"Amethyst! Come on! You don't want to miss the recap!" Irene grabs my hand and drags me along to the auditorium.

The seats are still filling up.  One of my other friends, Aisha, takes a seat next to me. 

The giant screen is already set up. "Season 44: Dark Carnival" is what they're calling it this year. Even though this is the 64th year of Hunger Games, the Capitol turned it into a television series around the 20th games. 

Premieres in five minutes.  

Pictures of the current tribute flash across the screen while we wait. Beatrix. Barley. Rose. Sakura. 

"The District 4 tributes are really young this year," Irene points out. "they're both fourteen!" 

"There's a rumor that they're trying to break the record for the youngest tribute to win the games," I reply. This is the third year that they've chosen tributes this age. 

"Well, District 1 is trying to do it too. I mean, Cashmere's fifteenth birthday was a day before the Reaping," Aisha agrees. 

The screen flashes to a photo of Cashmere. 

"Ugh, I can't believe it! She's so embarrassing," Irene rolls her eyes. 

"I know right? She's so stupid, going against the Careers," Aisha remarks. "Honestly. Does she want to die?" 

"I wish she was never chosen."  

But Cashmere isn't this foolish. She knows much more than she lets on. Which means, she has an ulterior motive.  But she's good enough to fool the others. A pang of pride and jealousy runs through me. Oh, Cashmere. You're a genius.  You always had everything under control.....

We first met in second grade. Not sure where to sit, she stood in the doorway of the lunchroom, gripping her lunchbox tightly. 

I ran up to her. "Hi! I'm Amethyst! Want to eat lunch together?" 

She instantly broke into a smile. "Ok!" She spoke with a slight lisp then, having lost her front tooth. 

I opened my lunch box, looking through the contents. Marinated salmon, grilled vegetables and a pack of "Swedish fish". 

"What's that?" I asked her when she opened her lunch box.  A small bread bun. Noodles covered in dark sauce.  I sniffed an unfamiliar, yet alluring aroma.  

"It's Zha Jiang Mian," she replied, gathering some of the noodles. "It has soybean paste and ground pork. My mom made it." 

"It looks good!" 

She turned her head to look at my salmon. "So does yours." 

"Hey! How about we switch lunches?" I requested.  

She giggled. "That sounds great!"   

From then on, we became close friends. 

It was around third grade that I noticed there was a difference between me and Cashmere. It was her project that got picked for Parents' Night. In training, she always finished the mile run just a bit before I did.  

But I didn't mind, because she never made fun of me. Even though she was always very flashy about it, she still wanted me to do well.  

One day, in seventh grade,  I was walking home from training practice. I noticed a girl walking behind me. 

"You know what they say about you?" She asked. 

I turned around. "What?" 

"They say you're a dumber, weaker, less-hot version of Cashmere." The words stopped me straight in my tracks. Comparing me to my best friend? 

"You're nothing more than her shadow. You'll never be anything more than that," she sneered and continued walking.  

I was still frozen, having not comprehended it. Was that really what people thought of me? Did she just say that?  

I'll prove to them that I'm so much more than her wannabe.  

So I did. I studied extra hard. I started looking at some online courses that taught each victor's games in-depth. It wasn't enough. Somehow, Cashmere was still the top student. Still making it onto the volunteer shortlists. I wasn't. 

How was this fair?  How come she gets so much more natural talent? How come she gets to be better?

But, I had witnessed the downfall of Jasper Khatri, whose envy consumed him. I knew how much that had hurt Cashmere. I wasn't going to be the next one to do that to her.      

I realized needed to find something to define myself with. To find something that disassociated my identity from Cashmere's.  And it had to be something I loved.

So, I created a small fashion business.  

At the beginning, I'd just mend and tailor clothes for some of the girls at school. But I had a little secret: I'd spice up their outfits.  

Perhaps weave a few sparkles into the fabric. Sew on a little flower.  Needless to say, they loved it. Something's different. 

 When I had scraped together enough money to buy fabric, I started fashion design. I must've inherited my father's business genes, because two years later, all the girls in the school know my name, and I've generated enough income to help pay the rent.   

The broadcast begins, and the chatter in my head fades. Currently, Cashmere and her little group are walking through the arena, keeping an eye out for anything. 

"Oh! These are cool," Rose points out, gesturing to one of the carnival booths.  Ten dolls sit on the counter.  

One has raven hair and mocha skin. Another gray eyes and light brown hair. Green eyes and blonde hair..... 

"They're us," Cashmere realizes.  

"They got my eye color wrong," Poseidon half-whines. "One of my eyes has hazel flecks even though it's grey!" 

"Focus." Cashmere rolls her eyes, but even she's smiling. 

"What do you think they're for?" Rose wonders. "Have you seen anything like this in past games?" 

Barley, who totally has a giant crush on Cashmere, scowls at the minature beings. "It's probably a trap. These aren't safe." 

"We never know. Things in the arena can be beneficial," Cashmere objects lightly. "Well...we'd need to test it. The only question is how..." 

Poseidon hides behind Barley. Honestly, he is the shrimpiest, whiniest, most pathetic excuse I've seen for a fourteen year old.   

They spend another minute or so testing things out (apart from the live screens that play twenty four seven, most broadcasts are cut.)

"Ugh, this stupid piece of shit. Useless," Barley mutters and throws his doll to the ground. 

Bing! 

A virtual screen appears above it, which depicts a map of the Cornucopia.  

"These must show our locations! With the dolls representing each of us!" Cashmere gasps, immediately trying to figure out what Barley did. 

"If you press the hand, the map comes up," Poseidon points out. 

"These are really useful, but also dangerous. We should take some along with us, but not too many." Rose analyzes. 

"The careers," Barley proposes, taking dolls off the racks. 

"But not all of them," Cashmere interjects. "Sakura, Aidan, and Marshall tend to be followers. So, just Beatrix and Jasper." 

"And let's take our dolls," Poseidon adds. "If we split up, we should know where we are." 

Rose check to make sure no one is near. "What should we do with the other dolls?" 

"Leave them. We don't know how to destroy the trackers. Besides, we can easily take down the remaining tributes," Cashmere reassures them. 

They walk in silence for a while.

"Why do you want it so much?" Rose asks Cashmere. 

"The honor. Being able to say I did this. I overcame hardship.  And it makes you appreciate just how beautiful and precious life really is," Cashmere answers. 

"But you take away others' lives," Barley replies. "Didn't you safe life was precious?" 

"I did, but just because life is precious, doesn't mean you're guaranteed survival. Sometimes, you have to work for what you want." Cashmere's eyes flash dangerously. I've seen that look. It scares me.  

"That's it? Just the honor? Aren't you basically set for life as well?" Poseidon asks. 

"Yeah. No money problems. Great healthcare. Fun parties. Career opportunities in the Capitol," Cashmere elaborates.

"I guess the luxury is cool, but, your entire family are victors. So...technically...you get to enjoy that?"  

"True, but, I want to follow in their footsteps. Make my District proud. Show them all the hard work they've put into raising winners won't go to waste." 

It's very clear that they cut the rest of the conversation from us.  

And it makes me wonder. Why do we work for this? Why do we want this? What does it truly bring us, in the end? 

And it scares me. Because what if......the Capitol lied to us?

Hey guys! I'm BACK!!! So, I know this chapter was different from what I usually do. I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts! 

This was the first Fan chapter (where a reader chooses whose POV they want, and what they want to happen in the story). 

Thanks to @xXWinterSkyesXx for suggesting Amethyst!