Double update! Yay!

This was also pulled off said email. If you just went straight to this chapter, read the last one. It's a replacement of the A/n.

*MY GUY FRIEND LANE IS OBSESSED WITH LADY GAGA. HOW WEIRD IS THAT?*

Dishes clanked as forks scrapped plates, and glasses clinked as they were drunk from. The food all tasted like sawdust to me, but I was way more used to this kind of food anyway.

"So," said our mentor, Tilip, trying to break the silence. "You two know each other?"

Taylor snorted. "Know each other? We practically live together. We're like siblings." He took another bite of turkey. "There was this one time, when we were playing Modern World-"

I kicked him under the table, hard. His eyes flew to me, and I sent him dagger glares. "Yeah, we're best friends," I told the woman.

"That's too bad," she said, giving us a sympathetic look.

Taylor rolled his eyes.

Tellree, our purple headed guide, looked down at her plate. "I hate this job."

We all looked up at her in shock.

"Tell," warned a gruff voice. Edan, our male mentor, walked in behind us. He pulled back a chair and rolled up his sleeves. I noticed a crisscrossing pattern of scars all over his forearm, and gulped. "Not here," he continued. "Let's get down to business."

Oh no. Whenever Taylor heard the beginning of a Disney song, he burst into an off key rendition. I kicked his legs again and shook my head no when he looked my way, pissed.

"Do you two feel the need to train together?" asked Tilip, looking oddly at Taylor, who had gotten over his brief fit of anger and was making faces at a shiny pot. I did not understand that boy.

"Yes," I rushed out. No way could I leave crazy Taylor alone. He might spill everything. I tried not to think about how one or both of us would be dead in the next month. How I may just have to kill him.

I shook my head, shocked. Kill Taylor? Could I? Would I?

"Good." Edan barked. "Let's go watch the readings." He led us into another, theatre-like room and clicked on the TV.

"Welcome to the reaping for the 256th Hunger Games! I'm your host, Freter Corbyn, here with Ritha Tyrala." The high pitched male voice was much clearer than the one that had come out of Taylors set at home, and I laughed. This guy sounded like a gay guy. "We're here to give update you on every moment of the Hunger Games! Now, let's go to..." I tuned his out his voice and payed attention only to the screen.

District 1 had the usual bulky volunteers. I actually got a giggle out of the girl. She looked like an ape. District 2 had a rather small guy, and the girl was named after a spice or something. I can't really remember. But District 3 pulled me up short.

I could remember that face anywhere. The female tribute looked exactly like a girl in my art class, Ashley or something. She accidently smashed my vase in third quarter.

"Pause it!" I screeched. As if on voice command, the viewing stopped. "Can I get some paper?" I asked sheepishly, my face flushed.

Not even five seconds later, an attendant came in with a pad of paper and a pen. "Thank you." I grabbed the pen and ignored the stares I was getting. "Play," I said, fighting to keep my voice steady. The screen started going again.

Her name was Ashton Renny, and she looked utterly confused and clueless. I quickly jotted down her name, district, and a few other random tidbits I knew about her from other sources. The male from the district held no interest for me, but I did put down his name. Blink.

District 4 time. First up was Kara Conway, a spunky freshmen who sat at my lunch table. We rarely ever talked, but she was nice. Also up was David Ray, a senior who was a huge bully.

Both of them volunteered. I tried not to think about that.

District 5 had Melena and Derek, people I didn't know. I didn't pay attention to that reaping.

6 had a girl I tutored in English. She was an exchange student from Japan, and her name was Azami. Kyle Spell, notorious for dating the popular girls, was also present.

Seven scared the crap out of me. A little twelve year old was called up, and she was sobbing. Three people volunteered, and I knew every one of them. One was Mikayla, who looked disheveled. The second was a girl with a long Hawaiian name in my AP English, Ini. Third was my best friend from Colorado, Sierra. She was chosen. The guy I recognized from pictures to be her boyfriend, Steven.

"Mikayla?" gasped Taylor. I looked over to see him oogolng at the screen.

"What's so surprising about her?" asked Tilip.

"She's our best friend," explained and awed Taylor, before I could stop him.

"Sh!" I hissed, trying to pay attention. Eight was showing, but it only had people I didn't know. Liola and Stich. I jotted down their names.

The 12 year old girl in nine was my mom's best friend's daughter. I vaguely recognized her as Aureila Abcott, since her last photos I saw were over a year ago. The next tribute shocked me again.

"Oh, please no!" I gasped. "Marcus, please, no!"

"Who?" asked Edan. They hadn't even said the name yet.

I spun to face him. "Marcus Godby. He looks really strong," I covered.

"Oh," Tellree said.

I started paying attention to the reapings again.

Parvati Sheelow, the cocky queen bee of the school who once dated Spell, was the next victim in ten. Eleven hosted me and Taylor, and twelve had the quite girl in my English class, Astrid Whitlock.

The screen lost all power in a crackle.

I weakly grinned at Tyler. "At least we know we're not alone."

"I'm still not convinced this isn't a really weird dream," admitted Taylor. He got up and left.

All three sets of remaining eyes turned to me.

"What was all that about?" demanded Edan.

"Uh..." Would it be wise to tell them? "Migraine," I muttered, storming out of the room with my pad of paper in hand.

*THIS IS MY GOOD SIDE*

NEWS!

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