A/N - NEW CHAPTERRR. YAYAYAYA. Feel free to point out any OOCness or errors. Enjoy! xoxo
I hesitantly start dragging my feet to the stage, ready to hang my head in embarrassment and my feet ready to turn on their heels, waiting for a confident voice to rise from my section, or maybe the 18 section. But all is quiet, all eyes are on me, vicious glares and curious glances, and I swell up with pride and hold my head high, smirking. I step up the wooden steps. Creak! Creak! Creak! Cynthia waves me over to Glimmer. "Well, we have quite an attractive pair of tributes this year, don't we?" I almost don't catch her blush under all that make-up. "Let's give a hand to our tributes for the 74th Annual Hunger Games! Marvel Spere and Glimmer Brady!" Glimmer blows a kiss, waves and then curtsies in her frilly green dress. I give District 1 my signature smile that makes all the ladies swoon and faint. I shake Glimmer's sweaty hand. Ew! Gross. I almost wipe it onto my suit, in front of everyone. When we're escorted into the Justice Building, I wipe my hand onto her bare arm as we walk behind Cynthia, safe from the eyes of everyone. Cynthia's heels click against the spotless marble floor.
"Nervous, much?" I mock. She clenches her fist and growls, never facing me. I hold my hands up in feign surrender and chuckle. I turn my attention back to Cynthia.
"You'll have 30 minutes to talk to all your friends and families, just about anyone who wants to visit you." Then she goes on blabbing about the Capitol's latest styles, clothes, make-up, saying how she needs to get new heels. My eyes droop and I yawn rather loudly. She abruptly stops and I almost run into her. She turns and gives me a tight, obviously forced grin. She shakes her finger at me and mutters something about manners and how handsome but rude I am as she keeps walking. We're lead to separate rooms that are across the hall from each other. "You have only 30 minutes, remember! We mustn't be late for the train!" Cynthia chimes. I take a peek inside and am at a loss for words. A massive red velvet sofa boasts itself in the middle of the room. A fireplace gives off a soft but welcoming glow. She pushes me into the room, closing the door securely behind me, and I wait.
My mom and dad burst in, both panting, finding me sitting on the velvet couch, closely examining the fire. I turn from the fireplace and face them and gasp. Their once strong faces are stained with dry tears and mom is cupping something in her hands. She sits next to me on the sofa and places the object next to her, then brings me in for a long, heartfelt hug that, without words, says, I love you, come back, please. My dad chokes back tears and simply leaves, not wanting to let go of his only son, his only child. She pulls away and holds my large hands in her smaller ones and places something in them. She gives me a reassuring smile, the one that she would give me during hard times that meant, don't worry. Everything will be okay. I'll be there for you. She kisses my forehead and leaves without a word, not strong enough to say the painful word, 'Goodbye.' I shove the cool, unknown metal thing into my pocket. It'll be too painful to look at right now.
My friends come in next, whooping and howling, congratulating me, slapping me on the back, saying how strong I am, how I'm going to win. Everyone leaves one by one, saying their 'congratulations' and 'good lucks.' My closest female friend, Aubree, comes up to me last and cups my face with a look of fear on her face. Her blood red hair falls carelessly over her pale, naturally flawless face and she tucks it behind her ear. She pecks my lips and whispers, "Be careful out there. If you die, I'll kill you in the afterlife. I love you, Marvel. See you soon." her voice cracks and quivers. She holds her hand over her mouth and dashes out. I sit there, baffled that this timid girl, her family basically rolling around in money and jewels, who I've known for years just now confessed her feelings for me. Cynthia pops her head in, finding my face buried in my hands.
"Maaaaarvel. We have to go now!" She pokes me with her pink, bedazzled clipboard, an irritated look on her face, not caring that my mind is all jumbled up right now. It didn't even feel like 30 minutes, more like 10. I lift my head and give this inconsiderate Capitol lady a weak smile. She blushes, now the color of a tomato, even under all that make-up.
"Yeah, wouldn't want to miss the train." I say just above a whisper. Glimmer waits outside, tapping her foot impatiently. Cynthia leads us outside and she opens the door of a long, black, fancy car for us. The car bounces along the rough dirt road, Cynthia talking about how spectacular the Capitol is, Glimmer talking about the hottest guys in 1. My minds wanders to Aubree and I try looking deep down into my heart, asking myself, how do I feel about her? When I think about all the times I spent with Aubree, when we were 5, going to Kindergarten together, training together, throwing snowballs during the winter, getting ice cream during the summer, I only feel for her as a friend, nothing more. And I guess that's my answer. The hum of the car stops and I know we're here. I hear the clicks of the cameras, the screams of my fan-girls in 1 and Glimmer's fan-boys in 1. Cynthia, being closest to the door facing the station, opens it and steps out. She waves a while before pulling Glimmer out. They go wild. I climb out as well and I swear, all of Panem can hear the roar of the crowd, right here in District 1. We wave, blow kisses, and wink at the crowd, at no one in particular. By the time I get to the train, I'm worn out. I slump into a sofa and it envelops me in warmth. Then I notice them. District 1's mentors, Gloss and Cashmere, and they're staring straight at me from the couch across from the one I'm sitting in. They're always being talked about on TV and in District 1, how could I not know them? I sit up straighter and greet them nervously, fidgeting. Gloss bursts out laughing and Cashmere smacks him on the arm.
"Hello. We'll be your mentors for these Games. I am Cashmere." She says calmly. "And this fool is Gloss." He gets serious and huffs in protest. This earns him another smack. "And what may your name be?" she inquires.
"Marvel Spere." I say. They both eye me from head to toe, making me squirm uncomfortably. Then they nod with approval.
"Well, Marvel, you're very fit, may I ask what weapon you use?" Cashmere questions. My eyes light up at the thought of spears, making me more comfortable as well.
"Well, I'm very handy at using the spears," I boast. "I once hit a dummy from 225 feet away!" Gloss raises his eyebrow, his eyes glinting with jealousy.
"Gloss here uses the spears, but he's not as skilled as you." Cashmere snickers. "But I'm very impressed with you so far, Marvel." She stands up and walks over to what I think is her compartment. "We have big plans for you!" Then she disappears into the room.
"Don't be so dependant and confident in that skill, boy." Gloss mumbles. I can tell he does not like me. He stands with a grunt and enters the room next to Cashmere's, it closes with a bang and locks with a click!
I walk down the hallway with all the compartments and look at the letters carved into the top of the mahogany doors. There are 4 District mentor rooms, 2 tribute rooms, and the District escort's room. I push open the door that says 'D1 Boy Tribute.' My breath is taken away for the second time today. The room is hundreds of times fancier than my room back home. The room is gigantic beyond words. One side of the room is a towering aquarium, the ceiling is a night sky with twinkling stars, a window takes up one whole wall of the room as well. There is a wide pathway of marble that connects with an island of marble in the middle of a giant pool with a temperature panel in front of it. On that island, sits my bed. There are very broad pathways if you wanted to examine the window or the aquarium. I stand on a spacious rectangular area of marble that reaches all the way to two walls, which leads to the bathroom and the pathways to the amazing places. I slide over to the bed and leap onto it. This is paradise. My mind replays the day and I remember the token my mom gave me. I slip my hand into my pocket and slide the object out. It's a sapphire locket on a silver chain.
Hi! :D Like this chapter? Marvel is awesome. (:
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