"Sonya Carter," she spoke gleefully, a joyous smile permanently plastered on her face. You look at Sonya, her whole body shaking as she tries to take a step away from you and towards the main isle that girls had cleared for her, but you wouldn't let go of her wrist.

Then before you could even process what you were saying, the words came tumbling out of your mouth. "I volunteer," you scream.

"What," Sonya gasped at the same time you heard a screech of terror that could only be your little sister. You throw your arms around Sonya, her not completely processing what was happening as the peacekeepers walked over to you and grabbed your elbows, guiding you up to the stage as you cringe from the pressure on your hurt arm.

"Well this is new," the capitol lady gasped with delight. "It is very few and far between that we have someone as brave as you dear. Now please tell me your name," she practically squeals once your up on stage. You're frozen in place once you get up the steps, your sisters cry's the only thing breaking the silence that had fallen over the rest of the district.

With an annoyed roll of her eyes the capitol lady rushes over to you, grabbing your injured elbow, making you wince again as she drags you to the microphone.

"Now tell us your name dear," she breathes, the joy still evident in her tone.

"(Y/n) (L/n)," you say with no emotion in your voice, your teary eyes scanning the crowd for any recognizable faces.

"Now please do tell us what that young lady meant to you for you to volunteer for her."

You were sucking in deep shaky breaths as she leaned the microphone to the side, right in front of you.

"She's my best friend. I wasn't going to let anything happen to her," you say, your voice cracking as you see Sonya's sobbing figure where you were a minute ago, another friend of hers letting her cry into her shoulder.

The lady seemed to be dissatisfied with your answer, but she dropped it, speaking into the microphone once again. "Now let's see who your lucky partner shall be," she claps like a child, strutting to the opposite side of the stage to the other bowl.

You take the small window of time to look through the boys section, eventually spotting Newt. His expression is full of sorrow, his hand reaching up to cover his mouth as if he were shocked, but even from this far you could tell all his eyes held we're pain. Minho had a similar expression, and when you looked back to the parents, you spotted Trinity. James was holding her tightly as she cried into his shoulder, Julie leaning up against her as if to shield her body with her own.

"Peter Scratz," she says, almost making you jump. You hadn't seen her walk back over to you. A boy from the 14 yearold section slowly walks up, his head hung low. He had short black hair styled off to the side, and tan skin. He was a little shorter than you, but looked like he could take on Minho in a wrestling match.

"Now shake hands!" Her singsong voice exclaims, once again clapping her hands like a child as he walked up to stand next to you. You turn to the boy, a sad expression on your face as you shake his shivering hand.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor," she squeals.

The next few minutes went by in a blur. The capitol lady ushered you and the boy inside the large building behind the stage and dismissed everyone else. Seconds later you were shoved into a room, and a small click could be heard from the other side of the closed door.

You just stood there in shock, not really believing everything that was happening. You were going into the games. You were going to die. You would never see Trinity or your dad, or any of your friends ever again.

Your shot out of your thoughts by the door bursting open, and James, Julie, and Trinity coming into the room. Trinity kicked out of James's hold and ran over to you, sobbing into your dress.

"Don't go," she cry's, almost loud enough to make you cover your ears.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't want to leave you," you whisper in a terrified voice, getting down on your knees to be at her height as you engulf her in a hug.

"What if I don't see you again? I don't want you to leave!"

You had no answer for her. All you could do was sit there and hold her.

After a minute, you stand up, Trinity's small hands clutching onto the skirt of your dress as you walk over to a crying Julie.

She throws her arms around you, much like you did to Sonya, as she whispers things like 'im so sorry' and 'thank you.'

James engulfed you in a hug, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around you as if he were your real father.

"Please don't let anything happen to her," you beg as you shake in his grasp, almost wishing he were your real dad.

"She'll be fine," he whispers in your ear, knowing you were worried about Trinity because of the story she told them.

Seconds later a peacekeeper walks into the room, pulling Julie and James out of the room along with a screeching Trinity as three more figures run inside.

Sonya completely tackles you, almost knocking you to the ground as she sobs into your shoulder.

"Why did you do it? It shouldn't be you going into the arena it should be me," she cry's as you wrap your arms around her back.

"You have to be here to kick Minhos butt if he ever does anything stupid. I'm not strong enough to do that," you say, trying to make a joke. You peak over Sonya's shoulder to see a teary eyed Minho, the corner of his lips turned up in a small smirk from the joke.

"It's n-not f-funny," she sobs.

Eventually Minho pulls her off of you, and Newt comforts her as Minho hugs you tightly, you wrapping your arms around his neck.

"When you get back I'll stop teasing you and Newt about your secret relationship," he says into your hair, making a half sob half laugh escape your lips.

"I'll try to win then," you tell him, trying to laugh, but your voice cracking.

"You better."

He lets go of you, and Sonya strangles you in one more quick hug before Minho pulls her out of the room, purposely leaving you and Newt alone. For what seems like the twentieth time in five minutes, you're engulfed in a hug, Newts warm arms wrapping around your back and squeezing you to his chest. All you can do is shake in his grasp, your body unable to come up with something to say.

"(Y/n) I am so sorry," he breathes out, his breath tickling your ear. For the second time in a single day his voice was completely different, sorrow and pain laced through his words.

In a shaky voice you reply, "Well you kept your promise."

Your surprised when you hear sniffles coming from Newt, his body shaking with each sharp inhale.

"Please don't cry. It's just gonna make everything worse," you say, feeling hypocritical because tears start falling down your cheeks as you say it. You just bury your face in his shoulder, soaking his shirt with your tears.

"What am I going to do? I don't have any skills, and Im not going to get any sponsers. Newt, there's no way I'm going to make-"

"Don't. J-just don't say that," he cuts you off, hugging you even tighter like his life depended on it. "I don't care what you have to do, but you are going to make it back home. You have to make it back. I'm not gonna lose you too."

He was referring to Alby, one of his friends who had died in the games a year ago. Newt, Alby, and Minho had all been best friends, but when Alby got picked to go into the games and didn't make it out, Newt and Minho only grew closer. You would have been flattered that Newt cared about you as much as he had his old best friend, but your brain couldn't process anything except sadness and loss.

Neither of you knew what to say after that, so all you could do was hold each other, hoping once again that you could delay the inevitable. It feels like the hug only lasts for a few seconds when it probably lasts for a few minutes. That's when the peacekeeper guarding your door bursts inside, prying you from Newts grasp.

"You're gonna be fine! I'll see you soon," he says, struggling against the guard long enough to be able to say that before the door slams shut and your enveloped in silence. You wrap your arms around yourself, ignoring the pain in your elbow as you sit down on the little bench in the corner of the room.

How did this happen? I thought I promised Trinity that I'd be fine. I promised her that we would both go home. Now that's never gonna happen. There was no way you were gonna be able to make it out of the games. Even if Newt was denying it, it was true. You had no skills. You didn't know how to throw a knife or shoot a bow and arrow, or swing a sword. It just wasn't in your nature to be destructive or dangerous, basically everything you had to be to win these games and your freedom.

After a few more minutes of wallowing in self-pity, two more peace keepers walk through the door and guide you outside into a vehicle with the boy tribute and the capitol lady.

"Hello hello," she exclaims. "My name is Tafida Chord, and I will be your escort." She goes into a long rant about all of the amazing and wonderful luxuries of the capitol that we will get to enjoy as we're driven to the train station, but you tune her out, watching out the window as your whole district flys by. You were sucking it in like a milkshake through a straw. This was the last time you were going to see it after all. Might as well enjoy your last bit of home while you still could.

Once the car rolls to a stop, you're practically dragged out before being shoved onto the train, as if they're scared their going to lose you if they don't get you in a contained area soon. As if on cue, the second the train door closes it bursts into motion, making you catch yourself on the corner of the wall.

"Yes impressive isn't it? Almost 200 miles per hour! We'll be to the capitol by morning." You almost wince. You'll be that much closer to being stabbed in the back, literally, in less than a day. "Now, I will show you to your rooms," she continues. "If you find anything uncomfortable or incorrect please find either me or one of the train workers, and we will fix it straight away."

"Then why don't you stop this, and send us back home? This whole thing is wrong, so why don't you work on fixing that instead of trying to send us to our death beds."

You had never heard the boy tribute speak, you think Tafida said his name was Peter, but it surprised you that he had that in him. There were some similar things that you wanted to say (maybe a lot more swearing than he did) because this was wrong. To be taken away from your family to fight to the death over some battle your grand parents never even saw.

"Young man that is not how we act on here! You have been chosen to fight in the Hunger Games! That is an honor that none of those other children can say they have been picked for."

"Oh ya well what if we didn't want to be picked," he retorts, his fists clenched. All you could do was stand in the corner, watching in admiration as this once terrified boy was literally standing up to the escort. His words seemed to render her speechless. With nothing else to say, he stormed off past her, and through a hallway to some unknown destination.

"Well dear," she breathes, fixing her already straightened wig, "at least you saw how inappropriate that was. I must warn you that any behavior like that towards a peacekeeper or director will end up with severe consequences."

"Then why didn't he get shot in the back for talking to you like that? You must not be as important to them as you think," you tell her in an emotionless tone. With that you walk past her towards where the boy had gone, now you being the one to leave her speechless. It almost felt good. It gave you a sense of pride knowing that you left her, jaw almost hitting the floor.

Once you got into the hallway, the door closing behind you, you randomly guessed which door to go in. There was one on your left and one on your right. For some reason something in your gut told you to take the door on your left, so you did. Without knocking or shouting to see if anyone was in there, you walked inside, closing the door behind you.

Thankfully you had walked into an empty bedroom, probably the rooms Tafida was talking about reserved for the tributes. You looked around, taking in the luxorious space, knowing all this meant was that you were that much closer to being murdered by someone else your age.

Shaking the thought away you inspect the room. It was bigger than the whole bottom floor of your house, but most of the space was bleak and empty. There was a large king sized bed with a navy blue comforter laid over the top with a nightstand on either side, and two chandelier looking lamps, one on each. There was a large closet that was the size of your bathroom back home, and it was completely empty other than a single white, fluffy towel, and some grey shorts with a matching grey tank top. The bathroom was rather small for the rest of the room, but it was still much larger than your bathroom at home. For starters this one actually had a tub.

You didn't know what to think of all this new fancy stuff. It was just the capitols way of trying to make themselves look good even though they really we're sending you to your death. Tears well up in your eyes at the thought, and you have to bite back a sob. It wasn't ok to cry anymore. There was no changing this. You were going into the games, and you couldn't let any of the other tributes see you as weak. No more crying.

You suck in a deep shaking breath, blinking furiously so you wouldn't let any tears fall. No more crying.

Just as you think this, a bell rings throughout your bedroom making you jump and spin around to see where the noise came from.

"Dinner is ready," the same robotic voice from the speakers in your district spoke.

A scowl appears on your face. You didn't want to eat with the fancy capitol lady, or the other victor's, cause you already knew there was no point. And you wouldn't trust yourself not to say something that you shouldn't. At the same time you thought this, a large growl grumbles from your stomach, making you hug your torso.

"Uuugh," you groan, having an internal battle with yourself. Eventually you decide that you would go get a plate of food, and bring it back to your room.

A lump builds in the back of your throat once again. What were your friends and family back home having for dinner? Was Trinity eating with your dad, or was he still off doing who knows what? We're your friends thinking about you, or were they celebrating that none of them got picked?

No they wouldn't celebrate. You meant to much to them. Not trying to rub it in, but you had a lot of people who care about you, and more friends than most the other girls in the district.

But honestly you almost hoped they we're celebrating. At least it would mean they weren't sad. You didn't know which idea hurt more. Thinking that all of them were sad because you were going to die, or thinking that they were all happy that none of them got picked, but it meant that you obviously didn't mean as much as you thought to them.

You shake the thought away, deciding that there was nothing you could do either way, and you walk out of the room. As if on cue, you bump into the other tribute, making both of you stumble around for a second before you find your footing. So much for not being clumsy.

"Oh s-sorry," you apologize, hoping he wouldn't talk to you the way he had talked to Tafida earlier.

"What happened to no fighting before the games," he says, clearly making a joke out of it as he chuckles.

You mentally breathe a sigh of relief, glad to know that at least for now you and Peter we're on good terms.

"I certainly hope you don't consider my sudden clumsiness as trying to start a fight," you tell him, adding to the joke.

There was a second of silence, and you blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "That was pretty impressive what you did back there," you say, nodding your head down the hall, referring to him standing up to Tafida.

He scoffs, but not at you. "I'm not exactly great at keeping my mouth shut," he admits, a glare marking his face.

"I'm assuming you don't want to eat with Mrs. Glitter either," you say with a laugh.

"Oh game makers help me," he begs sarcastically, sending both of you into a fit of laughs.

"You wanna come back to my room for a little bit? I know we can't exactly be friends for long, but it would be better than eating with them," you say, a hint of sadness in your voice.

He nods his head, and you both make your way out of the hallway and into the dinning/eating area. Tafida, and who you assume to be previous victor's are sat around a table, laughing and chatting away. They almost don't even notice you and Peter grab your plates and go back to your room. Almost. It was hard to miss the momentary glare Tafida sent your way.

Once you were back in your room, your plate stuffed with whatever food you could fit on it, you and Peter sit down on the bed, you leaning against the headboard with your legs bent off to the side, and him at your foot board sitting criss cross.

"So how does this work exactly," he asks in a confused tone, but there's a hint of sarcasm at the back of his voice.

"How does what work exactly," you ask through a mouthful of some sort of vegetable that you had never seen before.

"The whole let's try to become friends a few days before we're supposed to sink a knife into your chest thing."

You could tell he was trying to be sarcastic, but sadness laced through his words, like he didn't mean for what he said to be real.

"Oh ya. That," you say, your words trailing off at the end. "Well um- what's your name," you ask, just saying the first thing that comes to mind.

"Peter. Yours?"

"(Y/n)."

"Nice to meet you (Y/n)." He sticks his hand out for you to shake. Maybe you could make a new friend before the arena.

...

By the time you were both finished stuffing your faces and talking, you were practically brother and sister. Apparently he was a "bad boy" and that's why he had a problem keeping his mouth shut. He has two younger brothers, 9 and 6, his mom stays at home with them, and his dad goes to work at the dam. He lives a few streets away from Newt and Sonya, and he sees Julie all the time on his way to school.

You felt kinda sad when he went back to his room. The room felt even emptier than before, and you felt lonely. It wasn't normal for you to be on your own. Normally you had sleepovers with Sonya, or Trinity would come into your room if she had a nightmare, but there was no one there with you now. It was just you.

That thought kept you up all night, making you toss and turn on the soft, thick matress. You hadn't even bothered to change into the nighttime clothes, or take a shower. All you wanted to do was bury your face in the pillow, and scream your heart out until you fell asleep, but it didn't help. So you resorted to just laying there, all night long, until the sun started to peak through your window, and shiny reflections poka-dotted your wall.

Squinting your eyes, you stumble out of the bed and towards the small oval window. And there it was. You don't know why you didn't expect it to come, cause of course it did. The capitols buildings we're shining brightly, reflecting the sun's ray's into your eyes. The sun that would soon no longer exist to you.