Tiffany Silk (18)- D1F
This was it. The morning of the Reaping. After arranging my freshly curled hair over my shoulders, I stride over to my dresser. The large sapphire glints in the sun streaming through the window. Imprinted into it is the crest of my family. I wipe over it with my thumb and smile; it really is beautiful. My mother truly made me an amazing token. It will be nice to bring something she hand-crafted for me into the arena.
I clasp the necklace around my neck and gaze at myself in the mirror. I look everything that a victor should be. I'm an angel with beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes that match my sapphire necklace. My lean and muscled build is hidden by my pure white dress, but when I stand up straight, there's no mistaking my confidence. I'm sure the Capitol will be clambering over each other to sponsor me.
There's a knock on my door.
"Come in!" I call gently. I expect my mother or sister, but it's someone better.
"Price!" I ran over and jump onto him, laughing as he wraps his arms around me.
"You look beautiful, Tiffany" Price whispers in my ear.
"You haven't even seen me yet!" I laugh, stepping back and spinning around for him. The dress twirls around me, as does my perfectly layered hair. I'm giggling when I finish.
"Like I said, beautiful." Price smiles. He's looking his best as well in a crisp white dress shirt and black pants. It's somewhat plain, like my outfit, but that just lends more attention to us; our faces and bodies. This will be especially important for me. Anyone who knows anything about the Hunger Games knows that your first impression with the Capitol is crucial to obtaining sponsors.
I hear my family downstairs in the kitchen. I kiss Price on the cheek and drift past him and down the stairs. Butterflies are starting to flutter in my stomach, but I tamp them down firmly. I've earned this. I've trained for almost 10 years for this, and I'm going to prove myself to the entire country of Panem.
I eat the breakfast my mom has made for us while casually deflecting Kara's questions.
"What will you wear at the parade?" she asks, wide-eyed. Although Kara is not in training herself to be a tribute, she has an admirable interest in the Games, particularly the flashy parts.
"We don't know what our outfits will be before we get there," I tell her gently.
"I bet Dad could make you the best outfit the Capitol has ever seen!" Kara exclaims. "You should ask them to bring them in!"
I feel the corner of the mouth twitch. Our father is indeed an amazing fashion designer, but I know that the Capitolites will create much better costumes for us.
"Maybe I'll see what I can do about that," my dad says, eyes twinkling.
"And Mom can make your jewelry!"
"She already did," I say, touching my necklace. "It really is beautiful, Mom."
"Thank you, my dear," My mom says sweetly. My mother inherited her jewelry business from her own parents, who taught her who to make gorgeous jems and trinkets for the Capitol from a young age. The same thing happened to my father with fashion design business. My family is one of the wealthiest in District One, like most Career families, but I'd always felt a little guilty about having everything handed to me. Then when I was around eleven, District One won the Hunger Games. The victor was beautiful and vicious and admired by everyone… but most importantly, she had earned all of it on her own. Nothing was handed to her; she had worked hard her whole life to deserve the praise, and she would reap the benefits for the rest of her life. I loved my parents, but I wanted to actually earn something for myself instead of being gently spoonfed my entire life.
I'm proud to say that I've earned this. I deserve to be chosen out of all the otehr girls at the Academy.
"We should hurry and get to the Reaping," Price whispers lowly to me. I nod and kiss my parents on the cheeks before heading out with him and Kara.
I keep an eye out for Tiger before the Reaping begins. I thought I would congratulate him for being chosen and maybe reflect on our years in training together. We're going to be a team during the Games, so I want to start our time out amicably. Tiffany and Tiger. The Capitol will love that.
They will also love watching me kill him when the alliance dissolves. I'm not naive about the Games themselves, and I'm prepared to earn my victory, not just my trip to the Capitol.
Tiger Emerald (18)- D1M
My eyes scan the crowd in front of me. District One's past victors are lined up on stage, waiting for the Reaping to begin. Our last victor is from the 68th Games, almost ten years ago. It's a disgrace, to say the least. Some of our tributes have been dying within the first couple of days. I try not to think about one person in particular who met that exact fate.
I can feel my parents watching me from the sidelines, but I ignore them. They would usually be chatting animatedly with the parents of their pupils who have been chosen do volunteer, as they often do during the Reapings. But that was when I was in the younger sections of the square.
My parents' hypocrisy is so apparent that I can't believe I'm the only one that sees it. They will train other teenagers to go die in the arena, but they don't want me, actual victor material, to volunteer? That's complete bullshit.
Soon my sister Gemma will experience the same thing I've gone through for six years once she starts her training after these Games. Like any young person with ambition whose destined to become anything, she's always had an interest in the Games. She's never understood why I've always been so cold with our parents, but she soon will.
The escort, a garish woman dressed in a bright gold jumpsuit that hurts the eyes, mounts the stage. I stand up straight and rehearse my introduction in my head. I volunteer! My name is Tiger Emerald and I'm here to win the 77th Hunger Games.
The mayor explains why we're all here and shows us the usual video, but I'm hardly paying attention, even as Tiffany Silk volunteers and is presented to the Capitol via television. She looks the same she always does, flawless with her hair and makeup done to perfection. Her outfit is simple, just like her. She waves good-naturedly to the camera and the escort is delighted for some godforsaken reason. I volunteer! My name is Tiger Emerald and I'm here to win the 77th Hunger Games.
"And now for the boys!" the woman cries excitedly.
I let out a deep breath, anticipation almost choking me.
"Tiger Emerald!"
" I vol-"
Everyone turns to me as I begin to shout my practiced lines. It takes a second before what was happened to sink in. Shit. I didn't practice for this.
I find myself looking for my parents in the crowd. My eyes meet my mother's wide ones, glimmering with something strange… hope. She hopes someone will volunteer in my place. Anger filling every inch of my being, I realize what I need to do. find my legs start to move toward the stage.
The escort is as shocked as everyone else. As I climb the stairs, I make sure to stare daggers at the boys section. If anyone tries to steal this from me, I will kill them before the other Tributes get the chance to.
The square is dead silent as I take the microphone from the escort and announce without being prompted, "My name is Tiger Emerald and I am here to win the 77th Hunger Games!"
There's no applause like there was for Tiffany, but I grin anyway. I've never been a good celebrity figure, but instilling fear has always been my specialty.
…
Gemma is the first one to run into the room and leap into my arms. Most of the time her naitivity annoys me, but when she asks, "Tiger, you were reaped! Why didn't someone else volunteer?" I can't help but smile at her.
"They know I'm the best person for the job."
My father makes a strange noise and I look up at him, already feeling my expression harden.
"Tiger," he starts.
"Don't," I say angrily. They have been growing more and more insufferable the closer the Reaping crawled, and I'm tired of it.
"Just… remember what Blush did."
I immediately feel myself bristle. "Blush was an idiot!" I almost shout, though the words hurt me as they come of my mouth. "I'm not going to make the same stupid mistakes she did."
My cousin lost my respect when her head was bashed in by that brute from Two.
"At least take this," my mother says tearfully, trying to hand me a bracelet. I see it has the District One crest imprinted on it. I swat it out of her hands.
"Trainers at the Academy who don't even want their own son to volunteer," I continue, this time quieter. "You are the shame of our district and you try to give me that?"
No one answers. When the Peacekeepers come to drag them away, Gemma gives me one last hug, the usual confused expression on her face when I fight with our parents. I look past them into the hallway before the door closes, refusing to meet their eyes. Unfortunately that means I catch sight of Tiffany Silk's parents smiling and laughing as they walk past. The door swings shut.
I sit in silence for a few more minutes before the tears come.
Hey everyone! Here's the first Reaping.
I had a lot of fun writing this one and I know you guys were eager to read it. The Two and Three reapings will likely both be posted tomorrow. I want to get through the reapings as quickly as possible so we can get to the good stuff, so I'm writing as fast as I can with school happening. I hope I portrayed Tiffany and Tiger correctly and that everyone likes the chapter!