Thanks to hungergamesfan51, AJLL, mangalvr, VCullen12, and paramore fanatic for reviewing the last chapter. Here's chapter four!
It is now the time for the interviews. As the twenty four tributes are preparing to take their places onstage, I say to Katniss and Peeta, "Remember, you're still a happy pair. So act like it." This is crucial as part of me and Peeta's plan to get them sponsors. They need to appear in love.
The audience doesn't have long to wait as Caesar Flickerman comes up onstage. After a few small jokes, the interviews get started.
First up is the girl from District 1, name of Glimmer. She's absolutely perfect in her interview, looking provocative as well. Now, why couldn't Katniss do as well as her…?
On and on with the interviews. Everybody is playing up an angle, just like their mentors have taught them. The boy from 2, ruthless. The girl from 5, elusive. The boy from 11, silent, and hostile. If Katniss was his size, she could get away with that, unfortunately, she's not. And speaking of her, here she is.
"So, Katniss, the Capitol must be quite a change from District Twelve. What's impressed you most since you arrived here?"
My heart is pounding with apprehension for her. "The lamb stew," she gasps out.
I smack myself in the head. Why kind of an answer is that? At least the audience thinks she's trying to be funny. I know that she's just being herself.
"The one with the dried plumbs? Oh, I eat it by the bucketful. It doesn't show, does it?" asks Caesar to the audience. Well, at least Katniss is getting some help from Caesar. She's sure going to need it.
"Now, Katniss," he continues. "When you came out in the opening ceremonies, my heart actually stopped. What did you think of that costume?"
"You mean after I got over my fear of being burned alive?" I could kick myself. She's being totally honest, but the audience is eating it up. She's got to be the luckiest tribute I have ever mentored.
"I thought Cinna was brilliant and it was the most gorgeous costume I'd ever seen and I couldn't believe I was wearing it. Can't believe I'm wearing this, either. I mean, look at it!"
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cinna the stylist making a twirling motion with his finger. I'm curious, but then I see Katniss twirl around. When she does so, the audience screams in admiration.
"Oh, do that again!" says Caesar.
She does, and I see Peeta onstage looking at her like a dog might drool over food. I make eye contact with him and silently admonish him to focus.
"Don't stop!" Caesar says to Katniss when she stops twirling.
"I have to, I'm dizzy" she says giggling. Uh oh. She sounds just a bit like a shallow, frilly girl. I hope Peeta's announcement can remedy this.
"Don't worry," Caesar says wrapping an arm around Katniss. "I've got you. Can't have you following in your mentor's footsteps."
WHAT? Everybody starts laughing.
I think, Caesar when I get my heads on you…no I'm actually not that mad. If it will help Katniss get sponsors. I wave away all the cameras and point them back over to Katniss.
The rest of her interview goes pretty well. She comes off as nice enough, but caring about her sister. The audience can relate to that. Her interview finishes, and I'm left thinking that that could have been alot worse.
Next up is Peeta. He's simply great. He does everything I told him to. He's funny, witty, charming. He jokes with Caesar; they do a whole funny sniffing act about something to do with the showers that absolutely brings down the house. Then comes the question that will decide all.
"So, is there anyone waiting at home for our comedian here?"
Come on, kid, I mentally will him. He gives an unconvincing shake of the head. Good, I think. Vague at first.
"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?" asks Caesar.
Peeta goes, "Well, there is this one girl. I've had a crush on her ever since I can remember. But I'm pretty sure she didn't know I was alive until the reaping." Good. Vague.
"She have another fellow?" asks Caesar.
"I don't know, but a lot of boys like her," says Peeta. And he told me, this is actually quite true. People do talk about Katniss and many a time has this other friend of hers, Gale, punched them out. From what I gather from Peeta, I can tell that this Gale and Peeta have both had secret affections for Katniss for a while.
"So, here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" asks Caesar.
"I don't think it's going to work out. Winning…won't help in my case," says Peeta. This is the climax. The revelation is coming.
"Why ever not?" asks Caesar. He's stymied.
Peeta blushes deeply and stutters, "Because…because…she came here with me."
On stage, Katniss blushes even deeper then Peeta and avoids looking at the cameras. Around me, the audience is eating it up. I knew they would, all that jazz about the 'star-crossed lovers'. It's perfect. I mentally congratulate Peeta for his excellent delivery.
After dinner that night, it is time to say goodbye. Effie says her usual awful things, and skips from the room. Now it's my turn.
"Any final words of advice?" asks Peeta.
"When the gong sounds, get the hell out of there. You're neither of you up to the blood bath at the Cornucopia. Just clear out, put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, and find a source of water," I say. "Got it?" Somehow, I think that they will disobey and run into the thick of things though…
"And after that?" Katniss asks.
"Stay alive," I say. It's as simple as that. And I walk out of the room.
It takes a long time, but I eventually do fall asleep. I'm filled with worry and hope. Hope that maybe one of them can do it, but worry about the fact that as every year, I will have two dead tributes on my hands.
In the morning, I rise to travel to the Games Headquarters. When I walk in the door to the Mentor Facility, I sigh. Nothing has changed over a year. Still the same twelve stations for the mentors to sit at, the same twenty four rooms for the mentors to sleep in (one for the woman and one for the men each), still the gigantic overhead screen in the front of the room that overlooks everything.
I take my place at District 12's allotted station. There are three monitors at this station. The monitor on the left is for the girl tribute, Katniss. The monitor on the right is for the boy, Peeta.
The monitor in the middle is the screen that shows the sponsors that have signed up for our cause, and how much they are willing to donate. How it works is, you click on as many sponsors as you want, and then select an option that says, "Purchasable supplies." When you click on this option, a list of goods comes up, the ones that are in the price range of the number of sponsors (money) that you selected. Of course, the prices go up daily, so it all gets expensive from here.
When I boot up this middle monitor, I see that we have a TON of sponsors! I didn't imagine the love gambit would work quite this well! Excellent! Just for fun, I select all of the sponsors and click on the purchasable supplies option. Whoa! We have so much money, on the first day; I could send a remedy to counter even blood poisoning to my tributes. Of course, I won't be able to later, as the price will only go up…
The giant overhead screen comes on, signaling the imminent start of the Games. This is the same screen that will be shown to the viewers all around Panem. The two monitors at our stations are for looking at our tributes privately. Around me, the other mentors are shushing each other. They don't want to miss the start.
The tribute monitors at my station come online. I check them both out. Standing at her metal circle, Katniss has a hungry gleam in her eye. She can't be thinking…no. I'm panicking now.
But Peeta's got me covered. He makes eye contact with Katniss, and shakes his head at her. He's still shaking when the gong rings out.
I exclaim, "Thank, you Peeta!" The other mentors give me a strange look, but I don't care. The life of one of my tributes has just been saved.
I see Katniss tussle with a boy for a pack, and kick myself. I told her to get out of there! What is she doing?! Suddenly, a knife is sticking out of the boy's back. I hear a man from another mentor station yell out, "Yeah, that's my Clove!" I think his name is Vikus.
Clove throws a knife at Katniss, but Katniss is already running away and the knife lodges in the pack. I breathe a sigh of relief. She's ok for now. Now go find water, I mentally will her.
I check out the other screen. WHAT? Peeta is talking to one of the Career tributes. Talking, not fighting. Back over at the District 2 station, Vikus is going, "What is he doing? Kill him already!"
"Shut up," I snarl at him. "It looks like they're making an alliance."
"Are you crazy? Cato would never ally with a…oh my. You're right."
I am right. Peeta is now allied with the Careers. What is he thinking? What does he hope to accomplish? He disobeys me, runs into the main fight, and now is allied with the most ruthless players of all? The kid is crazy!
The main screen is tuned onto the Careers, and how they are doing. Soon after they finish sorting out their supplies that they had won at the Cornucopia, the anthem plays. The faces of the eleven dead are shown in the sky. Around me, the mentors just look sad and disappointed at the losses of their tributes. Some get up and leave the room. These are the ones whose tributes have both died. That would be Districts 6, 7, and 9. These mentors are done for the year.
I turn back to the main screen. The Careers are arming themselves to hunt. I wish I could send Katniss a message or something, up in her tree. But I can't.
I can only hope that Peeta and the Careers won't ever come near her…
I couldn't think of how to end it...hope that wasn't too bad. I kind of wrote this chapter in a hurry, hope it doesn't show. Please review and let me know what you think of the story!
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