SO SORRY! Where I live, we got pummeled by Hurricane Sandi. The squirrels were using rowboats. It looks like a bomb went off. We lost power there were 100 + foot trees in the streets and a small tree uprooted in my friend (who lives up the street)'s yard and was only supported by two measly cell lines. A 200 + foot tree almost landed on our house! If the wind had been blowing south instead of west there would've been a hole in our roof! It was AWFUL! Our basement was soaked up until my ankles… So, sorry I haven't been posting.

Also, I live in Danbury CT, 2 miles from where the Newtown school tragedy happened. I know this isn't a great excuse, but I've literally just come out of depression mode…

~Julia

"So," The announcer Neru Akita says to Piko, who has a techie suit on to represent the computer chips his district makes. Neru's hair consists of a long, blonde side pony swishing gracefully with each movement she makes. She turns abruptly, almost whacking him with her hair, which has spiked jewelry on the ends. It could be a weapon, I think.

"What do you like best about being in the capitol?" She says, her voice a bit deep.

He looks up. "Um…" He thinks about it a minute. "Probably… the rooms, I mean… they're HUGE!"

"So, how old are you?" Neru says. "I didn't really catch your age at the reaping."

I lean forwards. Somehow, I really want him to be fourteen like me.

"I'm fourteen." Piko says.

Aw yeah! I think, and clench my fist.

I wait patiently until Defoko goes up.

You go get 'em girl! I think to myself.

Neru smiles, a crooked, asymmetrical smile. "Oota, is that how you pronounce your name?"

Defoko nods. "Yes ma'am." She's wearing a white blouse and a short, beige pencil skirt. Her short purple hair has been pulled back into a bun at the top of her head.

Neru laughs. "I like the way it sounds. Now, Uta, tell me, what is your favorite part of being in the shining capitol?"

I stifle a laugh. The way Neru said, "Shining capitol" made me want to shriek with laugher, but I controlled it.

"Um…" Defoko tapped her chin. "The over-the-top extravagance. I love their fashion sense here!" Defoko stood up. "I mean just look at this outfit!"

It's true. Defoko had always enjoyed looking into the cloth store's windows, and sighing to herself, "That linen would look fabulous with my shoes," or, "If I had enough money, I would buy that gorgeous plaid."

The audience ate it up. There was laughter, yelling, and clapping as the purple-haired girl sat down.

Neru smiled. "Now, Uta,"

Defoko nodded for her to continue.

"What were you thinking when you saw your friend Rilane volunteer for her brother?" Neru asked.

Defoko's face turns dead white. "Uh… um…" She pondered for an answer that wouldn't make her sound weak. "I was shocked, I mean, I knew she would do that, I knew she would, I just had no idea that I would be going up against her…" Defoko paused to gulp. "She's one of my best friends."

I felt like I had just swallowed a fist of clay. The audience sighed in regret, "Awe…"

I knew they weren't that upset.

I hated them.

I wait patiently until her turn is over, luckily, by the time her ten minutes are up, the lump in my throat has dissipated.

"Kagamine, Rilane."

I freeze. What? My turn already? I think desperately to myself.

I stand up and walk up on the platform, staring at the large audience.

"Hello!" Neru grins.

"Uh… um… hi?" I stammer, unsure of what to think.

Neru runs a hand down her long blonde hair. "Well, what do you think of it here?"

"What?" What did she say? My mind is running in circles.

The audience murmurs in, what I know is, impatience. Oh no! I'm blowing it.

"I said, Rilane, what do you think of it, here?" Neru repeats herself.

"I-I-I…" I pause. I have to be honest. "I hate it here." I hang my head. I've blown it. I'm done for. Why oh why couldn't I have just kept my big mouth shut?

Gasps erupt from the crowd.

Neru forces a smile. "Okay, now would be a good time for a commercial break." She says.

I lay on my bunk bed, atop of Defoko's, thinking about how my interview went.

It's a bit hard to think when a twelve-year-old who snores is sleeping in the bunk under you.

Tomorrow, I'll have to preform my skills for the judges.

Oh how I'm dreading tomorrow.