"And please welcome, for our final act... The Fighting Phoenix!" The ringmaster's voice seemed to ricochet off the canvas walls of the circus tent. "That's your queue, District 12." Hands pushed me forward, out into the blinding lights, out toward the cheering crowd. "Break a leg-or two!" I heard my fellow performers jeer, laughing. I stepped into the center of the ring, allowing the cosmetically transplanted wings on my back to flare. The wings had been a part of me since I was seven. Since I had joined the troupe. They'd been with me for 9 years now.

"Watch her fly!" The weight of all the paint, glitter and cosmetic material that had been applied to my wings forced me to put every last ounce of my strength into moving them. "And when The Phoenix bursts into flames..." I closed my eyes, prepared for the impact, the blistering heat of the flames. The tickling sensation of the fire snaking down my arms and legs was subdued by the gel that covered me from head to toe.

Focusing my attention on the cushion below me, I allowed myself to fall, the billowy black material of my landing place swallowing the flames.

"She rises from the ashes of her past death!"

Flying was much easier without the gel covering my wings. It was effortless, almost a second nature. Flapping my large, aerodynamic wings, I brought myself to land in the center of the ring once again, curtsying to the applause of my audience. "Thank you! Thank you, fine people of District Two! May the odds be ever in your favour!"

Dread engulfed me when I heard the ringmaster's last words. The Reaping was tomorrow.

.....

"May the odds be ever in your favour!" That dreaded phrase echoed throughout the district that morning. I watched through the large glass window of my surprisingly exquisite home the townsfolk carrying buckets of water to their baths, cleaning themselves up for the reaping. I sighed, slipping into the jet spa in my bathroom.

(Libra's house)

I allowed the water to soak into my wings, removing the excess paint and grease from my wings. When the ringmaster had first had them attached to my body, I had tried to keep my wings a secret. In the little time that I spent in District 12, I wore a coat which hid my wings entirely. But one day, a minor slip-up had revealed my wings to the district, which was when I stopped hiding them. Every garment I wore, every dress I owned had been altered to accommodate my wings. Today, I wore a dress with no alterations-a beautiful white number with a revealing back.

"All citizens must be out within the next 20 minutes." I shook my wings off, using a threadbare towel to wipe myself down before sliding into my dress. Opening a box of never-used makeup that had been gifted to 'The Fighting Phoenix' during a tour, I used some of the most basic products to conceal the most ghastly scars my circus life had given me. "Five minutes." I hurried out of my home, watching sadly as families streamed out, offering one another support.

Well, this is a great time to think about my scumbag parents who abandoned me, I thought. My father was the spokesperson from the Capitol who had arrived during the reaping. A typically privileged upperclassman, he played with my mothers' feelings and invited her to come the the Capitol with him. She agreed, and soon became pregnant with me.

But the moment my father heard about my mother's pregnancy, he sent her away, leaving her to give birth to me in District 12. The only thing he gave her was a fine estate which my mother decided to leave in my name. My mother must have hated my father, but she didn't hate him enough to go back to him and abandon my 3 month old self. She placed me on a circus train where the Ringmaster Nico had found me and saved me. I owed him and the circus my life, and I loved Ringmaster Nico to death. I also loved the people on the troupe who had been a part of my life since I was a baby. The people I didn't like were those Capitol clowns.

Who knows? One of them might have even been my sibling.

I left my home, leaving the modern luxury of its walls and delving into the poverty-stricken District 12, making my way toward the assembly.

"Welcome all!" A pink-haired man greeted us all. "We have gathered today to draw the District 12 tribute who will go on to represent you all in the Hunger Games!" He paused for applause. When he didn't receive any, the man rushed on.

"The Hunger Games are a part of our tradition. They help reiterate our way of life and bring publicity to the supreme power of the Capitol. The tribute chosen today will promise to uphold the values of a competitor in the Hunger Games. That being said, it's time to draw our tribute!"

The entire district's eyes followed the man's plump hand as it reached into the bowl, nobody daring to make a sound. He brought the paper close to his face, his expression unreadable, before he broke out into a smile, returning to the podium.

"And... the District 12 tribute for the 120th Hunger Games is.... Libra English De Loughrey!" This was not unexpected. For my lack of cooperation with the regulations imposed on the people of District 12, my name had been placed in the draw 82 times. I allowed the peacekeepers to escort me to the stage. "Please, come along Libra, we must make haste if we are to reach the train on time..."

For the first time in nine years, my wings were weighing me down.

I followed the authorities to the train, placing myself on the first seat I could find. The scenery of District 12 became a blur as the train left the station, withering trees and ramshackle huts colliding in a frenzy of neutral colours. District 11 arrived all too fast. The train doors opened, allowing a beautiful girl to enter the same carriage as myself. I hastened to introduce myself to her. "Hi, I'm Libra English. District 12 tribute." The girl smiled. "I'm Aquarius Tudor. District 11, but you knew that... I think your wings are really pretty. How come you have them?"

I smiled at Aquarius. She seemed like a genuinely nice person. It would honestly be a shame if I had to be the one to kill her in the Games. "Thanks-I'm actually with a circus. My stage name is the Fighting Phoenix-the wings were attached to my body and they're a part of me now." Aquarius gazed at them in wonder, the question on her face so clearly evident. "So, are they just cosmetic or can you... um..." I laughed. "Yes, I can fly." Aquarius gasped. "Whoa, that's so cool!" She looked out the window. "Oh, here's District 10."

A short girl with beautiful, curly hair walked in, worry and fear written across her face. "Hi, what's your name?" Aquarius asked. I eyed this girl. She would be an easy target in the games. I hated analyzing my competitors like this, but I knew that if I wanted things to change, I would have to win. And to do that, I would have to kill people. "P-Pisces..." She looked as if she was on the verge of tears. "I'm Libra, and that's Aquarius. Do you want to talk about.. something fun?" I tried. Pisces shuddered. "I'm going to die, I'm going to die..."

Aquarius and I continued our conversation, doing our best to include Pisces. The brunette was, however, too rattled to take part in the conversation. We soon approached District 9, where we were met by another rattled girl called Cancer. She, too, sat in the corner, unable to interact with any of us.

"How long have you been with the Angel Circus?" Aquarius wanted to know. "Ever since I was a baby. They're my family." Aquarius frowned. "Were your parents part of the troupe?" I shook my head. "They live in the Capitol. It's... complicated." Aquarius nodded. I appreciated her understanding. "SAGITTARIUS HARRINGTON IN THE HOUSE!" I turned toward the violently loud boy who had just boarded the train. "I'm Sagittarius Harrington." He smirked. "You're looking good, White Wings. You too, track pants."

He winked at Aquarius who simply ignored him. I smiled at him slightly. I liked party animals myself-I was one myself, after all. "I'm Libra, and that's Aquarius." Sagittarius smirked. "Sweet, dude." He swung himself onto the couch, making himself comfortable next to me. "Hey, what's up with Babysitter's Club over there?" He pointed to Pisces and Cancer. "They're worried is all." Sagittarius smirked. "When they called my name, I was like, there's no way in hell I'll survive, so I might as well have some fun in the Capitol, and you're the lucky lady who can come along with me because I like you."

He looked over at Aquarius. "Maybe track pants could keep us company, huh?" Aquarius snorted, still silent. "Oh, I don't think she likes me very much..." Sagittarius stuck out his bottom lip, mocking sadness. There was no response from Aquarius. "Ooh, here comes District 7. Who's this going to be?" A blonde girl dressed in a tunic and white blouse walked in. "Ha-hey, we just got ourselves a Mary Jane!" Sagittarius laughed. The girl walked off to another carriage, clearly disgusted by Sagittarius' antics. A paper in her hand indicated that her name was Capricorn.

"Rude!" I exclaimed. Honestly, that girl was a snob. "Totally," Sagittarius added. "Ooh, District 6!" I watched, wide-eyed, as this god of a boy walked onto the train. Even Pisces and Cancer were checking him out. "I'm Virgo Holloway." He nodded at us. "What is your name?" God, even his cheeks were perfect... "Hey, he's talking to you..." Sagittarius elbowed me. "OH! Hi, I'm Libra English, District 12." Aquarius rushed to introduce herself. "Aquarius Tudor, District 11. You're welcome to sit by me."

"And I am Sagittarius Harrington." Virgo smiled before taking a seat beside... me? "Your wings are really pretty," he whispered. "As are you." I smiled. "You aren't so bad yourself, you know?" I smirked at Virgo, making sure he could see my pearly whites. "Why, thank you." Virgo brought himself closer to me. "Save me a dance at the party tonight." Oh, no. I was doing it again. I was flirting with someone who I would ultimately have to fight to the death. What was wrong with me?

On the other hand, it couldn't hurt to have some fun before the games...

I fluttered my lashes. "Why not?"

"Hey, District 5! Care to tell us your name?" I turned, only to find another guy who looked crazily handsome. Was it something in the water? "I'm Taurus Carr. Nice to meet you." He nodded at us before taking a seat next to Aquarius. We soon arrived at District 4, but I was paying absolutely no attention because Virgo had me preoccupied. "Well, I bet you didn't meet girls like me back home," I mused. "Yeah, none of them had wings, for one," Virgo stated. "And they definitely weren't this direct, you know?"

I laughed. "What can I say? I go after what I want." Virgo nodded. "Hey, I like it. By the way, that guy is seriously tall." I turned to see who Virgo was pointing to. "Well, well, well... the lady finally looks at me. Like what you see?" Goodness, there really was something in the water in Districts 4, 5, and 6. "I think she does," Sagittarius chuckled. I rolled my eyes. "Believe what you want." I turned back to Virgo. Leo chuckled behind me, causing the hairs on my neck to rise. "Well, I'm pretty sure you're into me-I mean, who wouldn't be?"

"Shut your trap."

"Make me, Angel."

"Angel?"

"You've got wings... Really pretty wings, can I add."

"Flattery will get you nowhere."

"God, you'll probably be trying to kill each other in the games." Leo and I turned toward the interjecting voice. Another boy was slouching against a pillar, smirking. His strangle pinkish purple eyes were honestly kind of attractive. "The name's Scorpio. Scorpio Van Doren." He tipped his head to us all. "We're at District Two! Ooh, look at that chick, she seems scary..." Sagittarius trailed off, finding himself face to face with the most intimidating person I had ever seen. "One more word and I break your smug little face off."

The girl turned to face us all. "That's right. Be scared. I'm Gemini Clemonte, and I'm going to drive a dagger through all your hearts." She turned toward me. "Chopping off those wings should be fun." I masked my emotions. "Should be fun to slice through that neck tattoo, Gemini." The Career had clearly made a decision. "Hey, I like you. We're hanging." I smirked. "Why not."

"Ooh, we're at District 1! I can't wait to meet this one..." I made conversation with Gemini, hoping I could get the fearsome Career on my side. She would be a valuable ally, and an even more valuable protector. "Now, now, now, who might this be?" I turned toward a deep, alluring voice. "Wow, let's hope that face isn't ruined by the games." Goodness. "I'm Aries Hunt. You are?"

"Libra English."

He took my hands, shaking it firmly. I couldn't bring myself to tear my gaze from his face. God, I really had to stop staring. The thing was, Aries was definitely staring back. Two can play that game. I blinked slowly, watching a smirk spread across Aries' face. "Ooh la la..." Sagittarius trailed off. I could see Leo frowning out of the corner of my eye-did he want to fight again? Virgo didn't look too bothered. I understood that-we were both similar when it came to flirting. Flirting was nothing more than romantic conversation-it could never hold a person to some standard.

"God, creeps, stop staring at each other. We're here." Gemini, for some reason, was fuming. Aries didn't drop his gaze. Instead, his steps fell in sync with my own. "Libra." He smiled slightly, his intense gaze never fading. "Aries." I matched his nonchalant tone perfectly.

"Leo."

Aries turned to face Leo who had somehow ended up on my other side. "Why did you go say your own name?"

"Because nobody else said it."

I rolled my eyes. "God, you really love attention, don't you?"

"Just taking what I deserve, angel."

"Goodness, that's, like, the most cliche nickname ever."

"But it's not like you don't like it, angel."

"Don't call me angel!"

"Too bad."

I rolled my eyes, making my way over to Sagittarius. "Hey, Bachelorette." I frowned. "You've had three guys flirt with you." Sagittarius was seriously great-it would be a shame to see him die. "I guess you're right..." Sagittarius smirked. "I'm usually right. Now, which one of them are you gonna bring with you to the party tonight?" I paused to think about it, wondering which one of the three boys I had met were the most appealing. "Well..."

Right then, Aries walked over to me, all haughty and confident. "Hey, be my date tonight." Sagittarius whistled. "Guess he made the decision for you..."

"Sure. See you tonight."

Sagittarius whooped, cutting through the tension. "Now let's go get day drunk!"

.....

"Okay, I regret getting day drunk." Sagittarius fell back on his bed, sighing. I laughed at my new friend's hopeless state. "Your tolerance is, like, really low. You had three shots!" He sighed dramatically. "That was a bit too much. Now that Aquarius chick won't get with me." I rolled my eyes. "You're going to a party-everyone's going to get drunk. Also, I drank a total of two bottles, and I'm still sober." Sagittarius groaned once again. "Whatever." I arched my brows. "So... Aquarius."

"Yeah, I mean, she's cool, I'm cool, we're all cool."

"Alright. Whatever you say."

I smirked, knowing that Sagittarius was just busting to ramble about Aquarius.

"Okay, you got me! She's fabulous! Did you see her eyes? Her face? Just the sight of her-she's beautiful, and... and she's mysterious, and I just wanna, you know get to know her..."

I laughed. "Save it for the party, lover boy."

"I'm not a lover boy, I just think she's pretty-"

"Would you look at that? We're here! Let's go!"

Sagittarius huffed and puffed on the way to the suites. He left at the eighth floor, leaving me to go up to my own suite.

"Floor 12." I left the elevator, finding myself in a modern penthouse. It featured wall-length windows, slanting metallic pillars and a white ceiling with an inbuilt AI system and inbuilt lighting. A dining table, set with the finest cutlery, overlooked the Capitol skyline, while the sitting area offered an unrivaled view of the harbour.

(Libra's penthouse)

I noticed a sleek tube with a curved glass door leaving the penthouse. My curiosity led me to open the door, where I found a strong air current pushing me upward. Could it be a vertical air tube? Using my wings to speed up the process of being pushed up to the next level of the penthouse, I stepped out into an ensuite bedroom.It featured glossy white and grey walls, minimalistic decoration and another wall-length window looking out at a private beach.

(Libra's Bedroom)

"I see you've settled in, Miss Libra." I turned toward the soothing, leveled voice behind me, finding myself face-to-face with an extremely stylish woman. She wore tinted orange sunglasses that contrasted perfectly with her pastel purple hair. "I'm Aurora, your stylist."

(Aurora)

"Let's get you into something for tonight, yes?" I nodded, following Aurora out of my penthouse residence.