Author's Note (Dec. 27, 2013) - This story is the 72nd Hunger Games. Yes, it used to be the 71st, until I realized Johanna won the 71st, which I'm surprised no one ever pointed out. So, wherever you see it mention the 71st, it's actually the 72nd. Thanks a lot! PS, if you're reading this, I'm still here. Reviews are always appreciated, just keep in mind, this was my first story ever, so be gentle!

Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds
She made a fool out of you
And, boy, she's bringing you down
She made your heart melt
But you're cold to the core
Now rumour has it she ain't got your love anymore

Ariadne Willows

We are all standing in a line, dolled up for our interviews, waiting for the cue to walk out on stage.

Most of the girls can't stop staring at their gowns, shock in their eyes whenever they pass a reflective surface and catch a glimpse of their faces. I realize that they are not used to feeling this beautiful. I vaguely wonder what it must be like to live in the other districts, but I stop myself before realizing that I don't care. Snapping back to reality I notice that they have just given the cue for us to come on stage. I take a deep breath and put on my best smile, knowing full well that the Capitol will be dazzled by my beauty; a sapphire gown that matches my eyes, long blonde curls, and a hypnotizing smile. Us in One have an advantage over the other Career districts. We know how to captivate an audience.

Bravo Poise

The fact that Caesar Flickerman has fuchsia hair and lips is distracting me from the question he just asked me. I mean really, how does anyone find this attractive? Caesar looks at me expectantly, raising his pink eyebrows. I try to recall his question and answer it quickly, not wanting to appear dim to the audience. I can already feel Ari's eyes burning into my back. I can hear her high pitched voice in my ear, "Come on, Bravo. You're losing us sponsors with every passing second." Unfortunately, she's right.

I clear my throat and flash the audience a smile.

"Well, Caesar, I really wish I could answer that for you. I've been trying hard to think, and I just can't say I consider any of the other tributes major competition for me."

I turn to the audience once more and wink at them. Caesar says something that I cannot hear, nor do I wish to, and the timer rings, signaling the end of my three minute interview. I stand up and make my way back to my seat next to Ari as the room explodes in applause.

Audrina Prescott

"So, Audrina, what were your thoughts when you were reaped?"

"It didn't faze me at all. Had my name not been pulled from the Reaping ball, I would have volunteered anyways."

"So you're confident in your abilities to come out as victor of this year's Hunger Games."

I pause for dramatic affect, staring at Caesar with my dark, kohl rimmed eyes, knowing that he will be uncomfortable under their cold, unforgiving glare. After a few seconds of nervous twitching on his part, I smile and look out toward the audience.

"One hundred percent confident."

Crisis Cavitch

Bored. That really was the only word that could describe my feelings right now. Our last night before the Games and we have to spend it answering questions for Caesar Flickerman and thousands of Capitol freaks.

"Crisis, wow, what a name!"

I laugh dryly, "Yeah I always thought it was a good fit for me."

"I guess we'll see tomorrow! So, Crisis, tell me what you think about your District partner."

"Audrina? Well, look at her. I mean, she's drop dead gorgeous, you'd have to be blind to not see that. It will almost be a shame to kill her."

I look behind me and smirk at Audrina, who is looking at me with a glint of amusement in her eyes. I'll pay for that one, I'm sure of it. I lean back in my chair and smile darkly. It won't be much longer until I'm alone with her again.

Aria Garnet

They dressed me up as an angel again. More white tulle. More rhinestones. Smaller wings, but wings none the less. I'm honestly starting to wonder if my stylist is a morphling addict. It seems more and more the reasonable answer everyday.

"Aria, your stylists keep portraying you as an angel, and you scored a 5 in the Gamemaker sessions. How do you think you'll fare in the Games?"

Horribly, I think to myself. I'm small and weak. My allies are small and weak. The only way I'll ever win is if I hide until everyone else kills each other. But, of course I that can't be my answer. I smile softly and answer.

"I've noticed that in training, all the other tributes show off their skills to each other. That's stupid in my opinion. Why advertise what you can and can't do? I don't think they remember that by revealing your strengths, you also reveal your weaknesses."

Corbin Devereux

I focus hard on appearing calm and collected to Caesar and the audience. Aria's stupid comment undoubtedly just earned us some enemies in the Careers. As if they weren't already out to kill us.

"Corbin, do you think you'll have any allies in the arena?"

Wiress's advice rings in my head before I answer. "Be careful in the interviews, Corbin. Never reveal too much. Remember that all of your enemies are listening in."

"Actually, yes. I do have allies."

"A smart move. Care to tell us who they are?"

I flash my best smile and shake my head, "Now that wouldn't be very fair to them, would it?"

"Oh, I suppose. On a scale of 1 to 10, how much confidence do you have in your alliance?"

Not much, I think to myself, and then immediately take it back. It's not like me to be thinking these things. I have to have confidence in them. I have to trust that we are strong, or we'll never make it past the first few moments.

"Ten. Definitely a ten."

Aurora Spring

"Aurora, tell us what it's like to have last year's victor, Annie Cresta, as your mentor?"

Of course. Panic rises up in my chest and I scan the audience for Finnick. He is sitting almost directly in front of me, clutching Annie's hand so tightly that his knuckles are turning white. Annie's eyes are beginning to glaze over and he knows it. This is all on me. If I don't answer correctly this could lead to another Annie meltdown, and I can't bear to see more pain inflicted on my beloved mentors.

I take a deep breath and smile down at Finnick and Annie, assuring them that I have a handle on it.

"Annie is amazing.", I gush. "People think she is weak, but she is the strongest person I know. I have complete faith in her advice and her decisions. I love her like a sister and I would trust her with my life."

Exhaling nervously, I look back at the audience. Finnick is smiling with tears in his eyes. Annie has lost the glazed look and is beaming at me. The audience is a chorus of applause and Caesar looks at me with appreciation.

I gave the right answer.

Harbor Aberdeen

I have a new level of respect for Aurora. If Caesar had asked me that question about Annie, or even Finnick, I wouldn't have known what to say without wreaking havoc. Thankfully, I was only asked questions about the Capitol. What I liked about it, what I would bring home from it, what I missed from home.

Not too personal, nothing difficult to answer. I'm not much of a people person. I guess that's the difference between Finnick and I. He's a natural charmer, he won over thousands of sponsors during his game. I found it much easier to kill someone than to have a civilized conversation with them.

That probably explains why Finnick has given up on me. It seems that he and Annie have more faith in Aurora. That and the fact that all Finnick and I ever do is argue. Usually loud, hateful arguments which always turns Annie into a screaming mess of tears.

Aurora is always there to comfort Annie. She wasn't lying during her interview, Annie and Aurora really care about each other. Aurora trusts Annie and Annie believes in Aurora. It's almost painful watching them, like there's a giant hole in my chest. There is a part of me missing and I never noticed until now. I have turned myself into such a soulless, hateful person that I can't even get my own mentor to believe in me.

Hana Morale

"Hana, you volunteered for the Games. Tell us why, and what was going through your mind when you stepped up to the stage."

I knew they would ask me this. Abyss warned me to be prepared for it, but the emotion that I feel right now was not something I could have practiced for.

"My sister. Her name is Forward. She's only fourteen, but she's dying. No one in my district has ever heard of her illness, and none of our healers have been able to help her. I knew that if I won the Games, the Capitol would provide me with the resources to cure her. She means the world to me and I can't lose her. I didn't have any other options."

The audience is silent. Some of them look at me with sympathy, some with heartbreak. Others cast their eyes downward guiltily. They feel for me, for my sister. They know that I am not here for the glory, I am here because it is the only way I know how to help my sister. If there is one thing that the Capitol citizens understand just as well as we do, it is the value of love and family. They do not think the Hunger Games is wrong. They watch children die for entertainment. But, once you show them that you have a heart that beats for your family, they remember that they have one too.

Electron Jepper

"Can you tell us why you volunteered for the Games this year?", Caesar asks me, curiously. I can tell that the Capitol all wants to know. It's rare that any District besides 1, 2 and 4 ever get volunteers, but District 5 has two this year.

"Honestly, I just wanted to be a part of it. I've always felt that life in Five isn't enough for me. I wanted something more. Now, I'm finally old enough. I want to win more than anything, but even if I don't, I'll still be grateful for the experience."

"That's an interesting take on it, Electron. Why don't you tell us about your family back home in District Five. I'm sure we'd all like to hear about them and why you were so eager to leave."

"There's not much to them. I have two parents and four older brothers. I guess I've always felt a little out of synch with everyone else. They're content, working in factories, going to school, being normal. I was always the weird one of the family. My favorite time of the year was when the Hunger Games were on TV. I couldn't wait until I could volunteer."

"What about your sister?"

Shit. They weren't supposed to ask about her.

"She was a part of the Games last year. She didn't win, obviously.", I say, casting a look in Annie Cresta's direction. "She was weak. I know I'll make it farther than her."

I glanced up to the screen that panned across the other tributes and their reactions. Most of them looked appalled and confused. They must think I'm crazy. Oh well, I probably am.

Aphrodite Gleam

I exhale in relief as I take a seat in my chair. My interview was easy. Questions about the Capitol, District Six, my family, my mentor. Nothing about my allies, or my strategies. I got off easy, compared to some of those who were interviewed before me.

I close my eyes briefly before sitting up and focusing on Lex's interview, hoping that he is as lucky as I was.

"Tell us about your partner, Aphrodite." Caesar begins, a devious smile across his cosmetically altered face.

Dammit.

Lex shifts uncomfortable in his seat, "Well you just met her. She's great, isn't she?"

"How do you feel about her?"

"I think she's amazing. She's the smartest girl I know, I'm lucky to have her as an ally."

"From the looks of your Reaping and the Opening Ceremonies, Aphrodite is much more than an ally to you.", Caesar presses. God, does this man never give up?

I stare down at my lap, unable to watch Lex struggle in this interview any longer.

"I-I care about her. I promised her I wouldn't let anything bad happen to her. She means more to me than she knows."

Hot tears of anger well in my eyes. Track and Blade specifically told him not to let on how much we care for each other. It's considered a weakness. It was the one thing the Capitol didn't know about us, and now they did. They would use it to tear us apart, to break us, to kill us.

Lex Slawson

"I'm sorry, Aph. I wanted to lie, but I couldn't." The interviews are finally over and I'm standing outside Aphrodite's bathroom door, begging her to open it.

"Lex, you fucked everything up. They know what to use against us, they're going to use it to hurt us, Track and Blade told you not to say anything!"

"I tried! I didn't know what I was saying until I said it. I didn't mean to hurt you, you know I would never do that."

I hear her exhale and slowly open the door.

"Please," I whisper. "Please come out and talk to me."

She steps out cautiously and closes the door behind her softly, leaning against it. We just stare at each other, not speaking, just looking. I try to commit her to memory: Her tight silver dress hitting at mid-thigh, fitted black blazer, bare feet, her toenails painted red. Her eye makeup is streaming down her face with her tears and her hair is tangled, but she still looks beautiful. I try not to think like this. I know it's wrong. She's too young. We're about to enter a death-match. President Snow will kill us for caring about each other. But I can't. I can't stop thinking about her.

I open my arms and she steps into them, leaning her head against my chest as I hold her.

"You know how I feel about you.", I say quietly.

"I know.", she whispers. "I do too. But it doesn't matter. We could both be dead by this time tomorrow."

"I don't care. As long as you know."

The second half of interviews will be the next chapter, and the one after that will be the Arena. Chapters 5 and 6 will both be up by tonight, so keep checking back.

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Also, make sure to go to www . missbeccaaa . blogspot . com (with no spaces of course!) to see pictures and bios of all the tributes! I updated and changed some since writing this!

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-Becca