The Sixty-Eighth Hunger Games

Chapter 5- ADDIE

After getting about seven hours of sleep (much less than any human can function on, in my opinion), I am woken up by Finnick.

"Rise and shine, Ads!"

"Ugh." I pull my blanket over my head.

"Thirty minutes until the Capitol," Finnick calls as he leaves the room, leaving me to get ready.

I force myself to get up before I fall back asleep and attempt to fix myself. I yank a hairbrush through my mess of hair, and throw on a new pair of leggings and another tee shirt. Heading out to the dining car, I see everyone else has beat me there and are already eating.

"Girl, you're gonna have to figure out how to get your bloody rear end outta bed quicker if you wanna make it in the Games," Jon says through a mouthful of food.

"Pshhh," I say. "I was tired, okay?"

I grab what looks like a colored pile of snow slush in a cup and a piece of toast. The snow, which I'm told is called a "smoothie," tastes fruity and sweet, and I go back for another helping.

While I sip my smoothie, we talk about the upcoming events.

"When we get to the platform, I need you two to wave and smile." Vim reminds me of the penguins from another old movie my mom snuck home. I remember the scene vividly. "Just smile and wave, boys, smile and wave." I smile as I picture Vim as a very short penguin with locs.

"And, Addie, you gotta do something with that hair. This is the first time the Capitol people will see you in person, and we need to get you sponsors." I nod as Vim continues going on about sponsors. The gist of it is that James and I aren't going to be seen as likely winners, which is most definitely true, so we need to win people over in other ways.

After Vim deems my hair satisfactory, we stand in front of the doors as we pull into the station. I can already hear the crowd outside, eager to see the new tributes. I take a deep breath, glancing down at James, and then the doors roll open.

Vim steps out in front of us, waving at the crowd, and I get a glimpse of them as we follow him out of the car. The crowd screams as they push and shove each other, trying to get a better look at us. Some kind of Capitol law enforcement, not Peacekeepers, surprisingly, holds them back. Once I get over my shock at this many people, I do my best to put on a smile and wave at various people in the crowd.

James leans over and whispers to me, "This is crazy," as the Peacekeepers-but-not-Peacekeepers clear a path through the brightly-attired people, and we walk between the ropes, Vim leading the way. Some people in the crowd reach out and try to touch us, and I try to avoid cringing. I can see dozens of cameras pointed our way, though I'm sure that there are some I can't see.

Once we pile into the long car, a few people push past the law enforcers and rush over to the car. They press their hands and faces against the windows, blocking out some of the sunlight. James looks around bewildered, but Finnick and the other mentors look as though they're used to this chaos. I, on the other hand, am leaning towards James' side. I hate this enclosed feeling, and I can feel my fake smile start to fade from my face.

I glance over at Finnick, and he gives me a nod, mouthing: Go for it. I remember what Vim said about needing to win over sponsors. I wonder if anyone in this crowd would donate to me. I doubt it... but maybe... Not necessarily wanting to, I blow a kiss at the people crushed against my window, and they scream in response. Honestly, they're like some crazy fangirls. The driver honks at the Capitol citizens in our way, and after they move, he pulls away, me still waving as we drive past.

The crowd follows us, and it takes our little procession a solid hour to reach our new home: the Training Center. We are ushered inside, and Mags takes my hand in her fragile one, pulling me along behind her with a strength greater than what I would have expected. She escorts me to a room on the second floor, where a monstrously large sign on the wall names this place as the "Remake Center."