So far, our room in the Training Center is the best part of our visit to the capitol. We ride an elevator to the floor right under the penthouse, which District 12 gets. The elevator itself is amazing. It's made entirely out of glass. You zoom straight upwards at amazing speeds, but it takes your stomach a few seconds to catch up.
Petra leads us into the room, her hands on our shoulders. Behind her is Briar, who is complaining loudly to whomever she passes about the huge bruise on her knee after falling. Already sitting on a couch is Gregor, who looks up and smiles as we enter, he is swirling a small glass of wine in his hand.
"There you are, I was getting worried."
"We had a little trouble, Gregor," says Petra.
"Yeah." I grumble, "With her." I jerk my finger at Briar, who immediately begins another rant.
"It is not my fault! It is the careless placing of District 10's chariot… I will be speaking to someone about this, I could have broken a leg…Do they know who I am? Obviously not, or else I would be surrounded by desperate fans." She sighs dramatically. "I'll be in my room." She walks over to a door, opens it, and slams it unceremoniously behind her.
"Where were you Gregor? Didn't you come down to see us?" I ask, walking over and sitting down besides him.
"I'm sorry Ruby, I had no time. I was pulled into one meeting after another, talking to possible sponsors, and because Briar is in no mood to help with any of this…" He looks over his shoulder at the door Briar had left in, "I had to do all of her work for her. She went down to watch, while I stayed here."
My mouth drops open. This is it, the final straw with Briar. At dinner, I am going to confront her and tell her she needs to do her part. Gregor shouldn't be forced to do everything!
Gregor smiles weakly.
"Don't worry about it. When I came back, I watched the replays." He points to a flat screen in front of the couch. "They've been playing them all night."
"Oh, they were absolutely marvelous!" Petra cries dreamily.
"I know they were," Gregor replies with a smile. "Alix, Ruby, you can go to your rooms. Me and Petra have a few last minute things to straighten out for the day, and then we'll call you for dinner, okay?"
We nod and I walk into my room.
It's a lot like my room in the train, but more high-tech. The shower has, if possible, more buttons and possibilities then the last. I rinse off all of the make up and sweat that was sticking on me, and dry myself before wrapping up in a bathrobe.
The bed is made of water, the windows of my room are huge, and with a small remote can let me view anywhere in the capitol. Typing a few commands onto a screen sends a robotic claw reaching into a back room and pulling out an outfit for me. I laugh with glee at a voice-controlled server, and order a bowl full of blueberries, which I pop into my mouth and try to picture myself back home, doing this in the meadow behind my house. There is a knock on the door.
"Ruby? It's dinner time!" Petra's voice calls through the door.
I stand up wipe blueberry juice off my face with a towel laying by my bed, and rush out of the room, not wanting to be late for dinner, in case there is something important that I need to here.
The dining room is on a balcony that over looks the capitol. In the distance, I can see the president's house with the flag of Panem rippling in the breeze. I'm pleased to see the stylists there and immediately run over to Romulus, who pulls out a chair for me. When I sit down, he wraps his arms around me in a friendly hug.
"You were beautiful out there Ruby."
I can't talk for embarrassment.
Slowly, everyone else files in. Alix, who is smiling and sits next to me. Gregor, with an armful of paperwork, and Petra, whose pulling a reluctant Briar outside. Briar is complaining that if she walks outside the world will notice her bruise and she will be forever humiliated or some kind of nonsense like that.
The meal starts out normal enough. Jada, who I haven't had a chance to talk to, yet, is likeable and full of laughter. We talk about our outfits, Briar moans about her bruise, Gregor and Petra whisper about sponsors. We eat a potato soup, and a girl brings out a platter of crackers, thinly cut meats and cheeses, which we all have fun combining and comparing. I laugh as Romulus stuffs a huge tower of crackers and pastrami in his mouth. Alix and Jada applaud. When I really think about it, we're like one big family. We're trying to help keep each other alive.
A young man brings out a pitcher of golden wine, which he silently pours into Jada's and Gregor's empty glasses. Gregor, who is still talking to Petra, turns his head to say something, and his eyes meet the Avox's. His expression changes from laughter to horror. The glass slips out of his hand and smashes against the ground, breaking apart and staining the bottom of the tablecloth brown.
"Gregor, what-" Romulus begins, but Gregor stands up, the papers fall out of his lap and onto the ground. His hands are gripping the table tightly. His face is pale, and he is still staring at the Avox, who looks nervous.
"I-I've got to go," Gregor mutters, and he rushes out of the room.
There is silence. The Avox quickly backs away. I stand up.
"Oh, Ruby, not you too!" Says Petra, but I shake my head.
"No, I've got to go see what's wrong with Gregor."
I run out of the room and begin opening up doors, looking for Gregor. He wasn't even in his bedroom. I wonder if he's left the apartment. But he couldn't have, he's not allowed to, but maybe he forgot. I stop right outside a room, and put my ear to the door. There is a noise coming from inside, something like…crying. I knock.
"Gregor? Are you in there?"
There is no reply, but the noise is quickly stifled. I push the door open. Inside is one of the scariest things I have ever seen. Gregor, my mentor, the one who is supposed to be brave, supposed to keep me alive, is sitting on a couch, with tears pouring down his face. He looks up at me, his eyes are bloodshot. I put my hand to my mouth. Watching this feels forbidden, like something I shouldn't be looking at, but I run over to him.
"Oh, Gregor, what's wrong? What happen, did that Avox hurt you?"
"No…of course not…Lukas would never hurt me…"
"Lukas-" I pause, confused, then my eyes widen. "Wait, you, know that Avox?"
He nods, and the tears fall faster. I don't know what to say, so I put my hand on his shoulder. Then he talks.
"T-that Avox…Lukas…I-Is my brother."
"Your brother?" I ask, surprised.
He nods, and then explains.
"After the failed rebellion…Lukas, told me, when I was about fourteen…that he had had enough. H-he planned to run away from District Eleven. And he did. He left in the dead of night, without telling anyone."
"W-what happened?" I asked softly, "how did he get here?"
Gregor swallowed. He wasn't crying anymore. On the contrary, his face was now quite dry. But this was even scarier to look at. He was beyond tears.
"I've…only heard, up until now, what were rumors…that the peacekeepers taunted my family about. He got a day into the woods before they found him, and took him to the capitol, and made him an Avox. And now…and now I know it's true."
He buried his face in his hands. I realized that tears were dripping down my face.
"They did this on purpose…" he whispers, "They did this to remind me…"
Capitol
President Vasile's Manor
"Why did you do it sir?"
"Hmm?" The president was watching a screen intently. There were multiple views, showing him the main rooms of the Training Center apartment. At the moment, his eyes were fixed on a small box labeled 'District 11'.
"Come over here, Dion. Look at this."
Dion Lupei walks over and stands next to the chair the president is sitting in.
"Sir?"
The president points to the box for District 11. "Look at it, Dion. Tell me what you see."
It is hard to make out, because of the black and white and slightly grainy texture. Dion squints his eyes. "It looks like, two people, just sitting there."
"Yes, that's what it would appear to be. But watch this."
The president picks up a small remote and presses a button. The screen shifts, and is labeled 'Camera view 2'. The scene is alarming. A man is crying while a young girl comforts him.
"I-I see."
"Do you know who that is?"
Dion wracks his memory.
"I don't know Sir."
"That, my dear Dion, is Gregor Frye. I believe you came here to ask about him?" He turns his chair around to face Dion.
Dion blinks as he recognizes the man on the screen.
"Yes, in fact I did. I just want to know if you thought this through. Is it really, so, humane to do that to him? He must be feeling very stressed at this time, is it…wise to show him his brother?"
Vasile steeples his fingers together and grins evilly.
"Do you remember, Dion, the conversation we had before the tribute parade? How I mentioned hope, and containing it?"
"Yes Sir, but I don't understand how that has to do with-"
"This, is containing the hope. We don't want to lull these poor tributes of eleven into thinking that they have a chance of winning, do we? No, it was just a little, reminder, to poor Gregor, about what the capitol can do to the people who defy it."
"I notice you're not doing this to Districts One or Two," says Dion, barely keeping the note of contempt out of his voice.
The president turns his chair to watch the screen again, looking at Gregor's tearstained face as though it was an entertaining television show. He waves his hand.
"You are dismissed Dion."
"Wh-oh, yes Sir. Thank you sir." He bows and runs out of the room.