Contest: The Hunger Games

Host: DisneyWorldInfoQueen (Cancelled)

"Are you excited?" My twin brother, Hayden, questions as he adjusts his tie. I frown at him in the mirror and tie the hairband at the base of my fishtailed braid.

"For what? Reaping day?" Hayden scowls and rolls his eyes, flopping himself down on my bed.

"No, for our birthday Mia. No more Reaping, no more games, no more fear." I shrug and put in the diamond earrings our mom left for me to wear only on Reaping Day when she died seven years ago. She left Hayden our grandfather's watch.

"I'm excited, I guess." Hayden pushes himself off the bed and comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my neck and resting his chin on my shoulder.

"What's wrong baby sis?" I sigh, staring into the mirror meeting his sizzling green eyes.

"I don't know, I'm just tired of this. One more day and we're free, I hate that our birthday is literally the day after Reaping Day." Hayden snorts and smirks, a stray piece of blonde hair falling in front of his face.

"Hey, it just means we get to celebrate early." Hayden says, flashing a brilliant smile. He tucks his hair back behind his ear and pulls away from me.

"Yeah," I sigh and twirl away from the mirror. "how do I look big brother?" I ask, holding my arms away from myself and spinning in a circle for him. Hayden laughs and grasps ahold of my hand, pulling me around our bedroom in a series of whirls and turns.

"You look beautiful, just like Mom." Hayden praises, pulling me into a hug. I smile and rest my arms around his neck.

"You look pretty handsome too." Hayden smiles and pulls himself out of my grasp. He gets down on his hands and knees and brings a box out from beneath his bed. I frown and cross my arms over my chest.

"I swear if that's a birthday present I'm going to kill you." I threaten. We had a deal, him and I; no presents. The best gift we'd ever get was making it another year without getting Reaped. Hayden scowls and gets to his feet, a prettily wrapped light blue box in his hands.

"That was because we were in the Reaping every year and making it another year was the best present we could get. But after today, we'll be free of it, and then what? We'll need to start buying each other presents." I nod, refusing to give in to the idea of gift giving. It was breaking tradition.

"So why'd you get me one this year?" I inquire, Hayden shrugs and looks at me through his blonde bangs.

"Because I'm your big brother and if anyone can break the rules, it's me. Open it." He tells me, setting the little box in my hands and shoving his hands into the pockets of his Reaping suit. I sigh and untie the dark blue ribbon, rolling my eyes in mock frustration. He could be so difficult sometimes. The ribbon falls away and I lift the lid of the box, my eyes widening at the object inside.

"You didn't." I breathe, glancing up at his smiling face and then back down at the box.

"I did." He retorts cheekily. Inside the box sat a silver locket dangling from a silver chain, and at the end of the chain was a clasp so that I could hook it along a belt hoop and hide it in my pocket. I lifted the locket from the box and popped it open and the pictures inside almost brought me to tears. It was him and I, my mom and my dad. All of us together again. The photo of him and I was recent, only from the other day. But the one of our parents had been taken years ago, right before my mom got sick and died. I sniffle and brush my hand under my eyes, laughing slightly as Hayden pulls me into his chest.

"Aren't you glad I broke the rules? Happy Birthday Mirabella." He teases and breathes out deeply. I laugh and nod my head against his chest before taking a steadying breath and pulling away from him.

"Well, since you broke the rules I suppose its okay that I did too." I comment, peaking a glance at Hayden. He blinks in surprise and huffs with resignation.

"Of course you did, and yet you gave me such a hard time." I smile and walk over to my dresser, opening the bottom drawer and reaching to the very back where a rectangular box was tucked inside a bundle of fabric. I pull the box out and hand it over to my brother, still holding my new locket tightly in my hands.

"Here, Happy Birthday Hayden." He takes the box with a roll of his eyes. I get to my feet and twine my fingers before me as he pulls the top from the box. I watch his jaw tighten with surprise and joy and I can't help but smile.

"Thank you Mia," Hayden says, lifting the silver switchblade with both his and my initials engraved into the handle from the box. "It's so much better than the one I ruined." He says with a laugh and tucks the tiny weapon into his suit pocket.

"Well, I guess we should go join the others. The Reaping will be starting soon." I say, reaching over to take Hayden's hand. It was our tradition to walk together to the Reaping, hand in hand, until we were forced apart by the Peacekeepers. We were the truest definition of twins joined at the hip.

Hayden nods solemnly and leads me down the hall and into the kitchen where our father sits at the table with his head in his hands. Pictures of our mom were spread along the table before him. Hayden and I slow to a halt when we see him, he looks up and wipes the tears from his cheeks.

"Oh, Hayden, Mia, I'm sorry." He says, resting his chin in his hands. He smiles slightly when he sees us though. "You guys look great, have you seen Brooklyn?" Hayden sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"She's not here?" Brooklyn, our little sister, was about as wild as a beast and completely uncontrollable. Our dad shakes his head and frowns.

"Lucas's?" Her boyfriend, Hayden nods and glances back at me.

"We'll stop on the way and check though." I nod in agreement with his silent question, Hayden glances back at our dad. "We'll see you at the Reaping, right?" Dad nods, a deep sadness creeping into his eyes.

"Of course, now go before you're late."

The walk through the streets of District One is full of silence between us. Hayden was brewing with anger at our younger sister. He hated how she would spend her nights at Lucas's house and never tell us where she was. I didn't much like it either, but I tried not to get angry with her. I left that to Hayden.

Hayden walks swiftly up to Lucas's door and bangs his fist against it furiously. "Lucas!" He shouts, rolling his eyes and scowling. A moment later, the door opens and there stands Luke, dressed in his best suit with our sister cowering behind him.

"Hey Hayden," Brooklyn comments, smiling happily and twirling around in her strapless dress.

"The hell are you wearing?" Hayden snaps, Brooklyn laughs and rolls her eyes.

"A dress, duh."

"Brooks, don't." I snap, my own bit of anger welling up inside me. But I tried to control it. My sister looks at me, her green eyes glittering.

"Whatever." She snaps, latching onto Luke's arm and shoving her way between Hayden and I. My twin clenches his jaw and forces a smile.

"Hayden, relax." I comment, following along behind Brooklyn and Luke.

"Relax? How can you put up with her?" He hisses, that Career attitude of his finally starting to show its brilliant colors. Hayden, Brooklyn, and I were all Careers but killing our emotions had never been something our parents allowed. After all the training and lessons and teaching, we'd still managed to scrounge together our humanity and with each other's help, kept it nicely intact.

"Come on, let's go Hayden. We'll be late." I state, grasping ahold of his hand and tugging him along behind me. Hayden, Brooklyn, Lucas, and I stand in line with so many other teenagers, waiting to be pricked by the Peacekeepers and herded together.

Brooklyn is the first to be pricked and lead away, she glances only fleetingly at the three of us. Her gaze meeting each of our eyes before she joins the other fifteen year old girls. Lucas is next, he doesn't bother to look back for fear of Hayden mentally ripping him apart for his interactions with Brooklyn. Third is Hayden, he steps in front of me, like he always does, and lets the Peacekeeper prick his finger, his other hand still tightly holding onto mine.

Then he's supposed to leave, and things get kind of difficult. Hayden refuses to let go at first, his hold tightening until the Peacekeepers start to get a bit restless. Then he releases my hand, a smirk taking over his face. This was his favorite part of Reaping Day, pissing the Peacekeepers off but pulling back before things got out of hand.

I'm last and the needle pricks my finger, a bubble of blood erupts from my finger. The Peacekeepers press it against a page of paper before sending me on my way. I take a breath and grip the locket in my closed palm as I stand in the midst of the eighteen year old girls. My heart beating violently against my ribs, every year I stood here and waited for my fate.

Every year I felt no fear because I knew that if I were to be picked then Hayden would volunteer and protect me at all costs. Yet, somehow, at the same time, I was absolutely terrified. And maybe that was part of my terror. The idea that if I were somehow accidentally forced into danger I'd be the reason why my brother would willingly look death in the face. I couldn't bear that, and I don't think Brooklyn or my dad could stand losing us both either.

"Hello District One!" Our escort, Lillian, announces, a bundle of orange hair on her head and red flames traveling down her face and neck. She wore a red and yellow gown with orange diamonds on the skirt.

The escort babbles on about the same things that she does every year, her hair bobbing with each movement. She shows the video along the screens and I have to fight the urge to yawn halfway through it. After so many years of watching the same thing, I was terribly bored with it.

Then, it's time to pick the tributes.

Lillian smiles and grasps ahold of the microphone stand, the flames along her face morphing whenever her expression changed. "As always, ladies first." She says and walks over to a huge bowl of names. Lillian sticks her hand inside the bowl and pulls a little white slip of paper from the top of the pile. She clutches it to her chest as she makes her way back to the microphone. Lillian clears her throat and pulls the paper slip open.

"Brooklyn Glendenning." Lillian calls out and my blood freezes in my veins. My head snaps to the side, searching frantically for Hayden's gaze. His green eyes lock on mine, his fear oozing from him in waves. My little sister takes two steps toward the stage before I lose all self-control over myself.

"Mia!" Hayden shouts, shoving his way through the other teenage boys around him.

"I volunteer!" I shout without fully comprehending my actions. I just knew I couldn't let Brooklyn go, she wouldn't make it. I might though.

"Me too!" Hayden calls out, jogging up beside me and grasping ahold of my shaking hand. The entirety of the crowd falls silent as the two Career twins are herded to the stage while their younger sister falls against their father in tears. The Glendenning family is suddenly in tatters. Once on stage, Hayden releases my hand to stand at Lillian's right while I take my place on the left.

"And the District One tributes are-!" Lillian thrusts the microphone in my face, smiling like a mad woman. I gulp and glance from Brooklyn, to my father, and finally Hayden.

"Mirabella Glendenning." Lillian squeals with delight and turns to face my brother, he stutters for a moment and clenches his fists.

"Hayden Glendenning."

"Well, there you have it District One! Your tributes! Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!" And then the Peacekeepers surrounded us, forcing Hayden and I back through the doors and away from my dad and sister. I felt like my world was falling down around me, but Hayden slips his hand into mine and the bubble of fear pops. He'd protect me, and I'd protect him. That's how it had always been, and nothing was going to change.