VampWiz08 .Found You in a Hopeless Place. Wolfie

It usually wasn't hot in District 2 but once everyone had gathered in the square, bodies pressed too close for comfort, it got hot. Zane Clemons crossed his arms over his chest, the nice, button-up shirt he was in feeling too tight, like it was choking him. He hated this time of the year. Not because of the crowds, or the growing heat, or all the noise, but because this District made such a huge fuss out of it. Reaping day was always a big deal in the Career districts. It determined who would be teamed up, who would have an unbreakable bond till the very end. Growing up in District 2, it was implanted in his head at a young age that the Career bond was not a joke, something that had to be taken seriously. Zane believed it for a while, believed it more when he began to go through weaponry and combat training and met all the kids his age and got close to them. He grew a bond with those he practiced swords besides, he grew a everlasting friendship with those he practiced wrestling with, he grew something he didn't even understand with those he practiced archery with.

And then, they showed him and his weaponry and combat class their first Games, when they were barely teenagers. They hadn't allowed them to see any other Games, letting them form that bond first before they showed what actually happened when a few Careers were the only ones left, if it turned out that way. Zane knew the Games were bloody. Zane knew people killed people. Zane knew the Careers always teamed up and used that unbreakable bond to fight off the other tributes, even though there were the occasional arguments breaking out between them. He didn't know what he expected them to do once it was just them. He knew only one person could win but it never crossed his mind. He could clearly remember the horror he felt as he watched the Careers turn on one another, begin to attack each other like they were complete strangers, like they were the other tributes they took out together. They watched Game after Game and not all the Careers made it but the ones that did always attacked each other in the end. No hesitancy, no final, friendly words, just blood and death and winning and a victor. He remembered looking around the room, at all his friends, and wondering if any of the girls would stab him in the throat when the time came. Wondering if any of the guys would stab a girl in the eye when the time came. Wondering if he himself would kill any one of the girls he recently started flirting with.

That's when he decided that Career bond that was pounded into his head was fake. If they truly cared for each other, if they really wanted to help each other survive, they wouldn't had so easily turned on one another. It upset Zane greatly because all the guys and girls were his friends. Though, they don't even know who is chosen till the day of the reaping. It's always rigged to choose the best of the best to fight for the District. Before the reaping, they had pulled Zane and his class, all 18 year olds now, aside and announced who would step up and volunteer in place of the one chosen, if it wasn't conveniently them. Zane was chosen, being the best at hand-to-hand combat and spearing. A girl who he had became close too before he pulled himself away after realizing the truth of this Career bond was chosen. She wasn't so great at hand-to-hand combat but she could wield a sword unlike any other in the class. Her name was Allison Stonebrook and she was always a flirt. He couldn't believe she was chosen.

All of this ran through his head as he stood in the square, in between two guys he use to call friends, the air feeling thick and heavy. Someone's name will be called and he'll step up, yelling out the all familiar "I volunteer!", and everyone will clap and cheer like he was something special. And that's exactly what happened. Some kid's name was called - something like Jett or Kett, he couldn't remember now - and he pushed out of the mass of bodies, yelled those words that secured his spot on stage, and waited for Allison to do the same. When she did, they shook hands and were whisked off to the Capitol. Zane never told anyone about his feelings of the Career bond. Anyone he could have gone too would have told someone and it would have kept going through person to person and he wasn't sure what they would have done. So, he kept quiet and secretly hoped he didn't have to compete in the Games. But he was too proud and couldn't dumb himself down to fail the plants test, couldn't stop himself from planting another boy into the ground during wrestling practice, couldn't stop himself from throwing the spear too short or too far and missing the target. He had too much pride to do any of that and he wished he could have. He always told himself he would fake it, act like he couldn't do it, but when he stepped up and was ready to do it, all that entered his mind was the competition, the urge to win. He thought that was in every Career's head.

But here he was, on a train shooting towards the Capitol, and regretting the fact his pride got in the way. He leaned back on the plush chair, watching all the trees blur into an endless color and trying to ignore the small chitchat his mentor and Allison were having. It quieted down and he sagged down in the chair. Though, he straightened up when Allison sat across from him, watching outside the window. "So, how are you feeling?" she asked softly, being the polite girl he always knew her as.

He wasn't sure how to answer her question. He wasn't even sure how he felt. There were just so many things he was feeling. "Indifferent." he finally settled on, glancing at her with his eyes. He tucked his chin in his hand, his elbow on the window sill, and kept watching the outside world pass in a blur. Allison grew quiet and Zane wished she would leave. He didn't want anyone finding out he wasn't going to join the Careers. He didn't want anyone to discover he thought the Career bond was something stupid, something fake. He was barely thinking about the Games and what they'll bring. He would kill if he had too, he knew that. He would protect himself.

"Are you... ready for this?" Allison asked slowly, unsure sounding herself. Maybe she wasn't ready and she was hoping Zane could relate to her. Zane didn't want to relate to her. Zane didn't want to relate to anyone he had to possibly kill. So, instead of answering, he just sighed and shrugged. He couldn't voice that to her. She wouldn't understand. After discovering the Career bond, she got close to all the boys. She knew of its supposed importance. Everyone had done that. Zane was the only one who, after witnessing the Games, had began to close up. He talked to them, to keep up an act, but it was never the same. He was surprised no one noticed. Or they did and just kept quiet about it. "I don't think I am but... maybe I'll feel different when we actually go in there, right?" she whispered softly.

Zane flicked his blue eyes over to her and sighed. She obviously wanted an answer. Maybe she'll leave him alone once he gives one. "I don't think anyone is. Just take it as it comes, right?" he said, squeezing his chin just a bit tighter. Just take it as it comes, what crap advice that was. They were going into the Hunger Games, a place where everyone dies until one person is standing. He knew it took planning and smarts and slyness to get through this, not the mindset of just going with the flow. But his words seemed to make Allison relax, even just the tiniest, and let out a small sigh.

"Thanks Zane." she said, standing up. She passed by him and slowly, she reached out, squeezing his broad shoulder, before she was gone. For some reason, Zane can't shake the weight that was just on his shoulder, the feel of her small fingers squeezing his shoulder, as if she was silently saying she needed him. He can't shake it and he began to feel guilty because he wouldn't be there for her. Maybe he was just looking too deeply in to it but he remembered how he use to feel with the Career bond. He remembered how much he thought he needed all his friends around him. He remembered how strongly he felt about them all. But now he didn't feel that way but Allison still did. Huffing out a breath, he kept watching the outside. He felt differently but Allison didn't. He couldn't help that.

When they reached the Capitol, Allison was eating up all the attention outside from the Capitol citizens. Waving, smiling, being charming. Zane just watched them with a blank stare. He doesn't like how they get this sick joy from watching people kill each other. They're escorted off the train and onto the floor they'll be staying at. The 2nd floor. Zane was forced into the area set up like a living room, a big purple couch, two huge chairs, and a dark, wooden coffee table. He sat on the couch, trying to not sink into the colorful pillows behind him noticeably. The TV came on as Allison settled in beside him and together, they watched the recap of the reapings, seeing their "fellow" Careers and their competition. Zane frowned as he watched the reapings, taking each person in, and wondering how all this will play out. He knew, in the end, none of it will play out well.

There was a heavy air in District 12 since it was Reaping Day, everyone's least favorite day, especially for Scarletta Newton. Four years before, her older brother was chosen, and was killed by a Career. Her heart was still heavy with grief for her long dead sibling, but he had been her protector, her best friend, their entire lives. Their mother worked her pain away and their father tried to work in the mines. It was hard for him because, just after his son had been killed in the Arena, there was an explosion in the mines, and he had lost one of his arms. He was lucky, though, because if he would have been just five feet closer to the explosion, he would have been killed. He was glad, though, along with Scarletta and her mother, because neither of the women would have been able to handle two heavy loses in just a week. Many families had lost loved ones in the explosion, though, so the whole district grieved, grieved for the two who both had lost their lives in the arena, and the ones who had been just that unlucky to be in the mines during the explosion.

Scarletta sighed as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror, her long, dark brown hair in its usual thick waves, and her almond eyes filled with fear and nerves. There was something in the back of her mind that told her that her name was going to be drawn. That was how the reaping worked. Even if you had a family member in the games before, and they won or lost their life, you still had a chance to get chosen. She hated that fact. She wished oh so much that she didn't have to be in the drawing. She knew her parents wouldn't be able to handle losing another child, and she knew that she probably wasn't even going to make it off the platform if she was, in fact, chosen. Her friends had been there for her from the beginning, when her brother's name had first been drawn, and were there for her even stronger as they watched him get an axe to the back. It was instant death, but the fact that she had to watch it made this particular reaping day even harder.

She continued to stare at herself and her dress in the mirror, her brain replaying her brother's death over and over, wondering if she was going to die the same way. A single tear rolled down her cheek when her mother walked in. She nodded to her mother's reflection in the mirror before turning and making her way with her mother and father to the district square. All children were lined up, boys and girls separated, and all eyes watched as a hand reached into the bucket of names. All Scarletta heard was a familiar wail from her mother knowing that her name had been called. She felt all of the districts eyes on her as she made her way up to the stand, her body seeming to carry itself without her own mind even making sense of the situation. The whole district was silent because, after all, it had only been two years since her brother was in the games. She stared out a nothing when a boy of only fourteen was called. They stood there, both in silence and shock, as their hands were raised into the air.

They soon were whisked away onto the train, and Scarletta was quickly made up by her make up team. She walked into the dining cart and sighed, her eyes focused and the rapidly passing world. The boy from her district came in and sat down across from her, his own almond eyes staring at the blur of the greenery outside. "Scarletta?" he asked quietly, his voice trembling with obvious fear and nervousness.

She looked at him and gave him a small smile. "Yes?" she asked, trying to make her voice sound confident, like everything was going to be okay, because he was so young, and she didn't want to scare the wits out of him.

"I... Good luck," was all he muttered as the train stopped.

"You, too," she responded as they stood.

He walked out of the train with her behind him, and, before they knew it, they were in the Capitol building, doing a few random spots, in an elevator, and brought up to the twelfth floor. Before his door was shut behind him, Scarletta looked at him and asked, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Logan. Logan Marshall," he responded.

"It's nice to meet you, Logan Marshall," she got out before his door was quickly closed and she was rushed into her own room.

And there she stood for a while, thinking about how his name seemed so familiar. There was just... something about him that she knew, yet she couldn't place it. Scarletta blankly took a shower and sat on her bed in her pajamas, all of her thoughts flowing in and out of her head as to why she knew the name. She eventually drifted off to sleep, but was awoken with a start after only two hours of sleep. Suddenly, she remembered. She remembered how she knew Logan Marshall. He was the younger brother of the girl Scarletta's brother had been dating. That girl had talked about her brother all the time before the Games, before she had committed suicide out of grief of Scarletta's brother being killed in the games. They were deeply in love, and had plans to get married once he had won the Games. She couldn't believe it; she couldn't believe she was going to fight to the death of the boy that was meant to be her brother-in-law, the boy she had never even met before.

She could no longer sleep, which was in a way a relief because she was brought to the tribute room with Logan and their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, who had one the Games the year before. They sat in front of the television and watched the reapings from all other districts, her stomach clenched with nervousness as she saw the Careers, their size, and no doubt strength that would kill her in an instant. She sighed and just watched, awaiting instructions for what they were to do the next day, and tried to mentally prepare herself for what was to come.

Zane was growing tired of watching the reapings. All these people, possibly himself included, were going to die. He hated the fact he had to see their faces, had to be the one that might have to kill one of them. He knew he could kill if need be but he wouldn't like it. He wouldn't like it at all. Allison seemed very into the reapings, leaning in and watching with wide eyes. Brutus glanced at the two tributes whereas Lyme was watching Allison. Zane tried to ignore his mentors, two people who had killed to win, instead concentrating on the TV. He kept his face blank but on the inside, he felt almost sick. He didn't want to do this, he didn't want to hurt anybody. He wished he hadn't been chosen, that his pride hadn't gotten in his way, and that he could have moved on from the Games and turned a blind eye. It was all his own fault, it was his fault he was here because he was stupid and allowed his pride to get in the way. He just wanted to be a show off, show how strong and skilled he was, and now he was stuck here. He almost deserved it.

"What are you thinking?" Lyme spoke up, her blue, green-specked eyes watching Allison curiously. For one second, Zane thought she was talking to him and then saw her eyes locked on Allison.

Allison jerked from her trance towards the TV, looking at Lyme. Her cheeks darkened the slightest as she looked down at her lap. "We-well..." she trailed off, squeezing her knees from nervousness.

Zane always remembered Allison as a shy person, someone who got nervous easily and fidgeted a lot. It wouldn't work well for her out there. Or maybe it would. She was obviously being charming towards the crowd when they pulled up in the train. Maybe she was better with crowds instead of small groups. He wasn't sure but he had the sudden urge to reach out and take her hand, let her know he was there even though it was a lie. He crossed his arms over his chest so he wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be fair to Allison, who was already looking to him as a friend and fellow Career. It wouldn't be fair to himself.

"Well?" Lyme said, obviously growing impatient with the girl's silence. Zane glanced at their two mentors, to see Lyme's eyes narrowed and Brutus looking almost amused. By what, Zane wasn't sure. He wasn't sure if it was by Allison's nervousness or by the fact Lyme was so demanding.

"I'm just wondering how it'll be to... survive during this." Allison said slowly. It wasn't hard to read between the lines and understand what she really meant. I'm just wondering how it'll be to kill another human being. The silence that followed felt almost thick and it was obvious Allison thought she said the wrong thing, gripping her knees tighter and glancing at Zane, as if silently asking for help or comfort or something. Zane kept his eyes down.

Finally, Lyme let out a soft sigh and glanced to Brutus. "Should of let Enobaria tag along on this." she mumbled to Brutus but the two tributes still caught it. Enobaria was another previous winner for District 2 but considering only two mentors were allowed, they let different ones go every year. Brutus let out a booming laugh at that and Zane felt Allison jump beside him. She was strong physically but back at the training classes in Distract 2, they never bothered to mentally prepare the possible tributes. He wasn't sure how Allison would hold mentally and it scared him, just a bit. He was scared for everyone going into the Games but he wouldn't show it. "Listen," Lyme paused, as if trying to remember something. "Allison," she finally continued, leaning back in the plush chair and crossing her legs, "You were born for this. When the time comes, it'll feel so natural, you'll be surprised."

That was worse than what Zane had told Allison on the train. Zane wanted to lash out, tell her that was just stupid. Killing should never feel natural, even if they were born to do it. It seemed Allison was believing the words though, nodding and letting out a held in breath. Zane wanted to yell some sense into her but she didn't think like him, she didn't see the Career bond as a lie or see these Games as something horrible. He had a feeling he was going to become crazy while here, surrounded by these blood-thirsty people. "What about you, Zane?" Brutus spoke up, looking over at the dirty-blonde haired boy.

Zane's eyes snapped up to meet Brutus' darker ones, his ashy eyebrows raising up. "What?" he said, his voice a mixed of confusion and annoyance, as he tried to figure out what Brutus was getting at.

Brutus frowned. "What's on your mind?" he repeated, glancing at Lyme who was smirking while she watched Zane.

"Oh..." Zane paused for a moment. There were many things going through his mind but none of them, they would like to hear. "Just sizing up the competition." he finally said, looking down at his hands laying in his lap. He wasn't the greatest liar, he admitted that himself, but he could do it if he needed too.

"Okay." Brutus nodded, seeming like he wanted to say more, but his eyes flickered to the clock on the wall. "Come on, it's time for you two to go to the stylists." he said, standing up.

Zane wondered if the other Districts had arrived yet. Being so close to the Capitol, they had arrived early. Allison stood up, frowning. "Why do we have to go to them?" she asked. Zane was wondering the same thing. Being from a high up District, their appearances were always taken care of, they were always cleaned and washed and scrubbed almost every night. It was required for possible tributes until they were eighteen.

"They have to take your measurements and just touch you up." Lyme answered, since it looked like Brutus would have rather told Allison to shut up and come on. Zane nodded and followed them them out, to where the stylists were waiting. It didn't take very long. They took their measurements, trimmed their hair, and washed them. Zane's small team of stylists were talkative. They wouldn't shut up and kept going on about the stupidest things. He tuned them out most of the time and he could tell he was upsetting them, considering they would ask a question and he'd go 'huh?' since he hadn't been paying attention. He still didn't pay attention to them after they had huffed and yanked his slightly shaggy hair a little too hard. He was relieved when Brutus came and fetched him, to go and have dinner. This was nothing new to him. All the elegant and expensive foods, he had them everyday. It was required for possible tributes to eat the best, they were always given the best. During dinner, it was announced what they would do tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, it's the chariot rides. All morning, your stylists will work on you and then you'll go on the rides. So be sure to get some rest." Lyme said before taking a bite of a chocolate-covered strawberry. "If you need help getting to sleep, we have pills for that. Oh and don't leave our floor to go exploring, especially to go to the roof. If you get caught, we could get in trouble and it wouldn't be smart to cross us." she gave them both pointed looks. Allison nodded, ready to please. Zane, on the other hand, looked down to hide his curiosity. Of course he wanted to leave and explore. He didn't like being limited to one space, he'd have too or else he'd grow antsy. And the roof sounded like a nice place. Zane always enjoyed the outdoors, the fresh air always cleared his head and helped him think, sort out problems. He didn't like stuffy places, walls surrounding him.

Allison looked like she was excited for the annual chariot rides. Zane wasn't. He wasn't excited for anything relating to the Games. After dinner, they were sent off to their rooms. Zane decided to shower, feeling like the stylists didn't do a good job, and he changed into some pajamas. He was use to the soft touch of silk on his skin, the softness and coolness. It reminded him of home and he wasn't sure if he liked that or not. He sat down on his bed, glancing at his bedroom door. He wondered if his two lovely mentors were asleep yet. He could really stretch his legs. He slipped on a pair of slippers near the door and slowly cracked it open, looking out. It was pitch dark in the hallway and as far as he can tell, the TV wasn't on in the living area and there wasn't a light coming from the dining area. They must be asleep. He slipped out of his room, the door silently closing behind him, and he went towards the door. He knew if he was caught, there would be hell to pay. But what could they do? Just yell at him, that was all. They couldn't replace him now, not after the world saw him in the reapings. He slipped outside in the hallway of the second floor and looked around. The hallway was dimly lit and there were elevators to his right, a table with a vase full of flowers to his left. He went to the elevator and it opened as he approached it, the bright light from it flooding the hallway. He stepped into it and looked at the round buttons lining the wall. He didn't see a specific button for the roof but he knew the twelfth floor had to be the closest thing to the roof. There had to be a door that led to it in that hallway. He hit the button with black, bold numbers of '12' on it and it lit up, the doors sliding close. The elevator shot up and he gripped the railing beside him. He never did like elevators. It came to a stop and the doors slid open, to reveal the dimly lit hallway of District 12. He vaguely remembered what the two tributes looked like, he remembered thinking the boy didn't look that strong and the girl was actually pretty. Not that that mattered. He spotted the door at the end of the hallway, not the one leading into the temporary living quarters of the tributes, but the one that would lead to the stairs that would bring him to the roof. That was an easy find, he thought as he walked towards the door that would lead him to the roof, and he was relieved he hadn't bumped into anyone.

Scarletta laid awake in her bed, tucked gently underneath her sheets, staring up at the ceiling with her mind wandering with thoughts. She knew things were different now; they were going to be for the rest of her life. She wondered what her parents were doing right now, were they crying? Were they lying asleep in their beds like she was? Were they thinking about their son, whom they lost so many years ago? She didn't know what to do anymore, didn't know what to think, or what to even say. Not like she had anyone to talk to at the moment, anyway, but she did have herself. Scarletta couldn't even think about what to say to herself to comfort her own being. She thought about the young Logan Marshall, the boy that was to be her brother-in-law, the boy she had never actually met, and his family, what they were doing, what they were feeling, and what he was feeling. She was sure it was much like her own feelings and thoughts, though.

After all thoughts of her parents drifted from her mind, Scarletta sat up, her dark, almond eyes staring at the door., her deep brown locks laying gently at her shoulders. All she could think about now was what was in store for her. She didn't know how to fight, how to swing a sword. She couldn't even kill a fly. And now, she had to go into an unknown place, an unknown arena, and kill a human? How would she even do that? It was going to be an impossible feat; she was sure she was going to die. But she had to try. Or die trying.

But death wasn't what she wanted for herself. She wanted to survive in the arena, to surprise the Gamemakers and avenge her brother's death. If it wasn't for them, or the Capitol needed their grotesque and cruel way of entertainment, her brother would still be alive, and probably married, with a baby on the way. All she had ever wanted as she got older was a niece or a nephew, and now she wasn't going to get that. Ever. Perhaps it had become more prudent in her life because her brother was dead, and she now just longed for that, for her family to extend its name, for her parents to have grandchildren. So, she was determined to survive, to give her parents not only what she wanted, but what they wanted: a complete family, no matter what it took.

Scarletta sighed heavily and threw the blankets from her legs. There was no way she was going to sleep now, not with every part of her mind thinking and wondering and hoping, and replaying the reapings and past games. She stuck her feet into the soft, fuzzy slippers at the side of her bed and walked to the door. Her right hand rested against the shimmery silver handle and her head against the wood of the door for a few moments. She sighed again, and opened it slowly, leaning away from the door so she didn't get hit by it. The last thing she needed was to explain a bump on her head before the Games, or even training, started. It would definitely get her in trouble.

She peaked out into the darkened hallway, looking right and left for any sign of life. Spotting no one, she quietly stepped onto the carpet and closed the door even more quietly behind her. She wasn't sure what she was going to do, or where she was going, but she just needed to get somewhere where she could no longer think, but just stare.

Her feet carried her down the hallway and to a door she hadn't noticed when first brought to the twelfth floor. Scarletta turned her head behind her just to double check that no one had followed her. With a confident smile, she opened the door and made her way up the stairs, again as quietly as she could so she wouldn't get caught.

When she reached the top of the staircase, she opened another door and found herself on the roof of the building. Her smile widened as she knew she wasn't supposed to be up there; it was one of the things she was told when they first arrived in the Capitol building. She couldn't help but feel proud of herself for already breaking the rules.

She wandered the top of the building for a few moments, not sure of where to go, and completely unaware that another tribute had found the same place she had. Scarletta stopped at the edge of the roof and looked down at the street below, her smiling slowly vanishing and turning into a frown. She didn't like how the Capitol people dressed, thinking that they are the baddest bitches in the universe, and their pompous attitudes. She heard the chattering below, the laughing, and once again began to wonder, this time mostly if she was ever going to have that again. The Games hadn't even started yet, and she was already starting to miss laughing and joking and smiling with her friends.

She once again sighed, and turned to go back to her room, when she saw a figure standing in the dark. She jumped slightly, her eyes widening, and she stepped back from the figure slightly.

“Uh, Haymitch?” she asked the being residing in the darkness, knowing full well that it probably wasn't him.

“Wait, never mind, don't answer that,” she told the ominous figure after a long pause. Scarletta took a few steps towards the human to get a better look. She stopped in mid-stride and stared at him. Yes, it was a he, and she was sure she had seen him before, but where?

“Who are you?” Scarletta asked, continuing her strides until she could fully see him. Her eyes widened and she stared with an open jaw. The tribute, the Career from District 2. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to find the words, and she stuttered a few times. She was surprised to see him there, standing in front of her, and who knows how long he was watching her in the silence. She stepped back a few paces before turning away, her pointer finger on her mouth.

There she stood for a few moments, thinking of who he was. "AHA!" she shouted to herself and quickly covered her mouth. Scarletta turned back to him wit a devious smile. “Zane. Zane Clemons.”

She paused for a moment and walked closer to him. In the darkness, without the makeup and fancy clothes, she could see that all of that was actually a flaw. He was a much more handsome young man without all of the things that his team had done to him to make him look “better” on camera.

“What is a tribute and Career like you doing up here so late at night?”

The roof was better than what Zane expected. As he took the few steps and pushed the door open to it, a soft breeze hit him in the face. He breathed in the scent of the night, his head almost being instantly cleared. This is what he needed, what he wanted. He just always felt better within the outdoors, he always felt the fresh air helped him think or not think, if he wanted. He walked across the roof, dragging his feet, the soles of his slippers scraping against the cement of the roof. He walked around the roof at first, letting his hand run along the waist-length wall running along the edge of it. He could hear the Capitol people down below, laughing, enjoying life. Of course they were enjoying life, they weren't in the running for being on a killer tv show or their families weren't in the running for being on it either. They didn't have the worries the other Districts suffered from. They didn't have the heartache, the pain, the misery, the worry that everyone from the other Districts dealt with on a daily basis.

Actually, he took that back. The Career Districts, they didn't feel that. They were raised to believe it was right and all the parents, they hoped their child was chosen. They hoped their child was the one to bring pride and honor to their District. It was almost sickening, the way they practically worshiped the Games and believed them to be right. Maybe he was wrong, maybe they secretly hated them and they were only acting. If that was the case, they were damn good actors. He leaned against the waist-length wall, looking down at all the people. He could see the brightly colored hair and outfits from here and it made him feel sick. He didn't like these people. They probably thought he loved them, considering he was a Career and he was raised to believe in all this, but no. He thought they were sick-minded and needed help, he thought it was disgusting how they got sick joy from seeing people die.

He was just about to push away and start pacing the roof again when he heard the door open. He wondered if it was someone looking for him. He didn't mind getting in trouble, he just didn't want to be yelled at. He took a few steps to the side, into the dark corner of the roof, his eyes searching for whoever joined him. He was surprised to see a girl. He squinted, taking her in. He had seen her before. Of course, she had been called during the reapings. He had watched the reapings. That's where she was from. But what District? As he watched her, it clicked in his head. District 12. He remembered thinking she was quite pretty and someone who would have perked his interest romantically if he had met her before he was stuck going into the Games. He stiffened the slightest when she turned and spotted him. He wasn't sure how she would react. If she would get scared and go tell someone or if she would just be friendly. The latter would be weird, considering he was suppose to be a Career and be considered all big and bad.

He rose an eyebrow when he accused him of being Haymitch. He knew of Haymitch Abernathy. He was forced in to watching many previous Games and Haymitch's had been one of the repeated ones they were forced to watch. It was a lesson on what the Careers did wrong since someone from lowly District 12 won. He began to feel a bit of amusement raising in him as she brushed that thought away. He titled his head to the side, curiously watching her. He was intrigued by her. She was beautiful up close and he found himself drawn to her physically. He wondered if he should answer her question of who he is or leave her guessing. It was amusing to see her try and figure it out. So, instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to figure it out. If she couldn't, he would gladly provide his name but right now, he just wanted to watch her for his own amusement. For a brief moment, he wondered if it was a good idea to even speak to her. He didn't need to make a friend he would have to kill later. He already had that issue with Allison.

Though, that brief thought was gone when she shouted. He jumped a little, surprised at the sudden loud noise, and then the amusement was back. He completely forgot his brief thought as he chuckled when she finally figured out his name. Now, he had to remember hers. She was very cute, he was realizing as he studied her. Adorable, actually. And that little show she just put on helped Zane contribute to the thoughts of her being adorable. He was trying to bring her name to the front of his memory. He remembered her on the reapings, tried to remember that stupid Capitol woman calling out her name that was on that slip of paper. Though, as he thought, he decided to answer her question. He didn't want to just stand there and stare, that would be weird and he honestly didn't want to come off as weird to the girl.

"A tribute? Yes. But a Career? Don't put me in that group." he told her, shaking his head. Maybe it wasn't smart telling her that bit. If word got out he felt that way about the Careers, it could end badly for him. Though, it was too late for him to not be chosen for the Games now and so he decided it wasn't so bad telling her. And even, he hoped she wouldn't go around, telling people the conversation they were bound to have right now. "Just getting some fresh air. Much like you, I presume." as he stared at her, her name suddenly came to him, and he didn't hesitant uttering it. "Scarletta Newton." he said, the name rolling off his tongue in a smooth voice. He liked the name, it was better than the crazy Capitol names he heard often.

[OOC: You have no idea how much your post made me smile. :) ]

A newly made slender eyebrow raised as he spoke his first ever words to her. Scarletta could not understand what made him think that way. Clearly something had happened during his train rides or while he watched the videos of the reapings and previous Games. For the first time in what she believed to be the history of Panem, a Career did not want to be known as one, let alone be one. It was unheard of, and very intriguing to her. Not even confusing, just intriguing.

She stared at him for a few moments while he continued to speak, still thinking of his first words directed at her. "A tribute? Yes. But a Career? Don't put me in that group." seemed to echo through the depths of her mind. From where they were on the roof, she could still hear the chattering of the pale, painted, colorful, freaky people that walked the streets below. But the next thing he said brought her back to reality. Her name, her own name. She had ignored his sentence before, faintly hearing it above the echoing in her ears. "Scarletta Newton." Now that was the only thing she could think of, her name, repeating her head head, the voice of a complete stranger and something so simply, yet proudly, said, from someone she never knew until this moment. Hearing her name from someone other than family, or her fellow District 12 tribute, or her "coach", her make up team, or even herself was strange in and above itself. It was clear to her that he, like her, knew who the other was. And they had to be enemies in the arena, killing, running, then killing again, and probably running again, just to survive.

Scarletta continued to look at him, no sentences, or even words forming in her mind. The only thing in her mind was his voice continuing to echo her name. After a few more extremely long moments of silence, though the chatter could, as previously mentioned, still be heard from below, she shook her head and managed to her lips form into a hopefully warming smile.

"Yes, just getting some fresh air," she finally managed to say, suddenly remember the words before her name was spoken. "I needed it, after all. Too many things to think about, with no one to talk to or anywhere to put them, especially about my brother. So, I couldn't sleep, and needed to wander from bed. And I'm sorry for calling you Haymitch. I'm sure that's a pretty big insult, especially with you coming from such a profound district, and Haymitch is slowly becoming a drunk. It's rather disgust-" she stopped suddenly, realizing she was not only rambling but probably admitting to much to this stranger who only knew her from watching her on the television, so he only knew one thing about her, her name.

In the darkness between them, her face grew hot, and Scarletta knew she was blushing. She could only hope that from his angle he couldn't see that. The last thing she needed while talking to the male District two tribute and Career was to see her face reddening out of embarrassment. All she could think of doing now was laughing stupidly at herself before the silence they already shared once before got too awkward. So that's what she did, laugh, and laugh hard. Her already reddening face was turning and even darker and brighter shade of red through the worsening embarrassment, and now the laughter on top.

Scarletta, after a few moments of embarrassing herself more, finally managed to clear her throat to stop from laughing more. What a fool she was making of herself. I don't even know him, she thought to herself. Well, I do, but not personally. Why am I doing this to myself? I mean, yeah, he's attractive, and who could be more attractive without having someone make them over? Apparently Zane can, and that makes no sense. Ugh, I can't look at him anymore. Look away, look away!

With a sigh, she shook her head to snap back to reality once again and turned from him. She let her feet drag her to the edge of the roof where the waist-high ledge rested. Scarletta placed her elbows on the ledge and put her head in one of her hands, and let her deep brown eyes look down at the crowd. Why she didn't just leave the roof and walk back to her room, she wasn't sure, especially since she didn't even want to look at the Capitol dwellers anymore, but there she was, looking down at them, knowing that in just a few days, they were going to get the entertainment they desired most.

Suddenly, Scarletta realized how much she didn't want to be a part of the Games, though it was something she knew. Knowing and realizing are two completely different things as she was now discovering. The laughing was starting to get on her nerves now, and her embarrassment from earlier was now filled with an ever-growing annoyance. If only there was a way she could drag those stuck, rich assholes into the arena... Now, that was what she wanted more than anything, to bring the Capitol to the arena so they would know what it was like to experience that certain fear and certain death.

Zane listened to the silence growing between them. The chatter of the freaks down below seemed louder now, swirling around his head, their stupid laughter and stupid accents making his head ache just the slightest. They were so annoying. He wasn't even sure if he should consider them humans anymore. Creatures, more or less. After all, they did change the way they looked. Coloring their skin, hair, eyebrows, getting surgery to change their natural appearance, putting their hair in the weirdest, twistiest ways, wearing outrageous clothing. He wondered what the point of it was. He wondered why they tried to look so ugly. Was there some contest he didn't know about here? Where they tried to look like the colorful-est or ugliest? What a stupid contest, if so. But they all were running for first place.

He studied the girl while his thoughts went down to the chattering, laughing, idiotic people below. She was beautiful up close. He had a physical attraction to her he hasn't felt for another girl in a while. He got use to seeing the other girls back in District 2. He got use to seeing their faces throughout the day, seeing them all red and sweaty from practicing some form of physical workout or all prettied up and smiling from a party. He did spot unfamiliar faces he found pretty but he had never spoken to them. He had never wanted too. But Scarletta, he wanted to know about her. He wanted to talk to her and find out about her life back in 12. He was always curious about the other Districts.

He gave a small smile when she said she was getting some fresh air. He listened to her, agreeing with her words. He needed the fresh air, too. There were too many things to think about with nobody to talk too. He couldn't speak of his feelings about the Career bond. He couldn't tell anyone around him about the fact he hated it, he thought it was fake, unreal, not true. Only the naive people, the ones that wanted to cling to something they thought they could rely on, believed it. They didn't realize that the bond didn't exist. If it existed, it wouldn't had been so easy for every Career to turn onto their fellow one. They thought it was okay, right, part of the bond. No, the bond was suppose to represent friendship, teamwork, family. A good friend, a great teammate, a family member did not so easily shed a person's they cared for blood.

His eyebrow slowly made its way towards his hairline as she kept talking. He knew her last name seemed familiar. Newton. He vaguely remembered one of the Games having a boy with that last name. Her brother. Nobody deserved that. To see their brother cut down and killed in cold blood. It sickened Zane to just think about it. Everything sickened him easily these days though. He was surprised when she continued talking. He simply stared at her, letting her talk. To be honest, it was kind of nice. It drowned out the chattering down below, her voice was nice to listen too, and it was taking his mind off of his impending doom. Though, the smile was gone when she mentioned him coming from a profound District.

Just because he came from 2 didn't mean he wanted to be treated as such and he didn't like the fact she thought that. Though, he hadn't told her to think otherwise and so, he couldn't blame her too much. When she cut herself off, he swore he caught the sight of her skin darkening on her cheeks. But with the darkness, he couldn't be sure. Either way, he knew the girl had been embarrassed by her rambling. For a moment, he let his blue eyes watch her shuffle over to the waist-high ledge, not saying anything. He didn't want to be rude to her, no, he wanted to be friendly. He knew he shouldn't be attempting to make a new friend but his curiosity about the pretty girl was strong. And when Zane was curious, he usually got rid of it.

"There are too many things to think about," he agreed, moving forward. He moved up beside her, leaning his hands on the wall and looking down at all the people. He didn't like seeing all those colorful blurs bob around down there. He wished they could suffer from the Games but instead, they enjoy it. He flicked his gaze to her, wondering what was going through her head. "Don't apologize for calling me Haymitch. I didn't take offense to it. You'll find out," he turned his body towards her, one hand still on the ledge, the other going to ball into the pocket of his pajama bottoms. "I am not like others from such a profound District." he knew he looked amused now. It was kind of funny to him how she would just assume he would be all stuck-up and high and mighty now that he thought about it. He was far from those things, in his opinion. Cocky, sure, but stuck-up, no. It could come off like that though. "I know of Haymitch. I've seen his Games a good amount of times. I'm not surprised he's drowning those memories in alcohol." he shut up after that, not sure if he said too much or if he said the wrong thing. He was use to keeping so tight-lipped and he just felt like he could let all his thoughts out with this girl, which was strange and a bit frightening, as well.

"Yes, there are," Scarletta agreed when she heard him step closer to her, his voice getting louder as he did so. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him do the same as her, rest his arms on the ledge and stare down at the disgusting beings running amok below them. She sighed herself in the short silence that occurred between them, and couldn't help but let a single tear fall down her cheek. Now was not the time for her to show any sort of weakness, but all thoughts came to her brother, how she watched him slaughtered by a Career, his body mutilated. The Career decided it would be a fun idea to keep him alive for as long as she could, and yes, it was a girl. She cut him, beat him, cut him again, beat him again, causing him more pain than anyone could possibly bear, all before slicing open his neck, leaving him alive for a few more moments before he bled out. Those images constantly pierced her brain, her memories, her dreams. Every time she thought about her brother, that was all she could think about. She couldn't remember his voice, his laugh, the way he hugged her when she was upset, anything. She just simply couldn't remember any of the nice and wonderful things about him.

His voice speaking again brought her back to reality, the conversation she was sure she shouldn't be having. But she shook her head and looked away from the bobbing colors and to the sky. There were no stars in the night sky, not even the moon. She suddenly realized how much she truly missed being able to see the twinkles in the sky. They brought her peace and comfort. There was a chance now that she was never going to see them again.

She looked at him with a small, soft smile, and she saw the amusement in his features. Scarletta was glad that he hadn't found her calling him Haymitch an insult. In fact, it made her smile just a little bit more. She nodded a bit and turned to look at him so not only their faces but their bodies, too, were facing each other. "Yeah, he's a mess. A big mess. I don't think he can help it though, after everything he's been through. Don't get me wrong, he's a great mentor, but he's just so drunk all the time now that I'm surprised he's even alive. I don't know how he hasn't killed himself from drinking so much."

Scarletta smiled at him a bit wider now. She took this time to really look at him. The lights from the city below gave both tributes enough light to actually fully take in what the other looked like. His hair was short, sandy blonde, his eyes were such a blue that, if she didn't look away soon, she was sure she'd be lost in them. He had a typical build for a Career and District 2 tribute, but he wasn't too buff. Just... right? Was that what she was looking for? His body was just right?

Her cheeks flushed again when she realized she was probably staring a bit too long at him, and probably had some sort of cheesy, "Oh, my God, he's so hot!" grin on her face. She quickly looked away before turning her back to the ledge and slowly sliding down it into a sitting position. There was no way she was going to look at the freaks below her. She couldn't stand them anymore. In fact, she hated them at that moment more than she ever had before.

She sighed and stared at the door they both had come from, wondering if she should make a run for it or not. She decided against it, of course, seeing as they were in the middle of a very interesting conversation (one she probably shouldn't even be having, anyway), and didn't want to be rude. Besides, she knew she would have felt bad if she just left him standing there in the dark, staring at her behind as she ran, and leaving him very confused. Her face reddened even more at the thought of him watching her butt as she ran away. So maybe I should? No, I shouldn't, that'd be too mean. Plus, I might look like a coward if I do. But, it might be interesting to see his reaction tomorrow if I just take off. No, I shouldn't. I want to get to know him more. But... why? Why do I want to know him more? He's my enemy, someone I'm going to have to kill. I can't... fall in love. I can't. It would break my heart to have to kill him, and it would probably be the same for him. One of us is going to have to die by either the hand of the other or someone else. And I can't bear that. But... I need to get to him him. I have to get to know him.

Zane swore he caught sight of something shiny on her cheek before, a brief crystal lit up by the surrounding buildings and lights below but it was gone as fast as it appeared and he wasn't going to question her about it. If she started crying, he wasn't sure what he would do, though. He never had to deal with a crying person and wasn't sure how to come about it. He remembered his mother would just hold him and whisper in his ear about how everything would be okay. He was sure that would be awkward between him and her though. She was practically a stranger to him. Though, she didn't start crying and he could say he was a bit relieved. He didn't see it as a weakness, so to say. Actually, it was understandable why somebody would cry. Now, in the situation, he would understand if she just started crying. Part of him wanted to just break down but with how he was raised, it was against everything in him to show that side, that pain. He kept it locked up tight. He had years of practice of hiding it.

He noticed the smile on her face. She was beautiful, really beautiful. He liked her smile. He wished he had time to see her smile more. He tried to not let depressing thoughts cross his mind, like the fact she won't be smiling for much longer. He glanced back down at the street and felt the anger curl in his core. He hated them so much. They were allowing so many to be killed, so many beautiful people like the girl in front of him. He returned his blue-eyed gaze to her as she started to speak. He listened to her, glad she rambled like he kind of did. He sometimes let out more than he should but he tried to watch what he said. Though, with her, he just wanted to open his mouth and let whatever was in his mind to spill forth. He couldn't let that happen though, it wouldn't be safe. He wanted to get to know her more but he knew that was dangerous, stupid. Making a friend before the Games was the stupidest thing to do but here he was, doing it. He found he couldn't care.

He liked the fact her smile got wider. She had amazing teeth and he thought she should show them more. He wanted to reach forward and touch her hair. It looked soft like silk. Though, that would be strange so he stayed where he was, taking her in. He already knew she was beautiful, he just enjoyed looking at her. "Haymitch... he seems like a fighter." he said slowly, his eyes going back to down below, watching those colorful blobs go this way and that. His eyes glanced at her and he noticed her staring at him. It made him smile more. She was checking him out. He hoped he wasn't imagining that, it made him feel good.

Though, it shouldn't. He should be leaving. He didn't need to talk to her but he couldn't make himself walk away. He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to get to know her. He wanted to be her friend. He hadn't had that feeling in a very long time. The urge to befriend someone. It was strange, feeling it towards this girl he knew only a few things of. But Zane was always going against the rules in some way. He didn't like playing by somebody else's rules, he liked living the way he wanted and doing what he wanted. By talking to her, he was doing something he shouldn't be, he was going against some unspoken rule Careers had. Oh yes, he would keep talking to her. He glanced back at her and noticed her sitting down against the ledge. It looked more comfortable than how he was standing.

He casted one last glance down at the colorful blobs. Soon, he hoped they would get what was coming to them. He tried to not be too much of a vengeful person but these people brought him such anger and sadness, he couldn't help his thoughts. He did the same as her, turning his back to the ledge and sliding down it till he sat with his knees bent. He rested his arms on them, leaning back and looking towards the sky. He couldn't see any stars, not with all the lights casting across the Capitol. He wished he had stared at the stars more while he was home now. He would do anything to have one last glimpse of the twinkles in the night sky. He could remember being a little boy, staring up at them with a big wide grin while he held his mother's hand. Each time, he would reach up, grasping the air and saying, "One day, I'll touch a star, momma. One day, I'll be the first person to touch a star." he got over that idea quickly as he matured and smarted up but now, he would give anything to go back to that time. To go back to the feel of his mother's soft hand around his tiny one, his other hand grasping at nothing, his big eyes wondrous as he imagined what a star felt like. He imagined them to be cold, since they were in space, and soft.

He would give anything to gaze at the stars one more time. He gave out a sigh, glancing towards the girl seated beside him. He was still confused about how he felt towards her. Curious and wondering. He didn't need to be that way but he felt it was because she just seemed so interesting. He felt he wouldn't be this friendly with anyone else. Or maybe that was what he was telling himself. He leaned his head against the ledge, keeping his eyes on the empty, black sky, willing a little blink of light to appear. Just one glimpse of a star would make him smile. But alas, none were coming and he felt his smile slowly drop. "I never realized how much I'd miss the stars." he whispered softly into the night air, not really noticing what he said. He just wanted someone to talk to about his feelings, he realized. He wasn't sure if she was the person but he just felt this emptiness filling his heart and it hurt. He wanted that hurt to stop.

Her thoughts slowly became drowned out as Zane muttered those few words that made it seem like he was reading her mind. Scarletta looked up at the sky with him and sighed. Though stars were plentiful back home in 12, not a single one could be found. The ambient light from the city below them drowned out every single glimmer and twinkle. "Me, too," she whispered back, her eyes scanning and searching for at least one star. There had to be at least one, somewhere. But there wasn't, and she couldn't help but think of how the night sky looked to her as a child, so beautiful. She remembered many a time when she would sit outside with her father, eyes wide and jaw dropped in awe at the stars. She always believed that they were the souls of their ancestors, watching down on them, protecting them. Like Zane, she soon grew out of that as she got older and more mature, and was saddened when what she believed as a young girl was false.

But now, with no stars in the sky, Scarletta was really starting to miss them just as much as the handsome young man next to her. She was hoping that, wherever the arena was, wherever they threw the tributes, that the night sky would have at least one star so that way she had something to look at while hiding from people ready to strike and kill as soon as they see her. She eventually looked back at Zane for a few moments before turning her head away and staring at nothing in particular, and let her thoughts run rampant through her head. Yes, she didn't want to do this as much as the next person, she didn't want to fight to the death, nor did she want to die at the hands of another person. She wanted to die of old age, like her grandparents. They died peacefully in their sleep many years ago. And that's what she wanted, a peaceful death, not being stabbed, staked, sliced up, like her brother. Her parents didn't need to go through that again. Losing one child in the Games was enough, they didn't need two.

So there she sat in silence, think, plotting, planning, about what she was going to do. She wanted to escape, and fast. Scarletta needed to get out before things got worse, before death took over. It was seemingly impossible, getting away, escaping. That was definitely more of a risk of death than fighting in the Games, but if she planned it just right, she could fake her death and get away, or just get away and run and hide for the rest of her life. Hiding from the Capitol, never being able to see her family again was a much better idea than letting them, their only child left, get murdered in front of their eyes. Their legacy would end, their namesake would end, and with nothing to show for it, just two dead children forced to fight to the death in a game that only the Capital enjoys. No, she couldn't let that happen. She just couldn't. Her family was her life, her being, and she was going to find a way to live, for them.

And this was where the plotting began, to run, escape, go back home and see her parents one last time before having to go into hiding. The only thing she was stuck on was how she would get away with it. Surely, as soon as Effie or Haymitch or her make-up team tried to wake her and found her missing, everything about the Games would come a complete stop. The search would begin for the District 12 tribute, and it might even give everyone else a chance to escape. Of course, the Careers would probably stay behind and fight and help search. If she was ever found, the Games would continue, and she would be number one on every other tribute's lists. That would be the biggest problem, she though, so she would find a way to get away without being found so she wouldn't have such a high risk of death.

Scarletta sighed with a frown and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. All of that was too much to think about, especially for one girl, one tiny girl who had no idea how to even get out of the Capital, or the other Districts, or get back home to her family. She was starting to get a headache, not only from planning, thinking, plotting in such a short amount of time, but the voices of the colorful blobs below them were really starting to get to her. The closer it got to the Games, the more excited Capital dwellers became. And that was the most annoying thing of all: the enjoyment they get from watching children kill each other.