Cerise Ambersmith, District One Female (Age 17)

I tapped my nails against the marble table and looked out the window. Ezra's dark limousine was finally pulling up to the driveway.

My whole life I've dealt with secrets. Gain someone's trust, learn all about them, then give away the information in return for something else. It started when I was seven and became "friends" with the other kids only to know how to take advantage of them. Once I became a teenager, I sold secrets for money.

Over time this made me notorious so now I could only trick the stupid ones. Luckily, in District One those were easy to find.

The mayor's daughter had slept with the Head Peacekeeper. Before that, she was a virgin. I almost felt bad, she was sixteen and naive while he was gross and in his thirties. But that was news I could sell for thousands. They were celebrities to the caliber of the President's kids and I'd learned the rich and famous were too easy to figure out.

In this case I was making a deal with a shady mine owner named Ezra. He was a big businessman, had a few million to his name. Hot wife, plenty of diamonds. The usual. Jade had told me her secret over the phone and I held the sacred audio tape in my hands.

He could use it for blackmail or get some reporters to haggle over it. It wasn't really my business as long as I got the money.

The door unlocked and Ezra walked in, placing his suitcase on the table and pulling up a chair. "Miss Ambersmith." His voice was oily.

He raised an eyebrow at my pink hair, probably thinking I was an edgy teenager. I didn't have an argument against that.

"Mr. Sinclair." I held the tape up so he could get a good view. He nodded in approval and handed me a cassette player out of his suitcase. I slid it in, pressed a few buttons, and heard Jade's distressed voice.

"Cerise, I'm so worried. Last night I went to bed with Roland Gleam and we didn't use protection, I'm such an idiot, he's the goddamn Head Peacekeeper." She cried loudly. "You're my best friend, what should I do?" The tape cut off. There was nothing else in there to hear besides more whining and I didn't want to bore a millionaire with that shit.

"Some friend you are." He noted.

"We're not friends." I targeted her only two weeks ago, she was miserably lonely.

"If you can get someone you dislike to confide something like that to you, you'd be a fine lawyer."

"Thank you."

"How much do you want, girl? Four grand?"

I flipped my hair, making sure to show off my chest. You had to do what you had to do. "Five grand?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Fine. Five grand." He took some bills out of his wallet and handed them to me. I counted them up. Ten 500-dollar notes. Perfect.

He took the cassette player with the tape inside and put it back in his suitcase with a grin. "Thank you. The media's gonna love this. Won't look too good for your reputation, though. Jade will know you told someone."

"I know." I gave him a smile and left the room. "Goodbye, Ezra." I knew how I'd deal with that.

Chance Garnet, District One Male (Age 17)

Lacy held a cigarette between her fingers. "You ready to volunteer? I'm sure your parents are."

Her, Jett, and I were sitting on the balcony, looking out at Lacy's family's huge yard. It was so pretty I could stare at it and daydream for hours.

"I think. I'm the most trained out of everyone in the District, even the eighteen-year-olds. I'm honestly sparing their lives."

Jett snorted. "Aren't you a little saint?"

Lacy rolled her brown eyes. "Off to kill kids. Volunteers are fucking insane. I'm glad my parents never enrolled me in training."

I secretly agreed. My mom and dad were absolutely obsessed with the idea of having a Victor, so I began to learn how to fight when I was four. I didn't get much of a childhood since I would train nearly every waking moment. I liked to think my parents thought of me as more than an opportunity for money and fame, but they probably didn't. They'd forget about me entirely if I didn't win.

"Anyways, I hope you have fun if you don't die." She batted her eyes sweetly. "And you buy me stuff with your Victor money."

I didn't think I was going to die, and I was actually excited to be known by the Capitol. Finally I'd amount to something.

"You already have a bloody mansion, shut the hell up." Jett snapped. "Let the peasants live a little."

Lacy blew smoke in his face. "Fine." He coughed and she snickered.

My two best friends didn't really hate each other, their relationship was just 90% insulting each other in an affectionate way. They were both relatively easier on me because I was "too soft" to poke fun at them.

"Either of you want a cigarette? My maids really don't give a fuck if it's not legal yet."

Jett shook his head. "I'll live long while you die of drug abuse at twenty and Chance dies in the Games."

I laughed. "You guys are the worst."

"Even me?" Lacy simpered.

"Especially you." I scowled jokingly.

Lacy put down her cigarette and looked at me. "So you're really volunteering, huh."

"Yup."

She began to apply her lipstick. "There are gonna be five others who trained just as hard as you and maybe even some tough kids from the outer Districts. What makes you so sure you're gonna beat them?"

"I'm not like the other Careers." Jett began to snicker.

"What are you, a twelve-year-old girl? You're not specia-"

"Shut it." Lacy punched him in the arm lightly. "Go on."

"They just care about killing people without any real strategy. I've met the kids at training. They only practice with one weapon and know nothing about survival. And that's what always kills the Careers. Remember what Rhea Storme said? Learn from the mistakes of the ones who died. That's what I've been doing."

"So you focused on something that doesn't involve beating the shit out of a dummy? Amazing." Jett was my rival in training and jealous I had been chosen to volunteer.

"He's way smarter than you'll ever be, even though that's not saying much." Lacy replied. "I think you've got a chance, Chance. See what I did there?"

"Haha, thanks."

"And when you win I get half your money. Deal?"

I sighed. "Deal."

Cerise Ambersmith, District One Female (Age 17)

Now I had two reasons to volunteer. One, I'd been training to since I was eight. That was obvious.

Two, as soon as her scandals hit the news, Jade could have me executed. I was the only one who knew of her endeavors so it couldn't be anyone else who spilt the tea. Nobody could stand her; I only befriended her for whatever secrets she had. She was a bit of a bimbo but she would understand right away.

I was wearing a form-fitting black dress with diamonds around my neck. Even the non-volunteers were dressed to the nines since everyone wanted to look good for the television.

I recognized most of the other girls in my section from training. It would pretty much be a bloodbath to get to the front. I had confidence it would be me, plus I'd make a better tribute than any of them anyways. They were all dumb and I'd trained harder. In a battle of wits or fists I'd take them down in an instant.

The three previous Victors, along with the mayor, escort, and Head Peacekeeper, were all sitting on elegant chairs lined up neatly. Luxe and Sapphire (the Victors of the second and thirteenth Games respectively) were in a heated conversation. Sapphire was staring daggers at him while he was rather nonchalant. I wondered what it was about. Mentoring strategies?

The escort, Moriah Glisten, stood up and held the microphone. "Welcome, everyone!" She trilled in her high-pitched voice. "Welcome!"

The crowd went wild and I clapped with them.

"Today is Reaping day, so that means we'll be selecting two tributes to represent District One in the Twentieth Annual Hunger Games! How exciting."

She continued, "As a reward for being the most obedient District, the Capitol has provided us with a special video to show at the Reapings." The big projection screens on each side of the town hall began to show the Capitol emblem.

The national anthem played from the big speakers at the front of the square as the emblem disappeared into footage from the rebellion.

"War. Bloodshed. Treason." The monotone voice of President Amelia Metilius blared as the screens showed bombs going off over the Capitol. "The Districts had to pay for their rebellion." Videos of dying soldiers. Because that was the best thing to show a big group of teenagers.

"So out of the ashes, the Capitol had an idea. Every year, the twelve Districts would send two children, age twelve to eighteen, to compete in the Hunger Games where they would fight to the death, until a lone Victor was crowned. It would serve as a reminder of the Capitol's power, but also its mercy." The screens now displayed footage of the Games.

"And now, decades later, Panem is prospering. Everything is in order and we are in a time of peace." The anthem faded away and the screens went black again.

Moriah looked pleased. "Now, to select the tributes."

Fuck. It was my time.

She strode to the first bowl and dug her hand all the way to the bottom, pulling out a slip.

She cleared her throat. "Gli-"

"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" Chaos erupted right then. At least a dozen girls began to dash up to the podium. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two beginning a full-on fight.

Before I fully understood what was happening, I was standing in front of the entire District with a mic in my face. "Name, dear?"

"Cerise Ambersmith," I announced. "your next Victor."

Chance Garnet, District One Male (Age 17)

I knew that girl. Well, I'd heard of her and occasionally crossed paths with her in training. She was the crazy one who nobody with more than three brain cells could trust. It would certainly be interesting (and terrifying) being her ally. We'd probably wake up to a knife in someone's back.

Lacy was off in the girls' section and I was standing next to Jett. "You nervous, buddy?"

"Nah." I smiled. "I'll miss you though."

"I still can't believe you're gonna have to give the rich kid half your winnings." He rolled his eyes. "And I'll miss you too. It'll be hard dealing with Lacy all by myself for a while."

Moriah reached into the boy's bowl and took a slip of paper from the middle. My heart was racing and I shook my legs. I'd have to run up and beat everyone else to volunteer. This was it, this was my purpose in life.

"Rian Gre-"

"I VOLUNTEER!" She was immediately cut off by several shouts. I raced to the podium, nearly tripping on the stairs. I was up there before anyone else.

I made it.

I looked down at the other boys who were trying to beat me. Some I knew from training. They glared at me so I gave them a friendly, slightly sarcastic smile. I was a tribute. My heart was warm. As of now, I was famous.

"Hello, sir. What's your name?" Moriah chirped.

I leaned into the mic. "Chance Garnet." I winked at the crowd and they cheered.

Moriah blushed and said, "Very well."

"District One, I am beyond proud to present your tributes, Cerise Ambersmith and Chance Garnet!" She beamed as the audience went crazy, then in a softer voice, "Shake hands."

Cerise smiled at me and enthusiastically shook my hand. She batted her eyelids and whispered, "It's so nice to meet you."

AN: Two updates in two days? I'm on fire, damn. Also, we're 1/4 through the Reapings and I'm 1/4 through writing the same chapter with different characters over and over again! I'm starting high school in nine days so then I'll probably update around once a week. I think we'll have an exciting Career pack this year. I still haven't gotten submissions for the boys from District Two and Four so submit! Thank you to The Girl With The Knives and my irl friend (same one who made Sable, actually) for making these two! Questions:

What did you think of Cerise and Chance?

How long do you think they'll last in the arena?

If you're a sophomore or older, do you have any advice for rising freshmen? (Not SYOT related but I need help lmao)

Thanks for reading!