Lux Veres

District 1

I wake up and rub my blue eyes, so much like my sisters. I hate these eyes. Everyone loves them, as they should, but they are too much like her, like a constant reminder. It's all because of The Hunger Games. I hate them, at least that they take away my family without a second thought.

"It's the reaping today!" I hear my mother call from the hall. Every year she goes down the hall, waking us up like that. Banging on the doors, yelling about the reaping.

I'm surprised she's doing it, after Tonya died last year.

"I'll be out!" I call out, and hear my brothers yell the same. I grab my blue tux and dress pants, change, rub my eyes and run my fingers through my hair, and I'm down.

"Well that was fast!" My mom smiled and continued cooking us egg sandwiches. I sat down to my father and younger brother, Jackson. Arvin came by and attempted to slap my head as he walked, but I ducked to miss it. As his hand went by I grabbed it to pull myself up and quickly had him in a headlock.

"Bravo!" My father said. His smile was proud, and soon a chorus of clapping sounded through the family. This is the kind of stuff we did here, we fight and were congratulated. As was right. I smiled and bowed playfully before sitting back down, and eating the sandwich that had been placed on my plate.

"So Lux? You thinking you might volunteer?" I looked to my mom when she said this, and nodded. Its what my family wanted, so I would go. That and I knew I would win if I did. I'd trained all my life for the moment I'd go in and kill everyone there.

Jackson high fived me and suddenly I was filled with fear. What if Jackson was called? What if he wouldn't let me volunteer…? Its happened before, they've turned down people to volunteer. Tonya… I shook it out of my head.

OoOoO

The reaping was filled with people. I pushed everyone out of my way as I went to the 17's section and made sure Jackson made it to the 12's. I kicked myself for having such a soft spot for him. Why did I even care? I let out a load sigh and watched the stage angrily, waiting to see who would get called.

"Ladie's first!" Chirped the yellow-skinned bedazzled escort. His hand was buried in the glass bowl and he played around in there, grabbing and letting go, several times. What on earth was he doing? They had never done that before.

He pulled out a slip from the thousands and finally called a name. "Misty Mer?" His voice was loud and clear, but I was petrified.

"NO!" Someone from the crowd called. It was loud, but it also sounded if the voices owner would be crying any second know.

She shouldn't be in the games! She was strong yes, but she didn't deserve it. She was nice to everyone… She was a flirt, but she was hardly ever mean.

He felt weird for knowing so much about her, because he didn't actually know her. He had never actually seen her before in his life, but she was well known at school. Even more then he was.

Which just wasn't right.

She walked up, a long, light brown ponytail bobbing behind her, and a confused and shocked look on her face. When she got on stage, she was smiling brightly into the camera, but you could easily tell she was lost in her thoughts

"And now for our male tribute!" The escorts pink hair bobbed as he walked to there glass bowl.

Anyone but Jackson. Anyone. But Jackson. He thought to himself as the yellow hand pulled out a slip.

"Jackson Veres!" The cheery voice called.

No.

Anyone but him!

He was standing on the stage, shaking. His entire body was trembling. He didn't know how to fight! He would die!

"I volunteer!" I yelled before even thinking. I pushed my way through everyone there, needing to get to him. Before they said I couldn't.

As soon as my feet hit the steps, my brother started walking down and Misty and the escort turned to me.

"Lux Veres. My names Lux Veres." I stared into the violet eyes of the escort, daring him to tell me I couldn't volunteer. But he didn't.

"So that must be your brother then, huh?" He smirked at me and I resisted the urge to punch that smile off his face. I bet I could, too. Instead I let him push my hand into Mistys, and we shook them. I tested how strong her hand was, trying to decide if I could beat her. I learned, I could.

"Congratulations to the tributes from District One, Misty and Lux! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

OoOoO

Jackson slowly walked into the tent, tears streaming down his face. He jumped into my lap and sat there, crying. Now was the only time either of us would tolerate this – he almost died. If I hadn't volunteered…

"Why did you do it?" He asked me after he was done crying. He stared into my face, anger directed towards me. Those blue eyes…

"I couldn't let you die. I couldn't let you go. Tonya… I let one person go already. It wasn't going to happen to you." I said this as if I was stating a simple fact, common sense.

But he just backed away from me, as if appalled. "How do you think I feel? I was alive last year too. What if you die!" He was crying again, but now it was more from anger, and it wasn't like before. "Just promise you'll make it back. I wont be able to handle it otherwise."

He backed out of the tent and the rest of my family came on. They congratulated me and gave me advice, but nothing more. No be careful's or I'll miss you's or tears. Just Good Job and Do Goods.

After my family and a few friends, I denied any more visitors. Instead I went to see Misty.

"One of us is going to die." I said before sitting. It had been going through my head the entire time my family had been congratulating me. Didn't they even care about Misty?

She nodded at that. "I can't promise which one of us will."

I sighed. Part of me had expected Misty to just let me win. Let me be the victor, and come home and help her family through it. Well, I could guarantee she'd be a good ally until then. She was strong, and maybe she would change her mind. "Can we at least be allies until the time comes?" I stared into her eyes, a trick that always made people agree with what I said.

She started to nod but then stopped herself. "That's you decision." She told me, before smiling and kissing me on the cheek, then leaving.

My eyes narrowed to the door. I knew what she was trying to do, and that means I had just made the biggest mistake of my life.

But now I know. Do not trust Misty Mer. She won't be able to change my mind about anything.

I am going to win.

A/N - So? What do you think? Bad? Good? Terrible? Have any ideas? Review review! I am going to put the rest of the districts reapings into one chapter, unless you want differently. REVIEW AND SUBMIT! PLEASE! I cant go past for as of right now, so try submitting tributes for in the higher district, but you can for the lower ones too. I will be putting a poll on my story for you to vote for your favorite character, and it may influence my writing just a bit, so be sure too vote after the reapings! but dont vote for your own character please!