AN-Nothing to say, other than (Disclaimer): I don't own RF!
Chapter 9:
I enter the room, where the Gamemakers were already starting to get drunk. Well, looks like I'll put on a show they won't forget.
I pick up a sword and wait for the dummies to pop up. When they do, I stab and decapitate every one I see. Slash! Rip! When I'm done, a pile of rags and stuffing lay on the floor. The some of them clap, but not Seneca Crane, the head Gamemaker. My goal is to make him give me a standing ovation when I'm done.
I pick up a spear, its weight just right for me. I throw it, and it flies through the air, finally implanting itself in a tiny metallic box in the corner of the room. Pride rises in me until all the lights go out. Apparently, the box controlled all the power in the room. Oh, crap. The Gamemakers go berserk and I run out of the door before they could blow me up, or do something cruel to me.
When I'm outside, its pitch dark. Shoot! It happened to knock out the rest of the power in the entire building!
Great, now I bet they'll turn me into an Avox. Everyone is demanding what happened. "Calm down, calm down. The power went out," someone says. The lights begin to flicker on and off before they come on fully. Everyone's readjusting to the light.
I stand there, horrified, until I tell myself to keep moving.
I hide behind a fake plant and make my way over to the elevators, trying to dodge any glares I get from the other Tributes.
Once I make my way to my floor, I see Lachlan, our mentors, Sander, and a few Avoxes in chaos. "What happened?" Lachlan screams at me.
"Chill," I say, trying my best to sound calm. "Just some technical difficul-"
"WHAT THE HELL, AURA!" Finnick fumes.
Whoa, Finnick's always the easy going socialite, but now he's boiling. "You could earn yourself a one!"
"How would you know what I've done in that room?" I fire back.
"The same thing happened in my year," Finnick explains. "My district partner did the exact same thing and got a frikin' 3! A 3! For a Career! She got herself killed in the Bloodbath from the rest of our Career Pack!"
"It was an accident! Not my fault that they put the electrical box in the TRAINING center!" I yell.
Marlene comes to me and hugs me. "Finnick, calm down," she says in a surprisingly calm voice. Finnick throws his hands up, strides to his room, and slams the door.
A crash comes from his room.
Everyone flinches. "I've never seen him this angry!" Sander exclaims. I instantly feel horrible.
I'm done for. Lachlan gives me a sympathetic look. Marlene hugs me even tighter.
"He gets touchy when something reminds him of his Games," she explains. "Especially the deaths."
I want to go and cry. So I politely untangle Marlene from me and take off sprint towards my room.
My heart sinks deeper. I didn't mean to hurt a man who was as kind to me as I get ready to fight to the death.
"Wait! Aura!" Lachlan's voice sounds after me. He somehow manages to catch up with me, grabbing my wrist. "Hey, come on."
"Let go," I say. But he continues.
"It's okay. Ignore them. What's right? Running away is obviously not going to make the situation better." He lets go of my wrist and stands there.
He's right. Running isn't going to make it better.
It's time I make this right.
Using up all my strength and courage, I head to Finnick's room. I hear loud sobs emanating from the door.
This immediately wants me to turn back around, but I knock on the door. "Finnick?" I say. The sobs stop, but the door doesn't open. I guess I have to talk to him through the door.
"Look, I am SO sorry, Finnick. I didn't...didn't mean to. I just wanted to make a good impression for the Gamemakers, which backfired completely. If..." I need to choose my next words carefully. "If I do get a low score... I'll try me absolute hardest. I WILL make you proud."
The door opens and Finnick shocks me by embracing me in a hug. "That's all I ask," he says.
I spend the remaining time until dinner and the unveiling of the scores, in the hallways, sitting down with my back against the wall. Lachlan ends up joining me. "So..." he says, dragging out the 'o'.
"I fixed Finnick."
He chuckles. "Great job!"
"Thanks…"
"We okay now?" He asks as if we weren't before.
"Yes? Why do you ask?" I wonder.
"It's just… I was never able to apologize before about...the entire situation. And…I'm sorry," he concludes.
"It's fine. Thanks," I say, kissing him on the cheek. His whole face turns a light red. I giggle and smile.
Sanders finds and beckons us into the viewing room. My stomach twists into a knot that not even Finnick can untangle.
A 3... That would bring Dad to tears.
I'm hoping the Gamemakers didn't forget my stunt with the swords. That would at least get me a 4. Right?
When we enter the viewing room, I'm shaking. "You'll be fine," Lachlan says, taking me in his arms.
The air is tense as a picture of each District One's tributes and a number pops up on the bottom of the screen. They both receive 8s.
Then it's District Two's turn. Nelly receives an 8 while Bedros receives a 9. District Three both receive a 6. Whatever they did, didn't fair so well. But it makes me more nervous about my score.
Lachlan's picture shows on the screen. His score is a 10. Everyone congratulates him. Now it's my turn. I can't watch so I bury my head in Lachlan's shoulder.
However, I keep one eye open. Hey, nothing wrong with making sure of something.
A 10 flashes besides my face.
10?
But how?
Finnick stares at the screen with his mouth hanging open. Marlene closes it, but her eyes are wide with shock.
Lachlan chokes on the water he drank beforehand, and Sander looks like he's about to faint.
How in the nation of Panem did I get a 10? Not even Bedros, who can probably throw me 50 yards, could score a 10!
"What else did you do in there," Finnick asks, holding the bridge of his nose.
"Swords," I answer. "Lots and lots of slashing and ripped up dummies."
"Go on..."
I give him a confused look. That's all I did, nothing else.
"Did you give the Gamemakers a certain look?"
I think about it for a moment. "Yeah... Seneca Crane didn't seem so impressed with me so I was determined to impress him. I guess it showed... But what does this have to do with anything?"
"The scores are how promising you are in the arena, not just your strength and speed," Finnick says, thinking hard. "A certain attitude, like your determined one, will impress them."
"But why did your district partner get a 3?"
"She was very arrogant and looked down on the Gamemakers. Trust me, those Gamemakers can read people like books."
"But what does attitude have to do with anything?" Lachlan cuts in.
It's Marlene's time to answer.
"A lot. Your attitude can determine how hard you'll fight to make it home, and the harder you fight, the more likely you're going to come out as a Victor."
I nod my head once, tossing the idea in my head. The boy from 5, who I remembered thinking hard during the Reapings, got a 7.
Pretty high for an unsuccessful district. The girl from 8 who looks like she's going to murder anyone in her way at any time gets an 8.
Very high. I should watch out for her. The District 10 girl who looks like she should belong in District One got a 4. Hm, well it looks like all she has are her looks. Still, she's getting some sponsors.
But at least we got 10s. Marlene tells us that the interviews are in two days. Tomorrow Finnick and Marlene are going to prep us for the interviews; help us what our angles will be, etiquette, and what to say.
I head off to bed and fall into a dreamless sleep once again.
AN-Yay! Please review! Next chapter: Interview angles! Yay!
