And now we have arrived to District 3!

Olivia Montrose, 17

A few days earlier…

I was sitting at school, minding my business, working on a new design, when someone covered the paper with juice, ruining everything I had worked on. I spun around and saw Addie standing there and laughing. She started to run away before I could confront her, the way she always did. It's not like I could catch up to the track star of the class. I tried to wipe off the papers, but nothing worked, even when my best friend Tia tried to help me.

"What were you working on?"

"Just an idea for a new machine. Don't know what it would do yet. Why does she always have to ruin everything?"

Tia shrugged. "I don't know. Probably because she's not as smart as we are. Remember when she thought the sun and the moon were the same thing?"

I laughed at that, considering it happened only a few weeks earlier. She raised her hand and asked that with the straightest face ever. My teacher banged her head on the board, and everyone else in class just laughed and laughed and laughed.

"Maybe if she gets reaped, we won't have to deal with her anymore," I chime in.

"OLIVIA! That's an awful thing to say."

"What? She could win. She knows how to run."

We walked to my house together, meeting my twin brother Oscar on the way home. He asked me all about my moment with Addie earlier, but I told him not to worry about it. I knew he would get all defensive and try to fight back. I didn't need him fighting my battles for me.

On the day of the reaping, I walk with Oscar and our younger sister, Rory, to the district center, going through the typical reaping day procedure. Yarrow stands at the podium and pulls a name out of the jar.

"Olivia Montrose!" She screams.

I stand in my spot, refusing to move or make any sound, even as people glare right in my direction. I refuse to move, but someone takes care of that for me. I forgot to pay attention when I joined the other girls my age, because Addie decided to stand right behind me. She pushes me forward and I collapse onto the ground, scraping my knees. It draws blood. As everyone looks at me, I can't let them see me as weak. I brush myself off and walk up to the stage, taking in my home for one last time.

Manalus Frey, 13

"MOM!" My older sister Autumn screams. "MANALUS is hacking me again!" She stomps to the room I share with my brother Alder. I laugh as I tinker with a new invention and read a book on my bed.

"You ruined my call. Now Gadget thinks I don't like him!"

"This wouldn't happen if you were smarter," I blurt it out.

"Shut up," Alder defends Autumn. No surprise there.

Autumn brings herself right to me. "Do that again and you won't live to see another day." She shoves the book off of my bed, and I have to dive to get it, nearly banging my head on the floor.

"ENOUGH, all of you! BREAKFAST!" Mom screams as we rush to the kitchen. We only have some vegetables, dry chicken and old bread. Eating that for years and years makes it almost edible.

Machines have always made more sense to me than people. Humans are too complex and moody. Sometimes they treat you nicely, and other days, they'll snap at you in an instant. Machines are simple. They don't change unless you design them that way, and they are much, much, kinder than the real world. Why wouldn't I like them more?

As I eat, mom whacks me on the head. "What have I told you about bothering your siblings? You should be using your mind for good!"

"I'm working on something now," I said. "I just have a lot of brainpower. "

She whacks me on the head again. "Go great ready for the reaping. Dad will meet us there. Manalus, look presentable for once!"

I put on some hand-me-downs from Alder. I can't help but feel jealous of my two oldest siblings, Cornell and Teeva. They can't get reaped anymore.

As I get dressed, Alder snaps at me, his fingers right in my face. "Hey, stop daydreaming. Get a move on."

Eventually, I put on my brown pants and white shirt, and the four of us head to the town center, where Dad is waiting for us. He walks over to me and hands me a present as he ruffles my hair. He's really the only person that understands me.

"I got you some books for later. But for today, I have this." I open it to find a small, unusable computer board that looks like a car. I smile up at him.

"It's perfect. Thank you dad." I head over to the 13-boy section and see some of my classmates like Slate. He calls him a nerd as he and his friends snicker at me. Whatever. They're all stupid. I never liked them anyway.

Yarrow, our escort, begins the reapings by calling out Olivia Montrose. Finally, they call out for a boy.

"Manalus Frey!" The boys around me stare and laugh. Cornell would consider volunteering for me, but Alder must be enthused. I stare ahead, refusing to believe what I just heard. People around me distance themselves, and I can't keep them waiting. I slowly walk up to the podium.