"Rye Hemlock" a mechanical voice calls. We're waiting to go into our private sessions with the game makers. I get up and walk through the door and into the gym. I have my hair down today, just because.

I enter the gym and close the door behind me. I see a table of gamemakers, all men. They have papers infront of them and water bottles. They wait patiently as I make my way over to the battle axe station. I pick up the first axe and aim at the dummy. I chuck it and it slices the head off…that's a first.

I go to the sword fighting station and slice up all of the dummies until all of the body parts are on the floor. i gain confidence and sprint over to the wrestling mat to fight the person there wearing body protection. We fight for a minute and I swing my leg up to kick his face but he catches my foot and pulls making me fall back. I put my hands down on the matt and make him flip over onto his back then put him in a headlock the way frent taught me.

The game makers applaud and dismiss me. I jump up and leave out. I stop next to frent and say, "goodluck", he smiles and nods. The voice says his name and he goes in. I push my hair back and wipe the sweat from my forehead. I walk past the other tributes and the boy from ten smacks my butt. I jump but then turn to smile at him. I turn back around and roll my eyes.

I head to the elevator and go back to our floor. holden is on the couch with the phone. He turns and sees me walking in. "oh here she is" he says and gets up. I smile and he hands me the phone. "hello" I say putting it against my ear. "Hey. I got the picture" he says sounding very happy. "really, do you like it" I ask. "of course I like it. That's our baby" he says. I smile, "what are you up to know" I ask walking to my room. "eating lunch" he says. "let me guess. It's bacon" I say. "oh you know me" he jokes. I smile and open my door. "we wont be eating lunch until after they announce the scores" I say. "what do you think you got" he asks. "hard to say, I don't know if they liked my skills or my ass".

I hear him chuckle, "I prefer your ass" he says and I blush. "I just wanna smack it" he says and I hear him clapping. I laugh. "shut up and eat your bacon" I joke. "I wanna eat that pussy" he corrects. "can't im pregnant" I say. "can to" he replies. "I will do it when your pregnant and whenever I feel like it, because lucky for me you never got your period." He says and I roll my eyes. "did you just roll your eyes at me" he says.

I laugh, "yeah". "so you feel better, nothing hurts" he asks. "yes I'm fine." I reply and lay down on my bed. "you know, it's so weird how you act" I say. "what do you mean" he asks. "when you first talked to me at school you were so..awkward, and so forward, it was weird. Now I feel so comfortable around you and when you talk it's just…so normal you know what I mean" I ask. He laughs, "no. but I get that I was really forward I act that way around my crushes, I would never be comfortable around them so I could act like myself. But you're the only one I actually got used to".

"so I'm the only girl you act like yourself around" I say. "no I act weird around girl I crush on. You're the only woman I love", "I love you too". Just then I hear frents door close and say, "alright I need to wash up, lunch is in twenty minutes" I say. "okay, bye" he says. "bye". I hang up and go into the bathroom.

When I come out I dress in dark blue Capri's and a T-Shirt. I clip my hair back and head downstairs barefoot.

We watch the scores. District 1, Lartius 6 and Iberis 4, District 2, Skene 10 and Winnow 5, District 3, Raff 7 and Fannia 4, District 4, Struve 7 and Pleione 7, District 5, Alto 3 and Eunia 4, District 6, Leonis 2 and Gliese 1, District 7, Whytt 8 and Columbae 9, District 8, Jardine 7 and Vibia 7, District 9, Frent 10, and Rye 10, District 10, Rendwick 4 and Auricula 8, District 11, Tiberius 6 and Saffra 5, District 12, Martial 2 and Grey 3.

Frent and I got 10's. the adults congratulate us, and holden says, "time for lunch, we have a special treat". We eat pizza with black olives and pepperoni on it. There are seasonings on the side as well. It's cut into triangles and taste amazing! I get about three slices then get full.

When everyone finishes Lane and I head to my room and Holden and frent head to his. Lane puts me in a dress that reaches mid-thigh and large heels. "you seem to know how to walk in heels but you need to walk straight. She says and puts a large heavy book on my head. She points for the other side of the room and I walk over there slowly, taking each step carefully. "quickly quickly" she says snapping and I try to walk a bit faster.

The dress im wearing is flouncy and keeps brushing against my leg. "suck in that gut" she says. "I don't have a gut" I reply turning around to walk back. When I reach her she gives me a different dress, this time tight against my legs. She puts another book on my head, "each dress requires more balance" she says and has me walk to the end of the room and back. I raise my arms to keep balance, "arms down" she says, I put them down but then put them back up. "arms down" she says again. "it's hard" I say. "that's why we're practicing. Arms down" she says. Uggh this is torture.

She brings a chair and has me sit down. I take a seat and she has me get me stand back up. "you must flatten the back of your dress before you sit down" she says and demonstrates. I have on a long fluffy dress. "Lane, Kern will probably have me wear some extra tight dress that makes my ass look big" I say flattening my dress and sitting down, "don't curse" she says.

"Straighten your back" she says. "You never slouch" she says. "I wasn't slouching" I complain. "yes you were" she says. "keep your head high" she says tapping me under my chin. I raise my head, "smile" she says and I smile. "perfect" she says. "put your hands in your lap". I put my hands on my legs right over left.

"sit up" she repeats. "cross your ankles". I cross my ankles, "sit up" she repeats again. She takes a mirror and puts it infront on me so I can see my posture. "this is how you must sit in the interview" she says. "got it" I reply looking at myself in the mirror.

"Alright, up" she says. I get up. She gets another dress and I put it on. This one is skin tight and drags on the floor. "Sit back down" she says. I do everything I have to do without being told. I straighten my back, raise my head, smile, cross my ankles and put my hands in my lap. "well done rye! What a fast learner" she says to me happily. "now if Kern does give you a small dress, keep your legs closed, alright it's not lady like to show your panties" she says.( I hate the word panties!). "I swear the men here are just so perverted" I say. "Well word is you're the most attractive female tribute we've had in five years" she says.

I don't answer. "Rye, time to switch!" Holden calls and opens my door. He and Lane switch and the doors close once again. I kick off the heels and walk over and drop down onto my bed. Lane is gone, no rules!

"so we're talking strategy" Holden says. "yup" I reply. "alright, so what do you think would work" he asks me. I shrug and lay on my back. "sexy is one, I'll have to play that card whether I want to or not" I say. "yeah, what about arrogant" he says, "I am not arrogant" I say back. "yeah, your not, your also not, serious, or what about confident" he asks. I just shake my head. "okay….what would you use to explain me" I ask. "you have a smart mouth" he says. I laugh, "sexy, sarcastic" I say and get up off of my bed, "is that it" I ask. "it is if you want to stop but we could also talk about survival strategy. Frent and I did that" he says. "okay" I say and sit back down.

"what are you going to do during the bloodbath" he asks. "I really don't know i was going to wing it, it's not like I know what they'll have there" I say laying back down and staring at the ceiling. "well say they have everything you need" he asks. "I'd probably run in get what I can and run out", "an what if you get into a fight" he asks. "then I'll have to try and kill the person". "what if you're wounded" he asks, "then I'd better pray to god there's some medicine in my bag, or that's it's not fatal", we laugh a little.

My smile slowly goes away and I hug my knees to my chest, "I'm scared" I say. he opens his arms for me and I go into them. "I know you are, but you have A LOT of sponsors Rye, you have me, and you have Frent. We're going to help you through this" he assures. "how can you be so sure I mean, why does frent want to help me, I wouldn't if I were him" I say. "frent is an old friend of my brother and i. his parents were close with ours. That boy is one of the nicest out there, I assure you. He doesn't lie, EVER. He volunteered to help you, we didn't tell him to. Haul went to say goodbye to him before you and the first thing he said was, 'im going to get her out alive for you'". "he said that" I ask, "yes. He did. He knows what it's like to loose someone to the games, he lost his older sister, she was my ally but she was killed. When I came back he congratulated me, and welcomed me home…..in that room he told me that you remind him of his sister a little and that he's willing to help you out, so to him it could be like his sister finally survived. He wanted to help Haul out because he used to babysit for him and they were, really close".

Tears stream down my face. "I didn't know any of that". "we're not out to get you Rye. Haul told me your story. None of us are trying to hurt you, we're here to help you. I know the only reason your so cautious is because your just afraid, but around us, me and my brother, you don't need to be scared anymore. We will protect you I promise." He says.

I break out crying and he rubs the back of my head. "Haul and I had a sister too" he whispers. "she was his twin, he doesn't remember her though". "what happened" I ask. He closes his eyes and starts to cry, "when they were two…our mom brought in a small potted plant she bought from town. She put it on the dresser in our room….she told us not to touch it. One day when our parents were working, we stayed home for summer vacation. She crawled over to the dresser and pushed it. The plant fell over and hit her in the head…*sniffle*, it cracked her skull and she bled to death". Holden was only eight years old when that happened. "im sorry" is all I manage to get out. Holden mourns his sister for a couple of minutes and I stay in his arms while he does. "that's why I like that you and Haul love each other, to me you're my new sister" he says and hugs me tighter, "and you're my new older brother".

After a while there is a knock on the door, "who wants cake!" Lane squeals. "just a minute Lane we'll be right out" Holden says back. He pats my arm, "I'll let you get ready" he says. He climbs out of my bed wiping his face. He blows air into his cheeks and leaves out.

I wash my face in the bathroom. Luckily my eyes aren't red. I change back into my t-shirt and capri's then leave out as well. I head back to the dining room where there is a large chocolate cake with lemon icing on it. We're each given a large piece and we eat quietly.

The arena's in two days, suddenly I'm not feeling so good. Snow said he would make things hard for me, and IF I win he'd leave me alone. He's probably going to order the Gamemakers to send mutts after me every five minutes and have some natural disaster come for me. there's no way I'm going to survive. "rye what are you thinking about" holden asks. "the arena. Snow said he wouldn't make this easy for me, he wants to make it hard. Really hard" I say and lay my head on the table.

"yeah..but if the audience loves you then they wouldn't like to have they're favorite tribute harmed all the time", "so what am I supposed to do to get them to like me, I only have three minutes" I say. he considers this, "make them pity you". "how" I ask. "….tell them about the baby"