Outlaster- A Hunger Games Tale

Chapter 10- Ready or Not

Ximena and Haliey woke up early in the morning and were immediately rushed out the door. They didn't get much time to talk before the arena.

Prior to their lives being put at risk (not that they hadn't been at risk when they were chosen in the Reaping), Ximena had begun trembling. They would do anything for the safety of Haliey. Ximena managed to find their girlfriend and quickly push her into a closet with them, shutting the door quietly.

"We need an alliance," Ximena said urgently, moving the coat out of their face.

"Alaya - she's perfect." Haliey put a hand on Ximena's shoulder. She could tell they were anxious.

"Maybe, but didn't she tell us her mentor forced her to stay with Max?" They touched Haliey's hand with their own shaking one.

"Then Jean, maybe? She can shred on the bow." Haliey thought harder. She was as nervous as Ximena - she was just better at hiding it.

"Well, we could make a pact with Alaya that we ally together but don't walk near each other," Ximena suggested.

"That's perfect," Haliey said, smiling. "Hey, what about that District 2 kid, Diego?"

"He got a 10, so he must be suitable. Maybe we can talk to him." Ximena glanced at the ground, lost in thought.

"Yeah, so long as he doesn't try to kill us first," Haliey giggled. Ximena leaned into their girlfriend and they shared one last kiss before the door slammed open and they were rushed out.

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Rian walked out of her room, a bit nervous. She was going to be in the arena in two hours or so.

She hopped onto the couch with an angered sigh and started to pick at her nails. Ryan came out a few minutes later and grabbed some food from the kitchen. When he'd collected what he needed, he silently went back to his room. Neither of them were ready, and they both had everything to lose.

Ryan sat down in a chair in his room and started munching on a buttered croissant. He stared at his locket forlornly. Pinching it open revealed a picture - one he'd seen many times, but would probably never see the source of again. A tear fell from his face as he closed it. He glanced over to the window, then at the door as it opened.

"Are you ready?" His mentor came in, ready to go.

"No." Ryan looked up as his mentor led him out of the room. As District 3 made their way to the aircraft that would take them to the arena, Ryan looked around at the outside world for the last time.

"Goodbye."

And with that, everything grew silent.

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"C'mon, let's go!" Alaya said to Maxtess, who was taking his sweet time.

"I didn't know you were in such a rush to die." Max rolled his eyes and grabbed a bowl of cereal.

"Oh come on, dummy, just eat a roll and let's get up and go," Alaya retorted, throwing a piece of bread at his face.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm trying to not starve to death before I even get into the arena. Can you chill? What's your problem, anyway?" Max grabbed the bread Alaya had thrown and tossed it onto the counter.

"I'm just..." Alaya sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Just anxious, I guess."

"You're anxious in a room with infinite food and room service?" Maxtess's mouth dropped.

"Nevermind." She plopped down on the nearby couch and turned on the TV. After a few more moments, their mentor barged in and practically dragged them out the door.

"Ready?" Max asked Alaya.

"Not really," she replied as they walked away from the room.

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Q'uira opened the door of her room and walked out. She was dressed and ready for the games. Her hand started shaking as she reached for a glass of water. She took a sip, almost spilling the liquid, and sat down. Jay walked out of his own room and sat next to her. He put his hand on her shoulder gently.

"You okay?" Jay's tone was sincere.

"I'm just... frustrated," Q'uira sighed.

"Why is that?" he asked.

"I was just thinking... Why me? Why can't I live my life without worry? Why can't I grow old with a family - why can't I be happy?" Q'uira was crying at this point. She buried her face in her hands.

"Hey, hey, it's going to be okay. You could win," Jay comforted her, giving her a hug. She leaned into him, still covering her face.

"No. I can't. If I win, I will never be the same. I would be expected to live in guilt, and that would be my demise. I can't win - even if I had a shot, it's so... wrong." Q'uira brushed away her tears, but more kept coming..

"Hello, my shining stars! Let's go, the hovercraft awaits," their mentor called, walking into the room. They seemed not to notice they'd interrupted something.

Jay looked at Q'uira, whose eyes showed she'd been dreading this very moment. They leaned in and gave each other one last hug.

"Let's go," Q'uira said as more tears streamed down her face.

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Reva walked over to the kitchen to collect a tray of food. Jean was sitting, reading a magazine at the table. She wasn't hungry - she never was before a big event. Reva began to skip over to sit down, but tripped, dumping her cereal on the floor.

"You klutz-" Jean stopped in the middle of her sentence, seemingly rethinking her words. After a moment, she got up and leaned down to pick the fallen bowl up. She handed the object back to Reva, who rushed to the kitchen to dispose of the dropped food.

"Thanks," they said cheerfully.

"Whatever." Jean rolled her eyes, trying to avoid smiling back. They both sat down at the table in silence. Reva ate, having gotten a new bowl, and Jean kept reading.

"So... d'you want to maybe... ally with me?" Reva asked hesitantly.

"Fine, but if you get in my way...!" Jean raised an eyebrow. Suddenly, their mentor swept in to collect them for the aircraft. Reva smiled the whole way there.

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Paul sat next to Maliery, who was playing with her food.

"Hey, I'm sorry about what I said at the interview." Paul looked down at his plate.

"Did you mean it?" Maliery looked up at him with eyes as wide as dinner plates. She already seemed close to tears.

"I'm sorry... I have to. I have to win. It's my job - even if it means losing your trust. I have been tasked my whole life with winning this. It's who I am. I have to fight and kill, no matter who I hurt. I'll do what I need to do, whether I'm ready or not."