Caspian Reef’s POV:

‘’ What if they split us up?’’ Asks Lilly, sounding frightened.

‘’ If they split us up, I will make sure that until I gasp my last breath, you will be kept safe. And I will only take my last breath when you are safe. You will be going home, with or without me, I will make sure of it.’’ I vow and she smiles.

‘’ I love you Caspian. I really do.’’ She smiles – with that perfect smile that I fell in love with – and I lean towards her and we kiss passionately.

‘’ I swear to you. You will be going home. You’ll see your father. You will be a champion. Everyone will love you more than they already do.’’ I continue.

‘’ Love me? Caspian they all hate me. Just because of the family I was born to. Because my father is the Mayor. They think I am some pompous bitch. I’m human too.’’ She explains, sounding both furious and devastated at the same time.

‘’ Of course they love you. Look at you! You’re perfect.’’ I smile and we kiss again.

‘’ Promise me that if we are not paired together we will spend every second we are in that arena together. And if we are paired together, we will do what it takes to get out of there, no matter what the cost, so we can be together and raise a family.’’ She pleads.

‘’ Of course Lilly, I promise.’’ I vow and pull her close to me, kissing her on the forehead and wrapping my arms around her.

‘’ They won’t separate us will they?’’ She questions. ‘’ They aren’t that cruel...They won’t will they?’’

‘’ I...em...they...I really don’t know Lil, it’s the Capitol. They do what they want.’’ I answer finally and she begins to sob into my chest.

I grab her head and pull her close to me and fight back tears of my own.

Brutis Glaze’s POV:

‘’ You looking forward to this, chick?’’ I smirk at Belle.

‘’ Don’t talk to me.’’ She snaps back.

‘’ Easy there girlie. I’m only joking with ya, what’s up your arse?’’ I reply, sensing her anger.

‘’ You. That’s what.’’ She replies venomously.

‘’ Me? What did I do to you?’’ I question.

‘’ You tried to make me look weak today in front of the whole District and everyone watching the Reaping.’’ She explains angrily. ‘’ Trust me, I don’t take pleasure in killing, I do what has to be done to supply for my family. But I swear to God when we enter that arena, you better run, because I will hunt you down and I will kill you. And you know what, I will enjoy it.’’ She explains.

‘’ Wow! Keep your pants on doll face!’’ I laugh and Belle lunges across the carriage at me and pins me to the ground.

I smirk at her and spit in her face. She roars angrily and raises her hand to punch me but the peacekeepers standing inside our carriage run forwards and pull her off me.

‘’ I swear to God! I will kill you! You’re lucky you have these guys to protect that pathetic ass of yours.’’ She screams furiously.

‘’ Whatever you say angel face.’’ I laugh and sip from a small glass of wine sitting on the table in front of me.’’

For the remainder of the ride, the two peacekeepers hold Belle where she is as she glares at me hatefully. I do what I can to aggravate her, winking at her occasionally or blowing her a kiss or two every so often.

‘’ This is going to be a long yet fun journey.’’ I laugh to myself and she curses me under her breath.

Arianna Winslow’s POV:

‘’ What do you think they’ll do to us?’’ I ask Alistair, ignoring the peacekeepers on guard in our carriage.

‘’ What do you mean?’’ He replies, sounding confused.

‘’ They won’t let us win; we’re here because we tried to escape. This is punishment, we are going to die.’’ I explain.

‘’ Maybe not. Maybe-‘’ Begins Alistair.

‘’ We can’t afford to pretend that we will make it out of this, because we both know they won’t allow it. They will kill us somehow and make it look like an accident. They’ve done it before.’’ I interrupt and as I say this, his face begins to drop slowly as he realises I am right.

‘’ Do you think they will separate us?’’ He asks.

‘’ I hope not, not only because I wouldn’t be able to bare being separated from you, but because we’d be dragging two innocents down with us who otherwise may have had a chance at escaping with their lives.’’ I explain.

‘’ I know.’’ He replies and he pulls me close to him. ‘’ I hope we’re together too, this would be unbearable without you.’’

Despite how shit I feel inside about how we are being sent to the Capitol to be fattened up before we are slaughtered when only earlier today we were running free I still manage to blush up.

‘’ I guess it’s up to the Capitol, and how they do it.’’ I say and we sit in silence, simply holding each other for the rest of the ride to the Capitol.

Stitch Gable’s POV:

‘’ Do you think I have a shot of returning to District Eight alive?’’ I ask.

‘’ I think it all depends on who you are paired with.’’ Replies Max honestly. ‘’ If you’re put with a good fighter, there’s a chance you will, but if you get someone like her, it’s unlikely.’’

As he says this, he nudges his head to Phox, sitting opposite me, simply staring at me as I speak to Max.

‘’ Who are you talking to?’’ She asks for the thousandth time so far.

I look at Max yet again for guidance on what I should say to her. ‘’ Just ignore her.’’

‘’ How do you think they will do the tribute pairings?’’ I question.

‘’ Probably the same way as the Reaping is done. Pick names out of a bowl randomly. But knowing the Capitol, it’s all probably fixed anyway.’’ He answers.

‘’ How have they gotten away with this for one hundred and twenty five years? How has nobody rebelled?’’ I question.

‘’ Of course they have, but rebellions are few and far between and there’s never enough rebels in comparison to the number of those willing to fight for the Capitol.’’ He explains with a sigh.

‘’ It’s barbaric. Families are destroyed and children are slaughtered live on television and they see it as a game?’’ I continue.

‘’ It’s a very cruel world Stitch.’’ Replies Max.

‘’ I know...’’ I sigh and my mind begins to wander.

I think of my parents at home, my poor mother trapped in that crappy little house with my horribly abusive father. I have to make it home, so we can leave my father and she can have the life she deserves to have. With me. In the Victor’s Village. Safe.

I sigh again; Phox looks up at me curiously. I won’t be going home to them.

Ethan Rhodes’ POV:

‘’ They won’t separate us, will they?’’ Asks Ellie, sounding horrified.

‘’ I honestly don’t know, the Capitol are cruel.’’ I answer, ignoring the fact that the two peacekeepers standing with us in our carriage are listening to our every word.

‘’ Maybe they will be merciful and put us together.’’ She says hopefully.

‘’ If the Capitol were merciful, we wouldn’t be here and the Hunger Games would have been abolished long ago.’’ I reply gloomily, staring at the vast table of food and drinks sitting untouched before us.

‘’ I suppose. Hopefully though they’ll want to see us paired together.’’ She continues. ‘’ It will make for a better show if we are fighting side by side until the end.’’

‘’ Think about it Ellie, it would make for a better show if we were split up, and forced to fight side by side even though we both know only one of us can leave in the end if we are lucky. I hate to say this, because you know how much I love you, but the Capitol don’t see us as people. They see us as pieces in their Games.’’

‘’ No! I’m more than just a piece of theirs that they can manipulate. We have to be paired together. We have to be.’’ She yells angrily, although her anger is not directed at me.

‘’ I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.’’ I sigh and wrap my quivering arm around Ellie’s shoulder.

Odhan Tyrell’s POV:

‘’ What is this stuff?’’ I smile while shovelling a sticky black substance into my mouth and enjoying every single explosion of flavour in my mouth.

‘’ You don’t know what chocolate is?’’ Gasps Acacia.

‘’ I know what chocolate is, I just never tasted it before. Or seen any.’’

‘’ You’ve never eaten chocolate?’’ Repeats Acacia, sounding shocked.

‘’ I grew up in an orphanage.’’ I explain, continuing to feast on the endless platters of delicacies before us.

‘’ What did you eat there?’’ Questions Acacia curiously.

‘’ Not much to be honest.’’ I begin. ‘’ Bread, stale apples, and every two weeks we got beans.’’

‘’ I bet you’re made up with being picked, you get to live like a king for the next few days. That is before you’re butchered like a little piggy.’’ Laughs one of the peacekeepers standing watch in our carriage.

I remain quiet and stick a small piece of bread into my mouth.

‘’ Leave him alone.’’ Says Acacia angrily.

‘’ It’s fine. I’m used to it.’’ I reply.

‘’ No. They are being mean for no reason. You did nothing to them!’’ She says angrily.

‘’ Well I never really do anything to anyone. People just don’t like me.’’ I explain.

The peacekeeper mutters something under his breath. I ignore him however and grab another piece of the chocolate cake.

Osmo Overton’s POV:

‘’ Wow. There it is.’’ Gasps Echo in shock as the Capitol comes into sight. ‘’ It’s beautiful.’’

‘’ I concur. That architecture is magnificent!’’ I reply and we both stand at the window looking out as we draw closer.

‘’ Oh my God. Look at all those people.’’ Gasps Echo as we approach the station.

‘’ All those cameras.’’ I add with a nervous gulp.

‘’ What if they don’t like us?’’ Asks Echo, sounding worried. ‘’ We have no chance of returning home if they don’t like us.’’

‘’ Well how could they not like you? You are beautiful and really smart, and when they see your skill with a bow they will be swept away.’’ I explain and her white cheeks blush a beautiful shade of red.

‘’ Do you love me?’’ Asks Echo as the two peacekeepers step outside of the moving carriage momentarily to push the crowds back.

‘’ What do you mean?’’ I gasp, completely caught off guard.

‘’ You know what I mean Osmo. Do you love me?’’ She repeats with a smile. ‘’ I know nothing has happened between us before this morning, but I feel safe now that I am with you.’’

I smile at her. ‘’ That’s sweet, and of course I have feelings for you.’’

‘’ Then let’s kiss as we walk out, we need them to remember us. We need them to like us.’’ She suggests.

‘’ No Echo.’’ I reply, not meaning to sound harsh but her face drops.

‘’ Why not?’’ She questions sadly.

‘’ Because if the Capitol thinks we are a couple, they will separate us for sure for the purpose of their Games. I can’t let that happen because if I am returning to District Three, you are coming with me. Until and if we are partnered, we cannot let them know of our love. They want a show, we will give it to them.’’ I explain. ‘’ But when the time is right.’’

‘’ But what if we aren’t partnered?’’ She questions, a tear rolling down her face as the train comes to a halt.

‘’ Well then I will make sure you make it back to District Three, even if it has to be without me.’’ I vow and she moves forwards for a kiss.

For a moment I hold her off, however I very quickly smile and pull her close to me, unable to resist her beautiful white hair and perfect face, her gorgeous body and green eyes staring at me in admiration. During the kiss she laughs and I feel her hot tears splashing against my cheeks. As she pulls away, we both laugh.

‘’ I’ve wanted to do that since the day I met you.’’ I explain.

‘’ I love you Osmo. It’s a shame it took this for me to realise that.’’ She replies.

We step away from each other and exit the train slightly apart to the cheers of the Capitol citizens and reporters.