Flaya Melisa, District Nine

I've always thought I looked pretty ordinary. My blonde hair has the slightest tint of brown. It runs to my shoulders, and curls just a little at the end. My eyes are brown, though it's hard to tell. They're such a dark color, they appear to be black from most distances. I have a square face, and I'm not happy to admit that I still have my baby fat. My nose is average sized. I have an upper lip that is thinner than I like. It seems even thinner in contrast to my lower lip, which is thicker. My lips together make a decent pair, I suppose. I could be considered tall, as I stand at 5' 11". I have broad shoulders, and while I am not overweight, I am "larger" than other girls. I'm just naturally thicker than them, though I still have attractive enough curves.

The real problem is with my ears. When I was little, I had ear infections a lot, and I guess I never completely recovered. I have bad hearing. I have to ask people to repeat what they've said a lot, and I often misunderstand people. It annoys me that my ears are like this, but I suppose it can't be helped. My fingernails are always chewed short, thanks to an annoying little habit of mine. I try not to chew them, but I can't help it. My hands just drift up to my mouth when I'm bored and I start chewing away. I also have a rather impressive collection of scars up and down my arms.

People find me pretty annoying sometimes. It's not just because they have to repeat what they say multiple times before I hear them. That in itself is pretty annoying, but there's more. I'm pretty outspoken. When I have an opinion, I don't hesitate to let it be known. When people ask me for my opinion, I give it to them very bluntly. What's the point in sugar-coating the truth? I don't like it, so I think it's safe to assume that other people don't, either.

I don't really have many friends. I have a hard time finding people whose opinions match up with my own. And apparently I'm too "intense" for some people. Okay, so I like cutting up my arms, I swear a lot, and I make my opinion known. What's so wring with that? I suppose the cutting thing might turn some people off, but that's not going to make me stop. I don't hide my personality from people. I don't believe in hiding who you are just to make other people happy.

On the flipside, if you get to know me, you'll find I'm not actually that bad. I may seem BA to some people, but that's just who I am. If you get to know me, you'll see that I'm actually pretty nice to the right people. People like me, that is. I don't like pretenders, or people who follow the crowd. I'd much rather stand out and be my own person.

I don't have much of an opinion on the Hunger Games. So yeah, kids die. Families are sad. But that's life. Everyone dies eventually, and the Games just speed up the process. Maybe my opinion would be different if someone I knew had actually died in them. Maybe they're tragic to some people, but to me, they're just part of life.

I was born to two dirt-poor teenagers that had only just passed the date of their final Reaping. They weren't ready for kids, and I don't think they ever would have been. Which is probably why I don't have siblings. Thank God they've figured out birth control, otherwise I'd probably have a whole slew of little brats running around. I'd be the one to take care of them, of course, since my parents couldn't even be bothered to raise me. Mostly they just gave me free reign over the fridge and occasionally asked me if I'd done my homework. I guess I turned out alright.

I was thirteen when I realized that life is short. You watch the Hunger Games, an you realize that even if you don't die in there, you coul still die out here. I decided I didn't want to be the tragic victim of an accident in the factory. I wanted to live my life how I wanted to, and let it end when I decided I was done. So I came up with a plan. I made a list of all the things I wanted to do before I died. I decided that when I finished, one way or another, I would kill myself. I figure it's much better to have control over your death than to let fate just take care of it. Ideally, I'd like to die in the Hunger Games. That way, it'll sort of look like an accident. I'll be remembered if I'm lucky, and if I'm not, I won't shed any tears.

And if the Hunger Games don't happen for me, I can always find a way to die right here in District Nine. Hang myself in my closet or something. I've never told anyone else my plans. They wouldn't understand. It's not that I don't value life. I do. I just want my death to be something that's completely in my control. My beginning wasn't my choice, so shouldn't my death be?