"Pretend I'm Caesar and I'm asking you questions." Chase sat across from me, staring me in the eye. "Answer them honestly, please. I don't do well with tributes who lie just to make everyone feel sorry for them."
"What would make you think I'd be lying?" I ask. I don't have a problem with that. Make up a sob story about Sylvie just to win everyone over.

"Because it's annoying. I had a tribute who told everyone he was love in with his District partner, had volunteered for his twin brother to save him, had no parents, and was abused by his uncle, so he learned how to fight to protect himself. He lied, of course. Didn't last one day, that guy. Tell me only one of those things, and I'm done helping you. Tributes who are like that are so annoying."
I remembered that year. It was the year before I became eligible for the reaping. Everyone was overcome with emotion for that tribute, until they learned he had been reaped, had parents, no brother, and didn't know how to fight. He was gone in 50 seconds.

Chase asks me a bunch of questions? How's my family? How did I feel about scoring a 6? How did I feel about being reaped? How do I feel about Caddy? What's my plan to win? When I refuse to answer the last question, Chase scowls.
"They make it sound like everyone goes home a winner. And they for a fact only one of us will."
"Just answer the question. This kind of attitude won't help you in any way."
"This attitude works perfectly well for me. I don't really care."
"Think about it this way. Just tell them what they wanna hear. Then you can ignore them for the rest of the Games. Sound good, kid?"

I agree, mainly because I really don't have much choice. We go back to drilling me with questions. I try to picture Chase as Caesar Flickerman and answer the way he'd like to hear. I must be doing pretty good, because Chase gives a smirk. "Nice going, kid. You don't sound very convincing, but it's good enough."
Good enough. Chase has made it clear. In these Games, I'll never be a real tribute. I'll only be good enough.

Jewel fingers the fabric with her fingers. "Don't you just love how it feels?"
She's dressed me in a gold suit with indigo clothes underneath. I decide that I'm not going to wear any gold in the arena. I've had enough of it.

"Hey Jewel," I call to her.
"Yeah?" Jewel spins around.
"Go see Chase. He could really use someone to make him look beautiful again."
"Very funny," Chase growls, but I can see a smile forming on the edge of his lips. "Have you seen yourself?"
"No, but I'm sure I look better by comparison."
"I may not by the District 10 version of Finnick Odair, but I have a nice outside."
"Well, maybe you need to eat some of Jewel's lipstick. Then you'll look good on the inside." I shoot back.

"Enough!" Doella yells. "Shut up, both of you! Chase, we need to go."
As they leave, I take a look at Caddy. She's wearing a strapless dress that's the color of a brown cow. But I'm sure she figured that one out, because she warns me not to say anything.
We line up behind District 9. Lilac's wearing a purple dress tied with a darker sash of the same color, while Barle wears a suit that's a dark grey with purple lining to match Lilac. It seems to be everyone's plan. Match the tributes. Caddy was given the brown dress so we could look like a cow in a golden field together.

The girl from One, who is apparently named Brillia, takes the stage. She wears a silver strapless dress that barely covers her chest, to leave room for the imagination. I turn away quickly. Barle whispers to me different things about each tribute as they go along. The girl from 4, who's wearing a seaweed green layered dress, is nicknamed "Arrowhead" by many tributes for her shooting skills. The girl from 7 wears a short dress that's mainly hazel with a necklace of leaves. Barle tells me that she can get aggressive when she wants to. Dominic has self-proclaimed himself the Career pack leader. He wears a blood-red jacket over pitch black clothes, giving him a fierce look.

Lilac is very shy. She and Caesar go back and forth. When Caesar asks her how she plans to win, Lilac stares off into space for a bit. "I'll take each day as it goes. Just a reminder for every other tribute here. I may be from District 9, but that doesn't mean I'm not a threat. Don't underestimate me." She plays it perfectly.
Barle makes a few quick jokes with Caesar. "So Barle," Caesar asks. "These Careers are quite the bunch this year. How do you feel about them?"

Barle gives the audience a smile. I've seen it before. Here it comes.
"Oh, the Careers? I'm not to worried." He gestures to his muscles, then his head. "They're all buff and no brain."
The audience bursts out laughing. Barle leaves the stage and Caddy comes on. "I'm not too worried, Caesar. This year, we forgotten Districts will be making a difference."

By the time it's my turn, I'm a nervous wreck. An Avox gently helps me to the stage, and I sit next to Caesar. We talk a bit about my time in the Capitol, and for laughs, I tell him that they need more cows around here. Then, things get beyond personal.
"Skyle, that moment when you got reaped, nobody could miss the shock on your face. What was that like for you?"
I pause. I never wanted to talk about my reaping. Ever. Even chatting with Chase about it was somewhat torture. But I remember what Chase asked me to do. Tell them what they wanna hear.

"Worst day of my life. I never thought I'd be reaped. But then my name was called. And I-"
I stop talking. The audience thinks I'm just pausing for a dramatic look, which they seems to love. But I don't wanna talk anymore. "Sorry," I tell Caesar.
"No no, go on. Tell me Skyle, what are you leaving behind that upsets you so much?"
"My sister. Sylvie. She told me she didn't want me to be reaped. And I told her that it would never happen. But I was wrong."

The audience shows their sympathy. And suddenly, I hate them. They've never had to tell their sisters they wouldn't go to their deaths! They approved of me coming here! Why do they care!?
Caesar asks a few more questions about life back home. I answer halfheartedly. I can't wait for my time to be up so I can leave. And when that happens, I can't leave fast enough.
Caddy, Barle, and Lilac wait backstage for me. The now bored audience listens to the District 11 and 12 interviews, then we get taken up to our rooms. I bid Barle and Lilac a distracted goodbye and promise to see them in the arena.

Doella and Chase don't have the energy to look at us. I pull off my suit and give it to Jewel, telling her that she did a good job on making it. Soon ,everyone heads to bed. Only Caddy and I are awake.
"I think we did okay," Caddy mutters. I agree. Good enough. That's as far as we'll ever get in these Games.
"Tell me about it."
"I don't think there's anything left for me to say." Caddy mutters, while staring out the window.
"Yeah. Expect, see you tomorrow."
"How do you know you'll see me tomorrow?" It's returned. The accepting dying first thing. Last time of seeing each other will be in the skies.
"Just get past the first day. Goodnight Caddy." I get up to leave.

"Goodnight, Skyle."

No, Caddy and Skyle aren't lovers. They're just District partners and that's it.
I made up the name of the girl from One, Brillia. It's a play on the word Brilliant.

The comment Chase makes at the beginning about that one tribute is a reference to Hunger Games Mary Sues. They always volunteer for a sibling or something, are good at whatever they do, are abused or orphaned and bring it up all the time, always look attractive, always find love, and are usually from 12, 2, or 4. Oh, and most are female. There are a few reasons I used Skyle, but one is because he won't be so much like a Mary Sue, or in this case, a Gary Stu.

Oh, I'm ranting! I hope you enjoy Skyle's adventures!