Thanks to hungergamesfan51, AJLL, and castaway5 for reviewing the last chapter. I made this chapter a bit shorter because I get the feeling that it's becoming boring to some. So...review! Please!
Me? Join in an alliance with the most ruthless, powerful…and most widely-hated clique there is in the Games?
"Nope," I say. "I'm going solo."
Decius curls his lips into a nasty sneer and says with malice, "You got it, District 12. Just remember, you've got…" He breaks off and mockingly counts around the group, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, six powerful enemies even before the Games have begun. May the odds be ever in your favor on that one."
"I'm sure they will be," I reply snootily. And I walk away, knowing that I have six pairs of eyes staring at my back.
I decide to join Selena at her station. Right now, she's at the camouflage station, her face covered in jungle greens and arctic blues. I walk up to her and say, "Wow, you're pretty good at that."
She replies almost jokingly, "Yeah, it might actually be the one thing that saves me in the end."
I decide to stick with her for the time being, and as the day progresses, I actually learn quite a lot about camouflage and snare setting. Though Selena is a natural at these sorts of mundane survival skills, I actually have to work at them to make myself better.
Lunch is served in a in a dining room near the gymnasium. The Elites all sit together (of course), but the rest of the tributes mostly sit alone. I sit next to Selena and try to engage in small talk, even though it's pretty hard to find a topic when you're about to go off to your death in less then a week.
When the day is over, Selena and I have barely just entered our District's dining room for supper when Jaing starts bombarding us with questions: "How did you do? Were the other tributes looking at you? Were the Gamemakers looking at you? What training stations did you go to? Where-"
"Stop," I say to interupt him. I had only caught one word of his ramble. "Who are the Gamemakers?"
"Nobody told you?" he asks. What do you think, idiot? "The Gamemakers are the people who create the arena, and who add twists and turns to it, such as animals and temperature. They will also give all of the tributes a training score at the end of the three days training. Basically, as you can tell by the name, they are in charge of the entire process of the Hunger Games."
"We get scores?" Selena ventures.
Jaing nods. "Yes, the scores are from 1-12, with 12 being the best and 1 the worst. Everyone will receive a private session with the Gamemakers at the end of the third day; this will where your scores will be determined. In your session, do whatever you like to show them that you deserve the score you want.
"You mean…we shouldn't necessarily try and do the best we can?" I ask.
Jaing looks at me. "It's called strategy, you dimwit. Low numbers mean that you are most likely going to be overlooked in the Games. Corran, you should try for the best you can do, because no one will believe that you would actually get a low score. You look athletic and skilled, so make the most of it." Right.
He continues, "Selena…try to get a low score. Actually, you won't even need to try, so don't worry. A low score for you is your best chance of survival when the Games begin."
"Well, you don't have to be rude about it," Selena says. She then storms off haughtily to her room.
I can't help but smile. She's suddenly got some spunk on her.
"What are you grinning about?" Jaing asks menacingly.
Uh oh. "Nothing," I say. I grab some dinner to go and take it back to my room to eat. No sense in provoking the beast...
~/~/~/~/~/~/
The next day begins much the same way. Me and Selena eat another enormous breakfast, go down to the gymnasium, and commence with the training. I go off to the weapons station in order to brush up on my skills with a knife, and when I rejoin Selena at the knot-tying station, I notice she has somebody else with her.
It's the District 5 boy, the one who reminds me so much of my cousin, Aden. He looks at me and goes, "Hi. You must be Corran; Selena's been telling me about you. I'm Loque. Nice to meet you."
My heart is torn at the sight of him. Here's this twelve-year-old boy, trying so hard to be brave when he knows that he'll certainly die in the arena. He's the youngest tribute of the twenty four, but to me, he suddenly seems the oldest in terms of maturity and personality. I fight another battle not to become attached to someone and lose instantly.
"Hey," I say. "So are you and Selena working together?"
"Yes we are," Selena replies for Loque. She gives him a friendly punch on the shoulder and says jokingly, "We figure that us two are about equal to maybe half of an Elite, so we'll certainly give them a run for their money!"
So she's trying to be positive and optimistic as well. I suppose people deal with death sentences in different ways, and this is how she deals with hers. I know I'm dealing with mine by refusing to accept it at all. I'm determined to survive...at whatever the cost.
I turn back to Loque. "So what can you do?"
"Well," he says earnestly. "I'm learning about knot-tying and setting snares and all that. I can't use any weapons. But I sure can climb trees really well."
"Really," I say. This is a good opportunity. "How about we go over to the climbing wall, and you show me and Selena some pointers on climbing?"
"Sounds good to me," he answers readily.
So after an hour spent practicing climbing, with Loque constantly giving me and Selena tips on how to position our hands and feet, and how to find positions to rest in during climbing, I'm actually feeling quite confident about it. Who knows, maybe I'll need to climb a tree to escape pursuit during the Games…
At lunch, Loque joins Selena and me at our table today. Our group of three is the next largest to the group of six Elites; isn't that rather pathetic? Over our meal of lamb stew, apples, and cheese, he questions, "So, what does one do for a living in District 12?"
Selena answers obediently, "Coal-mining. Important stuff, right? Sometimes I get the feeling that our District is going to become the most ridiculed out of all of Panem pretty soon because of that job…"
Loque laughs. "My District's main profession isn't much better. In District 5, one mainly works at the textile factories."
"It's more respectable than coal-mining," I say. Even though District 13 wasn't much better with the profession of mining graphite...
"Maybe so...but all of the Districts are crap on the Capitol's shiny new boots anyway," says Loque bitterly. How right he is...
So the rest of the day progresses pretty quickly. A few times I'd look up from the station I was at to find a few Elites staring at me menacingly. I'd give them my widest smile in return, and go back to my work. I'd also find the time to help out Selena and Loque with their knowledge in terms of plants, but I get the feeling that my lessons weren't always taken seriously all the time.
I'd think this when Selena would say something like,"Hey, Loque, has anyone ever told you that you look like a fox with that red hair? Who needs to learn about these stupid plants, you can just go act like a fox and scavenge food from the others for us, right?"
Loque laughs and goes, "Yeah, my younger sister tells me that quite a lot." He quickly falls silent after saying this though. His words have a sobering effect, as we are all reminded of home back in the Districts.
After a luscious dinner that night, the only advice Jaing imparts to Selena and I is, "Remember. Corran, do your best tomorrow in front of the Gamemakers. Selena, do mediocre. These scores are a big part of the Games, so what ever you do, don't screw up."
"So no pressure, right?" I ask sarcastically.
Jaing is about to respond when Selena goes, "Mediocre...sure thing, pal." Boy, she's really got a mouth on her now...
"Is this some kind of joke to you? Remember, I'm all that stands between you and death in these Games. Your strategy comes from me; you don't get sponsors without me. You need me, sweetheart," growls Jaing. His face begins to puff up in anger, and shows the signs of becoming red.
"Calm down, young man. I just wanted to see your reaction," says Selena. "Your face was totally worth it." She then wisely chooses to make a hasty exit from the dining table before Jaing's outburst.
I smother a snort and follow her out of the room, knowing that I have yet another pair of hostile eyes following my retreat.
~/~/~/~/~/
At lunch, on the third day of training, the Gamemakers begin to call out the tributes one by one, first the boy, then the girl. District 1 starts, then District 2, and so on. While Selena, Loque, and I are waiting, Loque says to me a little hesitantly, "Corran…you're not going to try and harm me or Selena in the arena, or you?"
"Of course not," I say. That hurts. The kid thinks of me as a killer. An Elite in all but name. "In fact, I'll tell you what. If I see or hear you or Selena in trouble, I'll come and help you out. But for the most part, I'm still going it alone."
Loque looks relieved. Then his face screws up in anxiety as we hear, "District 5! Loque Y!" called out.
"Good luck," Selena and I each tell him. He nods quickly and walks away.
Selena and I sit in silence, contemplating about our upcoming private sessions after Loque departs. Before long, I hear, "District 12! Corran S!
Selena says to me hesitantly, "Good luck."
"Thanks," I answer honestly. "You too." And I stride confidently into the gymnasium.
And I see that the Gamemakers are bored. They've sat through too many demonstrations already. Nobody seems to be paying any attention to me. I'm like a fly on the wall. But there's nothing I can do but continue with the plan.
I pick up a sword and request two sparring partners. Yep, two. I want to put on a show. So the three of us spin round and round, weaving and bobbing around the gymnasium, clashing our swords with each other. Some of the Gamemakers are starting to pay attention, but most are still concentrated on their food at their table. Time to change that.
I let the two drive me back towards the Gamemakers table. As we get closer and closer, I notice that some are starting to look fearful. Though this fills me with disgust at the fact that they have no right to be afraid when I'm the tribute here, I don't let it affect my performance. When we're close enough to the table, I time it right, and backflip over a Gamemaker's head to land on the other side of the table. Now I notice that they are all looking at me approvingly.
I don't miss a beat, however, and flip back over the table, and while I'm in the air, I disarm one of my opponents with a slash. He draws away.
Without turning around, with my back to the other sword-wielder and the Gamemakers, I listen for the sound of the whistling wind at my back that will signify a coming slash from the last opponent. When it does come, I barrel roll to the side, get up quickly, and snap my sword inside my remaining opponent's guard to send his sword flying away. He gives me a nod and steps back.
After that, I walk casually over to the plants section, where I easily identify each type as medicinal, edible, or poisonous. Next up is the knife station. I send knives flying into the targets. Each knife hits somewhere near the center, or the center itself. When the Gamemakers send me on my way, I know I have done well.
At dinner that night, when they are serving the main course of pork chops, Jaing grudgingly asks Selena and me, "So, how did you do today?" I can tell that if he wasn't bound by this mentoring obligation, he would definately have left us out in the cold by now...
"I feel I did OK," Selena says. Why does she have a twinkle in her eye as she says this?
"They weren't paying attention to me at first, but by the end, I know they were," I say.
"Well, let's go see just how bad you did," Jaing says mockingly.
The three of us get up and go to a room to watch the playing of the training scores. Joining us for this is Telleo, and the two airhead stylists, Casca and Cleia. What wonderful company to spend time with...
On the television in the sitting room, the announcing of the scores is beginning. First they show a photo of the tribute, and then flash the score below the photo. I notice both of the District 1 tributes score a ten, while the rest of the Elites either score an eight or a nine. Loque, scores a six. The Gamemakers must have really been impressed with his survival skills for them to score him that high.
Most of the other tributes average a five, except for the volunteer District 6 girl who scores an eight, like some Elites. I wonder if she'll end up allying with them…
Before I know it, it is my turn. As my face comes up, I'm actually quite calm. Whatever I get, I get. Then the number ten is flashing on the screen.
Around me, everyone is slapping on the back and congratulating me. Well, everyone except Jaing. "That's the highest score in the Games yet; the same score as District 1 got," exclaims Casca. "Way to go!"
Everyone in the small room then hushes for Selena's score. I'm expecting her to pull about a three. But everyone in the room is rudely shocked when the number comes up onscreen.
Because the formerly delicate, fragile, 'I can't do anything; I'm the Mayor's daughter' Selena has just scored the first twelve of the entire Hunger Games.
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