A/N: Now, bad news I won't be updating a lot since I just started school at a new place with people I don't even know. So I'm just getting into the gist all that good stuff. That school is very different from what I'm use to so yep, wish me luck for the year. :P
Disclaimer: © The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins and so do all the characters in this story.
Summary: Wiress's Games. This story is about Wiress Deen, a girl from District 3, and when she participated in the 46th Hunger Games at age fourteen.
Chapter 2: Training
When the I wake up that morning we are already in the Capitol. Strange. I get up and walk out to see Mayla outside my door; she smiles. I wonder how long she's been waiting out here, "Oh, Wiress I was just about to wake you up! We already arrived in the Capitol and we're going to the Training Center since the chariot ceremony is tonight. Aren't you happy!" she exclaims putting her arm around me, I almost shrug it off. Mayla's creepy.
I walk to the table to see that breakfast is already prepared; Beetee, Albany, and Fenton are there already. Albany and Fenton are chatting away while Beetee says something every few minutes then he pokes with his food. He has this nervous twitch. Which is odd. I sit down and take what I need which isn't very much. Albany smiles at me, "Wiress! How are you? Eat, eat, eat!" she says repeatedly while Beetee just nods and looks at the floor under his glasses.
I realize that Albany and Beetee are polar opposites. Beetee is closed off and quiet while Albany is a social butterfly and exciting. I smile to myself and eat while Mayla saunters in with a new hairdo which is an unnatural yellow color and it has red highlights. She keeps touching it and smiling while Fenton, Beetee, and I are disgusted at her.
"So, excited about meeting your prep team?" Mayla chimes poking at her hair.
"I don't think I could be any happier." Fenton says with a note of sarcasm. I don't know weather she heard the sarcasm or she just pretended not to hear it because she looks at me expecting my answer. Eight pairs of eyes are on me as I say my answer, "Mmm, yep."
"Oh, you're going to love your prep team, I know them personally." Mayla happily says as she eats her food.
"You do now?" Fenton asks clearly not interested, the rest of the meal is Mayla talking all about her new coif and how much faith she has in Fenton and I.
"Eke!"
I shout as my prep team full of three includes a lady named, Emmie, she has wrinkly bright blue skin, hot pink hair and yellow lips and she looks like she has had a lot of work done to her body. There is a man named, Drakell, a man with crimson skin, light brown hair, and black lips, and last but not least, Kittie, who has skin as white as snow, green lips, and pink hair. They're alright. Right now Kittie is currently straightening my hair with a flat iron; my hair has just been washed so the vapor burns my scalp and it hurts very much.
"Please, Ressie will you hold still?" Kittie asks in her annoying accent. And that God awful nickname she's given me irks me so I sit stiffly in my chair. Emmie is currently doing my nails while Drakell is putting some crazy Capitol lotion on my legs, it stings. I don't mean to complain, but prepping hurts. A lot.
"Done," Drakell says putting the cap on the lotion and smiling.
"Ditto," chirps Emmie blowing on my tiny toes.
"I'd be finished if Ressie would stop fidgeting," sneers Kittie pouting.
After a few minutes my dark hair is straightened and Emmie and Drakell are telling me all about my stylist who's name is supposedly, Elrick. They gush and say great things about him so I guess I'm lucky, Kittie is just in the background eating lemon drops, I think she hates me. That makes two of us.
"...he's also very handsome too," says Drakell happily.
"And he's funny, you'll just love him!" Emmie babbles. Then the door opens to a middle aged man with skin as gray as storm clouds, jet black hair, and blue lips. His aqua lips curl into a smile when he sees me and he says, "Hi, Wiress. I'm Elrick you're stylist." he comes up to me and motions for me to take off my robe. I comply by taking it off and he examines my body and motions for me to put the robe back on, "You three did well, now off you go I have to dress her," says Elrick pointing to the huge bag in his hand.
The three scramble away while Elrick brings what I'm wearing out. It's a sort of dark blue tron suit that I can see my reflection on; it shines and sparkles and I absolutely adore it. "Elrick," I begin as I take the dress in my hand, "I-It's-"
He cuts me off before I can finish, "Now, now Wiress. No dilly dallying, I need you up and out in that dress you know." he says playfully as I put the dress on, it's even better when it's on my thin body. I twirl and smile in it which isn't something I normally would do.
"You're the who's beautiful, Wiress." Elricks says as he takes my hand and leads me out to see Fenton and the others; his brown hair is slicked into faux hawk and he's wearing a black suit with small yellow bolts everywhere.
"You look awesome, Wiress," he says smiling I nod and mutter a low 'thank you'. We walk into the chariot and I watch the others; Alliyn and Heff are dressed in the District 1 usual so no surprise there. Genna and Basher actually look very nice in shiny Peacekeeper outfits I even see that Basher's stylist had even studded his eye patch which Basher's looks all but happy about. Jilla and Quentin are dressed as studded beta fish, and the others are dressed in the same in old costumes I've seen for the past fourteen years of my life.
When we are called to go I smile and wave and give fake giggles as the strange looking Capitol citizens chant my name and scream about how much they adore me, when they don't even know me. We stop at President Coriolanus Snow's enormous mansion and hear his speech welcoming us tributes into the 46th Hunger Games.
After the event is over Elrick and Fenton's stylist Sabraa tell Fenton and I how amazing we were in the ceremony. We are rushed into the big building that is known as the Training Center which will be where the the rest of the tributes and I will be staying until the Games take place.
That night at dinner nothing really happens. The victors and Mayla tell us how amazing we did and then bedtime comes all to fast and before I know it it's morning which is also my first day of training. I change into a grey crew cut shirt, long black knee length shorts, and tennis shoes. Breakfast is where we ask for advice from Beetee and Albany. Beetee tells me to check out the trapping and wires section while Albany lists trillions of sections I should be going to.
After breakfast is over Mayla takes Fenton and I to the training rooms this is where I get a good glimpse of the other tributes without makeup and costumes. I go to the knots station first to see Jilla there she smiles at me does a few knots in a matter of minutes. I'm struggling so I do the only thing that will help me. I'll have to ask her for help which will make me seem more weak, but if I want to win this thing I'll have to be good at a great portion of everything.
"Jilla?" I stammer looking at the floor.
"Yes?" she has a soft voice that calms me down so I look up at her and inhale then exhale.
"Will you help me with..." I begin but then I get distracted looking at Fenton who's practicing his physical combat avoiding Jilla's gaze. I see Jilla smile from the corner of my eye and she finishes my question, " Knots?"
"Hmm, yes."
"Sure, why not Wiress?" she teaches me step by step like she's teaching a little kid and finally I'm making knots as if it's the most easiest thing in the world I'm so grateful for Jilla's help that I embrace her in a hug when she says she wants to go to the archery section.
"I see you've made a friend," says a raspy voice I turn to see Fevella, the District 5 female, looking at me with an intent glare that will always be permanently remembered in my brain. She doesn't have a soft and sweet voice like Jilla's, so she startles me. Fevella eyes me up and down and she walks around me looking me over, "Wiress Deen?" she asks although we both know that she already knows my name.
"Yes," I answer quietly looking at the ground. Fevella smiles slightly then she says, "I'm Fevella Halder, anyway I have a preposition for you. Look over at Fenny or what Fenton?" I follow her finger to see Fenton talking with Kye and Heff. I nod and she continues, "Anyway we want him to join the Careers and I dunno I was wondering if you'd join." she mumbles the last part, but I catch it.
I take time to think about it. If I say yes then I'm joining with the infamous Career pack who only picks their tributes exclusively, but if I say no then my invite will be done and the Careers will hate me. Fevella keeps her intent glare on me the more I think, the angrier she gets which isn't all that very great.
"I'll have to think about it." I shriek/stammer. Fevella doesn't like my answer, her shoulders tense and her fists clench; but she lets go and then and gives me a forced smile, "Okay." she walks away and then Genna the female from 2, walks up to her and the two are out of sight.
I'm about to go to the archery station when they call lunch. Fenton doesn't eat with the Careers and he comes to eat with me, he doesn't say a thing though so we just eat silently. After lunch I actually get to know some of the other tributes like Qwin isn't all that bad, she's actually really funny and the tributes from 10 compare everything to animals so they're interesting and Quentin isn't a cry baby after all, he's just really emotional about stuff.
We have dinner in our section of the building with Mayla and the victors that night; Beetee and Albany ask me the usual, Mayla talks about her hair and the Capitol, and Fenton is still silent. I go to bed thinking about what Fevella had asked of me today and I still haven't gotten back to her about it. She seemed so frustrated with me.
The next morning training is actually kind of really fun, I even talk to Alliyn and Heff who are actually really nice, but then again that may just be a façade and then they may just turn into a whole entire killing backstaber in the Games. By the end of training that day it's pretty obvious to see who the Career pack is this year. It's Alliyn, Heff, Genna, Fevella, Basher, Kye, and Ryder. I was surprised about Ryder joining and all, but I still hadn't gotten back to Fevella on the question.
Looking around the room, I didn't even know where she was. I spot Genna who seems to be Fevella closest friend and I ask her, "She's in the bathroom." Genna sneers at me frowning. I give her my thanks and walk away to see Fevella in the hallway, "There you are," she says grimacing.
"Here I am," I repeat, but I just want to get down to business, "I thought long and hard about it and I'm not joining the Careers," I tell her. Fevella just eyes me and says, "Be that way."
"What way?"
"You know, Deen. I gave you a chance and you stupidly didn't take it, I just feel bad that I'm going to be the one to kill you," she brushes past me intentionally bumping our shoulders together. I gulp as she whispers in my ear, "I can't wait."
I go to the bathroom and sit on the toilet seat for what seems like hours and hours. How did I get here? What did I do to deserve all this crap? I'm a good older sister, I do my chores and I listen to my elders. I need to make all this pain go away and I don't know how. The only way is if I went back home to little Gage and my parents, but unfortunately that's not going to happen since Fevella is literally going to kill me.
I walk out of the restroom sniffling uncontrollably. Then it hits me.
Fenton.
He didn't join either, but it makes me wonder why. He was chatting with them yesterday by the combat station so why on Earth would he pass an offer as joining the Careers. Weird. I hear the call for lunch and I sit with Fenton and the question just sort of comes out on it's own, "Why didn't you join them?"
Fenton laughs, "I have a little pride, Wiress." then he starts eating again, "I heard Fevella offered you a chance. Why didn't you join?"
"I have a little pride," I repeat because that's pretty much the same reason I didn't take up the offer. Fenton smiles and then he asks, "Guess we're both good people here, I'm done with this." he motions to his tray and walks away to put it where the people will wash it and I just sit there.
I end up by the fire station with a pair of matches in my hand. Sadly, I'm having problems. I ask the trainer for help, but it's a lost cause. Starting a fire is just so convoluted for me. I look over and see Alliyn and Kye are having no problems. They're both just talking and not even looking at their hands as they make the perfect fire. It makes me flush crimson with anger and I make a little indignant huff sound that makes the both of them abruptly stop their conversation and look at me.
"Got a problem, Three?" Kye smirks deviously at me and I hear Alliyn giggle behind him. I shake my head 'no' and go back to trying to start the fire, failing. The two of them crack up at my misfortune and then they leave the station, probably to report to Fevella that I can't start a simple fire. Jerks. Once, I give up at the fire station. I feel lost at where I should go next and sigh I went to where Albany and Beetee directed me to go, but there seems to be one place I didn't go to and I remember Beetee's words, "Go to the trapping section, both of you."
Walking to the station I see all the wires and I get to work immediately I ask the instructor questions every few minutes, but not many. He calls me a natural that he reminds me of someone and that he can't put his finger on it.
"Beetee?" I ask him.
"Hmm, yes him! He was great with snares and traps, he didn't even need my help." he says matter-of-factly. I smile and keep working for the next few hours. When training is over, dinner is uneventful and boring because no one is really in the mood to talk. I even miss Mayla talking about her hair, and that's saying something.
The last training day is different; since we only have few more days till the Games take place everyone is stressed and some people are desperate to make alliances. I'm not one of them, neither is Fenton, Jilla, or Qwin. I just watch as some of the others try to make alliances and get on with training.
I've already been to all the stations so I just go to all of them again and see what I struggle with. Fire, archery, physical combat, and I'm not very good with knives and all that good stuff. So I just go to those stations a few more times and things get better for me.
I notice that the Career pack is staying close together in training today. They occasionally look over at us other tributes because maybe they want to get a good look at the tributes they think are threats and who'll just die in the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. I hope they don't think of me as a person who isn't a threat in the Games, I mean I don't want them to be afraid of me or anything, but I don't want them to think less of me either.
I see that Heff, Ryder, and Genna looking at me a lot. I wonder what they're thinking probably about who'll get to kill me or if my death should be fast and painless or slow and terrible. It sickens me, and I don't even know why they keep looking at me! I think I've lost my sanity when I feel someone tap my shoulder and I see a sweating and breathless Fenton who through his tired and worked state manages a small smile at me and I smile back.
"Hey, sorry I've been silent lately," he says looking at his hands, "I've just been thinking hard about some things. You know?" Oh I know, he doesn't have to tell me twice. I've been thinking about tons of things too, but that doesn't explain to me everything about his strange behavior.
"It's fine, I understand," I mange to say to him, "What about, Fenton?" he tenses for a minute, but then he stops and says, "The Games. Wiress, I don't think I'm coming back home and it kills me every second of each day. I don't think I could kill another person and just come back home like nothing ever happened. This is all so...just so...wrong. Why did I get picked to go through this? I'm so confused." I listen as Fenton pours his heart out to me, and I just feel terrible about it all now.
I know what he means and I know how he feels and it makes me realize that in a few days the both of us and 22 others will be put into a arena and will be forced to fight to the death. I hear Fenton still talking, but I'm not listening. The tears stay in my eyes at first and before I know it I'm full on sobbing and Fenton asks me what's wrong, "I just want to go home." I choke out before I'm wracked with terrible noises that are coming from my mouth. I have no self control of myself and I hate it. I hate it so much it makes me cry all over again.
I'm taken to a room in the center that's a few doors away from the training rooms and I stay there for a few minutes before I hear the door open and close. Expecting to see Fenton I see no other than Beetee.
"Wiress?" he says adjusting his glasses, "You don't have to cry, I know what you're feeling and I know it feels bad, but things'll get better," I don't believe him at all. Why is he even here? He's not even my mentor. Albany is. He seems to understand my confusion at his presence.
"Albany had to help Mayla with some...things. So she sent me." he explains. Things? I guess it's a private matter so I don't further ask about Albany not being here.
"Okay, thanks for telling me; but how do you know that things will be fine?" I spit back at him, I can tell he was expecting that as my answer and he says, "Because that's what my mentor told me and I won." he says through a smile which settles me a bit.
"How did you win?"
"I got wires and traps from the Cornucopia."
"And then what?" I ask him, impatiently. I don't recall ever being like this.
"I used them and I killed most of the others off. I wasn't proud though, those kids didn't deserve that." Beetee sighs looking at the floor under his glasses. "I'm here to tell you that crying doesn't make you feel better, anything but." he slightly chuckles, good naturedly.
"I'm not like you, Beetee," I whisper back, teary eyed even though I know moping around won't solve anything. Beetee puts his hands deep into his pockets and sits on the blue armchair closest to him. After a long time he says finally, "I see some of myself in you." we just stare at each other.
"You do?"
"I do," he repeats, "And I think you can win it. You'll just have to listen to me with the best of your abilities." I think abut this for a moment; what advice could Beetee have that would be so important for my knowledge? I don't want to disappoint him so I rub my hands together and I answer quietly but intelligently, "Shoot."
A/N: Wahla! Another chapter, which I think was slightly rushed in the end, but yep. Feedback would be nice! Next is training session and interviews...then the Games! :D