District 1
Kendra Perone's POV – District 1 Female
"A toast for the marvelous tributes of District One!" Royal, the District One escorted, announced loudly as he raised a glass of wine with his left hand. "May the odds be ever in their favor!"
Everyone at the dinner table raised their own wine glasses, myself included. Apparently, it was a tradition for the District One tributes, the mentors, and the escort, Royal, to have a glass of wine and a mini-dinner each night before bed.
Royal seemed like the type of man who enjoyed celebrations more than anything else. He would look for any reason to party, no matter how trivial it may seem to others. All he cared about was drinking and having a good time. The man would probably celebrate if I died in the arena. He would probably make up some bullshit claim that I 'fought bravely' or that I 'had a good death that needed to be recognized'. Beneath his smiles and jokes, Royal was a repulsive person: very similar to most of humanity. I would much rather spend my time alone in my bedroom either thinking or maybe getting some sleep.
Not that I would ever voice my thoughts about him aloud. The District One mentors for this year, Dante and Lorena, informed me and Ariail that Royal had a lot of connections within the Capitol and a lot of friends. He would definitely be a valuable tool to make sponsorships.
With that in mind, I cheerfully smiled at every dinner and drank my wine merrily, keeping my thoughts to myself. It was something I was used to. Every day of my life, I always kept my true thoughts and feelings hidden from the people around me. I would always be the girl that society wanted me to be. When I was living at the District One orphanage, I would try to be the perfect little girl to get adopted. Being polite and friendly to every family that walked in was the only hope I had to get out of that hellhole.
When I turned seven and was finally adopted, I thought that I would be able to stop pretending and actually be the happy, polite girl everyone thought I was. Unfortunately, even after my adoption, I had to keep up my act. Instead of being brought to a loving home, I was thrown into a crowded house with rules and regulations that I was forced to follow and fulfill. I did everything my mother and father asked of me with a smile, no matter how much I wanted to ignore their orders. I would do anything to get the love and attention, no matter how many times they refused to give it to me.
Over the course of my life, my 'polite' façade continued to develop. Faking politeness was not a hard task at all for me: it came naturally to me. However, I could hardly wait to enter the arena and stop pretending and show the world who I really was.
"You all looked outstanding while on the chariots if I say so myself." Royal complimented me and Ariail on the parade for what was most likely the eighteenth time.
"Naturally." Ariail stated with a smug chuckle.
"District One is always the best." The escort chuckled in agreement. He then turned to face me. "You stood out especially well Kendra. That gold skintight dress looked absolutely stunning on you! It really didn't leave much left for the imagination, if you know what I mean." The man gave me a wink. "I'm sure a few of my friends were very interested in you."
"You think so?" I laughed in response, smiling widely.
I had to hold back the urge to snap at the man. I already a boyfriend back home named Matthias. He was actually the guy who got me into training for the Hunger Games, and he was the only one who deserved to see my body. I don't care how interested Royal or any of his friends were: if they tried to act out on this 'interest', I'd make sure to have their heads cut off.
"Oh I know so! If I wasn't already engaged, I would definitely be interested." The man teased as he lifted his left hand to show off the diamond ring on his ring finger.
"Mind if I bring the conversation back to the tribute parade? Ariail, Kendra: what did you both think of the other tributes?" Lorena spoke up after taking a sip of her wine in a tired tone-of-voice. She clearly didn't want to be here and was simply trying to rush the dinner party. Between her and Dante, she was the more lax mentor. She seemed so atypical from other District One victors. It was strange to believe that she somehow won the Games five years ago!
"Not too many stood out in my opinion. Most of the other reaping costumes sucked." Ariail spoke up with a shrug. "And none of it really matters. The District Three tributes were the ones with the best costumes and they are both most likely going to die in the bloodbath."
"Costumes aren't everything, Ariail." Dante stated sharply with cold eyes. Dante, unlike Lorena, was a more stereotypical District One victor. He was serious, cold, and generally ruthless even in conversation. It was not difficult to imagine him in the Games thirty-five years ago: cutting off the heads of the other tributes with his sword. "Were you not paying attention to who appeared capable to sponsors?"
"Like that matters. The career pack will always get the most support. We produce the most victors. Therefore we will get the most sponsors. No one wants to throw away support and money to the losers." My district partner answered with another shrug as he started to drink his wine.
"We probably will have the most support, yeah. After all, the Capitol sure loved the District Two tributes this year, didn't they?" I commented with a loud laugh.
Ariail quickly chugged the remaining wine before he slammed the wine glass down to the table, nearly smashing it into pieces. A scowl developed on his face, which caused a grin to develop on mine.
There was no reason for me to fake cordiality with Ariail. We were both going into an arena in a few days with the intent of killing each other after all! The egotistical boy was also filled with so many insecurities that I couldn't resist making fun of him whenever I could. He had bragged to Dante and Lorena about how hard of a person he was to read, but I figured out everything I needed to know about him in one conversation. He was so insecure and easy to rile up. I already knew that he was going to be no threat in the arena. If anything, he was going to be a tool that I could control, set loose on a few of the other tributes, and then dispose of when he was no longer needed.
"The District Two tributes stood out, yes, but they are nothing compared to us." He hissed towards me. "You should be more concerned about our own sponsors and not the sponsors they'll get!"
"Lighten up and take a joke." I retorted with a slight eye roll. That comment actually annoyed me. I was concerned about anything and everything that could affect the Games. I was going to ensure I made it out of the Games alive. It actually angered me that Ariail seemed to doubt how serious I was about this.
"I'm not one to joke around. Take things seriously dammit." He replied back with a glare.
"I'm always serious. Deathly serious." I fired back at him with a cold hiss. "Don't let a few jokes make you think otherwise."
"Guys, guys, please don't fight. We're all having a good time at our party!" Royal pleaded, bringing his hands together. "I don't want to see any more anger right now!"
"Yeah, save the bad blood for later. That'll come with time in the arena." Dante stated sharply with narrowed eyes.
Ariail sighed in frustration loudly before he gave me one final glare: one that I returned. We then returned our attention back to our drinks and the 'party'.
"These next few days are going to be crucial. Make sure you're as skilled with your weapons as possible. Also, make sure the career alliance is still intact. Every few years or so, most of the careers will die in the bloodbath due to miscommunication with each other about the alliance." Lorena commented with a hiccup.
"Already checked in with them before the parade and will do so again during the training days. The careers will be strong this year, although I'm concerned about the non-volunteers. They'll most likely hold back the career pack to a slight degree." Ariail responded.
"The boy from District Two could probably take you in a fist-fight easily." I commented nonchalantly.
"Good thing I won't be using my fists to fight him. I'll cut him down with my katana and that'll be the end of his life!" Ariail shouted at me with anger visible in his eyes.
I made no comment, preferring to chuckle to myself silently. Ariail was just too fun to rile up. He was going to be a lot of fun to work with in the Hunger Games.
"Well, I for one am looking forward to watching you two do splendid in the arena. You all will make your district and your family proud." Royal stated with a smile.
"Fuck District One and fuck my family!" Ariail cursed loudly as he squeezed the wine glass in his hands tightly. The glass shattered, causing the remaining wine to spill all over the table. Wine dripped with some blood from Ariail's hand. "I'm doing this thing for myself and no one else!"
With those words, Ariail stormed out of the room without a comment towards any of us. Royal was looking in the direction he ran in complete shock while Lorena and Dante appeared slightly amused.
For the first time since we met, I actually agreed with Ariail on something. I wasn't here for District pride nor was I here for my family. I would also agree with him on the wording: fuck my family.
In some ways, I almost wish I had remained at the orphanage. At least back at the orphanage, I had the hope that my life would one day change after I was adopted. Life at home was equally hellish without any hope whatsoever. My adoptive mother was cold and heartless. She never spoke me to unless there was a need for it and treated me little better than an avox. My adoptive father favored my adoptive older sister, Aoife, and was constantly busy with work to care about anything or anyone else. Aoife was a spoiled bitch who cried whenever she didn't get way. I had to resist the urge to kill her several times throughout my life. She was the most obnoxious person I had ever met.
The only person in the family that I even cared about was my adoptive little sister, Zelena. While I did love her and miss her, she was only one person in that house that seemed to respect me. The other three members of my family I hated with a burning passion.
I was in no means here to make them proud. I was here because I was pissed off and tired of my life back home. I wanted an adventure and needed a new life, and what better way to create this life by coming back home a victor?
"Did… I say something wrong?" Royal mumbled in shock, his eyes tearing up. "I was just trying to be nice to him…"
"Don't worry about him. He seems like the type of guy with a lot of problems." Lorena consoled the escort with a pat on the back.
"Problems that'll get him killed off." Dante cursed, shaking his head in disappointment. The man turned his attention to me. "You really are the only chance District One has to do well this year Kendra. Train well."
"I will. Thank you." I replied with a bow, attempting to be respectful to him.
Dante nodded in acceptance. With the District One 'party' seemingly ending now due to Ariail's outburst, I was about to excuse myself and head to my room to sleep. This intention vanished, however, when the room to the living quarters was opened. Three peacekeepers walked in to the room. They were all armed with standard Capitol guns and all had serious expressions on their faces.
"Excuse the interruption, but the tributes for this year's Games have been summoned by President Draven for a small meeting." One of the peacekeepers spoke up.
"What meeting? This isn't standard protocol." Royal commented. His tears from Ariail's outburst were now replaced with confusion.
"You will know what it is about shortly. For now, I need the tributes to follow us." The peacekeeper replied, dismissing the question.
Confusion had now crept onto my face. What was going on? Why did the president want to meet up with us?
"Well, as you can see, Kendra is right here and ready for you. I'll go get Ariail." Lorena spoke up as she stood up and walked away in the direction Ariail had ran to.
The peacekeeper nodded before he turned to me. "Miss Kendra, we will be waiting for your district partner to arrive. Once he is here, we will escort you to the waiting room."
"Understood." I responded, hiding my confusion.
I had no clue what was going on and I did not like it. I was a person who liked to know everything that was going on around me. This 'meeting' was something I had no knowledge of and, therefore, it was troubling. There was an ominous feeling that I could not shake. From what I heard from previous District One victors, it was never a good thing when the president wanted to meet with you.
Throughout this whole experience, I had been feeling rather confident in myself. Now, I was starting to feel concerned. I was already dreading whatever we were going to be told…
Ariail Bardineux's POV – District 1 Male
"Where the hell are we going?" I shouted at the peacekeepers.
"You'll see when you get there. Keep your mouth shut and we'll get there faster." One of the peacekeepers shouted back.
A scowl developed on my face. The peacekeepers were in the process of escorting me and Kendra to some unknown destination for some unknown meeting. This was not something that happened in the years before ours. It was very suspicious and I did not like it in the slightest.
I was not in the mood for some unannounced 'meeting'. Royal's ridiculous dinner parties each night always put me in a foul mood. I always hated the damn things and the fake attitude everyone had to have during them. I struggled every time to remain polite to him. This night, I could not. Kendra made her usual snarky comments that pissed me off, but Royal himself infuriated me the most when he mentioned my family. That had always been a sore subject for me.
Life with my family was monotonous. Every day was similar to the last. My father, mother, and older brother were all dull, complacent people who had no desire for anything else in their life. I had no intentions of sharing their boring, repetitive lifestyle and I hated them for enjoying it. To some extent, I was happy when my father kicked me out of the house a few weeks ago. I always relished every second I was away from them and, now, I never had to be around them again.
If only I was kicked out in more favorable circumstances. A frown crept upon to my face. Three months ago, I met a woman in her mid-thirties named Amorette. She shared a lot of the ideals I had about life: about how boring it is and how we, as humans, should go out and try and find anything to entertain us. We clicked immediately after meeting. Our relationship started from there and quickly turned sexual, despite her being married. She didn't care and, obviously, I didn't. It made the sex that much more thrilling to me when I saw the ring on her hand, knowing that we were doing something that the average neanderthal would see as taboo. Our little sexy rendezvouses were the excitement we were looking for.
This excitement quickly faded away when she realized that she was pregnant. Apparently, she and her husband had not been having sex in a few months. Therefore, she knew I was the father. At the time, I wanted nothing to do with her or that bastard of a baby. I had no intention of being a father, let alone a father at seventeen years old! However, soon after, my own father found out about our affair and kicked me out of the house to avoid any possible shaming from his peers. Amorette refused to take me in or even look at me after I turned her down when she told me she was pregnant.
Everything was taken away from when Amorette told me about her pregnancy. These events left me alone and homeless with no comforts and with nothing going my way in life. This is what motivated my decision to volunteer in the first place. I had nothing left to lose in my life and everything to gain if I won the Games and became a victor.
"Alright, we are here." The peacekeeper spoke up, interrupting my thoughts.
In that moment, I became aware of my surroundings. The peacekeepers had led me and Kendra to a large, open room with twenty-four black chairs. Nothing was of note in the room with the exception of a few video cameras. It looked similar to a generic scene in one of those Capitol talk shows that occur daily. Not a single person was here for us to 'meet' with us.
"What are we going to do here?" I asked with a glare.
"Wait and you'll see." The peacekeeper commented with a devilish grin on his face. "For now, take a seat."
I rolled my eyes as I took a seat in one of the seats. Every damn peacekeeper was so fucking smug. There was nothing more that I wanted than to rip that grin off his face and shove it up his ass.
Kendra followed me, taking a seat right next to mine. The two of us waited quietly, not making any attempt to talk to each other. I truly hated girl and, based on how often she insulted me, she probably felt similarly to me. I almost couldn't wait for the Games to start. Once they started and the career alliance ended, I was going to make sure she died. Her constant insults were grating and I could hardly wait to kill her.
Soon, we were joined by the tributes from the other districts. In five minutes, all the chairs were filled. All twenty-four tributes were now in the room. Each of us were all wondering one thing: what the fuck was going on?
Another two minutes passed before we got our answer. An older man with gray hair and glasses walked into the room and headed towards the center. He was a man with olive-colored skin with black scars covering most of his visible skin. The scars actually resembled burn marks! He wore a red jacket and black pants. I could tell that he was from the Capitol, but he looked atypical from the standard Capitol citizens. He presented himself differently as well. He seemed to carry an aura filled with confidence and strength with every step he took.
"Tributes of the Sixth Quarter Quell: welcome. For those of you who don't know me, my name is Damien Brand. I've been a gamemaker for forty-two years now and I have been the Head Gamemaker for the Hunger Games for the past fifteen years now." The man introduced himself with a grin on his face.
My eyes narrowed on the man as I studied him intently. His aura now picked up a dangerous, intimidating layer to it.
"I would like to personally apologize for announcing this meeting so late. I realize a few of you were about to go to sleep; most likely to prepare for the training tomorrow. President Draven also asked me to send you his regards about not being able to show up. He has to film a certain announcement to make for the citizens of Panem and he wanted me to personally deliver it to you all. I hope you find this at least slightly informative." Head Gamemaker Brand noted with a maniacal grin on his face. "After all, we figured that you all would want to be aware of this year's twist for the Hunger Games."
Finally! I had been waiting to hear what the twist was ever since it was announced that it would be 'a surprise'. It was a slightly intimidating concept, but nothing that bothered me too much. It didn't matter what the Capitol was going to throw my way: I was going to win.
Nevertheless, I was curious about what I was going to have to face.
"What is it?" The District Twelve girl nearly growled, a scowl on her face.
"Patience." Brand brushed off the girl's demand with a shrug. "Before I reveal it, I feel you all should be familiar with the previous Quarter Quells. You all remember them, right? What was the first Quarter Quell?"
"That was the twenty-fifth Hunger Games. The year where the individual districts voted on who was being thrown into the Hunger Games." The District Five boy spoke up.
My eyes quickly rushed over to the boy. If I remembered correctly, his name was Icarus. He was one of four volunteers from the outer districts. Outer-district volunteers were always unique. Quite often, whenever one appeared, they were dangerous opponents and often victors of their year. The fact that there were four of them this year intimidated me slightly. They all needed to die in the bloodbath.
"Correct." Brand nodded in acceptance. "The second one?"
"The fiftieth Hunger Games." The District Twelve girl spoke up. Her scowl had developed into something similar to a smug smirk. "That was the year where the number of tributes reaped was doubled to forty-eight. District Twelve won that year!"
The girl spoke with a notable arrogance that made me want to puke. I couldn't wait to crush it. While she was true that her district won that year, District Twelve was not going to be winning this year. The girl and her district partner were most likely going to die early in the arena.
"And after that, the Third Quarter Quell was the year where you all took tributes from the pool of existing victors." Cascade, the District Four boy, commented aloud. "That was the year Beetee won, correct?"
"Yes it was. He had a group of allies that had protected him for some reason, allowing him to develop an electric generator that he used to electrocute all the remaining tributes in the Games." Brand nodded in agreement.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. All of these tributes were thinking they were so smart for reciting information about the most basic Hunger Games. Everyone knew what happened in the Quarter Quells. It didn't make them special that they could show-off some basic information!
"What happened in the Fourth Quarter Quell?" Brand questioned.
"That was the year you where volunteering was forbidden. Everyone was reaped." I answered before anyone else. If the other tributes thought that they could show off with their knowledge of these past games, then so could I! "The victor was some girl from District Five."
"That is correct. And finally, the Fifth Quarter Quell?" The Head Gamemaker asked.
"That was the year where the age limit was changed. As long as you were over twelve, you could have been reaped for that year." I spoke up again. "A father from District Seven who volunteered for his son won that year."
"Yes. Very good. So you all are familiar with these Games. You were even familiar with the victors. You all certainly know how grand they were!" Brand exclaimed with a laugh. "All of us are going to make a Hunger Games that surpasses them all! Together, we will make one remembered forever!"
The Head Gamemaker seemed like an overly dramatic, eccentric man. It was rather obnoxious. I didn't care if this year was a loved, remembered Hunger Games for everyone watching it. As long as I came out alive, then that was all that mattered to me. Any resulting popularity would be an appreciated, but unneeded, bonus.
"Quit stalling and just tell us what the fucking twist is? I was just about to sleep!" The District Seven boy hissed.
Brand stopped laughing immediately and glared at the boy. Soon, his glare disappeared and he started to laugh in the same maniacal tone-of-voice. He then pulled out a small card from his pocket.
"'On the one hundred fiftieth anniversary, as a reminder to the rebels that their actions endangered the livelihood of all citizens of Panem and not just their own, the lives of each male and female tribute will be tied to the life of a loved one back home.'" He read.
… Excuse me?
"To simplify that, after you all were accepted as this year's tributes, we did background checks on you all. We found the person that we deemed closest to you. That person's life is now in your hands." Brand explained, his grin seemingly getting wider. "When you die, your loved one will die with you."
Tension filled the entire room as the eyes of all the tributes widened. I could feel my breathing becoming more and more unsteady.
"What? No! You can't do that!" One of the tributes shouted. I didn't even bother to look up to see who shouted it. "That's not fair!"
"You don't understand anything, do you all? None of you can do shit! The Capitol has authority of your lives. Nothing is 'fair'." Head Gamemaker Brand shouted back with a scoff.
When I volunteered, I had honestly thought there was nothing else to lose. My family had just kicked me out. I had no comforts. I had hardly any money or reputation! Now, though, I realized that I had something to lose… or rather, someone.
Who was being put attached to my life? I had a feeling that it wouldn't be anyone from my family. I wasn't close to them and they clearly weren't to me. They didn't even bother to visit me before the Games at the Justice Building. There were only two choices that it could be: my friend Cartier and Amorette. It was most likely going to be Cartier. Amorette and I did our best to hide our affair. There's no way she could be in the running for this list…
A feeling of nausea entered my body. I didn't want to deal with this. I didn't want to have the responsibility of another person's life on my hands. This is not what I signed up for!
"Anyway, you all listen up, because I'm going to let you all know who your life is linked to. We'll be starting with the District One Male." The Head Gamemaker stated as he turned to face me. "Ariail, your life is linked to your lover, Amorette."
I clenched my fists tightly as I looked downward, mumbling to myself one word: "Fuck…"
District 12
Emery Aspen's POV – District 12 Female
"Kendra Perone, the District One female: your life will be linked to your younger sister, Zelena." Head Gamemaker Brand spoke up.
Shit. This was happening. This was really happening!
Normally, in a situation like this, I would be pissed. I was one of the first people in the room to call bullshit on this stupid twist after all! Right now, I couldn't muster the energy to be outraged. All I felt was fear.
My eyes wandered towards the two District One tributes. The boy, Ariail, was looking downward in disgust while the girl, Kendra, was staring blankly with wide eyes and open mouth. Even the careers were stunned! No one signed up for this. What kind of sick motherfucker thought up this twist?
"Lepolio Huang, the District Two male: your life will be linked to your son, Miall." Brand stated.
Immediately, Lepolio's eyes narrowed in anger. I felt nauseous as I thought about what the Gamemaker had just said. Lepolio was eighteen years old from what I remembered. Any kid he had could not be much older than two or three. They were even willing to kill off children that young for this stupid Quarter Quell twist?
"This isn't right. This isn't right." I mumbled quietly to myself.
I couldn't think of who they were going to link me to. Unlike most of the other tributes here, I didn't have many people that liked me. I was always considered rude and bitchy to people: a fair assessment of me if I had to be honest. I made no attempts to be friendly with people I didn't like and I didn't like many people at all. The only people that I would consider myself close to were my parents and my best friend, Aiden.
I really respected my parents a lot. They were both merchants and managed to earn enough money that we were all able to live a decent life, even in District Twelve. While they were both busy and away from home often, I loved them both and looked up to them greatly. I had plenty of good memories with them. They had done so much to give me a good life that I would hate to have either of them linked to me!
At the same time, I was really close to Aiden. The two of us had been best friends since we met when were five years old. The two of us were nearly inseparable. Over the course of our sixteen years of life, we had done a lot of crazy shit together from throwing rocks at store windows to egging the mayor of District Twelve's house. Breaking social norms and the law was fun to us: we enjoyed working together and wreaking havoc and mischief on the district. We bonded as we did things that no normal person would ever consider doing!
I couldn't imagine any of them having their life linked to mine. I really wished that it could be some random person. Maybe some random schmuck who actually enjoyed the Hunger Games? Or maybe the mayor of District Twelve? A peacekeeper? I really didn't care who: as long as it wasn't my parents or Aiden. Anybody but them. They didn't deserve this…
"Victoire McBlock, District Two female: your life will be linked with your younger brother, Cameron." Brand stated.
The District Two girl, Victoire, shook her head multiple times in response. It looked as if the girl was trying to resist the urge to cry. A part of me noted the irony that a career of all types of people trying her hardest not to cry, but I quickly brushed it aside. I couldn't imagine a single person, not even a career, who would be okay with a twist like this!
The reactions slowly started to blur together. The boy from District Three, Ethan, started to shake in fear after hearing that he was linked to his father. The girl from District Three, Kaylee, was completely stunned upon hearing that her life was tied to her lover, some dude named Harper. Cascade, the boy from District Four, looked ill after hearing that his life was tied to his older brother's. His partner, Alaska, looked completely terrified at the prospect of her younger brother dying and her eyes began to frantically roam the room as if she was looking for a way out.
Completely understood. I didn't think it was possible, but now, I wanted to return back home more than ever. I wanted to be anywhere else but her in this room in the Capitol. I'd even take life in the District Twelve prison or a trip to the mines over this!
"The District Five boy, Icarus Bolt, will be linked to the life of his cousin, Tallie." Brand informed the lanky boy.
My eyes turned their attention towards the District Five boy. Icarus's eyes were completely narrowed and filled with no emotion. Yaro, my district partner, had made a joke that Icarus resembled a robot when he volunteered during the reaping preview. Right now, he looked more robotic than ever before. He was trying his hardest to any visible emotion whatsoever.
His district partner, Stephanie, made no attempt to hide her emotions. Upon hearing that her life was connected to the life of her older brother, tears started rolling down her eyes. I couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her. We all had to feel like crying. There was no shame in tearing up. All I could do was hope I didn't tear up when I heard the news…
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
Immediately, my attention turned towards the District Six boy, Booker. He had just been told that his life was linked to his father and he was now standing up out of his chair, glaring at the Head Gamemaker.
"You can't do any of this! None of these people can compete at all! They don't have a chance to fight for their lives! My father can't fight for his life in the arena! THIS IS IMMORAL!" He shouted, his voice getting louder with each sentence.
"Cry me a river kid. You volunteered for this shit." Brand stated dismissively. "Now, sit your ass down and be quiet like a good little tribute before the peacekeepers force you down."
After a few seconds of tense silence, Booker sat back down in his chair, fuming. I sympathized with him entirely. The fear of who my 'loved one' was going to be was the only thing keeping me back from reacting just like him.
If my fear ever stared to fade, I would have to resist that urge. Attacking the man would most likely doom me and my mother, father, or Aiden in the arena. Knowing what was at risk this year, I was going to have to fight even harder. I needed to resist doing something stupid out of anger: I needed to make sure I came out alive more than ever so that no one died with me!
I had to be calm. I had to be heartless. I had to win!
When the Head Gamemaker was sure Booker was not going to try anything, he continued with the names. Alexandra, Booker's district partner, started to bite her nails upon hearing her mother was connected to her life. She was, however, making a conscious effort to hide her true feelings. Other than her nail biting, she had no visible reaction to the news. The District Seven boy, unlike her, made no attempt to hide his feelings and reaction.
"Fuck all of this!" Raegae screamed loudly, making sure to not censor his thoughts in the slightest. "My little brother has done NOTHING to any of you! I won't let any of you kill him! FUCK ALL YOU CAPITOL SHITS! FUCK ALL OF YOU!"
He started to get out his chair with tightened fists, but he was too slow. One of the peacekeepers pulled out a tranquilizer gun and shot him in the arm. The effects were immediate: Raegae was knocked unconscious.
I couldn't resist the urge of rolling my eyes at Raegae's outburst. While I was mostly holding back due to my own fear, I was resisting the urge to try something like. Even Booker, who had a similar verbal reaction, had the sense to not say something that stupid. The District Seven boy just ruined any chance he had of getting out of the Games. He, effectively, signed his little brother's death warrant. I could not imagine a single scenario where he telling the Capitol to go fuck off was not going to come back and bite him in the ass.
I liked giving people nicknames once I had enough of information about them to form a strong opinion. Looking at the boy from Seven, I now knew enough about him to bestow upon him the nickname of 'Dumbass'.
After Dumbass was knocked out, Brand continued to announce more names. His district partner, Winnie, was looking downward to hide her face from everyone around her. Most likely, she was trying to hide her tears. I doubt she wanted to imagine her twin brother dying with her. The two tributes from District Eight tried to hide their reactions as well, but were not nearly as successful. The boy, Xander, looked as if he was going to faint when the name of his sister was called out. His partner, Raven, started to cry when her best friend was mentioned. She tried to rub away her tears, but she couldn't: she couldn't stop herself from crying.
"Jason Icarus, the District Nine boy, will have his life linked to his best friend, Lacy." Brand continued, seemingly ignoring the crying District Eight girl.
The muscular, bulky District Nine boy, Jason, quickly brought his hands to his face and started to cry loudly. His reaction surprised me slightly. He was a volunteer and clearly the second-most muscular tribute here and he could easily take any of us on in a fist-fight. Despite this, the boy was crying loudly like the thirteen year old girl from District Eight sitting next to him.
The more time I spent in this room and the more I was exposed to all of these emotions, the sicker I felt. I shook my head, trying to resist any more feelings of sympathy. I couldn't sympathize with any of them anymore. I couldn't care for any of them! I had to be the one to get out of these Games. All of these twenty-three tributes had to die. Even if it meant that their loved ones died with them, then so be it. My parents and Aiden were more important than any of them!
Jason's district partner, Demetriana, after hearing that her life was connected to the life of her best friend, started to look frantically around the room. She was looking for something and she seemed desperate to find it. I was slightly curious about what she was trying to find, but that curiosity disappeared after the Head Gamemaker said the next name.
After he said the name of the District Ten boy's mother, the boy, Logan, actually smirked. My eyes narrowed on him. What kind of sick person would even smile at news like that? Slowly, I felt my fear disappear. My anger returned and filled my veins with a burning passion.
"I'm going to make sure that asshole dies…" I cursed under my breath.
The Head Gamemaker continued to go round the room to the remaining tributes. The girl from District Ten, Maddison, steeled her eyes upon hearing that her life was connected to her little brother's. She cracked her knuckles and seemed more determined than ever to win. Her reaction was a strong contrast to the reactions of the District Eleven tributes. Both of them had their lives tied to their fathers and each of them started to cry. The boy, Bane, had silent tears running down his face while the girl, Florina, cried loudly and hysterically.
My eyes then turned to their left to face my district partner. Yaro was watching the other tributes break down with a sad look in his eyes. He was also fidgeting in his chair nervously as he waited to hear who he was going to be linked to.
"The District Twelve boy, Yaro Hailstien, will be linked to the life of his best friend, Keever." Head Gamemaker Brand stated.
Yaro's head fell downward. The floor next to his chair started to darken in color as his tears hit the ground.
A part of me wanted to feel bad for him, but a realization quickly entered my mind. I'm next…
"Last but not least, we have Ms. Emery Aspen, the District Twelve female. Your life will be linked to your best friend's, Aiden." Brand stated.
So, they are tying my life to yours, huh Aiden?
I could feel my eyes narrow in anger. Tears started to roll down my eyes due to my rage. My fists tightened as I looked at the Head Gamemaker.
If I die, then Aiden will die with me. That was not going to happen. I was going to survive – for both of our sakes. I didn't care who I had to fight and kill: nobody was going to stop me from getting out of the arena and keeping my best friend alive.
Yaro Hailstien's POV – District 12 Male
Once the Head Gamemaker finished announcing the people that would die with us, we were all escorted back to our individual living quarters. Emery and I followed our peacekeeper escorts in silence, making no attempts to talk to each other. Normally, we would have some banter back-and-forth between us: I would say a joke about something and she would get mad at me for saying it. Right now, both of us were not in the mood. We were still dealing with the realization that if we died in the arena, our best friend would die with us…
I couldn't help but feel a little depressed as I thought about Keev. He was more than a best friend to me: he was like an older brother. My family took him in about six years ago after we became aware of the neglect and abuse he received at his own home. Since then, we became inseparable. We did everything together: from household chores to errands. We even, recently, started to work together. I became a coalminer the day I turned eighteen and got to work the past three months with him, my father, and my brother-in-law down in the mines.
Keev had been through so much in his life already. He didn't deserve this. No one did.
When I found out I was reaped for the Hunger Games, I didn't know how I was going to kill someone. The very thought of death disgusted me and I was too scared to even think of killing someone. Maybe subconsciously, I had accepted my own death. Now, however, I guess I was going to have to become a murderer no matter how awful the idea was.
As much as it sickened me, I had to become a killer. I had a family to get back to and I had best friend that I had to keep alive!
It didn't take too long for Emery and I to reach our living quarters. After walking back into the room, we were greeted by our district escort, Anya. The normally upbeat woman had a solemn look in her eyes as she looked at us.
"Are… Are you two okay?" She asked us softly.
"Don't talk to me!" Emery hissed in response.
Emery rushed forward, shoving Anya out of the way as she ran back to her room. The Capitol woman hit the ground rather hard. I shook my head slightly as my eyes focused on my district partner's retreating image. From the little bit I had gotten to know Emery since the reaping, she was a girl who did not really bottle up her emotions. She clearly held her anger in during the 'meeting' with the Head Gamemaker and now that she was away, she was finally able to let out her rage.
"She's madder than usual…" Anya noted as she stood up slowly. "Not that I can blame her though. I'd be just as mad as her if I was told that."
"So you do know what the meeting was about?" I questioned her.
"President Draven announced it on the television screen right after the two of you left for the meeting. After her finished the announcement, the screen started to show the live reactions of the tributes…" The escort said with a frown.
Well that would explain the multiple video cameras. The Capitol, naturally, had to try and exploit as much genuine emotions as they could.
"… How bad did I look on screen?" I asked, remembering how I tried to hide my tears.
"To be honest, all of you looked like a mess. Either all of you appeared depressed, angry, or robotic because you were trying to hide your emotions." Anya answered. A shiver then ran down her spine as she shook. "The only exception being the District Ten boy. God, what a psycho!"
"… So basically, most of us looked like crap?" I asked. She nodded in response, which caused me to laugh slightly. "Good to know I wasn't the only one."
"Is that really something to be laughing about?" Anya asked as surprise covered her face.
I shook my head in response. "Not really, but hey: I'll take any laugh right now. I could use a good joke. Do you have any?"
"Huh?" Anya looked me in confusion.
"Just tell me one good joke. Do you have one?" I continued to ask, a small smile gracing my lips.
"Well, um, if you insist…" The Capitol woman mumbled before a smile of her own appeared on her face. "Do you know how many peacekeepers it takes to change a light bulb?" She paused for dramatic effect before continuing. "Five. One to track the light bulb down, the second to interrogate it, the third to run a background check of it, the fourth to screw it in, and the fifth to take all of the credit."
"Heh, I heard one like that before!" I responded with a loud laugh. "I got one myself. Did you see the little boy from District Twelve playing with his friends? Didn't he seam to be happy?"
"Ha! That was so lame, but really funny!" Anya actually laughed loudly in response. "How have I never heard that one before?"
"I got a million more like that." I replied, my smile turning into a grin.
Jokes were my expertise. From complicated inside jokes to jokes with dark humor to simple cheesy puns: I had several of them available for any situation. I had many ways to get someone to laugh. Watching someone laugh from one of my, admittedly, crappy jokes was something that would always make me smile.
"I'd love to hear more, but I think you should maybe go to bed. You have a busy day tomorrow with training and you can't afford to be even a little tired." Anya informed me. Her smile then faded as she looked at me with concern. "Yaro… are you okay though?"
My grin changed shape to a small, light smile. "Not really. But I'll be okay. You're right though: I should be heading to bed."
Anya and I bid each other goodnight before I left the room, heading towards my own personal bedroom. My eyes wandered the hallways of the living quarters with curiosity. Everything I saw still seemed so unreal and foreign to me. There was nothing here to remind me of home. All of my life, I grew up in the seam of District Twelve. To be here in the Capitol and see all of the technological advancements was astounding.
My curiosity ended when I finally reached the end of the hallway and saw the door to my bedroom. Standing directly in front of it was Emery. The girl had her arms crossed and she was glaring at me.
"I didn't realize you were still up!" I exclaimed in surprise.
"I was about to go to asleep, but then I heard your damn laugh all the way from my room." Emery responded with an eye roll. "You think you're so funny, don't you Joker?"
"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion. I ignored the 'Joker' comment and the malice that the word was coated in. It was simply the nickname she gave me. She gave nicknames to Anya, our mentors, and anyone she had an opinion about.
"Your fucking jokes! How the hell can you laugh at a time like this?" She hissed. "Were you not paying attention to that meeting? You have your best friend's life in your hands! What is so funny about this situation? What is there to laugh about?" Her eyes, seemingly, narrowed on me further. "Well?"
Immediately, I backed away from her and raised my hands up in defense. "No, no. Nothing is funny about this situation. You got it all wrong! Anya and I were just telling each other a few jokes."
"Still seems odd that you would even joke around at a time like this. This is serious business! I knew you were a joker, but can't you take even this seriously?" Emery asked me with an eye roll.
"I am taking this seriously, but being depressed about it isn't going to fix anything." I replied with a sigh.
Emery continued to glare at me, but I noticed a hint of confusion cross her face. I sighed again before I started to explain my thoughts to her.
"You're right: this situation is nothing to laugh about. My best friend's life is on the line and I'm afraid. I'm really, really afraid for him. District Twelve doesn't have the best track record for producing victors and I'm still coming to grips with the idea that I'm going to have to kill a few of these other kids here. There're a lot of things going on right now and I feel like absolute shit because of them, and I'm sure you do too." I told her. I forced a small smile onto my face before I continued. "I can't control any of the things going on around me. But one thing I can control is my attitude. If I go around acting depressed and if I let the Games affect me and my mind, then I will have already lost. If I let the Games change who I am, then I won't have the right mindset to pull through. I will die."
As I continued to talk, I felt my smile become more and more natural. "That is why I still 'laugh'. That is why I will keep telling jokes and smiling. I am taking this seriously, but I'm not going to let the Games change the one thing that I have control of. I am me and I will always be me. I am the guy who is Keev's best friend, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that he stays alive!"
Emery said nothing as she closed her eyes in thought. She was probably processing everything that I said. It wasn't something I was sure she would understand. My concern was a personal one that I'm sure most tributes never thought much about. It was a given that the Games changed people, but I wasn't going to let it change who I was. Even if I walked away a killer, I would walk away still Yaro Hailstien.
It was probably naïve of me, but I really believed it. If I let the Capitol defeat me and change me into the person they wanted me to be, then I wasn't going to win. I could only win if I remained strong and stayed the same way I have always been.
"… whatever works for you I guess." Emery finally broke the silence with a sigh. "If that's how you see this whole thing, then fine. Go ahead and laugh. You won't see me joining you anytime soon."
"You never joined me in the first place. You always shoot down every joke I make!" I replied with a teasing grin on my face.
For the first time since I met her, I saw Emery smile. The girl's lips lifted ever so slightly and I could tell that she was amused.
"And until the arena starts, I will be here to shoot down every single one of them. They're all rather shitty anyway." She commented with a shrug.
"Hey, now that's a matter of opinion!" I retorted with a light chuckle.
"Nah, I'm pretty sure that's fact. Your jokes are shit." Emery stated, the smile still remaining on her lips.
A few seconds passed before Emery uncrossed her arms and started to walk away from me and my door.
"It's been a long day. We both need some sleep." She told me. "I'm going to bed."
"Yeah, I agree. I'll get some sleep myself." I noted with a yawn. "Goodnight Emery. Don't let the bed bugs bite."
"Ooh, I never heard that one before." Despite the fact that Emery was walking away from me and I couldn't see her face, I could tell she was rolling her eyes.
After saying goodnight, I walked through my door and prepared to go to sleep.
This whole experience had been long and draining since the reaping. Tonight was the worst day so far and it was probably going to get worse as it came closer to the beginning of the actual Hunger Games. Still, I made a conscious effort to remain as happy as I could be. I wasn't going to let the Capitol defeat me. I was going to beat them and the other tributes.
After a few hours of trying, I stared to fall asleep. As I felt myself start to relax, I made one sure to think of Keev and my family back home in District Twelve. All I could do was hope they were okay while I was out here…
Author's Note: Hey everyone! :) Here is the next chapter!
I thought I would put this down here as an easy reference for everyone. Here is the list of the 'loved ones' that have their lives tied to the lives of the tributes.
Ariail Bardineux's 'lover': Amorette
Kendra Perone's adoptive sister: Zelena
Lepolio Huang's son: Miall
Victoire McBlock's younger brother: Cameron
Ethan Neurus's father: Douglass
Kaylee Harper's 'lover': Harper
Cascade Bolt's older brother: Dylan
Alaska Dayte's younger brother: Oanou
Icarus Bolt's cousin: Tallie
Stephanie Volk's older brother: Orion
Booker Compton's father: Laurence
Alexandra Varas's mother: Sophia
Raegae Oak's younger brother: Sycamore
Winnie Goldstein's twin brother: Marvin
Xander Lugar's older sister: Amaya
Raven Bell's best friend: Caroline
Jason Icarus's best friend: Lacy
Demetriana "Demi" Walser's best friend: Kendra
Logan Faber's mother: Melissa
Maddison Holland's younger brother: Dustin
Bane Darnell's father: Laurentum
Florina Everett's father: Onyx
Yaro Hailstien's best friend: Keever
Emery Aspen's best friend: Aiden
I just thought a list might be appreciated in case anyone missed a name or two when reading the chapter. :)
So, there we have it everyone: all twenty-four tributes have been introduced! :) What did you all think of the last four here? Kendra? Ariail? Emery? Yaro? And now that you all know the tributes, who is your overall favorites? Your least favorites? I'm curious. Let me know in the reviews! :)
The next chapter will be out soon. We have a few more chapters until the actual Hunger Games. I'm getting so excited just waiting! :) I'll get to working on it as soon as I can. I'll see you all when I finish it! :)