A/N: Train Rides.
Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides! Train Rides!
Can you guess what chapter this is? (Don't look at title!)
Yes, it is train rides; how did you guess?
Another couple question: Foxface and Marvel or Clove and Marvel?
And: Katniss and Cato or Clove and Cato?
I'd go MxF and KxC.
And for anything any escort *cough*Polka*cough*Dot*cough*: I just had to write it. Effie's voice saying "That is mahogany" has been stuck in my head all day.
And Blessia's chicken was my lunch. And the only reason her POV is really long is because I spend a while just explaining sauce in her POV.
Now, the chapter is on!:
Title: Train Rides
D3- 16- (Drew Reox)
Fawna smiles at us as Myra and I sit on the couch. We stare at her uncertainly. Lily is in her room, sleeping. Fawna says she's had a rough week.
"Fawna," I start. She looks excited that I'm speaking. "Can you just… not stare at us like that?"
She looks rather annoyed now, and stomps off, her blue highlights bouncing around her wildly. She goes to the next car and slams the door behind her. She's a real temperamental escort, for sure.
Once we're sure she can't hear, Myra and I start to laugh. Fawna and our situation are so ridiculous that the laughter is rather insane-sounding. She looks up at me and I catch a glimpse of a silver coyote necklace. When our laughter dies down, I flick her necklace. "So, allies, miss coyote?"
"Why not?" she says. "I want a big ally group."
"Sounds like you want the Careers, then," I say jokingly.
"Definitely not," she snaps. "And… miss coyote?"
"I nickname people a lot," I inform her. "That's your name. Coyote. Like it?"
Myra rolls her eyes and goes away from the sitting room and towards the dining room. I see her wave me over to the dining room and we sit amongst the colorful delicacies, all of which we both want to eat. I take a blue thing I have no name for, a green thing, and some type of stew I have no name for with meat I have no name for in it. I really have no clue at all what I'm eating. But I eat it all. It's all very rich and delicious. I pile whatever it is that Myra has just gotten on my plate after that, too, and then start to talk again.
"Makena begged me not to kill you," I state simply, matter-of-factly.
Myra says, "What'd you say?"
"Told her to keep the families together, no matter what happens in the arena," I admit. "Told her to not stop being friends with Luna. Told her not to get angry with Luna for what might happen between you and me."
"Well, no worry for that, because we're most likely allies, right?"
"Makes sense to me. I mean, our families are friends. So it makes sense to be allies. Maybe keep some trust between my family and the De La Rosas," I explain.
"I get it," Myra says. "But I'm still not writing it in stone that I am your ally."
"Course not," I agree. "I'm not doing that for you to be my ally."
"See you tomorrow in the Capitol, Myra," I say, because I'm full from stuffing my face with food and tired from the long, long day.
D9- 15- (Artemis Nightheart)
Though we're enemies, Gray and I agree on one thing: we hate Madison.
Yelling, screaming, and demanding more, more, more from us! We are doing all we can to please her, and she just won't be pleased, no matter what. It's all we can do—Gray and I—to not just tell her to shut up sometimes. And Polka Dot—oh, he just makes everything worse.
It makes me uncharacteristically angry. But I have perfectly good reasons to be angry, don't I? After all, I might be dead in a matter of weeks. And even if I don't, I see what happens to some victors.
Take Belle Diaz as an example. She's gone insane. I've seen her Games, and in her interviews, she was perfectly sane; cheery, even. Smiling and be charming for the Capitol and whatnot.
But I've also seen Madison's Games, and she's always been this way.
But enough ranting of that.
I exit my Capitol room car and see Gray, getting frustrated with Polka because he's trying to make things somewhat pleasant for us, instead of being serious and getting straight down to business, like my district partner. You see, Gray and I don't particularly get along.
And that would be an understatement, even.
It isn't normal in little, quaint districts like ours for tributes to have a natural loathing for each other. Last year, Bodhi Dawson and "Scout" Devereux were practically brother and sister. But Gray and I don't argue, or get on each others' nerves, but there's a way that he gets to me that just makes me want to have a reason to be angry, though I usually don't.
And for him, I don't know, but I think he would feel the same.
I sit between two empty seats as Madison comes and sits at the table with Polka, Gray, and I. She huffs, annoyed, and snarls at Polka, practically growling because he's taking over.
"Listen to me," Madison snaps loudly. She's a very loud person. "Don't disappoint me tomorrow! I've only known you for three hours, and—"
"Madison, hush," Polka says. "We're all starved. I suggest that if you've nothing to do but rant on these poor tributes that will be shown the Capitol, and then have it ripped from them, then you should eat in the sitting car. But don't ruin the plush chairs or the mahogany!"
D4- 17- (Blessia Fornbrex)
Finn is disappointed after having talked to Ryan and I. Lolascalla has tried to tell him that we are just too excited for the Capitol to think. He rolls his eyes every time. Now it is dinner time, and hours have passed since our "chat."
He had said, "Great! I got a pair got a pair of clueless tributes this year! Clueless, spoiled brats. How am I to prepare you two? District Four is going to lose to some poorer, stupider, lesser district full of crap again! I don't want to have to pretend to like some of these idiots like Scarlett Nelson and Bella Diaz again next year! But then again, if one of you wins, I'll have to deal with you every day in the Victors' Village."
When he gets annoyed, I have learned that he rambles on. And on. And on.
I trudge to the kitchen. In there is a feast, and my eyes light up. I've never had so much, and it all looks delicious. I want it all! But I know I can't have it all. There's much, much too much to even have a bit of everything. But I try to get a little of everything, and end up with four plates in front of me, six bowls, seven sauces and spices, and three cups. And that's just what was laid out. I'm sure that if I asked, an Avox would make me more.
I eat one thing at a time, starting with something called "chicken over the coals." It smells like wood, and has a District Seven flavor. I know. I've had a "Seven meal" before. But anyway, the chicken looks burnt, but tastes delicious, especially with something called "barbeque sauce."
I gulp down some coffee, and have lamb stew with cheese rolls and green beans. I have ribs with a green, slimy sauce, and some snails with turnip sauce and salt. Then, because I can't finish all four plates, I decide to just have desert and push my plates aside. Ryan, whom is sitting next to me, grabs them.
For desert I have English toffee cheesecake and a few oatmeal and macadamia nut cookies. Then I drink apple juice and "hot chocolate," and collapse back in my seat because I'm so full.
I guess I shouldn't have had all that hot chocolate. Or apple juice. Or cheesecake. And maybe two less cookies. I guess I should've lain off on all the chicken over the coals with so much barbeque sauce. Maybe I should've set my snails and ribs.
All that I'm left with after all the regret is lamb stew with green beans and cheese rolls on the side with coffee. I don't regret having that.
"Now. Are we good with anything?" Lolascalla asks gently. "Since Finn is being such an ass"—she glances over at Finn—"I'll mentor you and be your escort tonight."
"Thank you," I say softly to Lolascalla. I feel so guilty about being so rude to my parents, I feel like just being quiet for a while. "I can be a great actress and be manipulating."
"No weapons?" she asks, baffled. "Oh, well. I can work with that. What about you, Ryan?"
Ryan looks up from my plate with a huge smile. His smile quickly fades. "Oh, yeah. Um... I can… I can swim, and… use the environment maybe?"
"Of course, of course," Lolascalla says. "By the way, call me Lola, please. I've always hated 'Lolascalla'."
"Sure thing," Ryan breathes, looking down to his food again, and devouring what's left of the snails. Then he moves onto a soup the color of barf.
The stomach of that kid amazes me. Where does it all go? To his feet?
Finn slams down his glass, hard, shattering it, and slams his chair into the table after getting up. He goes to his car, his fists obviously clenched, and slams the car door behind him.
To annoy him, I think I'm going to start calling him "Slam."
I know it's not advisable to annoy your mentor, but if things keep going the way they are with Lola, she'll deal with my sponsors because she will know he won't. At least, he won't for me.
Note to self: Act extremely innocent with Finn, and always call him "Slam" like you think it's his name.
I smile at my plan.
If things go accordingly, I should have some real fun in the Capitol.
D5- 12- (Sam Ryans)
Scotty sits us down after dinner and stares at us like she has no idea what to do. Maybe she doesn't.
"Well…" she starts. "Well, I'm new. I have… just… what can you do…?"
"I can run…?" Mir almost asks. Scotty nods, and something crosses her eyes when looking at me.
"You know who you two remind me of?" she says, and tenses up a lot at whatever her remembrance is. It's not good, I'm sure, if every time our mentor looks at us, she remembers something she wants to forget. "Zander and Midnight." There's a long pause before she adds, "Sorry. What can you do, Sam?"
Shyly, I tell her, "I can hide."
"Okay, good, you're speaking," she says, her voice tight. I haven't since right after I got on the train. Mir didn't even try to push me to speak. She left me alone and I left her alone, for we're both terrified out of our wits. I am more than her, though, as I always am. But you'd think she'd be, since I was the volunteer. "Uh… weaknesses?" She pauses, and must think we are uncomfortable when she says, "Sorry to be so nosy. I have never done this before… I'm trying to be as thorough as I can so I can try to work out a… a sort of system to help you."
"How?" Mir questions. Scotty looks over at her with shock or something, and Mir smiles shyly. "You seem really nervous by this all."
"Oh. Well, I am, somewhat. I have the lives of two kids practically in my hands," she says. I wonder what that must be like. I guess I'll never really know, since there's no possible chance for me to win. But maybe one day Mir will know the feeling. "Well, after training, I can deduct what you've done wrong and right after you tell me what happened, and help you…?" Scotty seems very confused. That can't be good.
D10- 18- (Maxmilian "Lion" Leone)
Addelynn hates me. Not that I care. But she does.
I think it's because I've gotten it out of the way that I am going to try to be a Career, or maybe because she's scared of me, or maybe it's because she thinks I'm too cocky. Maybe it's all of those. I just know that, since she hates me, I hate her.
Bonanza can really put down some food, too, let me tell you that. It's repulsive, even for a "district citizen," and even one from District Ten. If that actually makes a difference. Which I don't think it does.
During dinner, Aaron continues to flirt with Addelynn, but she either doesn't notice, or deliberately ignores it. Addelynn does not take anything from the table, but asks for a sandwich to be delivered to her room, and leaves.
"Maxmilian. Be a good boy and go see what's wrong with Addelynn," Aaron says.
"Nah, don't think I will," I say, and leave for my car.
In my car, I set the alarm thing or whatever for early. I want to see the Capitol as soon as we arrive in the city. They'll love me and my "enthusiasm" for them.
When I wake up by the incessant sound of the alarm, I push the blankets from me; my eyes closed, and wonder why my bed is squishy. I open my eyes and for a fleeting second, I wonder why the ceiling says 'District Ten male tribute car.' Then the events of the reaping flood into view. My hand slips to my pocket, and I sigh, feeling her bracelet.
I sit up, exhausted, and trudge to the bathroom. I step into the shower groggily and sit on the white floor of the shower. I turn the shower on and almost fall asleep as the water rains down on me. It feels like something it surrounding my skin, though…
My clothes!
I stand up and stumble out of the shower, looking down at the soaked clothes. Great. Annoyed, I take off my clothes and go back under the water. After a while, I get out again, dress in a black shirt, blue jeans, and black tennis-shoes, her bracelet around my wrist, and walk to the sitting room, my hair still soaking wet.
They'll definitely love me.
A/N: Maxmilian was a bit too OOC, wasn't he? Oh, well.
I would've gotten this to you earlier in the night, but I was distracted by… *drumroll* …Insurgent.
It came today and I just couldn't wait any longer to start it! But it reminds me so much of Mockingjay… I mean, they're (spoiler) staying in another faction (like D13) to stay safe from Erudite (like the Capitol) who is trying to kill all Divergents (like Snow to Katniss) and all Abnegations (like Snow to the districts). And then there's Johanna Reyes, and how Tris just came from the faction with the symbol of fire, and the fact that they want her to escort them through the city (like Katniss through the Capitol). And the fact that Tobias tried to strangle her in Divergent. Maybe it's just me, or maybe it really is a lot like The Hunger Games Trilogy. Oh, well. I've been anticipating this book since I finished Divergent! It's super engrossing, and I already read the last page, but I don't know what it meant; just that the book ends on another cliff-hangar! I never had to wait for a sequel before. Every other book series I've read, I've read them all at once. I don't like waiting like that. And after I finish Insurgent, I'll have to wait for Veronica Roth to write and publish the next book (which I am guessing to be named Convergent; if it is, I'm going to be going around to my friends saying, "I knew it!" just to confuse them… I'm going to have to remember to do that) and I'll have to wait for it again!
Oh, well. I'm only on Chapter Five. I have got a lot of reading to entertain myself with from that book before I wait for Convergent.
Anyway, review!
