I know, it's been so long since the last update, but the reason is that it took a lot of time to put this whole chapter together. This is the longest chapter I've ever written! There are 12,535 words in here not including the author's notes. While writing this chapter, life got in the way and that's part of the reason for the wait. I hope my lovely readers are still out there! Thank you all for patiently waiting.
Amanda: It's nice to hear from you again! The reason for her getting injured a lot is to prove that she is not a Mary Sue, which is what some readers tell me. Thanks for telling me what you think! It's nice to hear from you again.
"Up next, we have district one male tribute, Evan Fortis's mother- Linda Fortis!" Caesar exclaims.
With her son in the games and a husband who can't stand or walk on his own, these past days have been hard on Linda. She'd spend money on having someone watch her husband while she was away at work and when she'd come back from a tiring day of being a cashier at a department store she had to take care of her husband. Smiling wasn't a problem for Linda, it's just that she didn't know what to smile for with everything happening. She's given her husband reassuring smiles every time they watch their son on the screen, fighting for his life and he'd smile back because they both knew that he had to come home. Though neither of them said it, they knew that if he died they'd be nothing but a couple of broken souls, grieving for him for their entire life.
"How are you, Mrs. Fortis?" Caesar asks when they both take a seat.
"I'm doing okay." Lies. This was a plain lie.
"That's good to hear. What do you have to say about the events taking place in the games?" Caesar asks.
There was so much to say. That girl from district nine who tried to kill Amethine, the boulder avalanche that crushed the only non-career in the alliance to death, and that ugly mutt that the children had killed when they went inside the barn. Linda thinks about her son and how he can handle all of this; This madness, this bloodshed, this death match. What I have to say about the events taking place in the games? I think that it is all chaos. I think that all of this is chaos. The Hunger Games, my son being a tribute, everything She thinks to herself. Linda was well aware that if these words were to come out of her mouth, President Snow will order the death of her son and her husband. A slow and very painful death.
"Some of them were sad, and some were very scary." Linda says truthfully.
Please don't ask me to specify which events I'm talking about, she begs Caesar in her mind.
"You forgot to add: action-packed," Caesar reminds in a light tone.
"Yes, that too." Linda forces a smile, but softens it to make it seem genuine. There was plenty of action. The action being children murdering other children, she thinks to herself. At least she can say what she wants in her mind, it was a safe place to say things that can get you killed if said aloud.
"What was your reaction when you saw your son's chariot costume? " Caesar proceeds with the next question.
This question is easy. "He looked so handsome and I was happy that he remembered to keep his back straight." Linda says. She smiles -this time a real one- remembering the night district one's chariot rolled out, both tributes wearing gold attire. The laughter she and Bernard shared when he said, "I was more handsome when I was his age." rang in her brain.
"Do you guys agree?" Caesar asks the audience for their opinion. Majority whooped and whistled, screaming in assent.
"How do you feel about Evan dating?" Caesar inquires when it's quiet again.
"My husband and I allow Evan to date and whenever he goes to his girlfriend's home, we'd remind him to respect and abide the rules of her parents,"
"Do you have rules in your home when Evan brings his gal over?"
"Oh, definitely," Linda doesn't even need to ponder this. "She can't spend the night, she is welcome to come over when I'm home, and the door to his room must be left open at all times."
"Those rules don't seem too harsh. Have you met any of Evan's girlfriends?"
"I've met every one,"
The buzzer goes off before Caesar can reply. He gets out of his seat and Linda does the same.
"Thank you, Mrs. Fortis." He shakes her hand. The crowd claps as she walks towards backstage.
. . .
"Are you sure you don't want me to follow?" Linda asks her husband one more time. He knows how to operate the scooter, but she's anxious as to how he'll do in his interview. Ever since the accident, he stayed in the house all day long and Linda would force him to go out in his scooter occasionally.
"I may not be able to walk and stand, but I'm perfectly capable of speaking, Linda. Don't worry." Reggie assures her.
She smiles. "I know, but do you need me to follow you out?" she offers.
"No, the stage hand will lead me there. You just stay right here and watch." He reaches over and pats her hand.
The stage hand takes Reggie to the stage and has him wait for Caesar's cue. Linda would have a hard time trying to get Reggie to take his scooter outside for a while, but when he finally gives in, the process of helping him out of bed and onto the scooter wasn't easy for Linda. Reggie could've just stayed home and watched everything, but he came for two reasons: He didn't want his wife to come alone and for Evan. He didn't want anyone to think that Evan didn't have a family beside him.
"Let's give a big round of applause for Evan's father, Mr. Fortis!" Caesar exclaims.
The crowd claps as Reggie rides onto the stage and over to Caesar. He uses one hand to wave at the audience and the other one on the scooter's control panel. Caesar pushes the other chair back to give Reggie room for his scooter, and so it'll look no different than interviewing a person not on a scooter.
"I must say, Mr. Fortis that your entrance was not like any other. Literally!" says Caesar. Chuckles rings through air, coming from those who understand.
"Thank you. I wouldn't be walking on stage with this scooter if it weren't for that accident." Reggie scowls, recollecting that moment.
"Would you like to share what happened?" Caesar asks.
Every family received a letter from the Capitol. It stated that they must be present for their interview and everyone knew that not making an appearance would seem like an act of rebelliousness to the President, and that's the last thing they needed. The day Linda opened the soft, scented envelope she knew that she and Reggie had to go despite his injury.
"I was at work, taking some crates out of my truck, and then some tipped over and fell on top of me." Reggie kept it short and simple.
"That's terrible. But you being here with us tonight is not. Why don't we clap for Mr. Fortis for coming out here tonight even though it wasn't easy!"
The crowd claps, giving Reggie credit. With everyone in the audience giving a round of applause just for him, Reggie couldn't help but smile. At first he wasn't excited to go to the Capitol, aware of the pain that he will have to endured, but now everything was different.
"One question we had asked you wife was about Evan dating. She told me about the rules that Evan needs to follow whenever he bring his girlfriend home and I, as well as everyone in here, would like to know if you're as serious as your wife is when it comes to dating."
"I agree with the rules that my wife's dating rules and yes, I'm serious about Evan dating. How can you teach your child to follow the rules when you, a parent, aren't even serious about it?" Reggie says.
"That is very true. Switching to another subject, what do you have to say about this year's career alliance?"
"Everyone in the alliance this year is strong. There's pretty much no difference between this year's alliances and the ones in the previous games." Reggie replies.
"Strength is something I've always seen in the careers. In fact, I even think they were born with it!" Caesar exclaims. The audience laughs as Caesar smoothes his hair down and sits up straight, going from a silly guy to an etiquette host . Reggie sits back and grins.
"If you could take one thing from here to remind of the Capitol, what would it be?" Caesar inquires.
"Like a souvenir?"
"Yes, like a souvenir."
"I think I'd take a small sculpture. The art here must be really elaborate and colorful, judging by the attire." Reggie answers. The sound of the buzzer is heard after he says this.
"Thank you Mr. Fortis and May the odds be ever in your son's favor." Caesar tells Reggie before he rides in the direction of his lounge.
"That was amazing! You did great." Linda greets happily when her husband enters.
Reggie parks his scooter next to the right arm of the couch. Linda hooks a hand under his armpit and the other on his torso.
"1, 2…3." She counts before getting her husband off of his scooter. She took small steps, being careful to not bump into anything that can send them both falling. Reggie tried his best to not give into the pain, knowing that his wife was facing a much bigger problem due to his weight. Both let out a breath once they're on the couch. Reggie is glad that his interview is over, and the thing that's on Linda's mind is watching the games to see if Amethine was staying true to her promise about not turning her back on her son.
"We have a couple of more people to interview and the two of them are affiliated with both tributes of district one. Let's bring one of them our right now! Please welcome a good friend of Amethine and Evan-Shine Merionette!" Caesar says enthusiastically.
Shine walks out in an aqua, asymmetrical dress with sparkly silver heels that match the sparkles on the strap and waist. Except for her bangs, the rest of her hair was left down, making the tips of her straight, blonde hair touch her butt. Some trainees and a few trainers in district one thought that Amethine and Shine were sisters due to the similarities of their face and hair and the girls would sometimes use it as an advantage to trick people. Unlike Amethine, Shine loves wearing dresses and sparkly things that catch everyone's eyes. Once the invitation from the Capitol was read, she darted to her closet and picked out the cutest dress she could find.
"Hello Shine!" Caesar greets.
"Hi Caesar!" she chirps.
"Why don't we sit down and get this interview started?" Caesar states.
"Sounds good." Shine settles into the chair.
"How long have you known Amethine?"
"I've known Amethine ever since we were little girls. We were probably six or seven years old when we met so we've know each other for twelve years." Shine retorts.
"Twelve years is long. If Amethine won, how would you feel being friends with a victor?"
"I think it'd be great. I've seen the houses in the Victor's Village and I know that the inside looks just as good as the outside. I hope she asks me to move in with her." Shine says.
Shine has heard the stories of victors not being the same person after winning the games. Axin is an example of those stories; currently a heavy drinker who thinks that just because he's drunk doesn't mean that he's had enough wine. Shine hopes that her friend won't turn out like that, or something worse. If she did, Shine promised herself that she'd do anything to help.
"Let's hope she does ask, but what happens if she doesn't?" Caesar questions.
"First, I'd convince her to give me a copy of the key, and then I'm going to move my things in the middle of the night." This sounds crazy, but the audience loves her sense of humor.
"I hope that works out for you. What do you, Evan, and Amethine have in common?"
"Evan and I both like coffee. Before training, I'd buy a cup for the two of us and he'd do the same. To us, training plus coffee equals an energetic and fun day. Amethine and I both like hand to hand combat. How is taking someone down and winning not fun?" Shine says.
The buzzer goes off and Caesar says, "Let's give it up one more time for Shine Merionette, good friend of Amethine Gemmis and Evan Fortis!"
Gemmis family
"Wonder where she got her dress," says Amethyst, a hint of jealousy in her voice. She watches Shine walk off the stage and reminds herself to ask her where she got her outfit later.
"Your dress is beautiful, too" Susan says, able to detect Amethyst's jealousy.
"I know my dress is beautiful." Amethyst denies being jealous.
I'm sure she'll ask me to take her shopping when we get home. Susan thinks to herself.
Shine couldn't wait to get back to the lounge she shared with Reina. Everything in the Capitol was much better than district one. The food, the technology, and so many more that would take hours for Shine to finish listing.
"Are you nervous?" she asks Reina, who is checking herself in the mirror again.
"Very."
"Relax. Your interview will go bad if the audience can see how nervous you are." Shine pops a chocolate-covered nut in her mouth.
"Do I look good?" Reina poses.
"Yep. Your dress is so cute. It's like all you need are the color red and some sparkles to say 'look at me'." Shine replies.
"Thanks. Are you sure this is not too much red?" she gestures to her red sequin top dress with a floaty pleated chiffon skirt.
Shine shakes her head. "Nah. You can't have too much red."
"Thanks."
When the stage hand comes and informs her that she should start walking out, Reina's heart starts to beat wildly. Being the girlfriend of a tribute and a good friend of another, Reina felt that the pressure was on her. She wants to win sponsors for Amethine and Evan, hence the dazzling dress. Her red hair was twisted in a bun that sat on top of her head, accentuating her dress and her lips were covered in crimson colored lipstick. Red hair, red lips, red dress, and let's not forget- red pumps.
"My, you are the girl in the red!" Caesar exclaims when he sees Reina. They sit down and Caesar starts the interview.
"How did you meet Amethine and Evan?"
"Evan and I were classmates in our fourth and fifth year in school. I heard he had a crush on me and we started dating in our sixth year. When Amethine and I first met, we hated each other. I was learning how to throw a knife and it almost hit her on accident, but she claimed that I did it on purpose. We became friends when she stood up for me to a group of girls that made fun of my terrible knife throwing skills. I don't know why she did it, but I'm glad she did."
"And that's how a friendship blossomed. Now how long have you been dating Evan?"
"Five years." Reina smiles proudly.
"Wow, that's very long. When we interviewed Evan's mother, she told us about the rules you both have to follow. How do you feel about these rules?"
"I totally respect the rules that his mother made. That's her sonafter all and I respect her and her rules." Reina says.
"You are a very respectful young lady! I'm sure Mrs. Fortis approves of you dating her son. You know if Evan is crowned winner of the games you'll be the girlfriend of a victor. How does that sound?"
If Evan wins, that means that Amethine has to die. Why can't the both the both of them come back to district one? Reina conceals her thoughts with a smile. Don't think about that and answer the question.
"That sounds great. My job will be reminding the girls chasing after my man that he's mine." Reina says in a warning tone. Despite the tone, the audience finds her over protectiveness of her boyfriend cute.
"It won't be wise for anyone to do that." Caesar says right before the buzzer goes off.
Fortis family
"Her dress is beautiful," Linda says, watching the shiny sequins on her son's girlfriend sparkle under the bright stage lights.
"She's meant to be with Evan." Reggie states.
"Yes, she is."
"Promise you won't be mean?" Evan asked.
"I promise. Haven't I always been nice when meeting your girlfriends?" Linda asked innocently.
"Remember Diamond Dezzerne? You disapproved of her right when you saw her walk in with a short skirt," Evan reminds his mother.
"The girl didn't look like a virgin," Linda points out.
"Mom! Can we not talk about that? I'm going to bring her in now." Evan leaves to get his new girlfriend.
"What do you think Reggie? Slut, bookworm, or jokester?"
"I think that we should just wait and see." Reggie says calmly.
Evan walks into the kitchen, hand in hand with a blonde-haired girl. She smiles at Linda and Reggie and they return it.
"Mom, dad, this is Reina. Reina, these are my parents." Evan introduces his girlfriend.
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." She shakes their hands. She doesn't clasps their hands too tight, but gives it a firm shake.
"Hello," Linda replies.
"It's a pleasure," Reggie smiles.
Reggie and Linda sit next to each other, parallel to the young couple. Linda sat across from Reina and Evan his father. Linda was about to ask the first question when she remembered the snacks she had prepared.
"I almost forgot!" she got out of her seat and tread towards the oven. She returns to the table with a plate of small, round, chocolate sponge cakes. She places the platter on the table after sitting back in her chair.
"How did you guys meet?" Reggie asked.
"School," Reina answered.
"What kind of grades do you earn in school?" Linda asked.
"I have an A average. I get the occasional B when I'm too fond of the subject, but it's mostly A's." Evan smiled at her and she smiled back.
At least my son's not dating one of those dumb blondes. Like that Diamond girl; not only did she dress inappropriately, but the girl must've failed every subject in school. Linda thought.
"Mmm, this is delicious," Reina comments after taking a bite of the snacks Linda had put out.
"Thank you." Linda smiled appreciatively.
Evan looked at his girlfriend, then at his mom. His mother loves it when someone compliments her food and after Reina did that, it gave her a good start.
"You're welcome. What brand did you use for the mixture?"
"Betty Crocker. I always use that."
"So does my grandmother! To her the thing is like heaven in a bag!" Reina quotes her grandmother's words.
That's a bonus. Evan is enjoying how things are going. Maybe they'll start baking together.
Linda laughed softly. "I agree with her. I don't use any other brand besides Betty Crocker."
Reina holds her hand up, offering a high-five. Linda is a little surprise, but pats her against the young girl's. The males at the table watching them are happy and relaxed that the two won't have a problem with each other. Especially Evan.
Vinera's mother
"Are you sure this is fancy enough?" Auriga asks for the fourth time we've been here. She was happy with the dress when I first bought it for her, but after seeing what the district one girl's sister and friends were wearing, she started getting nervous. Taking in the black silky, knee-length dress with silver flowers printed on the skirt, I nod.
"What do you think, dad?" Auriga turns to her father.
"You look fine." Lyndon mutters in his usual gruff voice.
Satisfied, but I know she'll ask again, she plops down on the comfy couch in our room. Caesar has finished interviewing the district one boy's girlfriend and I'm next. The stage hands told us that the first person has to be the mother of the tribute, then the father, and then the order of the siblings doesn't matter. After the siblings are the friends and just like the sibling interviews, the order is of no importance, as long as they're after the siblings of the tributes.
"Ma'am, you're next." The stage hand tells me.
"Go mom." Auriga smiles encouragingly.
I smile back at her and let the stage hand guide me to where I need to be. Bright lights hit my face when I get to the stage. I stop walking for a second and take a look at how big the audience is. Well one thing is for sure, there's a lot of damn Capitol people out here to watch the interviews. I'm not nervous; I'll just be one of out of many interviews. When I'm done these Capitol people will just watch whoever's after.
Walking to Caesar, who always wears colorful and stupid things for each Hunger Games, I just sit myself down on the chair when I reach him. He sits, too and says that my dress looks stunning. What a lie. He's just saying that to be polite. If it's one thing that I don't like, it's dishonest people. You must think that since I don't like people lying to me, I wouldn't lie and be fake with others. You are correct. I disagree with Caesar, the dress I have on isn't what I'd call 'stunning'. It's only a navy and white silk plaid dress with a black silk organza overlay and black and brown silk 3-d floral embroidered front. It took me about a week to sew the flowers onto the dress.
"I wouldn't call it that. To me it's just simple and unique."
"The flowers are what make it appear as a stunning dress. The way that they're not just a simple image makes it pop." Caesar explains why my dress is stunning.
"You're right." He's not. I know I said that I'm not fake, but if I disagree again he'll keep going on and on and the next thing we know, you'll hear the buzzer.
"Okay, so careers are known to volunteer to be in the Hunger Games and being a mother of one, how did you feel when your daughter volunteered?"
"Proud. It something expected of her, in fact it's something expected from all careers."
"Yes, it is. Would you have volunteered to be in the Hunger Games?"
Not to brag or anything, but my body wasn't that bad in my teenage years. My mom said that I had fast metabolism, which is when you don't gain weight even though you eat a lot. Girls envied me for this because while they're trying to eat healthy and exercise daily, I'm just eating what I want without worrying. I don't blame them, though.
"Yeah, I would've. Back then, I had what it took to be victor."
"Coming from district two, I know you're not lying. Do you think that your daughter should've been the leader of the alliance?"
"Yes, I still do. Vinera is pure leader material. Leadership is something that no one can teach you. You need to learn how to lead yourself and Vinera would've made a great leader. With the girl from district one being the leader, she's gotten herself injured and how can you make a person the leader when she can't even watch over herself?"
"She did get a nasty leg injury that rendered her leg immobile. What were some of your reactions from watching the games?" Caesar changes the subject.
"Like I said, I don't think that Amethine girl is a good leader. That and I'm kind of disappointed that the careers haven't found more victims yet."
"Mhmm, and out of everyone in the career alliance, who do you think will be the most challenging for Vinera to take down?"
"Her district partner. Caiden had come over to our house a lot when his mother was my colleague. I think that since Caiden and Vinera know each other for some time, they might know what the other's weakness is and Caiden will definitely use it to his advantage."
"He could. You never know what those careers are thinking." Caesar says. The buzzer rings.
"That's all the questions I've got for you! Can I hear some clapping for the mother of Vinera, district two female tribute?" Caesar asks the audience. They respond with a round of applause as Vinera's mother walks back to her lounge.
Gemmis Family
"With that girl from district one being leader, she's been getting herself injured." Susan matches Vinera's mother's smug look and mocks her tone.
Charles chuckles at his wife. "She was being honest, I can tell you that."
"I know. But I know that it's better with Amethine being leader of the alliance." Susan crosses her hands over her chest like a stubborn child.
"I agree with mom. I know she didn't intend to, but that lady just insulted Amethine , dad." Amethyst speaks up.
Charles looks at her. "I know and I understand why you two don't like what she said, but who cares? It doesn't bother me because we know that Amethine is doing great. She doesn't see it."
"You're right," Susan agrees.
"Don't get too angry. Besides, your dress is more beautiful." Charles whispers in her ear, making her giggle.
Vinera's family
"Make sure you speak up, Lyndon." Lissette reminds.
"That's probably the 100th time you reminded me." He grumbles.
She straightens up his tie before he goes with the stage hand. She couldn't believe that the old suit still fit him. Being a stone cutter didn't really provide much, but at least there was something. Paying for their daughters' training fee wasn't easy and Lissette had to desperate things to keep her daughters in that academy. The saying, Desperate times call for desperate measures was very true. They weren't the right things to do, but she only did them for her children. You do crazy things to keep you children happy and the sacrifices you make don't matter. Some may, but in the end when you see that smile on their face you know you did the right thing.
"Our next guest is the father of 61st Annual Hunger Games district two female tribute- Vinera! Come on out!" Caesar calls for Lyndon.
Did they really have to make the volume so dam high? I'm not deaf. Bet there's more than ten speakers posted all over the place. Lyndon think grumpily. From long years of cutting stone, you'll always see the color gray. It was one thing Lyndon hated about being a stone cutter. You'd see the red or black handle of the tools, but it will always be gray. All gray, all the time. Then you get to the Capitol and you hardly see gray. There is gray clothing, but it's never left simple. It always has to be adorned with some detailed drawing or shiny jewel and Lyndon wasn't use to it.
"Hello, Mr. Lyndon!" Caesar shakes Lyndon's hand. Lyndon shakes Caesar's hand without a word. He'll be talking throughout the whole interview anyway.
"You have a daughter in the Hunger Games, who I'm sure you're very proud of-"
"Very proud," Lyndon cuts in.
"Yes, and how different do you think it will be if you had a son instead of a daughter and he was in the Hunger Games?"
"Physically, it'd be the same. Vinera exercises and make sure her body's in its best condition and if I had a son, he'd do that as well. Emotionally, I think I won't have to worry about my son." Lyndon says.
"And why do you think that?" Caesar inquires.
"Females always feel something more than guys. In my opinion, it's harder for women to shut their feelings out. What I'm saying is that when you have a daughter competing in the games, there's a chance that she'll fall in love, regret everything, or just over think the whole strategy." Lyndon elucidates. He knows that saying, "no offense to all you ladies" should be said, but he thinks that if he did, it'd show that he wasn't adamant with this belief.
Booing is made by females in the audience that don't agree with Lyndon's statement. The look on his face shows that this doesn't faze him in the least. He knew that some men would agree with him on this. While the women are letting him know that they don't like what he just said, he sits and waits patiently for Caesar's next question.
Caesar starts saying the next question, but stops when the booing gets louder. "Quiet down, ladies." He says. It takes about five minutes for the women to listen and be quiet.
"Another thing you need to watch out for when it comes to daughters is the boys they date. Has Vinera been giving you problems with this?"
"No. She hasn't been dating anyone as far as I know. That's good; love shouldn't be her top priority right now." Lyndon says harshly.
"It looks like you have high expectations of Vinera. Do you? Or am I wrong?"
"You're very right. Having high expectations will drive your children to succeed and impress you. You won't get the same results by going easy on them and letting mistakes slide. Low expectations equal low performance and failure."
"That makes very sense. I see your point." Caesar compliments.
"Thank you. Most don't." He grumbles. It's like the tone of his voice is saying 'the world is full of idiots'.
The audience laughs briefly. Caesar chortles lightly. "I'm glad I'm not one of those people. You make it very clear that you're not very fond of them. I'd like to ask you this; would you ever wear the dress of Capitol women?"
The look on Lyndon's face sets off loud laughter from the audience. His nose is wrinkled up and you can see the incredulousness in his eyes. His expression is photo-worthy.
"Capitol style is very different from my style. My style is simple, but fit for the occasion. Capitol style is like thirty-five different colors on one dress!" he exclaims, throwing his hands up. Again, the audience bursts into laughter. Lyndon was not doing this to make them laugh. Oh no, he's being honest.
"You're killing us, Mr. Lyndon. Please, I don't know if I continue on with this interview." Caesar says. As if on cue, the buzzer goes off.
"Saved by the buzzer." Lyndon mutters as he stands up.
"It was wonderful having you out here tonight, Mr. Lyndon." Caesar shakes his hand for the last time. Lyndon only nods and walks in the direction of backstage.
Shine & Reina
"Females always feel something? No we don't! What a sexist." Shine says. What Vinera's father just said about girls being mentally vulnerable did not sit well with Shine.
"Maybe-" Reina starts, but is interrupted by Shine.
"Hush, you have a boyfriend,"
Reina scowls at her friend. "Sheesh."
"That is so not true. Who does that guy think he is? If I was sitting in the audience I would've booed him all night." Shine says exasperatedly.
"I know what'll calm you down." Reina says. She turns her body to the table full of delicious food that's right behind the couch and leans over to grab the one that Shine loves. Once the rich, chocolate-glazed bread is in her hands, she hands it over to her.
"Thanks," Shine says, her mouth already full of the dessert.
Auriga (Vinera's sister)
The minute the booing began, Auriga flinched and felt bad for her dad. Who knows what she would've done if people in the audience did the same thing to her. She would've cried and run off the stage, she'd keep running until all the cameras and the extraordinary dresses were out of sight. What made her feel less nervous was the reaction that her dad conveyed- nonchalant.
Her hands were shaking and there was nothing she could to slow it down, let alone stop it. What if my dress is not as nice as those girls from district one? She mentally asks herself. Will they start booing me if I'm too boring and quiet? Is another question that goes through her mind.
She just sits on the couch in their family lounge, waiting for the stage hand and her dad to open the door any minute. Her mom places her gentle hand over her shaky ones and gives it an encouraging squeeze. Auriga smiles at her mom, appreciating the gesture. She really needs it.
The door opens and her dad walks in and wordlessly sits on the couch. He had that annoyed look on his face before his interview, now it was just blank. You couldn't tell if he enjoyed the interview or if it just annoyed the hell out of him even more.
"You did great, dad." Auriga tells him, hoping for a smile, or a half smile at least.
"Thank you." He says in a low voice, drinking a glass of water he poured himself.
"Miss, it's your turn." Auriga turned her head to the stage hand waiting next to the door.
"You'll be amazing out there." Her mom says as she walks out. Auriga flashes a smile in response.
The stage hand leads her to the spot right behind the stage. From there, you can peek out and see the faces of people in the audience and the shower of bright lights raining down on the stage. Auriga stands there, fascinated by everything she sees. She straightens her dress and smoothes the top of her waterfall-braided hair down.
"Why don't we give Auriga, who is Vinera's sister, an awesome greeting?" Caesar asks everyone. The crowd claps and Auriga walks over to Caesar.
"What a lovely young lady we have!" Caesar exclaims. A smile forms on Auriga's pale, pink lips. If Caesar thought this, then maybe she didn't look underdressed for her interview. She shouldn't have worried about a thing.
"Thank you,"
"Let us have a seat, shall we?" Caesar offers.
"We shall." Vinera politely takes his hand and sits.
"You know, we don't even need all these lights to see the strong resemblance you share with Vinera." Caesar points out.
Why does everyone say that? Auriga got that all throughout her previous years of school. Whenever Vinera would fetch her after class, most of the classmates say the same thing. 'You and your sister look so much alike' and some dumb questions even pop up like Is she your twin? Auriga doesn't know how Vinera responds to them, but there's no doubt that someone told her that.
"And you're not the first person to say that," Auriga responds.
"Those who said this before me were right. Do you look up to your sister?"
"In a way, yeah. She's fighting for our district and I'm proud to call her my sister, but there are some things that she's done that I don't completely agree with. But I don't blame her, no one's perfect." Auriga answers candidly.
"Yes, no one is perfect. You are very right on that one. Is there any competition between you and your sister?" Caesar leans his head in his hand and sets his elbow on his knees to support everything; this position makes him look eager to hear Auriga's answer.
"Yes, very much. Sibling rivalry is normal in my family. My mom always tells me stories about her and her siblings putting in every effort they have to surpass the other. It gets crazy sometimes because we take competitions very seriously and don't aim for the runner up spot." Auriga says with her head held high. She's proud of her competitiveness. She believes that it's what pushes her to win and be the best.
"What kind of things do you guys compete on?"
"Anything. Who can leave their hand on the heated tea kettle the longest, who can carry the heavier hollow block, who can run the fastest." Auriga remembers. There was so many that she could list. Some of them may sound stupid, but the sisters never turned down a challenge.
"Wow. Shows that your girls mean business when challenging each other." Caesar says, sounding a little surprised.
"We really do. It's not a joke to us, no matter what the competition may be."
"I see that. From watching your sister in the games, would you say she's doing a good job?"
"She's still alive, so yes. She's doing a very good job. She's made it to the final eight, which reminds me that the career alliance hasn't split up yet. That's weird." Auriga says.
"You're right, they haven't. I wonder why, we're all wondering why. How does it feel like watching your sister in the Hunger Games?"
"It feels like she's a celebrity because people here treat me like the sister of one. They run at me with cameras, taking pictures and asking questions." Auriga tells Caesar, recalling a bunch of paparazzi people running to her as soon as she arrived.
"Tell me about it. Imagine how it's like for me." Caesar pretends to sound tired from all it and it makes the audience laugh.
The buzzer goes off. "Let's hear it one more time for Auriga, sister of Vinera, our district two female tribute!" Caesar exclaims. As Auriga leaves, the crowd behind her applauds.
Gemmis Family
I wonder if she's really close to her sister. She seems pretty calm about her competing, but that's because she hasn't seen her sister go through what my sister did. I was scared shitless when Amethine got that leg wound. She'll get scared soon. Just because Vinera's still alive doesn't mean that she's doing a good job. My sister will emerge as the victor. Amethyst sneers at the screen, which shows Auriga entering backstage.
"Are you jealous of her dress, too?" Her father jokes, ruffling her hair.
Amethyst tries to smack his hand, but he is too fast for her. "Watch the hair, dad."
"You already go interviewed." Charles retorts.
"I know, but when we leave there's no doubt that the paparazzi is outside waiting."
Charles puts his hands up in surrender. Amethyst can get too feisty at times.
"Geode, are you still eating that lemon candy even though I told you to stop?" Susan turns her head to the right. She suspected this when Vinera's sister's interview started and he went behind the couch, where all the food was.
"No," He says with his mouth full of the candy.
Hearing this, Susan fully turns and faces him. "Get your butt over here, mister." She demands.
Geode nervously walked to his mother. "You stay on this couch right next to me and if you get off to get some more candy, I will take away your sword when we get home." Susan says sternly. "Am I clear?" she asks. Geode nods.
"It's okay buddy, let's just watch the interviews." Charles leans down and says in his ear. Amethyst and Garnet just watch their brother get scolded and pop the lemon candy in their mouths, giggling quietly.
"It's time to focus on the family of district two male tribute, Caiden!" Caesar tells the audience. "Let's begin and give his mother a warm welcome!"
Caiden's mother, Danielle walks out in a cream colored dress. It took forever for her to make up her mind on which dress she was going to wear for her interview. Due to owning a shop, Danielle has a closet full of pretty dresses, and that's what her caused her family to almost miss the train- deciding. Danielle went to the hairdresser early, knowing that it'd take a while for her to decide on a hairstyle that'd go good with the outfit she had picked out. That time spent in the salon was worth it. Danielle's hairstyle is a very elegant, French fishtail chignon. She thought that she was going to have to fix her hair on her own when she looked through the book of hairstyles and found nothing she liked, but the hairdresser suggested doing something that wasn't in the book. Danielle was wary, but loved the result.
She took Caesar's hand and twirls, her dress spinning gracefully like her. Caesar lets go of her hand and claps like a little child watching a magician do tricks. "Your dress is beautiful!" He says when he stops with the clapping.
"Thank you." Danielle responds. Caesar takes her hand again and guides her to the chairs.
"I know I said it already, but your dress is very pretty." Caesar says again.
"Thank you. It was hard deciding what to wear, so I'm glad you like it."
"You're very welcome. Is Caiden stylish like you?"
"No, not at all. He's not a fan of dressing up, but he will when needed to." She laughs to herself. When Caiden was eight, you practically had to have six people to hold him down while one puts the suit on.
"Judging by your dress, the other members of your family must be lovely-looking, too." Caesar assumes.
"Well, I had to approve their attire, so you're right." Danielle smiles devilishly. Caesar chuckles.
"Seeing that you like fashion, what did you think of the costumes displayed in the chariot rides?"
"They were fantastic. This year's stylists are very talented."
"That is correct. Why don't we give it up for the stylists of the 61st Hunger Games!" Caesar says, and the audience does so.
When it's all quiet again, Caesar speaks. "You are definitely not unaware of how handsome your son is, and I'm sure the same goes for the ladies out there-" Caesar stops to allow many of Caiden's fans to scream. "Do you think that Caiden will find romance in the games, or after he wins?"
Luckily for Caiden and Vinera, no camera caught their lovey-dovey moment prior to the careers crossing the bridge to a section of the arena they hadn't seen. They also didn't capture the conversation Amethine and Vinera had when they were on guard. There are many cameras set up in the arena every year, but that quick kiss that the district two tributes had shared behind the huge boulder and the things the girls talked about was not recorded.
"I don't think Caiden will find romance in the games, but after the games I am very sure he will."
"And why do you think he won't find love in the games?" Caesar asks.
"Because he makes it very clear that he's here to win, and only win. If it's not on his list of things to do, then he won't do it." Danielle answers succinctly.
"Now you're sure that your son will find love after he wins. How would you feel if he was to marry not too long after his victory?"
"As long as his happy, then I'll be okay with it, but if I do not like the girl at all then it'll be a different story." Danielle clarifies.
"No one will blame you if you take action. I mean it's a mother's job to look out for her son, right? Have you and Caiden devised a strategy for his path to victory?"
"Yes, he's talked about it with both his father and I." Danielle nods.
"How would you feel if Caiden tells you one thing and does something completely opposite? In other words, what if he had a different strategy the whole time?"
"I would feel shocked and betrayed. I'd think "Why did he have to keep it from me?" I'd also be a little hurt, but I'm sure I won't hold a grudge." She smiles amicably. She was known for forgiving people for what they've done, and some would take it for granted and hurt her again, but there was some that was smart enough repeat their mistake, knowing that they might not get a second chance.
"That's understandable. Here's the last question: Would you ever be a stylist for the Hunger Games?" Caesar grins, eager for her answer.
"Yes and no." Danielle admits. Caesar motions for her to explain. "Yes, because it'd be a wonderful experience and no because I'm not very creative and I don't know if I have what it takes to make the tributes look dazzling." She explains.
"I disagree; I think you'll do well." Caesar pats her leg. She smiles and says, "Thank you." With the buzzer following.
Danielle stands up and shakes Caesar's hand. "Thank you Ms. Danielle and we wish the best of luck to your son!" Caesar waves to her as she walks away.
…
"Mom is only good at picking out clothes. Not making them." Ester leans back on the furniture.
"What makes you so sure about that?" The men turned their heads to Danielle standing in front of the door with her hands on her hips.
"Big mouth." Elton smacks the back of his brother's head. Elton always kept trash talking at a whisper or say it in room where the person isn't in.
"I don't think your girlfriend will find talking bad about your mother's skills attractive." She wags her finger. Ester turns red.
Haley is everything Ester wants in a girl: Smart, sarcastic, and is not afraid to play with the boys. She was known as the tomboy during their childhood, and still is, but doesn't dress like one. She didn't make it obvious, but you'd get the picture when you see her in a simple tanktop and skinny jeans; she wasn't much of a flamboyant, dress-obsessed gal. The two have been dating for a four months and she is great with the whole family, in fact everyone's happy that Ester didn't bring home those haughty types. What raised Ester's love for Haley was the fact that she got along with her brothers. When Elton and Caiden first met her, it wasn't awkward at all.
On the day that Ester planned for her to meet the boys, Danielle made dinner for the four of them. She and Vernon couldn't make it because they had to watch the store. They always have to watch the store since they own it. The table was set and the boys waited for their brother's girlfriend to arrive. Haley was supposed to arrive at six, but when six o'clock turned to six thirty, Ester began to fidget. Was she so nervous that she cancelled? No, she's not a coward, she wouldn't skip out just because of that. When she finally arrived, she apologized profusely and said that she was helping her cousin practice for her lacrosse game. Ester and Caiden love lacrosse, and told her not to worry about it, then they all ate and talked about sports.
"Excited for your interview, dad?" Ester tries to avert the attention away from him.
"Not really. That host freaks me the hell out." Vernon replies. Danielle and the boys laugh at him.
Elton pats him on the shoulder. "You'll do find, pops."
A stage hand appears and ushers Vernon towards the same spot that every family member had to wait before Caesar introduced them. He whistles and waits.
"Ms. Danielle is very lovely. Let's see how her husband is. Let's welcome Mr. Vernon to the stage!" Vernon steps out.
Fortis family
"I wish I can take this home with me." Linda holds the glass of champagne up to the light, making the liquid appear brighter.
"How much trouble would we be in if we did?" Reggie asks.
Linda shrugs. It was during the interview of Vinera's father that they decided to open up the bottle sitting on the corner of the table. Coming from the Capitol, Linda and Reggie fell in love with the taste at first sip. It was very smooth, with a balance of everything-spice, sweetness, and fruit. Linda has made it her goal to find anything like it at home
"I don't think it'll be a big deal." Linda says to him. It's just one bottle. They have millions being produced as we speak.
"We're taking something that's not ours. That's considered stealing." Reggie points out.
"How are you Mr. Vernon?" Linda faces the screen to watch. "Quiet; the interview is about to start." Her husband always follows the rules. No matter how bad that rule needs to be broken to have something important taken care of, he wouldn't do it. Sometimes it'd annoy her to the point where she wanted to yell, "You're not a schoolboy who will get put in the corner if you disobey!" But then again, Snow would do so much more than just put you in the corner.
"Why are you so interested in watching his interview?" Reggie asks, trying to keep his tone serious so she wouldn't sense that he's joking.
"Oh Reggie, I only have eyes for you." She pecked him on the cheek.
"Me too. I only have eyes for you…and Mrs. Yerdent." He snickered. Linda laughs and smacks his arm. "Mrs. Yerdent is two decades older than you." She couldn't stop laughing.
Reggie rubs her back when she leans forward and holds her stomach. He likes making her laugh because it takes her attention away from the stress she has with Evan being in the games. Seeing her laugh didn't make him stop, too. The image of her laughing uncontrollably in a classy dress and her hair all nicely done up is funny. She opens her eyes and wipes a tear away. When her laughing stops, she hears the audience laughing, too. They're laughing at something either Caesar or the man he's interviewing said.
"Let's watch now." She lightly slaps his knee.
"When he told me that he didn't know how to box, he really meant it." Vernon tells Caesar, laughing a little himself.
"What did you do when he knocked out?"
"I got on my knees and checked if it left a mark, ofcourse."
"And did he have a bruise?" Caesar asks.
"No."
"Did you try to wake him up?"
"I knew he was fine." Vernon recalls.
"Then what did you do while he was unconscious?"
"Laughed my head off." Vernon grins. The audience bursts into laugher.
Caesar laughs, too. "Did Ester get punished?"
"No, I know he didn't mean it. I just got mad at him for not being easy on him, especially since he was a beginner."
"I bet you all love to make fun of Caiden for that." Caesar claims.
"Yes we do. We always mention it when he brags about his muscles. One time he was flexing it, teasing me about how his are way bigger than mine when I was his age and Ester said, "Where were those muscles when I knocked you unconscious in boxing?" Vernon chuckles.
"Looks like you have a humorous family."
"We do share a lot of laughs together, but we are also very serious. We may joke around and tease each other, but we always pay close attention to what needs to be done and do it right." He clarifies.
District 2 is known for their stonework and the individuals are known to be strong- both physically and mentally. The district produces the most vicious careers of the Hunger Games and most of the time they're the strongest careers among the alliance. When you see a family from district two laughing and being silly, you get confused. Aren't they supposed to be mean and obnoxious? Does this mean that they're soft and not tough as we though they are? Don't let Vernon's family fool you. They are as serious about the Hunger Games as an eager eighteen year old is about participating in them.
Both the men and women of Vernon's family are overachievers. You're learning about rocks in school and you're homework is to bring in three rocks. The typical student would do just that- come in with three rocks and that's it. If you were Vernon or anyone else in the bloodline, you'd bring a basket full of them, each being a different type. He always hoped that his children would be overachievers. The praise you get for going above and beyond made you feel on top of the world and Vernon loved it, and he wants his boys to experience the feeling.
"A serious family who knows how to laugh at times? I'd say that's a good mix. After winning, what do you hope will become of Caiden?"
"I hope that after his victory he'll continue taking care of his body. He shouldn't stop there; he should take care of his mind as well. Your intelligence can be a lethal weapon if you use it right." He presses his fingers together and moves around in his chair until he's in a comfortable position.
"I know you're son is making you proud and you think he's the best in the career alliance, but besides him who in the career alliance leaves you impressed?"
"The boy from district four."
"Sebastian." Caesar nods, understanding. "Why him?"
"Has a similar build to Caiden, I'm sure he won't go down easily." He enlightens.
"We'll just have to wait and see, right? Only time will tell."
"Yes, yes it will."
Fortis family
"He shouldn't be worried about Sebastian. Evan is the one he needs to look out for, right hun?" Reggie turns to Linda for conformity.
Instead she just keeps her eyes on the screen in front of them, pretending that she didn't hear him. She doesn't want to think about her son killing someone else – most importantly, someone who was in the same alliance as him. She saw him in action in the bloodbath, and it took everything strength she had in her to not break down. Her boy, her only child who had a kind heart and respected his parents was stabbing other children and watching their lifeless body fall to the ground.
Reggie shifts uncomfortably in his place. He didn't mean to make things awkward. He just wanted to give her some hope and assure her that Evan is strong, and he'll come out alive. Reggie rubs his wife's arm, then goes back to watching the interview.
"How does it feel like having no girls in the family?"
"Having no girls is alright with me. The day I found out that Danielle was pregnant; I didn't really care about the gender. I was happy with whatever she bore. I'd like to see how it'd be like to have a daughter in a house full of boys."
"How do you think things will be if you had all girls instead?" Caesar questions.
"I think you'll have to be on guard all the time. Parents will be very overprotective of their daughter mostly and I'd be the same if I had one. Especially with dating- I'd make sure that the guy is better than Prince Charming himself." Vernon says in a very serious tone.
"But with boys, it's very different."
"Very different." Vernon nods.
"Earlier we asked the father of the female tribute how different it'd be to raise a female career and what he said didn't go well with the ladies in the crowd."
"I remember that. They weren't happy. Glad it didn't happen to me."
"I am too. Never underestimate the power of woman, an extremely mad one at that." Caesar shakes his head.
"Oh yeah." The signal of Vernon's interview being over is heard and Caesar thanks him. Vernon walks back to his lounge.
"Why did Caesar have to ask that? Now mom is going to want a baby girl." Ester whines.
"Oh, shut your trap, boy. Do you want me to go far as to tell Haley about embarrassing childhood moments?" Danielle asks.
"No." Ester says, defeated.
Your mother is the only female in your life that knows you better than anyone else. This applies to the ones that spend time with their children and actually pay attention to them. The ones that don't cause them to take the wrong path. It'd be stupid to say that about a mom who always gets drunk and barely knows where her child is.
Danielle is that mother that keeps a close eye on her children, but also gives them space to breathe. With Vernon's family being full of overachievers, it rubbed off on her. Any grade below a B was not acceptable and both Danielle and Vernon would hire a tutor to help them improve. It was worth the money to have your son be a genus and it was obvious that money is not a problem to them. They own a weapon shop and what makes them the best is the type of stone they use for their blades. Soft surface, but very dangerous. The stone is very expensive. Vernon and Danielle assigned their long time employee, Joshua, to take care of things while they go to the Capitol to get interviewed.
"After the parents are interviewed, it doesn't matter who gets interviewed next, right?" Ester asks anyone who is willing to answer.
"Yes." Vernon says as he closes the door.
"Sweet! I'm up next." Ester gets up, only to get pushed down by Elton. "No you're not. I am." He states calmly.
Ester looks up and scowls. "But I want to go first."
"Come one, Ester. I just want to get this over with." Elton replies.
"Ester just let him go." Danielle chimes in.
"Fine. They saved the best for last." Ester crosses his arms.
Elton just rolls his eyes at his brother's immaturity. They're the complete opposite of each other. Ester can talk forever if you let him, whereas Elton is not one to spark a conversation. He'll talk to you if you say something first, but don't expect him to say much.
Elton walks out of the room, not knowing where to go until he walks into the same lady that took his dad when it was his turn. She leads him to the same spot she brought Vernon to. Elton looks around backstage. There are plenty red doors around, each being a lounge for a family. The stage hands are wearing the same thing; the girls a plain black dress that falls three inches below their knees and has shirt sleeves and the boys a black long sleeve shirt with matching slacks. Being in a gray suit makes Elton feel like a fish out of water among the sea of black.
They look so calm going about their business and taking care of things when inside they're really freaking out. Two of them, a boy and girl, are looking at a touch screen board. The girl is going over everything and reminding the boy of the important things. The boy nods and says he's got it. All of them are wearing ear pieces and talk into the watch on their wrists, where the mic must be. Backstage is well-lit and all Elton is thinking about is answering all of Caesar's questions and joining his family.
"My next guest is a sibling of Caiden's- the oldest one. Come on out, Elton!" Caesar holds his hand up and faces it to where Elton will be walking out.
Elton strides out with calm expression. He didn't look happy or mad, but something in between. He gives Caesar a nod and shakes his hand.
"We all enjoyed those memories your father shared with us. Do you have any yourself?" Caesar puts his left leg over his right, making his shoe rest on the opposite thigh.
"No, sorry. They're not quite clear. You can ask my brother Ester, though. I'm sure he can tell you about some. Actually, he'll tell you everything. He won't shut up the minute he sits down."
Caesar laughs. "He's a chatter box?"
"More like a chatter chest." Elton says in a low voice. Laughter comes from the audience.
"If that's the case then I don't think Ester will be happy with the fact that his interview has a time limit."
"Uh-huh" Elton concurs.
"Did you help Caiden prepare for the games?" Caesar jumps into another subject.
"Yeah, I made him get up early in the morning and jog. I jogged with him and took him to the gym to keep his muscles in shape."
"That sounds helpful. Do you guys like working out?"
"Yes we do. We always go to the gym whenever we have time. It's fun and it helps you." Ofcourse Elton had the best muscles. Ester would ignore this and brag to Haley that he's got the biggest, but Haley isn't stupid. They all know that Elton works out a lot. He has to if he wants to be a good Peacekeeper.
"I can tell you work out a lot, and I don't mean to brag, but mine are natural." Caesar flexes his arm.
Elton leans forward. "I don't see anything."
The audience laughs. "Well, that's because of this suit. I don't want to take time away from your interview just to display my guns." Caesar says jokingly. Again, the audience laughs, but more loud. They're sure that underneath that expensive suit is just a plain arm. Not a buff, intimidating one.
"That's enough of my manly arms and back to you. I bet your muscle tone reels the ladies in." The host waggles his eyebrows.
"Yeah, it does, but I'm not really interested in starting a relationship."
Elton thinks that love isn't really important. Seeing Haley and Ester made him see that it does feel nice to have that special someone, but it's not a big deal to him. He's not hunting for that one girl that can bring the emotions out of him, and he thinks that love will find him whenever it wants to and Elton doesn't mind.
"Why is that?" Caesar asks out of pure curiosity. He's got all the looks and although he doesn't say a lot, he does seem nice. It doesn't look that hard to find a girl.
"It's not on my "Important Things to Do" list." He shrugs.
"Okay, well, I hope that when you do find that girl you'll both be very happy." Caesar says. Elton nods in appreciation. "How about your brothers? Do they have a gal?"
"Ester does, and Caiden doesn't because my parents don't allow him too. They think it'll distract him from preparing for the games." Caesar's head bobs up and down, listening.
"No one blames them. He needs all the time he can get. Now, when it comes to you, or your brothers dating, do you all have to approve of the girl?"
"Yes. I want my brothers to be happy and if the girl doesn't make him happy, then I don't like her." Elton admits.
"Aww, that's sweet." Caesar puts both his hands over his heart.
"Whatever." Elton shakes his head.
"I'm just playing around." Caesar pats him on the back.
Buzz. Elton is the first to get up from his chair.
"Thank you, Elton!" Caesar firmly shakes his hand. Elton nods. "Yeah, no problem."
Glad that's over. Elton enters backstage and expects a stage hand to come out of the blue to take him back to his family's lounge.
"Follow me, sir." The stage hand is a female, no difference from the other stage hands that helped his parents find their way. She's a little short; her head is so close to touching the tip of Elton's shoulder. Elton is 5'10 and the stage walking in front of him is probably about 5'7 or 5'6. Her hair is tied into a perfect bun just like the other female stage hands.
Once he walks into the lounge, Ester is already walking towards him. "What a lame interview. Very boring, I must say." He teases, making a sad face.
"But I liked that "I don't like any girl that doesn't break my brother's happy meter' thing. I was close to tears." He adds.
"Whatever, I don't care if it was lame." Elton just brushes him away, his cool demeanor leaves Ester feeling beaten.
"Well, whatever Mr. Lame-O. I'll show you how a smooth interview goes." He brushes off imaginary dirt off of his suit. "Mom, dad, this is for you." He points to them before walking out.
Danielle slaps her hand against her heads and leaves her palms flat against the skin.
"Let's pray he doesn't make a fool of himself."
"Do you guys get paid a lot?" Ester asks the stage hand.
"The pay is decent." Her Capitol accent is strong, hinting that she may have lived here all her life.
"Do you have to go to some kind of school to do this?"
"Yes."
"So-"
"That's all I can tell you. Sorry, but I signed a contract, and you stay and wait here for Caesar to introduce you, got it?" She asked, sounding annoyed.
Ester nods. She leaves to tend to something else now that Ester is where he needs to be.
I hope I don't have to wait long.
"Another sibling of Caiden's is out here tonight. He's the middle child and like his oldest brother said, is a chatter chest. I'm sure he'll have lots to say so let's bring him out!" Caesar says to the audience, who gets enthuse.
I'm not a chatter chest. Why did Elton have to say that? I'll get back at him by pulling off a prank that'll surely piss him off.
Happy that he didn't have to wait long, Ester jogs out and gives Caesar a high five instead of shaking his head. He waves at the crowd who claps for him. They're sure that he won't be a bore.
"You are very excited about this interview, huh?" Caesar asks him when they both take their seats.
Ester nods eagerly. He looks into the camera to his left and says, "Watch and learn, Elton. Watch and learn."
Caesar chuckles and there is soft laughter emerging from the audience. "Is there a competition to see who has the best interview?"
"No, I just thought that Elton's interview was lame. He didn't talk much, and if there was a competition, I'd win easily." Ester brags.
"He doesn't talk much and from what he's told me, you're a chatter chest. Feels like you're exact opposites." Caesar says.
"Yeah, I guess we are. I'm talkative and awesome and Elton is not talkative and lame." Ester says with a proud smile. The audience laughs again.
"Do you like to make fun of him?"
"Sometimes. If I tease him all the time, I'll end up with a broken arm."
"Do you fight with all of your siblings a lot?"
"Yeah, we fight, but it's not all the time. Sometimes it can be for dumb reasons." One time Ester and Caiden ended up wrestling on the ground just for the last chocolate cookie their mom made. Vernon walked in and stopped them, told them to stop being immature, then took the cookie for himself and smiled at the boys before walking back to his room.
"If Caiden wins, will you move into his new home in Victor's village?" Caesar expects a humorous answer, and what Ester says next proves his prediction correct.
"Yes! I'm so excited thinking about it now. I've never been in one before. I think it'd make a great party house. Maybe I should start planning. How many bathrooms are inside?" Ester asks Caesar, thinking that he may have seen what it's like in a Victor's house.
"I myself have not stepped in a house of a victor. I'd love to see, though."
Being the Hunger Games host is a fun job for Caesar. You get to see what's on the tribute's minds –that's if they're really open- and talk to famous people. Caesar has interviewed more than five hundred tributes throughout his entire career. All he had to do was ask questions, the important ones that even the audience wants to ask themselves. But sometimes it all seemed crazy to Caesar when you interview a tribute one night and get to know a little bit about them, and then you never speak or see them again after the games. It really depends on the tribute and what skills they have and how fit and smart they are, and if they don't have much, then there's a slim chance that Caesar will hear from them again.
"I bet a hundred people can fit inside. You know what I think?"
"What do you think?" Caesar agrees to hear it.
"Everything inside is made up of gold." Ester nods to himself, feeling confident about what he said. The audience is howling with laughter. He looks so convinced that he's right and he's probably got more predictions.
Caesar takes some time before asking the next question. What Ester said got him laughing a lot as well. "I don't know about that, but you'll see. When Caiden comes out of the Hunger Games, will you show him off to all your friends and brag?"
"You bet I will. It'll be cool to walk around saying, 'My little brother just won the Hunger Games!' I bet a lot of people will want to hang out with me." He relaxes his arms on the chair.
"I can see that you're getting very excited. I don't blame you; I'd be so too. When asking Elton if he had a girlfriend, he said he didn't, but he did mention that you have one. Let's talk about that." Caesar suggests.
"Okay."
"How did you meet your girlfriend?"
That day was a day to remember for the both of them. 'How are they together?' is what most people would ask. He's a boy who loves to talk and she barely talks, but when she does, it's something sarcastic. They balance each other out, that's how they work. From being with Ester, Haley has learned to be a little less rude and from being with Haley, Ester brings the talking down a notch, but according to Elton it's not enough.
His mom wouldn't stop bothering him about looking for a job, and when he asked to work for her, she wasn't so sure. Ester is lazy. If he's not playing sports outside or hanging out with friends or Haley, he'll be sleeping. Danielle would always get mad at him for appearing to be energetic when it comes to playing around, but it's the opposite when it comes to working. "You play hard, but you don't work hard." she'd always say.
It was the weekend and Ester threw a party at his house while his parents decided to spend their day off with just the two of them. Vernon took Danielle to lunch, went shopping with her, and took a walk around the park. Elton didn't want anything to do with party because he knew that his mother would not be happy and Caiden trained for the most of the day. The party started in an early afternoon and ended late at night, which was the same time Vernon and Danielle came home. Both had a great day and were happy with how things went, but everything changed when they walked into their messy, bottle and cup-covered house. By the time the party was over, Ester was already drunk.
Danielle didn't throw a fit, knowing that the cause of her anger was already passed out on the living room floor. She cleaned the place up with Vernon's help and the next morning she let it all out on Ester. The minute he woke up she told him that she needed to talk to him and that needs to shower and eat first. When he's done with all of that, that's when the yelling came. Danielle made it clear that she was tired of watching him do nothing with his life and emphasized that if he didn't start looking for jobs, he won't get to stay in her house any longer. Ester had never seen his mom so pissed off and knew that she was serious. Waiting until she was done, he asked if he could work at her and Vernon's shop.
She didn't want him to have it the easy way and had the idea that if knew that he was working for his parents, he wouldn't really care, but he was her son and he needed help. She figured it may give him a good start. After thinking about it, she said yes. His first day at work didn't go as planned. The cash register that he parents just upgraded was very confusing for him and costumers weren't happy with waiting long. He assured Danielle and Vernon that he had everything under control and Danielle said that she'd check on him in lunch. Then Haley walked in with her cousin, who developed a sudden fascination with knife throwing. She could've trained at the academy, but she had no desire to be in the Hunger Games. Haley promised to buy her whatever throwing knife she wanted and she picked out a set of small ones.
Just like the previous ones, Haley and her cousin had to wait until Ester figured out how the cash register worked. You'd think he'd have figured everything out by now, but he didn't. Haley didn't hide her annoyance and kept telling Ester that they had some place else they needed to be at soon. While he was trying to work with the register, she left sarcastic remarks left and right and when he finally got their money in and handed them their change there was no 'thank you'. Haley took the money from his hands, said 'finally' and walked out, her cousin right behind her. Despite her being a real big bitch there was something about her that had drawn him in and he just had to know her name.
"I was manning the cash register at my parent's shop and she came to buy something. The problem was that the cash register was giving me a hard time and she wasn't too happy about that. She made these little comments and after the thing started to work with me and I punched her money in, I said, 'Who is that?'"
"And what were your responses to those comments?"
"I kept it cool. With me being a flirt, I tried to calm her down with some of my famous smooth talk, but it didn't work." Ester lets his head hand down. A smile starts to break out on his face and he brings he head back up. "But now we're dating and it's going great." He flashes a smile that shows his teeth off.
Caesar chuckles. "Yes you are, and it looks like everything is going great."
"Yes, they are." Ester nods in agreement.
Buzz. Ester's interview is over. "The time went by so fast." Ester says as he stands.
"Before he leaves, let's give him one more round of applause, everybody!" Caesar exclaims. The audience claps and Ester heads for backstage.
Please tell me what you think. I'm sorry that it took long to post, and I hope that I didn't lose any of you. I'm also sorry for any mistakes. I wanted to post this chapter up A.S.A.P because you guys have waited long enough. I love you all and thanks for reading!