District 3: Pixel Watt (12) Pov-

"Okay, this is the part where you have to be really quiet."

"You don't think this is actually going to work, do you?" Giga asks skeptically.

"Sure it's going to work. We just have to get the timing perfect," I whisper.

"Gamma, give me the fart bomb!"

"This is your craziest idea yet, Pixel," Gamma breathes. But she hands it to me anyway. A metal sphere about the size of a baseball. The output of hours of careful experimentation.

"Look! He's coming now! Duck behind the bush!"

Gamma and Giga duck down and bury themselves into the copse of bushes. As soon as the head peacekeeper is in sight, I roll the sphere over the ground. It comes to a stop at the head peacekeeper's feet.

"I can't believe this is actually working," Giga says.

"Shh! He's opening it!"

And he is. The peacekeeper leans over and grabs the device. He squints his eyes and looks around curiously, as if trying to find where it came from. He can't see us, of course. The thick bush hides us well.

He presses the button on the fart bomb, and it splits open. An explosion of grey dust comes billowing out of the device and engulfs his head and torso. I pick up on the foul smell from the other side of the square. It takes every ounce of strength I have to keep quiet. Giga and Gamma are both squeezing their hands over their mouths to keep from bursting out laughing.

The peacekeeper reels backward and nearly falls to the ground. He sticks out his tongue and wrinkles his face in disgust. That's when we break. His face turns toward our howling laughter.

"Watt, I'm getting you for this!" the peacekeeper yells, as red as a radish with a sunburn.

"Quick! Run!"

We barely escape in time. Gamma points toward an abandoned building, and we all duck into the doorway before he can catch us.

"And the Three Volt-Kateers triumph again!" I say with a laugh.

"I cannot believe that actually worked," Giga says.

I'm sure I look smug. "And I believe you owe me a loaf of bread."

"I did not say that!"

"Did."

Giga sighs in defeat. "Okay, fine. I'll bring it to you tomorrow."

District 3: Joule Merchiers (13) Pov-

I was planning on sleeping in the morning of the reaping. But Trinket wakes me up early. He's only ten, so theoretically he should be light enough to move around without making much sound. But since we share a room and the old floorboards are so creaky, it's basically impossible to do anything quietly.

"What's up?" I ask. Trinket whirls around, shocked.

"I just wanted to go for a walk," he replies. But I know better. Trinket never wakes up this early unless he's nervous about something.

"You're lying. What's wrong?"

"I'm nervous about the… the…" he stammers.

"The what? You know you can tell me anything."

"I'm nervous about the reaping."

"The reaping?" I almost laugh. "You don't have to worry about that for another two years, Trinket."

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you," Trinket says. "Promise me you won't get reaped, okay?"

I just smile. "You can sleep with me if you want." I clear a space for him on my bed, and he quickly takes it.

But the sick thing is that I can't make that promise.

District 3: Pixel Watt (12) Pov-

I show up to the reaping as late as possible. That way, I don't have to listen to all the other girls my age bicker about how nervous they are. There's no point being nervous when there are so many kids in the district and most of us only have our names in once or twice. The other plus of showing up late is that I don't have to wait very long for the escort to start speaking.

Ruby Galloway is just about as wild as an escort can get, and that's really saying something. Every time she speaks, she shuffles around so much that her orange hair flies around her head like a coral reef. But I'm not complaining. She knows the right time to crack jokes and gets to the point pretty quickly.

"Are we all excited for the Hunger Games?" Ruby bellows. A few polite people clap and whistle.

Ruby reads the Treaty of Treason. "Now that that's out of the way, let's get right on down to business!"

She clomps over to the girl's reaping ball in such a way that every step seems to make a slightly different sound.

"Our female tribute is… Pixel Watt!"

Well crap. I had so much to do today.

Ruby slams me with questions the second I reach the microphone.

"Are you excited about going into the games, Pixel?"

"Very," I lie.

"What are you most excited about?"

I figure that if I'm up here, I might as well crack a few jokes. I lower my voice as if telling the audience a secret. "To tell you the truth, I'm just glad I don't have to go to school on Monday."

Laughter rings from the audience, a lot of it sounding genuine.

"No offense, Mr. Coccia."

More laughter.

"Thank you, Pixel. I believe it's time to pick a lucky boy to join you!"

District 3: Joule Merchiers (13) Pov-

Ruby starts toward the boy's bowl, and two words play in my mind like a broken record is stuck in my brain.

Not me. Not me. Not me. Not me. Not me.

"Our male tribute is Mr. Joule Merchiers!"

A cry pierces the silence. I immediately recognize is as Trinket's.

I head past rows of pitying faces. Why doesn't one of these boys suck up their fear and volunteer for me?

Suddenly, I feel small hands cling onto me.

"You can't go!" Trinket snivels.

"I have to," I say, holding back tears.

"No. I volunteer for him!" he calls to the escort.

"But you're too young, dear," Ruby says.

"Go find Mom and Dad, Trinket. Trinket!"

A peacekeeper tears him away from me, and all I'm thinking is that I wish one of these other boys would volunteer for me.

I keep count of my breaths and footsteps to give me something to focus on as I finish my trek to the stage.

"Congratulations on becoming a tribute, Joule," Ruby compliments.

"You have to ask for volunteers!" I hiss.

She looks taken aback. "Oh, of course. Any volunteers?"

Silence.

"I guess Joule is officially tribute now," Ruby remarks. "Happy Hunger Games!"

District 3: Pixel Watt (12) Pov-

At first, my grandfather is emotional and sobs into my shoulder. But he suddenly turns all civilized and tells me that I have to win to come back home to District 3.

"Yep, see you soon Grandpa. I'll try to make these games quick."

Giga and Gamma storm into the Justice Building next. Giga stares straight in my eyes and says, "You're in the Hunger Games. Holy cow."

"Hold on, calm down a little. I know it's exciting but you don't need to have a panic attack over how lucky I am."

"You've got to win. I know you will. Because you have to. You have to win…" Giga seems at a loss for words.

Gamma has a completely different perspective on things. "Pixel, you could die."

"Nobody said I was going to die for sure."

"But you could."

"But I won't."

"Just try your best to come back in one piece. The Two Volt-Kateers would be a super lame name."

District 3: Joule Merchiers (13) Pov-

Trinket comes to say goodbye alone.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" I ask.

"I wanted to come see you by myself. I'm almost grown up; I think I can manage to be all alone for a few minutes."

"Sure. You can sit by me it you want," I say, opening my arm out for Trinket to sit next to me.

"Promise me you'll win, okay?"

But I still can't make that promise.

With thanks to CragmiteBlaster for Pixel and Writer207 for Joule. I hope your lives are all going swell!

Question 1: What is the name of Pixel's school teacher?

Question 2: How old is Joule's brother Trinket?