Sorry for the update delay. My family computer had to be replaced, and I've just been so busy... and I'm running out of Fun Facts that are actually related to the tributes.

Fun Fact of the Chapter: Both District Four tributes were submitted by the same person.

...

Carreen Haggerty, District Four

I've only told Lily about my plans to volunteer. Not Mom, not Ray, not even Cedric. Just Lily, my best friend since forever, and the person with whom I've been secretly training for the last few months.

Everybody else would try and bring me down, for sure. Well, more accurately, they would stand there in shock for a moment after hearing that I've been training, and then burst out with all kinds of objections. Perhaps the most prominent one being, "But, Carreen, you'll die!"

Yeah. I might. That's a very real possibility. But I'm also prepared for this. Perhaps not as much as some of the other Careers—I've only been training for two months, while they've had years—but more so than most of the other tributes. And I can swim better than any other 15-year-old in District Four.

The mayor reads off the list of past victors, as well as the mentors for this year. It's quite a long list, actually, if you count all of the ancient victors from the very beginning of Games history. However, most of our victors were from ancient days, so only one girl—Quill Isotes, who won a few years ago—is alive to mentor. Her male counterpart and mentor for a long while, Gabriel Fells, died of a sudden heart attack last year. He was 90 years old, though.

Yeah, District Four's golden age has definitely passed. All thanks to the Second Rebellion, in which our victors played a large role. Annie Cresta. Mags Kilman. Finnick Odair.

The mayor has finished with the history of Panem, and now our escort, a troubled man with a supposedly twisted mind and a sad half-smile, slowly walks up to the microphone and addresses the crowd.

"Hey, District Four. You ready to pick your tributes?"

Silence for a moment, and then a few half-hearted "yes"es sound from the crowd. Our escort always brings everything down. Again with the whole, "District Four is not as great as it used to be" theme.

"Ladies first." The man—I haven't bothered to learn his name, though I probably should—shuffles up to the first glass bowl and sticks his hand in. I lean forward a bit, getting ready to sprint. "Carreen Haggerty."

Whoa... well, that's convenient.

I jog forward at a light pace, still intent on showing the cameras that I'm strong, when I hear a few "I volunteer!"s coming from behind me. I pick up the pace, get to the stage first, and say, "No. I override the volunteers."

The escort looks at me curiously, and then turns to the boy's bowl. I give the cameras a triumphant, calculating look, and then watch my district partner get chosen.

His name is Gabriel Maddox, and nobody volunteers. He looks fit and strong, but I don't think he trained or anything. Probably from working on the docks. 17 years old, heavily muscled, tanned, like the stereotypical surfer. His eyes are a deep shade of blue that suggests a quiet, yet still intelligent, nature.

Maybe I'll ally with him.

We shake hands, and are shipped off to the Justice Building, where I'll have to face the questioning from my family. Of course, the first thing Ray says to me is, "What were you thinking, Carreen?"

I mumble something about how I have been training, thank you very much. Ray frowns.

"Just when I get out of the reaping, my little sister goes and puts herself in! You could have at least waited until you're older, Carreen! How long have you even been training?"

"Two months," I mutter.

"Two—two months! Carreen, you'll be in there with people who've been training for-"

"Years, their whole lives, I know, I know." I look up and glare at him. "This is something I want to do, Ray. You're not going to stop me. And just you wait, I'll come back. I'll win the games and come back home."

Ray snorts, and is about to retort when my mom cuts in. "Let her, Ray." Her voice is quiet and gentle, and the look in her eyes almost makes me regret my decision.

Lily comes in next, mostly congratulating me for getting in. She wishes me luck, saying that she's both scared and excited for me at the same time. "That's exactly how I feel," I tell her with a laugh.

Cedric is last. He says very little, just sitting there with me in silence, before his face breaks into a small, sad smile and he presses something into my palm. I pull it back to look at it—a bracelet made of seashells and a sand dollar strung in the middle.

"I was going to give it to you on our six-month anniversary," he explains. "But that would happen during the games, so... wear it into the arena, okay? And think of me while you're there?"

I smile and give him a reassuring kiss. "I'll come back, Cedric. You know me."

"Carreen-"

"I'll come back."

He shakes his head with a smile, and whispers in my ear. "I have no doubt, love." He knows me too well. I have no other visitors.

I can feel the cameras and the crowd pressing in on me as we board the train and pull out of District Four, headed to the Capitol and all its glory.