Lilly Collins

District 8

I slowly wriggled my way out of the sheets. One again I was tangled up, and that always makes my body go numb. It's always so hard for me to get the numbness to go away.

I pushed myself up so I'm sitting, and rub my bright blue eyes. I'm kind of afraid for the reaping today's. I am every year, but I always feel like I'm going to get picked. Its times like this where I thank god this isn't the First Quarter Quell, because I'm sure they would love to see me leave. I push that thought from my head. My brothers would not let anyone hurt me.

When I was younger there was an explosion in the textiles factory. I hadn't known my mom was in there for quite a while, seeing as they didn't tell me until a week later. They said she had gone on vacation, and I bough it. Then again, I was five. But now I know. Unless you're rich, there is no vacation.

Then a year ago my dad tried to get district 8 to start and uprising. No one did anything, because they were to scared. They killed my dad, but thankfully my brothers were just out of the reapings then and old enough to take care of me.

I just shake my head and pull ponytail out of my blonde hair, letting a cascade of golden waves fall down to the middle of my back. I make my way towards my closet and pull out a strapless knee length black dress that I had worn to the reapings last year. Once I pull it on, I realize it is a little tight, but I don't mind. If you got it, flaunt it!

I grin at my reflection and put a black rose into my hair, then slip on a pair of back heels. I then grab a necklace that's been passed through the reapings for several generations, always being passed down when the owner of it turns 30. It's a stupid tradition I've always thought, but the simple black cord has a pretty purple gem on the end, so I wear it.

I push the door to my bedroom open and see my two brothers, Jimmy and Stephen, arguing at the table. I look at the clock. Sure enough, its only 8 in the morning. They are arguing over who gets the last cup of orange juice. When I come in they expect me to suddenly want orange juice, and soon enough we are all fighting.

"Whys Lilly part of this now!"

"I don't know, ask her why she wants orange juice!" It makes me want to rip my hair out, but instead down the last of the orange juice. Then I leave without another word.

My heels crunch the leaves below my feet as I walk into the old textiles factory. After part of this had blown up, and my mom had been killed, they pretty much left it. They keep meaning to fix it up but I know they won't for a while.

I come here pretty often, to you know, hangout and stuff. But I also come here to practice.

Ever since my father tried the rebellion thing, I knew I would be at the top of the list of People In District 8 to Kill Off. My brothers obviously don't want me practicing, because they are afraid I might get caught and hurt. The last thing they want is for me to get hurt.

But, obviously, I do it anyway.

I grab the bow that I keep sitting on a chair in the room, and pull it back. I smile with satisfaction at the sound it makes as it whizzes through the air, and the bang as it hits the target I have drawn on the wall.

"Bull's-eye." I say aloud.

"What's that?" I gasped and threw down my bow, quickly running off to another room.

"Hello?" The musical voice called again. Mimi Lee practically floated into the room I had just left. Her white blonde hair was braided almost down to her hips in a single braid in the back. Her golden eyes searched the room for whoever could be in their, and her mother's old wedding dress trailed along with her.

"Mimi!" I gasped, almost crying in relief. She turned to me and I smiled.

"What's the time?" She asked, and I shrugged.

"Lets go to the reaping?" I suggested, and she nodded. We walked in peaceful silence most of the way there.

OoOoO

We made our way to the 15's section, me in tight black ensemble and Mimi in a white fluffy dress. We were the oddest pair.

After the ToT, as Mimi and I call it, the Mayor calls our escort to the stage.

"Lets welcome, Misty Vernes!" He calls. A girl with short pixie style blue hair and large yellow eye steps onto stage with a faraway look in her eye.

"Ladies first." She sings, not in the excited way as some of our old escorts did, but in the soft way. She walked her way over to the girls' bowel and pulls out a name.

"Mimi Lee?" Her voice is questioning, and Mimi practically jumps next to me.

No. Mimi wouldn't last a second in there! She didn't even know what a bow was! I had told her it was a giant toothpick thrower! Even worse, she had believed me!

After a couple second of both of us panicking, Mimi steps forward.

"I volunteer!" I call without realizing it. I step onto the stage calmly, Eyes fixated on the camera.

"I'm Lilly Collins, I volunteer." I tell her, trying to put on my strong face.

"Well ok." She giggles a bit but I can tell its fake.

"And now the boys." She is back to her singsong voice and it makes my stomach feel queasy.

"Zaccai Decks!" She calls. A tall boy who looked about 20 walked up with a cocky smile on his face. I literally gulped. These were going to be some long games.

I shook has hand and he squeezed mine tight. I didn't bother to squeeze back. I was just trying to look pretty for the cameras.

"Congratulations to the tributes from District Eight, Lilly and Zaccai! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

OoOoO

I got two visitors. Actually, three. But two come in at once the first time.

"What the hell were you thinking Lilly? Dad, mom, now you?" Jimmy continues to yell at me, but I block it out. They act like I'm not freaking out, like I'm already dead. But as I said, I said, I'm freaking out. So I ignored it.

"And seriously, look at your dress! You gave the capitol a show there Lilly." I roll my blue eyes.

"Well thanks mom." Jimmy looks straight into my eyes.

"Come back. That's all we ask." Then they leave.

Mimi is next. We sit and cry most of the time until right before she has to leave.

"You are the best friend I could ever ask for Lilly." She hugged me. "I don't know what I'd do without you, I love you for that."

"As a friend?"

The frown she had had this entire time softened a bit. "As a friend." She said before leaving.

I would come back.

OoOoO

In a corner stood a girl with stormy eyes, and a boy with very dark green eyes, talking to a short girl with red hair.

A girl with almost bronzed hair was in a different corner of the train, talking to a girl with golden curly hair, and a girl with blond shoulder length hair. She constantly looked at a guy across the room with blue eyes, and they constantly edged closer to them.

That guy was talking to another guy, whose black hair went just a bit shorter then many girls I knew, and then another skinny boy stood near them, talking to them but still looking excluded.

On the other side stood a scared boy, his eyes looking wildly around the train. He seemed to be talking to another boy, but the other boy seemed to be doing all the talking. There was also another boy by them, who looked to be talking excitedly.

Near them a girl with black hair and red highlights leaned, and a girl with hip length black hair stood next to her. They were talking a bit, but very little.

I walked over to the girl with red highlights and the girl with black hair. This why I could get into an alliance, and meet a new guy. I grinned at my smartness.

"I'm Lilly Collins. 8." I grinned at them both.

"Roseabella Robinson. I'm from 3." She kept her gaze straight ahead, and I decided she was in shock over the situation.

"Luna Night, 6." She also seemed to be out of it, but hers looked more anger filled. I wonder what was wrong? It seemed like everything here was all to familiar to her.

I stepped over to the boy next to them.

"Lilly Collins. 8." I repeat.

"Avian Tiller. I'm from 6. This is Jay Wilcox, from 3, and Jack Long, from 7." I smiled at him, and he returned it.

These were going to be some very long hunger games. I'm just sad I'll have to kill him.

A/N So what do you all think of Lily? I love the orange juice part (: Still working on sponsor points by the way. And I don't know If I will get more then one chapter, or even one tomorrow, because I got to go to a friends. I tend to feel lazy at those times.

But enjoy your Strawberry Cheesecake and tell me what you think! Also, if you are confused about any of the train bits, they will be explained later when I actually do the train chapters. I edited this a bit, because I had written when I was tired. So yeah.