-Matt-

"Yes, I assure you that these are the clothes of my people." I spread out the garment on the sheets, putting on the act of reverently touching the cloth.

This Capitol puppy that referred to himself as a designer had just shown me the clothes he intended me to wear to the grand entrance: a rock costume with grey face paint. Thank you, but I don't really need to look like an idiot. I was going to be in front of the Capitol and, more importantly, the sponsors for the first time. The Hunger Games started in one week so I needed to make the best impression that I could. The first step to getting people to like you is knowing how to dress yourself.

He pouted and stared at the garment, exchanging glances with his fellow "designers". He finally spoke, "Are you sure? This seems way too casual and a bit silly."

I feigned a smile and looked down at him. "This is outfit is to be worn on all occasions; it's practical, but also has a regal flavor to it. I'm surprised you've never heard of it before. It's making a resurgence in District 2. It really captures the spirit and greatness of the District." I could still see a bit of hesitance in his eyes, so I prodded further. "If you don't let us wear this, your peers will surely wonder if you really know what you're doing here."

If I hadn't known how unironically serious the Capitol takes itself, I would have thought that the intense gasp this guy just gave me had been fake. A jealous indignation on his face, he said to me, "I can't have Cinna embarrass me another time. I will let you…nay! I will order you to wear this. It will be magnificent." Tears welling up in his eyes, he exited the room to go be stupid somewhere else. As the rest of the designers followed him out, all that was left was an Avox.

Giving me a bow, the small Avox girl, probably about thirteen or fourteen, looked up at me expectantly. I stared at her, my eyes directly connecting with her bright blue one, which contrasted against her pale skin. Her eyes asked me if I needed anything else. Not knowing what else to say, shook my head.

"You're dismissed." She bowed again and went to leave.

As I followed her figure out the door, I noticed Zach leaning against the wall, evidently listening. "What were you talking to him about?" He asked as he flopped on the couch and flipped on the television.

"Meh." I shrugged, "Nothing important. I didn't feel like wearing that thing," I pointed to the rock outfit in the corner, "so I convinced him that these clothes were culturally important or something."

Zach turned around from the couch and looked at the tank top and jeans sitting on the bed. "Aw yeah! Party tanks!"

He high fived me as I sat down next to him.

-Rachel-

Barging into the dressing room, our coordinator, Cisdina, squeaked at us in delight. "Awwww, you girls look so cute! Everybody is going to love you so much." I was half expecting her to come and pinch each of our cheeks, but she stood there, grinning like the one of the dolls I had as a young girl. I wanted to say that that tiny dress made her look fat, but I don't think I could handle her breaking down in tears for the fifth time this week.

Rolling my eyes, I spun my chair around to look at myself in the mirror. I clapped my hands and an Avox presented me with felt box. Grabbing it from her hand, I opened the box to reveal a set of jeweled earrings. Brushing my ginger hair out of the way, I placed one ruby earring into my right ear. From the reflection of the mirror, I could see Cisdina attempting to socialize with Lindsey and Kamila. I slid the left earring into my ear, hoping she wouldn't come over to annoy me as well. Unfortunately, some people just didn't seem to understand social etiquette.

She squealed as soon as she saw me; somewhere a dog was writhing over in pain. "Awwwww Rachel, you look so cute!" Walking up to me, she shooed the small Avox girl out of the way, and raised her hands to my face.

"I swear to God if you touch me…" I just about bit her finger off as she pinched my cheeks, ruining the glitter over which I labored twenty minutes. Stepping back before I had the opportunity to take out my earrings to stab her, she clapped her hands to grab our attention. I went back to my make-up.

"Alrighty, girls. I know you are all super-duper excited to be here and get waited on and enjoy the Capitol, but we gotta lay down some ground girls."

I whispered to myself, "We have to be in front of the Capitol for the first time in twenty minutes; is this really what you're doing."

"I'm sorry Rachel. I couldn't hear you," she looked genuinely concerned as she smiled at me. "Make sure you don't mumble like that when you're on screen." Ignoring her, I went back to retouching the ruined glitter. "Anyways, here are the ground rules. Number one: be nice to each other, act in ladylike manner. Number two: if you ever need anything just call over an Avox and they'll serve you. Perhaps most importantly, number three: if boys are blue and girls are pink, no purpling!" She giggled at her joke.

"Screw that. I have plans later with the District 2 boys."

"Rachel, I told you to stop mumbling; it's very unladylike!" Wagging her finger at me, she ignored me ignoring her. "Now go gettum girls. Woooooo!" She pumped her fist up in the air and left to go annoy some other poor soul. After ensuring the door closed completely, Lindsey and Kamila began whispering and giggling to each other.

My red hair finally set exactly how I wanted it, I sighed in contentment. All that's left is to spray on some perfume, and the work of art that is me is finally complete. Ringing the bell, I called the servant girl. "I'm ready for my perfume. Now."

The dainty Avox girl tiptoed into the room, holding the glass perfume bottle in her pale hands. Her look a combination of wonder and fear, she cupped the glass, taking each step at a time.

"Come on. I don't have all day." Taking her eyes off the bottle and her feet, she shifted her gaze up to me. Doing two things at once was apparently too much of her because she stumbled and fell towards the ground. The small thump she made did not compare the loud shattering of glass as the contents of the bottle spread across the floor. Cut from the shards of glass, droplets of blood mixed with the growing pool of perfume.

There goes my hundred dollar perfume I spent all day shopping for. "What the hell is wrong you? Is it that hard to walk across a room?"

Tears welling up in her eyes, she shook her head and tried to wipe up the spilled contents with her clothes. "Yeah, like that's going to work. I suggest you leave and get someone else to clean up your mess." Head hung towards the ground; she nodded, maneuvered around the glass, and exited the room. "Now, I have to take the train all the way back to the plaza and order some more. Is it that hard to get decent help these days?"

—-—
-Zach-

"Well, last night was boring." I exhaled outwards as I pushed the weight upwards, inhaling as I went back down.

Above, Matt spotted me. "Yeah, for all worked up we got, it was pathetic. They just parade us in for five minutes, the Pres gave three minute speech and then they just wheel us back out; all over within fifteen minutes. That Rachel girl was pretty nice though. She's from a good District right?"

Setting the weight down, I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Matt. She's from District 1. You know, not everyone from the other Districts is completely worthless."

"They're all noobs. Half of them can't tie their own shoelaces and other half get their fingers caught in the knots."

I laughed. "Not everyone from the other districts is like that. Do you know that Katlyn girl? I've seen her train. She doesn't look like someone to mess with." I picked up a pair of easy ten pound weights to get me started.

"Yeah, I've watched her. She's pretty fast. I'm guessing she'll get a ten or eleven." Matt grabbed two fifteen pound weights.

I grinned. "Hey, don't try to one-up me." Accepting his challenge, I swapped to the twenty pounds ones. "Anyways, what do you think you're gunna get from the judges?"

"Well, I am pretty awesome." I set down my dumbbell and punched him. He laughed. "We'll both probably get about a ten." As I was about to pick the dumbbell again, a kid came up to us.

I felt bad for this kid. I had no doubt in my mind he was going to get slaughtered out there. He was pretty much the personification of nerddom. Thick rimmed glasses adorned his round face. Short to the ground, his body seemed more at home in a comfy office chair than here at the gym. The twinge of guilt I felt at judging him only increased as he spoke to us.

"Hi guy, I'm Aaron." He held out his hand to Matt, who stared at it and looked back up at him. "Er, would you mind if I borrow one of those weights?"

Barely breaking eye contact, Matt grabbed a one pound weight and handed it to him. "Good luck with this."

Aaron looked down at it, glared at Matt, and went off in the opposite direction towards more nerds. I stared up at Matt who was holding in a laugh, "Matt, you're kinda an asshole."

He put his hands in the air. "Oh, come on. Why is he even trying? No matter what, the highest score he is going to get it like a two, maybe a three from pity." I punched him again, laughing.

"That doesn't mean you're not an asshole."

-Aaron-

I tried to put those career guys out of my mind for the last few days, but the way they looked at me, one with derision, the other with pity, just wouldn't go away. I sighed, thinking that maybe I couldn't do this after all.

Thankfully, these two guys helped to take my mind off it, if only because they hadn't stopped talking for the whole week.

"So anyway, at first, it seemed obvious that the apple symbolized temptation. That's what we expect it to be." Evan adjusted his glasses, and took a bite of his breakfast. "But I find it really interesting that a work can take something so expected and flip it on his side. Here, apples were obviously symbolizing fate. Some people argue that they still symbolize temptation, but I think that it's just them trying to put everything into their own schema they already had, without thinking about it objectively. What do you think, Chau?"

I nibbled at my toast, while Chau heaped another pile of bacon on his plate. Chau paused and spoke. "I'm sorry, Evan. I can't answer that."

"Why not?" Evan stared at Chau, bewildered. I, also, had no idea what was going on.

"I don't have hands." Chau picked up his fork and stabbed a sausage.

"Chau, you have hands. I see can them. You are using them to pick up that fork. What the hell are you talking about?"

He put his hands up in innocence. "Can't answer that, Evan. I still don't have hands."

Evan sighed and facepalmed "Goddammit, Chau. Will you ever just answer one of my questions?"

"Still don't have hands. Anyway, Aaron, what will you be doing for the judges this afternoon?"

In my mind, I had a full routine planned to the finest detail, but what I nervously sputtered out wasn't quite as elegant. "Uh, I'm good at archery and robots and origami and stuff."

Chau smiled reassuringly. "Very cool. What score are you expecting?"

Like always, as I continued to talk my thoughts turned to goop. "I dunno. What'd about you?"

He put his hand to his chin in thought, before nodding. "Seven. I'm thinking seven."

Pushing us plate aside, Evan looked up. "Chau, if you actually try, you can get a ten or eleven."

Chau slumped in his chair. "But Evan, trying is hard and I'm lazy."

"Yeah, I know you're lazy, but you're also exceptionally good at test. That's why you're here. You didn't study at all for the IB tests."

Chau grinned. "Oh yeah. Forgot about that." Chau turned to me. "Well, good luck sir. I'm sure you'll do well." He shook my hand and left, Evan following close behind.

Sitting at the table alone, I thought about what he told me. Such a simple phrase, but it filled me with hope. Maybe he's right. Maybe I can do well. I'll show those career jerks that I can do this!

—-—

-Matt-

"Matt, move. You're in my spot." Trying to squish between me and the arm of the couch, Rachel pushed me towards Zach.

"Calm your tits, woman. I'll move." I scooted closer to Zach, lining up with the center of the Television.

"Yay!" Smugly, she slipped in where I left. "Now shut up. My scores are going to be up soon."

Giving me a look, Zach popped a grape into his mouth. I tapped my fingers against my leg, wishing they would just get on with it already. Answering my command, the television switched from some reporter outside our building to Caesar at the front desk.

"Welcome everyone! I'm sure you're all eager to hear what everyone got so let's get right to it. Remember, the scores range from one to twelve, twelve being the highest. Candidates are judged on a matrix of criteria, giving us an almost flawless accuracy. Without further adieu, let's begin at District one."

Rachel's squee of anticipation contrasted against Zach's bored silence. I placed my fingers together, and leaned forward.

Lindsey's face faded onto the background. "Lindsey: seven."

"Psshhh, only a seven." Rachel grinned.

"Kamila: seven as well." Caesar pushed a paper to the back of his stack, before starting again. "Next we have Rachel."

"Yay, me!"

"Rachel," he paused for effect, "eight!"

"What?" Rachel pouted. "An eight. That's all? I worked my butt off for those judges. Stupid."

"Now for District two. Zach: ten."

"Aww yeah. What's up!" Zach fist pumped into the air.

"Jeff: ten."

"What?" We turn our heads in unison.

"Whoops typo. That's Matt not Jeff." A sigh of relief left my mouth; we didn't do half bad. This has to get us some sponsors.

Rachel got up and left to the kitchen. "All right, turn it off. Bored now." Ignoring her, I continued watching.

"District three. Chau: nine. Evan: seven. Oh, that one rhymes." Caesar and the other anchor chuckled to each other. In the background, the scrawny bespectacled boy we had seen a few days ago filled the screen.

"And the last one for District three, Aaron, has a...uh...um." Caesar motioned off screen, while the other anchor laughed nervously into the camera. Whispering to some unseen person, Caesar's face seemed confused. "Is this another typo? No? Are you sure? Okay." Looking back into the camera, Caesar gathered his papers. "District
three's Aaron has received a previously unseen score: twelve."

We all sat openmouthed, silence slowly seeping out of our confused minds. The information finally sparked in my mind, setting off a fire.

I leapt up from the couch and began pacing back and forth. "You have got to be kidding me? Are you serious? That scrawny kid got a twelve? What? What? What? We trained for this our entire lives and he just waltzes in and gets a twelve!" I really wanted to throw something, or even better, someone.

Zach rose from the couch, stepping towards me. "Matt, calm down before you break something."

"No, Zach, something has to be done about that kid."

Rachel piped up from the kitchen, "What do you think you can do about it? You can't really do anything until we get into the arena. Just deal with it until then."

The fuse lit by this spark, my mind began thinking up a plan. "I'll do something about this. Just watch me."

(Continued in part two)