Today is Victor's Birthday…

Victor swings at a dummy. He has finally been allowed to use real swords. Of course, they are just very lightweight ones, but swords just the same. He loves the way they feel like they're part of his own arm. Right now, he's doing his favorite, hand-to-hand combat. Victor knows that hand-to-hand means that he's close to his enemy. He can wrestle them, his specialty, and then kill them with his sword. Sometimes, when he's sure no one is listening, he pretends he is in the arena by imitating what he thinks the announcer sounds like. "Now presenting…your victor!" The game is still fun. Victor knows he isn't very good at what the instructors call "long range weapons." Those are things like spears, throwing knives and archery, which are just a few. His aim is adequate, but not great. He misses a lot with the knives, and archery is his worst of all. Pearl though, is excellent with them. Right now, she is practicing with these little axe-thingies. They are smaller than the regular ones. Regular axes are super heavy, as Victor knows. A few weeks ago the instructors had the group try to lift them, just to see if anyone could. The only one who could get it over their head was a boy named Jasper. Victor felt really angry because he dislikes no on more than Jasper Pinot. Jasper is constantly teasing Victor, mostly about Pearl. The Locker Room the boys change and shower in is always filled with the familiar "Victor has a girlfriend" chanting. Victor has long since given up telling them that Peal isn't his girlfriend, just a friend that's a girl.

Today begins another year of eliminations. Victor hates how they happen on his birthday. But the eliminations also follow on a day known as "the Reaping." He knows that that's when the brave heroes volunteer to go into the arena. He really hopes they can win, so they can bring the district glory. He won't be able to watch the Games, though. That will be allowed next year. What could possibly happen in those Games that Victor can't see yet? It's not fair. Still, next year they will have a new class called "Game strategy." The group of 11 year olds will sit in a classroom and watch past Games and talk about what the contestants did right and wrong. It sounds really boring to Victor and it means less time with his swords. The 10 year olds recently got a new class. It's called "Sponsor strategy" and Victor thinks it's the stupidest thing he's ever done. They have to practice talking so people will like them, waving the right way, sitting the right way, and even blowing kisses the right way. The girls all love it, except for Pearl. That's probably one of the reasons they are still friends. Most of their conversations are about how ridiculous their instructor, Shimmer Angora is. Pearl always makes Victor crack up with her imitation of Ms. Angora's annoying nasal voice. Victor is almost laughing now as he thinks of this. He immediately straightens up. You shouldn't get too distracted when you have a sword in your hand. Focus. Control. That's what he's supposed to do, like the trainers all say. He takes a deep breath. Maybe it's time for a break.

He walks over to the water machine and fills up one of the paper cups. As he drinks, he turns to watch the eight year olds. His cousin Emory is among them. As always, Emory is boasting loudly, this time about how fast he finished the obstacle course. That's when he hears it. "I'm gonna be a Victor!" Emory shouts to a group of awe-filled babies. Victor feels a wave of anger surge over him. What does Emory think he's doing?! Victor will be the winner! He will bring his family glory, not dumb, big-mouthed baby Emory! Suddenly, he hears Pearl walk up behind him. "That one's your cousin, right?" Victor nods; his face still red with anger and shame. Pearl actually laughs. "Well, you don't think he could win, do you?" She shakes her head. "He's not going to. I can just tell. He just seems like an idiot." Victor laughs. Pearl is pretty good at cheering him up. Besides, she's right. Emory couldn't possibly win. He barely hears what Peal says next. It's just a mumble, as if she's saying it into her water cup.

"What did you say Pearl?" He says back to her. She stares at her water for a little bit, then turns and looks him in the eye. Her ice-blue eyes are glazed with certainty.

"I said that you will win, Victor. I know you will." She stops for a second while Victor beams with pride. "I know!" She suddenly shouts, excitedly. "I'll win when I'm 17, and you will win when you're 18. Then we can be neighbors in the Victors Village. It'll be great!" Victor agrees. Pearl is right, like she always is. She's the best in all the classes, even the ones she hates. He doesn't think she's ever given an instructor a wrong answer. "Come on!" Victor jumps. The voice startled him. "Come on you two lovebirds we have to shower to get ready for the Elimination ceremony." As expected, the voice belongs to Jasper. Victor stalks angrily past him and into the shower room.

The eliminations go just as Victor thought they would. The gym is filled with parents, mostly those of the 9 year olds, who are the ones with the most at stake, as almost half of them get sent home. Out of about 30 ten year olds, five will be eliminated. And unfortunately, Jasper isn't one of them. He's strong, especially with swords, just like Victor. That's another reason why Victor can't stand him. Swords are for Victor! They're his specialty. Next year, when they officially choose they're weapon, the two will likely choose the same one. The five that are eliminated consist of Amber and Diamond, two really giggly girls who really annoy him. Of course, they like Sponsor Strategy the best. Peal is annoyed with them because she says their names are "way too boring. Everyone is named Amber or Diamond here!" Another one who is eliminated is Lux Evans, a boy who Victor was sort of friends with. His mother encouraged it, trying to get Victor to forget about Pearl. Lux was a pretty good make-believe player and he never teased Victor. He was really great at wrestling, but Lux was pretty overweight and it was very hard for him to run. Victor feels bad to see him go because he knows his father won't let him play with someone who was eliminated when they were just 10. The other is a girl named Chardonnay, who hardly said two words to anyone but had one of the fastest times in the obstacle course. She couldn't do anything else though. She was scared of weapons. "A diamond mines kid" her mother said. The last is Jewel, another "miner's kid." "You can tell by those awful common names." Victor's mother said. He remembers Jewel as the one who cried on his first day. He wondered how she got this far anyway.

The eliminations have ended. Ruby, who Victor still hasn't seen much of, is still in. Of course she is, with the amount of training she puts in. She won't even stop to talk to him at the water machine, for goodness sakes! He almost wants to complain to her mom about it, but that wouldn't be a very mature thing to do. Pearl runs up to him. She's about to say something, but then Victor catches his mother's eye. "I have to go!" He stammers and rushes over to her. He sees Pearl shaking her head confusedly and walking over to her father, who smiles and pats her on the back, obviously proud of her. "That's a good boy Victor; we don't talk to them, right?" He nods stiffly. He knows he's lying, but a small part of him feels like he's betraying his only friend.