AN: Oh my Gods. Just realised how long it has been since I have updated this story. So long… I'm sorry guys, things have been a little hectic in the HarryBrumbyJacksonGames household recently and I have been ill :( Also I seem to have about five different bits of homework to do before the Easter Holidays :( Anyway, I have FINALLY written a new chapter and I hope you guys like it :)
Chapter 9
Effie finally stopped waiting for me to come out of my room after about half an hour. I had felt so bad, I had just locked myself in my room and I was planning on staying in my room until the morning. I could not go out there after what I did in that room with the Gamemakers. They probably think that I am some sort of freak, manipulating water like that.
Annabeth is outside my door now. She knocks softly, and talks quietly. I stay silent, lying on my bed curled up in a ball. Annabeth continues to knock. It's getting on my nerves. The knocking stops but no footsteps are heard. Also, two shadows of Annabeth's feet were still lingering at the bottom of my door.
I suddenly remember that they would be revealing the training scores to the public tonight. Great, I will probably get something really low. I couldn't remember what the scoring was, since I was half asleep when Annabeth told me. It was something like 1 being really bad and 13 or something being really good. I'll probably get a – 27. Okay, a bit of an exaggeration but…
Annabeth is saying that dinner is ready and that if I really didn't want to come out then they would save me something to eat. I decided to reply. I couldn't hide from my fail forever.
"It's okay, I'll come…and tell you lot how crap I was" I laughed lightly. I could hear Annabeth giggling slightly outside.
"Okay. I'll see you in a bit then." The shadows of Annabeth's footsteps faded away.
I get up and organise my hair into something respectable and walk out of my room. Everyone was sitting at the table waiting for me. No-one was talking. Annabeth and Effie were keeping their heads down along with the stylists. All of their work on the costumes at the Opening Ceremony gone to pot; all because of my stupid mistake. I had let everyone down; Annabeth, Effie, Cinna, Dorella and Haymitch. I thought of that joke about the inflatable kid who walked into school with a pin. The teacher said that he had let the school down and stuff.
Haymitch had been watching me walk over to the table in silence. It was really awkward and I didn't look up at all. I just shuffled over and sat next to Annabeth without saying a word. Effie started up a conversation with the stylists about something like the weather. Annabeth caught my eyes with a question. What happened? I gave my head a small shake and looked back down at my food. Haymitch saw this.
"Okay Percy. Just HOW bad were you today?" He said loudly and in an off-hand tone, like he was just asking me how my weekend was. I looked up sharply with slightly frightened eyes. I looked back down and murmured quietly.
"Um, I-I attacked the Gamemakers" I could just feel everybody's shocked eyes glaring at me. I could sense my cheeks going red. What do I say now? I can't say that I manipulated water from the jugs to splash across the room. Well, I could tell Annabeth that but she would go crazy.
"You what?!" Effie squeaked. "How? What did you do?" Effie sounded shocked but also extremely angry. Crap. Now what do I say? I looked over at Annabeth for help. We locked eyes and instantly she understood what must have happened. I didn't say anything in reply. Luckily, Haymitch dropped that information, realising that I didn't want to talk about it.
"Ack, they won't do anything much except make your life hell in the arena and give you a low score so you won't get very many sponsors. Just another year of the games!" He said this in a very false bright voice that really bothered me.
"But won't our life in the games be hell anyway for all of us?" Annabeth suggested. Haymitch raised his eyebrows.
"Very true." He laughed. "What were their faces like?" Haymitch was grinning now, eager to find out what I gad actually done. Effie was saying nothing, with a very disapproving look on her face. The stylists were smiling slightly and listening quietly. I was even beginning to smile slightly, surprisingly.
"Shocked. Terrified, and I even think a guy tripped up and fell over from staggering backwards" I laughed. Everyone else was giggling now, apart from Effie, who looked like she was trying to hide a smile, but she wasn't doing to good at it.
"So were they not paying attention to you? Because they didn't with me" Annabeth said, still laughing slightly.
"Yeah. That's why I got mad. Even though I knew that they would be like that, it still shocked me" I was remembering the guy who had fallen over.
We had finished our dinner and have moved over to the high-tech TV on the wall on the other side of the large room. I sat next to Annabeth on the sofa, who cuddled up to me; which comforted me a lot. The screen flashes into existence and a guy with very large blue hair appears. He is sitting behind a desk with a huge wad of paper in his hands. The news and our scores I guess.
It didn't surprise me that District 12 scores were being shown last. It also didn't surprise me that the Careers get roughly a 7- 9 range. The highest being the boy from 2, Cato, getting a 9. Everyone else got 4 – 6/7. Then came Annabeth.
"Annabeth Chase, from District 12…9." There were smiles and a few cheers as Annabeth hid her face in my chest. I laughed and looked down at her.
"Nice one wise girl" I said, grinning. I heard a muffled response which was probably some sort of protest but it was too quiet and mumbled to hear. Then came me.
"And finally, Percy Jackson from District 12" the blue haired man was grinning until he looked down at my score. His face fell into one of shock. "Percy Jackson…11!" It was my turn to have a shocked face. There was a silent pause as the TV screen flickered off and everyone still seemed to be staring at it. Then all hell broke loose.
Haymitch cheered and leaped up to stand on the once bright white sofa, earning a look of up most disgust from Effie. Dorella and Cinna high-fived and then turned to grin at me. Me and Annabeth were locked eyes, staring at each other. Nobody could quite believe it. Me? An 11? Were they really that impressed that I had somehow learned some magic to manipulate water like that? Or while I was busting out some sword moves someone was actually paying attention to me, only to turn away once I had finished? None of that really seemed to matter. I had got an 11!
"Whatever you did in there Percy, it sure made an impression!" Haymitch screeched in a manic voice down to me. He was laughing like a mad man and leaping around cheering, holding his fists up in the air.
"I guess they liked your temper, it will make the Games more interesting if they have a tribute with some fire" Dorella said, smiling slightly. "Cinna and I have some great ideas for your interview costumes, especially you Annabeth" Dorella give Annabeth a mischievous and knowing smile.
