I'm going to leave my actual authors note for the bottom. please read it, loves.
x
The three of us walked into the Academy, our home for the next unknown number of days. Percy and Athena were waiting just inside the doors with instructions of where to take our bags.
"Myra, Cassidy, if you'll just take your bags down this hallway and put them in the third door on the right." Athena informed us while Percy told Slate where to take his luggage, which was on the opposite corridor.
"Meet up here when we're done?" He asked.
"Sure. See you in a bit." I told him as Myra and I did as we were told and took our luggage to the room. The Academy, knowing their intentions of keeping students here, had thought ahead and put lockers, so to speak, in each room. Most of the lockers in the room were already taken but we managed to get two beside each other. Silently hauling our suitcases into the cubby hole, we quickly exited the room and went back to the lobby where Slate was already waiting. Together we walked into the amphitheater and got our seats. There wasn't much conversation as we sat around, watching the other trainees come in and wait until five.
Finally, Flint got onto the stage.
"Well, we're finally here. The eve of the Hunger Games. I trust you were all responsible to bring what you needed to get through however long it may take. Pay close attention during these interviews; not just to the words, but to their body language. Nothing says more about a Tribute than their body language."
And he was done. That was one of the things I loved about Flint. He got up, said what needed to be said, and sat down. No fucking around, no beating around the bush, he was a man of very few words.
The screen flickered on to a profile shot of Caesar Flickerman. The spotlight came on and showed his blue hair, rather orange face, and his blue suit that seemed to be covered in blinking lights. He smiled and laughed, standing up to greet the crowd.
"Welcome, viewers, to the interviews of the annual, 74th Hunger Games! Now, over the next several minutes, we will get a closer outlook on our twenty four wonderful tributes. Are you ready?!"
The Capitol crowd, the ones who lived for these Games, cheered.
"Well then, let's get this show started! First up, from District 1, a lovely lady who goes by the name... Glimmer!"
Glimmer, a pretty blonde, pranced on stage in a sheer gold dress that left nothing to the imagination. The confidence in her words and her smile, the way she sat, it was obvious her angle was sexy. And she nailed it. Her District partner, Marvel, came out next.
Marvel was a funny guy. And likable. This worried me. It's hard to kill someone you like. Add in the fact that he's a Career who volunteered for the Games, and that made him a triple threat.
When Clove came on, she was the picture perfect District 2 tribute. Emotionless, like a merciless killer. No mentions of home, other than when she spoke about how great it would be to return home a Victor. She spoke with ease about the horrors that she was about to face and simply laughed when Caesar commented on her small size.
"I may be small, but I'm lethal. I will win this." She said confidently.
The instructors, along with many of the trainees, clapped and whoo-ped as the walked off the stage, proud of their tribute.
Cato, looking as amazing as ever in a grey suit that did nothing to hide his muscles, was also playing the part of the cold hearted killer. His smirk in itself was a killer.
"What do you predict to be the, ahhh, hardest part of these Games?" Caesar asked him.
"The wait to go home, of course." He smirked. Caesar just laughed.
"Now, one last question, speaking of home. Did you bring a token?" Cato's hand immediately flew to the locket around his neck. "A necklace?" Caesar sounded surprised. Cato simply nodded, seemingly out of it. "That's not the normal type of token brought. It's very lovely, may I add. Could it, perhaps, belong to a girl back home?" Once again, Cato just nodded. "Well, let's hope that you get to return that locket to her, alive and in person."
Cato walked off the stage as I face-palmed.
"Hey," Myra comforted me. "Maybe him showing emotion isn't that bad, ya know? It'll be a new angle for District 2. The cold, merciless killer fighting to get back home to his girl."
"Yeah," Slate offered, though he didn't sound as confident at Myra. "It could be good. I wonder who this mystery girl is, though. I didn't know that he had friends, let alone a girlfriend." Myra and I locked eyes before we busted out in giggles. "What's so funny?"
"I'll tell you later. Watch the interviews." I said, still slightly laughing.
When I finally returned my attention to the screen, I saw that we had missed the District 3 interviews. Right now, the District 4 girl was talking. She seemed... brutal. Manly. I'm willing to bet she was a volunteer. The District 4 boy was a puny thing. He wouldn't make it past the Blood Bath.
District 5 girl, I never caught her name, played the sly card. She came off as very smart, a trickster. As if she would be able to win just by avoiding the others. The boy was very dim-witted. Talked about home and that's about it.
District 6 was another butch-like girl. She seemed strong. Thick skinned. That was a necessity in this game. The boy, was fairly attractive, though that seems to be all he had going for him.
7, 8 and 9 were all the average, non-Career tributes. No real angles. Just the hopeless victims of these unfair games. Then again, a few winners have only won because they came off as hopeless then showed their real strength when it mattered.
District 10 had a crippled boy. He walked with a limp. Basically, he had no chance unless he ran away from everything as quickly as possible.
It wasn't until they got to 11 that any of the Tributes really stuck out as threats. The girl, was only 12! And small. Much smaller than Clove. But she claimed to be quick.
"I hope the sponsors don't count me out just because of my size. I'm fast. Faster than you would believe. And if they can't catch me, they can't kill me."
"Let's hope you're fast enough." Caesar said gently.
Her District partner was an absolute monster. He may even be bigger than Cato. My heart quickened at the sight of him. If anyone would be Cato's downfall, it would be him. Cato was known to get cocky. But this could be one fight that he wouldn't win.
District 12's girl was, like the others, just the average tribute. Nervous about the Games, wanting to get home to her sister. But she did catch the audiences attention when she spun in her dress, which caught on fire as she spun around and around. It was, truly, stunning.
Then her District partner,, a funny guy, dropped a bomb. He was in love with her. With his District partner. The girl who would either go home without him, or go home in a wooden box. They were the star-crossed lovers of District 12.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I growled out in frustration. "They're playing the star-crossed lovers card?"
"What do you mean?" Slate asked.
"Oh, come on! All his partner could talk about was her sister back home. She doesn't care about that boy. But the Capitol is going to eat this shit up! They're going to get every sponsor!"
"Maybe, but maybe not." Myra stated. "Our tributes were great. I don't think they're going to have a problem with sponsors."
"Besides," Slate added. "District 12 rarely makes it past the bloodbath. They've had, what, one Victor in the last 74 years?"
"She got an 11." I pointed out. "She obviously has something going for her."
I know that she had a family back home, just like Cato and Clove, but all I could think was that she could be the one person that stands between my loved one coming home. And for that, I hated her.
The screen had flickered back to black as the trainees and trainers around the room moved into more comfortable positions. Now that the interviews were over, tonight would be spent as we wished. As long as we remained on the Academy property. Most of the trainees would end up in the training rooms before the night was over.
"So, what was so funny earlier?" Slate asked as he, Myra and I walked outside to get some fresh air.
I had been kind of hoping he would forget. It was already weird with Myra knowing, though I suppose that Slate knowing wouldn't hurt. Cato was already gone. He wouldn't be sent back if, somehow, word got out that I was his girlfri- fiancee, I suppose I would be called now. I finally answered, "Slate, that day that I beat Cato... He cornered me in an old weapons rooms. We talked. After that, we became inseparable. We've been dating for eight months now." I held up my necklace with the ring he had given me on it. "He gave me this ring before he left. As a promise to return. A promise of what to expect when he returns."
"YOU?!" He sounded surprised. "I guess I should have known. You're the only person I see him talking to, ever, unless it's about training. I just never put it together. But... If he returns, then Clo-"
"I know." I cut him off. "I know."
"Who do you think it will be?" He asked quietly.
"Now that I don't know. Nor do I have a preference. I can't stand the thought of losing either of them."
I have to admit, this is probably the most boring and disappointing chapter that I've posted. Ever. Out of all the stories I have, I've never been so disappointed. But anyways, the games start tomorrow. Then all the action begins. I'm not actually sure how many chapters this story will contain. I mean, it probably won't be that long but hopefully the chapters will be longer than this one. Am I losing my readers interest? Other than one or two amazing reviewers, you've all stopped. I really hope I haven't lost yalls interest. Oh well. I'll post the next chapter asap. I promise!
Moe x
