DISCLAIMER: I do not own, or ever intend to own, The Hunger Games. What I do own is this cruddy fan fiction version.

I just realised the title kind of sounds like a full blown, soft core romance fest. Well, that's awkward.

Hehehe enjoy. ^_^

When you say Hunger Games, You've said it all.

Chapter 1 – Nothing Like Introducing The Scene

~XXX~

It was the morning of the reaping. The crisp, freshly cut grass scent filled the air as I gazed at the sunrise. It was beautiful, at how the midnight black clashed with the salmon as the sun slowly made its way over the towering mountains. I stared at the sunlight as it slowly crept along the earth, turning it from a dull mantis to a vibrant harlequin. Pondering over the beauty of the random patches of daisies that grew in my front lawn, I heard a faint clutter. Glancing over to the end of my street, I scowled as my eyes found the plaza.

The Capitol had travelled to District 3 to help set up the stage that would determine which kids life would be ruined, like they did every year. The stage was too big to keep up for the reasonably small plaza all year long, so they found it easier to set it up and take it down, just for the reaping.

The reaping was a part of the sick and yearly event called "The Hunger Games." All twelve districts of Panem had to send one female and one male in between the ages of 12 to 18 to compete, otherwise…. Well, no one knows what would happen if they tried to defy the Capitol, but it's just best to not try to defy people who could easily banish –or kill- you and your entire family. Mainly every family has had someone executed or banished for defying the Capitol. The Hunger Games is an event the Capitol –the people that rule all 12 districts of Panem- host every year. 24 children are picked to fight to the death to each other, and it's broadcasted over national television. We are forced to watched children die.

The vivid specks of hair sickened my gut as I saw people bouncing around, bossing each other around and occasionally glancing in a shop window to fix their vibrant outfits. It was sick at how happy they seemed at the prospect of 21 children dying.

Usually I'd walk along the plaza with a vanilla ice cream cone, chatting aimlessly to Falcon as he would try to push me into the nearest bush, just to get away from the stressed atmosphere that seemed to always hang around my house. We'd awe at the fluffy kittens and sleepy puppies at the pet store window, skip past the couples dining at Café Le Vita; usually dumping our half eaten ice creams on unsuspecting couples, and just start singing loudly when we reached the secluded spot near the forest entrance. But today was different. Today was determining the fates of children, and one of them could be me.

That last thought was preposterous, I scolded myself. Any doubts I had flooded straight out of me. Oh, how wrong I was to feel safe in a facility bred with hate. Running my hands through the dewy grass, relaxation flooded throughout me.

"LIGHTNING! GET UP!" a high pitched voice shouted throughout the silent air.

Muffled bickering drifted out the open door to me as I zoned out again. I really didn't care about anything right now, except for the fact that nothing was going to stop me from going to college. I was due to go to college in a week, and I was ecstatic. I was getting away from this so called 'family'. No one really loved or trusted each other, and the secrets we did keep somehow had gotten out last week, which caused more tension then there already was.

The place I live in is made up of my two sisters and my mother. I'm the middle child, and my two sisters absolutely hate each other. Thunder blames Lightning about our Father leaving, as he left just after Lightning was born. It had been 8 years and no signs of him ever appeared. It made Mother angry, and lately her fuse seemed to get shorter and shorter with each coming day. I'm not even sure if Father's my real father. Mother had a sketchy past, dealing with drug dealers and mafias. Lightning's a goody two shoes who despises anything immoral, while Thunder wants to follow in Mothers footsteps. Mother forbids it though, saying 'she made a mistake' when she was in her early twenties. Lightning doesn't believe Mother, and Thunder finds it unfair that Mother won't let Thunder live her life the way she wants it to. There are other secrets, but I need not to say them.

As the birds started chirping and the first signs of life showed itself, I sighed and stretched. Flicking a stray, silver hair resting atop my glasses, I leapt up and held my stomach as it gave a menacing rumble. Everyone sure did get up early today, I thought as I ambled towards the door. Then again that's coming from someone who didn't get a wink of sleep last night.

There was no muffled argument coming from inside, so everyone must be ignoring each other, like usual. I glanced at the clock as soon as I entered the house. 7:30. There was still another half an hour until the reaping started, which meant I had enough time to get ready and go visit Falcon. My eyes trailed down from the clock to the kitchen table, where Lightning and Thunder sat, glaring at each other from opposite ends. Thunder had a black eye and Lightning held a tissue to her bleeding nose. Weird, I hadn't heard any fighting. The usual faint sound of footsteps in the yard meant Mother was tending to the garden, like she usually did whenever she needed alone time. Shaking my head, I walked up the hallway and entered the bathroom, glancing back once more as uncertainty washed over me.

~XXX~

Flicking off the tap, I heard a high pitched, whiny voice shout my name. Grabbing the towel and drying my hair off, I walked out of the shower naked into the lounge.

"What do you want Lig-" I started to whine, placing my glasses on the ridge of my nose.

As the room came into view, I saw him. My best friend, Falcon, was standing in the lounge. He awkwardly glanced at me, then looked away. Dropping the towel, I ran towards Falcon and embraced him in a tight hug, not caring that I was naked and he seemed to feeling even more awkward by the minute.

Falcon has thick, curly goldenrod hair that ended just below his ears. His chartreuse green eyes (with a chestnut outer ring) stood out against his light tan, and has an extremely slender build. Falcon's two centimetres taller than me, and is extremely shy, polite and trusting. He's also a genius at maths, and really warm and funny if he feels comfortable around you.

We pulled apart, him blushing a bright crimson. Lightning nagged at me to go put some clothes on, while Thunder came into the room, and then quickly ran out, a pink tinge coming onto her face. We all knew Thunder had a huge crush on Falcon. Picking up the damp towel, I chucked it at Lightning and chuckled, darting out of the room to change. Slamming the door, I glanced at the single bed. I sighed, picking up the light pink dress Lightning had obviously lain on my bed and chucked it out the door. She never learned. I opened the draws and fished for the first things I touched, chucking them casually onto the floor. I glanced at what I was going to wear; a white, buttoned up and short sleeved business-type collar shirt; a burgundy vest that had a low V neck cut; a pair of long, black trousers and a black pair of worn out sneakers. Quickly chucking them on, I casually walked out of the room and was greeted by a scowling Lightning, holding up the light pink, ruffled monstrosity of a dress.

Lightning was a spitting image of mother, when she was younger. Tall, slender and pale, adorned with pale gold freckles and matching pale gold hair. Her eyes were a wide, electric indigo, complete with a zaffre outer ring. Her lips were pouting, and her eyes were filled with tears. I noticed her bloody nose was gone as well.

"Why did I find this in the hallway, like someone just casually didn't want to take care of it?" Lightning asked, her pale gold eyes frowning in disgust at me, hugging the dress tightly.

"It's ugly. Simple as that." I calmly said, brushing aside her outstretched arm.

What happened next was normal. Lightning kicked my leg with enough force that should have broken it, and I froze. What was Lightning playing at, trying to force me to wear that? I grabbed her by the next and pinned her against the wall.

"You ugly, disgusting mutt." She spat in my face.

I held her there, as she squirmed like the pathetic weasel she is.

"You're a filthy whore, you know that? I found the papers." She whispered.

I threw her to the floor, and screamed. I tried stopping the tears, but they continued to fall down my face, like a waterfall. Quickly darting through the hallway, I grabbed Falcon's arm and burst out the house. Maybe being in the Hunger Games would be fine. God knows it'd end my pathetic life.

X~~~X

This chapter kept confusing me, mainly because I kept switching which paragraph I was writing. Gah I have a problem with not completing a section and moving onto another one!

So… you made it this far. What'd you think? Reviews are always welcome!