CHAPTER 2
COLONEL FELIX'S TRIBUTE ACADEMY
QUINCY
Dad's gone mad, I thought to myself, With that amount of money, we could've bought a new barn, or large dinners for weeks, or donated to the poor. But no, we got an extra semester of school, if you could call it that. I don't know why he sent us here, we already have enough leadership skills.
"So do you want that in a medium?" The loud District 1 women asked from the inside of her shoe closet. She was trying to find the 'perfect pair,' for the big Autumn Gala that night.
One day in, and we were already partying.
The lady with extravagant hair returned from the closet with a pair of red velvet heels, putting them on my feet with sweat on her pale complexion. "You're going to look absolutely stunning," she said happily. "Now let's go pick out your dress."
I decided on a scarlet one, only to match the shoes, and chose a diamond necklace worth more than my house. "Are you sure they won't mind me wearing this?" I asked. I would not be dragged away by a Peacekeeper for stealing.
She patted my cheeks, adding on an extra layer of bronzor, "Honey, it's there for you to wear, duh!"
"Right," I said. "So what's this gala about?"
"Oh, anyone who's anyone, or knows anyone for that matter, will be there." I smiled and nodded, even though there wasn't much to be happy about.
I missed District 10.
"No Kimberly, just no!" These are the words I heard as I walked into the small dorm room with a duffle bag on my shoulder.
I see a girl with bright blond hair and electric indigo eyes bouncing on her bed, wearing a magenta silk dress that fell just above her knees. She was on her cell phone, I think that's what they're called at least, talking to some girl who was supposedly named Kimberly.
"Excuse me," I said, "Who are you?"
"Oh I'm Amethyst, and you must be Kiara, the mayor's daughter." She stuck her hand out. "You are Kiara, right?"
"Uhh, no." I said. "I'm Quincy from District 10."
The girl, Amethyst, shrieked at this, jumping away, whipping her hand back almost as fast as her hair. "Eww, germs!"
"Don't worry," I managed to get out through gritted teeth. "I washed my hands."
Her expression fell off of her stupid face. "Oh. Well, in that case, welcome. I suppose you're my roommate, so let me suggest that you sleep over there," she pointed to the ground, "And I'll sleep here," she then pointed to the top bunk bed.
"You know that there are two bunks for two people." I said, annoyed.
"No, my clothes are on the bottom bunk."
"But that's why we have the dresser."
"Ooh, this is getting heated." Amethyst pressed a button on her phone, "Kimberly, I need to hang up," She pressed another button, "Anyway, my makeup and toiletries are in the dresser. But I'm pretty sure there is some extra linen somewhere. Maybe you can knit yourself a bag."
"Please shut up," I said blatantly.
"Okay. Wait, hold the phone, you said you were from District 10. But how? This is a tribute center, where teenagers of District 1 learn how to use weapons and fight.
Wait. A tribute center? Of course, this was where Career tributes came to learn how to survive the Hunger Games, and hopefully win. These were some of the thoughts rummaging through my head at that moment.
Dad must've known this. We were responsible enough, so this place would definitely be useless. He probably thought that since we had so many entry slips, that some training would help, I thought.
"Amethyst, how long does this training go?"
"Oh, it usually goes until winter, but if you'd like to take a double-block, you go to spring. Why do you ask?"
"No reason."
"Let's get going. The gala starts in just a few minutes."
Parties, I recently learned, are not always fun. Apparently, here in District 1, dancing is important. But in the Heifer house, unless it earned us money, dancing was about as useless as pottery and swinging from a chandelier.
I stepped on my brother Phelan's toes as we spinned around, earning me a low groan. "Ow, why didn't you go to the ballroom dancing lesson?"
"There was a ballroom dancing lesson?" I asked. Phelan nodded. "Well that would've come in handy. Too bad that I was so busy arguing with my roommate."
"Oh yeah. Who's your roommate?"
"A girl named Amethyst from District 1. You?"
"A boy named Ambergris. He goes by Gris, though." Phelan dipped me, in which I fell back, hoping he'd catch me.
I hoped wrong.
I landed in a bowl of elixir, a liquid that's supposed to make you vomit if you drink it, my hair and dress getting drenched. I wiped the sweet liquid from my tongue, hoping not to swallow any of it.
I felt bile climb my throat though, and I knew I was a goner. I swiftly ran into the boy's bathroom, and then vomited all over the floor. The yellow-green liquid's stench that was permeating the air smelled terrible, and I pulled the hem of my shirt over my nose.
I walked out of the restroom with my head held high, and a poised smile on my face. A boy stared at me with a horrified look on his face. "Don't worry," I said, "I put the seat down."
I returned to dancing with Phelan, my dress still damp, a red stain covering the front. "Where's Gage?" I asked.
"I don't know. I think I see him though," Phelan pointed across the cafeteria to the snack table, where a swarm of girls with blond hair and beaming eyes stood around him, like wolves with meat. That was my brother, stuffing his face with a variety of bundt cakes, fancy chocolates, petite macaroons, and chocolate eclairs, yet he could still seem to be endearing.
"Let's go talk to him," I said.
"Nah," Phelan decided. "We'll just make ourselves look like fools."
"For me, that ship sailed a long time ago. Let's go."
Phelan hooked elbows with me. "Apres vous."
"Is that vomit, punch or pee on your dress?" The girl wearing a skimpy dress said impertinently.
"Why don't you find out. Phelan, hold my shoes." I kicked them off, but Phelan grabbed my shoulders.
"You are not going to attack her. I do not want to get kicked out of here before training even starts," Phelan whispered into my ear.
I groaned. An Avox dressed from head to toe in velvet handed me a crystal fluke, containing bubbling cider, a clear liquid, except for the auburn glow emitting from the liquid.
I gingerly took a sip, it was an acquired taste, almost bittersweet, like coffee that I've only tried once, on my dad's birthday.
I puckered my lips after finally registering the sour aftertaste.
"You know, you kind of look like a fish, but now, you're puckering your lips," I spit the drink out in tiny droplets, like morning dew, all over the blonde's dress. "Ugh! This better be organic!" She stomped away in an agitated manner.
That same girl threw a knife at the board faster than I could gasp. "I still hate you," she said, her voice snobby, like always.
"Way to be subtle," I said blatantly.
The girl strutted away, whipping her hair behind her shoulder.
I tapped Gage on the shoulder. "Why don't we go practice at the ax station?"
Gage grinned. He had always been talented in ax-throwing, cutting down wood faster than even my dad. Although Dad wouldn't let him in the slaughterhouse, he still gained much talent after watching Phelan and I kill the livestock, and with his own personal experience.
The woman, Jessa, I think her name was, laid some wood on the floor and on porcelain pedestals. "Okay, you can go now. If you need help, I will always be here. You may begin."
Gage nailed the pieces of lumber right in the center, splitting the wood in half. He grabbed some of the other metal axes, and even managed to knock the wood off the pedestal with a rusty one.
Gage had accuracy, sure, yet I had length while throwing.
I knocked the skimpy blonde's knife while it was in mid-spin. It stuck to the bulletin board with a bullseye drawn on, but then fell off.
"Maybe you should try throwing at something a little closer. You hit that from approximately fifty yards away. That's good."
"Thanks, but I don't need to. That was a bad shot for me."
It clicked in my head how arrogant and cocky I must've sounded a few seconds it came out of my mouth. "I'm sorry," I apologized.
"It's okay. Now scurry kid, you obviously have mastery of this."
We passed archery, knot-tying, knife-throwing and camouflage with flying colors before dinner. I barely passed throwing spears, as I had never even attempted doing that before.
Gage, however must have had some training with spears, as he was excelling in every technique, and hit somewhere relatively close to the center almost every time.
"I'm pretty sure half of the girls want your phone number. Too bad you don't have one." I hoisted him up, holding his armpits, and dragged him over to the fire-starting station.
"I'm Jonah," he said. The man had a very dog-like snout, and I assume he got surgery in the Capitol.
"This is Gage," I said, pointing to him, "And I'm Quincy. What district are you from?"
"Five," he muttered, "I won, yet I didn't deserve to. There wasn't enough action, so they decided to dry up every last bit of water. I survived by chewing on leaves and bark, as the others fought it out. I lit a fire, and last tribute, other than me, Gerla, died in it. Ever since then, Colonel Felix, the victor of the 29th Games, has put me up to the duties of fire-lighting ever since. It's ridiculous, actually."
"Well, let's not waste time," Gage said impatiently, "The day's almost come to an end."
"Okay, so you want to start off by dehydrating the wood. It needs to be bone-dry. In the Games, try to find dry wood, but if it's not possible, leave it in the sunlight for a day. Then you want to create friction, or you can use a magnifying glass, or clear jar filled with water, and you'll need to-"
The hour went by hastily, and I admit to liking Jonah's company. No one went to him the entire day, so I assume that most people know how to light a basic fire. But Jonah also taught us how to conceal smoke, and roast food quickly and quietly.
"Everyone please report to the Amusez-Vous Cafe," A voice loudly blared over the intercom, "Remember, it is located on floor four, with the glass terrace, and bar. That's for our eighteen-year olds only, however."
"Bye, Jonah," I said, waving.
"Goodbye, Quincy."
I later found out that he meant that in more than one way.
Sorry for such a short chapter!
The next one will be relatively long, and an interesting and detailed plot. I can't specify when it'll come out, though, but I assume sometime next week.
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Until next time,
-Thesixthfaction