A/N: Hey, it's Lulu. I will be writing for Ailani (obvioulsy), since I made her...

And I, Swagalicious Sugar Queen

Annabeth

You're no fun. Anyway, I'm writing for Fraden. Thanks, Known777!

Just one mistake
Is all it will take
We'll go down in history
Remember me for centuries
~Fall Out Boy

Ailani Vanover (16) POV

District 2 female

Training to be a peacekeeper is freaking hard. I'm expected to start training every day at precisely 6:00, even today, the day of the reaping. So when I roll over in my bed and see that it's already 5:30, I'm up in a flash. I quickly pull on my general training uniform, a less padded version of an actual Peacekeeper uniform, and then I run out the door, grabbing a half of a bagel and an apple on my way out.

I eat as I walk to the training academy, all the while thinking about Chloe. I don't want this to be her life, she's too fragile. She could never bring herself to shoot a gun, much less kill somebody, but I have the ability to turn off my emotions when necessary. I don't want to watch my sweet baby sister turn into an emotionless shell, and I will do anything to keep that from happening. When I make it to the training academy I have worked myself into a tizzy, and I begin the most calming part of my warm up -the mile run- after throwing away my half eaten apple.

After I finish my fourth lap, taking me about six minutes total, I stretch, and then continue on to the rest of my morning routine. My personal trainer follows me around, timing everything I do with a stopwatch. Colton is eighteen, and if I had paid attention, I probably would have noticed that he was interested in me. I also would have noticed that he was hot as hell, with wavy brown hair and light brown eyes. And it didn't hurt that he was pure muscle and fairly smart. Other girls fawned over him, but I was too busy to ever notice.

After I finish with my general routine, pull-ups, weighted push-ups and sit-ups, I move on to weaponry. Since today is the reaping, we don't have any organized firearms practice, so I am free to work on whatever I'd like. I begin with knives, considering they are the second most useful weapon for my line of work, and I need to have a close combat skill. I tear up a few dummies at close range, and then I try throwing a bit, a skill that I just started working on recently. I pick up three knives, and send the first one flying at a dummy's chest. It simply bounces off the target.

"Good aim, just put a little more force behind it." Colton makes me jump, I had all but forgotten that he was there. I fling the next knife at the dummy.

"Now you've got the right amount of force, but your aim is off slightly. You have to find the perfect medium." The last knife flies from my fingers and lodges in one of the inner rings of the target.

"Good. You're getting a lot better at this. Why don't you move to the crossbow?"

The crossbow is another new skill for me. The only reason I really need to learn it, is in case of a war or another rebellion and there aren't enough guns for all of the Peacekeepers.

I try a few crouching shots, and then a few standing. I'm better at this than throwing knives, as it is more similar to a gun. Most of my shots find their mark, a few are a bit off, but I could definitely kill a stationary rebel.

At 8:00, the bell rings, signaling the end of training for the day, and I'm flying out the door and jogging the route home.

As soon as I'm through the door, I run to the kitchen and start making Chloe breakfast. I start toasting a bagel and cutting up some fresh fruit. Chloe comes downstairs wiping sleep from her eyes soon after the toaster dings, signaling that the bagel is ready. Once Chloe is settled, I fly up the stairs and into the bathroom. After I have showered and cleaned the sweat and grime from my skin, I wrap myself in a towel and try to decide what to wear. Dresses aren't really my thing, so I pull on simple skintight black pants, a black tank top, and a black leather jacket. Beef beef beef beef beef. I pull my hair back into a ponytail, then tie a bandanna around my head. Since this is the reaping, I pull my hair back out of it's ponytail and let my wavy auburn hair fall down my back while still being held out of my face by the bandanna.

After having prepared myself for the reaping, it's time to get Chloe ready. She's already in her room, struggling to zip her yellow sundress. Her back is to the mirror and her hand won't bend in the appropriate way to zip the dress.

"Having some problems, Chloe?" I ask, a hint of a smile on my face.

"No, I'm fine," Chloe huffs. I walk out of the room slowly, looking over my shoulder and smirking. She gives up and takes a step towards the door, holding up the back of her dress. "Wait, come back."

Wordlessly I walk back into her room and pull up the zipper with ease.

"Thanks, Ani," she says, sarcastically.

The front door slams shut and almost immediately, mom and dad are shouting.

"Ailani! Chloe!" mom yells. "The Reaping starts in fifteen minutes! Didn't you hear the bells?"

"Sorry," Chloe calls.

"We'll be down in a minute!" I add.

"What?" dad yells. "I can't hear you! Come downstairs!"

Amused smiles on our faces, Chloe and I make our way downstairs, and walk to the Reaping that neither of us should take part in.

Fraden Yerton (18) POV

District 2 male

Beautiful. So beautiful.

The girl of my dreams, Rian Slate floats down the road to the Reaping past me, at the center of her group of friends. Her long, dark pony tail sways in time with her hips, and her light brown eyes are lit with excitement. Maybe that's why I find her so intriguing; because she looks so much like me. She throws her head back, and I smile at the sound of her laugh, like a thousand tiny bells.

She doesn't notice me staring, but one of her other bitchy friends does; Naomi, I think. Naomi looks at me with narrowed eyes, and Rian quickly matches her gaze. They whisper to each other for a few seconds, and I find myself unable to tear my eyes away from Rian.

"Pervert!" she yells.

My mouth twitches into a smirk, and I wink at her. She mutters something about a half-brother, and stomps away. I pick up my pace slightly to catch up to her as she's getting her blood drawn. I offer my hand to the Peacekeeper next to Rian's, and turn to face her.

"Don't you want me to walk you to your section, baby girl?" I ask, looking down into her eyes.

"Please stop talking to me," Rian says.

I'm getting desperate now.

"Well..." I hesitate. "Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?"

"No," she says, pulling her finger away from the Peacekeeper. "Did it sting like a bitch when you crawled out of hell?"

She walks gracefully away to the 15-year-old section, leaving me to walk to my area alone, since my friend Tirus Galding was probably already there. When I was a baby, my parents split up, and my mom decided she didn't want me. She put me in the Community Home before I was a year old, and I haven't seen or heard from her since. When I was 12, the leader of the Community Home signed me up for training, so when I'm not working with weapons or going to school, I'm doing maintenance in order to be able to pay for the apartment I just moved into.

On my way to my section, I catch Rian's eye, and she gives me a big sarcastic wave clearly dismissing me.

Maybe she'd like me if I won the Games.

All of a sudden, I have a new goal. I'm going to volunteer, I'm going to win, and I'm going to get Rian to marry me as soon as she's old enough.

Our new escort, Theodora Amondesham mounts the stage. She was the escort for District 6, until Mercedes Anderson won the Games 3 years ago, and she got promoted. As far as Capitolites go, Theodora is alright. The only noticeable body modifications on her are the pink and blue stripes in her blonde hair, her pierced ears and her makeup. Her dress printed with sunflowers flutters in the breeze as she announces the Mayor and reads the Treaty of Treason.

"Alright," Theodora says into the microphone. She reaches into the female reaping bowl and grabs a slip. I can't imagine this can be very exciting. Our class this year was so pathetic, the Academy didn't give anyone permission to volunteer. So unless someone who's untrained decides to volunteer, whoever is reaped will go into the Games. "Let's get on with it then. Our female tribute this year is... Naomi Beaumont!"

A girl from the 15-year-old section trudges up to the stage, and I quickly recognize her as Rian's friend.

Rian starts to volunteer, having always been interested in the Games, but only gets half of the phrase out, before a girl from the sixteen year old section beats her to it.

The crowd is unusually silent as the girl makes her way to the stage.

"What's your name?" Theodora asks.

"Ailani Vanover," the girl responds.

I look her up and down, trying hard to remember if I've ever met this girl. She looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place it.

"Well, now it's time for the boys," Theodora calls. "Our male tribute for this year's Hunger Games is Brighton Stone!"

"I volunteer as tribute!" I call. I run up to the stage. Once I reach the top, I look out and see a boy in the 14-year-old section high-fiving his friends. Asshole. I should have let him in the Games.

"What's your name, handsome?" our escort asks.

"My name is Fraden Yerton," I say into the mic. "Rian, this is all for you."

Rian exchanges a look with Naomi, and I feel a flutter in my stomach. She's so cute when she's about to file for a restraining order.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your tributes for the 250th Annual Hunger Games, Ailani Vanover and Fraden Yerton." Theodora turns to face the two of us. "Ailani, Fraden, please shake hands."

We don't shake hands. We both just look each other up and down, not so subtly. I don't recognize her, and I can tell she likewise doesn't know who I am. I'll have to give her a proper introduction on the train.

Ailani Vanover (16) POV

District 2 female

Sitting on the couch, waiting for whoever's going to visit me to come in, I let my mind wander to my District partner, and all of his weirdness. The girl he was talking to seemed pretty creeped out. I don't know how he missed that.

The creaking door interrupts my thoughts, and Chloe's face appears in the door first. I feel my face widen into a smile as she runs towards me, my parents trailing behind.

"Ani, why'd you volunteer? I thought you-" my dad cuts her off.

"Chloe, why don't you wait in the hallway?" he says, too calmly.

"But daddy!" Chloe protests. "I just wanna-"

"Wait in the hallway," mom says. "You can see her later."

Chloe averts her eyes to the carpet and shuffles to the door, mumbling an apology. Once she's gone, I look my dad in the eye directly.

"What the hell is your problem?" I exclaim.

"Funny, I could ask you the same thing," he says, fuming. "What were you thinking volunteering? You could have been a Peacekeeper!"

"I had to choose between being a Peacekeeper and a tribute," I say, with a small smirk. "I chose the lesser of the two evils."

"Ailani!" my mother says, shocked. "Being a Peacekeeper is-"

"An incredibly well-respected field by those in the Capitol." I finish the mantra that's been drilled into my head since the age of 14. "But news flash; so is being a victor."

"You better hope there's a pistol in that Cornucopia," dad says.

"Yeah, or throwing knives, or daggers, or a crossbow," I say. "Trust me, I wouldn't have volunteered if I wasn't prepared."

"Why did you volunteer, anyway?" he asks.

"I have something better planned for Chloe." I respond. "She might actually have a chance to be happy." Both of my parents stare at me in shock, as a peacekeeper comes to collect my parents.

As the door closes, I call, "Maybe you should try a little harder, or she might be following in my footsteps sooner than you want her to."

Fraden Yerton (18) POV

District 2 male

I sit on the velveteen couch in the Justice Building, shaking my leg in anticipation of the Games. What will happen when I get to the Capitol? Will sponsors like me? Of course they will. By definition, I'm a Career tribute now. Even if sponsors don't like me and Ailani, per say, there's bound to be a pretty girl from 1 and/or 4, and at strong guys as well. It shouldn't be too hard to get people to like us.

I'm snapped out of my trance by Tirus, my one and only friend, entering my room. Before he says anything, he tosses me a bottle of little red pills. Take one by mouth twice a day.

"They fell out of your pocket," he explains.

"Thanks," I say, putting the bottle in my other pocket.

"Think they'll let you take them in the arena?" he asks, shuffling his feet.

"Probably not," I admit. "But it's not like they're crucial to my life; just my sanity."

"Why'd you volunteer, anyway?" he asks.

"Rian," I begin.

"Of course," he mutters.

"Hey, hear me out," I say. "She's always loved the Games; look me in the eye and tell me she wouldn't date a victor."

"Look, Fraden," he says. "I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I just haven't had the heart. I don't know any other time, but you can't be with Rian because-"

"Time's up," a Peacekeeper says, poking his head through the door.

Tirus looks at me, uncomfortably.

"Sorry," he says. "Maybe they'll tell you if you win."

What does he mean if I win? Of course I'll win! Tirus is escorted out, and is quickly replaced with Rian. Wordless, she marches up to me, sighs, and kisses me. I briefly spazz out, but I have the common sense to get my shit together and kiss her back. All too quickly, she pulls away and takes several steps back.

"That never happened," she says, a blazing look in her eye. "Got it?"

Zombie-like, I nod, and watch her as she saunters out of the room, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand.

I should have thought of this a long time ago.

Questions! Each question is worth one point.

1) What do you think of these characters?

2) Who did you like better, Fraden or Ailani?

3) What did you like about them?

4) What didn't you like about them?

5) Predictions?

6) Did you like the beef in this chapter?

Love from Magic Girl Stunna and Bling Angel Angel!