aA/N: Just for the train ride, we're going to narrate the story in third person, just because all of our four tirbutes are in one place. Thanks for reading! Harriett & Victorie
'I never even said goodbye to my dad. The last time we spoke, I was screaming at him. He never told me everything he wanted. However, I won't cry. I won't let myself look weak, especially if I was going to spend the next day on a train with 23 other tributes. I could promise myself that much, at least'.
Leah was glad she didn't cry. The station was completely littered with reporters. Among the numerous reporters, she saw Frodo, talking to a group of women, who all held notebooks and were scribbling frantically.
"Hey." she said, striding towards them.
"Oh, hey." Said Frodo, turning to find her standing mere centimeters away from him.
"Can I talk to you, for a second?"
"Sure." He said, puzzled. "Excuse me a moment, ladies," He politely threw over his shoulder as Leah lead him away and the women scribble more notes in their books.
"What's up?" He asked, as if it were as casual as a coffee in a cafe.
"Why did you volunteer for my brother?"
"Why, is that a problem?"
"Well yeah, he's my brother."
"Well if you really want to know..."
"Just tell me, Frodo."
"I saw the fear in your eyes." Stunned, Leah's jaw dropped. "Good-day, to you." And with that he walked away, just as the train arrived, having already been to Districts twelve, eleven, ten, nine and eight.
Leah stepped onto the train and found herself surrounded by red and gold velvet. The windows were lined with gold, silken curtains. Wow. Then, the doors slid shut behind her, and she jumped forwards in shock.
Finding a red, velvet couch, she sat down and waited for the train to pick up the other tributes. There were already 5 pairs sat around her, and she was temped to listen into their conversations. That was before Frodo sat next to her.
"You walked off." She said, not taking her eyes off of the window, opposite them.
"I know." He replied, as if it didn't mean a thing.
"What do you mean, you 'saw the fear in my eyes' when my brother was reaped?" Frodo stared into her eyes, searching for an emotion.
"That, right there."
"What?"
"You're confused. Confused by me, and my way to see stuff in people's eyes. Especially fear." Yes, Leah was confused, but those are like, the two easiest emotions to spot! Fear and confusion, but that doesn't explain why he volunteered to save her brother's butt.
However, she didn't have time to ask him anymore questions, as the train pulled up at the District six station and two more tributes boarded.
Both tributes were ginger and looked younger then Leah.
"By the way," she turned to Frodo. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen. And yourself?"
"Sixteen, too."
"You don't look it." It was true. Frodo was taller then Leah, but she still found that a little insulting. Although, Leah found herself guessing the rough age of the District six tributes.
How old are they? They don't look sixteen. Then again, Frodo doesn't. He looks seventeen. But he's sixteen. So. I wonder how old these two are? They look around fourteen or fifteen. Possibly. I wonder what Frodo thinks. I'm not going to ask him. And I'm not going to ask them. Oh, why is life so... Difficult?
These two new tributes were, in fact, Abie Karimloo and Pippin Took, both fifteen years old. The deluxe decor of the train took Abie by surprise, and Pippin had to pull her to the side, before the doors slid shut, decapitating her. There were few tear stains on her freckled cheeks, as she had been upset after her heart-breaking goodbye with her family, and why hadn't her father gone to say goodbye? Why had Merry gone to see her, and not Pippin? Should she tell Pippin about what Merry had said to her? She decided against telling Pippin, but she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do.
Across the train, Abie and Leah stared at each-other a lot, and didn't notice that the train had stopped at two districts since Abie and Pippin had boarded the train. They both looked up as the doors closed, to see two career tributes, both with long, straight, blonde hair. Both girls were in awe. But then Abie was dragged away by Pippin, and these new tributes sat where Abie and Pippin had been.
"Leah," Frodo said, standing up. "I'm going to go and get something to eat. You coming?"
Leah looked up at him, from these two tributes, "I'll be with you in a bit."
"Alright." Leah began twiddling her thumbs as, across the train, exactly the same thing happened between the two blonds. However, instead of twiddling her thumbs, the blonde girl stood up and walked over to Leah.
"Can I sit here?"
"What? Oh, yeah, sure."
"Thanks." They sat in silence for all of thirty seconds. "I need an Ally in the games who isn't from my own district." The blonde said, as the train left the District four station. "Someone that no-one will expect... Of a career."
"And you chose me because..."
"You look like a better choice than anyone else here."
"How did you work that one out?"
"Just think about it, okay?"
"I thought about it."
"And...?"
"And I think everyone needs some additional allies. I'm in."
"Great, but we can't appear to be allies in training."
"I know. So we hate each-other during those times. Okay?"
"Perfect."
"Wait!" Leah exclaimed, as the blonde stood up. "What's your name?"
"Elanor Rouke. Yours?"
"Leah Oakley. Age?"
"Sixteen. You?"
"Sixteen."
"Good."
"Bye."
Elanor Rouke left to join the male tribute from District four, just as the train arrived at District three and a bubbly, hyper, girl with short brown hair boarded the train and started squealing.
"Hi everyone! I'm Kayly! I'm fourteen years old and... I'M IN THE HUNGER GAMES! WOO!" Everyone else on the train stared in disgust at this strange girl. Everyone except Abie, who looked at her in sympathy, knowing that she was probably sending herself to certain death.
The train then swept through Districts two and one, picking up the last four (of six) career tributes, with no drama. From District one, the train carried on to the Capitol. The one place where the twenty four tributes would soon commence training. The place where the 74th Hunger Games would finally begin.