A/N: Once upon a time, there was a beauty and a beast. The beauty was called Juniper Andis, submitted by livinginadream0, and the beast was caused Rowan Leif, submitted by DoIReallyNeedToChooseNow...

I really don't know, I just wanted to come up with something unique. It sucks, doesn't it.

Anyhoooo, thanks to livinginadream0, lionkingfactsguy3 and DoIReallyNeedToChooseNow for reviewing! It really means a lot to me, and I hope you can keep enjoying and following along with the story, as I have some pretty cool scenes worked out ;)

Let's get straight into the story, as I present...

Chapter 8: District 7: Beauty and the Beast

Juniper Andis' POV

Willow and I march down through the market. "Yeah," she chirps. "Asha is like, really cool."

I nod primly. "We'll see."

As we find our girls, I put on an overly smiley face. "Hey, girls! How are you doing?"

The popular clique at our school, nicknamed the 'Flowers of the Golden Afternoon', is centered around me and only me. There are twenty-three girls in it right now, and I have agreed that there will be no more than twenty-five. About once a month, the girls find someone, and we hold a 'court of opinions' to decide whether they are suitable to join. Despite this fake democracy, it is always my choice.

When Willow and I reach them, a few immediately surround me and begin chirping about how amazing Asha is. I hold up a hand, and they fall silent. "Where is she?" I say in a voice dripping with fake kindness. Two of the girls step aside and reveal the girl in question.

I raise an eyebrow. Asha is tall, with thick legs and spindly arms. Her black hair is pulled back into two neat buns, and her blue eyes are framed with thick black eyebrows. Her skin is peachy but freckled, and a few pimples hide in the corners of her round face. She wears an admittedly lovely dress, but her tights are muddy, and her boots are farmwear.

"Asha, dear," I say. "Could you go for a walk? The girls and I just need to discuss something."

Asha pauses, but obediently walks off and begins chatting with a candle seller.

"So?" Willow pants. "What do you think?"

"I think she's interesting." I admit. "She could be great, if we made a few changes."

"A lot of changes." Camellia grins, and the girls all nod.

"We just need to get her away from those trees, and into the salon." Flora remarks.

"And get her a mani-pedi," Hazel continues.

"And maybe a blow-out." Daisy finishes, patting her hair.

"And a boyfriend." Holly offers.

"Doesn't she have a boyfriend?" Iris enquires.

"Yeah," Azalea says. "The candle maker." She points a long finger towards the boy at the store, who is laughing and chatting with Asha.

"His name is like, Rowan or something." Blossom says.

"Rowan?" I say. "Rowan Leif? I think he's gay."

"Nah," Ivy says. "Look at them two."

"They do seem to be chatting pretty closely, if you look hard enough." Blossom observes.

Jasmine squints her eyes. "Yeah, they're dating. Definitely."

"Definitely." Lily says.

"Eww, you guys." Lavender says. "He's like, seventeen. And she's, like, our age."

"Maybe he's just a creep." Heather offers. "And she's a year older than us, she's thirteen."

"So why is she in our grade?" Tulip quizzes.

"Don't look at me," Heather pouts. "Maybe she's just dumb."

We laugh.

"Maybe her birthday is, like, really early in the year." Bryony says.

"Don't matter to the Reaping people." Acacia shrugs.

"Imagine if she and him got Reaped." Violetta laughs.

"The Star-Crossed Lovers," Blossom sighs. "But creepy."

"How about we put it to a vote?" I call out, and the girls fall silent. Then a murmur of yeses and okays fill my ears.

"Who says we let her in?" I ask. Willow, Camellia, Flora, Hazel, Daisy, Tulip, Holly, Iris, Azalea, Blossom and Ivy put their hands up.

"Who says we reject her?" Jasmine, Lily, Acacia, Aspen, Aster, Violetta, Bryony, Heather, Magnolia, Lavender, and Laurel put their hands up.

"A tie!" Laurel says in a bored voice. "Looks like it's your choice, Junie. In or out?"

I shrug. "Let's put her to the test. If she survives the Reaping, she can join."

The girls all nod. "Let's call her back over," I say. The girls let out a chorus of "COME BACK, ASHA!" and she comes trotting over.

"Perf," she says. "Am I in?"

The girls freeze and turn to me. "We'll let you know after the Reaping," I confirm. The girls giggle conspiratorially.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

Rowan Leif's POV

"RIDICULOUS, YOUNG MAN! UTTERLY RIDICULOUS!"

"Ma'am," I explain tensely. "This is the normal price."

"PATHETIC! YOU'VE LOST A VERY WILLING CUSTOMER TODAY!"

"Sure," I grin. "Don't care."

The customer splutters. "But I was- surely you won't just-"

"Bye, Ma'am." I say, and wave. "We have more customers waiting, and I am sure they'll be willing to pay."

She storms off, and behind her is a breath of fresh air. Asha. I smile and give her a high-five.

"Who was that?" she asks, watching the snobby woman walking away.

I lean in and conspiratorially whisper, "She wanted to let me know I was utterly ridiculous and that I've lost a very willing customer."

Asha snorts. "Oh dear."

"Mm-hm. I know, such a disaster."

Asha presses a hand theatrically to her forehead and sighs.

"What a shame."

I laugh. "So, what are you up to?"

"Oh, you know, the usual trying to get into a cult-like popular group." She holds up her fingers and does air quotes for the last two words.

"With Juniper Andis? Lil' baby Junie?"

"Lil' baby- Ooooh. Oh, GOD!"

"Mm. Dawning on you now?"

Asha groans. "Don't tell me that's Juniper, the mayor's daughter."

"Hate to say, but that's Juniper, the mayor's daughter."

"Yuck. Maybe I'll need a candle to cheer me up."

I look innocently at her. "That'll be twelve fifty-five, dearest."

Asha chokes. "That much? Maybe the lady was right."

I gasp dramatically. "Are you suggesting I give you an illegal discount?"

"No, that would be sacrilegious!"

Asha sighs and presses a hand to her forehead. "I must go. The rabble is beckoning me over."

"Farewell, brave warrior," I say.

"Until next time, sweet maiden."

I laugh and watch as she walks over to the horde of girls. The next customer is a young girl and her mother, who haggles over the price of a candle for five minutes until I slam the 'CLOSED' sign on the bench and shut up the shop.

"See ya!" I smile, watching her enraged expression as I walk off down the street.

I shove my hands in my pockets and begin to whistle. I check my watch. I still have a few hours until the Reaping, so I head to the forest.

When I get there, Mercury and Rain are walking out of their shift. Both are sweaty and tired, but they have smiles on their faces.

"Look what I got!" Rain says, holding up his hand. A hairy tarantula is crawling around on it. "I named him Malvolio!"

Mercury gives him a look. "In other, more exciting news, Tatum asked me to go out to the fair with her."

"That didn't happen!" Rain chirps. "What happened was that he went up to her boyfriend and said, 'Hey, are you going to the fair?' and he said 'Yeah.', and Mercury said 'Cool, I'll see you there.' It was really pathetic."

Mercury gives him another look. "Asshole."

"Weakling," Rain retorts.

"Nerd."

"Faker."

"Loser."

"Wannabe."

"No-filter."

"No girls."

Mercury stops, outraged. "I've had more girlfriends than you."

At that moment, Nemo, Rain's boyfriend, appears and slings an arm around his shoulders. "Hmm," Rain teases. "Wonder why that is. Maybe it's that I don't like girls. Just maybe."

Nemo smiles. Rain's boyfriend is a Victor, having won the 80th Games a few years back at the age of 16. He met Rain the next year, and they started going out another year later. I like Nemo. Respect him.

"What are you doing here, N?" I ask.

"Oh, just a final day of freedom before I have to coach some poor boy."

I nod. "Good luck."

"Good luck," he repeats. "Yeah."

I can't tell if that's directed at me, Rain, Mercury or himself. I decide I don't really want to know.

District 7 Justice Building

Juniper Andis' POV

I file into the front row of the Reaping and sit on the chair specially provided for me. The other girls stand around me, forming a protective circle so that I don't have to stand next to a commoner.

My father, our parade of Victors, and Beverly Spheren march onto the stage, taking their seats.

Krisstina Ferox is our only living female Victor, and we only have a handful of males. We did have Johanna Mason and Blight Jordan, but they both died in the Third Quarter Quell. Krissy won a few years ago, the 79th if I can remember right, and after her Games she became a famous model for the Capitol, only returning a few times a year for the Hunger Games, where she has mentored ever since. One of the tributes will get her as mentor this year, and hopefully come home.

Beverly Spheren, our Escort, sticks a bony hand into the bowl. With her relatively normal name, short brown hair, and thin frame, she could almost pass for District. However, it is her bright pink skin and outrageous amount of jewelry that sets her apart from the rest of us.

Spheren's jewelry-adorned hand returns with a slip. I sigh. All the dramatics. The girls are quivering, though, and I tut. This is our first Reaping, after all, and the chances of us being picked are slim to none-

"Juniper Andis!"

The reaction of my father is immediate. Terror. He springs to his feet and trots over to Spheren. "There has been a mistake!" he announces into the microphone. "The slip was mispronounced! The actual name was..."

I can see him racking his brain for a name, any name. "Asha! Asha Whitlock-"

"Rubbish! It's Juniper Andis, you twat!" Spheren retorts. "That's why Snow introduced the Escort System, to prevent bias!" He turns to the crowd. "Juniper Andis, can you take the stage?"

A cold rush of fear floods through my chest. I won't really go, will I? I'm the mayor's only daughter, after all. I force myself to be calm, and I take the stage with all the grace of a princess.

"Daddy," I whisper in my father's ear. "Do something."

He rolls his hands, terrified. "I can't. It's the law."

I stop. "What?" I snap, my eyes boring into my father's. "DADDY! I DON'T WANT TO GO!"

My voice is beginning to raise, and I put on my best innocent face. "DADDY! I CAN'T LEAVE! I'M SCARED!"

"I can't do anything," he says pathetically. "Darling, don't make a scene."

"DADDY! I'M NOT GOING!" I screech. "I'M GOING TO DIE!"

A Peacekeeper grabs me from behind and drags me away. "DADDY! DaDdy-"

I cut off when I see Krissy staring at me. Her face is screwed up, but not with sympathy. She looks disgusted. I turn to Spheren. He looks at me as if I was something he found on his shoe. I twist my head to see the Peacekeeper carrying me. I can't see his whole face, but his small helmet lets me see his repulsed scowl.

I turn to the crowd. They look revolted. I look at the girls, who look, to their credit, sad, but they cannot mask the excitement in their eyes. Traitors.

"TRAITORS!" I screech. Then realize I need to look sympathetic and begin to sob. The Peacekeeper drops me, disgustedly, and I crawl into a ball and shake with tears.

I look to my pitiful father, who is looking at Spheren desperately. She shrugs and digs a hand into the boy's bowl. She pulls one out, sending a few fluttering to the stage floor, and clears her throat.

"Rowan Leif!"

I laugh out loud, trying to suck as much attention back to me as possible. "Rowan Leif," I remark loudly. "Well, I saw him only today!"

No-one responds. They are all watching my tall, muscly District partner ascend the steps, looking like an actual god.

He shakes back his hair and smiles, flexing subtly.

I stand and extend my hand for him to shake. He high-fives me instead, making him look funny and me look stupid.

I stammer out, "Daddy-y. P-pl-leas-se?" but my father is ignoring me.

Two Peacekeepers grab me and drag me out of sight. I see one person as the doors are slammed shut. Asha, giving me a smirk like nothing else.

Jerk.

A/N: Alrighty, then. We're done with another Reaping! Seven down, five to go! What did you think of Juniper? Of Rowan? Cast your votes in the poll on my profile.

Don't forget to review with your thoughts, questions and suggestions. It really means a lot to me!

Thanks!

-Luke

Next Up: District 8