Chapter 9- Evaluations

Nicki POV

A day of training passed by quickly and uneventfully. I bolted up in bed right at eight o'clock on the day after, the day that the Game Makers were to evaluate our skills. I got up and showered (those buttons are so interesting) and dressed in my training uniform the Avox assigned to us had laid out for me.

Personally Avoxes creeped me out. But people with no tongues freaked me out, just think about it. If you did anything wrong here, they would do that to you without blinking.

Katniss once told me about how she knew an Avox named Lavinia.

Shaking the bad thoughts from my mind, I walked in to the dining room where Roan, Lovage, and our escort Isis were waiting for me. I sat by Roan. "Eat up," he grinned.

"What's the low down on today?" I asked as I filled my plate.

"You have the morning to practice, then you get an hour for lunch, and in the afternoon the Game Makers will call you in one by one," Lovage explained. His messy auburn hair was neat for once, I noticed. I continued eating as Roan discussed training and the arena.

The arena. I didn't want to think about that.

After we finished eating, Lovage escorted us down to the training room. I was too busy panicking about tomorrow to listen, something I could end up regretting.

Haymitch POV

Evaluation day was today. I hated having to get up so damn early for this every year to get tributes ready. I'd just as well shoot myself in the head with an arrow.

Not to mention Effie's whole thing about getting 'up, up for a big, big day!"

That was annoying too. That is all.

Prim POV

I woke up with the same strong thumping sound in my ears that I remembered waking up to yesterday. U looked up under my eyelashes. I recognized where I was as the balcony of the training room. The tributes had to be filing in soon, and today was evaluation. I wondered what skill Nicki would be showing off.

"You have a strong heartbeat Sen," I said as I looked up at him all the way.

"Do I? I never noticed, but you seem to notice that a lot,' he laughed in my ear.

"Is anyone else here?" I asked as I lifted my head to look around. There showed to be not a sign of another soul on the balcony. Several chairs were all empty and the banquet table was all full.

'Not a soul," he said as he laid my head back to where I could hear his heart beat again.

"Mm," I sighed.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as I felt him reach over for something. I let him feed me the sweet apple and the hot chocolate.

"Sleepy,' I said to myself.

"You can go to sleep baby, I'll be right here," he said as he stroked my hair and the rhythm of his heart sang me to sleep. Night closed in over me as I heard Seneca start my meadow song.

Gale POV

Man, as much as I hate most of the people who live in the Capitol, I got to give them some credit. I mean, the place was huge and freaking impressive. Mom was holding Vick's hand as Rory walked in the middle of us. I was carrying Posy on top of my shoulders so she could see.

"Gale, look!" she said excitedly as one of the many TVs in the city was blaring with people talking about training score predictions.

"I see," I said as we stopped in front of a gray apartment building. I looked at my mother and she nodded to go in. We asked the receptionist to ring up the penthouse where Katniss and Prim lived.

"Miss Everdeen said that you all can go right up," he said once he hung up.

'Thank you,' my mother said as she led us to a fancy elevator. It was made of glass as far as the windows went and we could see all the people on the ground floor get smaller. Finally on the fifty fourth floors, the little bell rang. We got out and were staring straight at the door of the penthouse. I stepped forward and knocked. Posy knocked too.

Katniss came to the door in simple black pants and a wraparound top with no sleeves. "Hey, Catnip," I said as I hugged her.

"Are you all here for the Games?' she asked.

'We came as soon as we heard about Nicki," my mother said.

'Oh yeah, that. Do you guys wanna come in?" she led us inside the apartment. It was a creamy color and plush sofas lined the living room. I caught sight that she too was watching training score predictions. They were now on the subject of a thirteen year old girl from District 3. Her image flashed on screen. She was blonde with straight hair and features that reminded me of Prim. Her name was Moss.

"Where's Prim?' Rory asked as he sat on the floor and we came to sit on the couch opposite the one Katniss was seated on. She asked Lavinia, the Avox the the Capitol assigned to her service and the girl from the day in the woods with the hovercraft, to get us some tea.

Katniss muted the TV so we could talk. "Prim's off with her lover," Katniss explained.

'Prim's dating someone? Good for her! What else has been going on?" I asked.

Katniss leaned forward, "Gale I've got so much to tell you.

Nicki POV

Shit mother freaking Hunger Games. The Games started tomorrow. I sat in the training center with all the other tributes from Districts six through twelve. None of us spoke, we were too nervous. All the Careers were gone now. I was sitting by Roan, but I could see Boggs and little Juniper at the end of the line of chairs.

"Litnicki Peckerwood," the automated voice called my name. I froze.

Oh my God, get off your ass! I was breathing audibly as I rose and took the lift down to the empty training center main floor. I heard the thud as the lift landed on the ground. I saw a spear in my line of vision and there were dummies set up all over the room. I flipped my hair, stood up straight and said, 'Nicki Peckerwood, District 5."

I walked over and set up my dummy. I saw all the targets already on there for me. I picked up the spear right as I got a good distance away from my dummy. I took my stance, put my spear up to my shoulder, stepped forward, and threw.

I heard the spinning sound as the spear was being pushed along towards the dummy by the air as I crossed my fingers that my aim hadn't been off. I had no time to shut my eyes as I now saw the spear lodge in to what must be the dummy's abdomen.

Three words: thank you God.

I looked up slightly to see what the Game Makers were doing. Some were nodding, some were writing things down. Huh, they must be writing a score of zero for me. I don't think a zero has ever been given in the history of the Games, but there's a first time for everything. In the center I recognized the Head Game Maker, someone I had only seen on TV before. Wasn't his name Zeneca Sparrow or something?

I also noticed on his lap sat a young woman about my age, maybe months older. Her blond hair was tied behind her in a braid and she wore ordinary clothes of a white collared shirt and black pants. She grinned at me as I turned to leave. I gave a nervous smile back.

It was just as I was heading to our floor I was struck with the realization that it was Prim.

Wow.

Katniss POV

After I finished spilling everything to Gale and Hazelle (Rory, Vick, and Posy were playing in the other room) the front door opened. Peeta stood there with bread. "Great idea," Peeta said as Gale had finished telling us of his long dreamed rebellion plan, "but there's one flaw."

"What's that?" Gale challenged.

"They'll blow us up, 12, just like they did with 13. You know they will," Peeta set the bread basket on the table. I took a piece.

"I think they've wanted to for a while," Gale snorted.

"Maybe, but we can't risk it yet. If we do this during the Games that our friend just so happens to be a tribute in, they'll make her life hell in that arena until they finally decide to kill her.'

'We can't risk that," I said.

"No, we can't.'