Sorry it's been so long since my last update guys, I've been working my ass off recently and havn't really had time fro writing. I promise i'll get up at least a chapter a day for the next few days while i'm a little bit busier.

Anyways to pay you all back for being so patient prepare for a double dose of Reapings as i present to you District 9 with 10 close to follow!

Rodney Loranson POV

"Look guys, all I'm saying is that I think that the Hunger Games are the Capitol's way of keeping us compliant rather than it actually being a punishment" I try to call over the arguing of my friends.

Dereck looks up and nods his head. "The whole games are just a stupid, pointless waste of time. I don't like it. And for one thing it just doesn't make sense. Why would you off kill off these kids when they could grow up, learn a skill, and contribute to the whole of Panem. It's a waste of life and the whole economy takes a blow."

Alice takes the brief pause created by Derek's point to make her own. "Forget about that, how can we talk about how society is effected when children OUR AGE are being slaughtered? It's cruelty, plain and simple." She swishes her brown her over her shoulder as if it adds weight to her argument.

Then I see Belle sit up straighter in her chair. "I agree with Alice, but you guys are all 16 and I'm 15. There's really nothing we can do about it despite how much we all hate the Games. Don't you think we learnt our lesson? Two rebellions later and yet we're still in the same position we were 225 years ago."

"Guys, I love that we're all so open about this, but we've been discussing this all night and none of us has gotten any sleep. Plus we have the Reapings soon. I'm all for the Capitol-bashing sessions but can we maybe leave the heavy topics for another time? My brain is starting to fizzle out." Aiden is always the voice of reason, and it's his house so we kinda all have to follow his rules.

We don't usually have these all-nighter sessions. They're usually reserved for after school, weekends and afternoons. We got together last night because I had a particularly hard time at home. It started at dinner time. I had been sitting in the lounge room doing my homework when I heard a crash followed by my mum's scream coming from the kitchen. Of course I came running. My mum Heather had dropped a bowl of hot soup and it broke, the contents spilling out all over the floor. I asked if she needed help but the woman had the gall to say that it wasn't her responsibility to clean it up because she cooked the meal, and that I had to clean it up all on my own. Saying that, she practically threw a dishtowel at my face and left the room in a huff. Despite the fact that I had a major assignment due in at the end of the week I still bent down and started scrubbing. Of course my dad picks that exact time to come in and see what's happened. Rather than asking why I was cleaning up and not doing my homework, he scolds me instead about how I'm not using a damp cloth or mopping it up the right way. I'd had enough. I threw the towel in the sink and ran out the door without looking back.

Even though Alice's house is right next door to mine I didn't think it would be appropriate to just appear on her front door. Instead I ran all the way to Aidan's. Well, most of the way. I'm not so fit so I had to walk for some of it while I caught my breath. When I got there his family were ok with me coming inside and stying the night, then we made some calls to get all the gang together for just a late night hang-out session that I just needed. I had to find a way to distract myself from the night's events and talking trash with my best friend's is one of the ways I can. When we all got here it was mutually decided that we'd all be staying the night, mostly because my friends just knew that I needed to talk. I started with talking about my parents. How my mum always whines, never taking responsibility for my actions, and how my dad is so controlling and OCD all the time with everything I do. That conversation quickly moved to unfair situations and scenarios, which inevitably ended up with us talking about the Hunger Games and how we all hate them.

We're not the only ones. Pretty much everyone on district 9 hates the Games; we're just the only ones who ever talk about it. Alice is our little revolutionary, always trying to get us to do something about it. Luckily we have Isabelle in our group, but I call her Belle for short.

She and I were sort of a package deal in this friendship circle. Belle and I were friends before I met any of the others. As next-door neighbours we would see each other and hang out all the time. So when I first met Aidan and started hanging out with him and his friends it only seemed natural to bring Belle with me. Belle is there to ground us. She's the youngest of our group but by far the most careful. She hates the Capitol as much as we all do but she understands that there's very little we can actually do to make a change.

The five of us sit silently for a while before we all almost psychically decide it's time to go to the Reapings. We're all talked out and it's time to get a move on. None of us really need to go back home as everyone except me packed an overnight bag, but my parents have already left for the fields so the house is locked. The five of us walk gingerly down the road to the Reapings. People look up from their work and wave, the five of us together is a pretty common sight.

When we arrive it's pretty upsetting because Belle has to go off on her own, but we all wave her off and try to keep an eye on where she is. Even though she was my friend originally, she's a member of this group just like any of us. The fool of an escort we have in district 9 gets up on stage. I swear that every year she has just a little bit too much champagne at the Reaping pre-party because she never looks steady when she's up on the stage; a trait that we usually make fun of whenever we make jokes about the Capitol.

Our very inebriated escort looks confused for a moment, as if she's wondering what she's wondering what she's doing up on stage. It takes her a few seconds to notice the bowls on either side of the podium. The audience laughs as she makes her way to the bowl for the female tributes then realizes her mistake as custom dictates that the male tributes are always called first. So after traversing the whole length of the podium again she finally reaches the bowl filled with the male names. All the laughter dies down as she pulls the name out of the bowl.

"Rodney Loranson!" she screams.

I'm so surprised that I've been Reaped that I forget to be angry or upset about it the way I always imagined. I guess the only way to really do this is to enjoy it while I can. I wave at the audience and smile. This is all one big joke to me. I don't really think I have a chance at winning so I might as well make the most of it. Bring it on Hunger Games, show me what you've got.

Sophie O'Donnel POV

I've never understood this Hunger Games thing. I get that people who are native to Panem have grown up with it, but where I'm from we never had anything like this. We moved to Panem when I was 6, my father and I. Our homeland is where the country of Ireland once existed, but since all the European countries decided to band together and form one Nation, now everything is just called Europa. The problem with having such a large nation is that it's hard to find food or shelter without government help, and the governments just don't have enough to help everyone. My dad thought that moving to Panem would be a good idea. It would mean a better life for the two of us. Mum died giving birth to me, so I've led a very sheltered life. My dad is a little protective of me, but I know that he means well. He used to be a farmer back in Europa so he figured that District 9 would be a perfect fit for us. To be honest it does remind me a lot of home, with the sweeping hills and large fields, only difference is the climate. It's never that cold here, and my delicate skin just can't handle the harsh sunlight of Panem.

Our red hair and accents means we always stand out in the district, especially in large crowds. Luckily I managed to make friends with the only other natural red-head in the district, Marcie. She's 15 just like me. Apparently both her parents are brunettes but she came out fiery. My dad told me a story that he probably shouldn't have, but at least I know now where Marcie gets her temper from. When she was born her dad was furious. He screamed all around the hospital room shouting out that she wasn't his daughter and that her mother had had an affair. The only problem is back then there were no redheads that she could have slept with. Turns out that looking through old family photo albums they found ancestors on both sides that were redheads too, it just popped up every few generations. Marcie is prone to a few of her own temper tantrums, and it's usually up to me to calm her down.

Growing up in a poverty stricken society meant we had to fend for ourselves most of the time. I learned very early on which plants that grew on the side of the road I could eat and which ones would make me feel sick. Sure the foliage in Europa and Panem are quite different, but every now and then I see a plant that I recognise, more often than not it's one that I shouldn't eat though. There's just something about Panem that seems to breed danger. From the plants to these infernal hunger games. It's a barbaric tradition that seems to have been founded so long ago that people can barely remember the reason for their existence. And yet every year these people let the lives of their children be threatened by the very society that should be in place to protect them. I just can't understand it.

A knock on the door signals that Marcie has come over. Her parents work in the fields while my dad works in the mill, so he doesn't need to get to work as early as some. It means that he's able to walk Marcie and me to the Reapings so we don't have to be alone.

I'm really grateful to have the dad that I do. He's always done what he thought has been best for us and he's usually right. He works hard so I've never had to take the tesserae thing. From what I hear and from what Marcie tells me it isn't a great thing, even though she's been forced to take it twice. So you get a year's supply of small foodstuffs in exchange for an increase in your chances to get reaped? Does the Capitol actually WANT the kids to die?

I'm left with confusing thoughts as we arrive at the Reapings, but put them aside while I watch he embarrassing display by our district's escort. I honestly can't imagine anything worse than her performance up on that stage as I watch her unwrap the female tribute's name.

"Sophie O'Donnel!" squawks the escort.

Ok so maybe I can imagine something worse than her performance... and it just happened...

P.S. I got the idea for the scene when Marcie was born from an actual thing that happened in my family.

On my dad' side i'm Greek, so everyone has Dark hair and Dark eyes. When my uncle was born he had Blond hair and Blue eyes. My Papou (Grandfather in Greek) was so angry! He swore that my Yiayia (grandmother) had cheated on him with someone else from their village. He got so angry that he threatened to divorce her! Before you start wondering if she did, no she did not have an affair. Within half a year his hair darkened to brown and so did his eyes, my papou was thoroughly embarrassed :P

I thought i'd just add that in there because we all like to have a good laugh about it every now and again and i found it funny :)