Training goes like this for the next eight weeks and in no time the Harmony Games choosing is upon us.

Me and Purna run around the room, looking for jewelry and dresses.

"Blitz! Have you seen my dolphin necklace? I just had it!" Purna calls from the bathroom. I can hear drawers being opened and closed.

"No!" I reply, looking for my earrings, "I'll keep my eyes open though! Have you seen my earrings?"

"Oh! Here they are." Purna says, walking out of the bathroom carrying both my (guess what color?) gold earrings and her dolphin necklace. She hands me my earrings and I put them on as she clips the dolphin necklace around her neck. I drag a brush through my hair one more time before we bustle out the door and down to the elevator. Today we had set our alarm so we could have an hour to get ready for the choosing, and have used 40 of those minutes.

We get down to the lobby and find Blonde Boy, Elf Girl, and Fulgur waiting among a swamp of people in dresses and tuxedo's, calling for each other and talking. As we walk over, the other two boys in our group appear.

"Lets just get out of here." Fulgur says, having to talk loudly over the crowd. Nobody objects and we slowly make our way through the throng of people. Somehow we manage to get outside and find the street crowded with hover-cars that all look the same.

Blonde Boy moans in defeat but Fulgur flashes him a smile, "Watch." He says and turns back to the cars. He puts his arms over his head and pattern of electricity flashes above his head.

Flash. Flash Flash. Pause. Flash. Pause. Flash Flash.

A return flash blinks somewhere to the left of the cars and Fulgur starts walking toward it. We pass tons of cars until Fulgur stops in front of one that looks just like all the others.

"Get in." He commands, opening the door. We do and Fulgur climbs in after us, "To the choosing!" He says to the driver and we begin our slow drive out of the traffic. I sit back in my seat and look over at Purna. She managed to tame her frizzy hair and put earrings and her dolphin necklace on. That, mixed with the fact that she is wearing a beautiful frilly yellow and white dress makes her look amazing.

I let my hair down and am wearing a similar dress to Purna's, except mine doesn't have frills.

"You look pretty."

I turn to see that Blonde Boy has spoken to Purna. She blushes and her hand flutters to her mouth, "O-oh, you think so?" She stutters.

Blonde Boy nods and Purna smiles shyly. I realize my mouth is hanging open and quickly close it.

Purna is acting shy?!? And since when has Blonde Boy liked her?!?

I shake myself. Maybe I'm just jumping to conclusions. She really does look pretty. Maybe he's just being nice.

I come to the conclusion that he's just being nice, but on the way there I catch him putting his hand over hers.

We get out of the traffic and the drive speeds up. The choosing takes place in the middle of Dendo City, so it takes about five minutes to get there usually, but with the traffic we get there in about fifteen. I look out the window and see a stage with a podium and a microphone, banners with Dendo City's symbol on it and huge TV's behind and on either side of the podium, showing what's going on. Surrounding the stage is a huge crowd of people, all here to see if they are one of the seven. One of the chosen.

Me, Fulgur, Purna, Blonde Boy, Elf Girl, Mole, and Freckles all join the crowd, trying to get as close as we can. I step on someone's foot and someone zaps me as we make our way through the mob. By the time we stop moving everyone has arrived and it's time. Everyone quiets as the leader of Dendo City, Ms. Spitha, walks on stage and over to the podium. Her smiling face is beaming at us from the three TV's around her.

"Hello, Dendo City!" Her voice booms around the area. Everyone around us cheers and someone jumps on my foot. I try to make myself as small as possible.

Ms. Spitha smiles as she does quieting gestures until everyone stops talking and is focusing on her.

"I know you're all excited, and I am to, but I need to go over all the formal things before we begin." She says. There are a couple groans from the crowd.

Ms. Spitha shakes her head with a smile, "We all know what the Harmony Games are, but I need to go over it. The Harmony Games was first created to make sure the seven different elementalists would stay united, for if we didn't, all would fall to chaos." She pauses for extra impact. "So we created the Harmony Games. The Harmony Games take seven members from ages twelve to eighteen every seven years from each city. These members join with the others and create seven different teams with one person from each city on them. Each team makes their own symbol and team name, again, representing unity. These teams go against each other in six competitions. The winning team's members will each get a million dollars." She stops again. "And that is the Harmony Games." She smiles, "Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, the choosing."

The cheers from the crowd is so loud I feel I will go deaf. It hammers in my ears and I squeeze my eyes shut, the heels of my hands pressing into my eardrums. I think Purna and everyone else is shouting too but I can't tell. I have good hearing and am not used to loud noises, they don't usually happen in Chikyu City.

Slowly the crowd quiets and once I open my eyes I see Ms. Spitha has the bowl.

I gasp. It is a decently big bowl made of gold with beautiful swirling designs, lightning bolts and Dendo City's symbol appearing here and there.

"The first electric elementalist to go to the Harmony Games is...." Ms. Spitha says, reaching her hand into the bowl. I get butterflies and I don't know why as the crowd gets so quiet you can hear a pin drop. She slowly pulls the slip of paper out and waits for a couple minutes before saying the name out loud.

"Zhen Kiez."

I feel my mouth drop and I think Purna's does too as I watch the smug boy with spiky hair and bangles strut up the steps and onto the stage. The crowd applauds and cheers as he walks over to Ms. Spitha, who is smiling at him.

"Congratulations! Make our city proud." She says, shaking his hand. He smiles and returns the shake before moving to stand on the left of Ms. Spitha.

"The next name!" Ms. Spitha's voice booms around the grounds as she reaches her hand once again into the cup, "Will be....." The crowd goes pin-drop quiet again. "Kejut Cath!"

A tall girl with long yellow hair and freckles walks up to the stage in a daze as though she can't believe what's happening. Everyone cheers and someone from the back whistles loudly.

"Congratulations! Make our city proud." Ms. Spitha says, shaking the girls hand. Kejut nods and walks to the left of Ms. Spitha.

"The first two Dendo City representative's!" Ms. Spitha says into the microphone, "Zhen and Kejut!"

Everyone cheers loudly again and I join them.

The energy is infectious. We're at a choosing! Something that happens every seven years!

"Now, the third elementalist." The leader of Dendo City announces, reaching into the bowl. We watch as she pulls out a folded slip of paper, slowly unfold it, and read the name aloud.

"Blitz Boardel!"

I swear my heart stopped.

Purna turns to me in surprise and happiness. "Go on!" She says excitedly, gently pushing me toward the stage.

"I'm rooting for you!" She shouts as I move away toward the stage. What is even happening? This must be a mistake. There is no way I, of all people, was chosen to represent Dendo City. I just got here! Everything around me sounds weirdly silenced and distorted. I stumble along, the arms and bodies encouraging me forward, through the crowd, to the stage.

And then Ms. Spitha is shaking my hand and I'm standing next to Kejut. The rest of the choosing is a blur as I stand there numbly.
No, this is all a dream and I'm going to wake up soon. This doesn't happen to people like me. This happens to people in books or movies, no way this is real.

But it is.

I had imagined it happening, even wished for it, but I didn't really think I would get in. Oh my gosh I just shook Ms. Spitha's hand!

The choosing ends with three more boys and another girl and Ms. Spitha turns to us, "Good luck!" She says, and with that she leads us to the back and off the stage.

The next couple hours pass in a blur. We get in a special hover-car with Ms. Spitha and drive somewhere. People wave at us and cheer from outside as we pass. Zhen eats up the attention, waving back and blowing kisses.

I hate him.

The rest of us just sit there kind of dizzily, still startled by the fact that we were chosen. Us!

We get to a beautiful house and the driver parks the car. When we get out of the car I see the sky is a milky pink and the sun is sitting just above the horizon.

Ms. Spitha gets out and turns to us, "This is where you will stay the night. Tomorrow we will be setting out for the Harmony Games Deciding, or, the HGD."

Wow....

She smiles, "I would rest up! You're going to have a big day tomorrow!" She says before turning and walking out the door.

We all glance at each other before looking around. It's a cozy little place with a living room and a TV surrounded by couches right in front of me. There is a bathroom to my left and a staircase on my right. I look at the others before walking up the steps. There is a hall with seven doors.

I walk into the closest one and find a simple room with a yellow bed and a mirror to the right. I walk over to the bed and see a bedside table beside it with a clock and a phone on it. I suddenly feel an overwhelming surge of loneliness and fear and walk over.

I pick up the phone and dial the number for what used to be me and Purna's room. Will she get a new roommate or just sleep alone? I don't know which I wish for more.

The phone rings three times before picking up,

"Hello? Who's this?" Purna's voice says to me through the device.

"Purna!" I exclaim.

"Blitz!" She responds, recognizing my voice. "What's the place like? Where are you? Oh my gosh you're so lucky!"

I laugh. "The place it great."

"Are you at the HGD yet?"

"No. Somewhere just outside Dendo City I think." I say.

Some muffled voices reach my ear through the phone before Purna returns. "Sorry Blitz, I've got to go." She says sadly.

"What? Why?" I ask.

"I just do. Bye! I'll be watching for you!" She says and then the phone goes dead.

I stay there for s a couple minutes before sighing and putting it back on it's holder. A quick glance at the clock says it's late. I fall back onto my pillow and stare at the ceiling. I'm all alone now. Purna is gone and Dad's all the way back in Chikyu City. I am going to compete in the Harmony Games.

I take a deep breath as fear threatens to suffocate me. I'll trip or something and make myself look stupid....and on TV! Everyone in the world will be watching!

I gulp.

No. I won't make a fool of myself.

I try to push the thought away but it stays like an annoying fly, buzzing in my ear no matter how much I swat at it.

"I can do this. I will win." I whisper into the dark.

I'm alone.

I turn on my side. Fulgur said I was better than most 12 year olds, right? That in a couple years I would be teaching him? That must mean I have a chance, right? But what if I don't? Would Dad and Purna be ashamed? Will I make myself look stupid? Maybe I can quit.

These thoughts torture me all night, buzzing and buzzing and buzzing in my ear until I wake up to find the clock beeping loudly. I swat at the alarm and it turns off, leaving the room in a creepy silence. I shudder and collect myself before heading downstairs.

All the other representatives for Dendo City are already eating french toast. A woman appears carrying another plate full of steaming breakfast and puts it on the table before leaving again. My mouth waters and I walk over, taking a seat in between a boy and Kejut.

"Good morning." The girl says politely. I nod and take a piece of toast, biting into it hungrily.

"So we go to the HGD and decide today, right?" A boy with a pointy nose asks.

"Yep. Well, we get there today, but we decide tomorrow." Kejut answers.

I focus on my toast and eating, not looking up.

"What are the Games like?" Another boy asks.

"I bet they're brutal!" Pointy Nose exclaims.

I think Kejut rolls her eyes and Zhen speaks up, "All you had better just give me the money now."

Pointy Nose glares at him, "Why?"

Zhen snorts like it's the most obvious thing in the world, "Cause I'm gonna win!"

"Who says?" Kejut asks.

"Me." Zhen says, getting up. "All you losers should just give up now." He says, disappearing upstairs.

"He's not going to win! I am!" Pointy Nose says, pounding his chest.

Kejut opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by the woman from earlier, "Come on!" She claps, "Hup hup! Get ready!"

We all get up and walk upstairs to get ready.

I get to my room and find a woman with big yellow hair and lots of lipstick waiting for me.

"Sweetie! We need some changes!" She says, looking me up and down.

"What?" I ask, confused and startled. Where had this woman come from?!?

She walks over to me, tsking, "No no no! You can not represent Dendo City with hair the color of dirt!" She exclaims, inspecting my hair critically. "You are no longer a worm! Come come!" She grabs my hand and pulls me down the stairs and into a room.

I follow her, shocked. She just insulted my hair, my home city, and me! The nerve!

"You are the only transfer so you are the only one who's hair needs to be dyed." She informs me as she pushes me into a small room with a chair. She tells me to sit in the chair and I do, deciding I'd be better off just complying and not making a fuss. For the next hour the woman plays with my brown hair. I can't see what she is doing, but I think at one point it gets wet.

After the hour, the woman who's name I still don't know tells me to stand up. I start to but fall back down as pins and needles shoot through my leg. I wait a minute before trying again and stay standing. My hair feels soft against my neck and I reach around to touch it. The woman walks over holding a mirror, smiling proudly. I take it and look at myself. My hair is a bright yellow and smooth as a sheet of yellow glass.

I gasp and the woman's smile widens, "You like it?" She asks. I nod, speechless and the woman takes the mirror, pointing back to the door, "Well, I'm glad, but you have to go now. Good luck!"

I walk out the door, playing with my hair the whole way.

Wow. I have yellow hair.

I'm an eel.

I get out to see everyone waiting for me. Kejut sees my hair and squeals, coming over.

"Oh my gosh! This is so cool Blitz!" She exclaims as we file outside to see Ms. Spitha standing beside the car from yesterday. I smile at her as we get into the shiny hover-car, being careful to sit farthest from Zhen as possible, but unfortunately for us he ended up next to Pointy Nose.

"Move over!" Pointy Nose exclaims, shoving Zhen. He pushes back and they start to fight, both physically and verbally. The driver eventually has to move the two and they huff angrily at each other, sending glares back and forth.

For the rest of the day we drive. I stare out the window, watching fields pass by, a house occasionally appearing, while playing with my new yellow hair and thinking.

Maybe I should just quit....I can't do this! I can't do anything in front of people. I always screw up because of nerves and stutter a lot. I sigh and watch an electric elementalist Dart by.

When we finally get there, Kejut is snoring and Pointy Nose and Zhen have stopped glaring a each other. We all stumble out of the car sleepily (Kejut especially) and follow Ms. Spitha as she walks up to a house. I yawn and wait as the woman fumbles with the keys, which she can't see in the dark.

She opens the door and turns to us, "The Dendo City elementalists sleep on the fourth floor. You will know when you get there." She says, pointing to an elevator at the end of the hall. Pointy Nose leads the way and presses the button to open the elevator, stepping in and waiting until we're all inside before pressing the number four. Elevator music plays as I yawn again, passing it around. The doors slide open to reveal our floor.

"Wow..." Kejut mutters.

The hall has seven gold doors, each with a name plate on it. The carpet is a vivid yellow and the walls are a colorful white. I walk down the hall until I reach the door with my name carved into gold in swirly cursive.

Blitz

I slowly reach out and put my hand around the knob, holding my breath.

"On the count of three." Kejut says down the hall. "One. Two. Three!"

I push open the door and gasp. Everything is a either a bright yellow, a sparkling gold, or just plain white. There is a beanbag in the corner next to a dresser which I assume is full of clothes for me, chosen by the leaders. There are posters on the wall of adorable electric puppies, kitties, horses and wolves. I even see a lightning panda!

"Wow..." I whisper. My eyes survey the room. Wow....just....

My eyes stop on the bed and for a minute I just stand there with my mouth hanging open like an idiot.

The covers for the bed are yellow and extremely soft-looking, not to mention the swirling designs done in white and gold to spell my name. My name is surrounded by just enough swirls and curls to look good and decorate my name to the fullest. I giggle a little as I see a heart over the 'i' instead of a dot.

I frown slightly as I notice a slip of paper on my bed but then brighten as I realize it's an envelope from Dad. I run over and hop onto the bed, leaning back onto the pillows with the letter in my hand. On the front it has my name in Dad's rough handwriting. I smile and rip it open neatly using my finger nail. I pull the slip of paper open enthusiastically and read it. Then I read it again. And again. My smile fades as I read it over three times, the envelope dropping onto the bed.

Dear Blitz,
Hey sweetie! I miss you already! I heard you got chosen and was so, so happy. I am so proud of you. But...I have some bad news. I fell and broke my leg. The hospital took me in and gave me a cast but I can't pay for it. I don't want to ruin anything, just thought you should know. Make lots of friends and bring back all sorts of stories! Have fun!
Lots of love,
Dad

Tears drop from my eyes and land on the paper as I read it. I miss him so much...and he broke his leg. He broke his leg and can't pay for it.

I gasp as I realize something, what if the money he used to by my necklace was for health emergencies? Oh no.....it's all my fault...

I carefully fold the paper up and put it back on my bedside table, my mind spinning. I can't quit the Games now! Dad needs the money to get better!

I feel a strong sense of determination come over me. I will win. I will suck up my fears and win for Dad.

I climb under the covers and turn on my side so I stare at the beanbag. I'll have to pay attention and learn. A lot. I get a little butterfly as I remember we'll be getting our teams tomorrow. At least me and Zhen can't be on the same team, right?

I drift off to sleep, thinking and imagining what will happen tomorrow.

So much could happen tomorrow.