Author's Note: Well, all the characters are FINALLY filled up, and I even got a surprise visit from someone I did not even know had a fanfiction Well, here's another chapter from Grant, and he'll get to meet someone very important, another tribute, and get involved in an accident that will probably be on his conscious for quite a while.
The answer to the last SQ was "for killing most of the tributes in the bloodbath." I'll tally up sponsor points soon. Make sure to review to get points!
Alyssa laughed from somewhere down the hallway. I frowned, dropping my stuff off in the history room and walking slowly down the wind-blasted hallway. The doors at the end of the hall weren't put perfectly together, and wind escaped past them, literally freezing the inside of the school. What good the radiators did, I didn't know.
It's been seven days since Urrel brought me that glitch keyboard. It's still in perfect condition, sitting safely in the cabinet in my room. My life has uplifted immensely. I'm getting slightly better grades and my overall attitude is getting better. Nevertheless, I still have a little problem, and that's Alyssa.
Maybe I'm just being envious, but she's hanging around with Barkus a lot more often now.
I sigh. Now is not the time to be full of indecision.
The Reapings are in a month, and the Victory Tour is supposed to pass through District 7 today. I'm not sure what Heron Rockon is going to have to say. Apologize for killing Rupert? I honestly don't care about him. However, Anna was a nice person. But then again, Heron wasn't responsible for her death.
The Games are so damn confusing.
Tunes of a glitch song swirling around in my mind, I toss aside my scarf onto Mr. Delarius' podium, walking out into the freezing hallway.
Ice coats part of the floor near the lockers. The school isn't that small, but it isn't that large either. Students sift in and out of the frigid hallway, crossing from class to class. Period 5 is about to start, and then we have lunch. I have no idea why they make lunch so damn late.
Barkus is standing with Maple Trelop, some bitch that hangs out in the 'popular girls' clique, Alyssa, and Nhelan Croppes, a boy I barely know that has a reputation for being a bit of a pyromaniac. I have to wonder why Alyssa hangs out with these creeps.
"Hey, guys." I say, stepping up to the group. Alyssa turns my way, a bright smile on her face. Maple scowls, and Barkus looks slightly annoyed. Nhelan picks at his fingernails.
"Hi, Grant." Smiles Alyssa. I grin back, and then look up at Barkus.
"What are you guys doing?" I ask.
"Ah, nothing. Talking about how worthless the Capitol is." My eyes widen a little bit, glancing at the Peacekeeper at the end of the hallway.
"You think that's a good idea with…him," I say, nodding towards the Peacekeeper. "Standing at the end of the hallway?"
"Do I really give a shit?" Barkus replies, and I back off a bit.
"Sorry, just wondering. I would keep my hate thoughts to myself." Barkus laughs.
"Well, that's Grant Sobil, not Barkus Anderssen. I'm tired of all this censorship crap."
"Go write a complaint at the Town Hall, then."
"Only an idiot would do that. And the idiots are the ones that get beat to death by Peacekeepers." He shrugs. I smile weakly, knowing he's exactly right. The last rebellion, of the 74th Hunger Games, never got full circle. Even if there is some tension in some of the Districts right now, I know it's not enough to start a rebellion.
Not like I would want a rebellion…
The bell rings, and I know it's time to go to History of Panem class with Mr. Delarius. Unfortunately, I also have this class with Barkus and Maple. Alyssa waves us goodbye, and I don't even notice when Nhelan leaves. I trudge down the icy hallway towards Room 23, Marcia and Barkus walking silently behind me.
Marcia pulls out her lighter and lights a cigarette. Smoking is against the school rules, but it's not like anybody gives a shit anymore. The dilapidated school is far from its full potential.
Barkus is the last person to enter the classroom, shutting the door closed behind him. Mr. Delarius is an old, decrepit man, and the only reason he is still teaching is because we have a shortage of teachers in District 7.
Our History of Panem class is really small. It only consists of me, Barkus, Maple, some kid named Branche, and a girl named Hollow Azeman that sits in the back.
Branche is mute, and I never talk to him in the first place, and with his dark brown hair and grey eyes, he looks out of place in District 7. All he ever does is take down notes.
Hollow Azeman was a bit similar. She never talked except on rare occasions, and I noticed that she was very observant, and probably quite intelligent as well. She was a bit short, but slender, and had thick, pin straight, brown hair and hazel-green eyes.
While Mr. Delarius droned on, I doodled in my notebook, not really listening to most of the crap the Capitol wanted us to "learn" about Panem's past. It's not like I didn't hear about the Dark Days and the War during the Reapings speech every year.
Maple spat out her cigarette, stomping it into the ground as soon as it landed on the floor. Mr. Delarius, oblivious, continues on about the Battle of Capitol Pass.
The rest of the day passes on pretty uneventful. I try to talk to Alyssa at lunch, but Barkus pretty much bars me from the group. I sigh, I guess I'll never really be able to talk to her. Thinking about Mr. Delarius' speech, I figure I should be getting ready for the Reapings anyway.
Once again, I'm forgetting about the Victory Tour. It's going to pass through District 7 today, sometime in the afternoon. Periods 6 and 7 fly by quickly, and then I'm stuck in detention for coming to school late while everyone else gets to leave.
I sit in an empty hall, staring at the blank chalkboard on the opposite wall. Crushed pieces of chalk sit on the floor, an empty gust of wind blowing through the open double doors. Bored, I try to do my homework, but it's unsettling knowing the Victory Tour will arrive today. For half an hour, I stare at the wall, trying to think of something to do.
They let me out, finally, and I head straight home, hoping to play the keyboard at least a little bit before I have to dress up and go to the town square for the arrival of the victor.
The lights are off when I get home. Strange, I think. When I get inside, nobody is there, but I know the arrival isn't until two hours from now. I glance at the clock just to be sure.
I shrug off my jacket and hang it on the flimsy hook by the door, tugging my wallet out of the inside pocket. I notice Yeula in her room, reading, so I know I'm not home alone.
I slide past the clutter in the hallway through to my room, my cramped, wonderful room. The keyboard is still in the cabinet where I left it, and I pull it out and power it up, checking the battery level. It seems fine, so I key a few notes. I mess around with the gadgets, and I find there's a lot of glitches I can make with them. I smile. I actually do love my dad.
I practice for a bit longer, until Yeula comes into my room and teases me, and at that point I stop playing and pull out my homework, which I am still unable to do. I fucking hate history.
I sigh, staring at the random questions about past woman's rights and the Dark Days. It's all stupid shit I don't care much about. All I care about are my family, my friends, glitch music, and some other things I don't care to mention.
Locking the keyboard back in the cabinet, I throw my backpack onto the dresser and exit the room, humming a few glitch tunes to myself. I go to the washing machine and pull on a newly-cleaned dress shirt, not caring to change my pants. Heading out the door, I see that Yeula has already left, and I have no idea where the rest of my family is.
Pulling on my jacket, I slam the front door behind me, trying to shield my face from the cold wind at the same time. It seems to be getting more frigid every day.
I arrive at the square, and it seems most of the District is already here. I see Hollow and some other boy, I'm not sure of his name, talking in the area near the town hall. The doors are shut up, and the Reapings stage is set up, along with the large TV I saw yesterday. I notice Urrel near the front and push my way towards him.
"Hey, there you are. Your mother's been looking for you. Heron's about to come onstage."
"Okay," I mutter, scooting past him to get to Ardenna.
"Hey, Grant. I haven't seen you all day."
"Yeah. What's going on?"
"Well, they're setting up and the victor's going to come on the stage soon. The Garys' are up there now, but I have no idea where the Stevens family is." I laughed. Rupert's ghost would be disappointed.
There's a sudden blast of music, and the doors to the town hall open. Heron Rockon walks in front, her long brown hair wrapped into a ponytail, obviously cut short while she was in the Capitol.
Behind her walks Xavier Jarr, the old mentor that taught her in the 99th Games. He looks tired, and I can't help thinking he's getting a bit too old for this stuff. Behind Xavier, there's Wellin Brooks, Heron's stylist, and Terran Berice, a silent escort who acts a bit like our old mentor, Frendare Yew.
Heron starts into some long speech about the history of Panem and her experience in the Hunger Games, and how she's sorry about the families' losses. I can tell it is all rehearsed, but it's not like she can just back out of saying the speech.
First, she talks to Anna's family, saying how sorry she was she wasn't able to do anything as Anna was speared by that giant fucking bird mutt in the arena. Then, she apologizes to Rupert's family. Well, if you could call it apologizing. More like trying to avoid insulting them.
Later on, I'm carting stuff in and out of the Town Hall because I just feel like being helpful. The Victory Tour wasn't much, just the generic crap they do every year. I'm still waiting for the exciting part.
Soon enough, I get lost wandering the long hallways of the Town Hall. It's very dark, and I can't see practically anything. I try using one of the light switches, but the lights seem to be broken.
I turn the corner when somebody bumps into me. I grunt and stumble backwards, trying not to drop the box I'm carrying. I hear a grunt from the other end of the box, and I call out:
"You okay?"
"Uh, yeah..." It's a girl. No idea why some random girl is wandering the Town Hall. Wait. That's technically what I'm doing.
When I put down the box, I look around for some better source of light. Pulling out my lighter, I flick the catch and hold the flames up to my field of vision.
I recognize the girl as Heron Rockon.
"Oh...hi." I mutter. Heron stutters, then gets up on her feet.
"Um, sorry."
"No...it's okay. You need any help?"
"I may be kind of lost."
"Well then you're no better than I am." Heron laughs, then her smile drops again.
"Do I know you?" she asks.
"Not really...seeing as how you're from District 3..."
"Um, yeah. Sorry. You just...remind me of someone..." At that, she gulps and then her eyes go blank. I guess that's an indication for me to start moving.
I pick up the box again and start moving throughout the hallway. I can hear Heron stumbling along behind me, because I had to put out the lighter to pick up the box. A few minutes later, we both end up the kitchen. Heron thanks me, and then quickly leaves.
I frown, putting down the box.
That was rather weird...
Author's Note: If you didn't figure it out already, Grant Sobil is my character. Hollow Azeman was created by No Safe and Sound. I hope you guys like the chapter, and next chapter will be a bit longer, plus you'll get to see from someone else's POV :3
SQ: When was glitch music invented? (It's a factual question. Not hard at all).