𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 || 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐎'𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐱 𝐎𝐅𝐂

(vii). but i want to live and not just survive

Jake walks into the living room just as the Capitol TV theme song plays. Malia waits alongside Gloss, her leg bouncing nervously as Caesar Flickerman fades into view.

    "Good evening, everyone!" Caesar announces, a pair of flashcards in his hands. "As you know, the tributes were rated on a scale of one to twelve after three days of careful evaluation."

    "Starting from district one," Caesar continues, looking down at the cards in his hands. "Gloss Nicholo with a score of... ten."

    The room erupted into cheers and Gloss smiled proudly.

    "Malia Wells," Caesar adds. "With a score of... eleven."

    The room erupted into cheers once more.

    "Brutus Gunn with a score of... eleven."

    "Enobaria Golding with a score of... eleven."

    "Beetee Latier with a score of... nine."

    "Wiress Plummer with a score of... eight."

    "Finnick O'Dair," Caesar continues, and Malia leans forward, her eyes fixated on the screen. "With a score of... twelve."

    "Holy shit," Jake and Malia reply in unison.

    "A twelve!?" Gloss asks.

    "Don't hate him cause you ain't him," Jake tells him.

    "Mags Flanagan," Caesar goes on. "With a score of... five."

    The scores continued to be announced.

    James Logan with a score of eight.

    Ivette Li-Sanchez with a score of nine.

    Justin Hix with a score of two.

    Megan Hayes with a score of three.

    Blight Jordan with a score of eight.

    Johanna Mason with a score of nine.

    Woof Casino with a score of one.

    Cecelia Sanchez with a score of eight.

    Daniel Bernhardt with a score of nine.

    Marian Greene with a score of eight.

    Jackson Spidell with a score of ten.

    Tiffany Waxler with a score of eight.

    Chaff Mitchel with a score of ten.

    Seeder Howell with a score of eight.

    Caesar looks down at the next set of cards in his hands and his eyes widen.

    "Peeta Mellark with a score of... twelve."

    "Fuck," Gloss says.

    "Katniss Everdeen with a score of... twelve."

    "Matching scores of twelve," Jake states. "They're doomed."

    Cashmere turns off the TV and stands up.

    "Gloss, come with me," Cashmere says. "We need to discuss strategy."

    Jake watches as Cashmere and Gloss disappear down the hall before he turns and looks at Malia.

    "Guess the Gamemakers bought my act of being more loyal to the Careers than anyone else," Malia chuckles.

    "Now, I know what you're thinking but an eleven is not that bad," Jake tells her. "We can work with an eleven. Unlike the twelve's that Finnick, Katniss, and Peeta scored. They're marked for death."