Welcome to the 125th Hunger Games!
Just a few things before the story begins. A reminder that this is one story out of two that are taking place during the same time. So if you are reading this story first and plan on reading the other, you may want to read the same chapter from the other in order to avoid spoilers to the character.
I will update the stories on the same day, that way once the games start you can choose which story to read first as there will be some spoilers about what might happen to the other character.
I'll let you begin the story. As always, please review and let me know what you think, good or bad. Any comments are good comments.
Let the Games begin!
Chapter 8:
I stifle another yawn as I take another pancake from the piles of food in front of me. These late nights with Caitlin are really catching up on my sleep and all I want to do right now is go back to sleep. Everyone else seems to be feeling tired as we eat in quiet, except for Flannery who is typing away on her tablet. I take one bite of the pancake and close my eyes in happiness as I discover this one has chocolate in it. For such a simple breakfast food, the Capitol really knows how to make this better than any other I've had in my life.
I'm halfway through the pancake and keep going when Flannery speaks up loudly. "Alright, listen up you two," I glance over at her, mouth full of food to see her pointing at me and Glacia. I glance over at her and can tell that she also is not happy about Flannery getting us on one of her schedules. "We've got a very busy day ahead of us and need to follow a very tight schedule to make sure you both are prepared for the interviews tonight," she continues before looking back at her tablet and scrolling through things. When she looks back up at us, determined look on her face, I can tell already that today is not going to be fun. "We've got two hours before the prep teams will arrive. In that time, you will spend one hour with your mentors to discuss what you will say and do in the interview and the other hour will be with me to make sure you don't look like a complete fool in front of Panem."
I almost roll my eyes at this statement as I reach for another cookie. Chances are high that I'll end up making a fool of myself, with or without their help. Flannery suddenly reaches out and slaps my hand away from the cookies and I glare over at her as I lean back in my chair. I didn't know we were on such a tight schedule that I can't eat another cookie. I cross my arms as I notice Glacia struggling not to laugh right now. "So what exactly will you be teaching us?"
Flannery sighs a little before casually pointing at me, "How to not slouch in your chair like you're doing right now." Her comment irritates me and I find myself sitting up as Darach chuckles from next to Glacia across the table. Those two are finding so much amusement today over me getting scolded by Flannery and I am not happy with it. Clearly they're not still angry about Glacia's score like they were last night. Flannery seems unfazed by this as she continues. "I'll also make sure you're not going to disrespect Claudia who is a very nice woman. And Glacia will be taught how to walk in heels."
"That sounds terrible," Glacia mumbles and as she takes a sip of her water, I find myself agreeing with her. I'm glad that I'm a guy and don't have to be forced into wearing those death traps.
Flannery suddenly slams her hands down on the table and I jump at the unexpected noise. I turn back to her, shocked by the angry look on her face that is so unusual for our escort. "That's enough of you two sassing me right now," she glares at the two of us for a few seconds, making sure we're paying attention to her. Not that the glare is necessary after her sudden outburst. She continues very calmly and it's a little terrifying from her. "Now listen to me very carefully. I'm trying to help you out for your own benefit. I could just let you go out with no etiquette training," she pauses at this and her face shows that she would never let that happen and be embarrassed by us. "But I want you two to do well tonight. It will help you win sponsors and the favor of the Gamemakers, both of which are essential to winning these games. And I have every intention of the victor being from District Two." She stands up and keeps both hands on the table as she leans forward and stares at us intently. Her scrutinizing gaze has me feeling like a child being scolded by their parent and I want to shrink into my chair and hide. "Are we clear?" She asks coolly and we both nod our heads in agreement immediately. Once she sees this, she relaxes a little and stands up, straightening out her shirt. "Good. Glacia, you're with me first. Lance, go with Roxanne."
In the blink of an eye, Flannery grabs Glacia's arm and is pulling her out of her seat. Glacia's face is in shock as she starts getting dragged away and looks to Darach for help but he just shrugs at her, silently admitting that he has no control. She lets out a sigh as she follows Flannery over to our rooms.
Once they're in the hallway, I shake my head as I finally grab that second cookie. "Where did this bold Flannery come from?" I ask no one in particular. Honestly I'm still surprised about her taking charge for the day but also a little scared of working with her in an hour."
Darach stands up and shakes his head at me, not looking angry for once. "Not a clue. She usually does get a little bossy about her schedules but never like this. I would guess it's because we've all been causing her a lot of stress." He stretches his arms above his head before starting to pile food onto his plate. "Well I'm going to go prepare for an hour, assuming she can last that time with Flannery."
As he starts to walk away with the food, Roxanne starts laughing at him and calls out after him. "You mean you're going to be preparing your stomach!" Darach simply chuckles at this as he walks out of the room. Once he's gone, I find myself perplexed about how weird everyone is acting today. Roxanne lets out a sigh and I look over to find herself shaking her head while smiling. "That man is something else. I can't keep up with his moods." She turns and looks over at me, a smile still on her face. "But never mind him, we need to focus on you. Feel free to keep eating breakfast because I'm afraid you might not have time for lunch later."
I cringe a little at this and grab some more food, not wanting to feel hungry later on. "So the interview. What do I do?" I ask before taking a bite of fruit.
Roxanne ponders this as she sips her coffee while I continue eating. "Well," she says after a few seconds and stares in front of her. "Don't be afraid to use flattery. If there is one guaranteed thing to getting people to like you, it's compliments."
"How do I do that?" I ask her, clueless to how one actually does an interview with the Capitol. Here is yet another thing that Glacia will do better at than I will because I'm sure they taught her this.
Roxanne chuckles at this and I find myself frown at her seemingly laughing at me. "That's easy. It can be as easy as complimenting the food. You could even compliment Claudia." She pauses and starts mumbling to herself. "Yes, she's secretly so self-absorbed that any compliment to her will be good."
I raise an eyebrow at this as she turns back to me. "Alright, so I will flatter Claudia. What else do I need to say? And how should I act?"
"Well I can tell you how to act and I know it's not you but it's what the Capitol wants to see," Roxanne pauses to scoff at me as I start scowling already. "Oh stop, you know you need to win over the sponsors. So unfortunately, I need you to act like a career."
I start frowning at this, hating almost everything about careers and how they act. Maylene is an exception for that since she didn't do it out of bloodlust. And then, of course, there was Brycen who did it for the glory of winning. But I could ignore that and still view him as the person I met as a child. I realize I've been silent for a minute and Roxanne is watching me curiously. "I don't know how to do that."
"You don't?" Roxanne asks and stares at me, face showing that she doesn't believe me. When I stay silent, she sighs and rests her arm on the table as she looks at me. "Lance, don't you dare lie to me about not knowing what a career is like. You grew up with your sister who went on to win her games. I know she's invited over the other victors many times for dinner and you're familiar with them. You also had a best friend who was chosen as the volunteer last year. I don't believe you for one second that you don't have a clue how to act like a career."
I stand up in anger and walk towards the window, hating the fact that I have to become the person I've wanted to avoid my whole life. I've seen how the aftermath of the games affects the victors, despite all of their training. And I've lost a close friend to the training. As I stare down at the stage being built for tonight, I think about the games that are starting just tomorrow. Around this time tomorrow, I will be getting ready to enter the arena. And at that point, I will need to fight to protect my life and also protect Caitlin.
I turn around to see Roxanne watching me carefully. I take a deep breath as I prepare for doing what I need to do in order to survive. Because there are other people depending on my survival. And for now, that means winning over the Capitol crowds. "Okay," I whisper and close my eyes as I take a moment to compose myself. When I open my eyes, Roxanne is giving me a look that seems to be of pride. "I know how to act. They are confident about all of their actions. They are ready to fight and give the Capitol the show they want. But the main thing is that they are ready to win."
Roxanne nods her head in agreement as she stands up and walks over to me. When she reaches me, she places a hand comfortingly on my shoulder. "You're right about that and you must show that to the Capitol. Not just tonight, but also in the arena. There will be moments when you want to give up and stop fighting, but you have to remember that it is a matter of life or death and you must choice to live."
"I will make that choice to live," I tell her, but mostly I tell myself because my head is still filled with doubts about being capable of fighting and killing someone or even managing to win the games. I stare out the window at the Capitol, aware that this could be one of the last days I'm here. But with the morning light reflecting off the rainbow of hues on the buildings, there's an unexpected beauty that I want to see again.
"Good," Roxanne says after a few minutes of us staring out the window at the city surrounding us. "I don't want you to give up at any point during the games. And while you might not be in the arena yet, the games have started."
I turn to look at her, understanding exactly what she means. "You're right. What else do I need to do in the interview?"
Roxanne sighs and I can tell that I'm not going to like her response. "Well, you can guarantee that Claudia will bring up your sister. You need to use her as a way to bring sympathy from the sponsors. Talk about how she fought to get you away from your father. The Capitol loved that story when she was here so use it again. You have to win to make her games not a waste."
"No," I immediately say and shake my head at her. "I don't want to have my victory be because they liked my sister. I want it to be because they liked me and supported me as an individual."
"Lance," she condescendingly says and I can tell I'm about to get a lecture from her. "Stop being stubborn about this. Whether you like it or not, the Capitol will associate you with your sister. It's unavoidable. It's an advantage that you've been given that very few ever have. And the games are not about if you can simply fight and beat the others. It's about taking every advantage that you get from the Capitol and using it to win."
"I still don't want to use my sister," I cross my arms and start pacing around in front of the window.
"Then don't," she replies exasperated with me and I look over to see her point at me. "But know that Glacia will take every opportunity to remind her that she's Sylvia's granddaughter."
"Are you saying that she will win instead of me because she doesn't care about winning honestly and on her own?" I ask her, stomach dropping that my mentor seems to be losing faith in me.
"I'm saying that she will be better favored by the sponsors and that could help her win," Roxanne answers honestly and then stays silent, letting me think this over on my own. As I look at her, I can tell she really does want to see me win the games. Yet here I am fighting her at every suggestion she gives me.
I let out a long sigh before giving in, knowing that she is right and understands how the Capitol works more than I ever will. "Fine. I will talk about Maylene. But I'm going to make it about me and not let my entire interview be about her."
Roxanne smiles at this acceptance. "That's all I wanted from you. To be confident and take advantage of what the Capitol is willing to give you."
"Alright, Lance, sit down in the chair," Flannery says, sounding exhausted as she points to the chair set up in the middle of what appears to be her office. Shoes are scattered all around the room, surely from Glacia being with her before me. I listen to her command, seeing the exhaustion setting in on her face and not wanting to bring out the unexpected anger she showed at breakfast. Immediately, she places a hand on her face before looking up at me. "Why must you slouch when you sit?"
I try to sit up straight to make her happy, but can tell right away that I'm clearly not doing something right. "What am I not doing right?"
Flannery puts her hands on her hips as she stares at me for several seconds. "I think it would be easier to say what you are doing right rather than the many things you are doing wrong." She pauses to point her finger accusingly at me. "And don't you dare start scowling at me or so help me, I will let you walk out on that stage with no assistance from me. Trust me, you need my guidance."
I try to keep my face composed as I stare back at her, knowing I just need to get through one hour of working with her. With a reminder to myself that she is trying to help me, I take a deep breath before attempting to make her happy. "Okay. What's the first thing you would like me to fix?"
Flannery gives a small smile to me before walking over. "First, sit up a little straighter. You really do have a tendency to slouch when you're sitting and must fight that urge. Not just when you are being interviewed, but the entire time you are sitting on stage as the other tributes are being interviewed. It may not seem like it, but there will be some in the crowd who watch you on stage."
"Really?" I ask in surprise and she nods her head in agreement. So I sit up a little more, feeling awkward about the movement but she gives an approval. "This is right?"
"Yes," she says and moves her hand under my chin to push it up slightly. "And keep your head held high. You must remember that you are from District Two and have to uphold the reputation of being from the District with the most living victors. Take pride in your heritage."
I'm about ready to argue that I don't want to be proud of that when I remember that my sister is part of the living victors and I am proud of her. She went through so much to fight for me, spending long hours training and coming home with bruises from fights only to receive more from our father. And that moment when she won, well, if I close my eyes I can still remember the thrill of hearing the announcement. The winner of the 120th Hunger Games, Maylene Henderson. Nothing can compare to that moment when I knew I would see my sister again and that she would get us away from our father. Except, perhaps, hearing the announcement that I am the winner and will get to see her again.
I keep my chin held high when Flannery moves her hand away and she smiles approvingly. "Now I want you to cross your legs so that your ankle rests over your knee. It looks better than sitting with your legs spread wide open, especially when you're talking to Claudia." I try to follow her instructions before she walks over and grabs my leg, moving it around until it fits her standards. "There. It might not be the most formal way of sitting but I find it helps give the audience the sense that you are strong and relaxed about everything, as if you already know you'll win and this is just a formality."
"Is this how you instruct the volunteers each year?" I ask her after that description. Her face shows excitement at this question and she nods her head enthusiastically. "Then please keep telling me what I need to do."
The rest of the hour passes by quickly as she keeps instructing me on ways to act in my interview, from walking to and from my seat on stage, how to shake Claudia's hand, to how often I should laugh about at things Claudia says. And constantly, she's shouting at me to sit or stand straight. By the end of it, she's gotten so fed up with me slouching that she has set books on my head and instructed me to simply walk around the room. It's slow going as I pace the room, feeling the books sitting precariously on my head and not wanting to let any of them fall. Flannery now sits in the chair, perfectly poised as she watches me with sharp eyes.
The door slams open and I jump in shock, causing the books to topple loudly onto the floor. Loud voices come from the door as I turn to see my prep team talking animatedly. Flannery is shaking her head at them as she moves to pick up the books from where they fell around me. Mira walks over to me and takes my hands, gripping them tightly as she looks me over. "There you are! Are you ready for us to make you dazzle in front of the crowd tonight?"
I look over my shoulder at Flannery, not ready to go be with the prep team for hours but she waves me away. Mira takes this as an invitation and starts dragging me out of the room. Cilan and Milan fall into step with us as we walk down the hallway, voices drifting from the main area and I know that Glacia's prep team must also be here. "Lance, just wait until we get you ready for tonight," Cilan says as we enter my room.
"Galen created quite the exciting suit for tonight," Milan adds as I take in the containers full of supplies that they have already placed in my room.
I'm a little skeptical about how they can make a simple suit stand out for the interviews but don't say anything to protest. Mira starts unpacking the supplies and glances up from the floor to look up at me with the twins on either side. "Boys, he needs to shower. Take him over and make sure he's clean. Then shave him and make sure his hair is dry and ready for me to style it."
"Of course," Milan agrees with her before taking my arm with his brother and starting to drag me into the bathroom.
"I can shower on my own-" I start to protest against them, really not wanting to be showered by two grown men. But they shush me and I accept that the prep team does not care about normal boundaries and will do whatever it takes to make sure that I look perfect for tonight.
Who would have thought that I would have spent a good portion of today arguing with someone over makeup. Yet Cilan was insistent that I wear an exuberant amount while Milan wanted me to have no makeup on. Mira was caught in the middle of the argument, all while trying to style my hair. It was only after a half hour passed that they finally reached an agreement, allowing Cilan to add brown on the edges of my lashes to darken them and 'bring out the green' for my eyes. I would have been content to have no makeup on my face, especially not something that was painful to put on. And later on, when Cilan managed to put a dark powder under my cheekbones before Milan noticed, resulting in an argument that wasted time before Mira finally yelled at them to stop. It was only after Milan realized it made my face look more chiseled that he accepted it, even wanting to add more in different spots to my face. It was after a while that Mira finally said enough and took the makeup brushes away from the two. Yet I'm still terrified to see how my face looks.
I feel like I can at least trust Mira with the styling of my hair. With the amount of time that she spent, there has to be a high level of precision to the look. But I don't have high hopes for my overall appearance. Not after how many arguments have occurred within my prep team.
The arrival of Galen has me feeling relieved and I casually smile at him before Cilan tells me to stop so he can finish putting powder on my face. Once he's down, the three step back so that Galen can have a closer look. I watch his face anxiously as he studies me, searching for any sign that they made me look terrible. A minute passes before he nods his head in approval. "Whose idea was it to do the contouring?"
I have no clue what he just said but Cilan raises his hand proudly. "That was my idea."
Galen nods his head a few times as he continues to look at me. "I like it." I see Cilan give Milan a smug look before the latter rolls his eyes at his brother. Galen continues his approval, gently moving a few stray pieces of hair. "Good job with the hair, Mira. The side swept hair always is a crowd favorite."
Mira looks absolutely thrilled by his praise before the stylist finally addresses me. "Alright Lance. Shall we get you dressed?" He motions to the bag now hanging on the door that I didn't notice before and Mira moves for it immediately. She holds it while Galen starts unzipping the bag. "Now I made you a relatively simply suit. But the thing is, I couldn't just give you a simple black and white suit."
He turns to me with a devilish grin as he pulls out a bright red jacket. I raise my eyebrows at this in surprise, questioning the color. "Yeah that's definitely different." Galen passes a white dress shirt to Cilan and he starts helping me put it on as I continue to stare at the jacket, noticing how the lapel of the jacket is black along with parts of the pockets. It's a subtle touch that makes the jacket not as harsh but I still can't get past the color. "So why red?"
Galen hands the pair of pants – thankfully black – to Milan and waits for me to start putting them on before answering me. "Well Lisia is partially continuing the theme from the chariot rides, at least for the females. They have a new addition to their dresses that isn't normal, even by Capitol standards." He gives the skinny black tie to Mira and she moves to help me put it on as the twins make sure my shirt and pants are perfect looking. "She also wanted to keep the colors consistent with the pairs and relating them back to their Greek god or goddess."
"Yeah and we had Ares," I comment as I button the ends of the sleeves, refusing to let the prep team dress me completely. I think back to my outfit from the chariot ride, still not sure why they chose red. "Why not give us gold like the set of armor?"
"Multiple reasons," Galen says as he walks over to me with the jacket. He helps me put it on as he continues. "Serena and I figured that District One's stylists will probably give them gold, possibly Eight as well." I have to think for a few seconds who Serena is before recalling that she is Glacia's stylist. "Now we didn't want you to be wearing the same color as another District. That wouldn't help you two to stand out." He starts to button the jacket before stepping back for a second and deciding against it. "Leave the jacket unbuttoned. It gives you a casual look."
I nod in agreement at this as he starts making slight changes to my appearance. "Okay so you told me why you didn't go with gold but not why you chose red."
Galen laughs at this as he pauses what he's doing. "Sorry about that, I get distracted easily when it comes to fashion." He goes silent for a few seconds and I start worrying that he won't answer me but he continues. "Well we discovered when researching that red was a color often associated with Ares so that's why we chose it. And I found myself asking why. But then I realized. Ares was the God of War. Of course they associated the color red with him."
He falls silent once more and I'm left to make the final connection about the color. When I realize it, I'm almost disgusted with the outfit before reminding myself that I have to play the part of a career now. "It's red like the blood spilled in war."
Galen gives me a smile as he steps back, indicating that I'm correct. He gives me one more look over before letting out a deep breath. "Well, I think you are ready for tonight. You can go ahead and turn around to see yourself."
My concern earlier over the arguments the prep team had returns and I find myself afraid to see myself. But Galen approved of their makeup and I kind of trust him to not make me look crazy. With a deep breath, I turn around and look in the mirror to see a man who looks well put together and way older than I actually am. Whatever makeup they did to my face has my bone structure more prominent and almost more masculine. And with my hair gelled to the side in a way that looks effortless, well, I can see how they have made me more appealing to the female audience. The suit fits perfectly, preventing me from looking like a boy who is trying on one of his father's suits.
Quite simply, I look good.
I'm starting to grin as I turn around to look at Galen and my prep team who are waiting for my reaction. "I look great. Thank you."
Galen gives me a pat on my shoulder as he smiles at me. "You're very welcome. Now, let's get you in your dress shoes and then we can get you downstairs."
Nervousness starts to make my stomach twist as I put the shoes on, not sure if I feel ready for this interview. I try to recall Roxanna and Flannery's advice about being comment as I straighten up, knowing I can't really put this off. I try to put on a confident smile as I look at Galen. "Alright, let's do this."
Galen leads the way out of my room and as we walk down the hallway, I can hear voices in Glacia's room indicating that she isn't done getting ready yet. We reach the main room and I look around curiously, surprised to see no one else around. Galen answers my unspoken question as he presses the button for the elevator. "They had to leave earlier. The mentors have a special seat in the crowd and it usually is a struggle to reach their seats from the building."
The doors open and reveal on of the older boys, fidgeting with the collar of his gray pinstripe suit. He gives me a nod of greeting as I step onto the elevator with Galen and I return the gesture as I try to not reveal on my face that he was the one up in the garden last night. He doesn't give me any weird looks as we move down to the main floor of the training center and I take relief in knowing that he doesn't know that I was up on the roof with Caitlin. When the doors open, he is quick to walk out with his stylist following quickly behind him.
I start making my way towards where a line has started to form near the doors of the building. Around half of the tributes are already there and sure enough, the District pairs are matching in color. I give a smile in greeting to Anabel and Ardos as Galen leads me towards the very front. The pair seems nervous, both wearing navy blue to look like the sea, of course. Anabel's dress fades from silver to blue halfway down and it almost appears as if she was dipped into the ocean and pulled the blue color with her. But then I notice the weird piece of fabric attached to her shoulders and look around at the other children here and notice all of the females have something similar.
I turn to Galen, perplexed about it. "So are those capes attached to their dresses?"
He chuckles at this as he also looks around at the dresses. "That's the addition that I had mentioned before. I wasn't sure about it when Lisia demanded it but now that I'm seeing it on people, I think it was a good call."
I find myself agreeing with him as I watch an elevator open and Lorelei and Ryoko walk out together. They both are wearing white with gold embellishments, looking very much like they are from the luxury District. And sure enough, she has a long cape attached to her dress that flows behind her as she's walking, almost giving her a regal appearance. They both say hello as their stylists move them in front of me in line and I give a small greeting back, not feeling entirely up for small talk.
I'm about to turn back to Galen when the doors open on the elevator and Caitlin steps out, looking hesitant as she tries to adjust her dress to cover herself more. But she looks absolutely ethereal in a silver gown with the top made out of flowers and the bottom and cape made out of a material that just seems to float around her. I can see why she would be nervous about the plunging neckline but to me, she is absolutely stunning and once again looks like the moon goddess reborn. Her red hair is braided into a crown on her head and I'm happy they kept her makeup to a minimal, allowing for silver glitter to make the biggest impact on everyone. She meets my gaze and her cheeks start to turn pink as I give her a brief smile, enough to let her know I saw her outfit and think she looks gorgeous but not enough to let the other tributes realize there is something between us.
Galen has a knowing look on his face when we make eye contact but doesn't say anything. Instead, he starts to make slight changes once more to the way my hair is styled. I don't know how he can still find imperfections yet he does. "You know, Lance," he says quietly as he works, other stylists around us also making changes to the others. "I always find that I'm never happy with my work until you're about to walk out on stage. It's only when I see the reaction of the crowd that I'm able to not focus on every tiny detail that's wrong and only I can notice."
Someone carrying a clipboard walks over, pausing to look at me. "Lance Henderson, District Two?" he asks and I give him a nod. "Very well. You're standing in the right spot. Females will go first for each District," he says and before I can say anything, he has moved on to the small boy next to me.
I turn back to Galen and try to recall what he said before the organizer interrupted us. "There's nothing wrong with being a perfectionist in your work," I respond to him as he takes a step back to look at his work. I glance behind him and see Glacia approaching us with Serena and I'm shocked at how someone who is so ready to fight can get dressed up so nicely. Sure enough, her dress is the same red as my jacket. It's tight fitting and shows off all of her curves, something I never noticed from her before. And as she gets closer, I notice how her blue eyes look even fiercer than usual. Her stylist has managed to make her a double threat: attractive and deadly.
This will not be good for me as she is going to get many sponsors tonight, probably some that only want to support one tribute from a District. I will simply have to be better than her in the actual interview part and I feel confident that I can make a good attempt. When she reaches us, I give her a nod of greeting, not sure what to say to her right now. She returns the gesture before looking around at the other tributes around us, most now there. She turns back to her stylist and gives a half smile. "You know, the cape is really growing on me."
I take in the sheer red cape that they've given her, not really thinking it's anything special, not when compared to the Lorelei has that is embellished with gold or the one that makes Caitlin truly look like a goddess. But it does give her a regality and she seems to be standing a little taller in it. Or perhaps that is the heels that she has on that puts her almost at my height.
Serena gives her a small smile as she straightens out her dress. "I knew you would like it eventually," Serena pauses and Glacia looks around, taking in Ryoko's appearance before her stylist continues. "Alright Glacia, I think we need to get going. Just remember what I told you."
I question what they discussed as Glacia nods her head in agreement at this. Galen clears his throat and I look over at him. "I will be leaving too. Good luck, Lance."
"Thanks Galen," I say once more before the stylists leave us. I turn to Glacia as she watches the stylists leave for a few seconds before she looks at me. Now that Galen is gone, I feel the full force of my nerves hitting me and I need to talk to keep myself distracted from what is about to happen. "Are you ready for this?"
Her eyes betray the cool demeanor that she's trying to give by casually shrugging at this. I take a little comfort in knowing that even she is feeling nervous about being interviewed in front of Panem tonight. "Yeah, as ready as I'll ever be," she answers and I can hear her voice shake just a tiny bit in nervousness.
Ryoko interrupts into our conversation and I look over at him curiously. "Oh you'll be just fine!" Glacia glances over her shoulder at him and I find myself jealous that he doesn't seem worried at all about the interviews. He grins at us as Lorelei shakes her head a little from behind him. "Both of you will be fine, just look at the scores you got. The crowd loves you already!"
I find myself laughing at his always positive attitude and Glacia turns back around to face me, shaking her head at the craziness that is Ryoko. "If only we all had the confidence that you have, Ryoko," I joke around with him and he starts laughing at this as Glacia stares at me curiously. I'm not sure what she's trying to figure out but once Ryoko has turned around, I try to smile at her, finding myself relating to her as her eyes continue to show worry. "You need to stand in front of me in line, someone came through earlier and said that the girls go first for each District."
Glacia only nods hear head at this as she looks around at the tributes around us all dressed up before moving to stand between me and Ryoko. I wish I could know what is going through her head right now as she takes a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm herself.
An announcement is made, almost making me jump in surprise as my nerves have put me on edge. "Attention tributes, please prepare for your interviews. The interviews start in one minute. Again, please prepare for your interviews. Thank you."
Glacia looks back at me as the crowds starts cheering, the sound muffled by the building. There is panic in her eyes as Claudia's voice can be heard and I find myself almost wanting to comfort her. "Welcome Panem! Tonight is a very special night as we have the opportunity to hear from all 22 tributes. Each tribute will have three minutes to impress us on the last night before the games begin! Shall we bring them out?"
The crowd's screams become even louder after Claudia spoke to them and my heart starts racing at the thought of going out in front of everyone. "Good luck," Glacia whispers to me as the doors open to the building and the screams of the crowd comes in clearly.
"You too," I whisper back to her, genuinely meaning it in that moment because I know we both need a little bit of reassurance to get through it. And in that moment when it hit us that we are about to walk out on stage in front of all of Panem, I forgot all about her being competition and only viewed her as someone who is just as nervous as I am about this.
Lorelei is starting to lead us all out onto the stage and I see Glacia put her head up high as Ryoko steps out, preparing to pretend to the entire nation that she is the confident career she normally is. And as my heart reaches its peak, I start walking out onto the stage after her.
So I just started a new story, this time it is a SYOT. It will take place in the 149th Hunger Games and in this AU I have created. Please go check it out and think about submitting :)
If you want more information about the stories, please go to my website at thefifthquarterquell . weebly .com! It is now updated through Chapter 8!
