Author's Note: I'm back! And I won NaNoWriMo, too. Also, I've started a blog for my original work (and some fanfiction). The link is on my profile.
Fun Fact of the Chapter: How the Escorts Got Their Names, Parts IV and V. Apparently, no one bothered to give the District Four escort a name. Also, the District Five escort, Thesaura Dictionaria, is rather self-explanatory.
…..
Luka Saroque, District One
If I had a shorter temper than I have now, I would be strangling my dear district partner for her incessant babbling and fretting over what training score she's going to get. Honestly.
"Em, calm down," says Spark, gesturing to the TV screen. "They're just about starting."
I flop down onto the couch and roll my eyes. I know for a fact that I stood out among the competition, so there's really nothing for me to worry about. I have the advantage in this arena. Unlike a certain District One girl I could mention.
Mercutio Templesmith, the young new announcer for the Games, starts off with a friendly hello and a reminder that this is "the 191st Hunger Games Training Score Announcements!" As if anybody could forget.
First up is Emily. They show a picture of her headshot and a little bar with statistics on it rolls out below the picture. "Emily Raine, with victory in her bloodline, has scored a 6!" chirps Mercutio. Beside me, my district partner buries her head in one of the pillows on the couch while Spark strokes her hair and murmurs things like, "It's gonna be okay, you'll do great, that's better than most of the competitors out there. I myself only got a 7."
Next up is me. I'm curious to know what the Gamemakers thought of me, even though it probably won't be affecting my game plan. "Luka Saroque, District One's pride and joy, has scored an 11."
District One's pride and joy. What an interesting tagline.
"There's my boy!" Ivan roars, laughing a little all while glaring at Spark. Emily's uncle offers me a cold congratulations, which I accept with a smirk. This eleven will give me luxuries like sponsors. As well as the added pressure of everyone trying to eliminate me, of course, but I can take them on. The only one I'd be worried about would be Emerald, and she and I have already made a deal.
Speaking of my rather shrewd ally, her score is up next. "Emerald Honeycomb, eager young challenger, has scored a 7!" Eager young challenger. She totally underperformed for the Gamemakers. And it worked. Good for her.
Powerhouse of District Two Marius scores a 10—natural, for someone of his size and strength. Next up are the Threes, whom nobody really is supposed to pay attention to. I still keep a note of them in the back of my mind, just in case: the girl scores a 6, not bad for a usually weak district, and the boy gets-
A 9? How the hell did that happen?
The mentors start murmuring in the back of the room, mostly things like "better watch out for that boy." Emily lets out another little sob and I sigh. Whatever that kid managed to do to earn that score, we're going to get him in the bloodbath. Just wait and see.
Carreen's up next, and she manages to tie Marius's score of 10. The next Poseidon of the Games Gabriel scores a 8. Inwardly I laugh, not at the score but at the tagline. The next Poseidon of the Games. We all remember who the first Poseidon was—that traitor Finnick Odair.
This new Mercutio guy is really not good at announcing at all. He'll probably be replaced by the end of these Games.
Girl Five, nicknamed "The Runner," gets a 5 and her partner a 6. The pathetic, weak "sweetheart" from Six scores another 5 and her district partner an 8.
In the back of the room, I can hear Spark and Ivan's conversation growing increasingly louder and more like an argument. I catch phrases like "Too many high scores, it's not natural!" and "This is ridiculous. You just don't want your precious little niece to end up on the edge of a sword for what you did!" Emily, who probably only heard "niece on the edge of a sword," runs out of the room, crying.
Serves her right.
…..
Thalia Trinket, District Three
The mentors and escorts are crowding around Link, clamoring for information about how his score beat out half of the Careers'. He murmurs something about odds and training and his dad, but they seem to want even more. "Please!" begs Octavia. "Now I actually have a chance at parties! I can tell them about you and your tragic story of overcoming your crippled-ness and your district to win the Games! I just need details! Details! Details!"
I sit back and sigh, looking at the screen. Since Link is busy, I should probably be taking notice of the other competitors.
District Seven is up next. My mind drifts back to the plans that I created for wood-chopping machines. Just mechanize every step of the process. Use the chainsaws we make for you that the Capitol always buys out! I shake my head and snap back to reality. Focus, Thalia. Focus.
Briana, the girl from Seven, scores an 11, tying with the boy from One. Wow. Not only do tributes from non-Career districts usually not get high scores, but there has never to my knowledge been a Games where there have been two tributes that scored 11s. I glance over at the rest of my district's "team." Octavia is still fawning over Link, but the rest of them have turned their attention to the mysterious Seven girl.
Her district partner scores a 6, quite predictably for his size. The girl from Eight receives a 6, too. I talked to her in the elevator after training. Well, more like she talked to me. Tried to draft Link and me into her alliance—I told them I'd have to check with Link. So far I haven't asked him. I really should...
The boy from Eight, Yon, scores a 9, like Link. That strikes me as odd. He just seemed so dull all of the time. Either he's trying to hide his strengths, or the Gamemakers are up to something.
Now that it's come up, I can't stop thinking about it. I run over the scores in my head. 6, 11, 7, 10, 6, 9... No tribute so far has scored below a 5.
The girl from Nine gets an 8, and her partner yet another 5. Chantelle from Ten also gets an 8; the blind boy, Anderson, a 2. Okay, so much for no one being below 5.
6, 11, 7, 10, 6, 9. 10, 8, 5, 6, 5, 8. There has to be some kind of pattern.
Both from Eleven score 7s.
11, 6, 6, 9, 8, 5. Something's not right here.
Another 7 is given to the girl from Twelve, while the boy from her district, Kirby, gets a 5.
8, 2, 7, 7, 7, 5. Two 11s. Two 10s. Two 9s. Four 8s. Four 7s. Five 6s. Four 5s. One 2. Something's not right. Something's wrong.
These Games are not normal.