CHAPTER ONE

Chapter one

5:30 am

July fourth, I wake up a normal coal miners son, living in district 12. I stretch my arms to the ceiling and put my feet on the ice-cold ground, and the chilliness of the environment always sends an electric shock through my body that instantly gives me a boost of energy for the day. I get dressed, put my hair in a loose bun, and grab my bottle of water, "oh no, you don't," says Dahlia and mom at the same time. Dahlia is my sister, and my mother's name is Lavender. Reply to the "yes," Mom says, "Haymitch, you know this. Before you go to the hob or anywhere for that matter Haymitch, you take a bath," I reply "how would I take a bath if we don't even have water" Dahlia points out the kitchen window "there's rain," I reply, "and there's wood outside but that doesn't mean I go and build a house with it" Dahlia replies "would be nice though to see you do something productive and show some hard work for once" ugh, my sister.. she stubborn, hard-headed and stupid she thinks just because she is studying to be a nurse she has bragging rights to make others feel inferior. My brother walks in with a dead goat in his hand and says, "I caught it!" My mom says, "What's' it's named," Louren replies, "dead meat" and places the goat on the table. My mom grabs a sharp knife, chops the head and appendages off the goat, and hands them to me to throw them out. Louren walks out, and he says, "can I go with you to the hob," I reply, "didn't your clothes get fixed yesterday?" He replies, "yes," I say, "well then stay here and help mom," he replies, "What's it worth! She spends the whole time crying," I answer, "well, do you blame her" I throw the goats parts into the dirt and dig a hole to place them in, and Louren says, "no," then I reply, "there's your answer.

I tell Louren to go back inside, and I sneak away to the hob. The hob is where I meet my grandmother every year during the reaping. Gran… That's what I call her, but her real name is Beau well Beatrice, Beatrice Abernathy; she is my father's mother, but my father died in a coal mining incident a couple of years ago. Thankfully, Gran has always been a mother to me; Louren came later on… I am 16, and Louren is six, so mom gives all her attention to Louren since he's younger. The past six years Gran has been more than a Grandmother to me; Dahlia spends all her time training as a nurse and opening time with her Boyfriend… His name is something Everdeen, I can never figure it out... but he takes up all her of time, and the only motherly figure or sort of guidance Dahlia has in her own subconscious.

The morning is dense and wet… you can see the mist in the air fog up and the orange sun rising … mornings like these make life worth living in district 12. I live in the more wealthy part of district 12, not affluent, but we don't have significant food or water problems. Well, we do, but we don't. We just have some perks since my father died, so we are considered wealthy compared to other families.

On my way to the hob, I see Ajax, Ajax He's doing the same things I do every year on the reaping day. Ajax is really the only friend that has stayed with me over the years… he's been a good and loyal friend considering I treat everybody with no respect, well sometimes.. he's really just a genuine friend. Still, he's really competitive but shy… he tries to think of himself as a formidable "manly" guy. Yet, deep down, he's really a pussycat… always twitching and moving something around… he always seems to be preoccupied with something or angry about the school or himself.

I arrive at the hob where I see Gran sewing up clothes for the others in the district who buy clothes to go to the reaping. "Morning," I say, trying to be more cheerful considering that this is the most awful days of the year for gran "oh Haymitch, can't you just say a four-letter or a five-letter word like hello or something you kids say these days," She says sarcastically, I reply as she is pinning my clothes to get the right fit…." ouch," Gran looks at me pitifully, and she says "Haymitch, you are 16 just deal with the pain!" I roll my eyes back at her and well, random. Still, I tend to find the hob interesting, The place is boiling and mysterious the site is full of culture and represents a period of time that you can't write down, something more you would have to experience yourself. I find it well puzzling, although I know everybody here.

I say to Gran, "Gran, do you think I'll grow taller? You know I'm only 16, and I heard from the peacekeepers saying that a male can grow un-till he's 24," I say, trying to lighten the mood... These days well, today, The reaping day is grans least favorite day of the year. She cries and cries days before, but she puts on an act so that I don't worry. She replies, "well son, that's true, at least you grandfather, bless his soul.. he wasn't very tall, but if he could stand on his charm and intelligence I'd say he was around 7 feet tall," she says while I wipe the tear on her face "I'd bet gran, look I promise with all my heart that if for some reason I get to pick-" Gran doesn't let me finish my sentence. "Haymitch! Don't you dare say those words! You will not be picked for the hunger games like your sister! I forbid it no, don't you dare, ever repeating those foolish words in your lifetime while my heart is beating." She barks.

Gran talks about this girl, my sister. Still, she wasn't really my sister.. she was grans mother's best friend, sisters cousins dogs owner friend who happened to know a girl who got to be a tribute for the games…Lucy Gray Baird was her name, she is related to Maysilee Donner, who is somebody I know but don't pay attention much to. Gran tells her story as if it were a mysterious old tale, and she almost swears by it. People come from all around when Gran starts singing 'the hanging tree.' The entire hob starts sinning until peacekeepers come and almost crash the place. When peacekeepers begin to go in, Gran says to me, "I will see you for supper" I nod in agreement, and I leave quietly, kissing Gran on the checking and whispering "love you," knowing that my name has been in the fishing bowl more than 100 times and my odds aren't in my favor. I'd hate not to go to supper... I'd do anything to see grans face when I arrive at supper and eating all the food she usually has planned as a celebration that w did get reaped. And during this time, once a year Gran lets me have a special drink on the reaping day.…something that Mr.Amitch would sell to her in the hob that probably could kill you if you had too much of it.

I have a horrible feeling about today and all that it brings. I'm not healthy nor wise with words. I wouldn't even make it to the cornucopia at all… I feel horrible and sick but a little far away from me I see Ajax… I go up to him and say, "Hey.." He replies, 'hey…" while we walk and kick rocks on the ground.. I ask the usual question, "how are the girls" pushing him to the side in a sarcastic way.. he replies, "you always know after the charm and looks… to bad I have both,"

he says, being sarcastic back. I say, "I saw Selina Dew eyeing you this morning" I am lying, but he doesn't know that. He replies, "oh yeah?' I reply, "no," and he pushes me to the side, and we start laughing. Ajax says, "didn't you and this girl Amy break up, or was that just a rumor…" I reply "we did… I broke up with her yesterday…I don't know, I just don't feel good about this one, and I don't want to be the 'long lost lovers' from district twelve. She understood enough," Ajax says, "You're saying Amy lewis took your breakup normally" I reply, "yes," he says, "seriously, you guys have been together for years," I reply, "so! How was seeing your Gran?" attempting to divert the conversation the other way… Ajax replies, "you know it doesn't get easier... I love her, but she's just a brick! I saw your Gran crying and stuff earlier, but mines could care less.. I told her today was reaping day, and all she said to say was More food. How can she think that I could be sent to the hunger games and get killed, or worse, I become a peacekeeper? She could care less if I was dead or alive." Ajax is right.. his Gran used to take care of me while my parents were away. She could care less if I came home with a broken rib. But I reply "you know it could be maybe she's just trying to do that so maybe if you do get picked you'll be tough" Ajax responds "I know, it could be true, but you know… I'm tough, just not the tough I want to be, but I'm tough," I reply. "I know I know, hey I got to go home…" Ajax responds, "yeah sure no problem," and we depart. On my way home, I see Amy, I did break up with her, but that doesn't mean that she isn't lovely to look at. but she is just the most beautiful thing on the face of this universe… Amy Lewis, every day I see her milking her goat, I don't look at the goat, but I do at her… she has this fragile pale smooth skin, and curly black hair…She has slanted eyes that are blue. She is just beautiful. I shouldn't have broken up with her, but I know Amy should have more if I get reaped. Amy is rich and For all I know is that she has had her name in the fishing bowl a couple of times. Amy's father's fathers father worked in the capital, and she gets invited to a bunch of fancy dinners and stuff. So her name is hardly in the fishing bowl.

On my way back home, the sun is up, but so are the clouds, and it begins to rain. I go inside the house to find a bottle of White Liquor. Mom would mind, but who cares really? I just take a sip and put it back on the table. She'll never realize it. On the table, I find the picture of me and Gran for when I was little, and my parents were "away," but in reality, we're getting beaten in the capitol by peacekeepers for no paying their taxes and stealing a couple of bottles of medicine. Gran was left with Dahlia and me for ten whole years. Poor Gran, we're all she's got.

Anyways I turn to the mirror, pick up my hair, and put it in a bun… Gran doesn't think a man should read, but I do have a thing for books… I hope to write on one day, so before I head to the reaping, I get my favorite short story in the world; it's called "love wins" I've read it 200 plus times and.… Being Honest, the book is stupid. The whole Meaning is Stupid; the entire book talks about living your best life and dumb crap like that that makes no sense, especially when you live in district 12. it is, but it's about the only book I can read in one sitting, so I read it a couple of times a week just to keep my brain busy. I finish the book, check the hair, and I tuck in my shirt and put on my pants that Gran fixed and head to the reaping.

Again I'm on my way somewhere, but there is Amy, putting flowers onto her hair and tying her belt…. She at least 6 feet tall while I am under that, but she could be a capitol model if you ask me, but I should be keeping my eyes on a direction that will get me to dinner tonight and being with the family. Walking out, I wave to Amy, and she ignores me once again. On my way, I meet up with my Grans friends Granddaughter Fauna; Fauna is around 7 years old… She happened to turn 7 yesterday. Fauna walks with me almost everywhere; I take her to meet with her parents at the reaping and for her to meet her siblings at the reaping, so I escort her, so she is not by herself. 'hey Fauna," I say, giving a smile at her "hey Haymitch! Guess what" I say 'what" she replies, "my goat laid an egg today!" I think she has the wrong mix up here, but I reply, "oh, really, what did you name the egg?" She replies, "Haymitch!" She's trying hard... I say, "aww, that's great faun—" and a peacekeeper is separating us and throwing us on the ground, saying that we cannot be together seen together that the boys have one way and the girls another, and then how could we possibly be on the same route … the peacekeeper doesn't know what she isn't 12 and that she doesn't reach the age. Still, I like to play with his mind a bit.

I explain, "peacekeeper uh sir… you see I don't give a crap about that.. Ummm. How can I say this nicer… uh, she doesn't give a crap either, so let us be. I happen to just be walking to the reaping for your people's enjoyment, so" they let us be, and I escort Fauna to the parent's isle.

There it is, a hundred thousand billion trillion teenagers ready to be sent away to a quote on quote beautiful place to be only sent put to be murdered. Here I am in line. I see Ajax not too far from me; he's nervous but trying to play it cool, acting like this didn't bother him at all when in reality, he must be going crazy.

The line is going fast… the women peacekeeper gets my name, address, birth date, and blood. I take my time to go to the front, no rush… I see Ajax in the distance.. one of the older guys just shoulder brushed him, and he fell, and now he's covered in dirt, but I can go there, so I stay in my place and look forward. Amy is to the right of me, and I try to smile at her, but she cuts me off and gives me a severe stare back. A tall lady named Evian Snow.. she comes every year in those horrible outfits and makeup. She has black curly hair and wears in a high bun. She wears dramatic blue makeup and wears a blue and gold skirt that goes out from her waist. Gold chains are stripped down from her neck, and she wears big gold earrings that are the size of watermelons. I hate it; she looks unpolished and disgusting with all the jewelry that hangs over her body. She comes to tell us how we are in a historical event and how we should really be grateful to be apart of history and so on. She says, "good morning, my fellow future tributes; I am here to congratulate you on being apart of the 50th annual hunger games. My job here is to inform you that you are apart of history and our children and children will be looking up to you… my dear, you all look so lovely and peaceful. This might just make me tear up a bit, my goodness! you all do look lovely" some girl screams "FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY SMART ONE" and a peacekeeper rolled her off, she got her entrance. "well I am here and, I am here to inform you that you will be in a historical event, in fact, this hunger will be in some of our school's, school books, this event has only partaken one time in our history.. you will be in the 50th annual hunger games and the 2nd quarter quell." Quarter what now? What the heck is that. I heard about it once, but they said it was nothing special… well, basically the people chose the tributes, but that was about it. It was tragic, but the arena was the same. What is a quarter quell she keeps saying you maybe she means like actually us like all of us, perhaps like the whole district in a game. Oh god. "you might be thinking, friends, what is a quarter quell, well? Welle happens every twenty-five years and, every twenty-five years, a special treat is given like a social hunger game with something fun and tricky! You sYouour trick part that is just going to be delightful is we will be getting four tributes from every district as a due tribute! 2 boys and 2 girls! Isn't that just fabulous!' And we have widened the age range... Now children fro. 7- 18 will be joining us!... Children"

All the 7,8,9,10 and 11-year-olds walk up in confusion.. 7-year-olds don't realize what's going on. The others are dealing with the facts. They march up. All of them and stand there. All I can see is poor FaunaFauna kicking a rock and walking up to the sectioned off area for these lucky tributes.

Evian Continues the nonsense with her fake capitol accent. Four tributes… that's scary... I look down at my shoes and tie them, and stand right up. I look around and see Amy; she has a tear going down her face… she looks miserable and terrified. Only if I could maybe make eye contact with her and smile at her… then I look over to Ajax. He seems completely fine, like nothing has ever happened while I am here, stalking everyone to make sure I'm not the only one crying. Evian almost falls down the stage, tripping over her own feet. Evian continues, "Pardon me! now! Ladies first," she goes to the fishing bowl, all excited and happy. She's probably getting paid a lot to act all joyful and cherry… if I were getting paid to perform a tiny bit like that, I wouldn't even dare that's a horrible job. Being excited to send children and teenagers to an arena to be murdered, slaughtered, brutally killed, and she's all excited about it. Evian moves her hand inside the fishing bowl, feeling the pieces of paper… she says, "what a beautiful name, Fauna Clark."

Fauna Clark? Fauna is the 1st grader, The girl I walked to the reaping. She's only 7 years old… the poor girl. Fauna approaches the stage wiping a tear-off of her cheek and tripping over a rock. Fauna is 7 years old with long red hair… she has super bright freckles and a huge smile that could light up a whole room. I feel so bad for her family and her… she's done nothing wrong. Her name has never been in the fishing bowl. Not even once. Fauna approaches Evian, and Evian tries to give her a welcoming high five, but poor FaunaFauna just looks back at the crowd, miserable and heartbroken. Poor FaunaFauna doesn't even know what the games are about... She is probably just worried that she won't see her mom in the new future.

A 7-year-old… she can't control her emotions, nor can she even compensate for what's going on as she can't even write her full name…. The poor girl just looks into the distance with red eyes and a pink face. Evian looks at her, gives a smile, and says, "well! Now our other girl tribute!…" she walks to the bowl and gives a mean confusing face, I would have ever thought that Evian has feelings, but she looks very carefully to the bowl and picks up a name. "Maysilee Donner."I look around to see this Maysilee, and she is an 18-year-old tall peach skinned curly honey blonde-haired blue-eyed female who seems very tough. I've never met her… well I have, she is best friends with my sister, Dahlia. But what I know about her is that her family owns a candy shop and her friend likes one of the Everdeen's, The dinners are pretty quiet people; we don't hear much of them here in 12.

A crowd around her moves back to give her space as she walks forward with tears coming down her face,… one by one... I think she's trying to set an example for FaunaFauna, but we all know her pain. My sister Dahlia hugs Maysilee and sheds a couple of tears, but Maysilee walks forward. Maysilee is well. She's an Ajax type trying to appear rough but actually a shy, humble human…. This was Maysilee last year… her last year… how can this happen? It could have been my sister, and thank goodness she wasn't picked, although I wish they would've scared her a bit so she could reconsider her life and maybe her relationship with the Everdeens son.

Maysilee walks up the stage and holds faunas little hand, and looks forward in disbelief. Evian not feeling entirely wrong now that an older tribute has shown up. Evian walks across the stage and says, "now the boys!" She moves her hand across the fishing bowl again but for longer than usual and says.. "Ajax Cohen! Why isn't that just a lovely name!" Ajax.. my best friend. The only person who's ever going to deal with me, my brother, my best friend, is going to the hunger games. Ajax pushes the guy in front of him and quietly walks to the show. The ambiance is so quiet you could hear a feather fall, the wind blow, and even snakes slithering. Ajax comes to the stage and gives a stare so serious to the crowd and looks straight forward as if nothing had ever happened. "Haymitch Abernathy," Evian says. Time stops. I can hear every raindrop fall individually… the whole earth freezes into slow motion for a time, feeling like 10 minutes, but in reality, it was 5 seconds to me. The entire crowd around me moves back, and I just look down with my eyes half-closed, and my body feels like it's about to just tip off.. like a leaf can brush against me, and there I would be on the ground dead. But frankly, a peacekeeper has had the lovely idea to shove me into the direction of the stage.

There I am. I look back to see Gran… Gran is terrified she looks straight into Evians's eyes and screams, "you" she falls on the floor sobbing nobody comes near her but move away from her a lady headed towards grans direction, but she was pushed out by the peacekeepers. Their Gran is.. on the floor sobbing and screaming "NOO NOO MY SON NO NO NO MY SONN" that sound of terror from my grandmother will forever be in my head I know what she would've told me to do… I look forward and fight back the urging pain of hearing my grandmother being forced away by peacekeepers… god knows what they will do to her. Will they kill her? Take her food away?

I listen to her in my head, screaming, and I look forward with a straight face. Forever my life has changed. I will die in the hunger games, and my grandmother will be murdered because of her showing emotions. I am on the stage looking forward will a severe grin. A tear goes down my check and to the side of my neck onto my shirt. I want the capital people to see that I have no emotion, which has no effect on me. I do not want to be remembered as a winner of the hunger games. They can leave me be. Evian could care less. She moves back and says, "very well then, now that was just exciting! Wasn't it?" The crowd just looks at her, and one person claps, and Evian says, "well, our 50th annual hunger games tributes, Fauna Clark, Maysilee Donner, Haymitch Abernathy, and Ajax Cohen."

The peacekeepers escort us to this building called the "justice building" all of us are cuffed to one another and are in line with like 20 peacekeepers next to us…the justice building looks very robotic and square. It seems very governmental. They put us in a room filled with books. The shelves are at least 30 feet high. You can smell the books and hear the noise the books produce with their presence. An older man comes to us four explaining how this is not the usual hunger games, and if we do anything to make the capital angry, that will be put on our family's in some way. In addition to all this fiasco, they're at least giving us a mentor. Since Lucy Gray isn't alive or nobody who has won the games from District 12, we are going to be given a government person this year, they will help us and train us and give us tips… so it feels like we're going to be on our own… the only person that will "teach us" is the person at this thing called "training"… other than that we do get people to teach us capital. We only will have for 2 weeks; basically, they're going to make us strong, feed us, and tell us how to kill each other. The man leaves and tells us that peacekeepers will escort us to the train that will take us to the capital. We walk out of the justice building into the light—the outside where our family is forced to watch our walkout.

We slowly but surely walk outside cuffed to one another. There she is… Gran…. Leaning the lady who tried to help her out earlier in the reaping… she is just leaning for dear life… she has a scar right across her cheek and nose. Her eyes are puffy, so are her cheeks from swelling. These next couple of seconds, my brain freezes, only seeing gran.. while I walk by, all I see is Gran leaning on an older women's shoulders. My mother, not there, my sister, not there, my brother! not there. My heart sinks as we pass through the crowd.

We go into our train and sit on the couch. Maysilee sits right up and says, "ok, I don't know any of you... but I have seen you..and well Haymitch, of course, frankly we all live in the same street, and we have grown up together in a way. Look, I don't wanna screw this up, and I don't want to die, but we have to work as a team to get this thing over and done with, ok. You are your own competition. Don't compare yourself to Fauna or me, ok, we're all equals... for now at least," she sits down. And FaunaFauna says

"I don't know what the hunger games are… can somebody explain to me why my mom isn't here… she said anywhere I got she goes, but she isn't here" I take a deep breath, but I have to remain with the image I still have grans screaming in my head and the memory implanted into my brain. Maysilee says, "look, the hunger games are where uh um 48 tributes from all the districts are put into an arena to um… kill each other, but here's the thing it's a fake death… you don't actually die. You just take asleep for a couple of hours and then your mom Is there.. but if you don't 'die' you get a lot of money and luxuries for your….. mom…. Makes sense?" FaunaFauna replies, "yeah, sounds well, sorta fun!" We all look down except fauna.. shes excited to go to the capital and play "hunger games" little does she know… little does she know. I stand up and say, "look no funny business was all here to survive and that's it ok. No capital stuff. We all stay the same" I move to the window and say, "look, we will not die a capitol copy. We will stay district…ourselves.. proud to be from district 12 look I could care less about all this, but we are a team.. a fascinating group of people, BUT we are still a team." I sit down and take a breath, and they're now Ajax. "I'm not a speech guy, but I'm here for you guys… for real... I'm here. I'm glad that we're all on the same page." And that's all we practically say to each other till the peacekeepers come and introduce us again to Evian. Evian walks in "why hello, my fellow tributes! Aren't you all a fine looking group" she sighs "ah miss fauna, your hair… isn't it just darling?" Fauna replies, "thank you".. as the train pulls out, Evian tells us to wave to the "fans" which are really the depressed wealthy people from district 12? We wave and all serious… Fauna is enjoying the attention she is being given, but it's not for the right purpose. We enter the train and meet our stylist, their group/team of people working with them... Our stylist is a married couple; they walk in their hideous capitol attire. The woman is a tall, pale lady with short black curly hair, her husband a short chunkier man with round glasses and spiky hair. The lady stylist says, "why aren't you a fine-looking group of people," her husband replies, "they are dolls!" She says, "yes, my gosh! My girl," pointing at Fauna, "those locks" She bends down to FaunaFauna. She says, "my name is Karma Caprice," I say to Ajax, "that explains it all." Karma replies to me, "what was that' I say, "no, just your name it's unique… uh reminds me of my first love" Karma replies, "why how sweet" She stands up, giving me a dirty look "well this is my lovely husband Jasyn Caprice" he bows his head and takes his hat off "why thank you Mrs.karma I may not be lovely, but I am handsome" and ending with a Ceaser Flickemen type laugh… Karma and Jasyn… they help us look good with capitol looking clothing and designs.. so that the sponsors in the capital like us. We each get 1 seamstress, four of them… we have Veronica, Connor, Lucero, and Liam But all we are given Is beauty consultants and stylist.. no help. Looking around on the train… I have never seen anything like this; the train is stainless steel with dark purple curtains, a white couch, a marble coffee table, and about everything expensive. This cart is filled with food, flowers, and elegance… Gran loves the color purple… Her wedding dress was purple and so are her bedsheets… she loves anything purple. My Mothers name is Lavender. Mom got pregnant with me young, and she told Gran she wasn't ready, so she left into the woods and gave me to Gran. She came back a year later, of course. I mean, I don't blame her; I would have run away as well. I don't know much about mom, well, about her younger self. I only know her for being caring and sweet. We sit down on the couch while this strange lady with bright red hair like FaunaFauna comes and calls our names one by one; she says, "Fauna Clark, Maysilee Sallow, Haymitch Abernathy, and Ajax Cohen... Am I right?" We reply at once, "yes," she says, "good afternoon tributes, my name is Alma Coin, and I will be your Mentor throughout the games... I am not a trainer. I am somebody to give you tips and tricks on how to win.. I am simply here to guide you on how to be capital, how to act capital, how to respect these people, how to ask questions, how to answer questions. How to be a caption person and I will be showing you capitol heritage how everything works in the system, how you will be filmed, how you will be stalked by everyone around you, and how you are now a celebrity... I basically will show you that the games are not bad.. but simply good. The games will show you how to be a human being how you and I need to be treated to get what we want. I will also show you how to lie. Yes, lie. Fauna, I've been told you are 7 years old. Is that true?" FaunaFauna replies, "yes, ma'am" "well, you've obviously been told that lying is bad but let's get straight to the point, sweetheart. lying is good here in the capital. You see, you might hate the dress they put you in but guess what you love it, and the diamonds are divine, and so are the ugly heels you girls will be wearing. I will show you how to be perfect. Do I make myself clear?" We all reply, "yes, ma'am" "now enjoy lunch," Alma says… she walks out. I believe she believes she is the president of Panem. Honestly speaking. We have a "divine" lunch we have a big salmon with mashed potatoes with cheese mixed into the mashed potatoes… there are vegetables as an option, but I simply can't have vegetables… how can I? Instead I have a big loaf of bread. With butter and cream cheese and cheese and anything that tastes "divine," there's tuna pasta on the other side of the table, and boy do I grab it. I have at least 3 plates of food, and another one is filled with different types of bread. We have the option to have a special drink because since we are capital now, we can have it legally… but I have it with orange juice because of FaunaFauna. Fauna starts the conversations by saying, "Ajax, what's your favorite color?" Ajax replies, "well, I really don't have one, but I do like blue" FaunaFauna says, "how bout you" talking to me, I reply, "well, I think purple is a pretty cool color" she replies, "purple! that's my favorite color," I reply "well, we must be best friends, then we have the same favorite color!" She says, "I have a best friend," I say, "excuse me?" She says, "yes! Maysilee, she's my best friend…" I reply. "Maysilee is a traitor because I am your best friend" Maysille cuts into the conversation, saying

"well, how about we all four are best friends.. all of us like a club!" We all agree. Ajax says while wiping his mouth, "how about we call ourselves the jabber jays since westing" we all say at the same time, "perfect" the conversation is down for the rest of the evening… we all know that in two weeks, we won't be laughing or discussing club names… all of this is for FaunaFauna. We want her to enjoy this time even though it's practically terror. Little does she know…

Our train comes to a stop where we have to pick up our beauty consultants. There comes our beauty consultant Heather Rae, Heather skinny lady with crazy long green hair. Her skin is dark and smooth. Her assistant is very young if I might add and quite attractive… she's around my age, I believe or older.. she looks about 16, and I am 16… so is Ajax…Maysilee is 18 But that's beside the point. But I can't get my eyes into anything. She is a capital girl. They introduce themselves, "Hello, I am your beauty consultant. My name is Heather Rae, and this is Effie, Effie trinket".