AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter is sort of a large information dump before we hit part 2 next chapter and jump into the games. We get to see what was pissing off Clove in the last chapter, and I briefly skim over the tribute interviews mostly because the characters here behaved mostly as they did in the books. However, the scores that they received are from the films/books in many cases (many of them are much higher), but that just means we'll have a more intense Hunger Games.
Happy Reading!
CHAPTER 7: The Scores
Clove groaned for a moment as she racked her mind with various thoughts.
"I'm just pissed is all," she admitted after a moment, "I've spent my whole life working to get to where I am right now, and despite being the ones to tell me "train for the Hunger Games; it'll be the best thing you ever do", my folks didn't even have the piss to show up and congratulate me after I reached the stage. They didn't even say goodbye. No one said goodbye to me."
Cato didn't respond at first, thinking back. Clove had seemed fairly popular back in the academies, but friends were not exactly the ones that came to say goodbye to a tribute.
"Well how much family do you have?" Cato tilted his head,
"I've got an older sister and then my useless drunk-ass folks. My sister's a Peacekeeper in District 12, so I doubt she gives much of a shit about anything anyways. '12 is a joke."
"And so now you're pissed at a girl from '11," Cato raised his eyebrow, "what's that about?"
"She's showing us up," Clove warned, "she might not score higher than us, but think about it—some preteen from some backwater district showing us up—the careers—the big damn heroes of the games!"
"Well hey—scores are coming up soon," Cato reminded her, "that's where we'll prove we're superior—and in the games, we kill her. It's as simple as that."
"Aww Cato, you know just what to say to make even a crazy little shit like me get all warm and fuzzy inside." Clove batted her eyelashes at the boy.
"Save your sentiments for the games," Cato chuckled, "once we get settled in the arena, then we can start hitting on each other proper."
Clove laughed it off, but might have also given it some thought if they weren't both about to go to their deaths. Whatever the case, the conversation was short and sweet, but ended on a good note, and thus Clove went to sleep a happy girl.
Soon enough, private sessions were upon them, and most of the tributes, career or otherwise, demonstrated the skills that they had learned or honed in the training center for the first 6 days. Glimmer practiced with a bow, Marvel showed off his spear skills, and Cato proved that his boasting about his strength was backed by reality as he swung swords and axes with impunity. Clove demonstrated lethal agility and deadly accuracy with her throwing knives, while the boy from District 3, who went after Clove, impressed the gamemakers with the way he rewired and re-armed contraptions.
Down the list it went, until District 11 was being called in. Thresh, perhaps unsurprisingly, gave a display of brute strength, while little Rue showed off her agility and nimbleness s she flew from one platform to the other, slinging sharp projectiles at targets along the way with her throwing arm, or more often doing so with her trusty slingshot.
Primrose and Peeta were not to be counted out either. Peeta demonstrated his brute strength with the large medicine balls, as well as a cunning camouflage ability, whilst Prim demonstrated her skills of stealth and silence, as well as numerous ways to make healing remedies out of just about anything. She was much less nervous than she had been at the reaping—not to say the youngster was totally calm, but she was no longer panicked the way she had been in the early phases of the train ride.
The afternoon was nearing a close by the time District 12's private sessions had come to a close. The careers on the lower floors were rather excited, fairly confident that they had done well. Other tributes were a little more worried that they would have shoddy training scores, and others were neither feeling positive nor negative about the event.
Clove and Cato's stylists had disappeared by the time the tributes had returned to the apartments—most likely to finish preparing their interview outfits for the evening. In the meantime though, the training scores were going to come up in a few moments, and so Cato and Clove eagerly seated themselves on the couch to watch the names, the faces, and the numbers.
"Ladies and Gentlemen—the training scores of this year's tributes, for the 74th Annual Hunger Games."
Clove and Cato were naturally pumped up to see this. Elroy also took a seat, and even Enobaria showed her face to watch her tributes and see how they did.
"Marvel Kain; District 1, with a score of… 10"
Clove and Cato smirked at each other. At least one of their allies was going to be strong this year.
"Glimmer Rambin; District 1, with a score of… 9"
Enobaria gave an approving nod. "Not too shabby," she shrugged, "but here's what I came here to see." A moment later Glimmer's face disappeared, and was replaced by Cato's.
"Cato Salazar; District 2, with a score of… 12"
Cato whooped and threw his arms triumphantly into the air. He had scored perfectly.
"Clove Kazera; District 2, with a score of… 11"
Clove was a little miffed that she had not also scored a 12, but she'd take an 11.
The screen shifted to Franklin Sterling, the boy from District 3 (who scored an 8), before the other tributes started showing up. Clove didn't pay attention to many of them, since they all scored 8s or below. A District 5 girl named Finch Crossley stood out to Clove because of her red hair, but she scored a 5, which was pretty unremarkable, and so Cato and Clove laughed her off as bloodbath fodder. Cato also pointed out how curly a girl from District 8's hair was, but this McKenzie Lintz only scored a 7, and so she was not considered a threat by either of the District 2 tributes.
Soon after Districts 9 and 10 scored predictably low as usual, Clove sat bolt upright again.
"This is what I was waiting for," she cracked her knuckles, watching a large boy's face appear on the screen. "How'd they do…"
"Thresh Dakara; District 11, with a score of… 11"
"What's he gonna do, smash people's heads in with his fists?" Cato raised an eyebrow, "I suppose he really was dangerous if '12 also wanted to stay on his good side though."
"He's going down," Clove clenched the arms of her chair. "so is the girl. Speaking of which…"
Rue Keniye; District 11, with a score of… 9"
"When the hell has a 12-year-old scored that high?" Clove snarled, "What the hell did she do?"
"Cool it, Clove," Cato warned, "tributes from the outer districts that score high just get targets painted on them."
"He's right you know," Elroy quipped, "tomorrow the real fun begins. Tonight, just sit back, flatter the Capitol when Caesar interviews you, and enjoy the ride."
Of course, District 11 was not the final stop in tribute scores, and given their connections with District 12, the tribute pair and their mentors went back to watching the screen.
"Peeta Mellark; District 12, with a score of… 10"
"Well, this was certainly not what I was expecting," Enobaria raised an eyebrow, her arms still crossed over her chest, "seems like '12 got a pair of fighters this year—or at least one."
"I dunno if that little girl can fight any," Cato shook his head, "Although…"
"Primrose Everdeen; District 12, with a score of… 8"
"…clearly she's got something up her sleeve if she can score an 8." Cato finished. "At least I can take a small bit of comfort in knowing that I won't just have to walk around stabbing people cowering in fear of death. It's no fun if it isn't a challenge."
It was not long after this that the stylists showed up to get Clove and Cato prepped up for the interviews which would be taking place that evening. Clove planned on using this as one last opportunity to learn a thing or two about some of the other tributes. The clothing worn on Caesar's stage was often very symbolic of the nature of either the tribute, his/her home district, or often both.
Sure enough, even Cato and Clove's outfits told a bit about them—Cato's suit was an almost imposing shade of silver streaked with black while Clove's dress was a fiery thing that dropped past her knees in striking shades of red and orange.
Naturally, as they lined up behind the stage, Clove's eyes met with Rue's. It was almost as if the stylists had coordinated this rivalry, for Rue's flowing dress was a shade of dark and gentle blue. Behind them, Peeta's suit shone in shades of gold and brown, while Primrose was clad in a little white dress with strong pink highlights, almost like the namesake flower. Clove's focus was on Rue though—she was calm. She was cool and flowing—it was truly a contrast to Clove's harsh and straightforward hotheaded approach. She also realized another prominent thing about Rue.
"Now you're gonna have to open your mouth," she sneered as she walked past. Rue's response forced Clove's hands into fists, not only because of the point she made, but also because of how swift the younger girl had been in delivery.
"What of it?" Rue shrugged. Clove simply stayed in silence, devoid of a comeback for that.
Interviews went somewhat predictably. Marvel and Glimmer were a little airheaded, but proud of their high scores and were confident that they would last a while. Cato talked about how he was a killing machine and that he was willing to go to any end to achieve victory. Clove, despite her remarks about Rue, spoke about how endless ambition would shoot her to the top. Thresh spoke little, mostly answering Caesar's questions with one or two word phrases. Rue was similar except for one line that stood out particularly strongly.
"There is never a need to outmuscle anything I can outwit."
It gave Caesar a nice laugh (laughing with Rue), and the crowds loved her. Perhaps that small girl would get sponsors after all.
Primrose and Peeta both spoke about survival and determination, the former being much shyer than the latter, but before Clove knew it, the interviews had all ended. Within a few hours, these boys and girls would be in an arena trying to rip each other apart…
TRAINING SCORES:
Marvel Kain-10
Glimmer Rambin-9
Cato Salazar-12
Clove Kazera-11
Finch Crossley-7
Thresh Dakara-11
Rue Keniye-9
Peeta Mellark-10
Primrose Everdeen-8