Cayce's Game 97: Hills and Valleys: Battle of Bows and Arrows

Training

The instant we rolled into the Capitol, I wanted to find Dodge. I needed him to help me with Bentley's disease and how to approach it. I got into the training center without any fights this time, though I did see Brooke getting snappy with a blonde girl in glasses on the first floor. I didn't want Lorry burning off any more calories than necessary so we took the elevator with Vera, a very young girl names Bonnet who'd turned thirteen two weeks ago (ugh, poor thing), a talkative happy boy called Christian, and a girl with the curliest, reddest hair I'd ever seen who introduced herself as Gen from Five. Vera asked if Bentley was OK when he kept coughing (which I'd learned was a tic of his) and he nodded. Christian kindly offered him his own unopened pop bottle, which he accepted with a smile and a thanks.

I showed Lorry and Bentley around the apartment and took off to find Dodge. Brooke directed me to tower B and Holly from Seven advised he was in his apartment on the sixth floor, so I knocked on his door, which he answered in just a minute.

"Hey, Cayce, how's it going?" he greeted me. "Have to fight any of the new tributes yet?"

"Actually, no," I told him, glancing at his TV where they were talking about the reaping in Eight with little Bonnet. "I like Lorry and Bentley. Pretty easygoing."

"Makes things one hundred times easier," he agreed. "Want a drink? Lemonade, water, mudslide?"

I grinned. "Mudslide. Thanks." I took it when he handed it to me. "I need some advice though."

"Sure." He sat on the couch and flipped off the TV. "What do you got?"

I sat in the nearby chair with my drink. God, these things are good. I'd gotten used to the way they made me feel too--nice and relaxed, even more so than with my Ativan. I could see how someone could easily become an alcoholic. "I like Lorry. She's sweet and for the first time in her life, can eat a whole meal without sharing a plate with her sister. Got eight brothers and sisters and they've never had enough."

Dodge closed his eyes painstakingly. "Christ. Poor child."

Literally. "Yeah. I'm always offering her food here. I like Bentley too. He's athletic, rides his bike, delivers papers during the summer, working on his driver's license, knows how to fight, and has Tourette's Syndrome. Why he's always twitching."

"Um." He put his drink down. "He sounded promising up until the Tourette's part. Isn't that where they twitch and shout out random obscenities?"

"Twitch, yes. He says he takes meds for it and it can be controlled to a degree except for when he's nervous. And he doesn't shout curse words. He says that's a misconception." I curled my legs up under me. "What do I do? It won't necessarily hinder his abilities in the Hunger Game but for interviews and all, that right eye could put people, and sponsors, off."

"Yeah," he agreed slowly. "And there's really no way to hide it. You'll... have to explain it. Explain it well. Let people know it won't hinder his other abilities. You said he can fight?"

"He said he can fight." I mopped up a small spill with my sleeve. "Said he had to defend himself against other kids who made fun of him."

Dodge nodded. "Makes sense. Play up that angle. Try... maybe his condition has made him learn how to stand up for himself."

Hm... he could be onto something there. "OK. I'll talk to him about it and see what he thinks of that."

I spent some time in his apartment before going back to our tower A, hugging Cheryl when I saw her and ignoring her tributes giggles. The boy teased me about getting my girlfriend's face slapped in the paper but shut up when I glared at him. I cleaned up and watched Desi critique Bentley's shirt and pants. He did change pants but kept the solid red shirt he and I both liked. The problem was little Lorry. The Capitol assumed we'd have average- sized tributes but she was anything but. Everything in her closet was too big. Even the smallest dress was too baggy on her. Lorry sat down in tears while Desi called the wardrobe department for a quote, unquote, wardrobe emergency. I sat down and hugged her while the Capitol ran a wide array of dresses up for her. She finally found a purple dress that fit her pretty well and then of course, Desi had to fix her makeup because she'd smudged it crying. Once again, District Six showed up to supper ten minutes late.