The next day, the tributes had to perform in front of the Gamemakers. When it was Victoria's turn, she went in quickly.
Victoria said, "Hello! Today, I will blow your mind." A couple of the Gamemakers chuckled. First Victoria climbed up and down everything in the room. Then, she threw knives, swords, axes, and weights perfectly. Victoria did some acrobatics. She flipped and jumped all around. Victoria then scaled the wall of the training room and disappeared. She was as quiet as a mouse as she traveled through the rafters. She could hear people freaking out.
"Where is she? How could she have climbed that wall? It's flat and smooth!" one of them screamed. Victoria smiled. She had coated her shoes with some sticky glue before she came in. Victoria stopped in the rafters. She listened and heard a hum. They were scanning for her.
Victoria removed a ceiling panel and looked down. She was directly above the Gamemakers. She looked for a wall. It was twenty feet away. The hum was getting louder. Victoria thought fast. She saw that there were bars on the ceiling.
She jumped to the nearest one. She swung back and forth and jumped to the next bar. She kept going. There was one bar between her and the wall. Victoria noticed that there was a leak dripping on the bar. Victoria swung back and jumped. She grabbed the bar with two hands and one of her hands slipped.
Victoria was clinging to the bar with one hand. She pulled herself back up and jumped onto the wall. She climbed down silently. Victoria hid behind one of the chairs. When everyone's back was turned, she stepped out.
"Hello everyone!" she said cheerfully. A few of the Gamemakers screamed. "Can I go now?" She asked. No one answered. "Whatever," she said, "Goodbye." Victoria jumped over the ledge that the Gamemakers were in and walked out with her head high.
Victoria and Nathan waited for their scores. The people before them scored seven to ten. Nathan's face popped up. He scored an eight. Victoria was surprised. Then her face popped up. She scored a twelve. She smirked.
The next day all of the tributes had to appear live on television and be interviewed. Tunisia called Victoria and Nathan back to her lair. They again stood before her in only robes.
"Okay," Tunisia said, "We have your costumes ready and we aren't changing anything." Victoria smirked. "Tori, you come with me, and Nathan, you go with my assistant." Tunisia led Victoria to a room. She handed her some undergarments that were yellow. Victoria slipped them on and dropped the robe.
"So, what do you have for me?" Victoria asked.
"Check it out!" Tunisia squealed. Tunisia held up a yellow dress with blue diamonds and electric sparks.
"Oh, Tunisia," Victoria said, "That is so much better than your first idea. Give it to me!" Tunisia handed Victoria the dress. Victoria slipped it on and looked at her reflection. The dress showed her curves.
"Sit!" Tunisia ordered. Victoria sat down. Tunisia started straightening her messy hair. It took a while, but eventually Victoria's black hair was straightened. Her green eyes sparkled. Tunisia led Victoria out to meet Nathan. He was in an electric blue suit with two light bulb buttons and a light bulb hat. He glowed. Victoria giggled. Nathan looked somewhat ridiculous but still handsome.
"You look beautiful," Nathan said. Victoria nodded her head. Tunisia led them to a waiting room.
The two watched as Districts 1 through 4 all went on. When the boy from 4 was done, Victoria made her way across the stage. The man doing the interview announced his name, but Victoria didn't catch it.
The man asked, "Victoria Thorn! How on earth did you get that high score?"
Victoria smiled and said, "I'm full of surprises."
"I'm sure," the man said, "But getting a twelve isn't something that happens very often. I'm sure you did something spectacular! Or my name isn't Caesar Flickerman." Just then Victoria took notice of Caesar. Like every year, he appearance was the same expect for his hair and suit. This year he chose purple.
"Well Caesar," Victoria said, "It's very simple. I just blew their minds. I did something that was never seen before, and I did it perfectly. I don't think anybody else could have done or will do what I did in that room."
"Can you give us anything else?" Caesar asked.
"Think of me like a storm. Like lightening, you'll see me then I'll disappear," Victoria said, "Then like thunder, I'll appear out of nowhere and strike."
"That's great," Caesar said, "So Victoria, what are your plans for the games."
"That's for me to know and the world to find out," Victoria replied.
"Ooo you are a feisty one," Caesar said, "Why did you tell know one to volunteer at the Reaping? Surly a girl like yourself didn't have to come."
"It was a personal matter," she replied, "I plan to do things in the games that have never been done before."
"I see," Caesar said, "Are there any guys back home?"
"Well," Victoria said, "There are five, but by the end of the games, there will be only one."
"What?" Caesar started. Then the bell went off. "Well," Caesar said, "That's all the time we have with Victoria. Let's move on to the next tribute!"
Victoria rushed off the stage. She passed by Nathan who was making his way to the stage. They brushed shoulders, but Victoria didn't give him another glance. Nathan sat in the chair and Caesar started talking. Victoria didn't care what Nathan was being asked about, but she had to listen anyway. Caesar asked Nathan about his strategy for the Games and if there was any special girls in his life. Nathan didn't have a plan for the Games, but he replied quickly to the second question.
"Well," Nathan said, "There's a girl who I've known for a long time, but I know she doesn't like me." Victoria rolled her eyes. She knew that Nathan was trying to get under her skin. But deep down, she thought that Nathan was kind of cute. She couldn't help it.
"Well," Caesar said, "She might like you if you come back."
"I doubt it," Victoria yelled. Caesar looked confused, and Nathan blushed. Then the bell rang.
"Um," Caesar stuttered, "Let's go on with the tributes from District 6!" Nathan walked off the stage quickly. He grabbed Victoria's wrist.
"Why would you do that?" he asked.
"To make your lifer miserable," she replied.
"Isn't my life miserable enough already?" Nathan asked.
Victoria leaned in and kissed him.
"No," she said as she pulled away. She smirked as she walked away.
