Here are the first of the reapings! Sorry it took me a while, I was working on a chapter for my other story. I hope you enjoy - I've never written reapings before, so don't be too hard on it. :)

Also, special thanks to Jms2 for both Diamond and Nike! Also, check out Jms2's SYOT, it is closed and already started but it is really good so far! Also the prequel to that story is amazing as well.

Here is the chapter.

Diamond Elite (18)

I leap out of bed when my ruby-encrusted alarm clock goes off. Normally I would hit the snooze button, but I need all the time I can get today to look perfect. After all, today is the day I volunteer for the Hunger Games and the reapings are early. I only have an hour and a half to get ready.

"Sorry, Benny," I say as my golden retriever wakes up due to my sudden movement. He whimpers and I stroke his fur. "But I have to get up, because today is a special day."

He seems to understand, because he lies back down on the bed and closes his eyes again. I decide to focus on what I'm wearing today. I laid out my outfit last night so I wouldn't have to worry this morning.

I'm wearing a simple but beautiful white strapless dress that falls to my knees and looks amazing with my tan. I leave my super-straight long white-blonde hair as it is because I want everyone to get the full effect of it. I brush sparkly silver eye shadow over my eyelids and swipe my mascara wand through my lashes. I take a moment to admire my eyes – they're so blue that they almost look purple. At least, that's what everyone tells me.

I slide on my crystal heels and I'm ready to go. I quickly apply lipgloss and smile at the mirror. Then I bound downstairs for breakfast and to see my family.

Everyone else is already at the table – my mom, Silk, who is incredibly supportive of my training and will do anything to help me, my nine-year-old sister, Sapphire, who looks exactly like me but younger, and my twenty-year-old brother, Peridot, who is so protective of me that it gets annoying sometimes, but in the end I'm grateful for it.

My family smiles and waves to me, and I hear a chorus of "Good morning!" as I sit down. Everyone is here besides my father, I realize. He is always at work – it's no surprise that he's not here. But I'm used to it, so it's okay.

I quickly eat my breakfast of French toast and syrup with orange juice, and run upstairs again. I brush my teeth and reapply my lipgloss. I still have a half hour before I need to go, so I run downstairs to my basement, where I have my very own training room. (Well, Peridot used to train in it, too, but now it's mine.) It's perfect – there's a wooden floor and mirrors all around. There is a huge table in the middle with knives, spears, bows, arrows, tomahawks, you name it, and it will be there. I pick up a couple knives and throw them to different targets that are placed strategically along the mirrors. There's a bulls-eye, bulls-eye, and a bulls-eye.

I don't have time to really practice, and I don't want to get myself all sweaty and disgusting, so I stop there and head upstairs. I take one last glance of my favorite room in the house.

Everyone is waiting for me – my parents, my sister, my brother, and my best friends, Ruby and Emerald. They're the only ones who have managed not to get extremely jealous of me over the years, because they're just as perfect. But I'm the one that's volunteering today.

This has come with so much hard work. I have spent my life in the training center, and this is my moment to finally shine. I can't wait.

My family has to walk me to the reapings because they have to protect me. There are so many jealous people in District One, and I've literally gotten death threats from people. No joke. I had to stab someone once (I didn't kill them, but I had to defend myself).

When we get to the town square, I gasp. "I forgot to say goodbye to Benny!"

My mom just shrugs. "You'll see him in a couple weeks. Good luck, Diamond." She, Peridot, and Sapphire walk off to the roped section in the back and, after having the volunteer take blood from my finger, walk with Ruby and Diamond to the eighteen-year-old girls section.

Nike Lema (18)

I finally get to the reapings after a long walk from my house. After getting to see the great sight of blood when the lady pricks my finger, I get in the eighteen-year-old male section and wait.

I am bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet. I can't wait any longer! I already miss the touch of the smooth metal weapons against my hands and the satisfying thwack of a knife as it hits its target. Only my weapons of choice are swords and spears, even though I like knives, and in the Games, it won't be a target that I'm hitting, it will be a human. I am so excited!

After waiting for forever for the reapings to finally start, a woman with long, wavy, light blue hair and golden skin walks up onto the stage. She has dramatic makeup (including light blue lipstick to match her hair) on, and a textured magenta dress. Her high heels match her dress, and I can hear the clicking of them even from the audience. It would be funny if she tripped and fell. It occurs to me that I'm going to have to get to know this person throughout my Capitol journey. And when I win, I'll have to spend even more time with her. I wrinkle my nose at the thought.

"Hello, District One!" the crazy lady trills into the microphone. There is a long, boring speech about the Capitol and how great it is, and honor and courage and sacrifice and the Dark Days, blah blah blah. Everyone knows that no one goes into the games to sacrifice, but people go into the Games for the glory. That's what I'm doing, and I have no problem admitting it.

Finally, the lady says, "And I am Paris, your escort, and I am so proud to be doing the honor of supporting our District One tributes!"

Some people clap half-heartedly. I don't. I hate this Paris lady already.

"Now, as usual, ladies first!" Paris half-screams. Her Capitol accent is really annoying. She sounds as excited about this as I am.

Paris picks a slip out of the giant glass bowl. She reads it out loud. "Starr Fur!"

She barely gets the name out before there's a beautiful girl on the stage, yelling, "I volunteer!"

At least I'll get to have a good district partner. The girl is very pretty, and I recognize her from training. She's good with knives, and all the guys like her. All the girls are jealous. Now I get her, because I'll be the only one in the district that's going to the Capitol with her.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Paris asks.

"Diamond Elite," states the girl confidently.

Paris smiles, and I can see that she has some blue lipstick on her perfect white teeth. I try to hold back a laugh, but it doesn't really work.

"Now, for the boys!" she exclaims excitedly, and I get ready to run.

She picks a slip and walks back to the front of the stage. She opens it and starts to read it. "Joshua Peters!"

Before I know it, I'm onstage, telling the whole district and all of Panem that I'm volunteering as tribute, and I'm shaking Diamond's hand and smiling at her, and then we're being escorted by Paris into the Justice Building.

Diamond Elite (18)

I sit down on the plush red couch in the Justice Building waiting room. The first people to come in are my mom, Peridot, and Sapphire.

Sapphire speaks first. "Good job, Diamond. I'll miss you, but I know you're coming home. Good luck, but I don't think you'll need it." She smiles at me and I smile back. I will miss her. She's so smart, especially for a little nine-year-old girl.

Then Peridot talks. "I can't protect you anymore, Diamond, but the Capitol will. I know that you're good enough to protect yourself. Stick with the Careers and prove that you can be beautiful and talented at the same time. See you in a couple weeks."

Finally, my mom is talking to me. She has tears in her eyes – I don't know why. "I'm sorry that Father couldn't come. He's at work, but I know that he is supporting you no matter what." I don't know this. In fact, I know that he doesn't care. "I brought a token for you," my mom continues, holding out something in your hand. I almost cry at the sight of it – it's Benny's collar. I miss him already.

The collar is sparkly and gold and encrusted with diamonds to match my name. The nameplate is made of real gold and Benny's name is engraved on it. At least I'll have a reminder of him when I'm in the Games.

The Peacekeepers come in and take my family away. I blow them a kiss goodbye. Then Emerald and Ruby come in.

"Diamond!" Emerald chokes out. She is crying. Why is everyone crying? I'm coming back; I hope they know that. "I'm gonna miss you!" she starts bawling. Ruby, who is much calmer, says, "No matter how many fights we've gotten in along the way, I love you to death, Diamond, and I will be rooting for you in the arena. So will Emerald here, but I don't really think she's in the shape to tell you that." She gestures to Emerald, who is sobbing her eyes out.

The Peacekeepers come, and the door closes. I guess that's it. I manage to get a glimpse out the door, and there's a mob of angry girls and cute guys. I told my mom before the reapings to tell the Peacekeepers not to let any love-struck guys or jealous girls into the room, so I guess they followed my wishes.

I can't wait to get to the Capitol.

Nike Lema (18)

I don't have any visitors.

My dad is abusive. He wouldn't want to say goodbye to me. He hates my guts; he's thrilled to see me go. Maybe that's why I'm so attached to weapons and destruction; I take after my father.

My sister is twenty years old. She ran away. She refused to train for the Games and she always loved nature and living things. She and I never got along because we had such different opinions about that kind of stuff. She ran away to be a maid in the Victors' Village. I'm the only one who knows that. Not even my father knows. Well, he knew she ran away, but he doesn't have any idea where exactly she is.

My mother knew. But she's dead now. My father beat her to death when he found out that she helped Holly, my sister, escape. I saw it happen.

I don't have any friends. I think everyone is scared of me.

My token, which I took with me this morning, is a small rock that I've had since I was little. I've kept it in my room ever since. It was a gift from Holly when we were little kids.

Soon the Peacekeepers come and collect me from the room. I guess they've figured out by now that no one's going to come and visit me. We wait a couple minutes for Diamond to escape from her room. Unlike me, she has a crowd of screaming visitors.

Before I know it, we are on the train that's going to the Capitol.

Questions:

1) Who did you like better, Diamond or Nike?

2) What did you like or dislike about each of them?

3) Predictions for how well you think they will do in the Games?

Thanks so much! I'll get working on the District 2 reapings. :)

Ashley