Luster Alders, 17
District 6 Male
Damn, they really pulled out all the stops for this party.
I look at myself in the mirror of my room and do a spin. They have me in a light grey suit with a pair of black shoes that I swear I can see my reflection in. I do a twirl in front of the mirror and flip my hair before walking out into the living room.
"You look ridiculous," says Maeve as she sits on the couch her in bright bubble gum pink dress. The complete opposite of her personality if you ask me. Whoever said girls were made of sugar, spice, and everything nice was unbeknownst to that of Maeve Alberich.
"Well, at least I look like myself. You're walking around looking like a poisonous bag of cotton candy."
She flips me off and gets up to walk to the elevator. "You know, during the bloodbath tomorrow, my friends are going to kill you. They're going to take spears, and shove it down your throat."
My heart stops as I remember that Maeve, for whatever reason, is now apart of the career alliance. I know I should watch my mouth when I'm around her, but she makes it so difficult to want to sit here and stop talking. She's batshit crazy, and that's all that boils down too.
The elevator dings, and there are two pairs of tributes in it—the duo from 10 and the couple from 12. The pair from 10 gives me a wide-eyed look of fear as the boy from 12 seems to be talking to himself in the elevator.
"Kathy, I do not care if you can't go to the party at this point!" he screams as Maeve, and I step into the elevator. "You can't keep me from going! It's my last night here-"
"Darren, people, are starring," whispers the girl from 12. "You can't keep doing this, please. We can't start the games with people-"
"Shut up, Madison!"
Tears well up in the girl's eyes as she walks to the other side of the elevator to compose herself. The girl from District 10 puts her hand on her back as Maeve, without flinching, goes and stands next to the crazy boy.
"You're okay," whispers the girl from 10 to Madison. "There's a lot of stress right now, and people tend not to handle that well in these times. Don't beat yourself up too hard."
The elevator arrives on the lobby floor, and we start to make our way to the banquet hall. I see the girls from 10 and 12 walk to the side, and the boy from 10 and I follow.
"You guys, it isn't a big thing," says Madison. "District 12 isn't supposed to win the games, right? We had a Victor in what? The 10th games and the 50th games? It's just fate at this point, I guess."
"Don't accept that," says the boy from 10. "Anyone of us could go in and win this arena."
"Not without allies," I whisper.
The group turns to look at me and then at each other. "So you guys haven't had any luck either?" asks the girl from 10. She shakes her head and extends her hand to me. "Sorry, I'm Saiz. This is my District partner Othniel."
"I'm Luster," I say, shaking her hand and then shaking the boy from District 10. "And I would ask your name, but I think we all know it's Madison. Crazy brain made that abundantly clear."
There's an awkward silence that fills the hall as we all just stare at each other. I don't know these kids. Like at all, but even a little bit of help in the arena can go a long way, especially when my worst enemy in this game is the empress of crazy, Maeve.
"Well, we can either sit here quietly and think about what we want to ask, or we can just ask it," says Madison looking at all of us. "Do we want to work together in this game, or do you want to pretend like this conversation never happened and walk into that party alone?"
Saiz and Othniel nod as the look at both Madison and I, and stick their hands out to shake both of ours. "We're in."
"Me too," I say.
For the first time since entering the Capitol, a feeling of joy falls over me, but that feeling flees quickly when I remember that the careers are hunting me. A sense of guilt rings over me, and I'm about to tell them when an assistant comes running out of the ballroom.
"What are you doing out here! Get in the room! You need to be mingling and having a good time, or your scores will be low! Do I have to spell everything out for you lower Districts? Don't use your hands. Eat with utensils. Now go!"
She pushes us into the ballroom, and we are swamped with people wanting to talk to us. The four of us are quickly separated, and I am unable to tell them about Maeve and her alliance of batshit psycho.
Vanity Mendoza, 18
District 1 Female
Since stepping into the Capitol, I have been one giant ball of disaster. Literally, every choice I've made, I can hear my trainer back home screaming at me to do differently and hooking up with Gerard? Making that stupid deal with the boy from 3?
All of them stupid choices.
But all of them are me.
It's not easy growing up in a place like District 1 when you look like me. All the girls are blonde, blue eyes, and the girls like me are typically in the slums as we call it. My father worked his ass off, and even then he lost a bit of what made our family our family to adjust to the crowd of the upper class easier. I was always the girl who was hot, but not the kind of hot that would inspire you to pursue me. I was sexualized on an extreme basis; I was fetishized by the rich white boys of this District.
And what's the first thing I do when I get into the Capitol?
Hook up with the rich white boy.
He's using me. I know he's using me, and in a way, I guess I'm using him too. He's the only career which seems to have their shit together though who isn't a whack job, so right now, until I win these games, he's all I have.
"Vanity, tell us about your family back home?"
Mija, don't talk Spanish in public. Mija, don't talk about that. These people don't have these problems.
I never understood what my mother was talking about until I got into the academy. Now, as I speak to these people, it's all that's playing in my head.
"My dad owns a designing company for the Capitol. He sends clothes to you guys, Jonny M?"
They light up when they hear my father's brand name. They all wear them. I've already picked out a few people who have his dresses tonight. I should be a shoo-in for a good party score just because my dad barring any major screw up.
"Welcome to the party of the 60th Hunger Games!" Eden Grant comes onto the stage and smiles at the audience. She's in one of my father's dresses. I remember watching him poor over the design of her skin tight red ensemble she is rocking right now.
She's the exact customer my dad had in mind while making the dress.
"We are going to get started on some of these interviews! Remember that throughout the night, you'll be ranking the tributes on their social aspects. And to my audience," she says, deadpanning the camera in front of her face. "Let's welcome Vanity Mendoza of District 1!"
I walk up to the stage with a confident strut and do a strong pose when I get to stand next to Eden. She gives me a quick hug and pecks me on the cheek. "You look fantastic in your dress," she says to me.
"Thank you!" I say. "You do too!"
"Now I heard the craziest little rumor about you, girl," says Eden as she looks at the audience. "Wait for this, you all are going to freak! But isn't your dad Jonny M?"
I smile brightly at the audience and hide my face in fake bashfulness. "Yes, that's my dad! I've seen a couple of you wearing his wonderful dress designs. He always talks so highly of the Capitol. I've been so happy just to be able to experience it in this way."
"But you're not a typical girly girl, are you, Vanity? Let me tell you guys I watched this girl in her simulation. She is going to be a force in the arena."
"I'd like to think so!" I laugh. "God knows my parents pushed me hard enough while in the academy."
"Why was that?" asks Eden.
You either answer this honestly, or you answer it politically correct.
"Well, when you live in District 1, there is a certain expectation of what you should look like," I say honestly. "I know I'm not the typical blonde hair and blue-eyed tribute that the Capitol has got adjusted to seeing. When I enrolled in the academy, things were off to a rough start for me because I was the little girl who's family made it out of the slums. I had to work twice as hard and twice as much just to get the same notoriety as Basic Becky, who could barely shoot an arrow."
I guess you went with honesty.
"Well, that is all the time we have left, Vanity. I'm sure you'll be a spectacle in these games!"
I walk off the stage and am greeted by Gerard. "I'd hide for a bit," he says, grabbing my hand and leading me behind the stage. "Your mentor was fuming."
"Well, then we have some time," I say, bringing him close to me and kissing him on the lips.
Othniel Veiga, 18
District 10 Male
This kind of party doesn't impress me much.
Yara would be all over this kind of an event. She's always been fascinated with the big city life of the upper Districts, but it has never really sat well with me. They spend so much money on food, and they have so much excess afterward that I'm sure they just throw away.
I just want to be home with my girl.
I grab onto the necklace with her ring on it that they tried to make me take off. They said that I'm attractive and need to give off the impression that I'm available, and I'm not being held down back home.
I am being held back from someone back home, but it's not in a bad way. I've made sure to show everyone the ring who cares to listen, and everyone in this room cares to listen. I've been swarmed with people trying to get my attention from the second I walked into the room. I finally have a chance to sit down when the girl from 12 comes and sits next to me.
"You just overwhelmed like me?" she asks, sitting down.
"Probably more so," I say looking through the crowd, I see Saiz and Luster entertaining and being charming with the people of the Capitol. "Do you think they realize how superficial all this is?"
"I'd like to think that they know deep down," she says. "However, I do think that's the beauty of privilege. Is the fact that your ignorance comes with it. In their minds, I'm sure they think everyone lives like this. They've never had to worry about where the food is coming from, or if they're going to make enough to cover rent for the month. They just live in bliss."
"You sound almost jealous of them," I tell her looking at her from across the table.
"Not jealous," she says. "Maybe envious of how easy they have it. I guess it just doesn't make sense to me that a whole country can be suffering, but here in the one percent, everything is grand and exceptional. So no, not jealous, but a little resentful."
"I can understand that," I say.
The group that was talking to Saiz walks away, and she sees us sitting down at the table and hustles over to us. "God, I feel like they talk at a thousand words a minute. I'm lucky if I can get a word in."
"You're doing better than us then," says Madison as she grabs a glass of champagne off a tray for each of us as an Avox walks by. The Avox tries to take it away from her, but she holds up her hand. "I'm going into a death match tomorrow morning. You're going to take away a glass of champagne?"
The Avox bows and walks away, leaving Saiz, Madison, and I to toast as we watch Eden Grant interview the boy from 4 when a loud crash disrupts the party. Madison's District partner is sitting in the middle of the room with his head in his hands.
"SHE WON'T STOP TALKING!"
Madison gets up to walk over to him, but I reach up and grab her hand. "You can't watch over him forever. Come tomorrow morning, as sucky as it is, and we are all in a fight to the death. You can't worry about him then."
"I can't just leave him-"
"You have to," Saiz interrupts. "If you get caught up in that, it could affect your score. And if your score is affected, so is your chance of sponsors. He seems to be going through a lot, but you have just as much to get home to as he does."
"Your life is important," I interject.
The way she cares for her District partner reminds me of Yara, and how she would give the shirt off her back if someone needs it. I can tell Madison has a big heart, and unfortunately, people with big hearts don't belong in the Hunger Games.
"Don't touch me!" he screams as security swarms him and brings him to his feet. "Don't touch me! I don't want to be touched! Take Kathy away! Take Kathy away!"
Madison begrudgingly sits back down as a group of socialites moves over to our table and sits down. "I do say," says the girls. "Is this an alliance that is forming right in front of our eyes."
"Could be," I tell them, nodding at them. "It depends on who's asking."
"Fans?"
"Then yes," says Saiz. "Definitely an alliance."
The girls swoon and laugh as they sit down and start asking us questions at a million miles a minute. Saiz gleefully answers the questions as Madison, and I sit back and allow her to do the talking. After a few minutes of talking to them about their questions, Madison leans over to me and says, "See? Ignorant Bliss."
Djuvicko Leighton, 12
District 11 Male
"Wow, I've never been able to see so many amazing things!" I say, looking around at the party-goers from the stage. "We don't have these nice things back home in District 11! I have always been so amazed at what the Capitol can do and the food! Oh, my goodness!"
Eden laughs as she sits on the stool that the party organizers brought her to get on my level. "That's super sweet, Djuvicko."
"Thank you for also saying my name correctly! I can't tell you the number of people who got my name incorrect since coming here! I know that I don't have the easiest name, but it's very professional of you to take the time to learn my name! It makes me feel important."
Eden puts her hands on my shoulders and smiles. "You are important, Djuvicko. But that is all the time we have left! Thank you for joining us, Djuvicko, and I wish you luck in tomorrow's game."
"Thank you!" I say, nodding my head.
I walk off the stage to Chrysanthemum, who is standing by the stage waiting for me. She glares at Eden before she grabs me by the hand and walks toward the exit of the room. "We can't go yet!" I say. "We have a closing ceremony!"
"We owe them nothing, D," she says.
"My name is Djuvicko! You've been so mean to me lately, and I just want to go talk to those people-"
"They don't care about you!" I scream.
People stop their party and look at me as Chrysanthemum screams at me in front of everyone. A young boy walks over to us and grabs Chrys and me by the arm. "You don't want to do this here," he says. "This is not the fight that you want to start in front of everyone."
He leads us out of the party, which carries on the second we step out in the hallway and looks at Chrys with angry eyes. "Are you trying to screw over your chances at getting sponsors?!"
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I ask. "Not to be rude, but you grabbed my arm and-"
"Sorry, my name is Cullen," he mentions with a smile, but then he instantly turns back to Chrysanthemum and glares. "Look, I won't pretend to know what you've been through or what you're feeling right now, but this isn't okay. You've walked around for the entire time you've been here with a visible chip on your shoulder. If you want to kill yourself, then fine. Don't bring this kid back with you."
"You don't know me," she says. "I have nothing but good intentions for D, and if you think just by watching five seconds of an argument, you suddenly know what's best for us to walk away!"
"I'm not against you," Cullen says. "I'm not. I-" he trails off and then looks to the side, "I don't know if I can get in trouble for this with my alliance, but I want to offer you two a spot in it."
"Wait, you want me in your alliance? You know I'm twelve, right?"
"Any numbers help, kid," says Cullen. "This is late in the game, but I'll make the needed connections to talk to the rest of the alliance tonight. All you need to tell me is that you're in, and I'll do my best to make it happen."
"I'm in!" I say excitedly.
Chrysanthemum looks at Cullen and then sighs as she looks at me. "Yeah, okay, fine. I'm in too."
"Great!" says Cullen smiling. "I'll make the needed rounds. We will meet later tonight on the roof to go over a battle strategy around midnight."
"We'll see you then," says Chrysanthemum.
She grabs my arm, but I jerk it out of her hand. "I know you're just trying to help, but you have to stop telling me what to do. I can take care of myself."
"No, you're not," she says dismissively.
"Yes, I am!" I say forcefully. "And the second you realize that I can the second we can go back to normal and stop fighting. I'm not some baby that you're going to push around in that arena. And I'm not dealing with it anymore!"
"Fine!" she says, storming back into the party. "Take care of yourself!"
"Fine!" I holler back as tears well up in my eyes.
I don't want to hurt Chrys, but I just can't have her acting like that toward me. I have to be able to trust myself, and while having an alliance is nice, Chrys needs to learn that she's an ally and not a boss.
I am my person.
One more chapter until the bloodbath. Jesus, this has taken so long to write, and I HATE pre-games chapters.
There are no social scores because you're the scorers! Go vote in my poll! I'll make it public when I post the bloodbath chapter and you'll be able to see!
Alliances:
Careers: Vanity/Royce/Gerard/Hecate/Alon/Kilee/Maeve
Loveable: Hazel/Cullen/Emerson/Spike/Chrysanthemum/Djuvicko
Outliers: Saiz/Madison/Luster/Othniel
Implied: Patrick/Celio/Jenava
Loners: Twine/Dwindela/Kallel/Darren
There's more to come with the next chapter. I promise you that I'm not leaving some hanging.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Caleb