After we get off our chariot Haymitch starts introducing me to the tributes from 11, Chaff and Seeder. Seeder seems pretty nice and she gives me a hug. Chaff on the other hand comes up and kisses me on the lips. Peeta has arrived and we turn to go to our apartment.
"These tributes are crazy," I say to Haymitch.
"Meh, some of them are. Chaff there is great, but don't invite him over. He will drink up all your liquor," he says.
I don't care if he's "great". He is crazy.
The three of us board the elevator and as the door is closing someone steps in. I recognize her from the reaping videos. This is Johanna Mason.
"My costume is awful isn't it? My stylist is an idiot," she says as she removes her head piece. She is dressed completely like a tree, not surprised as she is from District 7.
She starts to completely undress starting with her shoes and then unzipping her dress and taking the whole thing completely off. She stood naked in the elevator until we reached the seventh floor.
"Let's do it again sometime," she says as she walks out of the elevator.
As soon as we reached our floor, Haymitch took over as mentor. He starts showing me pictures and videos of the other tributes and telling me about them. There is Cashmere and Gloss from 1 who are brother and sister. There is Enobaria who has filed her teeth into fangs and Brutus from 2. Of course there is Finnick from 4 and the woman is older. Maybe in her 80s. She volunteered for a young girl. He shows me two tributes who look awful. The Morphlings he calls them. After their games they self medicated. Kinda like how Haymitch drinks. We get to Johanna and Blight from 7 and Chaff and Seeder from 11. So many experienced killers who could kill me in a second. I start to think that I might not make it out of the arena alive.
*the next day*
Down in the training center I see what all of these people can do. They are brutal.
Haymitch pulls me aside. "You need to have allies this time," he says.
"Why?" I say.
"If you want to stay alive you have to make allies. These people don't know you. You are an outsider. They will get rid of you in a second."
So now I have to make friends with some of the craziest people in Panem. This is not going to go well.