Virgo Charleston, 18

District 10 Female

I placed the stethoscope against the horse's side, listening to her strong heartbeat. I could also faintly hear a second beat; the sound of her foal's heart. Both were steady and rhythmic, which was exactly what I wanted to hear.

"Her heart sounds great," I told Mr. Baker. The elderly farmer visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face.

"That's wonderful."

"How far along is she?" Dr. Lovelace asked, rubbing a hand on Mel's forehead. She winnied gently and nudged him with her soft muzzle.

"About eight months," Mr. Baker said.

I patted Mel's flank.

"You're going to be a mom soon," I whispered to her. "And you're going to be an awesome one." She let out a huff and tossed her head in response. I removed my stethoscope to hear Dr. Lovelace and Mr. Baker better.

"How is Pepper doing?" my mentor asked.

"Quite well," Mr. Baker replied. "He's still giving Lydia a bit of trouble, but nothing she can't handle."

"Excellent. Call me if anything changes and Virgo or I will come out. Have a good afternoon!"

"Thank you Dr. Lovelace. You as well." I waved as I followed Dr. Lovelace to his truck.

"You said 'Virgo or I'," I told him as I climbed into the old vehicle.

"I know," he said, turning on the engine, which sputtered in protest. "You've been working with me for four years now. You can handle a check-up on your own."

A smile spread across my face as I settled back in my seat. Dr. Lovelace was an incredible man and I was honored to be his apprentice. Being the unfavored middle child in my family, I cherished every bit of affection I could get.

Capri was the golden child. She was a teacher in a happy, stable relationship. Scorpio was the baby. Mom spoiled him and thought everything he did was adorable, even though he was a teenager now. And I was forgotten in the bustle. I had a head for math but didn't excel like Capri. I was friendly but not charming like Scorpio. But with Dr. Lovelace, I had my place.

His car came to a shaky stop on my street and I bid him goodbye before rushing to my door. I unlocked it, opened it, and was immediately bombarded by an enthusiastic Capri.

"Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!" she cried. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me excitedly.

"What?" I asked.

"David proposed!"

She held up her hand to show off a modest golden band with a pearl embedded in it. But the smile on her face was even more beautiful than the ring.

"Congratulations!" I squealed, pulling her into a tight hug. "That's such good news."

But even as we celebrated, I couldn't bury the resentment and sadness that settled in my chest.

Shepard "Shep" Howard, 17

District 10 Male

It took time and patience to become one with nature. At times, I didn't believe I was fully there. I may never be the man my father was, but I was learning. The interconnectedness of the natural world was something we would never understand completely. But there was beauty in the unknown.

There was also beauty in the simple everyday tasks of farm life. Our family lived on this large plot of land for generations, getting by through our livestock and occasional trades. We had sheep, goats, cows, chickens and pigs, as well as three beautiful horses. The horses were my favorites.

A soft whinny brought me out of my thoughts. Blossom, our black-and-white paint horse, was trotting towards me. She leaned her large head down to snuffle my hair and I reached up to stroke her soft muzzle.

"Hello pretty girl," I whispered. She pressed her nose against my hand before turning back to her pile of alfalfa. As she ate I tilted my head back against the wooden paddock fence and drank in the warm smell of summer. This season could be a scorching one, but today there was a light breeze today that carried the scent of wildflowers.

"Shep!" I heard my mother shout from the house. "Can you feed the chickens? Your pa is working with Midnight!"

"Yes ma!" I called back. I stood up and stretched my back, giving Blossom a pat before setting off for the chicken coop.

We had half a dozen lovely chickens who provided us with plenty of eggs. When we eventually needed chicks, we would visit our neighbors, the Hodges'. They had a handsome rooster who produced healthy offspring.

"Hello ladies," I said to the flock as scooped feed from the bag. They ran to the fence, clucking excitedly. I entered the coop and scattered feed across the dirt. Usually the girls ran free, but a mated pair of hawks had moved in nearby and the chickens were safer close to the coop. Lady, our farmdog, was getting on in years and wasn't as spry and alert as she used to be.

Eleanor and Matilda, our eldest hens, claimed their meal first. The others waited impatiently for their turn and finally hurried in to eat their share. Ma insisted on giving our chickens old-fashioned names, claiming it gave them extra charm. Pa thought it was silly, but he would do anything for Ma. Secretly, I liked the names as well.

With the chickens satisfied, I put the bag of feed back in the shed and went to join Ma in the house. From the smell in the air, she was baking bread. When I came in I winced. The kitchen was stifling and I immediately started opening windows.

"How do you stand the heat?" I asked with a laugh. Ma shrugged, lacking an answer, but she had a smile on her face. A wet nose pushed against my hand and I reached back to rub Lady's ears.

"What? I asked sheepishly, feeling Ma's gaze on me.

"You're a natural with them," she said. She dusted the flour from her hands and came over to put a hand on my cheek. "I'm so proud of you Shep."

"Thank you Ma," I whispered. She smiled and gave me a hug, which I happily returned.

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I updated this story - sorry about that! I've been focusing on my other SYOT, Lay Me To Rest. But as of this chapter, we're halfway through the intros! And I plan to update more frequently now.

Virgo was created by me and Shep was made by Carlpopa707's friend Marcus. A big thanks to him for sending him our way. Surprisingly enough, I did struggle to write Virgo. Hopefully her POV isn't too bad.

Anyways, please leave a review and let me know what you thought of these two, and stay tuned for District 3, who's up next :)

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

- Fiona