M1: VULKIN HARRIS
The garish stylist slips white gloves onto my hands and pats me on the head as she adjusts little jewels on the suit I'm wearing. I always thought the chariot rides were where the district specialties were displayed, but apparently not. I'm very uncomfortable in the jewel-studded suit. When I reunite with Fala, it's obvious she feels the same in her sparkling dress. Our mentor, Raze, guides us to the elevator and presses a button marked 'I'. The machine shoots downwards and I stumble, almost banging my head on the wall.
We emerge into a tiny room that opens into the interview center. I see the backs of the dyed hairdos of the numerous Capitol citizens sitting out there in the audience. I realize I'll have to walk through them to get to the tribute seating. That's never been a strength of mine, since I'm slightly claustrophobic. For Fala, it's no problem because she just runs everywhere.
I push through the crowd to get to my seat in the front row. Fala speeds ahead of me, and she's almost twitching when we reach our seats. I hear shouts behind us, and I turn around to see my mentor racing after us with coattails flapping. He's panting haggardly, and Fala snickers when he tries to catch his breath, his hands on his knees. We may have chosen him as our mentor, but only because he's the only District One victor who wasn't a Career. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let Fala choose- we could have used some Career skills. I'm smart and Fala's fast, but neither of us is powerful or particularly good on our own. I'm not the only smart tribute, and Fala's not the only fast tribute. We made a promise, though. We'll win this together, like Katniss and Peeta in the Seventy-Fourth Games. Except we're not star-crossed lovers. That's out of the question.
"You didn't even let me train you in interview etiquette! And I have to approve your interview angle!" I shrug off his protests, not wanting to seem like any sort of target to the Careers sitting just a few seats away.
"We know what we're gonna do. It'll be fine, Raze!" Aurelia Flickerman steps onstage, and the Capitol crowd screams. Peacekeepers drag our high-strung mentor away and Fala and I are left in peace at last.
"Welcome, Panem, to the fourth Quarter Quell!" The Capitol crowd roars again. "Well, tonight is a very special night! Everyone is anticipating the 100th Hunger Games with very high spirits, and all the sponsors out there have gobs of money ready to spend on gifts for the tributes. However, all we've seen of the tributes so far are their reapings and the training scores. Tonight, I'll be interviewing all the tributes so everyone can get to know them better! Well, first up is Fala Harris, our female tribute from District One!"
I nervously smooth out the creases in my suit trousers as she stands. This could either get us tons of sponsors, or it could be a huge disaster. I remember our strategy for interviews, and desperately hope that Fala remembers it too.
F1: FALA HARRIS
I do what I do best. I run, imagining that I must look like a streak of light to the Capitol citizens in my jewel-y dress. I probably just look like a little girl running, but that's part of our plan anyway, to make sure that we look cute to the sponsors. The more unusual, beautiful, or powerful, the more sponsors they get. Vulkin and I can't do pretty or strong, so we have to be unusual. For kids from One, unusual basically is what we've already done- getting reaped and not joining the Careers. Even if we had wanted to get in the pack, the boys from Four and Two, who are the obvious Career leaders, made it clear they didn't want us, even to the point of inducting a boy and girl to 'replace the District 1 midgets'.
Aurelia Flickerman oohs and awws as I sparkle my way to the interview chair. "What a pretty dress you're wearing!" she says. I'm not sure how to respond. Vulkin and I had come up with answers to a whole bunch of questions, but we forgot the precedence Capitol people put on clothing. Oops.
"Thank you. My stylist said that the amount of jewels is perfect- not enough to weigh me down, but enough to reflect light everywhere!" I say in my best sweet-little-girl voice. The crowd murmurs assent, and I can see smiles and whispers about my adorableness sweep through the crowd. This is not the way things are supposed to be going.
"So, what's up with that seven for your score?" Aurelia queries. I feel like I'm being put on trial, and I cross my arms moodily. This is the plan- I'm going to be belligerent, and Vulkin is going to come down and make us totally unforgettable. Aurelia tries to get me to talk, but to no avail. Finally, the buzzer goes off; it's time for me to go back to my seat. I stand, glare at the painted woman for a moment, and then spit. The gob lands in her lap, and she shrieks. I smile and skip off the little platform in the little-girl manner I displayed earlier. I glance furtively up at Vulkin. He's smiling, but our mentor looks horrified. Perfect.
Vulkin strides confidently to the interview chair. We slap hands when we pass, and I glare at the District Two tributes who are staring at me when I return to my seat.
Aurelia is visibly ruffled as Vulkin sits down across from her. He smoothly gets her started again with a simple 'hi'. She smiles at his quiet politeness and rearranges herself quickly.
"How are you doing, young man?"
"Well, considering tomorrow I am going into the place where twenty-two teenagers will die, I'm doing quite well, thank you."
"Twenty-two? I think your math is off by one, Mr. Harris!"
"No, I'm right. My sister and I are coming out of that arena together." The crowd 'aw's again and I smile at them. Yep, we're coming out together! "Fala and I are the Dream Team Twins!"
"YOU BET WE ARE!" I stand and scream. The entire audience turns to me and I smirk at them. No matter what we go through, we will live together.
"Yep, we live together or we die together. See you in a week, folks!" The plan got back on track rather nicely, don't you think? Vulkin takes his leave and begins to return to his seat.
F10: RISA FLERIT
I'm surprised- neither of the classic Career girls plays the seductive angle during their interview, although either of them could with the help of a little makeup. I mean, seriously? All of them try to seem confident and strong, although the girl from 4 is charming. Three is nerdy and quiet as usual, six and seven are just average, nothing that really catches my ear. The girl form Eight scares me a little bit. She's so depressing! I can tell that the Capitol loves the little kids from Nine, especially the witty thirteen-year-old boy.
It's time for District Ten to take the sponsors for ourselves. My district partner is so hot, he'll be sure to get many sponsors just from his good looks. I can be better though. Nobody has a chance against me. As the little boy cracks one last joke, I stand and strut down to the interview chair.
Aurelia Flickerman is a much better Hunger Games announcer and interviewer than her father was. Caesar may have connected with his fans, but the lady who followed him connects with everybody. Her beautiful- though obviously surgically altered- turquoise eyes are super deep and you just feel like she's giving you all her attention.
"Welcome, Risa!" she chirps. I wiggle my fingers flirtatiously at the crowd and they cheer.
"Hello, Ms. Flickerman!" I chirp back.
"Oh, don't call me that. I'm Aurelia here! Only place anyone calls me Ms. Flickerman is at the office!"
"The office?" She seems to realize that she might have given away a Capitol 'secret' to the tributes, and she comically covers her mouth. This is one of the reasons she's adored by everyone- even the kids about to die. She's hilarious!
"Call me later, and I'll tell you," she says mysteriously, "So, Risa, what about that kiss during your reaping?"
"I think he loves me," I blush. Alex is so sweet! The crowd murmurs excitedly and Aurelia smiles.
"I love you more!" One Capitol denizen shouts from the crowd. I blow a kiss in the general direction of the crowd and a purple-skinned figure reaches up as if to receive it.
"No flirting with the tributes!" Aurelia shouts, "Anyway, how do you think these Games will turn out?"
"Well," I bat my eyelashes as I draw out the word, "I'll come home. Love always prevails!"
"Um, I meant what do you think the arena will be like?" the interviewer stutters. I don't think she expected someone like me. Good.
"I don't care, as long as Alex is there! I love you!" I scream as my timer goes off and guards come to usher me off the stage. I brush them off and walk back to my seat on my own, giving my handsome district partner on the way. I am the love girl for these games, and no one will forget me now! Eek!
M10: ALEX TIBOLLA
The crazy girl smears lipstick over my face as she hinders my suave progress towards Aurelia. I push Risa off me and move forward a little faster. I get up to the little platform and kneel down before the woman can even repeat my name. The crowd screams as I lift Aurelia's plump hand and kiss it. She fans her face as if in a swoon with her other hand.
"Well, isn't District Ten sweet this year?! Everybody welcome Mr. Alex Tibolla!" I accept the screams of the Capitol girls as if I've been doing it my whole life.
"I see some pretty ladies out there!" I yell, causing the noise to increase dramatically. Aurelia teasingly smacks my arm and pulls me into the plush chair beside her.
"I hear you're running with the big dogs in training, Alex. Career is the way you're going, hmm?" I nod. "What's up with that nine for a score?"
"I don't think I'm allowed to tell specifically, but I'll tell you this: it was swoon-worthy!" The crowd laughs.
"Since we haven't had a really specific answer yet, I'll ask this question again. What do you think the arena will be like?"
"I just hope it's not full of pretty girls, because then I'll be too caught up in protecting them to stop my own death!" The crowd is like putty in my hands. "As long as I've got a sword or spear, I'll be fine!"
"Well, I'm sure I'm not the only lady who's happy about that!" This time it's my turn to laugh.
"What do you think about your allies?" she probes. I glance into the line of tributes, reading the nervous expressions on the faces of Two, Four, Dylan, and Ebony.
"I won't give them away," I say, winking, "but they're all awesome, and I can't wait to fight alongside them." I see Ebony glare at me. That girl hates my guts- she's probably not the first, either!
Aurelia leans forward suddenly and pokes at something on my face. "What is this red stuff? Have you been fighting a little too early?" Her voice is lighthearted even though she's almost frowning.
I know what's on my face. "I got a little kiss from Risa up there!" I grin. The buzzer goes off for my time.
"Alex?" I face Aurelia once again. "May the odds be ever in your favor." I toss her a little salute and jauntily walk back to my seat.
F12: DELILAH MERCUS
Only three minutes. I only have to spend three minutes on that platform with all of Panem watching me.
Three minutes is a lot. Especially when you're shy like me.
"Welcome to the interview, Delilah!" The perky woman says.
"Hi."
"How do you feel about going in the Games tomorrow?" This, I've noticed, is a favorite question to show in the recaps.
"I'm nervous, but who isn't? Even the Careers have to be somewhat afraid. Sometimes I think they have it worse- they probably are disrespected and even hated in their districts if they die in the bloodbath. At least I have good allies. I know they won't hurt me." Aurelia nods sympathetically. She's never known the horror of watching your friends and family die in the Games like the district people do, but out of all Capitol citizens, I really believe that she cares about us the most. At lunch yesterday, Gabriel said something similar.
"Allies, hmm? Let's hear about your alliance." Another recap favorite. They're hitting me hard.
"Our alliance is one of deep trust. Every one of us believes that we will stick together even if the four of us are the last ones left in the arena." I can hear the crowd sigh in disappointment. They wanted names.
"I love your dress, Delilah! Reminiscent of past Games, but it looks nice." I thank her gratefully, since I wouldn't have filled the awkward silence, then look down at said dress. It's black like coal, form-fitting, and I have coal dust streaked on my arms and face. At least it's better than the chariot outfit- the miners' costumes that were so heavy I could not even attempt to wave to the crowd and actually came from the mines.
"If you win the Games, what will you do with the prizes?" Finally, a newer question!
"I'll give them to my little sisters. They need the stuff more than I do." Aurelia holds her hands over her heart in a show of affection for the sisters I love.
"What are your sisters like?"
"Well, their names are Tammy and Lucy, and they are twins. Even though they can be irritating, I love them with all my heart and I will see them again." The words almost sound recited. It's almost true: I've been thinking them to myself since the train pulled away from my beloved, albeit poor, District Twelve.
The crowd probably is disappointed with me as I walk back to my seat. Too bad for them; I'm no Katniss Everdeen. Eventually they will recall my name, but it will be too late. The probability is that I will never see my beloved sisters, my home, or my family ever again.
M12: KOHLE FAIRVELL
I walk quietly to the interview chair. The crowd is utterly silent, the way they've been for my counterparts since the last Quell. Since Peeta Mellark. They always hold Twelve to the star-crossed lover standard now, and if we don't play it, we don't get sponsored. If we do play it, it's never good enough and we don't get sponsored. Ever since those berries, Twelve's tributes have had it bad. We are starting to hate the pair, although everyone loves Miss Primrose. She's in her late thirties now; single, running the apothecary and loved by all.
"Sorry, no romance this year," I say to the crowd when I approach the chair. Aurelia Flickerman groans good-naturedly.
"Well, at least we've got a gentleman!" she says. The crowd laughs, a rolling noise that sounds like maniacal thunder. "Tell us something about yourself, Kohle! We haven't heard much about you in any of the television showings!"
"I am not another tribute in these Games of yours. You may try and manipulate me as you would a chess piece, but I will not simply cooperate and put on a show for you. I refuse to be your tribute. I will always be my own person." Aurelia listens to me in total and utter shock. The crowd loves it, though. Twelve's boy always needs some Peeta-ness, otherwise no sponsors will come to them. I will need sponsors. For myself or for my allies Wyndle and Lucius. See what I mean when I say they influenced the Capitol's perception of Twelve? The baker boy is my arch-nemesis.
That is, until I'm in the arena. Then I have to deal with my fellow tributes, tormentors, AND the pressure from the 74th Hunger Games.
Aurelia is so stunned that she can barely get out the famous question. "Is there a special girl at home waiting for you?" The crowd takes a collective breath and leans forward expectantly. I even told them I wasn't going to do that!
"No. Nobody was ever really interested in me, and I never felt like falling in love, I guess. I suppose if I win they will flock to me. They sort of crave a new victor."
"HEY!" yells Haymitch from the crowd. Everyone laughs; he's not really mad.
The stunned silence after my first answer took up almost half a minute of my time that I was never going to try and fill, so my time is up after the audience quiets down. I automatically stand and return to my seat, forgetting to say goodbye. There's not much time left at all, I think. Tomorrow the arena hurries lives away from their time here in Panem, and I still have to figure out how I can possibly avoid becoming a beast tribute or a bloodbath everyone forgets within five minutes of the Games. I can promise right now that tonight I will not get any sleep at all.
Eek!