Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I will now get back into the swing of responding to them so I'm sorry for keeping ya'll hanging. Please keep them coming. They are always helpful.

Enjoy the last Goodbyes! On to the Games!

Chapter VIII The Goodbyes – Part 2

District 7

David felt awful.

He had ruined the Justice Buildings very nice carpet.

A pool of vomit stained it, an ugly orange and brown against the red maple colored carpet. David was currently sitting on the floor, leaning against a wall and willing the room to stop spinning. He had held it together for the Mayor and her husband, but as soon as they left David's limited resolve collapsed.

His parents came in and tried to comfort him. Kind words and platitudes, David knew it, but he wanted to believe everything they said. They could tell him he was going to the moon and he'd believe it. Anything to escape the horrible idea he was going into the Games.

And to his death.

The three minutes went by too fast and soon his parents were forced out. Ned came next, the only other person to come. He was shell shocked like David, but was channeling it into rage.

"Those bastards!" He screamed, dropping to the ground and hugging his friend tightly. "I'll kill them all!"

"Don't!" David warned.

"Don't defend them, David!" Ned said, pulling away. He looked absolutely feral. "You don't deserve this and no one else does either! Even those freaking psychos from Districts 1 and 2 don't!"

'What if they hear you talking badly?' David wanted to say, but the fight was gone. He was so tired and, more than anything, just wanted to go to sleep.

Ned seemed to notice this and wans't having any of it. "Get up!" He commanded. David moved slow, so Ned helped him up, impatient. "You gotta pull your shit together, ok? You can't give up and give in like this!"

"What's the point?" David whined. His throat was still burning from the vomit. Maybe he could fall asleep on the carpet? It was comfortable enough and he could be far away from the vomit. The room was big enough.

"The point is for your family! For me!" Ned shouted, shaking him lightly. "You're my brother, David, and I'm not letting you go out without a fight! So wake up, get angry, and fight for your life!"

David just nodded, tears welling in his eyes. "I'm going to die!" He suddenly cried. He choked out a scream followed by a hard hiccup as he struggled to get ahold of himself. Ned gave him a hard look, gripping his shoulders tightly.

"No you're not. You just need to fight. Anyone can win the Games, ok? You don't even have to kill anyone! Just hide out, don't piss off anyone in the Capitol, or the Gamemakers, especially them! Just be polite, nice, play the Game and say that you love the Capitol and all it's glory and blah blah blah and bam! You can win!"

David nodded, chin still shaking. "Ok… I'll fight."

"You'll what?"

"I'll fight!" David said, with slightly more conviction.

"Then that's a start!" Ned said with a hard, forced smile. He was desperate for David to come back, his best friend since they were little and, like he said, a brother.

David hoped he didn't let him down, but somehow, he already knew his fate.

Ola was calm as she waited in the room. She sat down on the couch, stunned by how comfortable it was for, what, a piece of furniture that someone probably only sat in once a year? Seemed like a waste. Still, she as enjoying, even if she was freezing in the room in just her tank top. There was a vent in the corner ceiling that seemed to click on and off, blowing cold air into the room. She had heard about that system, air conditioning, but it was the first time in her life she was experiencing it.

The Capitol really withheld all sorts of wonders from the Districts, didn't they?

Her family came first, the only people she wanted to see. They were not an emotional family, save for her brother Jacks, but Ola thought she could see tears in her parents' eyes.

"You know how to use an axe." Jack tried, his usually bubbly personality muted due to the occasion. "So you know, use it. And win!"

"We're all rooting for you." Her mom said. "You're a tough girl. You've already had to deal with the most awful things in the world. You can do this."

"Just imagine each of the Tributes is Rua." Her dad told her bluntly. "Show no mercy, and come home to us."

Ola could do that, she hoped. She and her family knew Rua deserved this fate, not her. Too bad the rest of the District didn't.

And they were ready to show it.

The came as a trickle at first. But soon, it was a steady line of her peers form the mill and school coming in to tell her off. To unload all the hate they had built up towards her after Rua killed himself.

"The Careers are going to eat you alive." One said. If it wasn't the Capitol flag beneath them, he probably would have spit on the ground.

The next one came in, red faced. "Rua deserved better than you! We all know how awful you are!"

The insults kept coming. Most didn't stay for their full minute. They came in, lobbed an insult and prayer for her death, and left. 'When did I make this many enemies?' Ola thought. At this point she thought she was immune to their misguided criticism, but hearing a relentless torrent of it was too much. She could hear Rua sneaking into her mind again, his voice sick and triumphant.

'If you break up with me I'll kill myself! I'll freaking do it, Ola! I'll tell everyone it's your fault and that you're the reason I'm dead and they lost a friend! Because you know everyone loves me and nobody, nobody knows who you are! Just some red headed weirdo.'

And he did it. He made it come true.

"Rua was a liar." She told one of his "friends", a boy she knew vaguely from school. "He was abusive to me."

"He never hit you." The boy instantly defended him, without even a thought.

"It was verbal." Rua said, but she wasn't sure how she could explain it.

The boy wasn't interested in hearing it anyways. He rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah, sure. What, did he raise his voice a little when dealing with your insanity?"

It was no use. Ola fell silent again and took in the hate. Picturing the Tributes as Rua would definitely work. And if she lived in Victor Village she'd never have to see any of these people again.

DISTRICT 8

As expected, everyone was loving Chase.

Fans, friends, peers, and friends of the family streamed in, tears in their eyes as they mourned the loss of Chase Metro. But each of them left uplifted and believing, for the first time in a while, District 8 could actually win the Games.

Because Chase was going to win. As far as he was concerned, it was as good as done.

Chase's dad was incredibly proud of him, even more so by the fact that his son wasn't cowed by the challenge ahead of him. "You've never been one to pussy out from a challenge." He raved. His mom stood behind him, quiet and deferential to her husband as always.

Chase really didn't respect her much.

"Anna and Jessica coming to say their goodbyes?" Chase asked, but his dad waved that thought off.

"Don't worry about your sisters." He commanded. "They're just being sensitive. Women."

Chase laughed and finished up the goodbyes with them. More people came into the say their goodbyes and wish him well. He was on his absolute best behavior for all of them. As he kept talking, he felt his confidence build more and more.

'Victor Chase Metro.' He thought, 'Victor Metro. That has a nice ring to it.'

Jason and Nathaniel came together, bouncing with excitement. "Dude, you're going to kill it in there." Jason said immediately.

"Those Careers are going to be all like 'what?! No way!'when they see you coming." Nathaniel commented.

"You should join them!" Jason said. "Yeah dude, join them and kick some Outlier ass!"

Chase scoffed at that. "Maybe. If I think it's worth my time. And if the girls are hot this year."

The three boys chuckled at that. Their time was up shortly after and the procession continued. In the back of his mind, Chase kept wondering when Megan was going to show up. Sure she was mad at him right now but he was just Reaped. She had to show up now.

But as the hour went on and the line began to thin, she never appeared. Chase couldn't believe. Could she really be that much a spoiled bitch that she let her petty shit get in the way of seeing him? She was his girlfriend after all, even if she said they were on a break.

'Whatever.' He thought. 'I can be with anyone when I'm Victor. And even Megan won't be able to say no to a Victor…'

Cara's family was a bundle of anxiety and fear that she just couldn't deal with that the moment.

"Not another child!" Her mother screamed, hugging her tightly. Her grandparents were in tears and her father was struggling to find something to say.

"I'm coming back." Cara managed. There was little conviction in her tone but she could tell her family needed to hear it. "I'll be smart, get the Capitol to like me, and I'll come home to you all."

"You can get the Capitol to like you!" Her grandmother coo'd. "You've read all their favorite books! And are family has never made trouble."

"Never." Her grandfather confirmed.

"You're going to win, Cara." Her dad finally said clearly. "Show those bastards that us Whitlock's don't give up and won't be broken."

It was an uncharacteristically rebellious comment from someone from their family. Cara wasn't terribly surprised though. Ever since Eric overdosed, her dad hadn't been the same. None of them had, but her dad took the death of his eldest child the worst. He came back from work everyday, working as a manservant for the District elite, filled with barely repressed rage. Suddenly, Cara feared what her father might do if she didn't come back.

"I won't give up." Cara said. "I'm coming home, I promise. I won't leave you like Eric left us."

Her father just nodded. Cara's own thoughts on her brother were far more ambivalent. He could never deal with life in District 8 and had spiraled out of control. His addiction had torn the family apart until he eventually ran away, overdosing three months afterwards on contaminated Morphling. Cara, who was left to deal with her shattered parents, didn't think she could ever forgive Eric for it.

Once her family was gone, only one other person came to visit. Audrey came rushing in, tears in her eyes. "I'm coming back. I promise." Cara said on autopilot.

"Of course you're coming back! You can't leave me alone here all by myself!" Audrey cried. Cara felt like crying herself. Audrey really was a good friend.

"I'll be smart about things. Make the Capitol like me."

"And you have Chase!" Audrey said. "He looks ready for the Games and is like, you know, tough! Just stay by him and he'll help you out!"

Cara was less taken by that idea. "I… I don't think that's a good idea." She said. "I've heard plenty of terrible stories about him."

"What? From who?"

"You know… people at school."

"I've never heard anything like that! Sounds like people are just jealous of him."

Cara wasn't certain. Audrey liked to hang with the popular kids and Cara wasn't one of them. She hung out with the misfits and shyer boys, and they had plenty to say about Chases's bullying ways.

"Ok, I'll try to talk to him." Cara lied. It made Audrey happy, which was enough for Cara. But she was going to trust her gut on this one.

Don't trust Chase.

DISTRICT 9

It was a relief when his parents left. Alice was embarking on a great journey and the last thing he wanted were his parents all weepy and crying over losing a son. He didn't even bother to say anything, silently thankful when the Peacekeepers came and dragged them away.

Of course, that left Brick.

"Do you think you can win?" He asked when he entered. His adopted cousin was such a moron.

"Of course." Alice replied. "You just need to be vicious. And I can be."

"Can you?" Brick asked. He had never seen that side of Alice, entirely on purpose though. Alice didn't want Brick, who was shockingly moral despite his adoptive dad's criminal activities, to snitch and cause a ruckus.

"I can. Is there anything else?" Brick just shook his head and tried to hug him. Alice had put up with enough hugs from his parents and stopped him cold. "Maybe when I'm back." He mocked. Brick looked hurt and left early. Alice couldn't care, he was anticipated his final visitor and wanted to get to him.

Sure enough, Uncle Fardow came strolling in, looking rather pleased with himself. He was in full predator mode, ready to try and exploit something to his advantage. "Bad break, kid." He said.

"Guess you'll have to find someone else for that job later." Alice said, monotone. His uncle actually laughed at that, before he continued. "I'm going to win."

"Honestly? I think you are." Uncle Fardow replied. "Which is why I'm going to be betting on you, kid. You're going to make me rich."

Alice raised an eyebrow at that. "Am I?" He challenged.

"Of course! Listen, I've got some money left over from the gang. And Districts are allowed to contribute with gifts or sponsor stuff. I could get some money flowing your way in the Games."

"But?"

"Heh, you already know, don't ya, kid? You've gotta play ball when you get back. Your Uncle Fardow gets to live in Victor Village with you. And, you cut me in with a share of the Victor's purse. Deal?"

It took all the effort in the world not to roll his eyes at that. His Uncle could be so incredibly stupid sometimes. As if he'd ever honor that deal, or fear his Uncle when he was Victor.

"Ok, you have a deal." Alice lied. His Uncle, greedy to his core, didn't even question it.

"Excellent." His Uncle said. "Then may the odds be ever in your favor."

"They will be." Alice replied easily. Something about all this felt right to him. Like it was a long time coming or something.

And the Games were a perfect place to let loose and truly be himself.

And that thought was enough to make Alice offer a rare smile for the world.

Millie felt as though her heart was going to explode. Could this truly be happening to her? Her?

The honor of it all was just so overwhelming.

She was stunned she hadn't passed out on stage with the Escort! All eyes in Panem were going to be on her now as she represented her great District! She could hardly believe it!

'What if I win!?' She thought suddenly. Sure, if she had to die for the District and the Capitol, Millie was more than willing to, but actually winning?

She let out an excited screech. This was just too wonderful!

Plenty of staff from the Orphanage came to see her and wish her well. A few of them seemed rather surprised by her upbeat attitude but did nothing to discourage it. "Go to the Games and know that your entire District supports you." The head of the orphanage said.

"When I come back, I'm buying you a mansion for all the wonderful things you've done for me!" Millie promised.

The elderly woman said nothing. What was there to say to such a thing?

Next were Rosette and Zea, who burst in just as excited as Millie was. "You're going to the Capitol!" Zea screamed. Millie screamed too and five year old Rosette, feeling left out, joined in.

"I'll have to explore while I'm there." Millie said. "Oh, I can ask Adalina for recommendations!"

"Wait… Millie… what if you don't come back?" Rosetta asked, suddenly afraid.

"Then I don't come back." Millie proclaimed. "And I die for the District and the Capitol."

Rosette and Zea, five and eight years old respectively, thought that a very noble and proper aspiration for a citizen of the Districts, who had long ago spurned the generosity of the Capitol and caused the Dark Days. "Well, you are coming back so that doesn't matter!" Zea said. "The Capitol is going to love you!"

Their time was up and last came Adalina, who appeared quite nervous and unprepared for Millie's excitement. "I was just talking to Zea and Rosette. Do you have any recommendations for places to visit in the Capitol? Millie asked.

"Um… they don't let you leave the Tribute Center. Except for the Interviews." Adalina said.

"Oh." Millie mumbled, heartbroken for a moment before rallying. "Well, that's ok. Just something to do on the Victory Tour then!"

"How are you not freaking out right now, Millie?" Adalina asked.

"Why are you? It's the Hunger Games! You're from the Capitol! You're supposed to love this as much as me!"

"I was exiled from the Capitol. Like my parents. Big freaking difference!" Adalina said, sounding testy.

Millie's mood was on the brink of being officially soured. "I thought you loved the Capitol."

"I do! But there are other ways to honor the Capitol then competing in the Games. Millie, there are twenty-three other Tributes going in. And you don't have any combat training!"

"Neither do they! It'll all be even and the best Tribute will win."

"Millie…"

"Look, if you're going to be so negative you can just leave." Millie pouted. She was being childish, she knew, but she just for the life of her couldn't understand why Adalina was making such a fuss!

Adalina let out a heavy sigh and relented. "Ok. I'm sorry, you're right. I shouldn't be like this. You're going to the Capitol after all!"

Millie was instantly happy again and embraced her best friend. "I'm going to miss you."

"And I'm going to miss you too." Adalina said. "And… my parents once told me that Zoo Corridor is excellent. They have holograms and habitats with extinct animals like polar bears and tigers, and you can like have a picnic around them while they play."

Millie smiled. "That sounds absolutely lovely." She replied, more content then she had ever been in her life.

DISTRICT 10

As soon as he was alone and without the eyes of Panem on him, Buck's stony confidence at the Reaping melted away. He was going into the Hunger Games, something District 10 didn't historical have a great track record with.

Buck's Pa was first in after the Mayor. Grief lined every feature of his body, and Buck's resolve broke when he saw it. First his wife, their newborn child, and now his only remaining child. What else would his Pa have to live for?

The two men hugged and didn't say much. "I'm going to come back, Pa." Buck said finally.

"Please." His Pa said softly. "Please come back."

Heavy sobs followed and father and son were soon comforting each other. It wasn't fair but, as Buck learned early with his ma's death and the death of the child that took her from him, life wasn't always fair.

"Is there anyway I can say goodbye to Cooper?" He asked, knowing there wasn't.

"She'll be here when you get back. And if you don't come back, that dog will tear apart every Peacekeeper she can get her hands on."

Buck had to laugh at that, though some fresh tears came when he thought his dog. What if he never saw her again? Cooper wouldn't know what was going on. Would she spend the rest of her life thinking Buck had abandon her?

After his father, men and women from the Midthunder Ranch came to visit him. Everyone of them wished him luck and quite a few of them were near tears. The Ranch truly was a community all its own, sometimes feeling separate from the rest of District 10. Buck hoped he could make them proud. If he won, he promised himself that none of them would ever want for anything ever again.

Among them was Cora, who was trying to put on as brave a face as Buck had when he was Reaped. "Guess we'll have to hang out when I'm back, huh?" Buck joked, attempting to smile. Cora let out a dry laugh, which sounded more like a sob than anything else.

"Will I be allowed to hang around Victor Village when you're all rich and fancy?" She asked.

Buck pretended to contemplate that for a little. "Hmm… well they don't let slobs in. So I guess it's possible you can get in."

Cora let out a sarcastic cry of outrage and the two of them descended into giggles. "I think you can win, Buck." Cora said with conviction. "You're tough, you're smart, and you'll get all the Capitolites to love you."

"Cora... I gotta kill to win." Buck said, that realization suddenly hitting him.

"Then you need to do what you need to do." Cora said. "Ain't nobody here will hold it against you."

"Even you?"

"Even me." Cora nodded. "Now come back a Victor."

They two hugged. For a moment, they had looked at one another like they would kiss but stoped themselves. Even in this moment, they were too shy to take that step and, Buck thought to himself, it'd be nice to kiss her when he was back.

'When I'm back.' Buck thought. He had to remember 'when.' If he started thinking like a loser, he'd surely be one.

And you did not want to lose the Hunger Games.

Hayley had mostly calmed down by the time the Mayor came in. She listened passively as he told her that the District would support her and wished her well. They were empty words though. She didn't know the Mayor and she didn't even know people in the District that well. Her Pa had already died in the Games for them and her Ma had received little from it as far as she could tell. If she died, Hayley knew she'd be forgotten just like Pa, only to have an Escort one day struggle to even remember her.

The entire Butcher clan spilled into the room to say goodbye. They all had something to say, but Hayley was only focused on her Ma. She expected her to be a utterly destroyed, but instead, Hayley saw a new side to her.

"You have all the skills you need to survive the Games." Her Ma told her. "I taught you how to be merciless when you need to be. Taught you how to hold people at arms length. That's what you need to do to win. Do not hesitate, show no mercy. You'll survive the Games."

"Ma… I don't know how to kill. Killing chicken and pigs on the farm is one thing. I never even liked doing that! You just made me!"

"You killed something. And you endured. That's half the way to winning the Games."

Hayley didn't see it like that. Plenty of kids around District 10 had to kill animals. Sure, people were used to it, but that didn't make them killers. And Hayley never liked killing. For a moment, she thought about reminding Ma that Pa had died from infection and not fighting but kept her mouth shut. Her little cousins Darren and Isaac were in tears and she didn't want to do anything to agitate them.

"She's right, Hayley." Lloyd said. "Just fight hard and you can come back."

Hayley just nodded. He had to believe that. They all did. Though behind them all, her grandparents were looking less invested than the others. They were probably going to exploit this to promote their ranch or make some sort of business connection. She had never forgotten how they had "introduced" Hayley to a son of a business partner, a clear set up as though she was cattle to be sold.

More hugs and tears and the family was forced out, leaving Hayley all alone. She tried to imagine her Pa in a room like this, but the image was fuzzy. He had died before she was born and she only knew him from flashes on the TV when the Games would come on. Did he go weeping to the Games? Was he confident he would win? Would he be proud of the life she had led so far?

A spark of inspiration hit her. Her Pa had been in the Games. Could she use that to win sponsors?

Ideas and thoughts ran through her head. It was all a jumbled web and filled with 'what ifs' but for now it kept her sane as she faced down the crucible ahead.

DISTRICT 11

The room smelled of urine, now stale and throughly ruining Ruddy Clemson's pants. He was so mortified, peeing like some scared child. He was utterly humiliated before the entire District, before all of Panem!

He had at least stopped crying by the time his parents, grandmother, and Bloom came in. Bloom was the first to hug him, ignoring the stains on him. Ruddy began crying again, embracing his fiancé tightly.

"Why is this happening?" He cried. "I'm a good person."

"I don't know." Bloom replied, voice breaking. "Our lives… they're over."

"Enough of that talk." His grandmother piped up, tone reproving. "If you think like that you might as well walk off the plate at the start of the Games. You're coming back to us, Ruddy, and you will pull yourself together to do it."

Instantly, Ruddy felt another wave of shame fall over himself. How could he be this defeatist already? Bloom was counting on him to come home.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I just got carried away."

"We'll raise money for you!" His mom said. "Make sure people are sending you sponsor gifts. Just impress the right people during Training, win some sponsors, and you're golden."

Ruddy nodded. Everyone in the room ignored the fact that only District 12 had produced fewer Victors than District 11. For his entire life, Ruddy had ignore the Games. Considered them a evil that would always exist in the world and not worth getting upset about. Now he was in them and his whole world was crumbling down.

Still, there as no use waxing over the irony in all of this. He had to pull it together and come out on top.

More tears and hugs. Bloom kissed him passionately, not caring his family was in the room. "Come home. We'll get married in the greatest ceremony this District that's ever seen."

"I promise." Ruddy said. Feeling a little better. Maybe there as hope?

It was role reversal for Daisy Mayfield as she spent her time calming her twin Jenna down. A nasty purple bruise was forming on Jenna's face, curtesy of the Peacekeepers rough handling. Their parents and siblings had already come and gone and plenty of school friends had come for their goodbyes. Jeanna had come wanting to see her twin all by herself and wanted to be the last.

"I'm going to kill all of them!" Jenna screamed, much to Daisy's horror. She had never seen Jenna so riled up and was terrified she actually might walk out and pick a fight with a Peacekeeper. The bodies in the Festival Square had set her on edge, now Daisy getting Reaped was going to push her over.

"Please calm down." Daisy cried, "For me, please!"

Seeing the anguished look on Daisy's face was enough to make Jenna take a breath. She was barely holding back tears when she laid out a confession. "I was going to volunteer for you, but then they knocked me out."

Silence engulfed the sisters. Daisy finally broke it. "Why?"

"Because… because I could make it in the Games."

"And you don't think I can?"

"I… I thought you wouldn't be able to handle it. You're so nice, Daisy, and everyone likes you and you like everyone. I was scared… scared you get eaten alive in the arena. But then that stupid Peacekeeper smack me in the face and I couldn't help you! I couldn't help my sister!"

Daisy instantly engulfed her sister in a hug. Of course she was going to volunteer for her. But would Daisy have allowed it? That was a question she couldn't answer now…

"I don't know if I can do this, Jenna." Daisy confessed. "You're right. I'm not ready for this. I know I don't have it in me!"

"You don't have to kill anyone, Daisy." Jenna said. "You just need to hide out and survive."

"But they'll send Mutts after me if I do that!"

"Well then run and hide! And be smart ok? You've always been the smarter one out of the two of us! Everyone knows that!"

"Oh please…"

"It's true! And the Capitol is going to love you in your Interview. Could you imagine me doing that interview?"

Daisy let out a choked laugh as she imagined Caesar Flickerman trying to rein in Jenna. She'd probably smack him and insult the whole Capitol.

"I'll charm them."

"You'll charm them!" Jenna said with confidence. "And I promise, I won't do anything bad while you're gone, ok? So don't worry about me, don't worry about mom and dad, or our siblings! Just focus on winning, ok, and you can do this!"

Daisy nodded, absorbing Jenna's confidence. She hoped it wasn't misplaced.

DISTRICT 12

Years of dealing with his abusive father had taught Pan how to compartmentalize. Right now he was doing a fairly good job of it as he had to console his mother.

"They can't take you, they just can't!" She cried. "Not my sweet boy!"

His younger sister Lucy was equally horrified, her light blue-grey eyes filled with tears. Pan put his hand on his mother's back and rubbed, whispering soothing words to her. Before long, the goodbye was over and his mother and sister were shuffled out of the room.

Jack was the only other one who visited. He looked at his best friend with an open mouth, struggling with words. Pan felt the same way. How many Tributes over the years had been where he stood?

"Look… Haymitch just won. So, it's not like District 12 can't win, right? You just gotta fight hard, ok?"

Pan just nodded. He didn't really feel like he could do that. But whats the harm in lying to his friend?

"I will." He said. He didn't mean it, but Jack needed to hear it. Pan even needed to hear it. He had survived his father, maybe he could survive the Games? A suddenly urge fell over him and a confession sputtered out before he could stop it. "I like you, Jack."

Jack gave him a bemused look. "I like you too, Pan."

"No… I mean…. What I meant to say was… I like you. Like you."

The air went still in the room. "Oh." Jack said dully.

"Yeah."

Neither boy said anything. Pan himself didn't even know until recently he had a crush on his best friend. It had started slowly until he could no longer deny it. But those kind of feeling… this wasn't the Capitol or Inner Districts… nobody wanted to see two guys or girls going at it.

And apparently Jacks felt the same.

He turned and left the room without a word.

And Pan was totally alone.

It seemed to Marianna that her mom also agreed their family's good fortune had finally run out.

There were a lot of tears shed as the family said goodbye to her. No one made her promise to come back to them. Marianna knew the odds were against her, as they did as well. What was the point in a lie?

"You be nice to each other, ok?" Marianna warned her siblings. Zed and Fae were teary eyed but nodded in compliance. Their older sister was leaving them forever. They had all grown up in District 12 and knew the dangers of the world, and how cruel it could be.

Especially to District 12.

"Stay strong, ok?" Her mom said. Her dad nodded along, tears in his eyes that made Marianna's eyes well up.

"I will. I'll make you all proud."

"You do that every day, Mari." Her dad choked out.

The family hugged and it wasn't long until they were escorted out. Marianna didn't expect anyone else after that, and yet the door eventually opened again and Tabasa came rushing in.

"I can't believe this!" She cried, embracing Marianna tightly. "They can't take you!"

Marianna was so shell shocked to see her. And to see how upset she was. "Thank you for coming." She said plainly.

"You're my friend. Of course I am." Tabesa said. Her voice was so earnest that it caught Marianna by surprise. Tabesa had always been nice to her, but part of Marianna feared that it was all a joke. Tabesa was Merchant class and, despite Marianna's family moving up, she was still Seam born.

Turns out she was wrong all along.

"I don't know what I can do." Tabesa said. "But I'll be rooting for you. I'll make sure the entire District is rooting for you! And when you come back, you can move into Victor Village and live on. Just… live and exist and be happy. Ok?"

"Ok." Marianna breathed. "Can you check on my family while I'm gone? Make sure they're ok?"

"I will as long as they'll have me."

"Thank you. You're… my best friend. And… I love you."

"I love you too, Marianna. Please, please come back a Victor."

"I'll try."

And then she was gone. Marianna was still a bit taken aback. So there were still good people in the world?

And maybe, just maybe, a chance in hell she could pull this off.

Alright and we're on our way to the Capitol! Just wanted to bring up again that moving forward I won't be running around between all 24 POVs, I like my sanity too much to break it by doing that. The next chapter will be the start of that. I want to keep this story moving along, so not all tributes will be featured in the next Chapter.

With that in mind, I want to reiterate: No Victor has been chosen, I don't even have the Bloodbaths, so if you feel certain Tributes are getting more attention or less attention than others, or wondering why certain Tributes will be POV focused instead of others going forward, please don't read too much into it.

Next Up: Train Ride to the Capitol