The first thing I saw when I entered the supposed "dinner area" where the tributes have a meal together before they train to kill each other, was a huge buffet table. Now I've been in the Capitol for a few days, and I was getting used to the food which was always off-the-charts with their quality. But nothing could have prepared me for the amount of food here.
So I did what my stomach's been telling me to do and I made a bee-line for the table.
That's when i notice that I wasn't alone in the line. There was a blonde girl with hazel-green eyes. She was wearing a turquoise tube top with a scaly silver chest guard on its left side. She had turquoise bracers on her forearms and a navy blue archery glove on her right hand. Around her waist was a Green belt, the same shade as her chest guard. She was holding a silver recurve bow in her left hand. Her stomach was bare, showing of well-sculpted abdominal muscles. There was a simple net covering her thighs. Baby blue knee pads dominated her, well, knees. The rest of her legs were covered in the same green armor that her chest guard was made of. Finally, she had silver combat boots. She looked at me and studied me, which wasn't that different with the way Sue looked at me days before on the train. The blonde, after a few seconds, nodded a bit and smiled at me in a rogue-ish way. She looked cool and edgy, and there was this 'You-don't-want-to-mess-with-me' aura around her.
Now this blonde, would either be my enemy, or my ally.
I'd like to go with ally.
"My name's Quinn. Quinn Fabray. District 4." Great, a career. Go figure. She held out her hand to me, and I shook it. I added a bit of a firm grip in the hand shake, since it was the formal thing to do, and because it shows that you're confident. It leaves quite an impression really.
"Johanna. Johanna Santana Lopez Mason. District 7." She lets go of my hand and starts getting a plate. I do the same.
"So how's life here in the Capitol?" she asked.
"Well, it's different," I replied. Just as she was about to ask me something a black-haired girl sauntered up to us. She was followed by a tall boy with dark brown hair.
"Well, well, Quinnie! We meet again!" she squealed. Quinn rolled her eyes.
"Rachel, I'm really not interested in getting into another conversation about your engagement with Finn before you both got reaped. Also, I hate nicknames," the blond said as she picked up some pieces of lamb chops and fish. I did the same only I put of a lot of this brown sauce over them. I looked around and surveyed the area and my eyes landed on the girl with sparkling blue eyes and wavy blonde hair I saw earlier. I stared. I couldn't help it. She's just too damn perfect. I noticed Quinn flick her eyes towards my direction.
"Actually, I just remembered that I had to introduce a friend of mine to someone," she suddenly said.
"Oh? And who would this friend be?" Rachel asked.
"Santana over here," Quinn said point at me with her thumb. "See you some other time Rachel." She dragged me away "Though I hope I won't," she added quietly.
"Um... I really prefer being called Johanna," I told her. Quinn shrugged.
"Doesn't click."
"Wait, where are you taking me?" But then I noticed that she was dragging me to the other blonde across the room. Quinn scoffed.
"Dear, I saw you gawking at her. Luckily for you, I know her. You also gave me an excuse to get away from Treasure Trail."
"Treasure Trail?"
"Long story." A few seconds later, we were standing in front of Quinn's friend.
"Hey Brit!" Quinn said. The other blonde smiled in response. "Have you met Santana over here?" Quinn nudged me forward with her shoulder.
"Uh yeah! I sort of slipped before the parade and she caught me." I laughed. She turned towards me.
"My name's Brittany S. Pierce. I'm from District 12," she said, stretching her right arm forward to shake my hand.
"Johanna Santana L. Mason. From District 7," I said , taking her hand and shaking it. As soon as our hands met, a tingle went straight up my arm. It was like a jolt of electricity. I blushed and looked up to meet her eyes. There was an unmistakable gleam in it, and there was something about the smile that just... took my breath away.
Does that mean she felt it too?
"Your name's too long," she whined and did a little pout. I almost swooned at how adorable it was. "I'll just call you San!" She did that smile again, and I swear my heart melted. Normally I wouldn't even allow anyone except my parents to call me Santana, and unless some people want serious ass-kicking, they wouldn't even dare. But here's this girl that I barely know, making a nickname for me.
And I'm not even doing anything about it.
If I would be completely honest, I would say that I actually like it.
"There she is!" Quinn, Brittany, and I turned around and saw Rachel dragging Finn towards us. Quinn groaned.
"I'll be right back. I just have to... hide somewhere," she said. Quinn handed me her plate. "Hold this for me." And just like that, she bolted away.
Brittany and I chuckled at Quinn's misfortune. We watched her walk briskly, ducking behind random people just to make sure the dwarf doesn't see her. Brittany turns to me after awhile, amusement still shining in those baby blue eyes that I'm starting to like even more.
We stood there not really knowing what to say, and not really needing to say anything. But just so we don't look weird, you know standing there without doing anything, I speak up.
"Hey-"
"Hey-"
We both laugh. Apparently we chose the same time to talk. "Look you can go first," I told her, still smiling. "What a gentlewoman," Brittany says, while placing her hand over her heart in exaggerated admiration. I laugh lightly and I urge her to say what she wanted to say awhile ago. "I just wanted to ask you if...?" She stops, looking a bit nervous. But I smile at her and hold her hand in reassurance. "I was wondering if we could have that dinner now?" she asks, a bit uncertain.
"You didn't even have to ask," I grin at her, not caring if I looked like a dork. I got my plate of food, and added some more to it. Then I got an extra fork. Brittany looked at me curiously. "Where's my food?" "Well, I was thinking we could just share," I replied. "Well if you don't want to that's fine I guess. I mean, it's totally fine and I-" Brittany silences me with a kiss on the cheek.
My cheeks warmed up, and as soon as she pulled away my hand came up and touched the spot on my cheek where she kissed me.
She freaking kissed me.
Well it was on the cheek, but that doesn't matter.
"It's ok San. I'm cool with sharing," she says with a smile that pretty much screamed 'Hey I'm flirting with you.' She adds a wink, making me more flustered than I already was.
I guess I'm not as subtle as I thought.
And I could've stood there until tomorrow, absolutely lovestruck, until she calls out my name.
"San? Are you just going to stand there or will you walk with me and show me where we'll be having dinner?" Brittany was now several steps ahead of me, her arms crossed and one of her eyebrows raised.
Is it wrong to think that I found her really hot at that moment?
'Keep your hands to yourself, Mason.' I told myself. I walked up to her and smiled apologetically. Then I puffed my chest out, and held out my arm for her to hold onto. She giggled and shook her head in mock exasperation. "Have I ever told you that you can be such a dork sometimes?"
I shrugged. "I'm not trying to be a dork. I'm trying to be chivalrous." I wiggled my eyebrows at her for added effect. She burst out laughing. "First of all, don't ever do that thing with your eyebrows again. Second, isn't chivalry dead?"
"Miss Pierce, as long as it's for you, chivaly will never be dead. I will be your personal knight-in-shining-armor." I smiled in the most charming way that I can.
Brittany totally blushed.
Score!
Then she rolled her eyes at me. "Johanna Santana L. Mason, you are the cheesiest person I have ever met."
"But I'm only cheesy for you. I swear. Go ask anyone who knows me." I looked at her. And really I wasn't kidding. This is the most honest I've ever been. I don't even know what this girl did to me, but whenever I'm around her I just felt so happy. So free.
And I know it won't even last, but I couldn't really care less.
I just want to enjoy what we had now.
Brittany and I continued to walk. It was a comfortable silence. We went inside the elvator, and I pressed the number for the topmost floor.
Once we got out, Brittany looked confused. "Why are we at the floor for District 12?"
I smiled at her. "Just wait and see."
I led her to a door that nobody really noticed. I opened it, and there were a few flights of stairs. We went up, and Brittany let go of my arm to settle for my hand instead.
When we finally reached the top, I faced her. "Whatever you see here would be our secret okay? Nobody should know about this but us." Brittany nodded eagerly. "I'll even pinky promise with you!" She held out her pinky to me, and I laughed. I raised mine and wrapped it around hers. "Alright. You can go now."
We went in, or rather out. I just led Brittany to the rooftop. I stood there while Brittany stared in amazement. "We're at the rooftop? But I didn't even know there was a way to get here. The view is amazing!" I set down the food at a nearby blanket as I chuckled at the girl. "Just be careful. This place is surrounded by a force field. Probably because the Capitol government is afraid that some tributes will jump off from this building and die willingly to escape the torture known as the Games." She shook her head at me. "You're so bitter about all of this." I snorted. "Well isn't it true? Some people would prefer to die out here than in there. The only reason I'm even trying is because..." I gulped.
I almost told her.
Brittany smiled gently at me and walked closer. She took my hand and held it close to her heart. "Why are you trying to win so much Santana? Now that I think about it, I've never really asked you that."
I tried to avoid looking at her. I really did. Because I knew that one look and I would lose it. One look, and I'll be telling her words that I'm not even supposed to say.
But she turned my head towards her and snaked her arms around my neck. Then she leaned her forehead against mine.
I couldn't breathe. My heart was trying to break its way out of my chest. My eyes locked onto her breathtaking blue ones and I felt like my knees were about to buckle. Her eyes were full of nothing but sincerity and honesty.
And her lips were so impossibly close to mine. Another inch, and I would finally be able to know how they feel like against my own.
At that moment, I could only stare at her in awe.
"Why?" she asked again, softer this time, almost a whisper. Most people wouldn't have been able to hear it.
But her voice rang in my head, as loud and as clear as a silver bell.
"Because..." I trailed off. I can't do it.
It's too dangerous.
"Please Santana," Brittany pleaded. My heart almost broke. "I need to hear it."
Her words gave me all the courage I needed.
"Because I have someone to live for."
As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt so vulnerable. As if I just ripped my heart out and presented it to someone on a silver platter. I feel like I just gave Brittany complete power over me. She could take care of my heart and make me the happiest person in the whole of Panem.
Or she could break me.
And for the first time in my life I'm terrified. I'm terrified because I have never given anyone this much control.
I'm terrified because I know that after this, things will never be the same again.
And somehow Brittany knew. No, Brittany understood. She understood how I felt. She understood how scared I was. How doubtful I was. And it's almost like she understood these thoughts better than I did.
So she did the thing that made me forget everything.
Even my own name.
She pressed her lips against mine.
And she starts kissing me softly, tenderly. As if she's reassuring me, telling me that things would be alright, that we would find a way. It was so gentle, so comforting. It gave me a sense of peace that I never thought I would find, especially now that I was chosen as a tribute for the Games.
At first I'm too surprised to actually respond.
But then I closed my eyes, and I kissed back.
Since it was my first kiss, I thought it would be awkward. I thought it would be uncomfortable.
I had never been more wrong.
Our lips moved to the same rhythm instantly, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I felt Brittany move her hands from my neck to my hair, and I felt her run her fingers through it, tugging it every once in a while. My hands stayed at her hips, but I pulled her closer, needing more of her warmth.
The kiss wasn't that sexual, or sensual, or aggressive.
But it held so much passion, so much emotion, that I thought it was too perfect to be true. I saw fireworks, I felt sparks, I heard the sound of violins.
It was everything I wanted my first kiss to be, and more.
It was absolutely amazing. It was mind-blowing.
And to think that Brittany and I have only known each other for a day. Yet, it's like we've lived together for years. Some might say that everything is happening too fast, that the two of us can't possibly be falling in love when we only met a few hours ago.
But the two of us are part of the Games. Ever since our names were called out, our lives were cut short. Now we're forced to live day-by-day, not really knowing if this moment would be our last.
Life is too unpredictable for us now.
Which is why I'm willing to throw caution to the wind. I'm willing to risk anything and everything. Because I'll never be able to tell what would happen next.
'If I die tonight,' I thought. 'I'll go with no regret.'
-.-.-.-.-
"... and furthermore, you're not allowed to kill anyone during training sessions. You'll have a lot of time doing that in the battlefield. In the mean time, let the training commence!" I remembered what Sue said about training. Practice the skills I want to develop and make allies. I saw Quinn and Brittany walk over to the Ropes course. I followed them but just then some jerk bumped into me.
"Hey watch where you're going," he said. I raised my eyebrow at the guy and looked at him. He was lean and sort of tall, and his hair was perfectly coiffed. His eyes were hazel, with a hint of green. He isn't that bad looking really, and I would've liked him (not in the way I like Britt's, of course) if he wasn't acting so damn bitchy right now.
"Excuse you. You're the one who bumped me!" I said. I glared at him and he glared back.
"You wanna start a fight, pretty boy?" I challenged.
"Oh please, how are you, a person from one of the poorest districts, going to win against me, a career?" My blood boiled. The nerve of this guy! Then I noticed his training outfit. The number 4 was printed on it. Wait, District 4? He's Quinn's district partner? But Quinn's so... nice compared to him!
"I can't believe you and Quinn are district partners. Quinn can be pretty fierce but she's awesome as a friend. As for you... you're an unbelievable thick-headed piece of gay shit." I mumbled. The guy frowned.
"You just challenged my honor. I demand satisfaction in District 4 tradition," he said with a look of feigned hurt. It was replaced a moment later with a mocking smirk. A group of tributes gathered behind Sebastian.
"Sebastian, please. This isn't time for one of your hissy fits," someone said. I turned around and saw Quinn and Brittany standing behind me. Sebastian, huh? So that's his name.
"You wanna have a duel? Hey Quinn, Britt, can you guys hang back for a second. I'm gonna need you to see this." He looked at me with anger burning in his eyes.
"Everyone else clear out. I don't want you to see me make a girl cry." I scoffed. Clearly he hasn't seen me with an axe. The other tributes stayed, but they quickly ran out when they saw the glares that Sebastian and I gave them.
"Let's just keep this on point," I shot back.
"Yeah, yeah. So your weapon of choice?" he asked.
"You first."
"Tch. Get them at the same time." We bolted over to a weapons' rack. I grabbed a double-bladed axe. I turned to see what he got. Oh hell no. His weapon... there's only one copy of it which probably means that people barely use it.
"A trident? Seriously?" I said. He laughed.
"It's better than yours. An axe?" Then he smirked. That did it, I swung my axe towards his chest but he easily blocked it with his trident. He twisted his weapon and flicked it outward, wrenching my axe out of my hands then sending it flying towards Brittany and Quinn who pushed Brittany out of the way before dodging it herself.
"Sebastian seriously, stop it. You can get someone killed! There's a lot of time for that in the Games!" Sebastian used the butt of the trident to push me away from the weapons rack. Damn, that hurt.
"Don't really care," he muttered. I sprinted towards my axe, slid, grabbed it off the ground then jumped back up, raising my axe just in time. He nearly skewered me with that stupid pitchfork of his. I shoved his trident away and brought my axe around and I would have lopped his stupid face off if he hadn't ducked and kicked my feet making me trip. He stabbed his trident downward and I rolled to the side. I landed a neat kick to his left leg. I boosted myself up. He glared then charged back at me, trident raised but someone tackled him, bringing him down. He dropped his trident and Brittany immediately picked it up.
"You bitch!" Sebastian yelled. "We're suppoesd to be District partners!"
Quinn? I looked at Brittany who looked horrified. Sebastian flipped Quinn over but she kneed his crotch. He rolled on his back. Quinn jumped up and kicked Sebastian's stomach.
"You didn't have to attack Santana!" she yelled. Sebastian tackled her legs, making her fall again. He moved on top of her and started choking her. Brittany and I ran forward to help her but someone else got there ahead of us. A blonde boy grabbed Sebastian's shoulder and yanked him off Quinn. The boy helped Quinn up.
"Are you okay..." he trailed off, not knowing Quinn's name.
"Quinn. Quinn Fabray, District 4. I'm fine, thanks to you, and you're...?"
"Sam Evans, District 2. My pleasure, Quinn," he said, bowing. Quinn laughed. I noticed that Sam had a... rather... large mouth.
"Hey! I'm still alive over here!" Sebastian yelled. Oops, forgot all about that bozo. I stomped over to him.
"You're ruining the moment," I said. Then I punched him. Sebastian doubled over.
"I have no time for this crap," he said, gritting his teeth. Then he walked to some other training station to do who knows what. I looked back at the two blondes. They seemed to be having a good time. I looked at Brittany.
"So... Ropes course?" I said, grinning in a goofy way.
"Race you to it," she simply replied, suddenly sprinting towards the said station.
"No fair!" I yelled running after her.
-.-.-.-.-
"Alright, your Day One of training is over, how was it?" Sue asked me and Joe over dinner.
"Well some guy with a funny accent named Rory kept picking on me," Joe said.
"Hope he dies," Sue said. "And you?" The question was directed at me.
"Well there was this career named Sebastian from District 4. We sort of got into a fight," I mumbled.
"And what about his District partner?"
"Quinn? She's a friend. She practically saved me. But then her district partner kind of lost it and started choking her. She was saved by another career, this time, from District 2. We all got along quite well... and um... I forgot to tell you this but I met this... girl before the parade. She's from District 12." Sue stopped eating momentarily. She looked at me.
"First off, sweater meat, there are no friends in the battlefield. Everyone's going to betray you sooner or later Second, don't get yourself involved with anyone. It will make it harder for you to kill them and it can prove to be a distraction. Remember that," she said sternly.
"I know that. All I'm saying is that these guys can be great allies out in the field." My eyes flashed in irrtation at the woman, but I knew she was right. Getting myself invovled would make it harder to win. But Brittany...
My mind went back to last night. the touch, the kiss...
I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Don't think about it now. You can't think about it now.
-.-.-.-.-
Day 2 of the Training Sessions. Things went better, I practically avoided Sebastian but he kept shooting dagger glares at my direction. Quinn and the boy, Sam, seemed to be getting it good. Sam's a swordsman. A really good one. He totally owned the trainer at the station. Quinn was just... wow. Her skill with the bow was amazing! Well, I guess that's what you'd expect from a career tribute. Finally, Brittany. Well, she didn't really pick up any of the weapons provided. As she looked at the weapons rack, she seemed very disappointed.
"What's wrong?" I asked her. Brittany scratched her head.
"I can't find a whip," she said. I stared.
"A whip?"
"Yes, a whip. That's my weapon! I'm actually quite good with it." I looked down in embarrasment.
"O-of course! Weapon, right." Brittany looked at me.
"What were you thinking?" she asked, curious. But there was a mischievous twinkle in her eye that told me she knew exactly what was going on in my head.
"Nothing! Nothing. I was just wondering why... why... why a whip's your weapon!" I blurted out. She laughed.
"Well, it's a really... great weapon of choice. It's unlike the others. It's flexible and can hit people in close-ranged combat and also those in a further distance," she explained. I nodded.
"Besides," she leans in and whispers to my ear. "It's pretty handy, if you know how to use it properly. And not just in the arena." She throws in an extra flirty wink and grins.
I almost passed out.
Is this girl trying to kill me?
"Right." I looked around, trying to hide my obvious blush. It does not help that I am so turned on right now. "Well I bet this place has all the weapons. I'm sure we can find one." We walked over to Quinn and Sam who were busy being all sweet and shit over some nets, fish hooks, and the like.
"Sorry to interrupt, lovebirds but Britt can't seem to find her weapon of choice," I said. Quinn's cheeks took on a tinge of pink.
"Well... what weapon do you use?" Trouty Mouth asked Brittany.
"A whip," she replied. Quinn's eyes visibly grew wider.
"Wow. Whip-wielders are rare now-a-days. I'm pretty I saw some by the javelins and spears," she said, smiling. "You know what? I'll just go with you." Quinn boosted herself up with one hand.
"Alright, try the last knot I taught you. I'll be back to check if you did it right," she told Sam who winked at her.
"Got it." Quinn grabbed me and Brittany by the shoulders.
"Woah, woah. Okay, chill blondie," Brittany mumbled, amused. Quinn let go of us.
"Right so, why do you use a whip?" she asked Brittany, who shrugged.
"It just seems right to use it. I can't imagine using anything else," the other blonde replied. Quinn nodded.
"I understand, of course, but you're going to need to learn how to use some other weapons just in case."
"What? Why?!" Brittany whined. Quinn sighed and shook her head. She abruptly stopped walking and turned around. I nearly plowed into her.
"Listen, hardly anyone uses a whip. It would be difficult to find during the Games. In the occasion when you can't find one, which is very likely, you'll be left weaponless, and an excellent target... unless you have a back-up weapon," Quinn explained. Brittany nodded. I just stared at Quinn. She just had so much authority I don't think I'd be able to question. I found myself thinking about what would happen in the Games if ever we would end up in a situation where we would be forced to kill each other.
"Quiiiiiiinnn!" came a high-pitched, sing-song voice. We turned around and saw Rachel and Finn bounding towards us (well, more of Rachel bounding towards us and Finn following her around).
"Great! So I think that we, as careers, should have an alliance! We'll be the strongest team out there since we are, of course, careers! There's no point hanging out with these losers-"
"You used to be just sort of unlikeable. But now I pretty much feel like punching you every time you open your mouth," Quinn said, interrupting Rachel in the middle of her rant.
"What?! Why?! We're careers! We should be comfortable with each other and you shouldn't be allying yourself with those poor people from District 7 and District 12!"
That did it.
"Listen! I'm from District 7! You know what goes down in District 7?! Bad things!" I yelled at her, lunging forward. Quinn and Brittany held my arms, preventing me from doing any damage, unfortunately. Rachel covered her mouth. Finn put his head on his hands.
"Hey, hey, San. Just calm down. She's just another arrogant tribute! C'mon, we still need to get Brittany's whip!" Quinn said, in an effort to calm me down. Oh please. That arrogant tribute insulted my district! She's sooooo getting the District 7 treatment! I struggled to move forward. Quinn dug her nails into my right arm.
"Yow!" I yelped. Immediately stopping myself from trying to beat Rachel up.
"I suggest you leave now before San does anything to you," Brittany piped up. Rachel just stared then immediately backed away with her boyfriend following her. I glared in their direction then I glared at Quinn.
"Did you really have to dig your nails into my skin?" I demanded. It seriously hurt!
"Santana, you were going to go on a killing spree. If you do so here, in training, you'll immediately be disqualified and executed in front of everyone in Panem. And frankly, I don't want you to die..." Quinn trailed off. Brittany and I stared at Quinn.
"Don't you want to win?" Brittany asked. Quinn said nothing. She just pushed past us and continued walking towards the spears. I looked at Brittany who looked back at me.
"I wonder what's wrong with Quinn," I tell her, when the said blonde was already out of hearing range.
"I don't know San," Brittany says, looking deep in thought. "But as for now I think we should just let her be. She's probably dealing with some stuff right now that she doesn't want to talk about."
"But won't it be easier for her to tell us? You know, about whatever she's going through?" I ask her.
"Everyone has their secrets. And I'm sure that when she's ready to tell us hers, she will. Because we're the Unholy Trinity."
I couldn't help but raise my eyebrow at the blue-eyed blonde. "The Unholy Trinity?"
She blushed a bit. "Well yeah. I mean, there's the three of us, and we're getting close, and we're part of the Games and we have to kill people. And killing is unholy so..." I laughed at her. She's just so cute when she rambles. "Chill, Britts. I like the name. It's pretty badass." Brittany grins in relief. "Good. 'Cause it would have been so awkward if you didn't." I chuckled again. "Now all you have to do is tell Quinn."
Brittany visibly pales. I start laughing hysterically. We both knew how Quinn didn't really like nicknames. How Brittany was going to convince her to accept the name was beyond me.
"Tell me what?" Quinn comes back in that instant, with a whip in one hand and a javelin in the other. I try to hold in my laughter as Brittany smiles awkwardly.
"You see Quinn, I was just telling Ms. Mason here-" Brittany turns and glares at me, and I immediately shut up."-that I really like you as a friend. And that you and me, along with Santana, would make a super awesome alliance. And if ever we do become an alliance, I was just thinking that we should name ourselves the Unholy Trinity."
I hold my breath as I wait for Quinn's reaction. I wait for the moment when she goes red, then purple, and then she would proceed to blow off.
But that moment never came.
Brittany must have been waiting for that too, because when Quinn came closer to her, she flinched. Quinn laughed. "I think the name's cool. It sounds... badass."
Brittany and I were both surprised. "But I thought you hated names." I was the first one to recover, so I was the one who spoke up.
"Yeah, if they're for me," Quinn mutters. "But if it's a group name, I guess I can live with it."
I turned to Brittany. She looked like a big weight was lifted off of her shoulders. Her face then breaks out into her signature smile and then she lunges towards Quinn with so much force that Quinn drops the weapons she was previously holding. "Easy there B. You could've run into this javelin." She tries to look annoyed with Brittany, but that isn't something you can easily do, especially when Brittany's hugging you like that.
"Thank you Quinn! I promise we're going to be like, lifelong friends!" Brittany screams. I shake my head at her while smiling. That girl is too adorable.
"Yeah," Quinn says, a gentle smile on her face, "I'm sure we will be."
Then she did the classic Fabray Eyebrow Raise at me. " Well?"
"Well what?"
"Aren't you going to join in? Aren't you supposed to be one-third of the 'Unholy Trinity'?" Quinn says looking exasperated.
I grin at her and wrap my arms around her and the other blonde who looked like she just won the jackpot at a lottery.
"Didn't know you had a soft side, Fabgay."
"Didn't know I had one either, Lezpez." She replied altering my middle name instead of my last name. We all laughed. I just wish that this moment could last forever. That we weren't in the Games and we're just ordinary teenagers having a good time. Quinn must have been thinking of the same thing because she sighed, let us go then bent forward to retrieve the weapons she dropped.
"Well B, here's your whip. Before I give you this javelin, I want to see you use that whip," she said. Brittany looked a bit uncertain but nevertheless, she took the whip from Quinn then she walked over to a set of training dummies. She hesitated for a moment then proceed to attack.
I took a step back. Woah. Okay, that's wicked. I watched Brittany's movements. She seemed so graceful despite the fact that she just yanked off the head of one dummy and ripped off a limb of another. It was just amazing. I looked at Quinn whose eyebrow was raised. Her face was unreadable. A few seconds later, Brittany finished. She walked back to Quinn, a satisfied smile on her face.
"That was... good. You have excellent body coordination. You'll do fine with the javelin." And with that, Quinn handed her the said weapon. "Now go to the javelin trainer and learn what you can." Brittany smiled wider, gave Quinn a hug then walked to wear she was told to go. I turned to follow her but Quinn grabbed my arm.
"As for you, you need to practice throwing an axe... and wielding it properly. I saw how you used it yesterday, quite well, actually. However, based on your performance, you don't really know how to throw it." Then she let go of me, and walked back to where Sam was. I blinked. I forgot all about that.
-.-.-.-.-
My. Body. Hurts. So. Damn. Much. Quinn made me do so many... painful... stretches.
"Ooooooowwwww!"
"Come on! Hold that position for a few more seconds!"
"THE BACK OF MY THIGH HUUURRRTS!"
"Your hamstring? It's supposed to."
"What kind of sadistic 'exercise' is this?"
"Bend over some more!"
"Urgh. My neck feels like it's going to snap!"
"It won't."
*crack*
I rubbed the back of my neck. Okay, my neck didn't snap but it cracked a bit.
"What happened to you?" a voice said. I turned around and saw Sue, looking very smug.
"Well, the female career from District 4 made me do stretches. Said it would help me," I replied.
"She does have a point. You're too stiff," Sue told me.
"Hey!"
"So I talked to the mentor of this, Quinn girl..." Mentors talk to each other? "She said that Lady doesn't want to win. Reminds me of a younger version of myself. She'll be a good ally. She won't betray you. Oh and your district partner, Joe? He's losing it. Watch out for him but in the Games... avoid him as much as possible. He'll create too much noise and attract other tributes." I gulped then nodded. This was strange. Sue wants me to abandon my district partner. If he dies, would I be able to live knowing that I abandoned him? Would I be able to live with the guilt? I don't think so. With the twisted mindset of the Games, I really don't know how victors can live with it.
A/N:
Well, here we are with Chapter 3. My friend and I apologize for the long update. We had Periodic Exams and we had to study. Now my friend wrote the sappy, cheesy parts while I get all the violence. We both worked on the neutral ground. And Quinn's here! Fabrevans is up. Sebastian's Quinn's District Partner. Yeah. Yes, I made Quinn use 'Lopez' instead of 'Mason'. Let's just say that she prefers Santana's middle name over her surname. Sam, Sebastian, Joe, and Sue are probably going to be the only ones calling her Johanna so don't get confused.
Remember: Santana = Johanna
Well that's a wrap! 'Til next time...