I walked over to the elevator after being dismissed. I had too much adrenaline to be worried about how the Gamemakers would react. I wasn't even worried about how much Marcy was going to lecture me about my actions when she found out. I couldn't help it. I was angry that the Gamemakers were ignoring me and the girl from one was irritating.

When I got to District 6's floor, I heard Aft and Lorianna calling me from the sitting room. The adrenaline faded, so the realization of what the consequences may be set in. They could execute me, cut out my tongue, throw me in jail, hurt my family or friends, or kill me off in the Games. None of those things sounded pleasant. I walked in and sat down on one of the chairs. Spencer was sitting there too, next to Marcy and Johan. Loriana broke the silence. "How did it go?" she asked.

"Um, okay I guess," I replied, knowing what the next question would be.

"What did you do?"

"Um," I started with a nervous laugh. "Just some stuff with knives, berries, rope, and dummies."

"I don't even want to know," Aft said playfully.

"I do," Spencer chimed in.

Of course he does, I thought irritably. He just wants Marcy to lecture me.

"What did you do?" Marcy asked with a look of worry.

I really will need morphling for this, I told myself before taking a deep breath. "Well, I was throwing some knives first, but noticed only half were giving me the time of day. I got mad and got some berries. I grabbed a sword too. I wrote District One in berry juice on a dummy and stabbed it. Then I hung it with a noose made out of rope and threw a knife at the feet of the Gamemakers. The end," I said.

"Congrats, you just got yourself killed," Spencer said.

"At least I wasn't flirting with the girl from District Seven," I shot back.

"At least I don't throw weaponry at other people."

"Ha, you didn't deny it. So what did you do? Show Seneca your flirting skills?"

Spencer stood up in anger. Marcy got in between him and me. "That is enough!" she yelled.

It was quiet for a few moments while Marcy rubbed her temples. "Okay," she said. "Kristen go to your room. Spencer, sit back down."

"What am I? Six?" I asked. Go to my room. Seriously?

"Aft, please?" Marcy asked him with a "help me out" look.

"Come on Kristen," he said, standing up.

I sigh and stand. I don't like arguing with Aft. He's pretty much the only person who is tolerable. Lorianna was okay, but she's normally so out of it on morphling that she can become annoying fast. Johan regarded me coldly, mainly because Spencer is his tribute and believes him. Marcy's so uptight on manners and impressions that I just want to hit her sometimes. Forta's someone I don't talk to often enough to establish an opinion.

When we reach my room, Aft opens my door for me. I walk in and Aft follows. I sat on my bed as he shut the door. He sat sat down next to me and the next few moments were quiet. "Why do you two hat each other?" Aft asked.

"Long story," I replied. I really wanted to get to my morphling.

"I have time. Dinner isn't until six," he said.

I sighed. He was taking no prisoners. "It was a few years ago. He stole my bag when I was walking home from school. I chased him and long story short, I think I broke his nose. His mom got mad and threatened to call the Peacekeepers, who, may I add, were not doing a very good job at peace keeping. Eventually, people in our school found out he was beaten up by a girl younger than him. He got teased and blamed me for it. It's been a pissing contest ever since," I explained.

"I see," Aft replied.

"Yeah."

He said nothing for awhile. I wasn't sure why, but he seemed disturbed by something. Aft looked at me for a moment, his dark brown eyes had this emotion that I couldn't read. "My story wasn't that disturbing was it?" I asked. I thought it was hardly disturbing at all.

"No, it's not that," he said, standing. "I'll see you at dinner."

He walked out and I wasn't sure what to make of his reaction. I know my story couldn't have disturbed him. I shrugged to myself and reached behind my mattress to grab my morphling. I had just got the needle in my arm when Aft walked back in unexpectedly. To make matters worse, Loriana and Marcy just happened to be walking right past my door at the same time. Oh fuck me, I thought to myself in fear and irritation.

Aft just started while Marcy's jaw dropped. Loriana seemed the least concerned, but her eyes were surveying the situation. I hit the syringe to make the morphling go in and pulled it out. "Kristen.." Aft started to say.

I couldn't say anything. Loriana whispered something to Marcy and Marcy walked away. Loriana then walked over to Aft. "Do you want me to handle it or do you?" she asked him.

"You can talk, but I want to stand in the corner," he answered.

The morphling was started to kick in so my anxiety was leaving. Loriana walked completely into the room and Aft shut the door behind them. "I knew you lied when you said it wasn't you that stole the vials," Loriana said before she sat down in a chair.

"Okay?" I replied. "If you expect me to pour out a sob story for you on my reasons for using, don't get your hopes up."

"I wasn't," she said. "I was going to ask you about what your strategy was."

Woah, not what I was expecting at all, I thought. "Um, I wasn't sure. I was planning to lay low and not form an alliance," I said.

"Why no alliance?"

"Too many emotions. I don't want to get attached and then have to kill him or her."

"Makes sense. What weapons do you plan to use?"

I pondered that for a second. What was I going to use? "Um," I said. "Anything really. I'd prefer bow and arrows, throwing knives, swords, or spears though."

"Good choices, except laying low won't work for you though."

"How come?"

"You'll have the careers after you now," Aft interjected. "Once you harm one, you get them all"

"Yeah, and they're a pain," Loriana agreed. "I angered them during my Games. All we had were spiked maces too. It wasn't fun."

I remember Loriana's Games. I was 9 at the time but who could forget. I was sure even the kids who were 6 remember. The only weapons available were spiked maces. Those who were weak and unable to lift the maces were the first to go. There was a big mess. Blood, brains, and even skin bits were everywhere due to the intensity of some of the smashing. At the end, it was Loriana and the boy from District 2. Somehow, she managed to smash the boy's right arm with her mace. It appeared to be his dominant arm so he was done. He caught her left hand with his weak swings. Loriana fought through the pain of a broken hand and smashed her mace into his head, killing him.

I thought about Johan and remembered my grandma told me about Johan's Games. I believe it was the 31st Hunger Games. All she told me was that he was reaped at 17 with his 12 year old sister. Apparently, from what I was told, it came down to him and his sister. Neither one of them wanted to kill each other so the Gamemakers created a disaster that ultimately killed his sister. That would explain his morphling issue and why he's so emotionless, I thought to myself.

"I remember that," I said to Loriana regarding her Games.

She gave a small smile. "Everyone does," she said. "Come on, let's go to dinner."

Dinner was ham and chicken with roasted potatoes. There was also a soup with a creamy broth and bits of chicken, potatoes, and turkey in it. I knew the Capitol wanted to not feed us too much because our interviews were in two days. After dinner, we sat down to watch the scores. When they showed the scores, the tribute's picture showed up with the score written below.

The boys from Districts 1 and 2 scored tens while the girls from 1 and 2 scored nines. The pair from District 4 got tens too. Typical of the Careers to get nines and tens. The girls from 3 and 5 got fives while they boy from 3 got a six and the boy from 5 got a four.

Then Spencer's picture flashed up. The score below; an eight. "Not bad, not bad," Marcy said.

Next my picture flashed up. Underneath it was a ten. "A ten?" I asked surprised.

"Maybe they liked your determination?" Aft suggested.

"Determination?" I asked, confused.

"They weren't paying attention to you and you were determined to get their attention. Plus you were determined to get the other tributes to see you weren't weak."

"Maybe they just wanted District one to get mad that I got a higher score than her. It would definitely get her to target me first."

"That too," Aft agreed. "Why don't you get some sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow."

"Can I finish seeing the scores first?" I asked.

He nodded. During our conversation, I missed District 7's scores. District 8's male received a nine while the female got a four. District 9's male received a six. District 9, 10, and 11's females received sevens. District 10 and 11's males scored fives. District 12's male received an eight and the female scored a three.

Aft looked at me when the TV was shut off. I yawned and stood up. When I was back in my room, I got ready for bed. When I laid down, I started to wonder what my family was thinking. My mom and Jimmy would be proud. Jonathan would be smiling and playfully tease me about not getting a twelve. My dad and his "friend" would probably be smiling.

The thought of my family and friends being happy made me smile for second. Then I got comfortable in my bed and fell asleep into an abyss of more nightmares.