Chapter 10:
Final Training Day
His eyes are searching my face, trying to decide if I'm lying. I feel another tear slide down my cheek, but his thumb wipes it away. I can see so much love and care in his eyes. Which makes me feel even guiltier for lying to him.
"What's up with this sappy Briar? That is not the Briar that I know and love! I love the witty and snappy girl who doesn't care about anyone!" Wade says jokingly, pulling us out of our corny moment.
"Oh, so you don't want me to care about you anymore?" I say, sniffing. Wade has managed to turn a very serious conversation into a joke. I recover from my real sadness, and put on a fake sad face. "So you don't love this Briar?"
He smiles and says, "Well, no. I like that Briar, but it isn't really you."
"Oh yeah? I can be a softie sometimes, right?" I say teasingly.
"No! You have to be a hard-ass all the time. NO sappy moments!" he says.
"Whatever," I say, and roll my eyes.
"See, there's the hard-ass!" He laughs, his bright green eyes lit up.
"Hmm… The way you keep saying that makes it sound like you're looking at my butt," I say, sitting up from my laying down position.
"I might have been, I might have been…" he says with a smirk. I laugh and hit him playfully.
"I guess we need to get dressed now, don't we?" I say.
"Yeah, I guess," he says. "I'll see you in ten then." I nod, and he walks out. I get up and address the mess that is my hair.
"Might as well take a shower," I mumble as I stumble into the bathroom. I strip my clothes and turn on the shower. I walk in and am met with a rush of freezing cold water. Nothing like gallons of freezing cold water to wake you up in the morning, I think coldly. I turn around to face the keypad and change the settings, but I can't see what I'm doing, so my hand slides around the pad, making beeping noises. The water suddenly becomes very warm, and somehow feels softer. The room fills with the scent of vanilla and lemon. I smile in content, and leave the settings alone.
Ten minutes later, when I'm completely clean and dressed, I walk out into the dining room and meet a cheerful Volumnia and a smiling Wade.
"Good morning!" Volumnia chirps.
"It sure is! I'm one day closer to my death now!" I say in a falsely cheery voice.
"Briar! We do not need that kind of attitude! You are a very strong tribute, and I believe in you!" she screeches. Then, she looks over to Wade and adds, "I believe in you, too. Don't worry!"
"I wasn't worrying. Briar, remember our talk from earlier?" Wade says seriously.
"Oh. Yeah," I say. How could I forget my lying to him? I walk over to the table and fill a glass with a green liquid that smells like earth and dirt. I slug it down, and burp. Volumnia gives me a horrified look, and I smile proudly.
"Well, today's the last day of training! Yay! That means that they're going to work you harder to make sure that you know what you're doing in the arena!" she says, changing the subject.
"Yep," I say, reaching forward to grab a fluffy croissant. I slather it in raspberry jam like before, and eat it whole. "I don't want to hear it, Volumnia," I add after seeing her shocked look. Wade snorts then covers it up with a cough.
"You people…" she says. I laugh and grab a handful of some red and sticky seeds. I shove them into my mouth and am surprised by a gush of sour juices.
"Pomegranate," Volumnia says. "They can be quite delicious when they're in season, but those pickers in Eleven always pick them way too early, so it's way to sour to eat now. But those Avoxes always put it out."
"Yum," I say as I grab another handful of seeds.
"Okay. Finish up, you guys, and then we'll go down to training," Volumnia says. We both nod and swallow our food. We stand up and approach the elevator. She enters some sort of keycard into a slot and the doors slide open. We step into a luxurious gold elevator cab. Volumnia presses a button and we begin the speedy trip to the training rooms. Within moments, we are in the training center.
Wade and I are pushed out of the elevator. I turn and see a smiling Volumnia in the elevator. She quickly turns her head, slides her keycard, punches in a number, and the cab speeds upward. I walk to the large group of people and listen to what the head coach Elise says.
"Okay. Listen up. Training will be cut short today because you all have your private sessions with the Head Gamemakers. Instead of ending at the normal time, we will be ending after lunch. So, that means that if there's anything that you still need to try, do it now because it's your last chance to practice or gain any skills that you may want or need. Then tomorrow you will all have the whole day to practice your interview speeches. And tomorrow night will be the actual Interviews. And your last night here in the Capital!"
Everyone nods, and then disperse to various stations around the room. Wade takes my hand in his and we wander around to find a station that neither of us has gone to. Of course there are tons of places that we haven't learned the skill of, but that's because they all seem useless.
"How about knot tying? That might come in handy. Snares and stuff," Wade says.
"When will that help us in the arena?" I say, a questioning look on my face.
"If we find string in the arena and need to make traps and snares," he says, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Honestly, Briar."
I punch him lightly in the arm, but smile too. He rubs his arm in fake agony, a twisted look on his face.
"Fine. We'll tie knots like the Careers from Four. I guess I'm a hypocrite now, though, for saying that I would never ever be like a Career. The irony," I say. I approach the station, and am shocked at what I see. Laid out on the floor are examples of intricately tied ropes, some attached or tied to the large fake tree towards the back of the station. Draped around the tree is a net that I'm guessing was hand-woven. The mentor for this station has his head ducked down, bent over his latest masterpiece.
I clear my throat to catch his attention, but he continues working. I clear it again, louder. No response. "Sir, you have students. Er, tributes," I say loudly, attempting once again to get his attention.
"I heard you before you started speaking," he says, his head still bent down.
"Then why aren't you teaching us?" I demand.
"I am teaching you. It's called patience. And it looks like you need as much of it as possible," he replies. Wade chuckles behind me, which makes me even angrier.
"I wanted to learn how to tie a knot or two. Not how to wait for an old man to slip his bony old fingers into a piece of string!" I yell, earning me some snorts and giggles from around the room.
The man finally looks up, and, without saying a word, corrects me. He isn't an old man. He looks to be about twenty years old. There is a gorgeous smile on his lips, his lips curled back to reveal sparkling white teeth. He has tanned skin and blue eyes and dark brown hair in layers. He is handsome in a different way than Wade is.
"Not so old, am I?" he says, standing up. He offers me a hand. I take it hesitantly, but relax when he smiles coolly and goes to shake Wade's hand. I turn my head and catch a glimpse of Wade. I think I see a glint of jealousy in them. He shouldn't be jealous. No one else would want me. "The name's Caine, by the way."
"Briar," I tell him.
"And you?" Caine turns to Wade, who glares at Caine.
"I don't think you need to know. You'll learn later when you're placing bets on people. I'll be one of them," Wade says coldly. This is the first time that I've seen him like this. Normally he is bright and bubbly.
"Okay then. Time to tie some knots, eh?" Caine says, and grabs some rope that lays draped on a tree branch.
We spend the next four hours tying and untying knots. Caine places his hands over mine, showing me the fingering patterns to create the knots. I know Wade is fuming next to me. I want to tell him that it's only him, that I would never like anyone else, but I refuse to be sappy and mushy in front of Caine because he's only seen the snappy and witty part of me.
When Elise calls us all to eat lunch, I try to stop Wade and talk to him, but he storms off, leaving me standing at the knots station. I sigh, and start to follow him to the cafeteria, but I feel a strong, soft hand grab onto my wrist. Caine.
I whip around and get up into his face. "What do you want?"
"Just letting you know that my bets are all on you. You look like you have what it takes to win. Then, when you return, you'll come out here," he says, making my stomach twist and knot. Why would I come back to the Capital? Wouldn't I return to Seven?
"Oh, come on Briar! Don't pretend like you don't know what happens to Victors. You remember Victoria? And Cherine? You saw them float from man to man on television at the balls and galas." I realize I know exactly what happens to the Victors. At least the appealing or attractive ones.
"But… But they wouldn't want me," I say in terror.
He grins evilly. "Oh yes they would. You're attractive, clever, and feisty. The men would love all of that stuff," he says. "But, I have some good news. If you do end up winning, and end up agreeing to the, uh, 'terms' the president presents, I can get you. Not permanently, but for a little while"
"What?" I say in disgust. "Like a sex slave?"
"No. I would 'have' you so that you don't have to go from man to man as often. Just stay with me," he says, sincerity in his eyes. I want to tell him that everything that he's said is just a big lie, that it's not true. But I know better than that.
"What do you say?" he asks, now holding my hand with both of his.
"I… I won't. I would never do that to Wade," I say, trying to escape his grasp, which is tightening. "I have to go to lunch, Caine."
His bright blue eyes suddenly turn cold and icy. "Wade. I should have known that you two were 'together'. I saw those pictures, but I thought that they were photo-shopped. Oh no. They weren't. But now, my offer isn't an offer. It's a command. If you don't, I will have your family killed."
I stare at him in shock. He wouldn't do that. Would he? "You wouldn't do that."
He laughs cruelly. "You have no idea what I would do."
"Fine! Okay. I'll do it. Whatever. Just don't hurt my family, please," I say in shame. I'd let him win. Then, I realize something. "I will, under one condition: if you sponsor Wade and I."
"That's a very small price. I was going to sponsor you anyway, but now I guess I have to sponsor you both, isn't that right?"
"Yes, yes it is. Now, would you please let me go?"
"Whatever you say, Princess." With that, he releases my wrist. I run to the cafeteria, and slip in quietly when Elise has her back turned. I quickly scan the room, and find my loud group of friends. I sprint to the table and am met with questioning glances. I sit down next to Katri and scoop some of the rice that she has in a bowl into my mouth.
"You could ask!" she exclaims. I smile and shrug my shoulders, not giving her a real reply.
"Where were you?" Beck asks.
"Practicing my knots. The instructor held me back because my knots suck. If we need to make some fishing knots, we're either going to have to go into the Cornucopia to get them, or someone else has to make them," I say, bringing giggles and smiles from everyone at the table. Everyone but Wade.
"Oh, that's interesting. Because my buddy Wade here thinks you and the instructor over there were flirting with each other," Beck says casually, as if he didn't know my heart was breaking. Wade thought I was flirting with Caine. My stomach dropped and I felt tears rush behind my eyes.
"No. That's not at all what was happening. Like I said, he was teaching me how to do the one knot I needed to complete my snare. Nothing beyond that. If anything, he was flirting with me!" I yell at Beck. I'm not mad at him. I'm mad at Wade, for pouting like this and not actually talking to me. And for not trusting me to be near Caine.
Beck throws his hands up as if telling me to back off. "Don't get all pissy with me just because your boyfriend is whining and jealous. Yeesh!"
"It's good, Beck. I'm not mad at anyone," I lie. "I'm hungry. Who will share their food with me?" Katri nudges me and puts the bowl of rice that I had already eaten from in front of me. "Thank you!" I find a fork and shovel the rice into my mouth, not caring that the fork is dropping rice everywhere.
We eat in silence. I guess people are nervous for the sessions with the Gamemakers. I haven't even been thinking about what I'm going to in there until now. Should I go with my ax handling or something else? I'm not really too good at anything else, so ax handling it will be.
"Alright, everyone! Time for you private sessions with the Gamemakers. You can just leave your trays where they are. Please follow me out of these doors here. We're going to take a left into this hallway. From there, we go down two flights of stairs, down another hallway, then you will all take seats in District order in the seats lining that hall there. Clear?" Elise yelled, cutting short people's conversations. She looked around to see if people had understood all of the directions, which they all clearly did not. "Oh, whatever. Just follow me out of here." The people at our table rise, and join the large crowd of people that re milling around the room, headed towards the entrance.
"Do you know what you are going to do?" Willow asks me. "In your session I mean."
"Um… I think that I'm going to show them my ax handling skills. How about you?" I ask.
"I have no idea. Normally, by the time my district comes around, they are bored so they won't pay much attention to us. Even if I was doing something amazing, I would've gotten a low score. They only like the Careers," she says. I nod, and jog to catch up to Katri, who is happily speaking with Whytt.
"Hey guys! What are you going to do in your sessions?" I ask.
"It's classified information," they say at the same time. Katri giggles and Whytt grabs a hold of her hand.
"Okay," I say, and fall back down to Willow. We walk in silence, following the group down stairs and through hallways until we find the hallway with chairs lined up on the left side of the hall.
"Okay, group. I will call your district up, and I want you to sit boy then girl, okay?" Elise yells. We all nod and she begins to call out the district numbers. "One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven…" I push through the crowd to the seats she is at. I sit down next to Wade, and steal glances at him every now and then. But he just sits and faces straight forward, not saying a word.
He finally speaks when Elise is done counting down. "What did he really say to you? During lunch?"
"You don't want to know," I say quietly.
He takes my face in his hands, his expression hard. "Yes, I do want to know."
"He said that he had his bets on me," I say, only revealing part of what he said. Wade can tell that I'm not saying everything.
"What else?"
"He told me what happens to Victors," I say, still not saying everything.
"What else?"
I sigh. "He said that when I win, I will have to return to the Capital. And go from man to man. And to him," I whisper, choking up.
"Oh, God," he says, pulling me into an embrace. It feels so good to hold him, to smell him. I can feel myself about to cry. I breathe in a deep and shuddery breath. His hand goes up to clutch my neck to his chest. "I'm so sorry, Briar. I'm sorry." I say nothing, just hold him to me to remember this feeling. Our bodies together.
"What will we do?" I ask quietly.
"Where? When?" he asks back.
"In the arena. If I have to return to that, I don't want to return. And I don't want you to come to that. Wade, please tell me," I ask like a young child.
"I don't know Briar. I can't tell. It's so screwed up, this country. They promise you happiness, safety, wealth, and food if you win. And in reality, you only get two of those things. No Victor is happy. They all end up drug addicts, alcoholics, or prostitutes in the Capital. No safety either. They're always threatening the Victors. If you don't do this, this will happen, or they will die. It's all just so damn messed up," Wade says. I nod in understanding. The Capital lied to us all. They have been for sixteen years. What kind of government would do that?
"It is. It truly is," I agree. "Here goes sappy Briar again, but I'm glad that we get each other from this messed up government."
He smiles, and gently pulls my head from his chest so that he can look into my eyes. "Eh. I guess that Briar isn't that bad." He pulls my head closer to his, and just as we're about to touch lips, we are interrupted.
"District Seven: Wade Roxen."
A/N: Hi! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this story in almost a month! Been so darn busy! But now that it's summer break, updates will (hopefully) be almost every week. Reviews inspire me! If you want to help me out tremendously, you could review or PM me with ideas for mutts! I only have one mutt in mind so far, and it's not too good yet. If you do send in one, I'll give you a shout out! Who doesn't love a good shout out? haha.
Next chapter will be… I am kind of a spontaneous writer. If I turn my computer on, and go to my story, I will start and finish a chapter. So I only get my outbursts of creative juices (eww….what a weird metaphor *shudder*) when I am on. Which is at random times. But if I get seven reviews within two days, I will update on Tuesday. How does that sound? To make up for my lack of a chapter for almost a month!
Umm… Yeah. Don't have much else to say here. It's pretty late where I am. And I am tired. So I will go to bed now. Bye-Bye!