Chapter One- A new best friend and a whole bunch of enemies
My first day of boarding school was torture. I had never been called any of the names they called me. I was called "freak", "bastard" and "district trash". They all had meanings behind them. "Freak" was for not dressing like the Capitol-born kids, although in fact, they're the freaks. "Bastard" was because, well, I kinda am one, my brother admitted that much in his interview with Caesar Flickerman before the Games. "District trash" because I was born in a lowly district and not the stupid shining capitol. I also had hate directed at my brother. People called him a "loser" and stuff. I shouted back saying he got 7th place in the Games and I was interviewed because he was in the top 8.
So, in my first day of Capitol boarding school I made 0 friends and about 15 enemies.
Day two was when things got slightly better. A couple of the girls faked being my friend, I was stupid enough to believe them when they said they were joking the day before. They just wanted to make sure I wasn't a "cry-baby". They dumped me in a trash can when I told them what it was like in District 8, although one of them asked.
The good part of that was a really cute guy pulled me out and helped me get cleaned up. The day before I had noticed that he smiled at me and I think he might have stood up for me when some guys hanging out with him were calling me names. He introduced himself as Plutarch Heavensbee and he told me he had rooted for my brother in his Games.
'I started rooting for him once he mentioned you in his interview. Most people want to talk about themselves, he seemed to really love you,' Plutarch says as he brushes out my hair in my dorm room.
'Yeah,' I reply. 'He was my best friend since most people in 8 didn't like the fact that our father was a peacekeeper and stuff, so we had to be each other's best friends.'
'Oh, that's not nice,' Plutarch says. 'I felt really sorry for you when you did the interview a few nights before he died. And how you were upset that since he was in the Games, he wouldn't be there for your 10th birthday. I started crying and decided to sponsor him. I was the one who sent him the new sleeping bag, since his had been stolen by the stupid careers,' Plutarch says, placing down my hairbrush and picking up a washcloth to clean my face.
'I'm sure that if he was here then he would say thank you,' I tell Plutarch, he's really nice I think to myself. And cute. Very, very cute. 'Are the girls always this way?'
'Yes. Most of them are really mean, although you get the occasional nice girl here, like you,' he smiles. 'I can give you a tour if you'd like. Once I finish cleaning you up.'
'That would be lovely,' I say to him. I've never had a crush before but I'm pretty sure this is what one would feel like.