At eight o'clock am, Prim and Rue joined twenty-eight other students in the biology department for Biology lab. The students sat at metal tables in the center of the room. Counters were along three walls covered with bins, tubs of water, glass habitats, and clusters of microscopes. Some animals such as the fish in the tubs of water, and crickets in a small glass bowl with air-holes poked in the cover audibly made their presence known.,"Welcome to Biology Lab. I'm Atala Miller, your teaching assistant. Today we're just working on understanding the classification system for organisms." She explained the stations that ranged from a cluster of microscopes to look at algae and other one-celled organisms to shallow tanks of water containing starfish, sea urchins, or small fish. Several glass cases contained habitats for insects and other bugs. "The number on your desk that you share with your lab partner is the number of the station where you will begin."
"Yeah. It has little suction cups inside the legs –" Prim began before she spotted something black and moving on her lab manual. Turning around, she screamed as a six-inch long millipede crawled toward her.
"MILLIPEDE!" Rue yelped picking up her biology book to smash it.
"DON'T HURT THE ORGANISMS!" Atala yelped.
"Oh – sorry, ma'am, I just get used to killing bugs on the farm – wait –" Rue looked over at Marvel and one of his friends who were snorting down laughter. "Marvel, you took that bug out of its cage!"
"This is a reminder to gently handle our organisms, and to not take them from their environments." Scowling at the chuckling boys, Atala snapped on purple latex gloves before coaxing the millipede into her palms to gently place it in its habitat.
The rest of biology lab passed uneventfully. At noon, Rue and Prim went to their US Government class. "Hello, everyone, I see my pre-law students are looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this noon hour!" The professor observed smiling at the class. "I'm Professor Heavensbee, and I will try not to drone excessively for those of you who do not wish to pursue a career in law or bureaucracy." Running a plump hand through his blonde hair, his eyes sparkled. "As you all are now of voting age, I shall, of course, make this class as practical as I can."
"Well, our second day isn't going too bad." Prim observed as she and Rue ate lunch in the dining hall of their dorm.
"I wonder why Marvel is in Biology with us. He's at least a junior."
"Change of major." The girls turned around to see Cato holding his tray laden with two patty-melts, a plate of heaping fries, and another plate of onion rings. "He wants to be a botanist because Glim likes flowers."
"What's your major?" Rue asked as Cato caused a small earthquake by plopping into one of the plastic chairs next to the girls.
"Econ. I think." Cato replied around a large bite of his lunch.
"You think?" Prim asked. "Kat said Peeta told her you were studying liberal arts." In response, Cato shrugged. "Well, I guess you can be frat president as long as you're in school, I guess." After receiving a grunt of assent, Prim turned to a more stimulating conversation partner.
"We just have aerobics after lunch. That's why I'm eating kinda light." Rue explained as Prim eyed her salad.
"And that's why I'm eating two cookies!" Shaking her head at her roommate, Rue rolled her eyes.
"Girl, you do not need to worry about eating too many cookies."
"Neither do you." Prim replied as the two girls shared giggles. They prudently left fifteen minutes for their food to digest before they met in the Panem Athletic Arena which was a complex consisting of a basket-ball / volleyball arena which also served as the staging area for graduations, a work-out facility for faculty, a pool for students on the swim team or in swim clubs, and various smaller gyms where classes such as aerobics, dance, or weightlifting were taught. Signs posted in the hallways directed them to the women's locker room where they changed and put their belongings in long lockers. They went to Gymnasium A131. Looking around the class, Prim observed 15 of the 25 students were girls.
"Hellooooooooo, Intro to Aerobics students!" A loud eager voice called as the doors opened revealing a tanned toned young grad student walked into the room.
"OH MY GOD, IT'S FINNICK ODAIR!" Rue squealed before her blush quickly crept through her caramel skin.
"Yes, I get that reaction occasionally." Finnick said as the room burst out laughing. "You might've seen me around teaching Zumba classes. I'm actually a junior grad student, but I just tell everyone I'm a junior so I don't feel old." Everyone laughed. "Ok, we'll start with proper stretching technique…"
At the end of class, Rue and Prim left gasping and flushed in the face. "I think aerobics will really work us out." Prim gasped.
"Um, that's the point." Rue pointed out before they headed back to their dorm to shower and change.
The rest of their first week passed by uneventfully. After Monday and Tuesday, their reading loads increased as they were expected to read the chapters before lecture. They began working on their lab assignments for the upcoming weeks and Effie had assigned them a short essay on their first impressions of Panem University. She tweaked the lesson for the older students to write about the changes they saw in the school and in themselves as compared to earlier years.
"So, will you write about Finnick Odair in Trinket's essay?" Prim asked slyly from her desk watching Rue work on an outline on her laptop at her desk on Thursday evening.
"Prim!" Rue squealed watching her roommate giggle. " Whatever you do, don't tell Thresh!"
"Don't tell me what?" Thresh asked at the door. Many students in the dorms kept their doors propped open when they were studying or relaxing in their dorm rooms.
"Um –" Rue began.
"Rue has a crush on Finnick Odair!"
"I DO NOT!" Prim giggled watching Rue stammer an explanation.
"You know he's taken, right?" Rue nodded. "Maybe you'll snag a grad student and be part of the second most famous professor-student relationship at Panem University. You guys take physics this year?"
"Yeah, and we know about Professor Wright and his grad student." Prim pointed out.
"Well, I came to let you two know on Saturday, the football team is playing a scrimmage at Foothills Stadium. I can take both of you. It's off campus near the foothills."
"Ok." Rue agreed. "Prim?"
"Sure." Prim said. Her phone buzzed. "And my sister and co. are coming too."
"Ok. See ya Saturday if not before then." Thresh called as he walked down the hallway. Exchanging glances, the girls smiled.
"Cool! We have stuff to do this weekend!" Rue cheered.
"Yeah, luckily I got some homework done during the week." Prim commented looking at her planner.
"Premed nerd!" Rue chuckled before dodging a familiar yellow pillow. They were excited to see everyone and tell them about their first week as college students.