Train Rides Part II:

Beckett Leighton, 18, District Five Male

Cassia sits right next to me, along with Kelsin, while Jonah stands up and paces across the room. His hands are locked behind his back, right under his waist, as he looks back and forth between the three of us sitting on the couch, and Davina, our Escort.

This whole entire train ride is just in a state of awkward. Cassia stares at her nails, admiring how well manicured they are. Davina can't help but comment on her own accord, complimenting the fruity colored specks that divide all over her nails.

I continue to stare at my Escort, and she inclines her head, meeting my eyes. The moment becomes even more awkward, but I try to cheer it up by smiling. Davina lets out a loud gasp and places both of her hands on her heart, showing off her manicure this time. ''Oh, my God!'' Cassia stands up. ''W-Where do you find that type of nail polish?''

''No, no, no, that's not important right now!'' Davina perches up and begins wobbling in her high heels, trying to approach me. Her violet afro sways in the motion, until she comes to an abrupt stop right in between both Cassia and I.

''Um, Davi—?'' Kelsin tries, but is quickly shushed. Davina presses the palm of her hand flat against Kelsin's lips, and just leaves it there.

''How... How are your teeth so white and shiny?!'' She asks. ''I mean, my teeth are shiny. But yours... They're... They're on a whole different level! I don't see a single spot of yellow or a single mistake in them. They're... perfect.''

Jonah peers down at me, and I can't help but begin laughing and then smile as soon as the humor dies out. ''Hey, don't compliment mine,'' I say. ''Mine aren't even perfect; if anything, yours are perfect. Just look at how they sparkle in the light. I swear, you could make someone go blind if you flash a grin their way.''

She purses her lips. ''You think you're funny, huh?'' I smile cheekily at her, trying to show her that I'm being genuine here. ''Actually,'' she adds. She's giving me the same look that everyone else tends to give me – she thinks I'm weak. She has that same grimace on her face that everyone else puts on, but quickly changes it into a sick smile. ''Thank you, you're very... kind and strong for cheering up a little 'ol Capitol lady such as myself.''

It's as if she thinks I'm stupid, like I can't see through her disguise. ''Yeah, it's no problem.'' I smile again. Her negativity has no means of my interest. I'd rather look behind that and get away from the pessimistic side of her.

''Those pearly white teeth sure do flaunt, don't they?'' She spits. ''Too bad you don't shine the same way. You're lucky you have those, I don't see you getting anywhere with sponsors, or being liked, if it weren't for that prized possession of yours that are so permanently attached to you.''

''Hey, that's fine.'' I smile and nod my head. ''If the smile is what makes me shine, then so be it. I hope the Capitolites won't have too much of a problem with that.''

Quickly, the expression on her face changes into a grimace. She looks so annoyed, with a vein in her forehead that continues to bulge, being the only easily recognizable detail to her. ''How positive of you to be that way...'' She bites down on her bottom lip. ''Well, I hope the best of luck to you in your journey to the Arena, kid.'' Her words quiver, showing just how fake she's being. She doesn't mean it, but I don't mind. ''You're gonna need luck to survive.''

She turns away, and goes to grab a book off of the shelf in the far right corner of the room, near the Recap Room. There are flat screen television screens all around, but our Mentors chose to enter that room instead. I don't know why, but it wasn't a problem when we had a chance to see the other tributes. ''Hey, look,'' Davina grabs all of our attention. ''A book about every Victor, and how they won their Games – and their best attributes, including pearly white teeth. Hopefully you'll be in here, although I severely doubt it.''

''As long as you give me hope, I think I'll be fine,'' I retaliate. She groans, rolling her eyes as she shoves the book in her face to try and mask how difficult I'm being with her right now.

''Wow!'' Cassia grabs my face, her nails basically digging into my skin. ''They really are shiny! Did you put Bleach in your mouth and rinse it out to get them that white? If that's how you did it, then I'm totally gonna do it that way, too!''

''I wish he put Bleach in his mouth,'' Davina scoffs.

''Of course!'' I say sarcastically, poking fun with Cassia. ''You can get shiny teeth like this if you try!'' I enthusiastically cheer her on. Jonah and Kelsin both begin to chuckle behind me, listening as we engage in small-talk. ''I can teach you how if you want me to?''

''Oh, really?'' Cassia places a hand on me thigh, oddly close to my... uh, yeah, and inches upwards. She leans in closer to my face and whispers, ''I'd love if you'd teach me how to put Bleach in my mouth like you do to get teeth like that. If you wouldn't mind, that is?'' She blows a kiss.

I chuckle. The girl's fatuous, but that's no problem. People like her can be fun at times. ''Ha ha, no, I was just kidding,'' I laugh. ''But, just brush your teeth a lot, I guess. You can do anything if you put your mind to it, not just get white teeth like this. Keep your mind focused and reach for what you want, you can do anything, then, alright?''

I know for a fact, just like everyone else, that that had nothing in particular to do with the whole teeth situation, but Cassia seems like a girl who relies on other people way too much. I want her to know that she doesn't have to ask people to learn how to do things, and that she can figure out a lot on her own, but if she ever needs help, then yeah, go ahead and ask.

She reaches for my spectacles and takes them off. Inching closer to my face, she begins speaking again. ''Oh. Thanks for letting me know. Maybe you can teach me how to brush my teeth properly some time, one-on-one and in personal? I'd love that, Beckham.''

''It's Beckett.''

''Beckett.''

''But you can just call me Beck, I go by that instead.''

''Alright, so,'' Jonah says. ''Kelsin and I have been talking, and we'd like to speak about strategy. Would you two be willing to work with one another?''

''As long as I get something out of it,'' Cassia goes back to looking at her nails.

''We'll take that as a yes,'' Kelsin smiles. She stares straight at me and then continues. ''But we'd like to get to understand you two a bit more. As you know, the Games have a wide variety of types of weapons to choose from. All are blades, but there are different types. We know that you're not Careers, but do you think you could possibly work well with spears, swords, knives, or whatever, really?''

''Knives!'' Cassia chimes.

''Alright, and what about you, Beck?''

''Uh, I'm not really sure right now,'' I state. ''But I'm quite tired, so sorry. I think I'll just go back to my room and maybe we can talk later? Sorry, I just have a headache right now and don't want to be a burden to you guys. But I'll try to see if I can recover quickly, and if we still have time, let's talk more.''

''That's okay,'' Jonah says. ''Rest well.''

''Don't let the bed bugs bite you in the crotch,'' Davina shouts. ''Oh, nevermind, this is a Capitol train, there are no hideous insects lurking around here! Besides you, that is.''

''Your jokes are the best, Davina,'' I laugh. ''I'll be looking forward to talking to you the most from now on. Until then, goodnight.'' With that, I leave through the automatic doors of the train and listen as they close. Immediately after I've left, Jonah and Kelsin begin talking among themselves.

''Cassia, we want you to find an ally who'll be loyal to you, and help you out at any means necessary. Beck might or might not be that ally, so keep your eyes open for new sources, alright?''

''Okie dokie!''

''Jonah,'' Kelsin whispers. ''I don't want to be rude about Beck or anything, but I don't like how he doesn't stand up for himself when being talked down to like that. Davina was being arrogantly rude to him for no reason, and all he did was sit there and smile. It's frustrating! How is he supposed to survive if he can't even put a rude Escort in her place?''

''I don't know, but I've been thinking about the same exact thing as you. I wanted to grab his shirt and smack him, but he was pretty funny with his sarcastic humor. It was playful, but the kid's too nice. I'm not sure where we're gonna go with him.''

Removing myself from the vociferous area, I walk into my room, throw myself onto my bed, and cover myself in the sheets. On the walls are multiple paintings of famous Capitolites and Victor Posters of District Five tributes – or former tributes who came out alive, I should say. While lying face down on my bed, I leave myself vulnerable to my thoughts.

They don't like you, don't you understand? Your small-talk, they find it annoying. Your kindness, it's also annoying. They can't wait for you to die, Beck. You're weak. They don't want you around them, nobody does.

I thrash against the bed, ripping the sheets off of me almost instantly. They hate you, they hate you, they hate you! Nobody wants you around, just kill yourself now! You're worthless, you'd never be able to win the Hunger Games. No matter how kind you are to the ones who don't deserve it, nobody will return the kindness to you. Just die already.

''NO!'' I grab a hold of the first pillow that's under my head and swing it around, knocking down the table lamp that's a few feet away from me, causing it to crack as soon as it forcefully makes contact with the floor. ''No, no no!''

In the haze of the afternoon, I can feel the loose shirt start to cling to my back. My legs are empty and there is a rising feeling of nausea from my stomach. I roll out of bed and stagger to the bathroom to gawk at my sweaty form. Right now I look even more like my father. I'm white like him down to my brown hair and spectacles.

Sweating makes me look like I need someone to dunk me in an ice bath fast, anything to put out the fire burning in my cheeks.

Fidan Blanchett, 17, District Seven Male

''Hey, why are you eating so much?'' I ask my District Partner, who's currently stuffing her face with muffins. She ignores me and continues to chew on her food, avoiding any type of contact with me altogether. She finishes the two muffins that were already in her hands and looks to grab another one, but I quickly swipe my hand to get one for her. I hold it out and she just eyes me, looking disgusted. ''Sorry... I don't get why you're so hungry, anyway. Didn't you eat breakfast before you were Reaped?''

She grabs the muffin from my hand and puts it away, ignoring the kindness I tried to show towards her. ''I was just trying to help out,'' I say, trying to reach for the muffin again. I get up and try to get past her, but her legs are sticking out, so I slowly step over them. My left foot gets hooked against hers and I fall, slamming into the ground roughly. ''Whoops, clumsy me, sorry!''

My District Partner gets up, walking away like she's done with me. ''I said sorry! I was just trying to help so that I could get to know you better, I don't know why you're acting strange,'' I try. ''Still, I don't get why you're eating so much. Are you just that hungry? I've never been hungry in my life. What, are you poor or something?''

''No, I'm not poor at all. I'm rich, wealthy, well-off, to tell you the truth, I just choose not to eat because I take my situation for granted!'' Her tone is shaky, sarcastic, even. I'm about to say something until she interrupts me. ''No, I'm not rich, you condescending asshole!''

I keep myself quiet, reconsidering what I was going to say. ''Sorry about that,'' I apologize. ''But hey, it's alright. If you want, I can help you with whatever your needs may be.'' Then I wink.

''Oh,'' our Escort giggles. She sits back, relaxing as she crosses her legs together and stares at the two of us. ''Aren't you just a charm!''

I still don't know my District Partner's name, but she doesn't look like she cares for what I'm saying... Huh? That's weird, my charm tends to usually work on people. She looks so uninterested, like I'm boring her. ''You're so cool, you know?'' She lies.

''You're pretty cool, too, all quiet and introverted and crap. Bet you have a lot of friends back at home, don't you?'' I reply in a snarky manner. Our Escort begins clapping as she laughs.

''Go on!''

''Do you ever shut up?!'' She snarls, getting up angrily. I take a step back, holding my hands out to tell her to calm down. ''Everything that comes out of your mouth is so annoying!''

''Hey, I'm just trying to be nice and start a conversation with you, but you're being boring and reserved.''

''Can you shut the fuck up? You always have something to blurt out with that smart ass mouth of yours, don't you?''

''You should show me how.'' I can't help but accidentally say. Our Escort – who's name I also don't know – goes back to laughing hysterically, almost crying. She goes at it for a couple of minutes, the sound coming out of her mouth resembles one that someone who was choking would make.

Relmo stands up after staring at us for such a long time, and Chantell quickly follows. He begins talking. ''So clearly you two won't work out, and definitely aren't gonna be allies in the Arena, that's clear to see.''

''Of course not,'' she agrees, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Chantell takes a seat next to my partner, taking a lemon off of the fruit tray.

''Fine, that's no problem. But we'd like to know what you two like to work with.'' She takes a bite out of the lemon, grimacing when she gets a taste of the resinous and astringent pulp of the seeds. Composing herself after a few seconds, she looks around, chuckles nervously, and continues. ''What type of weapons would you guys be considering to use?''

''I can work with an axe well.''

''That's good, Sawyer.''

Sawyer! That's her name. ''Yeah, but I don't know if I'd be able to bode well with using an axe against a person. Using them in the lumber yard was easy, but this is a whole different scenario.''

''That's why we're here to help you out with that.'' Chantell places a hand on Sawyer's shoulder, then turns to me and smiles. ''What about you?''

''Uh... I-I don't really know.'' I say.

''Well, can you use an axe?'' I shake my head, silently answering Chantell's question. ''Maybe a spear?''

''Nope.''

''What about a hammer? Or a knife? Sword? Bow and arrow? A pickaxe, even?''

''Sorry...''

Relmo ponders to himself while standing up, staring at me with disbelief in his eyes. Probably thinking about how a boy could come from Seven and not know how to use a weapon. ''Got it!'' He comes to a conclusion, arrogating the conversation into his playing field. ''What about traps? Or maybe snares?''

''What about both!'' I consider. Relmo nods his head, but Chantell looks skeptical about my decision, not entirely sure if it would actually benefit me or not. I'm not quite sure what's running through her mind right now, but she decides to just go with it.

''Good luck using traps,'' Sawyer says. I question her, wondering why I need luck. ''Because who's going to fall into something that you put up? You, out of all people? You think anyone would fall for a trap someone as ridiculous as you would set up?''

Pretending to be hurt, I immediately begin fake crying. ''How could you possibly say something like that to me? It's like you have no faith in me, like you think I won't be able to survive! You've already given up on me and we haven't even hit the Capitol yet!''

She looks a little hesitant, but scoffs as she turns away. Relmo pats my back, buying into my fake stunt. ''All I wanted was to be nice to you and become your friend, but you've been so rude to me for no reason throughout this entire ride!''

''Because I don't need kindness, I don't need friends!'' She's fractious, screaming as she stands up again. ''We're going into the Hunger Games! What the fuck do I need your kindness and help for, you piece of shit?! You think your kindness is gonna save me from the slaughter that's gonna happen in there?!''

''Sawyer, calm down,'' Chantell helps her out. Relmo leaves my side and goes to sit down next to Chantell and help calm Sawyer down. ''Hey, it's okay, we'll help you. You don't need to be upset, we're here for you if you need anything. That's why we're your Mentors, to keep these emotions of yours under control and assist to make sure that one of you two come out of the Arena alive.''

''If one of us wins, it's not gonna be him. Look at him, he's crying on the floor like a little girl. Do you really think that he could stand a chance?''

Quickly, I turn around. ''I'm a boy!''

''Fidan, don't star—''

''Don't call me Fidan, please! I go by Fitz!'' I pause. ''And she talks about me like she knows me. First she says that I'm annoying when all I'm trying to do is help, then she talks about my gender like she knows what I've gone through! She does not know me, but decides to be rude for no reason at all!''

This gets to all of them, though they don't realize that I don't mean any of this right now. Well, besides some of it, actually. I'm acting and they don't suspect a thing, thinking that the crying was real and that the emotions were, too.

Both of our Mentors sigh and turn back to Sawyer, like she's the more important one here. ''Alright, well, since you already know how to use an axe, you're obviously accustomed to how it works, and you know how to hold one properly for the best results, don't you?'' Relmo asks.

''Yeah,'' Sawyer nods her head.

''Good, the Gamemakers are gonna like that a lot. When you're in the Training Center, you should do some combat training with one of the guards. Use your axe to try and see how you can do on a human. And just for early measures, don't be hesitant. They have armor that helps them stay safe, so go all out,'' Chantell advises. She's my Mentor but she's helping her out!

''I'd also suggest gaining allies, but if you can't or just don't want to, go for the survival stations.'' Oh, great – they're both more focused on her than me. ''Those help out quite a bit. They usually have small portions of plants and mutts that'll be featured in the Arena, so I highly recommend doing some of those.''

''What about me?'' I choke. ''Actually, nevermind. I'm perfect, so it really doesn't matter what I do. I mean, look at me! The looks, the body, the Capitol would just die over me! And when they see me in the Arena, observing how well I do, they're gonna drown me in sponsors and basically carry me to that Victor's seat!''

''Um, Fidan—''

''It's Fitz.''

''Fitz, I mean, that's not how it works,'' Relmo claims. ''There's much more to it than you being 'perfect'. We're here to help you, not let you go out into the Arena and believe that just because you have a high regard for yourself means that others do, too. Come over here and we can ta—''

''No, I'm good! Honestly, you've got Sawyer to talk to and Mentor, so why don't you just stay with her? I don't need your mentoring, it's fine. I'll do good in that Arena all by myself, without help, since you two obviously care about Sawyer's survival more than mine.''

''That's not how it—'' Chantell tries to convince me otherwise, but I turn away. It's quiet for just a little bit, until she speaks up again. ''How stubborn...''

Maybe I've just made the biggest mistake of my life. I turned away from my Mentor, and now I'm going into these Games alone. Unless I gain allies, but still. There's going to be so much blood. And what am I gonna do at the Bloodbath, what if I really can't use the traps the way that I'm supposed to? What if people see through my plans and catch up to me in the Arena, how will I take care of myself?!

Twenty-three of us die, and that's a lot of bloodshed. The thought of all the thick, dark red liquid that's gonna slowly ooze out of many of our bodies in a week is scaring me already, making me feel quite nauseous. And the horrible murders, the mutts attacking, the chances of me surviving...

The thought of me being attacked – whether by a Career or another tribute or a mutt – freaks the shit out of me. Quicker and quicker with each passing thought, I become more and more stultified due to this thinking. I'm helpless, now.

The realization of the current situation that I'm truly in right now makes me cower back and sense a feeling of weakness boiling inside of me. The stress is too much to handle, and it leaves me destitute and unable to move. My thoughts are being filled and attacked with a horrible and monotonous feeling.

And so, I close my eyes, and drops of water roll down and stain my cheeks. I wipe them away, making sure that nobody saw, but I did it so many times to the point where my eyes became red and swollen. When I look around, keeping my composure, my vision becomes blurry.

It's difficult to see when your fragile emotions take over you and alter your vision.

Loralei Tenaris, 15, District Eight Female

Switching the remote from my left hand to right hand, I press play and begin the Reaping Recaps.

Clarence sits back with that book of his clutched tightly against his chest, with Milliona sitting next to him. Jackson folds his arms over his chest, and sighs deeply when the District One tributes are shown. Adonis and Blush – the tributes' names are – both look confident in their Volunteering, but most Careers usually do.

''So what do you think of these two?'' Jackson asks me. ''Both of them had positive ways of Volunteering, with the excitement and their ability to look good – especially Blush – while speaking.''

''I guess.''

I sit quietly and don't give back any of the opinions that I have on the two tributes. So far, Jackson's been the only one to really say anything. ''Look at you now. At first you were all hard and vocal, but now you're being shy and quiet.'' Clarence says.

Shrugging, I ignore Clarence and focus on the District Two tributes. The girl is a mystery, the way she just walked up there calmly and only stated her name; while the boy, on the other hand, is a charmer, who probably already knows that he'll get sponsors. He's handsome, had a courageous way of Volunteering, and has the entire package, basically.

I'm guessing that most of the applause was for the boy, and as soon as the two of them enter the Justice Building, the hooting and hollering of applause abates. ''So Atlas is obviously gonna get the Careers a surplus amount of sponsors, if he joins them.''

''He will join them,'' I confirm. ''There's no way that he's not going to. A Career like him, what other options would he go to? Some outlier tributes, or better yet, go solo? No way, Atlas is gonna go with them because they're his best chance of survival, and whether or not he likes them, he'll be loyal to them, and they'll be loyal to him because of what he can get them with sponsors.''

''He can do a lot of things for you, too.'' Clarence speaks up.

''Oh, yeah? Like what?''

''He can kill you.''

''Why do you say that?''

''Because that's your fate. Down goes the annoying bitch who never shuts her mouth by the most popular Career so far! I can see it already.''

''Jokes on you, I don't believe in faith,'' I yawn. ''Anything can happen. Maybe I could kill Atlas, he could make a mistake that would be costly and give me a chance to end his life. Or maybe even you could kill Atlas, but I doubt you'd stand a chance against a Career.''

''Of course you'd say that. That's why you're gonna die, because you believe in this nonsense that you can change things.''

''I'm sorry, I didn't understand. Could you iterate on the excogitation?'' I say and then wink. Both Milliona and Jackson look at me in a weird way, and Clarence seems confused out of his mind. ''Well, I guess we now know who doesn't have a large vocabulary.''

Staring back at the screen, I watch the District Three tributes' reactions. The girl seems terrified, but when you think out outlier tributes, then it all comes to mind that that's not a surprising reaction. While the boy... him, he's different. He doesn't seem fazed by this at all, like he actually wants to be in the Games. But it's not in that psychotic way, it's more like he's obsessed with the people staring up at him or something.

District Four is more interesting, though, with the girl rushing up to the stage as she lunges forward to Volunteer. She doesn't look like she's excited, but more like there's something she wants to accomplish. And the boy Volunteers in the same way, almost, except he takes his time. The both of them have this strange connection, and it's kinda awkward, but they engage in small-talk so it looks like they're comfortable with one another.

''So the girl and the guy both made an impact already,'' I sigh. ''They began speaking like they knew each other. Does the Capitol like that, Careers communicating already and enjoying themselves?''

''What do you think, dumbass?''

Rolling my eyes, I chuckle to myself. Milliona and Jackson both tell me that I was correct, so it seems like the Careers are in a good spot this year. The charm that they leave off, the relationships, and the looks. What a lucky year, huh? Anyway, District Five was probably the weirdest District to watch. The girl who was Reaped stood in her same spot for about two minutes before realizing that she was called up, and began looking around and pointing to herself like a ditz. The boy looks like he was expecting it, so there wasn't much to go off of.

District Six was definitely a Reaping of emotions. Both tributes looked like they were about to crumble and fall to the floor. The boy's legs gave in, and the girl basically stumbled over herself while she was walking up. Though, I do have to hand it to them – both of them stood strong and tall at the end, with the girl taking the microphone and speaking encouraging words.

''I bet I could've come up with a better speech than her in that same amount of time,'' I scoff. ''I mean, she did good, but I think I could've done better. I'd like to meet her during our time in the Capitol and see how it'd go if we competed.''

''Seems like you're the competitive type?'' Jackson says.

''Well, of course!'' I smile.

''That's good,'' he drawls. ''The Games are a competition, so I can see you doing good. When the Bloodbath hits, with that competitive spirit of yours, you could rush straight in, grab a bag and a weapon, and get out of there. Just don't become over competitive. Your allies might not like that, if—''

''If she even has allies,'' Clarence bursts out. ''But I seriously doubt it. She's annoying and lame, nobody is gonna want to ally with her. And even if she's competitive, she won't get anywhere with it. That stupid way of thinking that she has is gonna end up with her running into the wrong person by trying to outrun everyone else and get killed. And I can't wait to see that happen.''

Abruptly getting up, I approach Clarence and stand right in front of him, catching the attention of Milliona and Jackson. Great, I just love the attention on me. Everyone's eyes locked on me, it's just the best feeling in the world. ''Keep talking that shit, it won't get you anywhere besides being hated by all the other tributes, and dead.''

''At least my death would be quick, unlike yours.''

''What makes you think I'd die slowly?''

''Because you're such a fake bitch, everyone's gonna wanna make sure your death is painful.'' He then holds his book out, scooting back as he gets away from both Milliona and I. Next to him is our Escort, who doesn't really speak much or communicate with us. He seems kinda shy – or maybe he dislikes us, but I'd never know. ''One second you're hard, the next you're shy, and then you go back to acting like you're the shit. Nobody likes that.''

''Can you two please stop talking, I want to watch the Reaping in peace and quiet, please...'' He whispers, shying away, basically sinking into his seat. I guess he's new at this.

Turning around, I spot the District Seven girl. She walks up to the stage properly, but the emotions are being held back. ''She doesn't look like she has a problem with this,'' Clarence whispers to himself. I shake my head. Maybe I'm just clairvoyant, because nobody else senses that she's holding everything back. Now, when the boy's name is called, he doesn't look like he can believe it. Fortunately for him, he composes himself and remains stony faced. Nice.

I slowly walk back, trying to find a spot on the couch to sit on and accidentally smash my fist into our Escort's plate of food. Looking down, I realize that my hand is bleeding. I elevate it up to my face and look around, with everyone else staring at me.

''D-Does that not hurt?'' My Escort asks. ''Y-You slammed your fist right into t-the razor sharp knife... It pierced your pinky finger, and was literally stuck inside of it until you moved your hand away.''

''No, it doesn't hurt.'' I turn back to the screen and see our Reaping. Nothing new, I know what happened. District Nine is up next, and they're just all emotions. The girl begins balling her eyes out, pushes a Peacekeeper away, and runs to the stage. The boy, though, he just begins yelling and begging for someone to do something with his body after he dies. I'm not sure, I didn't hear it all too well.

The District Ten tributes were just out of the ordinary. First off, the girl Volunteered, and the boy was excited. My guess is that they're both psychopaths.

I didn't really notice, but everyone continues to stare at me, like they're waiting for an explanation.

''Guess I should tell you guys why I don't feel pain, right?'' I choke. ''Well, you see, I was born without a pain gene. So things don't tend to really hurt me. This knife would be deleterious to anyone else, but to me, it's not very harmful. Nothing stings, burns, or hurts, so I guess that's a positive thing?''

''So I guess that's a positive thing,'' Clarence emulates. ''How is that a positive thing? That just makes things more scary, but whatever, that's your problem.''

''That's something that my Father's wife's son's older sister's friend would say.'' Quietness is all around, and the movements are still as the District Eleven Reaping finishes. Both tributes stand tall and strong like they have something to fight for, despite their emotions. The boy looks more consistent with his rather than the girl, and now District Twelve plays. ''Uh, my friend, duh?''

Cackling, I continue. ''Oh, it's fun to confuse you. But there's really nothing to fear. If you wanted to attack me, I wouldn't be able to feel it. So what exactly is there for me to be frightened of?''

''Whatever,'' Clarence scoffs, turning away from me. In the dim light, because the room is a bit dark with the lights turned off, I can see a little smirk on his face. Blinking my eyes, I make sure that they're not deceiving me, but it looks like they were, because he has a serious frown on his face at the moment.

The girl who's Reaped is nothing more than a mere twelve-year-old. On initial behalf of her being chosen, she just falls to the floor in a somewhat shock-like state. She probably didn't wanna believe it at first, but her reaction shows every bit of emotion that she's feeling. And the boy – also twelve – well, he took it kindly. He stayed stiff for a couple of seconds, and then began to walk to the stage with a child-like smile on his face.

Cute.

The Recaps finish, so Jackson closes the television. I was about to look for the remote to close it myself, but then I realized that I left it back where I sat. Sighing, I listen as Jackson and Milliona start talking to Clarence and leave me out of the chat. ''Hello? Excuse me? I'm here, too, y'know...''

They're so engaged in the conversation, besides Clarence. I can tell he's not because he's grimacing and staring at me from the corner of his eyes. The attention isn't on me, but I want it to be. Seriously, it's bothering me that I'm not getting the attention that I want from them, but I know how to get it, so it's fine, I suppose.

For ostentatious reasons, I quickly grab the razor sharp knife that was on our Escort's plate and lunge myself at Clarence, grab his shoulders roughly, press my knee up against that book of his, and place the knife against his throat, my palms turning ghostly white because of how hard I'm holding onto the hilt of the knife.

Clarence gasps, jumping back in fear, losing that restrained force of emotion that he was showing just a couple of minutes ago. I begin laughing incredibly hard, feeling tears forming in the corners of my eyes. Milliona lets out a stifled laugh, as does Jackson, and so does the Escort.

Clarence, however, doesn't find it so funny and sits there, trying to recompose himself after his sudden outburst of fear. He sits there and buries his face in that book of his, ignoring the rest of us. We all try to talk to him, try to get him to speak up, but he completely resents us all.

''Don't take it so seriously. Come on, you're so rancorous.'' I giggle.

Rhea Mandelle, 14, District Nine Female

I begin to play with the woven bracelet that India gave me. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of fabric that I've ever owned, and it's even prettier in the dazzling light that shines from the ceiling of the high-powered train.

I miss India. When she visited me in the Justice Building, she began to cheer me up. She was so optimistic, telling me that I was going to make it back, despite my constant apprehension. She was filled with hope. I was ambivalent about whether to believe her or just turn away and ignore her words, but I couldn't help listen to her and gain a bit of hope.

But I miss her. I miss all of them – my parents, Timothy, and even Livia. India held a special place, though. Her embrace made me smile, get over being Reaped just a little bit. Her body was pressed against mine in just the perfect hug. It was warm and I felt like I was melting into her, all of the noise around us being blocked out. I lost track of where my body was, recognizing where hers began.

I was just safe and comfortable there, like I was in a nightmare that soon evolved into a perfect dream. Just a calm feeling with no worries and no fears; I felt safe, like I was at home. The hug was so tight, giving me the feeling that I wouldn't have been going to the Capitol. But I am.

My best friend and I are away from each other now, and I miss her so much.

''My darling Rhea. You should eat, sweetie,'' my Escort Fabian says. Grabbing a hold of my arm as he sits down next to me, he continues and says, ''Look at you. You're gonna need some fat if you want to survive.''

He stands up and sighs. ''I shall fill a plate up with food for you, seeing as you don't seem like you want to do it yourself. I will get you some steak, some mashed potatoes, some green beans,'' he chatters. ''You're gonna love this Capitol cuisine, darling. This food will fill you right up! Take a bit of lettuce as well, and why not add a bit of baked french fries? You're also gonna need a beverage, right?''

Fabian grabs me a large cup of lemonade and places the entire meal out in front of me. Just staring at all that food makes me feel like I've never had a decent meal in my life – and I was brought in by two men who showered me with meals and such. ''I-I... I don't—''

''Oh, don't by shy! Eat as much as you want. When you're done, go for the snacks and sweets that are plastered around the table.''

...He's quite generous for a Capitolite. As soon as I'm about to reach for the fork that's enveloped in a thin piece of paper, Fabian picks up a classic carving knife and stabs it in the center of the steak.

No!

Everything around me changes immediately as I see the sharp knife pierce the coating of the steak. The room began to spiral, while the floor panels misaligned themselves in a zigzag motion as I stare down at the ground. My hands are trembling in fear. Trying to hold myself together, I desperately clutch my stomach to stop myself from retching.

This oh-so familiar pain starts to make my eyes gloss up, and I begin to think about the Hunger Games. My breathing hitches and I let loose, the tears running down my cold face and leaving wet marks in their path. Quickly, I turn into a blubbering mess. ''W-W... Wh-Wh-Why..?''

''Rhea? Sweetie, are you okay?'' Fabian pressures me, his hand resting on my shoulder.

''I-I'm f-f-fine.'' I dismiss.

''Are you sure?'' He asks again. ''Here, take the food, it'll cheer you up.'' He hands me the plate and my tears evaporate, but I continue to sniffle. Fabian excuses himself as he leaves the area that I'm in to go check up on something else.

As Fabian leaves, Lilac enters. There's a hesitant smile appearing on her face, but she looks like she's ready to begin talking to me. ''How are you?''

''I'm alright. W-What a-about you?''

''I'm doing well, it's just another year to mentor more tributes for me.'' So she's my Mentor. It makes me smile on the inside, knowing that she chose me. ''But are you certain that you're okay? It doesn't look that way with all those tear stains on your face.''

''No, no, I'm fine,'' I gain composure over my feelings. ''I promise that I'm okay.''

''Well, okay, if you say so,'' she smiles. ''Let's talk, alright. First thing's first, I want to discuss strategy with you. Now, I'm going to play a couple of past Games to get you to understand the flow of the Games and how they work. You've probably witnessed a couple of them, but I don't think you've seen some important pieces on past Games.''

My heart begins to beat quicker than ever, and my body quickly overheats. ''Do we... do we have to do this now? I don't—''

''I know that you don't want to do this, but please just comply,'' Lilac begs. She doesn't give me time to respond when she grabs a couple of disks and a remote. She walks over to the DVR and puts a disk in. When the screen begins to flicker, a title that says 'The Eighty-Fourth Annual Hunger Games' appears.

Even though watching this might be necessary, I am not amenable to the idea of seeing death. Not again. ''Please, can we not watch this, it's useless!'' I complain. ''I don't wanna watch this. There's no point! How is watching these former Games going to help me? I don't see a reason to do this, can we please, please, not do this right now?''

Can we not do this ever?

''You don't understand,'' Lilac huffs. ''Watching them will help you. You have no clue what you're getting yourself into, and watching the strategy of other tributes who won their Games might help us devise a plan for you.''

''No!'' I scream, feeling the tears reform. There's no holding back this time, and the tears just burst out without any bit of pause. ''Nothing's going to help me! Your mentoring isn't gonna help, watching these past Games isn't gonna help, nothing is! I'm a goner, don't you see that! I can't do anything, there's no way I'd be able to survive in that godforsaken Arena!''

''Why are you so insecure?'' She questions me. ''You've done nothing yet! I don't understand why you're tearing up, either! I just pressed play, and the video hasn't even started. And now you're giving up already. How do you plan on making it far?''

''That's the thing, I won't make it far!'' I cry. ''I would never make it far, not even in another life, can't you see that?''

''Rhea...'' A hint of sympathy is placed on Lilac's tone.

''Why do I have to do any of this? I don't wanna go into the Hunger Games, I don't wanna eat this food that Fabian placed out for me, I don't wanna go to the Capitol, I don't wanna kill, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna watch these stupid Recaps; I don't wanna be mentored, I don't wanna talk to anyone! I want to go back home! Why can't I go back home? Out of all people, why am I the one here? It's not fair, it's not fair at all!''

''Stop complaining!'' Lilac demands. ''Do you really want to go back home to District Nine?'' I nod my head. ''Then stop crying all the time! Rhea, you're acting like a crybaby! Every little thing sets you off, and you don't want to discuss anything. How are you going to make it back home if you won't cooperate with me?!''

Again, my eyes become moist, but I sigh deeply and blink away the tears. ''...Okay. So you want—''

The screams of children ring around the room, and as I turn around, my eyes glue themselves to the television screen. There's a boy who tackles another boy, a Four on the attacker's shoulder, and a Seven on the boy who's scrambling on the ground, trying to get free. The Four boy holds up a spear that glazes in the sunlight, shimmering as madness happens all around.

With struggling legs, the Seven boy knees the other boy in the groin and tries to take advantage by escaping. The Four boy bounces back up in a quick manner, and sprints after the Seven boy. There's pain written all over his face, but it's satisfying pain once he impales the Seven boy through the back with his spear, blood dripping off of the spearhead.

Victory is written all over the face of the Four boy, but this is only the Bloodbath. He flashes a cocky grin as he turns around to see the girl from Two, blonde haired and blue eyed, engaging in a ferocious battle against the Twelve boy. He sends a fist flying straight into her jaw, and then headbutts her in the nose, causing her to leak out and fall to the floor.

There's no hesitation in his body, and a tear flashes in his eye, just as he brings down a machete and stabs her in the chest. After doing so, he quickly turns to run away, only to be bumped into the District One boy, who wastes no time grabbing him by the string of hair on his head, and slitting his throat in a slick manner, drawing a thin line of blood across his neck, and hollering as he yells out, ''Whoo!'' to show his dominance.

Standing up, my mouth begins to quiver rapidly. ''Rhea...'' Lilac goes to grab my hand, but I slip away without sparing a second glance at her. Tears stream down my face again – making this the fourth time I've cried in less than an hour – and blur my vision. With stumbling feet, I accidentally trip over myself and don't catch my balance in time before I've slammed into a cabinet that holds glass artifacts in it.

The artifacts fall to the floor in slow motion, and crack as soon as they hit the ground. At least five pieces of beautiful artwork have been broken because of how clumsy I am. ''I give up!'' I shout. ''I can't do this anymore, I can't!''

''Yes you can!''

''No... I appreciate your assiduous attempt at trying to help me understand this, but this is just too much for me. All the death, the drama, I can't do this, and I'll never be able to. I'm not changing my opinion!''

''Stop being so stubborn! You keep complaining about all of this, yet you say that you want to go back home. How the hell is that possible if you don't try? Just try! Is that so hard to ask of? For you to just try and get through this?!''

''I didn't want to wake up this morning, you know,'' I sniffle. ''Because I knew it was Reaping Day, and nothing good ever comes from the Reaping... I was having a much better time asleep, trust me. And that's sad. It's like a reverse nightmare for me – you know how when you wake up from a nightmare, you're relived? Well, I woke up into a nightmare.''

The atmosphere is so depressing right now, but Lilac has words of encouragement, apparently. ''No, you're not giving up.''

''You can't mentor me properly, Lilac! Get over it.''

''Bet your ass I can.''

''No, you can't. I can't do it. I have no faith in myself, and nobody else does, either! Just stop!''

''There's so much more to you!'' Lilac breathes. She sits there, continuing to look at me. ''Victors are people who usually have something to hold on to. Don't you have things that you want to hold on to, Rhea? Like, maybe family, or friends?''

Looking down at the bracelet, I sigh in defeat. ''What are you trying to say?''

''I'm trying to say that I see so much more in you, things that you can't see.'' She gets up and grabs the plate of food that Fabian put down for me, and begins eating it herself. She chews and swallows, then recognizes that I'm still waiting for her to finish what she has to say. ''And I can help you realize it. Just let me do my job and work with you. You can do this, you're worth it.''

''So now I'm worth it?'' I growl.

''Don't be so uptight,'' she warns. ''You've always been worth it. I chose you for a reason. I saw something in this small fourteen-year-old girl that Demetri didn't see. If you weren't worth it, I wouldn't be wasting my time speaking to you right now. Please. Just work with me.''

My cheeks warm up and I smile, nodding my head as I come to a conclusion. Maybe she's right. After all, it could be worse. There are people out there dying everyday with infectious diseases, some starving, and some being brutally attacked.

But is there really anything that's worse than the Hunger Games?

A/N: Ayeee! So all of the tributes have been introduced, finally. Every POV since the beginning of this story was fun to write, and I'm glad it didn't take too long to explore all of these tributes. Not gonna lie, a couple of them were tricky and I felt like I might've screwed up or something, but y'all have always been there to reassure me and tell me that I did them right, or that you thought you got a good feel on the tribute, so thank you for that ^^ And of course, there are some things you don't know about these tributes like a bit extra of their personality, and I think I've only explored like, two of their backstories so far? So yeah, we'll get to that sooner or later, whenever the right time occurs.

I've decided that some chapters will be mixed together. Like, next chapter will be them arriving to the Capitol, speaking with their Stylists, getting dressed and stuff, and then the Chariot Rides will happen. But Training Days will all be three separate chapters, so the Games will be arriving quicker. Not sure what I'm going to do with the Games. I'm stuck between doing things like Part One and Part Two of the days, but I think I'll stick to just doing full days with each chapter that goes on. The story will be shorter, but more deaths will come in a quicker way, I guess. So instead of doing like, two chapters with no deaths, it'll be one chapter instead and stuff. I don't know, lemme know what you guys wanna see.

That's another thing. I wanna know what you guys wanna see, and not just write random things down. I've got ideas for this story and such, yeah, but I wouldn't mind reading your opinions. Obviously I'm not going to do everything that the readers want, but it's nice to get a feel of how I can make the story more enjoyable for all of you. And like always, let me know if I screwed your tribute up in this chapter or whatever. Like before, I'm always a bit iffy after writing every POV, so be straight up honest with me. Anyway, onto the questions.

Thoughts on each tribute?

Favorite tribute/POV?

Least favorite tribute/POV?

Favorite tribute of the story, besides your own?

Least favorite of this story so far?

Predictions for any tributes so far? Like, potential alliances and such. Whatever you feel.

And lastly, there's a poll on my profile. I'll update polls every, I dunno, important chapter or so. Like during Launch or whatever, I'll put one up like, ''Who do you want to die in the Bloodbath?'' But it'll just be to see opinions, not really gonna write that chapter based off who everyone wants to die. Yeah, but this one is just for your favorite tributes, so. Anyway, that's all for now. See y'all next chapter, which I'll try to get up pretty quick. And I hope you all have a wonderful day/night/evening/whatever time it is for you right now. Bye! ^-^