When I wake up, my eyes are red and puffy form crying so much. It must have let up sometime around 3:30 a.m. What a great way to start the Games, I think. I take, yet, another shower, washing the red from my eyes and the tears from my face. I have to stop this crying business or I'll appear weak. Of course, I am weak, like the delicate flower I was named for. Yet, ever since the reaping, I've had this newfound strength inside me and I intend on using it.
I put loose black pants and a silky gold tunic on. For a while, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. Then, Tibithia knocks and calls me for breakfast. I have a vague idea of how to get to the dining car from last night. I slowly meander across the hallways and eventually find it. Thresh, Seeder, Chaff, and Tibithia are seated at the table. I sit down next to Tibithia and across from Seeder. "Good morning," I say quietly. "Why, good morning Miss Meadow!" Tibithia says in her high Capitol accent. Seeder suppresses a smile and gives me a wink. I smile back. A feast, much like the one from last night, is laid out before us. Eggs, bacon, sausages, hot cakes, and rolls galore. I don't eat a lot for the fear of getting sick again and Thresh does the same. Seeder notices this and gives us both a pill. "Go ahead and eat as much as you can hold and if you get sick, take the pill," she informs us.
"Thank you," I say and Thresh nods. She smiles again. I load up my plate and eat as much as I can. I feel my stomach starting to churn, swallow the pill, and wash it down with something called hot chocolate. Like Seeder said, it works immediately.
Chaff chuckles, "It doesn't take much for you to get sick," he says. "Very delicate!" he laughs loudly. Seeder slaps his arm and gives him a stern look.
"We should be arriving at the Capitol in 4 hours," says Tibithia. As I leave the car, Chaff's laughter still fills my ears. If people are going to think I'm delicate, I'm going to prove them wrong.
I spend 3 hours in my room. I lie down on my bed and get some sleep. I have recovered from last night, but I still am tired. When I wake up, I take out Iris's necklace from one of the drawers and trace my fingers over the weaves. I remember, whenever Iris was scared, she'd put this on. I feel pretty scared, so I slip it around my neck. I close my eyes and imagine that I am in the meadow in 11 with my sisters. I stay like that for 10 minutes and then set out to find Seeder. I find her in the observatory car alone.
"Hi, Seeder," I say.
"Hey, Rue," she replies, not taking her eyes off the scenery out the window.
"Can I ask you something?" I say.
"Sure thing," she says, eyes still glued.
"What is it like to be a mentor?" I ask for some reason. She turns to me.
"What?" she asks. I repeat what I said. "Well," she starts, "You know what I had to go through to be here." I nod. She continues, "I have to admit it's awful having to meet two wonderful children from my own district and then send them to slaughter." As she says this, her face grows dark and all the beauty leaves it. "It's even worse to have all the riches and food and then have all the people surrounding you in 11 to be living in poverty," she says. She then laughs a cruel laugh that doesn't seem to belong to her and finishes, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's not all it's supposed to be. Sometimes I feel like I just shouldn't have won." We don't talk for a moment and then she says, "But I did win and I am here to help you in any way I can."
"Thanks, Seeder," I say, "And for the record, I think you're doing a good job with it so far." Her warm personality returns and she gives me a smile.
"We better go find the others," she says. We explore the cars, looking for them. We find Thresh in his room, examining a bronze cuff on his hand. Chaff is in the bar car and Tibithia is in the room we watched the tributes last night, catching up on all the Capitol news. We gather in the unloading room. There's a small window and I climb up a few things quickly to get a view. I notice Seeder watching me and I put the suspicious thoughts away. The scenery outside is amazing, with majestic mountains and deep forests. A few minutes of this and then I see it: the Capitol, shining, glimmering, and gleaming. I get just a glimpse before we enter a tunnel. When we finally exit, there are cheering crowds everywhere. They see me and start to wave and cheer louder. Part of me wants to recoil, but I remember that, in the Games, if you need something, you can get sponsors to send you something, but the only way to get sponsors is to get people to like you. Instead of backing down, I straighten up and wave back. This makes them even more enthusiastic. I get the hang of it and even blow a kiss or two. This drives them crazy; so gullible, I think. I hop down and we exit the train. Capitol people swarm us, with their dyed skin, colorful hair, and freakish alterations. They hug me, touch my hair, and tell me how cute I am. I am a little frightened by their scary appearances but I tell them thank you and be polite. I don't want to flare up. I guess I may be small, but so is a rose and a rose has sharp thorns.