Rita Soms (District 5)

Rita inherits most of her looks from her mother. She has long, curly red hair that reaches the middle of her back. She keeps her hair in a high ponytail most of the time because it becomes frizzy if it is too wet or dry. She is about five-foot-four, and is on the bigger side because her family is a little bit wealthier. However, she has recently lost weight because her family is making less money, resulting in less food.

Her eyes are hazel with green flecks around the outside of the iris. There is also some dark brown around the pupil. She has a lot of freckles on her nose and cheeks, and her skin is quite pale. She gets sunburned easily. She often wears white because she thinks it makes her look thinner and tanner. She wears plain, brown boots most of the time. If she described herself, she would say she was plain looking and not very pretty. Finally, Rita always wears a little bit of makeup because she believes that "A little makeup goes a long way!"

Rita is very outgoing and loud. She makes friends easily and is usually kind to others. She has a childish and somewhat inappropriate sense of humor, which bothers some people. She sings in public, and though her voice isn't very good, she can write songs easily. She also falls in love way to easily, and usually not with the right kind of guy. This leads to some early heartbreak and a lot of disapproval from her friends.

She is very hyper, which makes some people laugh and other people uncomfortable. She can't keep her mouth shut, so she gets in trouble with her parents a lot. Also, Rita can be offensive, because she believes that even a mean truth is better than a lie. When she is asked her opinion, she will give her honest opinion, but even if that opinion is not the most popular, she can explain her reasoning quite well. She will also insult people to their face, accidentally for a friend, but on purpose for an enemy or someone she is having an argument with.

Rita is not very coordinated. She is extremely clumsy, but she is strong and thoughtful. She can think out a logical solution for most problems, though it will take her a few minutes. This is good for day-to-day problems, but for life-and-death situations, she would be at a disadvantage because of how long it takes her to make a decision. She is very good in school, and she participates in class a lot. Finally, Rita loves to draw things. Anything she finds, she will want to draw.

Rita was born into a relatively wealthy family. Her father, who was 29 when Rita was born, has a very good job at an oil field, and her mother, who was 25 when Rita was born, worked in an oil refinery, though she quit when Rita was born. Rita is the only child in her family, which is another reason why her family has more money than some others. Her parents made the decision to have only one child after Rita was born because they believed that it would benefit the entire family to have more money for food. Her mother is kind and caring, and her father is funny and wise. If Rita has a problem, she goes to her parents for advice.

When Rita was three, her mother was offered a new and better job in the oil refinery. Her mother took the job, and hired an old woman to watch Rita. The woman's name was Bethany. Bethany died of old age when Rita was seven. At this point, Rita was going to school, so it wasn't inconvenient for the family. The Soms miss Bethany very much, as she was a very close family friend. Since then, Rita has spent most of her day at school or at home, alone. She cares for her pet mockingjay, Theo, who she acquired when she found him lying in the road, half-dead. She took him home and raised him, and now she keeps him in her home. She used to clip his wings to keep him from flying away, but she doesn't anymore, because he doesn't want to fly away.

When Rita turned twelve, her mother did not let her sign up for any tesserae. She didn't take any out when she was thirteen, either. However, now her father has lost his job. He now works at a very low position at a different oil field and isn't paid much, so this year Rita may need to take out tesserae for her and her mother. Due to this, Rita is very nervous for this year's reaping. She would only have 5 entries, but it is still more than some others, and she does not want to be chosen as a tribute.