I was still rooting for him but if I'm honest this year I was struggling to not hit the bottle. It was totally 'forbidden' to drink alcohol in the Hub but it wasn't forbidden in my room.
After what Finnick had told me about Tom having no chance of winning, I almost wanted to give up. I'd been in the Hub for 14hours and no break. Blight was meant to be coming after 10 since I had time out with Finnick last night but he hadn't turned up.
I decided to leave the Hub satisfied that Tom was strong enough to make it without me. They'd been in their for 2and a half days now and there was 11 left. There was the boy from 1 who looked like he'd been training for years, both from 2, the girl from 3, both from 4, none from 5 or 6, Tom from 7, none from 8 or nine. The boy from 10, both from 11 and the girl from 12. The girl from 12 would probably be a goner today anyway since she was crippled with hunger and had a bitten leg. I knew Haymitch wouldn't be able to scrape enough money together to fix that up and from one Chaffs told me its badly infected already.
The Career's were holding out well, they had food and weapons. I cannot pretend I don't envy them. I despise the tribute 2 mentors, especially Enobaria. She was hard to take especially when every time I looked at her I visualised her teeth caked in grunge and blood from all those hearts she bit out. I'd probably still be able to take her down but the idea of touching her skin makes me wanna puke. The only thing that makes me respect her in the slightest is her utter determination to keep her tributes alive. She hasn't left the Hub once. I'm not sure how, but she doesn't even drink on her visits here. She's capitols finest though with all her alterations which makes her hard to look at.
We all usually get hammered when all hour tributes are dead. It doesn't really help but at least if you pass out you don't have to be responsible for your actions. If I'm honest I've only got drunk once this year. It was one the way here. The idea of returning to the Capitol suddenly overpowered me so Blight and I hit the bottle big time. This is what happened..
Gathered around the table, our two tributes, Blight and I all ate tea. I suddenly became an emotional mess as the girl began to sob over her dinner so I ordered a glass of wine. "She shouldn't be drinking that. Take it back." Blight had ordered the Avox. "I know you didn't send me a birthday card but I am 19." I had retorted snatching the glass of wine and pulling it to my lips. "Look I'm not getting off that train with you half cut. You're meant to be an example of a young victor." He had snapped at me trying to take it from my hands but I snatched away. "I don't have to look like anything for them people." I spat back drinking the whole glass.
That's when Blight had grabbed my arm and I flipped. I don't like people touching me without my position and plus victors are always more sensitive to an attack. "Johanna, I don't care if you get hammered alone but you do not say a bad word about the Capitol in front of them." He had shouted in my face. Considering I was ruthless enough to kill him and had a knife on the table I was surprised he stood up to me. He was right. That's why I couldn't attack him so instead I shoved him off me and onto the floor shouting ever insult under the sun at him. He retaliated this time grabbing my hair and making me look at him. "Don't be such a brat Johanna. You've come here for a job. At least look like you wanna help them live." He had snarled in my face.
That's when Tom our boy tribute stepped in. "Sir. Don't be so hard on her. I can't imagine how bad it is." He had defended me. Usually I hated people defending me since I didn't like owing people but in that moment I had decided to pick him. Blight had released my already short hair and let me go.
A couple of hours later he joined me by the bar. "I'm sorry. I know it's hard on you but you shouldn't be bad mouthing the Capitol." He had warned me but then he added. "You can slate the Capitol to your hearts content to me mind." He grinned cracking open the whiskey bottle and they're we got drunk. I'd decided to trust Blight from that point onwards. I didn't have to like him, I just had to work with him.
As I headed out the Hub and to Blights room going in search him him to take over, I became aware of one of the games makers calling after me. I snapped my head around. "Is there a problem?" I sighed. She was probably the most altered person I'd seen in my time here. She was dyed a sickly pea green with hair and nails to match. But it was the sea green and turquoise swirled tattoos down her neck and face that made me shudder. I'm not even sure I could see a human face beneath it all. "We've had a complaint from District 1 about you being rude in the Hub." She told me. I began to ponder if this woman was armed since they never usually let people be alone with me. It was quite funny really, I didn't know what they thought I'd do but I liked to think people were scared of me anyway. "In other words Cashmere? Wow. She's a victor and she can't even take a bit of banter." I laughed completely in shock that Cashmere was the sort of girl who'd tell tales.
"A bit of Banter? From what she says you threatened to cut her hair with a knife?" The woman asked me eyebrows raised slightly as if the idea horrified her. "Hmm because I'm sure that's a threat that's prison worthy. You finished? Because I'm busy." I sighed going to walk away but she stopped me. "Miss Mason. Perhaps you shouldn't be addressing the prep teams so rudely either. I quote that you said 'I'll sign your arm with a knife'." She told me. My eyebrows creased confused as to how she'd know about that. "That one was due to a Mr Odair, If you wanna take it up with him go ahead." I rolled my eyes I knowing she'd never approach Finnick with such a ridiculous claim. "Right you may be off. But please keep the peace in the Hub." She warned me. I'm pretty aware with the way she approached me that she possibly knows what Snow did to me and that becomes apparent when I say this. "Well when her tribute murdered my girl before she even got of the podium, I think I have my right." I said flatly. Her face was hard and composed. "Well it is the Hunger Games Miss Mason." She snapped back folding her arms over her inflated chest. I smiled. "I think the phrase 'a game where victors repeatedly watch there tributes die and suffer for the rest of the lives is more precise," I retorted turning on my heels.
I could feel her shock of my comment being radiated if the walls. Stupid Capitol. I was probably in trouble now and I'm just hoping Blight and Finnick didn't hear about it because I was already on a warning from them both to stop openly displaying my hate for the Capitol. When I knocked on Blights door there was no answer so I decided to just walk in. When I did, he was gathered around a table with Haymitch from 12 and Chaff from 11 all with liquor glasses planted in their hands. Blight was blacked out with his head on the table which made me thrill with frustration.
"Ah Johanna Mason. Come on sweetheart, come have a drink." Haymitch offered holding up the bottle. I didn't know why he was here. He had a girl with an infected womb in the games and he wasn't even attempting to draw in sponsors. "Who got him this drunk? I've been in the hub 14 hours!" I shouted crossing the room. None of them responded so I grabbed a pint glass from the side and filled it with Ice cold water. Bubbling with anger, I stormed up behind Blight. "I wouldn't do that Sweetheart." Haymitch warned me but I was already to mad. I let my wrist twist spilling the water down Blight's neck. "Never wake a victor." Chaff chuckled.
Blight's eyes began to blink and his lips began to vibrate. Chaff's right even if he is joking. Somebody waking an ex tribute is in our minds an attack.
"I don't even have to open my eyes to know that that was Johanna Mason." Blight trembled. Unshakeably I placed my hands on my hips. He was a waste of space. I ended up storming out the room right between the part he apologised.
For the next two days I was in the Hub alone. I haven't slept one and I've about gotten through 3jars of coffee. From this point onwards I've decided to completely cut Blight out. He doesn't care about me. If he did then he wouldn't leave me in this torture for 2days. He knows how bad I struggle yet he still doesn't come. In the last few days I haven't even been able to leave for the toilet without something happening to the tributes. In fact Tom's survived a fire and a hurricane. The hurricane wiped a lot of people out. The girl 12 was weak so when the fire hit her she couldn't even move. Haymitch had to watch his girl tribute be burnt to death. They say there was nothing to send home to her family and I don't doubt that's true.
The boy from district 4 died too. He got wrapped up in the hurricane. Sad ending. Both from 10 were dead now. So that made 7 left. Now the real games began. I could tell Tom was tempted to break his alliance with Phoebe from 4 but I knew he shouldn't yet. If he was going to break it then he ought to at least wait until there was 5 left. Thankfully with Finnick's charm, our tributes were not hungry. I felt as If for a moment I owed 4, because despite Finnick telling me Tom wouldn't win he still helped me.
I sipped on my coffee as I watched Tom and Phoebe sat up in a tree talking quietly whilst sorting out their packs. They were talking about their mentors. "Finnick and Sandy are nice. They were certainly determined to get one of us home." Phoebe told him. That was true, Finnick went out of his way to keep them alive even if it did mean prostitution. "Mine weren't bad. I almost felt sorry for Johanna." He chuckled. I smirked slightly. 'Don't make me regret saving you in that fire.' I thought to myself.
"You felt sorry for Johanna Mason?" Phoebe asked him in disbelief. I bet Snow was watching now starting to panic. "She's not as scary as people make out. Plus I can't imagine what it's like to watch your tributes die." He shuddered. "That's the reason I don't want to make it out." The girl replied. I knew Snow would be demanding that the population didn't see this. Our jobs as mentors are meant to look fabulous not tough. It's meant to be an honour. For some reason I feel as if I'm going to be sick so I snatch off my head phones and swivel around my chair facing away from the screen. That's when I see Woof and Cecilia in the room clearing their desk to go home. Cecelia is district 8's mentor and has children so is not expected to stay and Woof is about 70odd so they barely need him to be seen at parties. "Bye Johanna." Cecelia smiled to me as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder. "Bye Cecelia." I tried to force a friendly smile. "I wish I had it as easy. Both tributes dead time to go home." Cashmere sighed. What made me more sick is the fact she didn't even mean offence by it. I stood up in anger. But it was Brutus who had her by the neck. "Don't joke about tributes deaths." He shouted at her. Her eyes bulged in offence but she sat back down. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to cause any offence." She apologised. I respected her for the fact that she apologised to Cecelia though since Cecelia had kids of her own.
Since Finnick had been very busy of the last day pulling in sponsors, I hadn't seen him. But just as I began pouring more caffeine into my mug from the Capitol's snazzy coffee machine, he jumped up on me. "Successful morning?" I asked him taking his mug from his hand and filling it with the thick black coffee. Finnick being Finnick has to pour two sachets of cream and sugar into it for him to stomach it. "Very." He smiled but I could hear the tiredness in his voice. When I turned around, I could see the purple shadows under his sea green piercing eyes. "Go rest. You look shocking." I instructed him. He chuckled huskily. "Can't say you're looking too fine either." He chuckled pulling out his pocket mirror. The woman in the reflection was unrecognisable. Bedraggled and weak, I looked no stronger than those Morphlings for 6. My hair was sprouting about all over the place and the under of my eyes were purple and puffy. Whiter than ivory and drained, my skin laid tight around my cheek bones. Then I remembered, I'd barely eaten in days. "Blight hasn't shown up." I explain to Finnick but he doesn't need an explanation. I long for a moment to be Cashmere or Gloss with their perfect set up. One sleeps in the day, whilst one is in the Hub then they switch. They are constantly rested and fed and as radiant as a photoshopped picture. Neither of them go off and get drunk. In fact neither of them are screaming or fighting with each other. But then again I'd rather be dead then work with them or 2 for that matter.