Districts Five and Six, coming right up!

And if you can tell me what internet villain District Six's escort is imitating you win an internet!

Disclaimer: I disclaim the characters, The Hunger Games, and the brilliance that is the Submit a Tribute challenge

. . .

District Five

Charme Salas

"Come on Charme! Come on, come on, come on!" Kyle pulls on my arm as we walk to the square. It is his first reaping, and he's surprisingly excited about it. I don't remember being this excited. We're victor's children; we're bound to get reaped. Normally a victor's child would be terrified, but I've never been, and neither is my brother.

"I'm coming Kyle." I chuckle and roll my eyes, "You're acting like this is your last reaping."

"Well it could be." He points out before running off with a group of his friends.

I shake my head before maneuvering to the front of the crowd where the other eighteen year olds are. They're talking loudly about how after today they're free from the reapings today. As I join them, they slap me on the back.

"Charme, hey dude. You glad to be free?" One of my friends asks, a stupid smirk on his face.

"I'm not going to be free. If I'm not reaped I'm volunteering." I shrug it off as if it's no big deal.

"Well, Robyn won't be very happy with this turn of events." Another one jokes, elbowing me in the stomach. I give him a right hook to the jaw.

"Don't talk about her around me. I broke up with that cheating whore a month ago." I snap.

"And she still worships you." Bryce, one of the few people whose name I've bothered to learn, points out, "every day in school all I hear first period is 'Bryce, tell Charme I'm sorry!' and 'It was an accident! Valentino was helping me up and slipped!'."

I punch his shoulder, "shut up. They're starting."

Mayor Myrrh steps up to the podium and begins the reaping ceremony. He goes through the readings rather quickly and seems eager to introduce Flick, our newest escort.

"Hello, hello, hello District Five! Happy Hunger Games to you all!" He cheers.

Flick is a poor excuse for a male. He has bright pink permed hair, bright blue eyes and every year he wears a white outfit that glitters in the sunlight. He's more like a sad excuse for a vampire than a man. Or maybe he's a fairy…

"Ladies first, first, first!" Flick smiles stupidly as he bounces over to the girl's bowl.

He mixes up the slips, pulls one out, walks back to the podium and reads the name out loud. "Jane Letter."

Jane is a short sixteen-year-old with curly blonde hair and blue eyes. She reaches the stage barely suppressing tears. I know her face from school, but her eyes have never been so sad before. Normally they were shooting me dirty looks across the school yard or across the classroom. She and Robyn were very close.

"Any volunteers?"

"Me! I volunteer!"

Oh damn. Robyn walks onto stage, tears lingering in her grey eyes. She has on a pink dress that's obviously too big for her. She pushes Jane back, "I volunteer."

"No, Robyn!" Jane shrieks, grabbing her elbow.

Robyn shakes her off. "Go."

Jane retreats silently. She'd have been killed quickly. Robyn is a bit more of a threat.

"Now for the boys, boys, boys!" Flick smiles.

All or nothing. "Charme Salas!"

I set a scowl on my face as I make my way onto the stage. This way, I won't be seen as weak. I have to set myself apart from Robyn. District Partner or not, she's still the enemy. One of us has to represent our District properly.

After the remainder of the readings, we have to shake hands. Robyn is hesitant to shake my hand at first, but when she see's I'm not going to kill her yet, she pulls me into a half hug. I push her off of me and am glad when the peacekeepers take us away.

Robyn

I bite my lip as we approach the square. I've convinced myself that if I breathe deep enough, I can smell yesterday's rain. The clouds have lingered, but not enough remain for us to be moved to the Justice Building. I miss the rain.

"Robyn, sweetie, don't be afraid." Mom whispers, sweeping me up in a hug. I accept it. Mom's never been much of a hugger. "I'll be waiting for you with the boys."

"Okay mom."

I join the crowd of sixteen year olds, slipping in with my best friend, Jane. "Hey Robyn."

"Jane." I nod stiffly before we burst out laughing. Jane is the only person who can pull a sincere laugh from me anymore.

"Same agreement as always?" She asks as we turn forward, "no volunteering for the other."

"Right. No taking the other's place."

It was an odd agreement, but it had been Jane's idea. Our older brothers had been friends, like we are, and my brother had volunteered for hers. He died halfway through the games. That day Jane came over and made me swear to never volunteer for her. I promised, but only so she would calm down.

"Ladies first, first, first!" Flick calls, snapping me from my subconscious.

Whoa, where did time go?

"Jane Letter!"

No. How could Jane get picked? Her hand brushes my arm as she makes her way onto stage. This… how?

"Any volunteers?"

"Me! I volunteer!" I shout, stumbling up onto the stage.

I push Jane back, "I volunteer."

"No, Robyn!" Jane shrieks, grabbing her elbow.

Robyn shakes her off. "Go."

Jane retreats silently. I broke our deal, but for her own good only.

"And what's your name?" Flick asks.

"Robyn Sharpe." I stutter, forcing my name from my mouth.

"Now for the boys, boys, boys!" Flick smiles, "Charme Salas!"

Oh no. Not that jerk. Charme broke up with me a few weeks ago for no good reason. His friends annoy me to no end about it. Jane has been asking his friends about it, but to no avail. Charme comes onto the stage looking as arrogant as ever. After the final reading, they tell us to rise and shake hands. Hesitantly I take his hand in mine. When I sense he's not going to crush it, I take the extra step and pull him into a half hug. He pulls away and gives me a 'what?' look.

I'm going to play with his mind. I'm going to come home just so I can say that I beat Charme Salas once and for all.

They take us inside and my first instinct is to sit down. I don't get the chance because Jane comes rushing in, practically drowning me in her tears. After she finishes choking me, she slaps my arm. It actually hurt, which shows me how emotional she is. Jane's strength doesn't kick in unless she's upset or angry.

"How could you?" She screams, "You broke your promise!"

"They'd tear you apart, Jane! Everybody in the district is twice your size, besides the little kids! You have no weapon training, no muscle mass, and nothing about you screams 'mass murderer'!" I shout, trying to make her see reason.

"They have training sessions! I could learn! And anyways, you saw what the arena did to your brother. That could happen to me, I could adapt to it!" Jane argues.

"No, Jane. You're too innocent. The slightest drop of blood makes you nauseous, let alone a pile of dead bodies! The arena would tear you apart." I'm now straining to keep my voice level. Yelling at her will do no good.

Jane hangs her head and lets out a choking noise. My shoulders slump and I wrap my arms around her, resting my head on hers. "Don't cry Jane. Please? I'll come home for you. I promise I'll make it up to you."

. . .

District Six

Cal Roberts

Become invisible. Become invisible. I take a deep breath before merging with the mass of eighteen year olds. I already dropped off my younger siblings in their sections. But I stood out there so I moved on very quickly. I can't be seen. I must be invisible.

At the stroke of eleven, the ceremonies begin. The History of Panem is read, the victors are read, and very quickly our escort has come onto stage. Her name is Beta. She has spiky pink hair sticking up at random angles. She always wears a striped tank top and a short black skirt. The strangest thing about this Capitol woman is that she never seems to touch the ground. Weird.

"Happy Hunger Games!" She cheers, "Who's ready to find out who our lucky tributes are this year?"

I snort. Lucky isn't the word that comes to mind.

"Our female tribute is… Anastacia Rose!" Beta claps enthusiastically as a girl in a puffy blue dress begins to climb onto stage. "Do we have any volunteers?" Beta asks.

"I volunteer!" A girl shouts, forcing her way onto stage from the seventeen year olds' section.

The two girls argue for a moment, and I note their similarities right down to the fact that they're wearing the same dress. Twins. I assume, or sisters at the least. The only notable difference is that Anastacia has brown hair and her sister has soft blonde hair.

"And who might you be darling?" Beta asks the volunteer.

"Myliana Rose."

"That was your twin, wasn't it?" Myliana gives a small nod. "Didn't want your sister to steal the glory, huh?"

Myliana fastens her jaw in a tight line. I begin analyzing her, trying to figure out if we might have a winner this year. Her arms and legs aren't very muscular, so she mustn't be very fast or strong. She has large, innocent eyes the color of a gemstone I read about once in a book- Lapis Lazuli, if I correctly recall. Underneath all the innocence, there's a fire in her eyes. Maybe that will be her strategy in the arena- act innocent until confronted and 'snap the trap' so to speak.

I'm so consumed in my own thoughts I don't hear the male tribute's name until it's called a second time, "Cal Roberts!"

Oh no.

Myliana Rose

"Anastacia Rose!"

My heart stops. Anastacia? No, no way!

"Do we have any volunteers?"

"I volunteer!" I shout, forcing my way onto the stage.

"No! Liana, what are you doing?" Anastacia whispers angrily as I reach her.

I grab her arm, "go back. I'm not letting you go into the arena."

She yanks her arm back, "well I'm not letting you take my place."

"I'm taking your place. You're my twin. It's my job." I snap, pushing her towards the makeshift stairs.

"This is stupid." She grumbles, walking back into the crowd.

"And who might you be darling?" Beta asks me, holding the microphone to my lips.

"Myliana Rose." I answer, wiping a stray tear from my cheek. When did I start crying?

"That was your twin, wasn't it?" I give a small nod. "Didn't want your sister to steal the glory, huh?"

I tighten my mouth in a line. That's not it at all. Does anybody understand?

"And now for our male tribute!" Beta floats over to the second bowl, reaches in and pulls out a slip. She returns to the podium and reads it out loud, "Cal Roberts!"

Nobody approached. Nobody moved. Cal Roberts? Why is that name so familiar? And where is he, anyways?

"Cal Roberts?" There's a bit of uncertainty in her voice.

Finally, an eighteen year old comes onto stage. He's not very scary looking- more brain than brawn, I guess. He's kind of handsome, but not drop-dead gorgeous.

"Do we have any volunteers? No? Well, give a hand for this year's tributes!"

Nobody claps. They never clap.

We sit, stand, and shake hands. He's surprisingly calm, maybe that's how he'll pass himself off- calm and collected. Nobody ever suspects the quiet one.

A squad of peacekeepers usher us inside the Justice Building, showing us to the rooms where we will say our final goodbyes. Among those escorting us is my step-father, Crail. Before he closes the door, he gives me a small hug.

"Good luck."

As soon as the door is shut, Anastacia comes bursting in, Mom and Dad following in her wake.

"You're so stupid." Anastacia cries, throwing herself on me. "I hate you, you know that?"

"I love you too, Ana." I pat her on the back.

"Why would you do that?" Mom asks, tears masking her normally confident voice.

"Because she's my twin." I state plainly, "and it's in the Twin's Code that if your twin is in danger you protect her at any cost. Your twin is your other half. You can't let your other half die."

"Aw!" Anastacia clings to me tighter, "please come home."

"I will. I promise." But somewhere deep down inside, we both know I'm lying.