Chapter 1

Slowly yet surely, everyone floods in. Paige stands first in line ready for the prick. She hisses just slightly before continuing on and turning around to wait for Azzi who’s only shortly behind her. Within seconds Azzi is by her side, with the only expression you would expect on reaping day.
They find their way inside with their friends and family. The room is full of silent sulking and fear.

The rules are simple, every year two people from each district are selected, between 12-25 years old.

The crowd is silent, of course it is. Everyone is waiting in anticipation to see who this year’s contestants will be.

A voice breaks through the loud silence, “This year’s district 6 contestants are…. Paige and Azzi!” The lady says, pointing to the girls in the back.

Two men usher the girls to the stage. By the time they arrive at the stage, there are tears streaming down their faces. The crowd is still silent. Everyone knows Paige and Azzi, of course they do.

Everyone’s faces show signs full of disbelief that their favorite basketball players were selected, and only one person could make it out of this blood bath.

____________________________________

The girls are waiting in their dressing room, the tension thick, and neither of them know what to say. When Paige finally speaks up.

“I know you’re mad at me, and I deserve that. But we need to work together out there. It’s the only way we can survive this.” Azzi looks up at the blonde girl sat next to her.

“How am I supposed to trust you in the arena if I can’t trust you to not flirt with other girls!”

Paige sighs before softly responding, “Those aren’t the same thing, Azzi… and I swear I didn’t mean to! They were just fans, I promise.”

“Fans? If they were just fans, your security would have stopped them! Or you would have tried to stop them!” Azzi spits out harshly before trying to calm herself down. “I’m willing to put this aside, Paige! I just want you to say sorry. And not a half-ass. Sorry, a genuine, ‘I’m sorry.'”

“I’m really sorry, Azzi. I don’t know what I was thinking, you were gone for the week and I just… I don’t even know, but please don’t let this affect our teamwork in the arena.” Paige says genuinely.

Azzi takes a deep inhale before responding, “Okay, thank you, that’s all I wanted.” The room grows with silence for a while. Shortly later, the stylist walks in through the door.

“It’s the power couple! I was so happy when I was assigned to you two, ” the stylist says, walking in, shaking the hands of both girls.”I’m Sabrina, I’ll be your stylist for the next few days. Now, what’s the vibe you two are going for? The better you look, the more sponsors will donate to you, ” Sabrina says.

Paige looks up at Sabrina,”In that case, we could wear matching outifts?” Paige suggests.

Sabrina nods, thinking to herself,”Okay, how about this?”

Sabrina says, pulling two outfits off the rack of clothes, one a sparkly black suit and the other a chic, low-cut black dress.

Azzi’s eyes light up at the sight of the outfits. “I love it, It’s perfect.” Azzi turns to the blue-eyed girl waiting for her response while taking the dress in hand.

“I agree, let’s try them on.” Paige speaks up, and Sabrina hands Paige the suit and ushers the girls into the dressing rooms. A few minutes pass and the two girls exit the dressing room

Sabrina takes in the sight before her nodding her head. “The sponsors will love this. Okay, take those off and come back here after you’re finished training. You’re up in two hours, try to find a few weapons you can work easily with, and don’t just stick to one. “

____________________________________

Azzi’s POV

Paige and I are on separate sides of the room now. She seems to be really good with the sword and arrows. I have been training with daggers and axes, we both scored 10 on our tests and was told we could take a break. But we ultimately decided more training is better.

In a way, this is like basketball. This game is, I mean. You knock out other people to make your way to the top of the leaderboard, and you sacrifice parts of yourself to appeal to sponsors or in basketball NIL deals. Only one person can come out on top, just like only one team can win a championship.

I walk over to a chair sitting to the side of the room and sit down, Paige notices and walks over to sit with me. Her piercing blue eyes stare into my brown eyes.

The girls speaks up, “You did great in training. We should head back over to the dressing rooms we have to get to the stage in 30 minutes.” I nod, grabbing her hand and walking with her to the dressing room.

We get dressed and walk backstage. Our stylist, Sabrina, walks up to us with two people beside her one a woman and one a man. “Hey girls, these will be your mentors. Azzi, this is your mentor Jacob. Paige, this is yours, Brittney. They will help you leading up to the time to get in the arena and may even send gifts while you are in there. I’ll leave you all to get acquainted.” Sabrina says, walking away.

My mentor pulls me to the side, leaving Paige and her mentor to speak alone. The man is slightly taller than me, no taller than 6’1. He reaches his hand out to shake mine, and I reluctantly grab it. “I’m Jacob as you heard before,” the man says. “I wanted to give you some advice before getting on stage. Firstly, Sabrina arranged for you to be able to go on stage with Paige.”

I slowly starts to form a slight smile from the information, finding slight comfort in the words. “Really? Don’t they usually make people go alone?” I say quitely, He nods.

“we thought it might be beneficial to you two seeing your a fan favorite and are already known to the world as a couple. It makes people more focused in waiting for a plot twist like a betrayal” The man says nonchalantly.

My face quickly scrunches and I reply offensively “Betray? We wouldn’t betray each other!”

Jacob looks slightly irritated but responds calmly “Earlier you two were fighting correct? Something about Paige flirting with another girl?”

My eyes dart to the ground staring at her shoes realizing other people heard that. “Yes. So what? We got past that it was a misunderstanding”

“don’t be so offensive no one is saying she will betray you! The audience just might pay better for a betrayal! Which brings me to my next point. Don’t trust anybody out there especially Paige. You never know who you can trust when a scenario is life or death.”

I look up into the man’s eyes with disgust from his words. Before I can mutter out a response me and Paige are called onto the stage. We quietly great the host, hugging her. Paige sits down in the chair and I sit down on her lap, Paige wrapping her arm around the my waist.

The host starts asking questions “So we all know you two as the basketball power couple, but do you think those basketball skills will help you in the arena?”

Paige quickly answers.”It definitely will we have better stamina, aim, and are swift on our feet. We want to go into this with the same confidence we would a typical game.”

The host nods. “It’s good to find familiar things to typical situation. Now a question for Azzi if I may, you scored a 10 today in training what is your specialty?”

I wait a second taking in the question, “I would say my favorite so far is the daggers but I also have been excelling in axe throwing” A few more questions go by when the host arrives upon the final question.

“Last question, only one of you can win this thing. If it comes down to it, are you willing to kill the other?” I stay silent, hoping Paige takes the question first so I doesn’t have to answer the vile question, as I don’t know the answer. Paige speaks, “If only one of us has to live, then It’ll be Azzi. I don’t want to live without this beautiful girl by my side.”

The hosts looks up at the camera.”You heard it here first, folks. Paige is willing to sacrifice herself to guarantee Azzi wins if it comes down to it. That’s all the questions for today, let the odds forever be in your favor. “

____________________________________

Paige’s POV

All of the contestants from each district are eating in a fancy dining room at one large table. Everyone arrives as food is being served. Azzi asked me to find us two seats. I quickly find two suitable seats in the middle of the long table and place a napkin in the one next to me, signifying someone is sitting there.

A girl from District 4 approaches me, Hannah, much smaller than me and the same age but has been training for years. She sits down in the seat next to me, which is unmarked. Before speaking up, “Hi! I’m Hannah! Your Paige, right? THE Paige? I’ve watched you on TV for years! To be honest I’ve always thought you were to good for that girlfriend of yours”

before I have a chance to defend Azzi, I hear her voice behind me “Yet I’m still the one she goes home to every night. Now scram bitch”

“No I think I’m where I want to be” Hannah calmly responds, I can sense Azzi fuming without even looking at her. “Move before I make you” the curly haired girl says threateningly.

“No violence outside the arena baby, don’t get in trouble.” I say trying to calm her down.

“I suggest listening to your girlfriend.” Hannah says smiling in victory. I respond before Azzi can. “That’s right I’m Azzi’s girlfriend NOT yours, now leave us alone.”

The girl rolls her eyes standing up and walking away, Azzi plops down to me, fuming of rage. “We are talking about this when we get to our room.” Azzi says and I just know I’m in for a long night.

____________________________________

Azzi’s POV

Paige walks straight to the bed changing into her pajamas and I walk into the bathroom slamming the door behind me. I stare into the mirror washing my face. I finally unlock the door and join Paige in bed. “You didn’t even say anything to her”

“Yes I did! I told her to go away,
And that I’m yours there isn’t anything else to say!” Paige saying fueling my anger.

“You could of defended me instead of letting her insult me!” I say in disbelief.

Paige guiltily nods, “I know baby, I just didn’t know what to say. I was pissed she was saying those things I just didn’t want to say the wrong thing.” She says, I start to calm down staring down at my hands in my lap.

“This is what they wanted.” I mutter. “What?” Paige whispers. “This is what they wanted! My mentor Jacob told me that maybe we would get more sponsors if they thought we were gonna betray each other. I obviously told him fuck no but he just tried to tamper clearly.” I say slowly crying

Paige quickly responds trying to comfort me. “Hey no don’t cry. Your just feeding there sick brains. They want us to grow apart. They want us to kill each other the second we step foot in that arena.”

“What if we do! What if we make it to the end and have to…” Paige cuts me off. “No, don’t talk like that.”

“It’s the reality! If we make it to the end we will be forced to kill each other.” I say still tears flowing down my face

Paige sighs taking in a deep breath “It’s like I said in our interview today, it’s either life with you, or no life at all. I don’t want to live without you.”

I look at her, staring into her piercing eyes then looking back down at the bed. “I don’t want to live without you either…”

I notice tears welling up in Paiges eyes before Paige speaks “let’s just go to sleep baby,” I nod laying down cuddling with Paige before drifting to sleep.