Nemissia Dorce was up and ready for the Reaping Day. She already had her high-waist ocean blue skirt on along with a light blue ruffled top. Nemissia was now sitting at the breakfast table with her parents. She hated that it was so awkward, but it had always been, ever since her older brother, Drage, died suddenly to her memory. She had only been five at the time. These days, all these years later, her family still had their bad days and especially, just like everyone else's family, on Reaping Day. So now they sat in silence.

Being so distant from her parents, Nemissia had been sent to train for the Hunger Games after school. It had been like that for most of her life and now, being 17, she believed that it was her time to volunteer. She was tired of her parents keeping the story of her dead brother from her so they were still unaware of her planned actions.

Suddenly, Nemissia stood up, her breakfast plate in her hands.

"I'm going to head out soon," she said as she washed it and put the plate away in the cupboards.

"See you later, dear," her mother said standing up to read the table as well.

Choosing not to reveal her plan and the fact that the next time she saw her parents it would be saying farewell in the Justice Building, Nemissia went to her room. Inside, she neatly pulled her dark golden blonde hair back into a bun, her bangs remaining on her forehead. Normally it reached her shoulders. She looked herself over to make sure everything was in order. Her eyes were dark blue and full of determination and her clothes were without a wrinkle. From her closet, she pulled out a pair of silver heels that would add to her already five feet nine inches.

With her heels clicking on the ground, she made her way back through her house.

"I'm leaving," she said. Her father was the only one to hear from where he sat at the table with the newspaper. He made no comment that he had heard his daughter so she left without another word.

Nemissia was still early for the Reaping, but there was already a line to sign in. She stood with her thoughts until she reached the front. It was when she took the pen I her hands that she first felt nervous for what she was just about to do. With a deep breath, she wrote her name down.

Before entering her section, Nemissia found one of her friends, Cash, standing amongst the gathering population of District 2. He was three years older than her. He stood with his hands thrust into his pockets. She approached him cautiously. Cash deeply regretted not getting into the Games and now that he twenty, there was no chance for him. Whenever the Hunger Games came up he would downplay them like the hated thing they were to most. He was actually jealous of those who had gotten to go. They had met one day in training and ever since his last year of the Reaping Cash had fueled all of his passion into her training, whether it was for her or him.

"How are you?" she asked with a gentle touch to his arm in order not to surprise him.

He smiled at her in greeting, but sighed nonetheless, running a hand through his spiky black hair. Briefly, his blue eyes flittered to the stage regretfully. "Same as usual," he replied. "How about you? Still planning on volunteering?"

"Of course," she said indifferently. "If I wasn't, I wouldn't have made the decision in the first place."

"Of course," he repeated looking her up and down. "Well, good luck."

With a nod from him, Nemissia left. She pushed through the crowd of people to her section. Once there, she found another friend of hers, Sephia. Her light blue eyes found Nemissia at the same time. She grinned and waved.

"Nemissia, over here!" she called even though Nemissia had already seen her. This loud outburst caused the male tributes across the empty space between genders to look over. Sephia was very pretty with her long curly dark hair and tendency to be loud.

"No need to shout," Nemissia said as she stood next to her.

"Sorry," Sephia replied, "I'm just so excited for the Reapings!"

"Yeah," Nemissia agreed.

Gem Demeter left his house in Victory Village. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started off. He hated the day of the Reapings. It was just another day for his older brother, Damian, to rub his winnings in his face. Ever since seven years ago, the Reaping was just a day for Damian to wake up and relive his adventure and success in the Hunger Games.

"Gem, wait!"

Gem paused and looked over his shoulder to find his little sister of six, Della, running out of their house to catch up with him. She wasn't eligible for the Reapings this year, but she was still dressed up in a white dress that was getting a little small for her, her blonde hair pulled back nicely by their mother.

Gem kneeled down in front of her. "What's wrong, Della?" he asked. He could tell she seemed troubled by something.

She lightly patted his windswept light brown hair, his hazel eyes met her blue ones. "You seemed angry this morning," she explained innocently. "You rushed out of the house real fast."

He knew his little sister wouldn't understand the Hunger Games just yet. She wasn't even around when Damian had won. He sighed and tried to smile at her, taking her small hands inside one of his much larger ones. With him being eighteen, Della always seemed so small.

"I'm just nervous about the Reapings today, that's all," he reassured.

She looked puzzled, like she was trying to figure something out in her head. Finally, she said, "But Damian won before, right?" She paused. "So…why would you get picked, too?"

Standing up, Gem couldn't help but to feel better. "There's no guarantee, Della. Why don't you go back inside? It's a little chilly outside. I'm going to see Audrey and Avery so I'll see you at the Reaping, all right?"

She nodded enthusiastically and turned back to the house. Gem watched until she had reached the door. He went a few houses down the road. Two of his friends, Audrey and Avery Gold, lived here. Audrey was sixteen and Avery eighteen. Their older sister Sabrina had also won the Hunger Games. Currently, he dated Audrey. Sabrina answered the door. She smiled at him. She was dressed up though she was through with the threat of the Capitol's game.

"Good morning, Gem. Audrey and Avery are still getting ready. You can come in if you like."

Gem thanked her and entered their house. He had already prepared for the Reaping, knowing that he'd want to get out of the house quickly. He had dressed in a simple, hand-me-down black suit. Without waiting too long, Audrey soon came down with her brown hair in its usual braid over her shoulder wearing a pretty dress. Her sister soon followed. Gem and Audrey greeted each other with a quick kiss.

"Let's go," she said taking his arm.

After signing in Gem separated from the sisters so they could go to their respected sections. From where he stood, he could see Audrey greeting another one of their friends, Lyssa Wind who was a year younger.

The mayor's speech went by quickly and soon it was District 2's escort who was taking over the podium. Her name was Diva Hearte. She was the same every Reaping. Her bleach blonde hair tied in a ponytail off to the side, huge, bright pink sunglasses that covered her eyes, very big and red lips, and wearing some sort of bright clothing. This year, she wore bright yellow, tight pants and an equally bright orange and neon green tank top. Diva blew her signature bubble before speaking.

"Happy Hunger Games!"

She was greeted by a cheer from District 2. She chomped loudly as she grinned at the attention while she waited for the noise to die down.

"Let's see who our lucky Tributes will be this year," Diva said as she went over to the female's bowl. "First up, our ladies."

In District 2, there was a mutual agreement to the potential Tributes. It was to wait for the name of the original Tribute to be read before volunteering.

Diva was quick to pick a slip of paper. "Jamie Harrison," she called over the silence.

There was a breath of silence as Nemissia and Sephia looked around. Jamie didn't even walk forward. She was a small girl in the twelve year old section looking petrified as her friends clung to her.

"Come on, dear," Diva smacked annoyingly. "All you have to do is come up on stage and let the District see you then I'll ask for volunteers."

Nemissia saw Jamie start shaking. Apparently she was a shy girl and this had knocked the breath out of her. Wanting to spare her long walk to the stage, and to get this over with, Nemissia raised her hand. "I'll volunteer for her!"

Diva thought about this for a moment. She hadn't asked for volunteers yet, but she didn't want to waste any more time trying to get the first girl up on stage. "All right, come up. What's your name?"

"Nemissia Dorce," she answered while climbing the stairs.

"Thankfully that's over," Diva said to Nemissia with a smile at last. "You can stand right over there and we can get to the boys."

With a nod, Nemissia took her place. She looked out to the population of District 2 confidently.

"Now for our young men," Diva said with a suggestive wink to the crowd. She fished her hand around the bowl a while before resurfacing with a name. At the podium, she announced that it was a boy from the fourteen year old section, Andrew Cross. Soon, he stood next to Nemissia on the stage.

"Now, any volunteers for young Andrew here?" Diva asked.

Gem came forward. "I volunteer," he said, making his voice as strong as he could.

Andrew stepped down without Diva noticing. "Well done," she congratulated. "And your name is?"

"Name's Gem Demeter."

On stage, Gem tried his best to look as large and threatening as possible. He wanted whatever advantage he could give himself while on camera whether it was to the other Tributes or possible sponsors. Turning he gave Nemissia a firm hand shake. She smiled at him, but he couldn't tell if it was real or not.

"Congrats to our two Tributes, Nemissia and Gem!" Diva gushed as she led the clapping and cheering.

Peacekeepers came and lead them into the Justice Building where they would say their final good-byes to their families and friends.

Nemissia sat in silence until her parents came in looking slightly frantic. She met their bewildered stares with her calm one. She glanced back and forth between them, waiting for one of them to start talking.

Finally, her mother rushed forward to the couch and sat beside her, grabbing her daughter's hands in hers. "Oh, Nemissia…why would you volunteer?"

Her father stood over his wife, looking at Nemissia with a concerned expression on his face. "You didn't even tell us."

"I thought it would get you to notice me and…tell me what happened to Drage," her eyes bore into her parents' with question and determination. This brought stronger tears to her mother's eyes that soon leaked over. Her father's eyes narrowed.

"Don't you get it, Nemissia?" he questioned, he shared his daughter's temper.

"Your brother died in the Hunger Games twelve years ago," her mother continued before burying her face in Nemissia's shoulder.

Nemissia froze in shock. Suddenly, she was angry. Why hadn't her parents told her this before? She wouldn't be sitting here, going to her death, if they had. No. Not going to her death. She had a chance and she wouldn't count herself out yet. She had already lost if that's what she let herself believe. She was a Career anyway!

"The boy from District 11 killed him," her father said bitterly as he glared at the wall.

They stayed that way until the Peacekeepers. Nemissia refused to cry, even though there were so many things to mourn. Her brother's death finally revealed, her own just on the horizon, and the fact that she was leaving her parents.

"I love you guys," she said as they were being taken away.

"We love you, too, sweetheart!" her mother said over her shoulder. "You can win, I know it."

Nemissia's father gave her a curt nod. "Love you, too," he said stiffly before leaving.

Nemissia sat in silence, clutching her locket with a picture of Drage in it. If this wasn't her token, she didn't know what else she'd take.

At last, Sephia came in. Nemissia quickly hid her emotions from her friend. Sephia would expect her to be eagerly awaiting the Games now that she had volunteered.

"Are you ready?" Sephia asked as she bounced on the couch.

"Yes," Nemissia replied with a nod.

"I'll be cheering you on from here," she said as if she was committing herself to some great feat. Like actually playing the Hunger Games like Nemissia was about to do.

"Thank you," Nemissia said sincerely. Sephia might not have a good grasp on the situation, but that was who she was. It was enough to have her support. She rarely gave it. Sephia probably wasn't even thinking that there was a good chance her friend wouldn't be returning. "I just have one thing to ask you, since I won't see you for a long time."

Sephia smiled at a way to help her friend. "Yeah, sure. Anything, Nemissia."

"Just watch over my parents for me while I'm gone. I don't know how they'll take it…losing two children." Nemissia was going to add the part of losing both to the Hunger Games, but she figured Sephia didn't technically have to know that part.

"Of course, Nemissia. I'll take good care of them while you're gone."

Nemissia nodded her thanks and then a Peacekeeper was there to take Sephia. The friends hugged on last time and said their final good-byes.

Cash came next. Nemissia almost lost her cool. She leaned against his shoulder as she related to him what she had just heard from her parents. He comforted her.

"I would take your place if I could, Nemissia," he said looking into her eyes.

Sadly, she looked away. "I know, Cash, but this is just something I have to do now."

"Besides," he said trying to lift the mood, "I trained you. If you can't win then I probably couldn't either. Do your best and learn as much as you can while training."

Nemissia nodded, trying to convince and herself that she hadn't given up yet. "I will, and I promise I'll do my best to come back."

"Good," he said with a small smile.

All too soon another Peacekeeper came to take the last thing of comfort from her. No more would she have someone she knew by her side. Cash turned to request a few more minutes, but he was denied.

He turned back to give her a hug. "Don't give up, ever," he whispered into her ear.

She nodded when he held her at arm's length.

"It's game time, so get your game face on," he said as he left.

Gem's friends were his first visitors. Audrey and Avery came in with Lyssa Wind right behind them. Audrey sat right next to him while the others stood. Audrey looked as though she had been crying, but now she seemed better in control. It was so weird for Gem to be saying farewell to his friends. They had been through so much and had caused so much trouble together.

"Don't let anything stop just because I leave," he said, meaning their good times. They all knew it was a real piece of luck that Damian and Sabrina had won the Games. What were the chances of him coming back?

At this, Audrey started to tear up, but she refused to cry out for Gem's sake. Avery smiled sadly at her sister.

"Show them what you've got," she said with a determined nod that showed she believed in him.

"Yeah," Lyssa agreed. "Don't let the Capitol in your head. Show them all the work you've put into your training."

The next few minutes found the friends sharing tips from their older siblings between the Golds and Gem. Lyssa contributed advice where she could manage.

At last, it was time for them to go. With two quick hugs from Avery and Lyssa, the two girls left. Audrey was left to let go. They kissed, but t was interrupted by the Peacekeeper who was ready to go.

"I love you, Gem," she said with one last, swift kiss.

"Love you," he replied as the door shut them all out.

After a few minutes of quiet, Gem's parents came in and they were quickly lecturing him for not telling them, but then on how he should approach the Games and not to let down the family. Turning his attention from them as they began to lose steam, his brother sneered back at him.

"You think you can win?" he questioned as their parents began to talk quietly at the door.

"You only won because you got that rope," Gem shot back his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, but I still won. That's more than what you've ever done, loser." Damian opened the door to the room. "Just don't screw up, okay?" he asked before leaving the room.

With an awkward god-bye from his parents, they followed their eldest son out as well. Still standing in the room with her arms held behind her back was Della. She looked at him from beneath her lashes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice barely considered a whisper.

Gem held his arms out and he pulled her onto his lap. "I can't stand being upstaged by Damian anymore. He never believes that I'm just as good as he is and this is the only way to prove it to him."

Della thought this over for a few long seconds. "But what if you don't come back?"

"Then he can step on my name all he likes. I won't have to be there to hear him," Gem replied mostly to himself. Catching sight of Della's trembling lower lip, his intense gaze softened. "If I don't come back, Della, you'll just have to….take care of Mom and Dad, all right?"

Della nodded her head, though she didn't seem convinced. "It'll be lonely without you, Gem."

"You'll be okay," he said giving her a big hug.

A Peacekeeper at the door interrupted them. Tears began to spring up in Della's eyes.

"I love you, Gem!" she cried while she fought to hang on to his hand.

"I love you, too, Della."

She smiled and was half way out the door when she remembered something. "Promise-" but a shove from the Peacekeeper cut her off. Right before the door slammed shut, Gem heard the rest echo all around him. "Win!"

The silence was so loud that followed. Gem was itching to be gone. Soon the Peacekeepers came for him and joined Nemissia to be herded into an awaiting train. They didn't speak, but their friends and family were on both of their minds, but what quickly replaced them were strategies on beating the person across from them.

AN: Sorry if this seems longer than the last one. I had so much info on their friends that I wanted to add it all in just in case it came in handy later. I hoped the bold separated the part well enough. I didn't want to completely separate them since it wouldn't be in chronological order and I felt that that would make it lose its affect.

Also, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for their District's mentor (I'm only doing one for each District since I feel there are enough characters to keep track of already). If you do, let me know. Thanks!

*May the odds be ever in your favor!*