"Welcome Samantha Criss from District 4 to the stage!"
I swallow. I had always struggled with stage fright, and all of Panem was about to watch me talk about a tournament in which I would probably get killed. I look down at my deep blue strapless gown, the exact color of the sea at sunset. A rhinestone belt pulls the outfit together and I shyly glance at my silver flats. Starfish earrings frame my face and I force myself onto the stage. I smile dazzlingly at the crowd.
Caesar Flickerman eagerly awaits me, his midnight blue hair standing out. "Oh, look at you! You are simply gor-geous!" he says with that feminine touch I found peculiar. The people cheer in agreement and I can't help but feel beautiful. I blush and manage to say, "Thank you Caesar." Be likeable, I say to myself. Likeable but a fighter. You need to win this.
"You're so very welcome, Samantha!" He says with a grin. "Of course," I say with pretend delight. Caesar doesn't detect the fakeness and starts with the questions. "How old are you, Samantha?" I fiddle with my braid. "I am sixteen," I reply. "Ah, sixteen, the year of wonders," Caesar says nostalgically. "Do you have any hobbies?" I think about the cool ocean behind my home. I soar through the water, Kurt slightly behind me. And I feel unstoppable. But then I remember that I'm not there.
"I like to swim, of course. And I hunt and fish whenever I can. I make nets." I smile, realizing how easy this is. Just
answer the questions with a smile. Caesar returns the gesture, not breaking his grin. "You remind me of a girl version of Finnick Odair," he pauses, "Have you heard of him? What a silly question. Of course you have." This makes me grin for real. "Finnick is an amazing guy. His younger brother Kurt and I were best friends before I was reaped. My dad and I had a lot of fun with the Odairs. But I won't go into that." I giggle. The memories made me happy and provided a little bit of light in this dark situation.
The next thing Caesar says makes my stomach flutter.
"So... you and Kurt were just friends?" He asks, leaning forward in his seat. My answer comes two seconds after he finishes. "Yes. Yes yes yes yes yes," I repeat. "Of course, just friends. We fished together and then became best friends instantly." We also hunted illegally in the woods together, I add silently in my head. But Caesar is not convinced. "That's so cute!" He squeals. "I'm so surprised he never asked out such a gorgeous girl like you!"
My heart sinks when I remember Cran. I liked him a lot. I twirl a piece of hair, thinking deeply, because no one had ever called me beautiful before. "Thank you," I whisper. But then my fake act continues. "Well, if he ever wanted to be more, I can't say I would refuse..." I say with a giggle.
"I'll stop with your personal life, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." Thank the Lord, I think. "So, do you have any strategies in the Games?"
That's when I forget to be likeable.
I should say just to do as well as I can. But I wasn't going to. "Well Caesar," I begin, "Excellent question." My voice drops any touch of happiness. "I'm probably going to die. So I'm going to focus on my allies." I begin to choke up. "Cranberry Dove Waterington, for example. He has many siblings." I choke up more and my voice rises with everything I say. "Every year, one is picked in the reaping. And none have survived. Why do they deserve it?" I'm practically yelling. "Why do I deserve to live instead of him?! I've made enemies in the Capitol and I know it. They want my head on a plate. I'm doomed." A certain intense calmness settles in me. "I know that this is a bit different than who I acted like before, but these people," I gesture to the people in the crowd, "and the rest of Panem need to know who I really am."
Caesar quiets down and his act seems to stop also. "Well, I like who you really are," he says quietly. Then he leans away from the microphone and comes close to me. "I'm not a fan of the prissy girls who come for the interviews. That's not who they really are and it's obvious." I just nod at his comment. I had to say one more thing. I rise from my chair and stand up straight. "So, all of the other tributes, come at me. But be prepared to face me. You can have me, but me only."
Caesar looks at me, a look of pride in his face. "That's a strong phrase, I like it!" He shouts. "Anything else you would like to say to your district?" A stray tear goes down my face. "I want them to know how much I will miss my friends and family." Cran will be an excellent victor, I add in my head. "And also-" I stand stronger than ever. "Remember me, and what I died for."
"We will, just for you, Samantha. We all will." But I don't smile. I don't even look at the crowd. I stare in the distance. Caesar locks his hand into mine and raises our arms, but I just keep the firey look in my eyes. I am unforgiving. No matter how much anyone in the Capitol, right now the audience was mine.
"Thank you for coming tonight, and the next time we see you you'll be fighting in the arena! Kick some butt!"