Hey guys! Vr here! This is just a little side story that takes place in a separate universe from my SYOTs. It's based off AmericanPi's story Raindrops and follows a similar concept. So enjoy!

You say you wanna go for a spin

The party's just begun, we'll let you in

You drive us wild,

We'll drive you crazy

My heart is pounding like crazy in my chest and it honestly feels great. I can't believe I'm here. It feels so surreal.

I'm so excited. I'm so, so, so excited.

"Where's the band?" Angie yells over the noise of the crowd.
"Give them some time, they're probably getting ready!"
"But I'm bored!"

The crowd's not that big. Maybe what, two hundred people? But still, we're rowdy and we're loud. I giggle to myself as some older guys jostle me, almost spilling their drinks. Mom would kill me if she knew this was what the concert would be like. Conveniently, I had left that part out.

Angie's dirty blond hair is a mess. I can't imagine I look any better. The guys eventually bump each other too hard and cheap beer spills all over the grass. Angie scowls and I just laugh.
"Ew, VR! They're such slobs!"
"I know! What can I do about it?"

Angie scoffs and then her eyes light up. The band is here.

Five guys trudge onto the stage. They're a few years older than us, maybe early early twenties? Their faces are covered in crudely done makeup and they wear these tight black pants under leather jackets. One of them grabs the microphone and the feedback squeals through the speakers. We all jump. I cover up my ears.

"WHO'S READY TO ROCK!?"

"We are!" Angie and I scream, along with everyone else. The lead singer bursts into laughter. He pumps his fist into the air and they launch into their first song.

I've heard of these guys before, but I've never actually been to one of their shows. I know a few of their songs, and all of their names. Westley Gears, the lead guitarist. Paul Mulroney, the lead singer. Dustin Powell, the bassist.

But the person I'm most interested in is the drummer.

Their name's Whyllis Shears. They have a tangles mass of long blond curls bouncing off their shoulders as they howl into the microphone. Long, thick black streaks go across their cheeks and they wear purple lipstick. Purple! Where does one get such a colour in District 10!?

Paul's singing now and I'm mouthing the lyrics along. Angie shimmies in place. But I can't stop staring at Whyllis.

Will they ever notice I'm here?

"VR! Don't just stand there!" Angie grabs my arm and twirls me around. "Come on, lazybug! Let's dance!"

I laugh and do as she says. The music continues to play. Everyone is having a good time.

Whyllis Shears doesn't leave my mind all night.

It's almost midnight when I finally get home. The house is dark. Huh. Maybe I can slip into bed without noticing.

But the door opens up to reveal my mother in her ratty bathrobe. She gives me a look. I know exactly what she means.

"Vera-Ryanna Kingsley."
Uh-oh. Full name.

"I'm sorry Mom, I lost track of time. The band started half an hour late. I know, I'm sorry. I'll be more responsible next time-"
"Vera-Ryanna, if you continue abusing our trust like this, there won't be a next time!"

I freeze. Tears flood my eyes. No. No, no, no, no, no, no. Don't cry, VR. Please don't cry-

Mom puts an arm around me. "You're fifteen now, Vera-Ryanna. We want to be able to trust you. But how can we-"
"I know! I promise, I won't do it again!"

I honestly don't wanna cry over something as stupid as staying out too late. I don't wanna cry, period. I hate how something as simple as getting yelled at is enough to break me down. Well, Mom's not yelling. But knowing she's upset is already too much.

"Again, you're old enough, honey, We can trust to make responsible decisions. Now go to bed. You've got the Reapings tomorrow."
I sniff and wipe the tears from my face. I hurry upstairs, feel off my clothes, change, then jump into bed and stare at the ceiling.

I had a good day today. I'm not gonna let that one thing ruin it. I need to stop crying, now.

I toss and turn for a bit before finally falling asleep, dreaming to myself of rock and roll and Whyllis Shears.

Here's the protagonist, Vera-Ryanna Kingsley! If that's too long, you can call her Vera or by her preferred nickname, VR.

Submissions are now open! Yes, I will be accepting tributes for this story. Just note that because the entire story is in VR's POV, your tribute will not be featured as much, though I will try and give tributes as much screen time as I can. This will be first come first serve. I have no limits on what tributes you can send though I probably will accept a maximum of three tributes per person. More info can be found on my profile.

I hope you'll enjoy this story!

-Vr