Chapter 9

I sat quietly as my prep team whirled around me, trying to get me ready for the interview. They were raving about my score for about an hour. I got tired of people talking about my score. I knew that the gamemakers did that to me because they wanted me dead. That, or the truly don't know who I am and they think I have a chance of winning. I haven't decided which yet.
The prep team did everything from skin treatments to hair and nails in about two hours. That had to be a new record of getting ready, especially for the people of the Capital. I was relieved when Ariya got to come in. She carried a black bag that obviously had my outfit for the evening in it. She hung it on a hook and turned to look at me.
"You look beautiful," she commented. "Might I add a congrats to the score as well?"
"They want me dead," I mumbled. Ariya walked over to me and took my hands in hers. She looked me in the eye.
"You deserve the score because you were brave enough to show them exactly what you could do. That is why they gave you that score."
"I threw a knife at them." Ariya laughed.
"I probably would have done that too if I was in your position." She dropped my hands and turned to fetch the black bag. "And, if I could throw a knife." I giggled and smiled at Ariya. She was the one person of the Capital that I actually felt comfortable around. I'm going to miss her when I leave. She's the only one I probably will miss.
Ariya unzipped the black bag, revealing a white dress with a sheer, light green fabric over it. Ariya helped me put on the dress. The dress fell just above my knees. The green fabric was cut to where pieces went past the white dress underneath. A sash went across my waist, giving me a little more of a shape. My shoes were simple white flats. My hair was half up with a flower pinned in to hold my hair back. Overall, I thought I looked like someone that belonged in a fairytale. It definitely didn't look like it belonged on a tribute with a death sentence.
"You look like you belong in a fairytale," Ariya said happily. I looked at her. Her smile dropped as she saw how I felt. "Are you okay?" That was the first time anyone from the Capital has asked me that.
"I don't want to do this. I can't do this," I sat back on the table. Ariya sat down beside me and stuck her hand on my shoulder.
"Yes, you can. Valiant, you are brilliant. You are a brave kid that I can tell has been through so much. You keep fighting on. That's why I took an interest in you when we first met. You can't give up. Keep fighting." She was right. I had fought through so much that I had forgotten to give up. I never wanted to. I didn't want to now. I had to keep going. Especially for Dimitri and dad. I looked at her and smiled as best as I could.
"I will." Ariya stood back up and uncovered the mirror. I looked into it, not seeing the rebel from District 9, but a girl who dressed like a fairytale, yet looked like a warrior.
"I wanted to show that world that you are beautiful, yet deadly. You are valiant, Valiant. Show them that you live up to your name." I nodded my head, feeling the biggest smile come across my lips. Ariya led me out of the room and into a car. The car took me to a stadium where the interviews were going to be held.
Peacekeepers led me inside and had me stand in line in order of what district I was from. I stood right behind the District 8 boy, who was dressed in a bright blue suit. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Jeremy right behind me. He was dressed in a white suit with a blue tie. He tugged on the knot as he smiled at me.
"You look great," he whispered to me. I smiled.
"You too," I whispered back. I played with my hair nervously. I knew I had to wait again. Luckily, there was a television so the rest of us could watch the interviews while we waited. As the interviews of the tributes before me played through, I felt a little less nervous. I got the feel of what Julius was going to ask. Hardly any questions were aimed at the tribute's family. This made me feel better.
As the boy from District 8 was finishing his interview, I started to get nervous. The stage manager told me it was my turn to go on stage. With a little push, I was walking towards Julius. The man wasn't exactly normal looking. He had purple eyes to match his hair and suit. His makeup was a little outlandish, which was going to make this even more awkward to talk to him. Once I made it close to him, he took my hand and kissed it, which made my skin crawl. He welcomed me to sit down. I sat, smoothing my dress under me like Galaria had taught me.
"You look fabulous, Valiant," Julius said.
"Thank you," I said back quietly. I looked out into the crowd, trying to find someone normal to look at. The most normal person I found was Ariya, who motioned at me to smile. I gave a subtle one, which was basically all I could muster up with the constant butterflies in my stomach.
"So, Valiant, we don't know much about you. Why don't you tell us a little about yourself?" There was a silence that swept the room. What was I suppose to tell them? That I'm a rebel. That I hate the Capital and I'm now getting punished for that? I don't think so. That would send me an automatic death in the arena. I stayed silent, trying to figure out what I could tell him. "Let's start with your family. Who's at home right now, watching you? I'm sure your mother is watching you and is so proud of you."
"I'm sure she would be if she was here." I didn't realize what I had said until I saw the crowds reaction.
"I'm sorry to hear that. How old were you when she died?"
"I was only two weeks old. I never knew her." This got the crowd going. I then knew what I was going to do. I was going to play the tragedy card. The one card that I would have never played. Now that I had opened my big mouth, I knew that I had to play it.
"How sad! It must have been so hard for the rest of your family to go through that."
"It was. It took my father years to get over it. Just as we were putting our family back together, my oldest brother, Benji, got sick. He died in a month." This really got the crowd going. I told the rest of my tale, minus the parts about the rebellion. There was one question that I was waiting for. The one question I knew was coming at the end.
"So, Valiant, what did you tell your brother and father when you knew you were leaving?"
"I told them that I wasn't going to be another tragedy. I told them that I would make it home." The timer went off. The interview was over. Julius made me stand. He raised my hand in a victorious manner and announced my name. The crowd I walked off stage, I noticed a smile on Jeremy's face. It was more for reassurance for what I had did.
Jeremy walked onto the stage as soon as I was off. Galaria stood there in front of me. Tear streaks ruined her makeup. She reached for me and gave me a hug. Her breathing told me that she had been crying.
"I didn't know! I'm so sorry," Galaria sniffled. I patted her on the back and pulled away.
"I should be the one that's sorry. I yelled at you when all you were trying to do this whole time was to help me," I apologized. Galaria turned her attention to the television. Jeremy was talking to the audience. By the roar of the audience, I'd say they are enjoying him. Laughter was erupting from them. That was good, considering I probably made the majority of them cry. This must have been what Galaria came up with. The joker. It fit him in the sense that he was like this back home. That was before the reaping, though. That was before he had to worry about dying.
"So, all joking put aside, what do you want people to remember about you when your in the arena?" Julius asked. Jeremy sat silent for a few seconds.
"What I want people to remember about me is the person that I was before the Games. The person who wasn't a killer. Yet, the person who is willing to risk his life for others. For the friends that have become so much more than that..." I couldn't listen to the rest of his answer. I walked away from the television, from Galaria, from everyone. I needed to get away. He was giving his last goodbyes to his family back at home. He has already counted his death among the twenty-three.
I quickly found a door. I opened it and shut myself in the room it led to. I pressed my back to the door and slid down to sit. I curled my knees up to my chest and cried. It wasn't fair that Jeremy had to go through this. He was never a part of the rebellion. He and so many others here. They shouldn't be punished like this. It wasn't right.
"You too, huh?" I stopped crying to see Alder sitting against the wall next to me. I wiped under my eyes to clear the makeup that was clearly running down my face. "I felt the same way when the girl from 6 spoke."
"It's not right. They didn't deserve this," I spoke.
"None of us do. We didn't do anything worthy of this punishment. All we did was fight for the chance of a better tomorrow. For freedom. The Capital is just making a show over what they do to those who dare to defy them." It wasn't fair for any of us to be here. We all knew it, deep down. I was too busy feeling sorry for Jeremy when I should have realized this.
"You're right. We can't change this. All we have to do now is make sure that this will cause an outrage in someone and they will fight to make it stop." We heard cheering from the other side of the door. I stood up and opened the door.
"Leaving already?"
"It's time we showed them what we can do. I'll see you in the arena, my friend." He nodded and waved goodbye. I walked back to Galaria, told her I was sorry for leaving and that it won't happen again. I gave Jeremy a hug and told him he was great, even though I missed the last minute or so.
We were taken back to the training center and told to go to bed, for tomorrow was the day we go to the arena. I laid there, awake, wondering what the arena would hold. Wondering if I would make it past the first day. Slowly but surely, I fell asleep, dreaming of home.