Ai Latier, 12

District 3 Male

I'd heard stories of people going into shock when something traumatic happened to them. Their bodies froze up and they couldn't move or talk. Right now, I felt like I was in shock. The sounds around me were dull and muted and my vision was fuzzy at the edges. Everything was a blur.

Things started to come back into focus once I was inside the Justice Building. The rough grip of the Peacekeeper's gloved hand on my arm was more prominent and I could see the look of fury on my district partner's face. She saw me looking at her and schooled her face into a more neutral expression.

The Peacekeeper shut me in a room with a musty smell and a moth-eaten couch in the middle. I sat down gingerly, set my hands on my lap, and focused on taking slow, deep breaths.

Someone in the hallway started to shout, which startled me away from my half-hearted attempt at calming down. It sounded like Annabeth and I frowned, suddenly worried for my sister. The Peacekeepers wouldn't hurt her, right?

I went to the door, trying to make out what they were saying. But then the door opened suddenly, smacking me hard in the face.

"Ow!" I yelped.

"Ah! Sorry!" Lua gasped. She grabbed my shoulders and guided me away from the door. "I didn't know you were standing there."

"I heard Annabeth yelling," I explained.

"Those bastards won't let Beetee come in," Annabeth growled as she and Link joined us in the room. Link had tears in his eyes and Annabeth looked furious.

"This is awful," Link said, his voice wavering.

"You think?" Annabeth snapped. Link flinched and she sighed.

"Sorry. But Ai, you stand a solid chance! You're trained, you're strong, and you're going to have lots of fans."

"I'm 12!" I gasped. "And I'm not trained like a Career is! They could flatten me."

"So don't give them the chance," Lua said. "Be fierce, and be confident. We believe in you."

I nodded, suddenly feeling choked up. Lua wasn't usually openly affectionate, but when she hugged me it felt warm and genuine. I hugged her back, enjoying the new side of my adopted sister. I just hoped I would live to see it again.

Link was on me seconds after Lua let go. He was affectionate, and he was crying hard. I barely managed to hold back my own tears as we hugged.

"I'm so glad you're my brother," he said. "And I know you'll make it home."

"I hope so," I whispered. "And I'm glad you're my brother too."

When he released me, I looked around at all of them.

"It's an honor to be your brother," I told them. "I know we're not biologically related, but I love you all so much. We're a real family. And if I die, I want you to be okay. Take care of each other, and take care of Beetee."

"Don't worry about us," Annabeth said. "We're tough." She laughed bitterly and gave my shoulder a squeeze. "And so are you."

I nodded and squared my shoulders.

"I can do this," I said. Annabeth nodded and I managed a smile. I can do this, I told myself again. I can.

Birdie Seguaro, 14

District 5 Female

I was barely fighting back tears as two Peacekeepers dragged me into the Justice Building. Sunnaria's sobs were abruptly cut off as the door slammed shut behind us. My district partner and I were led down a dusty hallway and then forced through separate doorways.

I found myself in a small room with a big couch, its green fabric faded in places from the sunlight streaming through the window. The window I rushed over to, to stare helplessly out at my district. The crowd was dispersing. People would be going home to celebrate another year of safety. But not me.

The door opened with a bang and I jumped in surprise, whipping around to see Sunnaria and my aunt and uncle. Sunnaria threw herself at me, wrapping me in a bone-crushing hug. I returned it, finally allowing myself to cry.

"Why did you do that?" Sunnaria sobbed.

"I couldn't let you die," I told her. She pulled back and gripped my shoulders.

"If you die, I'll never forgive myself. You have to come back."

"I'll try. I'll really try. But you can't blame yourself. I chose to volunteer for you."

Sunnaria started crying all over again and Aunt Yahaira came to hug me.

"Birdie," she whispered into my hair. "You can win. You are smart and you are likable. Get sponsors, get allies, but stay vigilant."

"I'll try," I reiterated. "I promise I will."

"And Birdie," Uncle Solano said. "You have to do whatever it takes to win."

I could tell by the look on his face what he was referring to. So I shook my head.

"No. I want to be me. If I win, I'll win as Birdie. If I die, I'll die as Birdie. I'm not going to stop being vegan, or stop being kind."

"That's a noble goal," Uncle Solano sighed. There were tears in his dark eyes and he took his turn to hug me. "Your aunt and I are so proud of you," he said. "And we love you so much. You are the best thing that ever happened to us."

"I love you too," I said, squeezing him tightly. Aunt Yahaira joined the hug and I nestled my head against her chest, the way I did as a little kid. She kissed the top of my head.

A fist pounded against the door as a gruff voice informed us that our time was almost up. Sunnaria came over and took my hand.

"I love you Birdie," she whispered. "Thank you for being my friend."

Friend. For a moment I was tempted to tell her that I loved her as more than a friend. But I knew it would ruin what she had with Cyrus. She would always feel guilty and confused, and I couldn't do that to her. So I just gave her hand a squeeze.

"Thank you for being mine."

The door opened and a Peacekeeper stepped inside, putting a hand on Uncle Solano's shoulder. He took my aunt's hand and smiled sadly at me.

"Be brave, my little bird," he said. Aunt Yahaira blew me a kiss, and then they were escorted out.

Sunnaria tackled me in one more hug before the Peacekeeper grabbed her arm.

"It'll be okay," I told her. She nodded, but neither of us were fooled. She began to sob again as the door swung shut. I sat down on the couch and cried too.

Alley Parker, 17

District 6 Female

I didn't know whether to be angry or scared. Both would probably be appropriate, but I didn't want to be afraid. Fear wouldn't get me anywhere. But the anger won out when two Peacekeepers joined me in the small room where I'd say goodbye to my family.

"What is this about?" I snapped. "I can't have ten minutes of privacy? I'm going to die!" The taller Peacekeeper flipped up his visor and frowned at me.

"Sorry kid, we don't make the rules," he said. I scoffed and rolled my eyes.

"And you have sticks too far up your butts to bend them. Could you at least stand in a corner or something? I don't need to be flanked."

They glanced at each other and then stepped back, going to stand near the window. I sighed and looked down at my bright orange prison jumpsuit. This was unbelievable. I thought prison was bad, and now I was going into the Hunger Games.

My family came rushing in moments later. My dad was on me in seconds, pulling me against him and whispering to himself.

"My baby girl," he whimpered. "How could this happen? Oh, my baby…"

"Dad," I said, gently distancing myself from him. He sounded broken and I wasn't sure I could keep it together if he couldn't.

"Honey, let her breathe," my mom said. She came forward to cup my face in her hands and sighed sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Alley," she said. "We should have done better."

"You couldn't have done better," I reminded her. "Life sucks. That's how it is. We just have to make the most of it."

"This still isn't fair," Acura growled. "You're already being punished for nothing. Now you're going to die because of a war that happened before you were even alive!"

"Acura," our dad hissed. "Don't say that!" But I smiled at her. Acura seemed bitter whenever we saw each other, so knowing she was fired up for me was a good feeling.

"Alley isn't going to die," our mom said fiercely. "Honey, you can do this. Just be the strong girl I know you are."

I'm a tough girl now, I thought. I nodded.

"I'm going to do my best," I told them. "But if I don't come home…" My breath suddenly caught in my throat and I blinked back surprise tears. "If I don't come home, thanks for loving me, no matter what. I got really lucky to have a family like you."

"We're the lucky ones," Dad said. He gave me another hug but let go when someone pounded on the door.

"We love you so much," my mom whispered as she kissed my forehead. Then she took my dad's hand and backed toward the door. Acura smiled sadly at me.

"For a little sister, you're not too bad. Even though I work three jobs now."

I laughed bitterly.

"For a big sister, you're pretty good. Even though you refused to visit me in jail."

She laughed too, and then she waved and followed my parents out of the room. I took a deep breath. Let the Hunger Games begin, and may the odds be ever in my favor.

Hi everyone! Here are the Goodbyes! Someone said they wanted to see Alley again, and I thought she'd be a good tribute for this scene (Ai and Birdie too). Hopefully you liked getting a little more insight on the tribute's families and friends, and how they plan to approach the Games. And I'm hoping to post the Train Rides later this week, so keep an eye out for those!

Please leave a review, if you can, and let me know your thoughts on this chapter! And as always, I am so grateful to all of you for reading and reviewing. I love writing SYOTs so seeing people enjoy them makes me happy. (I'm feeling sappy today. Can you tell?)

QUESTIONS

1) Is Ai right to be confident?

2) Will Birdie stick to her vow?

3) Does Alley seem like she'll be a contender?

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

- Fiona