District 4: Dory Krillgood (13) Pov-

"Shale Zachary," Coral says with a devilish smile.

I shrug my shoulders. "He's nothing special."

"Come on. You like him." Coral's smile grows even wider.

"I guess he is a little cute," I admit.

"It's my turn now," I muse. "Kelan Thane."

"No! No, no, no!" Coral picks one of the pillows off of her bed and playfully swings it at me. But I can see that she's blushing.

Coral's forehead crinkles as if she's thinking hard. "Cyan Costas," she says after a few seconds.

"We'd better head off the reaping soon. Only one hour left. I'd better get home and change into my outfit."

"Don't change the subject!" Coral says.

But I've already disappeared out the door. And I'm blushing.

Coral is my best friend, and we'd probably be thrown in an insane asylum if anyone overheard our conversations. When my parents go out fishing and I'm left home all by myself, I often head over to Coral's house to hang out. Our conversations usually revolve around new things that are going on, and, especially recently, boys.

I've only walked a few feet away from Coral's threshold when a figure comes into view a ways down the pathway. I immediately make out his curly black raven hair and piercing green eyes. There's no doubt it's Cyan.

"Oh, hey Cyan," I call, putting on a playful slime.

"Hi Dory!" he replies, waving his hand in greeting. "Why are you out so early?"

My lips move faster than my brain. "I was just going to return these books to the library." It's only after I finish speaking that I realize I'm not holding any books. Real cute, Dory.

"Oh, well, they're just… oh, I forgot the books at Coral's house. I'd better turn around and get them soon," I say, my face feeling hot. "I'd rather get out and explore the world than stay all closed up inside, you know?"

Cyan chuckles. "Are you nervous for the reaping?" he asks.

"Nope," I reply quickly. "There are always volunteers in District 4. Even if I was reaped there would probably be someone to take my spot."

"Well, best of luck to you, Dory."

"And to you, Cyan"

And as we go our separate ways, he brushes his hand against mine, and my heart does a little tap dance.

District 4: Cyan Costas (18) Pov-

"Ready to go, Roan?" I call, making sure I'm loud enough that he can hear me.

Roan's bedroom door creaks open, and he peeks his little face through.

"Yeah, can you just help me zip up my coat?" Roan requests, his voice shaking.

"Of course."

I know Roan gets nervous around reaping time. Even though he's six and doesn't have to worry about the games for a long time, it still upsets him to see two kids taken away every year only to have at least one of them never come back.

I grab onto Roan's hand and squeeze it twice affectionately. "Don't worry about the reaping. Just stay still with all the other kids. Once it's over, we can all meet at the back corner of the square. Remember how we did that last year?"

Roan nods.

"And the year before that?"

He nods again.

"Good. There's no reason in the world that this year should be any different," I say, sounding more confident than I feel. I've always been terrified of the reaping, but I could never show it around Roan. Little Roan, who always cried when I cried before he even knew the reason. I would never do that to him if I could help it.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Roan asks.

"They're going to the reaping straight from work. We'll be walking to the square alone. But you're safe with me, okay?"

"Okay!"

And we head out the door into the misty summer morning.

District 4: Dory Krillgood (13) Pov-

Moonbeam Lance has flowing golden-blonde hair that looks like vomit. I don't know how that's possible, because I've never seen golden vomit, but it's a perfect description nonetheless.

"How are we on this fine morning?" Moonbeam sings. A chorus of whistles and cheers rings out from the audience.

She reads the Treaty of Treason and then approaches the girls' reaping bowl. She closes her eyes as she picks a name as if she's trying to prove to us that she can't see.

"Our female tribute is Dory Krillgood!"

I'm shocked to hear my name through the speakers, of course, but I don't experience the moment of terror people get when they're reaped. The female volunteer will be stepping up for me any time now. But where the sound of a confident voice shouting "I volunteer!" should be, there is only silence.

As time passes, whispers break out from the audience like little hissing fires.

"Where's the volunteer?"

"Did they get hurt?"

"Are they sick?"

"Will we have a reaped tribute this year?"

"Dory Krillgood?" Moonbeam repeats, confusion sounding in her Capitol accent. "Are you coming?"

I melt out of the crowd and take a deep breath. My, this volunteer is taking forever! Trying not to shake, I make my walk to the stage, taking my time as I pass the cuter boys. Once I've reached the microphone, I give a flirty wink to the cameras.

"Any volunteers for Miss Dory here?"

But nobody volunteers.

A pit starts to form in my stomach. Why am I here? It doesn't make any sense.

District 4: Cyan Costas (18) Pov-

"Let's pick a boy to join you!" Moonbeam says. She sashays to the boy's reaping ball and plunges her hand into the mass of tightly folded papers.

"I would like to give a warm welcome to…" she pauses, letting the anticipation draw out. "Cyan Costas!"

I can't help but let out a chuckle. There are so many kids in District 4. It's a bit amusing to have one of the few slips of paper containing my name picked out of hundreds of others. It's not like I'll actually be going into the games. I just have to wait for the male volunteer to step up.

But, for some reason unknown, that volunteer doesn't budge. And I'm forced to make the walk of shame to the stage, passing rows and rows of pitying faces that are as confused as I am that both the male and female volunteers are absent.

"Wonderful!" Moonbeam announces. "I give you the tributes of District 4!"

District 4: Dory Krillgood (13) Pov-

My dad's mouth is moving a mile a minute from the second he enters the Justice Building.

"Oh my gosh Dory, the games, I mean, the Capitol, I'll miss you, you have to win, though, you can win, I know you can…"

"Hold on!" I shout, extending my hand as if his words are physical objects I can block the flow of. "What happened? Where were the volunteers?"

My dad clears his throat and takes a deep breath. "I hear that the female volunteer fell down the stairs and broke her leg a few hours ago. There wasn't enough notice for another volunteer to be selected. And the boy volunteer just had a change of heart at the last moment. He chickened out."

Well, what are the odds of that? Decades of volunteers going into the games, and then we get two reaped tributes in one year.

Coral walks morosely into the Justice Building with a sad smile.

"I'm really going to miss you," she says, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it. Just don't go around breaking boy's hearts while I'm gone, okay?"

A laugh tumbles from Coral's lips. "I promise."

District 4: Cyan Costas (18) Pov-

My best friend Loras makes his goodbyes quick. He pats me on the back and gives me a fist bump. Loras says a few words of encouragement and then his time is up. He's always straightforward like that.

My parents are much more emotional.

"You have to come home!" my mother says, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Don't worry. All this will be over before you know it and we'll be living in the Victor's Village." I'm surprised by how assured I sound.

"I love you, Cyan."

"I love you, Mom."

My dad kneels in front of me. "In the games, you don't have to the strongest. You just have to be the smartest. You have such a brilliant mind. Use it."

The door swings open, and I choke out one last thing before the peacekeepers escort my parents away.

"Just in case some miracle happens and I don't make it back, I left a note under my bed with my final goodbyes to my friends. Would you mind showing it to them?"

My parents are gone before they can give me a response. I hope they heard me.

Thank you to CragmiteBlaster for Dory and AnotherDawnLikeOurFlag for Cyan. Expect more chapters soon!

Question 1: What does Dory think Moonbeam's hair looks like?

Question 2: Where do Cyan and his family meet after the reaping every year?