THE CAREER DISTRICTS

District 1: Luxury

Aiden Redran snorted as he stood above his friend, Luke. Aiden's bright blue eyes shone in the arena and his blonde hair flew to one side of his face. His hand twisted and he grinned more. Luke tried to reach sa nearby spear, but failed. Aiden was pointing a sword at him, inching closer as each second went by. Luke scrunched his face in thought, then let go. It was hopeless. Aiden was too good.

Luke laughed and put his hands up, "I give up. You win."

As Aiden withdrew his sword, Luke grinned at him, "I voted for you. You will go. You are the best in the district."

Aiden smiled at his friend, yet he couldn't ignore the tingling sense in his stomach. Aiden knew that, inside, he hated training. He hated the Hunger Games. He remembered watching his brother fighting in the games and Aiden was scared. He had watched his brother killed an innocent girl and starve when all the other Careers got killed. Aiden did not want to be a part of the drama, yet it was his destiny.

"Daddy," Ruby Chard grinned, pointing at the display. "I want the gold purse."

Her dad smiled at her and sighed, "Ruby dear, it's too much."

Ruby widened her green eyes, her dad had never refused her before, "Daddy, I have to have it."

Ruby sucked in her lips as if she was about to cry. She could taste her gold lipstick, but Ruby didn't mind, she knew the lipstick would last all day. Her blonde hair swayed just below her hips and she closed her eyes for a second, as if she was about to cry. Her pink eyeshadow showed as mascara slowly started dripping down her blush-filled cheeks.

"Ruby, it costs more than I have," her father begged. "I know your mom and I designed this, but it is the only one there is."

Ruby looked up at her father, "Your job is more important than me?"

Her father sighed and looked at her mother. They had both spent a full month making the favored golden purse, planning to sell the item to the Capitol for a large sum of money. Their employees would be expecting the money. Therefore, if Ruby got the golden purse, her parents would have to pay the large sum of money, making all of their work useless.

Ruby found nothing wrong with her begging. She looked at the purse in amazement. It was perfect, even covered in a sheet of real gold. She had to have it. She had to show it to Mya, Georgette, Linnie, and Kodia, her best friends. Didn't she deserve the purse anyway? Ruby was the prettiest girl in her grade. Also, Ruby's parents had always given her clothes they had designed for the Capitol before. She was perfect for the purse.

Ruby's mother looked at her daughter. She hated seeing Ruby sad. She had always given Ruby what she wanted before so she wouldn't have anything to worry about. She sighed, "Let Ruby have it. We can make a new one."

Ruby grinned. She squealed in delight then ran out the door with the purse, not caring about the upcoming Hunger Games at all.

Cadney Redran looked at his younger brother Aiden and laughed, "You are wearing that to the Reaping."

Aiden was wearing a bright green shirt and black trousers, a bit of an understatement being the son of a jeweler and a merchant. Cadney, being 20 years old, scrunched his nose in disgust. Cadney was wearing a black suit, worthy of the Victor's Village that they lived in. Cadney had won the 22nd Hunger Games, 3 years ago.

Cadney sighed. Aiden didn't even seem to care about the Hunger Games. Even though Aiden was good with weapons, he seemed to focus on making people laugh more. He was too easygoing to fight seriously, a trait Aiden had gotten from their mother. Cadney just rolled his eyes as he walked to his friends and Aiden walked to people his age.

"Welcome to the Reaping of the First Quarter Quell," the announcer grinned, shutting the audience up. Cadney just shook his head since he knew the announcer personally. In fact, Cadney was going to be on the train with the announcer and the tributes, being their male coach.

"Now, for the girls," the announcer called. A person clambered up the stage with an envelope and handed it to the announcer.

"The voted girl is," the announcer ripped up the envelope and looked inside, "Ruby Chard."

A girl with long, flowing blonde hair from the 17 year old section smiled and walked up to the stage. She was waving to the four other girls she had been standing with, smiling. The boys looked smitten, staring at her. Cadney suppressed a laugh, but he had to admit the girl was beautiful.

"For the boys," the announcer grinned, eyeing Cadney. Cadney looked at his brother and bit his lip.

The announcer ripped the envelope and looked inside. With a smile on her face, the announcer said, "The voted boy is Aiden Redran."

Cadney watched his 16 year old brother walk up to the stage smiling. Cadney was happy for Aiden, sure to drive him to success. Cadney looked at their father glowing with pride.

"Now, both my kids will be victors!" their father exclaimed to their mother.

Then, realization struck Cadney. If Aiden won, Cadney would have to share the glory. His brother would outshine him, something Cadney did not want to happen. Cadney put the thought away and smiled.

His younger brother hadn't won the Hunger Games yet.

District 2: Masonry and Weaponry

"Esmerelda King," Thom Matthews sang out to his enemy.

His best friend, Lorus Seris, tittered beside him, edging his friend to go on.

"How's your father?" Thom continued. "Still a loser?"

"Save it Matthews," Em hated it when anybody called her by her first name. "You know that you cannot do anything right without your posse. Where are the 4 other dolts?"

"Aw Em," Thom smirked. "You know you are just jealous that my father beat your father in volunteering for the 2nd Hunger Games. Remember Em, that's the game my father won."

Em growled, ready to topple the boy, "I would warn you, but it is not worth it. Must I remind you that my mother won the 4th Hunger Games!"

Thom rolled his eyes, "An empty threat. Wow, that is low, even for you Em."

"That is it!" Em shrieked, and she jumped onto Thom.

The two fought in the middle of the hallway. Em's dark eyes glared at Thom's blue eyes. Her dark hair whipped around the side of her body in a braid. Em had a sword in her hand, as well as Thom. As Em lunged for the dirty blonde hair that Thom adored, a hand grabbed her arm.

"Em," May King, one of her triplets, whispered in her ear. "Not now. Please. I-"

Em glared at her sister. She hated Thom and she knew that nobody else in the school would try to stop her. In fact, she and Thom both went to DTSP (the District Two School of Preparation). The school was supposedly teaching the kids about mining and Peacekeeping. However, everybody knew that the school was really just training kids for the Hunger Games. In fact, the teachers loved Em and Thom since they always fought with eachother.

Then, Em sighed and dropped her sword. May could make her do anything.

In the back, Thom smirked, "My father was right. You Kings are all cowards!"

With that, Em raised a fist in Thom's direction and followed her sister.

"Why May?" Em asked her sister. "I could have pummeled him!"

"Um," May stuttered, "I don't like fighting."

Em looked at her sister. It was true that May was not as interested in fighting as she and Kane, the other triplet, were. In fact, while Em and Kane were both bullies, May was often being bullied. The only reason she went to DTSP and trained was because of their parents. However, Em knew that there was something else bothering May.

Em's eyes widened in realization, "You like Thom!"

"What?" May squeaked. "No, I don't."

Em sighed. May was obviously lying, but the idea itself was outrageous. A King, liking a Matthews. It just could not be true.

"Of course you don't like Thom," Em continued in a sarcasm-filled tone.

May sighed, "Fine. I like him. Please do not tell Kane or Dad."

Em widened her eyes in disbelief. She still couldn't figure out how May, her sweet sister, could like Thom, the brat. Thom was such an idiot, a fool who just wanted attention. May, on the other hand, always thought before doing anything. May was the peacekeeper, following orders when necessary and stopping unnecessary fighting.

Still, Em could tell why May did not want her to tell their brother or father. Thomas Matthews, Thom's father, was their father's enemy. It didn't help that they both were neighbors in the Victor's Village. Everyday, they both would throw insults at eachother. They both even turned their kids against eachother.

Kane, their brother, was even worse. He was just like Em in his aggressive manner and sadistic approach to life. Em had to admit that Kane was the sibling she was closer to since they both had similar opinions the majority of the time. However, Kane was very protective of his sisters, especially May. If Kane found out that May liked one of the kids they had been tricking all year, it would have been a war in Kane's head. Sooner or later, Kane would tell their father, the parent he was closer to, and war would emerge.

Em looked at May. She wanted to tell her father and brother. It seemed like the right thing to do. However, the look on May's face changed her opinion. She couldn't do that to May, the sweetest in the family.

"Fine," Em sighed. "I will not tell anybody.

Thom walked home with a smile on his face. He had shown Em. To top of his amazing day, the Reaping for the Hunger Games were about to start. Thom was obviously going to be one of the tributes because of his outstanding fighting skills. Everybody loved Thom. He was the perfect representative for Distict 2. He would win. He would make his father proud.

At home, Thom straightened the tie to his suit and slicked his blond hair to the side. It was like his father always said, "A respectable person will always clean up nicely for any event, especially for the Hunger Games."

Thom's father adored the Hunger Games. Every year since Thom was 12, he would put 5 extra slips of his name, not for the food, but so he would get reaped. This year, however, there was no actual Reaping. Instead, the announcer would reveal the voted tributes. Thom remembered how his father had cheered when the news came on. Right away, he started campaigning his son, sure that he would bring more glory to the family.

As Thom left the room, he saw his mother in a blue dress looking over her plans for a building being constructed near the school. Thom rolled his eyes, thinking of the rumors people have been tossing around about his mother. The funniest part was that all of the rumors were true. Amie Matthews, the best architect in the district, was obsessed in her work. She lived in it to the point that she sometimes forgot about her family.

Then, Thom's two brothers, Peyton and Mikal, entered the room, ready to leave. The both of them were in suits like he was. Thom smiled as he saw Mikal, his favorite brother, stuffing his pockets with itching powder, glue, candies, and other pranking materials. Even at 14, Mikal was already a master at pranks.

"I am going to trick the Kings this time!" Mikal swore. Thom smiled. Whenever the 14 year old tried to trick the Kings, they always found out. Therefore, none of his pranks really worked. Still, he only got better and better with his pranks.

Peyton however did not seem to share Thom's opinion on Mikal. Instead, Peyton just grunted and walked out the door, as if they were too young for him. Thom groaned, Peyton was only a year older than him at 18. However, Peyton did not seem to have a sense of humor. He was just focused on training and bullying people. He never even made a single joke.

Finally, when Thomas Matthews entered the room, all five Matthews went to the Reaping.

Em stood next to her best friend Toldaia Korol, a sadistic bully like her. May was behind her staring at the boy's section. Em groaned. She saw Thom making his posse laugh with his stupid jokes. She looked at Kane who seemed to have caught Mikal Matthews in yet another prank and she laughed. However, the laugh didn't last long, ending when the announcer came onto the stage.

"Welcome to the results of the First Quarter Quell," the whole district shut up and the only sound heard was the envelope ripping.

"The female tribute is," the announcer took a deep breath, "Esmeralda King."

Em frowned. She hated her full name. However, she put the thought aside and walked up to the stage. Everybody was clapping, especially the 17 year old girls who knew Em perfectly. Though Em was rude, she could fight very well and therefore was Hunger Games material. Em scanned the crowd and, suddenly, her eyes landed on May. She could see May trying to smile, yet May seemed depressed for some reason. Em knew why after the announcer spoke again.

"The male tribute is," the announcer broke another envelope, "Thom Matthews."

Em saw Thom's father whisper something to him, probably advising him to kill Em first or something mean like that. Thom climbed onto the stage, an impish grin on his face. Em was going to kill him. She was sure of it. Then, Em looked at May. She couldn't- but she had to. Em sighed. Maybe the Hunger Games weren't as good as they were shown to be.

District 4: Fishing

Theresa Orgam smiled, she had this competition in the bag. She looked at her best friend, Goram Sye. He was only halfway up the tree. She was almost to the top. Elliba Crude cheered from down below. She loved Theresa's competition. In fact, she was a part of this competition, but Theresa beat her to the top. Next to her was Kole Orgam, her twin brother. They both thought alike and knew eachother like the back of their hand. In fact, Theresa was often described as the girl version of Kole, not to mention that she was a tomboy too. Kole was shaking his head side to side, knowing that Theresa would reach the top and start to gloat. Kole had lost to Goram.

As Theresa's hand touched the highest branch she smiled. She climbed down a bit and bragged about her victory, "I am the best tree climber in the district! This is proof of it."

Kole huffed, "I call a rematch."

Elliba groaned, "Not tree climbing again. Kole, just accept that Theresa is better than you."

Kole put a sly grin on his face, "Never."

Goram was still exhausted from climbing up most of the big tree, "Hey Theresa, how about a wrestling competition tomorrow, after the Reaping."

Theresa put the same sly grin as Kole's on her face, "Definitely!"

Elliba smiled, "I'm in this too. Theresa may be good at climbing, but wrestling is my thing."

Kole rolled his eyes at her, "I doubt you could beat me though."

Elliba grinned, "You are on!"

Theresa saw as the sun started creeping below the horizon. Her mother's words crept back to her. Theresa scrunched her nose. Her mother never was fond of her. Even though Aja Orgam, her mother, fished for a living, she always tried to force Theresa to learn the "art of being a lady." Aja hated the Hunger Games and the fact that her daughter and son both train for the games. However, their mother cornered Theresa more since, in her mind, Theresa was supposed to be a proper lady, not an immature tomboy.

She grabbed Kole's arm, "We have to go!"

Kole looked at the sun and remembered their mother's words. He had some leniency from their mother since he was a boy, yet Theresa was terrified of the woman. Kole sighed. He didn't really notice their mother doing anything to annoy Theresa, yet he respected her feelings like any other good twin brother would.

"Hi ladies," August Grey smiled, making all of the girls in the room swoon.

Xavier rolled his eyes and August had to laugh. Even though Xavier was a year younger than him, 16 years old, he was August's best friend. Also, it didn't hurt that Xavier was August's cousin. August smiled, all the girls loved him, he was the best trainer in the district, and he had the best cousin ever. August's life would have been perfect if it wasn't for the Hunger Games.

August never really liked the idea of the Hunger Games. Truthfully, he was indifferent towards the games. He hated seeing people get killed, yet he enjoyed the drama and suspense. Also, August could not help but feel happy for the winner. They had survived. They had succeeded. Also, all of the victors got a splendid reward, the rest of their lifetime in the Victor's Village.

However, August had no say on the games in his household. Ever since his mother died 2 years ago, his father, Tony Grey, has been controlling him. Even one note of defience could lead August to a scolding or worse, a merciless beating. August remembered the first time his father had hit him, the day after his mother died. They had just found out the bad news and Tony just got angrier.

Not even a tear fell from Tony's eyes. However, a whole river seemed to be flowing from August's eyes. August's mother was August's favorite in the family, other than Xavier. She was nice, gentle, and always calmed August down. August couldn't believe that his mother could disappear like that, die so quickly. He looked at his father, almost as if asking him to pick the pieces, something his mother always did. His father remained emotionless.

Then, his father erupted in anger, "You idiotic boy! What are you doing, crying a lake? First, you will flood our house, then, you will ruin something else! Go do something worthy, train for the Hunger Games. At least that is better than having a good-for-nothing son!"

August sniffled as he wiped up his tears, earning more scoldings from his father. He started training, something his mother never wanted him to do, and adapted quickly. Soon, August became the best fighter in the district. He found fighting a way to let go of his fears, a distraction from reality. However, whenever he went home, his father would never complement him. Instead, Tony would insult his son until he was tired. August thought it was just a phase, caused by the death of his mother, but it never stopped. Tony just got more aggressive and merciless, yet August never told anyone.

August winced a bit as Xavier hit his back as a friendly gesture. Tony had beat his son on the back yesterday since he wasn't campaigning for the Hunger Games enough in Tony's opinion.

Xavier saw the wince and frowned for a second. Then, he replied, "That much?"

August didn't respond. Instead, he was puzzled. Did Xavier know? He never told Xavier anything about his father, but Xavier's father, Jason, was Tony's brother. Still, if Xavier knew, who else knew? August just sulked home, pretending not to be worried, making even more friends to pass the time.

"Theresa, why can't you be more like Nina?" Aja Orgam told her oldest daughter, Theresa, as Theresa squirmed in a dress. "Or how about Fage and Silda?"

Theresa frowned. She hated being compared to her "perfect" 14 year old sister Nina, nevertheless her cousins Fage and Silda, ages 9 and 13 respectively. Fage and Silda were obsessed with makeup and clothing. Aja loved them, but Theresa just thought the two were spoiled. Nina, on the other hand, was a miniture version of their mother. She was sweet, hates violence, and didn't train, unlike her two other siblings.

Theresa was about to argue that she was a different person than Nina when Kole entered the room. He was wearing a dark blue suit that matched Theresa's dress. His short dark hair was slicked back unlike how Theresa's long dark hair was let loose, despite her mother's rejection of the idea. Kole's dark eyes stared charismatically into her own annoyed dark eyes. Finally, Nina and their father, Abe Orgam, entered the room.

Abe was Theresa's favorite in the family. Even though he was not a fanatical fan of the Hunger Games, Abe supported Kole's and Theresa's choice to train. He also accepted Theresa's personality unlike her mom. In fact, he was the one who taught Theresa how to climb trees and swim. Theresa smiled, knowing that her father would always back her up in her desicions.

"Come on," Nina exclaimed. She was smiling wide. "Let us go to the Reaping."

Theresa stared at her house for a little bit. The First Quarter Quell, it was hard to believe that it was here already. Theresa could only feel sad for the people who were voted.

Tony Grey sighed. This was the perfect opportunity for his worthless son to rise above the stars. Jason sat next to Tony and waved to Xavier in the 16 year old section. Xavier waved back. Tony wanted to gag.

Then Tony thought about his deceased wife. She hated the Hunger Games. She would not approve of what Tony had done over the years. Tony took a deep breath. She died, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters.

Finally, the announcer climbed on the stage with 2 envelopes in his hand. Tony gasped. One of those envelopes had August's name. It had to.

"Welcome to the District 4 Reaping for the First Quarter Quell," the announcer smiled.

The crowd cheered and Tony joined in, just wanting to hear the male tribute.

"For the girls," the announcer ripped open the envelope. "Theresa Orgam."

Tony laughed as an Indian girl in the 17 year old section walked to the front. She tried to remain confident, but Tony could tell she was nervous. He thought the scene was hilarious. Tony stared at the girl, recognizing her from somewhere-school, August's school. She went to the District 4 Academy, a place where people train for the games, and she was this thin. Tony laughed again. The girl was no threat.

"For the boys," Tony's laughter subsided immediately as he heard the envelope rip open. "August Grey."

August, his own son. Tony smiled genuinely for the first time since his wife died. August would go to the Hunger Games and bring honor to the Greys. He would finally be able to prove himself to, not just Tony, the world.

Author's Note: The reason I never started this story before was because I was planning to combine all of the districts reapings in one, which I now know would have never worked. Anyway, now, the districts are going to be in 4 different batches, 3 districts per batch,: The Career Districts (1, 2, and 4), The Electricity Districts (3, 5, and 6), The Working Districts (7, 8, and 9),and The Poorest Districts (10, 11, and 12).

I will have a poll up by the end of the first four chapters.

Anyway, there are still spots open.

For the next chapter: The males for Districts 3 and 6

For the third chapter: The males for Districts 7 and 9. The female for District 9.

For the fourth chapter: The females for Districts 10 and 11. The male for District 10.

Look at my profile for more info.

OVER AND OUT!