Chapter 7
I wake up from an on and off sleep to the sun streaming in through my window. I get my mind ready for the big day I have ahead of me.
Training Evaluations are in the morning, followed by the results later in the afternoon. Then, all of the tributes will be interviewed by Caesar Flickerman, the Capitol's number one entertainer, tonight on live television in front of a live audience. The interview is crucial for getting sponsors, as this is the first time the viewers will really see us in a live setting. This interview is basically used to show the people what kind of person you are, or how you want them to portray you.
After that is the day this has all been leading up to. After today, we will be sent into the arena, and the 72nd Hunger Games will begin.
Mulvain goes over what I am supposed to do over breakfast. "They're going to start with 1 and end with 12, so you're already at a disadvantage being one of the last to go. Make sure you showcase your skills in an extravagant way. The Gamemakers honestly stop paying attention after the Careers, as they don't think anyone else is worth watching. You need to prove them wrong, and show them that you are not to be ignored" he tells me, and I nod in response. The question is how am I going to make my presentation extravagant enough for them to look up from their drinks.
The ride down to the training floor is quiet, until Farley decides to break the ice.
"You still nervous?" he asks me.
"A little, but I feel better after getting some sleep. Have you decided what you're doing?" I ask.
"Yeah, I think I have" he says, and the elevator doors then open.
We are immediately escorted to a waiting room where we will wait to be called. We sit in order of District, with 1 being in the front and 12 being in the back.
It isn't long before the first tribute is called.
"Wyatt Falberny, District 1."
The District 1 boy, or Wyatt I guess, gets up and heads towards the training room.
While waiting, Farley and I chat some more. "That Wyatt dude is mad intimidating, isn't he?" he comments.
"Yeah, I've caught him looking at me a lot during training, it makes me really uncomfortable" I tell him.
"Well, I heard the other Careers gossiping about him while waiting in line for the climbing course yesterday. The District 1 girl said that apparently back at the academy they trained in, he was caught messing around with a lot of the girls. I didn't think that was true, but now that you mention it he does look at the other girls a lot. I know you're more than capable of looking after yourself, but I would watch my back around someone like him" he warns. I knew there was something fishy about that guy. He seems like the playboy type.
"If that's actually true, then that's sick. What could he possibly want from the girls here? If he's planning on winning, we're all going to have to go at some point" I say.
"That's what I asked myself too. He's a weird guy" Farley agrees.
"What scores do you think the Careers are going to get this year?" I ask, desperate to change the subject.
"It's hard to say. These Careers seem stalkier than the ones from years past. I say they could break the double digit mark and score at least a 10" he answers. Honestly I could see that happening too. Sure the past Careers have been big and scary, but these ones are way more muscular than the ones from the last few Games I remember. If I'm going to have any chance against them in the arena, I'm going to have to be stealthy, as I know I wouldn't last two seconds in a fight against either of them.
As we chat amongst ourselves, the loudspeaker comes to life for the millionth time.
"Farley Blackwell. District 9."
I didn't even notice the District 8 tributes leave the room. Time has really flown by.
"Well, That's me. Time to show off my mad skills" Farley says in a sarcastic tone.
"Good luck" I say with a giggle, and he shoots me a thumbs up before walking towards the training room.
"You know it's a bad idea to make friends here, right?" I hear someone say after Farley leaves the room. I turn to my left to see the District 10 girl looking straight at me.
"All we were doing is talking. We just know each other from back home" I tell her, and she only scoffs in response.
"I bet you anything mayor's boy is thinking you're going to carry his ass throughout the game. If anything, you should only be thinking of yourself" she says, and looks away from me while blowing her hair out of her face.
I know deep down that she's right, that getting attached to other tributes is a bad idea, and that I really should be thinking only of myself and what I need to do to make sure I win. Even so, my tender heart can't help but feel bad for Farley, so I keep him around.
I then hear the loudspeaker call out my name.
"Katerina Ottoman. District 9."
As I get up and make my way toward the training room, the District 10 girl calls out behind me, "think about what I said, Katerina." With her words fresh in my mind, I walk out into the empty training room, where my only company are the Gamemakers, currently digging into a giant buffet.
I walk to the center of the room and state my name and district so I get their attention. They turn to me, and all of a sudden I freeze as I think about how to keep their attention on me. I look around the room to see what I can use, and I feel wheels start turning inside my head.
I grab the human-shaped targets used for shooting, and place them all around the room. I then grab the crossbow and quiver that has been provided on the weapon rack, and take my place at the start of the big obstacle course. The Gamemakers watch me, curious to see what I'm planning.
I then run up to the obstacle course, and shoot each target as I go along. This crossbow shoots a lot better than my dad's back home, and is really light in my hands. I complete the obstacle course as quickly and swiftly as possible, while making sure each shot I take at the targets hits them right in the center or the head.
I keep going until I reach the end, and finish by shooting the huge target on the wall. I get a bullseye, and then turn to see the Gamemakers' reactions. Seneca Crane gets up, and gives me a round of applause with a nod of approval. After a while, all of the Gamemakers follow his lead, and start clapping for me as well. I give them a nod, and return the crossbow and quiver to the rack before leaving the room.
While waiting for them to broadcast the results on TV, Farley and I talk about how each other's evaluations went. "I built a fire successfully, and climbed the big net all the way to the top. After that I swung onto the monkey bars, and made it all the way to the end" he says.
"That's actually pretty good" I admit. It's not the worst thing to show off, and he should definitely get a good score with that.
"What about you? How did you dazzle Mr. Crane?" Farley asks me, and I stifle a snicker before responding.
"I set up the human-shaped targets around the big obstacle course, and shot at them as I completed it. I hit the big target at the end, and got some applause from the Gamemakers" I say.
"Well, excuse me! That's incredible! I bet you're going to get the highest score out of all of us with that!" he exclaims.
"I wouldn't say that. I don't even know what the Careers showed them, they were probably a hundred times better than me" I say. The Careers always get the biggest scores out of everyone.
"I really doubt those guys were able to manage anything better than what you did. You think just anyone gets applause from the Gamemakers?" Farley says. I shrug my shoulders in return.
Before I know it Alaster is shouting for us to come into the living room, as it's time for them to broadcast the results. "Let's get this over with so we can start getting ready for our interviews" Farley mumbles, and he holds his hand out to me. I take it, and let him lead me into the hallway.
Once we've gathered in the living room with our stylists, mentors, and Alaster, Cesar Flickerman wastes no time and gets right to the point.
He starts with District 1. Both Wyatt and the District 1 girl end up getting a 9, and the two from Districts 2 and 4 got the same score. Now that was a shock, as I'm pretty sure everyone, including them, truly thought they would break the double digits.
Districts 3, 5, 6, 7, and 8 all get scores within the 5 - 8 range, with the only 8 going to the District 6 boy. Now that I think about it, he was alright during training. He could handle an axe pretty well, and he was pretty efficient on the obstacle courses. He's defintely a dark horse going into these Games.
Cesar finally gets to District 9, and I unconciously start biting my fingernails in nervousness and anticipation. He starts with Farley, and Farley leans forward a bit, watching intently. He ends up getting a 7, and Ruben and Hestia each give him a high five. Not bad at all.
"Next, we have Katerina Ottoman of District 9."
All of a sudden I feel like throwing up as Cesar takes a dramatic pause.
"With a score of….10."
Everyone is on their feet erupting with cheers while I stare at the TV in disbelief. A 10?! I didn't think I was that good.
Alaster is pouring everyone celebratory drinks while Mulvain and Eviana are patting me on the back with pride.
"Good job, kiddo. I bet those sponsors are going to be lining up at the door for the interviews tonight" Mulvain says before going to refill his glass.
"You are really something special, you know that?" Eviana says, and pulls me in for a warm hug.
I look over at Farley, who's looking at me with a goofy smile on his face. "What'd I tell you? You totally showed up every fucking Career here. I told you Crane would pull for you" he says while tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.
Alaster then gathers the stylists and mentors for a toast. "To Katerina, our golden child!" he says, and all of them clink their glasses together.
As far as the other scores go, the girl from District 10 ended up getting a 9, while the District 10 boy got a 6. The District 11 tributes got a 5 and a 7, and the District 12 tributes had the worst scores, each getting a mere 4. That means I just became the highest scoring tribute of the year, and most definitely the number one target on the Career pack's radar as soon as we step into that arena tomorrow…