored that at this point, he can't do anything wrong.

Yael walks on stage wearing a floaty white dress, waving and smiling to the audience. She takes a seat next to Cupid and spends the whole interview gushing about the Capitol and how nice all of the stuff is. She acts very happy and optimistic, almost disregarding the upcoming Hunger Games. She squeezes in a little bit about her home life, talking about how her parents are good people, but then switches right back to the Capitol's food. When she leaves, she gets a considerable amount of applause from flattered Capitol citizens (they always love when tributes compliment their city), but I doubt she has convinced many people to sponsor her.

Kade is very cocky and confident when he walks onto the stage dressed in a sharp black suit with a single rose tucked in the lapel. After taking a seat, he runs his fingers through his slicked-back brown hair, very at ease. He is very charming the entire interview, repeatedly referring to how attractive the Capitol ladies are. Behind me, I hear a lot of the other tributes gagging. Macey stifles a laugh beside me. Despite the reaction from his fellow tributes, he gets a loud roar of approval when his time ends. He throws his rose into the crowd, and I see a whole group of women dive for it.

Rachel's interview is probably the most forgettable of all the tributes. Wearing a navy blue gown, she waves and smiles as she sits down, but after that, she practically puts the Capitol to sleep with the most basic answers to Cupid's question. When he asks her about her family, she mentions and older brother and loving parents - a very normal family. When he asks about her skills, she says climbing and running. When her interview ends, all she gets is polite clapping from half of the audience.

When Quinten enters, everyone is relieved we're down to the last interview. Quinten is dressed in a green suit and receives a lot of applause when he walks out onto the stage; however, I think a lot of it is the audience just excited that we're down to the last interview. Quinten is a bit more interesting than Rachel, since he talks about how much he loves animals and how he lives in the woods (a stupid choice, since it's illegal) but the audience doesn't pay much attention.

"What did you think of this year's tributes?' Cupid asks, and the audience cheers loudly. "We definitely have a lot of promising tributes and I think this year will best the best yet!"

The audience roars in agreement.

District 6

Tristana Rockett

After Sprucen died, we were told that the roof was banned and there would be security keeping us off of the roof. Which meant that after the interviews, we were supposed to be confined to our bedrooms.

I tried to go to sleep immediately. I thought I was tired, and knew it would be a good idea to get a lot of sleep before the Bloodbath tomorrow. My mentor, Clio, warned me that she'd have to wake me up very early before we were transported over to the arena, so I thought it would be best if I went to sleep early. Unfortunately, it was really unsettling trying to sleep with Axel crying on the other end of the wall.

I gave up trying to rest and snuck out of my room. I ignored the warnings that the roof was banned and rode up there, anyway. I've never been one to follow rules. I was prepared to see a bunch of Peacekeepers guarding the roof when I reached the top, but when the doors slid open the only thing blocking me from the roof was a tall chain-link fence with a padlock around the gate. I took another trip downstairs, stole a handful of bobby pins from Camilla's room, and easily unlocked the padlock.

I stare down at the busy street below. The entire time I've been in the Capitol, the street below has been lively and eventful each night in anticipation of the upcoming Hunger Games. Tonight, it's at an all-time high. Plenty of Capitol citizens (I'm assuming most are drunk or high) run through the streets, waving plastic swords or shooting rubber bows at each other. Each nightclub I can see (there are many) is alive, people repeatedly streaming in and out of the doors.

It's unnerving to think that they're this excited about the prospect of my death. Maybe not mine specifically, but the death of several kids who have never done anything to them. It's honestly sickening.

I hear the elevator ding, and I spin around in panic. The doors slide open and someone walks out, but it's not a Peacekeeper or anyone who would care that I'm up here.

"Oh, hi," I say.

"Hey." It's the boy from District 7 - Victor, or something like that. "Why is there a fence here?" he asks, gesturing to the giant chainlink fence blocking off most of the roof.

"To keep people out," I respond.

"It's not doing a very good job," he chuckles. "Why do they want to keep kids off the roof? Are they afraid they'll jump or something and they'll have to… replace them?"

"No, there's a forcefield that will reflect any kid who tries to jump off. They banned the roof after someone murdered Sprucen up here."

"Sprucen was murdered up here?" he asks. I turn toward him. His blue eyes reflect pure shock.

"Yeah… did you not know that?" I ask. "I thought that was common knowledge."

"No, we were just told that he died. They didn't mention how," Victor shrugs. "So, if it's supposed to be banned?"

"Yeah."

"How did you manage to get up here, then?" Victor asks.

"They only had a simple padlock on the gate. It wasn't too difficult to pick it," I state humbly.

"I'm Vincent, by the way," he says, walking over to stand next to me.

"I'm Tristana."

Vincent leans over the edge of the building and looks down at the street below. The festivities are still in full swing, and I suspect they won't stop until the morning when everyone will return to their homes to watch the Bloodbath.

"So there's a forcefield down there?" Vincent asks, sounding impressed. I nod. "Wow, it's literally invisible. How far down is it?"

"I don't know. We were just told after the Chariot Rides that there was a forcefield, so we shouldn't bother jumping off," I say.

"How do you know they were telling the truth?" Vincent asks.

"One way to find out."

I snatch an apple off of the tree in the center of the garden and chuck it down to the street below. At worst, it will hit some drunk Capitolian in the head. Did I say the worst? I meant the best. Vincent and I gaze over the side, and at first, it looks like there's no forcefield after all, but then the apple hits something and is rebounded back toward us. When it makes contact, the air around it ripples. The apple flies past us.

"I guess there is a forcefield," I say. Vincent nods and we stand in silence for a moment. "Are you nervous for the Bloodbath tomorrow?" I finally ask. Vincent shrugs.

"I don't know. I haven't really processed it yet; I mean, I only found out I was going into the Hunger Games this morning. I suspect that when I first enter the arena, less than twenty-four hours will have past from when I was Reaped. Or even knew it was possible for me to be Reaped. I'm eighteen. After Willes volunteered, I assumed I'd be safe and could live the rest of my life in peace - or, as peaceful as it can be in District 7.

"Everything has happened so fast, I haven't had the chance to be scared. First I was cutting down trees, then I found out Willes died, then I got Reaped. Then I had to ride on a hovercraft while this super creepy trio tore off all of my body hair and prepped me and then I was doing the interview…. I feel like at any second, I'll realize what a mess I'm in and just have an absolute mental breakdown." Vincent pauses and looks at me. "Are you afraid?"

"Terrified," I admit. "I might be dead by tomorrow night. If not, I'll probably die pretty soon afterward."

"I know I won't be sleeping tomorrow night. If I'm alive," Vincent says. "How am I supposed to fall asleep surrounded by Careers?"

"You're in the Career pack?" I ask, surprised.

"Yeah," he admits, sounding ashamed. "The girl from District 2 cornered me before the interviews and nearly demanded I join her alliance. She was also being super flirtatious, which was a little awkward. But it's not like I could have denied her - it's not a good idea to reject the Careers, even if you're in danger by being in their alliance."

"Good idea. The boy from District 10, Buck, rejected their invitation and they still haven't let it go. They literally glare at him all of the time. I feel bad for him. You definitely made the right choice - they'd hunt you down during the Bloodbath and slit your throat," I say.

"I'm glad," he says, then realizes what it sounded like. "I mean, I'm not glad about any of this - I'm just relieved I made the right decision." We stare in silence at the partying below, some more. If possible, the crowd is even rowdier than it was when Vincent first came up here.

"We should probably get some sleep," I finally say. "I doubt we're going to get any in the arena."

"I don't think I'll get a lot tonight, either. But you're right. I'm just -" Vincent takes a deep breath. "Kind of scared to sleep in my room. It was literally inhabited by Willes only a few days ago. I'd be sleeping in a dead man's bed."

"Not just Sprucen. Over two hundred years' worth of dead men," I remind him. A chill sweeps over me. "Gosh, I've been sleeping in a bed that Mika was sleeping in only a year ago. Ugh, I don't want to go into my room anymore. It's so creepy."

"Yeah, I'll definitely be sleeping on the couch," Vincent says. We turn to walk back to the elevator.

I'm creeped out by the thought that so many dead girls have slept on my bed. But will I be a dead girl to the next District 6 female? Will I be one of the girls that haunt her room?

District 3

Lennox Porter

I miss Ada. I miss her wide smile and those big brown eyes that looked exactly like Devin's before she died and she and her brown eyes were stuck in a box under the earth.

Whenever I close my eyes, I see Ada. I can imagine her crying because her "Mommy" died in the Hunger Games. I hope Eddie doesn't let her watch any of the Hunger Games. I don't think he would, but what if Ada accidentally saw a clip of the Hunger Games? What if she saw me being killed? Would she even understand that her mother wouldn't be returning to her?

Eddie's caring for Ada. He told me when we were saying goodbye. He promised he'd take care of her, but he also made me promise that I'd return home. I don't like to lie, but I finally conceded just to give him some false hope.

I don't have false hope. I know the chance of me returning home is slim. But I also know that I won't give up easily - I will try to survive, even if all four of my limbs have been chopped off (as the boy from District 5 kindly warned me he would do). I will do anything to get home to my daughter.

I can't sleep. I've laid in bed for several hours now, and I still haven't been able to get one minute of sleep. The room is nearly pitch black and I'm tired, but I can't seem to drift off. The thought of tomorrow terrifies me. I'll have to go into the arena.

I wish we learned what the arena was beforehand, so I can plan. But I have no clue what it will be - and the Gamemakers have so many different ideas for arenas, that there's no telling what it might be. In the first century of the Hunger Games, all of the arenas were fairly simple - outdoor arenas (mostly forests) with no special twists (with the exception of Quarter Quells). It may have well been the forests outside of District 3. Even the muttations were simple - tracker jackers, beasts, jabberjays.

But after the 4th Quarter Quell, the arenas started getting more exciting. They had more complex mutts and robots, eventually, realistic human-like robots were added to the arenas. The arenas were also way more unique - some had backstories, some were indoors. At this point, if you got a forest arena, you knew there was something else to it.

And the Gamemakers are so desperate for fights and drama between the tributes, most of the mutts are no longer programmed to kill. Instead, they are usually programmed to drive together two tributes. As for the elements… people rarely die due to exposure or starvation. The Gamemakers make sure of that. It doesn't interest the viewers in the Capitol. So if someone is dying of starvation, it's likely they'll send a small gift of food to them.

That doesn't mean I'm not going to worry about starvation or the elements. Starvation would make me weak, and basically a sitting duck for any competitor who walks by. And if the tribute isn't interesting, the Gamemakers usually don't step in to save them.

My ideal arena would be large, with lots of hiding places. I'd rather avoid the rest of the tributes, and a large arena would help me do that. From what I've seen, the larger the arena, the more likely an outer District tribute will win. And I'd like the best odds I can have.

Because I will make it home to my daughter. And it won't be in a coffin.

We're getting so close to the Bloodbath and I'm so excited! As a side note, I really don't like writing the interviews because I feel as though it gets really competitive.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but the next two chapters will both be pretty short; the next will be the launch, with four POVs from the only tributes we haven't seen twice (excluding Macey and Tracey, who only get one chapter per each. I feel kind of bad, but they do the same thing). After that, we'll check back in with Gemma, whose chapter will be super short since I'm expecting I'll just want to get it out of the way before the Bloodbath, and then the Bloodbath!

Don't forget to review! It doesn't ultimately save your tribute, but it does help.

ALLIANCES:

Cecelia/Trajan/Glitter/Glorian/Noelani/Lucretius/Kade/Vincent
Cecelia/Noelani
Macey/Tracey (obviously)
Tristana/Arabella/Yael/Rachel
Axel/Linen/Savanna/Hadley
Zaira/Felix/Quentin

SOLO:

Lennox
Nikola
Dennis
Buck

Bloodbath Countdown: 2 Chapters!

- Lilah