I stumble back to my room my body aching and exhausted from training. A hot shower would feel good.
After I'm all cleaned up and dressed I head to the main room for dinner. Good, cause I'm starving. Kekae confronts me first.
"So, how was train….What happened to your face!" she looks at my face with a shocked look.
Aw shit. I should have known a right hook like that would leave some form of memorabilia. Of course I was too dumb not to think of hiding it behind the masses of make-up that was in my room. Oh well, guess I should just tell her.
"I challenged a bunch of trainers at the combat station." I tell the truth.
"You what!" she shouts looking even more shocked.
"How stupid are you!"
"I told you for this to work you need to listen to me! Not only do you have a black eye and possibly a concussion, you demonstrated your skills in front of a room full of tributes! Rival tributes! Kids who are trying to killll you! We made a deal that we would help each other on this. Not to intently screw ourselves! I can only help you as much as you can help yourself." she yells at me.
I've obviously pissed her off. Way to go Calla, and know that I think about it. What did I gain from that? A black eye and a bad reputation, actually more like a concussion and an invitation to the career pack. But I decide to just be completely honest. It was awesome!
"I was angry and needed to blow off some steam. And now that I consider all of the Capitol people I punched I would have done it all over again. And it wasn't a complete bust; I mean I got respect from the careers. Oh and by the way, you don't need to worry about me doing that again I got banned from that station. Did you know they could do that?" I state. She might as well have something not to be completely pissed about.
"Ehhhh." she sighs putting her hand on her forehead.
"Ok. I know you are probably enraged right now, we all are, just you need to hide your anger from yourself. Pretend it doesn't exist then when you're in a real fight release it all at once. It's much more effective that way, trust me. As for the training mishap at least you didn't suck and getting respect from careers is a good thing. So my advice, next time you're at training eat some berries or something. Don't chuck a spear or use some of your all powerful skills I know you probably have and keep them secrete. Remember, surprise is your ally. Know your enemy but don't let them know you." she says collecting herself from her earlier lecture.
"I will." I reply back.
"That is pretty cool that you kicked their ass' though." she laughs a bit. I laugh too.
We head to the dinner table only to watch as a feast is being laid down right before our eyes. There is everything I could possibly think of as far as food is concerned. I don't know where to start. It's all just so overwhelming.
Dan starts eating right away and I can't stand the sight of it. He eats like a famished coyote on a dead buffalo carcass. Tibbles looks completely disgusted. So does everyone else. I even notice some Capitol attendants grimacing at this repulsive display of table manners. Finally I have had enough.
"Do you have any respect!" I roar at him. He drops all the food in his hands and looks at me all wide eyed and terrified.
"Eating like that you ought to be ashamed of yourself! You should have pride in your District. But acting like that drags us all through the mud! You represent District 10! You are supposed to show the Capitol what we are really like! And doing that just screams dirty salvages to them! We're not salvages1 Eat like a civilized person!" I go completely off on him.
Everyone just sits silently around the table looking at one another daring someone to make the next move. Well since I dropped yet another social bomb I might as well start. I take a piece of turkey from the serving plate and eat it with my fork! (see Dan). The taste is like sunshine in my mouth. It certainly beats dried beef. Everyone else starts eating including Dan, which I now see has adopted some-what civil table manners.
After dinner I decide to go to bed because I'm exhausted if you already didn't know. I walk off towards my room when all of the sudden a hand reaches out and pulls back on the collar of my shirt.
"Oh no you don't." says the voice I recognize as Kekae's.
"You get the pleasure of pulling an all-nighter. Concussion face." she smiles.
"Yeah, guess one coma in the family is more than enough." I grimace. Sigh. And I was already so tired.
It was dreadful. I spent the first part of the night curled up on the couch fighting back sleep with a ten-foot pull and unsuccessfully. After 2 hours I could barely stand it. My body was screaming for sleep. I'll close my eyes just for a little bit I say to myself. But just as I'm about to slip into dream land a hand slaps me across the back.
"Wake up!" Kekae shakes me awake, as if the slap wasn't enough. I rub my eyes.
"Next time I'm throwing ice water on you." She threatens.
"Don't you have anything better to do? How are you not tired?" I ask still groggy.
"Nope. When you're a Victor you find that sleep isn't your friend. That and someone needs to be here to keep you from nodding off." she says giving me a friendly shove.
The rest of the night we stayed up playing card games and telling stories. It's better than I anticipated. I actually enjoyed myself. Sometimes it feels like Kekae's my real big sister.