Chapter Fifty-Five; Twenty – Four Tributes
(Stephanie's POV)
Stephanie felt Frenkin give her hand a reassuring squeeze that broke her from her stupor.
On shaking legs she made her way over to a small arrangement, consisting of a low table and comfortable chairs that was in the room. There was a crystal pitcher of ice water and glasses on the table. Stephanie in an attempt to calm her nerves by busying herself, reached for the pitcher to pour herself a glass of water. Though from the trembling of her hands she feared she would drop and smash the thing.
But her fingertips got to no more brushing the handle of the crystal pitcher, when it was snatched from under her grasp.
"Here, let me get that for you." It was one of the boys from District 1 or 2.
He poured her a glass of water which Stephanie accepted numbly, mumbling her thanks. The boy then poured Frenkin a glass before he took a seat facing them.
Stephanie sipped on the water, grateful for an excuse not to talk. But what was she meant to say? Hello, Stephanie Trindlesworth here. You're probably going to kill me in the arena but nice to meet you.
Stephanie swallowed nervously before lowering the glass to the table. With nothing else to distract her she fidgeted with one of the gold bracelets on her wrist, averting her gaze from the boy sitting across from them.
He had the physique of a Career that much was evident. His stylist seemed to have chosen a shirt that was two sizes too small for him, as the silk material was stretched across his torso fit to burst. Though Stephanie suspected that was the idea, as with each slight movement it was clear to see the rippling muscles beneath the material and the bulging biceps. Stephanie tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she eyed the boys hands that he had clasped together casually in front of him, as he leaned forward facing them. Could those hands snap someone's neck? My neck? The answer was easily, of course.
She felt Frenkin's gaze as he looked up to her, looking for reassurance or something. He was as much uncomfortable in this situation as she was.
"I'm Cron!"
Stephanie had to stop herself from falling off the chair as the boy spoke again.
She looked up at him, swallowing nervously as her eyes effortlessly saw the few pale scars running across his face. Scars from practice. Practice that would make him deadly.
But when she looked in the boy's face…he didn't seem as a Career should seem. Stephanie faltered.
He was smiling brightly at both Stephanie and Frenkin, waiting for them to speak. He had dark blonde hair that was somewhat dishevelled. One side had been smoothed back as Frenkin's had on many occasions. However the other side was a mess of disorganised curls as though he had forgotten and ruffled his own hair. His eyes were a warm, chocolate brown and they crinkled at the corners when he grinned. Which Stephanie noticed he was still doing; grinning at them inanely.
"I'm Stephanie and this is Frenkin," Stephanie answered after a moment's hesitation.
"Oh Frenkin! I knew a boy once called Frenkin…"Cron began but never got to finish, for at that moment a girl's, sharp voice cut across him.
"CRON! Get over her now!" It was the girl with the glossy, black hair. She looked like she could be no more than 16. Her black hair had been curled into ringlets that bobbed with each slight turn of her head. She was small and slender with bright, green eyes that were currently glaring at Stephanie and Frenkin.
"Oops, gotta go!" Cron said and stood up. Stephanie and Frenkin had to crane their necks to look up at him as he towered above them.
Cron swaggered over to the other three Careers. The girl with the short, blonde hair looked amused, the girl that had called him appeared annoyed and the other boy looked completely bored.
"What's up cuz?" Cron boomed. It seemed his voice was just as big and imposing as he was.
"I told you not to call me that!" The black haired girl hissed. Her eyes darted back towards Stephanie and Frenkin and without meaning to, Stephanie caught her eye.
Stephanie quickly dropped her gaze. The last thing she needed was a confrontation.
"What do you think that was about?" Frenkin whispered from beside her.
Stephanie glanced back discreetly at the four who stood a few metres away. Cron was being it seemed, scolded by the black-haired girl but he just stood with his arms folded arrogantly with a huge grin on his face. The blonde hair girl was examining her nails and the other boy still looked completely and utterly bored.
"I don't know," Stephanie whispered back.
"Do you think it was a tactic to intimidate us?" Frenkin asked a little fearfully.
Even if it wasn't Stephanie thought, it had done so anyway.
"I'm not sure," Stephanie answered.
Suddenly the door that Stephanie and Frenkin had come through opened. All six pairs of eyes in the room snapped around to eye the two new tributes as they entered.
The first to enter was a tall girl in a sleeveless, white dress that hung loosely from her slender frame. Her thick, black hair had been so tightly pulled back from her face into a ponytail at the back, that it almost looked painful. She was tan; highlighted more so by the crisp white of her dress. And strong, Stephanie thought. The girl might have been thin but she was not weak, as was evident in the girl's toned arms. The girl's fists were clenched tightly at her sides as she surveyed the room shrewdly, her mouth set in a thin line.
The boy who entered beside her was dressed in a navy suit. He was not as tall as his female district partner even if she was wearing heels. He had shaggy, brown hair that fell over his eyes that widened in slight surprise, as he seen Cron bounding over to them.
Even from here Stephanie could see how the girl tensed at the advancing Career. Cron blocked the boy completely from her sight with his massive hulk.
"CRON!" It was the black-haired girl again, and her voice was edged with frustration, but this time Cron ignored her.
Stephanie heard Cron make his booming introduction. The girl and boy answered but she didn't hear their responses and before Cron could continue, the bored male Career had it seemed, under the black-haired girl's increasing insistence, went over.
"Come on Cron," he drawled and taking Cron's collar like a one might take a dog, he forcibly dragged him back over to the two girls in their group, the black-haired one even more annoyed and the blonde one even more amused.
The girl and the boy who Stephanie now assumed to be District 4's tributes still loitered unsure at the door.
That is until the girl struck out on her own and made straight for the group of Careers. The boy began to follow and then diverted immediately when he realised where his district partner was heading.
Instead the boy came and sat facing Frenkin and Stephanie. He made a point of avoiding their gaze though.
Stephanie gulped as she watched the girl without the slightest hint of apprehension approach the Careers who turned to face her with some surprise on their faces, except for Cron who just stood grinning.
The girl was speaking but she spoke so low that Stephanie couldn't hear her. Stephanie began to feel uneasy as looks of calculation appeared on the Career's faces.
Stephanie looked around the room. For the first time since arriving in the Capitol, Stephanie was glad that there were guards in the room with them.
Stephanie felt Frenkin's hand reach down to clutch her own and she was glad that she was not alone like the boy facing them.
The conversation with the girl and the Careers was interrupted when suddenly the door opened once more and two more tributes entered.
Stephanie gasped sharply as she recognised the girl. She was the one from the photo shoot, the one across the corridor who Stephanie had mistaken for Eldi.
The girl was wearing a black and white polka dotted dress that had a ridiculous amount of frills and layers. She had a huge bow on her head and was wearing glittering pumps. Beside her was her district partner who had a guiding hand on her shoulder. He was wearing a forest green suit with a hat that was tilted to one side. He was surprisingly tall though his face seemed younger.
There was a bit of commotion as it seemed Cron wanted to rush over and do introductions again but was hauled back by the black-haired girl. The girl in the white dress was still standing with the Careers, but with a start Stephanie found that her gaze was on her.
Stephanie held the girl's gaze for as long as she dared. Stephanie was terrified of the girl without even having met her, but Stephanie would be damned before she would let her know it. She had already had her cowering moments of terror coming face to face with the Careers.
After what felt like an insufferable few moments the girl dropped her gaze and turned back to the Careers and Stephanie breathed a sigh of relief.
Stephanie turned to Frenkin to ask how he was holding up, only to find his gaze focused elsewhere.
Stephanie looked over her shoulder to where the two newest additions remained near the door.
The door opened again suddenly. It seemed the tributes were arriving faster. The cheers outside were growing louder as the crowds realised that the interviews were drawing near.
And for an almost imperceptible moment there was a companionship between them. They weren't tributes. They were just young adults or children, shoved together into a room, terrified and scared. But the moment passed and the two new tributes glanced about the room nervously.
District 6's girl made quite an entrance as she practically burst into the room, stumbling in the skyscraper heels before her district partner helped right her. She had wild, curly red hair that framed her whole face like a lion's mane with no hopes of being tamed. Her whole face had flushed a scarlet red that rivalled that of her hair. She looked ready to burst out crying and there were a few sniggers, most noticeably from the Careers. Her district partner, a boy not much taller than her with short, dark brown hair, hauled her over to the nearest corner whispering something to her that appeared to calm the girl down.
A slight murmur started up around the gathered tributes, as in light of the more people entering the room, it was too awkward to keep silent.
The door opened again; two more tributes: District 7.
The girl that entered was painfully lean. Her eyes seemed unnaturally huge in her gaunt face. Her dress was short-sleeved and pale blue. It was flimsy and delicate but it still seemed to swamp her skeletal frame. She was tall and had fine, blond-white hair that fell down past her shoulders. Stephanie didn't want to consider what the girl must have looked like before coming to the Capitol and receiving a good feed. Her District partner looked so close in appearance to her that Stephanie considered for a disturbing moment that they had to be related; siblings surely. But there seemed to be a distance between them as though they were strangers, and they went in opposite directions as soon as they entered the room.
The girl actually approached the table and Stephanie couldn't help but watch her every move with a sort of morbid fascination. The girl reached for the water pitcher and for a moment Stephanie feared it would be too heavy for her to lift, but with a heave the girl managed to lift it and pour herself a glass of water.
Then startling Stephanie the girl seated herself in the chair directly beside Stephanie's.
The door opened again and everyone in the room once more looked around to see the next two tributes.
A small girl with medium length, brown hair entered and immediately blushed when she realised she was the centre of attention. Her district partner entered with her but he brushed by her ignoring her, a few locks of black hair falling over his eyes as he walked with his head down.
The volume in the room rose and Stephanie felt her stomach twist nervously. She held her glass of water in her hands, but she didn't drink it. The water was no doubt warm now from her holding the glass for so long.
Suddenly it seemed that the black-haired Career girl could contain Cron no more, and he bounded off to do introductions. The first person he came to was the girl sitting beside Stephanie.
"Hi, I'm Cron," he boomed.
She eyed him warily for a moment before replying. "I'm Astara, female tribute for District 7." Her voice seemed just as fragile as she, wispy and weak. But in her eyes there burned a fierce determination that had nothing weak about it.
Cron's grin widened. "Well I didn't think you were the male tribute!" And then he burst out laughing, a deep rumbling laugh that could have been a roar.
Stephanie jumped slightly and Astara flinched.
Cron stopped laughing. "I'm from District 1," he added, almost as an afterthought.
Astara gave him a wan smile as if to say, where else?
The door opened again and they all looked around.
Cron without wasting anytime bounded over to meet the two new tributes. Stephanie caught a quick glimpse of a girl with auburn hair in a lime, green dress before Cron's whole body blocked the girl and her district partner, an average height boy with brown hair from view.
"What was that about?"
The question took Stephanie unawares as she whipped her head around to face Astara.
Astara stared straight back at Stephanie with her impossibly big, blue eyes, a pale eyebrow arched questioningly.
"I don't know. He did the same with me and Frenkin," Stephanie replied.
Frenkin peeked over Stephanie's shoulder at the thin girl.
"I'm sure you heard, but I'm Astara." And as she said it, the girl held out a hand.
Stephanie hesitated for a moment before she accepted it and shook her hand. "I'm Stephanie, and this is…"
"Frenkin," Astara finished with a small smile directed at Frenkin, who had reverted back to his bashful self and was practically hiding behind Stephanie.
Stephanie nodded, returning the smile.
The door behind them opened. Two more tributes entered but Stephanie couldn't see past the two previous tributes and Cron.
"What District are you from?" Astara's question brought Stephanie back.
"District 3. And you are from District 7?" Stephanie replied.
Astara nodded and glanced about the room. Stephanie followed her gaze until it fell upon Astara's district partner.
"Your district partner?" Stephanie prompted.
"His name is Tain," Astara answered before falling silent again.
Stephanie studied Astara's face for some clue as to if this Tain was related to Astara but Astara's face remained expressionless.
The door opened; two more tributes entered. Stephanie glanced over briefly. The volume in the room was rising as the population grew. District partners exchanged hurried conversations as they glanced about the room fearfully taking in the competition. Or some like Astara had broken away from their District partner to mingle among the others.
"How many districts is that?" Astara asked.
"Eleven I think," Stephanie answered.
But no sooner had Stephanie said it than the door opened again.
"Twelve," Astara amended with another small smile.
Stephanie returned it briefly. She looked about the room. So this was it.
These were the twenty-three people she would be facing in the arena. It seemed as the door closed that every other tribute in the room realised the exact same thing and a hushed silence seemed to fall.
Twenty-four tributes, and only one of them would survive.