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Aella Rafferty
District Three Female, 17 Years Old
Training Scores
"From District One: Leilani Theriott with a score of – nine."
I get comfortable on the couch, bringing my knees up to my chest and resting my head on a pillow. I look at the blonde girl from One on the screen, the number '9' below her face. The only thing I know about her is that she's allying with the boy from Four.
The Careers really aren't an alliance this year.
I see that as an opportunity. Without Careers, they won't be able to control the Games. They'll go after each other and pick one another off.
Marlin, Kolter, Wren and I can use that to our advantage.
"Ceylon Lanier with a score of – eleven."
Eleven?
Marlin laughs to himself, rocking back and forth as he watches the score flash beneath Ceylon's picture. He has a blank expression on in the picture, but his eyes… They convey some emotion.
With a nine and eleven, the tributes from One might still be strong on their own. They don't need the alliance to do well.
"From District Two: Levana Coltello with a score of – nine."
Another nine for another Career.
She has a smug look on her face that's tilted downwards, seemingly staring right at me. Marlin laughs again, tossing a pillow up in the air and then catching it. He seems to be paying no attention to the screen.
Really, I'll get something out of this.
This is the only time where I have gotten a feel for some of the tributes.
"Mathias Mordurie with a score of – eight."
I stretch out my legs, preparing myself to see what my score is. The boy from Two stays on the screen, an '8' flashing underneath his face, the number not seeming as impressive as the other scores so far.
"Are you ready, Marlin?" I call out, and Marlin nods his head. "I think you are going to receive… Hm. A twelve!"
"A twelve?" Marlin asks, throwing himself back into the couch. "I hope I get a thirteen!"
I laugh.
I don't tell him that there's no such thing as a score of thirteen.
"From District Three: Aella Rafferty with a score of – five."
The '5' flashes underneath my face, and I widen my eyes, unsure of how to react. I turn around to find my mentor, and when we make eye-contact, I smile, and she nods her head. Marlin claps for me, and as I look at myself on the screen, I realize it's been a while since I've seen my own face.
I don't look in mirrors much anymore.
There's no real reason behind it.
Marlin stands up, still clapping for me. When my face disappears, his face pops up, and I hold my breath.
Please, don't give him a one. Please.
"Marlin Crichton with a score of – two."
"A two!" Marlin shouts, throwing his fist in the air. "A two! That's better two better than zero!"
"Does he ever stop?" Aisha asks, clearly annoyed.
Aidan sits there at the other end of the table, sulking down in his seat. His arms are crossed over his chest, and he stares not at the television, but out the window behind it. He's a man of little words, and now to think of it, I haven't heard him say one word since we've gotten here. Even on the train rides he was silent.
Aisha's the opposite.
She always has something to say.
"You could have at least tried to tame him, Aidan," Aisha berates, tapping her fingernail on the table. "You've done nothing this whole time."
Aidan just slides lower into his chair.
He doesn't say or do a thing.
"My point exactly."
"Aisha," Marlin says, perking up his head from the couch in front of me. Aisha sneers, rolling her eyes. "You're not very nice."
"You're not very bright," Aisha retorts. "The two of you would be good friends, actually."
"Why?" Marlin asks. I shake my head, not wanting to get involved.
"Why don't you ask him? Come on, Aidan. Tell them about your phenomenal victory story."
Aidan doesn't say a word. He seems unfazed by it, as if he's heard all of this before from Aisha. Aidan won a few years after Aisha, with her as his mentor, but ironically, Aisha didn't want him to win. That's what I've heard, anyway.
It's just being proven.
"I won't embarrass you, Aidan," she says. "It's not my place. They could at least learn something from you, though. The 'what-not-to-dos' in the arena."
Aidan rests his head on the table, not entertaining Aisha's ridicule. He gives her no satisfaction, and as she turns back around, she locks eye-contact with me. She smirks, walking over towards me, but I look away, seeing where Marlin is now. He's pacing around the room, the training scores still going on, but before I can continue, Aisha sits down next to me.
"Don't waste your time with him," Aisha whispers into my ear. My eyes drift to look at Marlin, who's sitting there, staring out the window as he traces his fingers up and down the glass. "Do what you have to."
"I would never kill him if that's what you're insinuating," I say, gulping. I know Marlin is only going to hold me back. I know that he's only hurting my alliance. "I couldn't."
"Don't let some moral-bound obligation to the boy obstruct your victory."
I remain silent. She is, in fact, telling me to kill him if it comes down to it. She's basically telling me to kill all of my allies if it came down to it. She might have been able to betray her own District partner and her other ally, electrocuting them all in their sleep, but me?
I don't know if I could do that.
I don't even know if I'll be able to kill.
"You're the one with the potential. You're the one who can win."
I nod my head.
I have to believe her – that I do have the potential. That I have what it takes to win.
If she believes in me, then I have to believe in myself.
I have potential.
And I can win.
Drew Kendall
District Six Female, 15 Years Old
Training Scores
"From District Four: Otrera Hale with a score of – eight."
Below, Kolter, Austin, and Arella begin to chatter about the scores and tributes. I grip onto the balcony railing, leaning forward, trying to listen to their conversation carefully. From up here, I manage to not be noticed at all, but I can still listen.
I always can hear what people are saying.
"Just another Career," Arella says. "Stupid. Deluded. Trashy."
"Didn't they say the same about you, Arella?" Austin comments, making him and Kolter laugh. I watch Kolter laugh, his body convulsing up and down as he thrashes on the couch. "But, you're not a Career. That's somewhat redeeming."
"Shut up," Arella replies, rolling her eyes. She rolls her eyes with such intensity, that even though Austin is joking, I see that she's upset by it. It seems like she's heard this ridicule before, where she's compared to a Career. That what she did in the her Games and how she acted is almost as bad as a Career.
With only two kills, she showed the darkest secrets of human nature. She slaughtered her two victims, decapitating one of them and watching the other die from her inflicted wounds. She seemingly got some sick satisfaction from it.
It's like she enjoyed it.
"Jonah Danick with a score of – eight."
"Another eight," Kolter says, reaching out his arm to rest it on top of the couch. "Not as good as the other Careers, though."
"Have anything to say about him, Arella?" Austin says, making him and Kolter laugh. As Kolter convulses with laughter again, he rubs his eyes, the hearty laughter making Arella get red in the face. She turns away, rolling her eyes once more. "We're just kidding, Arella. Calm down."
"Whatever," Arella says, glancing up at the balcony. I kneel down, trying to hide behind the shadow of the railing, and when she looks away, I stand back up. I don't want her to see me.
I don't want any of them to see me.
"From District Five: Anaise Tuist with a score of – seven."
"I heard she's crazy," Kolter says. "She even looks it."
This time, Austin doesn't make a joke. He sits there quietly, playing with his thumbs, his eyes blinking rapidly. Arella goes quiet, too, not looking at either Austin or Kolter. She stares at the screen, the room now completely silent.
Why is he so quiet?
Where is his joke about Arella?
Don't question it, Drew, I scold myself, remember what my brother told. To not ask questions. To not worry about things that don't involve me. To not worry about other people or question their actions or words. You're going to get yourself turned into an avox if you do, he would say.
That didn't stop me, though.
I question everything.
Like, why it rains when it's cloudy out. Or why flowers are different colors.
But, then I asked more important questions. Like, about the Capitol's hold on the Districts. About the Games themselves. About the rules of the Capitol.
No one had the answers, though.
I'm still searching for them.
"Caden Glite with a score of – three."
"That alliance has Bloodbath written all over it," Arella speaks up, shaking her head. She closes her eyes, tilts her head back, letting her hair fall down. She shimmies her shoulders, putting it up in a bun. "I would know all about that. Right, Austin?"
"Okay, okay," Austin says. "I'm sorry."
Kolter has a perplexed look on his face, unsure of what they're talking about or what they're addressing. He shrugs his shoulders, leans back in the couch, and waits for the next face to come up on the screen. Arella finally opens her eyes, while Austin is now staring down at the ground.
Then, my face comes on the screen. My boring, unspectacular face.
The face that has been overlooked by everyone.
"From District Six: Drew Kendall with a score of – two."
They all go silent. No claps, no shouts. Nothing.
It's like they don't even see my face on the screen.
Finally, Austin speaks up, saying, "Where is she?"
Arella expresses no concern, simply shrugging her shoulders and waving her hand. "Don't know, don't care."
"She has to be somewhere in this room," Kolter says, standing up a little. He sits back down, though, when no one else makes the effort. "I want to congratulate her."
"On what?" Arella sneers. "A two?"
"Don't be rude," Austin says. "You are her mentor. You could at least act like it."
"Sorry to disappoint," she replies, tilting her head back again. "I only mentor tributes I deem worthy."
"Is that your excuse for last year too, then?" Austin snaps, but after he lets the words come out of his mouth, his eyes widen. Arella shoots him a glare, her teeth gritted.
The room falls silent.
I grimace, leaning over the balcony more. Austin nods his head, and Kolter looks around, trying to see if I'm anywhere to be found. But, I'm not.
I'm never anywhere to be found.
"Kolter Hendricks with a score of – five."
For him, though, they clap. Austin gets up, shakes his hand, and Arella sits in her chair, giggling. The room is all of a sudden noisier, compared to my dead-silent reaction. Kolter sits in the couch, and for a second, he glances behind him.
I duck again.
I don't want them to see me. I don't want anyone to see me.
People rarely ever noticed me. They still don't.
As long as I pretended I didn't exist, everyone looked right past me.
And, when people don't notice me, it gives me a chance to crawl further away. To isolate myself from the world, to hide in the darkest corners of my mind.
To take myself to a dark place in the world.
A place where I can think. Where I can reflect. Where I can ask every question that I have ever thought of.
A place where I can be myself.
Where no one can find me.
Gerri Faulkes
District Seven Female, 16 Years Old
Training Scores
"From District Seven: Gerri Faulkes with a score of – four."
Looking up from my lap, I see my face on the screen, a '4' flashing underneath it. I smile sincerely, and as Kearn and Dara nod their heads, my smile grows. I didn't expect a high number, a four… That works.
It's only a number, anyway.
How much can that prove?
"Nice, Gerri," Kearn says, placing his cup down on the table. "Back in the day, I got a four too."
Dara laughs, leaving the kitchen area of the floor and walks over to the sitting area. She sits down in one chair, moving a piece of hair out of her face. "Back in the day is right. Gerri wasn't even born when you won your Games."
Kearn gets red in the face, making me laugh, and as my face disappears, it's replaced by Audrey's. He leans up, and Kearn and Dara go quiet. After the train rides, I have noticed that Audrey has calmed down, but it's still awkward between him and Dara. Whenever we're together, we don't include Audrey much.
There's still that tension from the train rides.
"Audrey Kaman with a score of – seven."
He sits up straight completely now, glancing at Dara, then Kearn, and then back at the television. The '7' flashes underneath his face, and he grips onto the couch, the excitement in his face making me smile. I prefer this Audrey more; the one who's quieter, the one who talks about his wife and daughter sometimes.
He's the one that deserves my attention. The one that I can be nice to.
"Good job," Dara says, rather hesitantly. She stares down at her hands, and when there's a gap of silence, she looks up. "I'm proud of you, Audrey."
"As am I,"Kearn says, looking at Dara. Audrey remains silent, though, and nods his head and then falls back into the couch. I move over a little, and to be honest, it isn't that awkward anymore. If Audrey doesn't want to speak, then he shouldn't have to.
It's better that he's quiet than screaming and yelling, anyway.
"From District Eight: Claire Dasilva with a score of – three."
Looking at Claire's face on the screen, I find myself smiling again. She's a quiet girl, sure, but she's smart. She's one of the smartest girls I have ever come to know. Really, I'm glad she's my ally. The four of us – Nate, Claire, Cailen, and I – make a good team.
I think we really do stand a chance.
"Any idea what she did in there?" Kearn asks, taking a sip from his cup.
I shrug. "She's a smart girl. She might not have brute strength, but her mind is full of knowledge."
Kearn nods his head, staring out the window for a second. I follow his movement, staring out the window too, getting distracted by the birds flying outside. They fly past the window, their wings nearly grazing the window pane. Seeing birds like those… It just reminds me of District Seven. Where, early in the morning, birds would wake everyone up with their chirping and their incessant movements. They would rustle the trees, but I liked the sounds.
It made me feel at peace.
"Nathaniel Bayle with a score of – five."
"I knew he could do it," I comment, remembering that Nate was set on getting a five for a score. He was determined, and now, he did it. He got the score he wanted. "I'm so proud of him."
"As you should be," Kearn replies. "Your alliance has done well so far."
"Do you really think so?" I ask. "I mean… We didn't get the scores the Careers did."
"That doesn't matter," Dara says, shaking her head. "Look at me, right? I only got a six. All the Careers during my year scored a nine or ten."
"From District Nine: Reanine Darsh with a score of – two."
On the screen, Nate's face is replaced by the girl's face from District Nine. I quickly glance at the screen, but then I go back to looking at Dara, ready for her to finish whatever she was saying.
"I killed two of them, didn't I?" Dara says as she blinks, pausing before she continues speaking. "Don't underestimate your score. In reality, they don't matter. They don't prove your worth."
"She has a point," Kearn adds. "Everyone thought I would be a Bloodbath. Even my own mentor did. But, I proved them all wrong. I might have gotten only a four, but I killed. I won."
I nod my head.
He did win and so did Dara.
They might not have scored as well as others, but look at them now; they're Victors.
"Marlon Haigh with a score of – four."
The girl's face is gone, now being replaced by the boy's. A '4' flashes underneath him, and next to me, Audrey shifts on the couch. I look at him, realizing he hasn't said a word all this time. I should leave him alone, but right now, he should at least join in our conversations.
He might get something out of them.
"What's on your mind?" I ask, reaching my leg out and poking him with my foot. "How quiet you're being is taking me by surprise."
"Oh, no, nothing," he says, snapping out of his thoughts. "I miss my family. That's all."
"Do you miss them?"
"A lot," Audrey replies. "Especially my wife. Me being here is only putting her in a bad situation."
"What do you mean?"
"She has no one. Neither of us really did," he says, and I catch Dara and Kearn trying to listen in on the conversation. They look away, though, back at the television. "We were there for each other. And now… I'm not."
"You will be soon," I say, trying to make him feel better. At first, I wasn't so nice to him, but now, he's not all that bad. "You can still win, Audrey. You got a seven!"
"I'm not sure that means I can win, Gerri," he says, his voice getting low. "It's just a number."
I nod my head, watching Audrey's features on his face show some sadness and doubt. Usually, Audrey was this cocky, outgoing guy, but now, he's showing some insecurity. Doesn't he have a point, though? It's just a number.
And, like Dara said, a that number doesn't prove my worth.
It doesn't define what I'm capable of.
Only I am capable of doing that.
Only I can prove my worth.
Wren Maddox
District Twelve Female, 18 Years Old
Training Scores
"From District Ten: Tasha Levelle with a score of – six."
"She looks scary," Amias says, and I nod my head, exhausted after talking to him for this long. It's not that I don't mind talking to him; it's just, after going through every tribute, I would prefer quiet now. Especially because we're going to see our scores soon. "Don't you agree, Wren?"
"Yes," is all I manage to say. He bobs his head, going back to eagerly watching the television. Ashra roams around the room, pacing back and forth. "Everything alright, Ashra?"
"Oh!" Ashra says, perking up and stopping where she is. She blinks, staring at the ground ahead of me and not at me. "Don't mind me. I just can't sit still."
"Come sit down," I say, gesturing towards the seat across from Amias and I. "District Twelve is almost up."
Ashra shakes her head, choosing to continue pacing back and forth around the room. The girl from District Ten's face fades, being replaced by the boy from Ten.
"Lonan!" Amias exclaims, leaning forward. "I hope he scored well."
"Lonan Hurritt with a score of – five."
Amias clasps his hands together, raising them in the air and pumping them up and down. He makes eye-contact with me, and I smile. His allies so far have gotten rather low scores, but Amias doesn't care. To him, a score is just a number.
But, to me, it's more than that. It's more than just a number.
I realize the weight these scores carry.
"He deserved it," Amias says quietly, bowing his head and looking down at his lap.
The boy from Ten is replaced by the girl from District Eleven, Cailen. I await her score, knowing that out of all the tributes here, her alliance poses a threat to mine. They are just as large as mine, while the Careers are all divvied up into twos.
"From District Eleven: Cailen Arkley with a score of – four."
Not bad.
I reflect on my alliance's past scores and her alliance's past scores. Aella and Marlin got a five and two respectively, while Kolter also got a five. From Cailen's alliance, Gerri got a four, Claire got a three, and Nathaniel got a five.
It's all pretty even.
That doesn't mean they're any stronger than us, though.
I have to have confidence in my alliance.
I have to have confidence in myself.
"Alumax Derian with a score of – five."
I sit up in the couch, preparing to see my face on the screen. Preparing myself to see the score that I get, that could either make us seem weaker than the other alliance or seem stronger. With these numbers, it's all about the sponsors. If you come across as a strong tribute – like the Careers, for example – you will get more gifts. Careers are expected to be strong and score highly, but when you're from an outer-District, it comes as a surprise to the sponsors.
That's why I need a good enough score. Not only for my own benefit, but for my whole alliance.
If you score high, you will attract sponsors.
If you score low, you won't.
It's as simple as that.
"I want to go bed," Amias says, stretching out his legs as he yawns. "I just want to see our scores, Wren. I hope we did well!"
"I'm sure we did," I say, putting the conversation to rest. Amias falls back into the couch, cuddling up with a pillow.
"From District Twelve: Wren Maddox with a score of – five."
Five.
That puts us above the other alliance, then.
Perking up, I look for Ashra, and when I find her behind me, she's already staring at me. She nods her head and then takes a sip from her cup. Amias claps for me, the eager smile already on his face for his score.
I almost feel bad for him.
He doesn't understand it all. The scores. The Games.
I can't help him there, though. Neither can Ashra.
"Amias Black with a score of – three."
"A three!" Amias says, clapping for himself. I smile at him, lightly clapping for him, only doing do it to return the gesture. I don't want him to think that a three isn't good, but in reality, it isn't the best.
Is a five that much better, though?
Amias gets up, scampering away back to his room. He smiles to himself, laughing, and shuts the door behind him. I sit here on the couch, though, watching Ashra murmur to herself in the kitchen. She opens a cupboard, taking out a cup and then goes for the refrigerator.
She makes a face, raising her eyebrow and snarling her lip.
Are we not strong enough for her?
Is that it?
The television goes black and the room goes silent. Ashra sits down at the counter, slamming the cup down and shaking her head. To think, she was only here a year ago. She was in the exact same position we were, with Katniss as her mentor. Now, Katniss is dead and Ashra is still alive.
It just shows me that Ashra knew what she was doing.
She didn't get involved in the Rebellion. Not directly, anyway. The Capitol had no ties to her ever being involved in it. She might speak out against the Capitol and claim to support the rebels, that isn't enough incriminating evidence to do anything about it.
She's clever about it all.
Even in her Games she was. She had five kills, if I remember correctly. She's among the few Victors with that many kills. Three were Careers, one was a twelve year old from Eleven, and the other was the boy from Six. She killed them all by lighting the arena on fire.
She watched them all burn from above the pit of fire.
And, just like that, she won.
Ashra played the Game and won. She played the game, killed, and survived.
She is a Victor.
And, now, it's my turn. It's my turn to play the Game.
It's my turn to win.
Author's Note:
One more chapter down, two more to go until the Bloodbath/Day One. How excited are you all? I'm very excited. Very, very excited.
But, anyway, there are Training Scores. They will be up on the blog. Also, there is a poll on my profile, so go vote on that.
Questions:
Are you surprised by any of the Training Scores? Did you expect some tributes to get higher/lower?