Ingrid "Gigi" Sampson, 16

District 5 Female

Gigi awoke to the sound of soft crying. The wind was whistling outside, fluttering the curtains on the windows, which were open just a crack, letting the cool air filter into the stuffy apartment. But the sound of Foster's tears were clear. She learned the difference between the twins' cries when they were still babies. Foster was quieter, more sad and subdued, while Adam was noisier and fussier. This was definitely Foster.

She laid in the darkness for a few more moments before kicking off her thin blanket and slipping into the boys' bedroom. She was tired from a day of scouting the market, but Vida needed her rest even more.

Foster was sitting in his crib, rubbing his cheek with a chubby fist.

"Gigi," he whimpered when he saw her. He reached out, and she lifted him out of his crib, sitting on the old chair in the corner and settling him in her lap.

"Hey bub," she said, bouncing him a little. "Do you want to hear a story?"

"Story!" he said with a sniffle. So Gigi dove into her best one.

It was a story her dad used to tell her when she was little; about two puppies - sisters - who explored District 5 and saved people from miscellaneous "bad guys". It was one of her fond memories of her dad, but she didn't often dwell on those. When their parents kicked Vida out, their status with her plummeted.

When she reached the end, Foster was asleep again. She placed him back in his crib and quietly shut the door. The clock in the kitchen read 4:31. She knew she probably should go back to sleep, but her brain and body were awake now. So she went into the main room and started cleaning up.

The boys' toys went into their basket, Vida's shoes - the ones she mindlessly kicked off after a late shift - went to their spot by the door. She quietly did the dishes from the night before, hand-drying the plates and silently stacking them away. Then she straightened the old, worn rug and put a few books away.

Checking the clock, it revealed only about 40 minutes had passed. But her brain was buzzing more than ever. Gigi never did well in school; she didn't do poorly either, but it was not her strongest spot. Instead, Gigi did well with people. To her, people were books ready to extract information from, and she would do with that information what she pleased. Some of the market stalls in the shadier parts of the district could use her, she was sure, but it wasn't the type of business where you could just walk up and ask for a job. And Vida definitely wouldn't approve.

Gigi was all Vida had. Her baby daddy dumped her when he found out she was pregnant, and their parents told her to leave. Gigi left too, without question. Things weren't the easiest, but she'd be with Vida until the power in 5 went out.

Connor Merlyn, 18

District 5 Male

"Connor!" His father's voice roared from downstairs, and Connor fought back a sigh. Did they need to have another discussion about how he "wasn't living up to his full potential"? They had one this morning.

"Coming!" he shouted back. He shut his computer and then padded down the stairs, hesitantly listening to try to discern his father's mood.

He found him and his sister Cora in the dining room, looking at a letter. Both of them looked extremely concerned.

"What is it?" Connor asked.

"We've received a letter about our banking account. The last bill was processed wrong and they've placed a hold on all our accounts.

"Oh," Connor said, biting down on his tongue. "That's not good." But in the back of his head, he was laughing. This was Sabrina's mostly brilliant idea yet.

"We've been making calls, but they're telling us they don't see an error on their end. But we have to take fraudulence seriously, so we've stalled further processing."

"Smart," Connor said, rocking back and forth on his heels. "Well, I'll leave you two geniuses to do it. I'm heading out."

"What, to see your girlfriend?" Cora sneered. Connor fixed her with a cold stare.

"Yes."

"Connor, she isn't worth your time," his father said without looking up from his computer. "When you take over the company-"

"I'm not taking over the company!" Connor shouted. Both Cora and his father stared at him, and he cleared his throat to compose himself. "I'm not taking over the company. I'm going to be a doctor. Now, if you'll excuse me, my girlfriend is waiting for me." Before either of them could speak, he left, grabbing his jacket from its hook and letting the door shut a little too loudly behind him.

"How did it go?" Sabrina asked when she opened the door.

"He was so confused," Connor laughed, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. Sabrina blushed a little, but giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Come in you goof. Iain made brownies."

Iain, Sabrina's cousin, was a cheerful guy with sandy blonde hair and an extremely positive attitude. He and his father took Sabrina in after her parents died when she was young. She was lucky to have an excellent home environment. Many people in 5 didn't, and that's why Connor wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to help people.

He and Sabrina sat down together at the table, each taking a plate from Iain.

"Today is grocery day," he told them after they'd been served. "Anything you need Sabrina?" She shook her head.

"Nope. You're the cook."

"Well, have fun you two," Iain said with a wink. Sabrina wrinkled her nose as he left, making Connor laugh.

After their brownies, they moved to Sabrina's bedroom. For a while, they read side-by-side, Sabrina's head resting in Connor's lap as he stroked her hair with his free hand.

She set her book down and pulled Connor's away from his face.

"Connor?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you." Her eyes were bright and warm, and she leaned up to kiss him before he could respond. Connor wrapped his arms around her, rolling them over and peppering kisses all over her face.

"I love you too. So, so much."

"You make me complete," Sabrina murmured against his ear and reached for the button on his pants…

Hi everyone! Not the longest chapter, but I wanted to get one out before the weekend was over. And now my other intros will be even! Connor and Gigi might be some of my favorites...

Also! This isn't CR-related, but I'm opening submissions for a new SYOT, so if anyone is interested in submitting, please do! I have plenty of spots open; all the details are on my profile. It would mean a lot to me if people submitted, and I'd appreciate reviews too. Basically, knowing people care about my writing makes me really happy!

So, without further ado...

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona