The Capitol Games

8: I Show Off To Victors

"Dia Muria, please report for Training," says a robotic voice over the intercom. I watch Dia fearlessly stand up, pass the last five of us, and walk out the door. Malta enters after she leaves.
"Hey, Aria, word of advice?" She offers. I can sense fear in her dark brown eyes.
"Uh, sure," I shrug.
"I think they can sense fear. It affects you," she whispers.
"Thanks. I bet you did great. Don't worry," I smile.
"Thanks," she nods and leaves. I look around. Cecile, Treva, Cer, Marsh, and I. I watch Cecile smile and laugh while talking to Marsh, and Cer sits in the corner seat, looking dazed yet confident. I look at Treva.
"Hi," I say to him.
"Hello," he smiles.
"So, uh, how've you been?" I ask. I feel so stupid, acting like this, but he kissed me, and I don't know how to act. It felt good, but I don't even know how I feel.
"Aria, I saw you last night," he laughs. Last night.
"Yeah. Last night," I mutter. I might be overreacting. Might.
"So, I figured now would be a good time to tell you that I think we should do that for the Games. Like Katniss and Peeta," Treva explains. "More sponsors, maybe?"
"Okay. But we can't be awkward after that," I instruct. I hear Cer being called, and I watch him leave and Dia enter. Her eyes are full of bravery and a wild sense she's begun to develop. But I also find a sliver of something she hasn't shown.
Fear.
She exits the room swiftly and I look at Treva.he looks back at me, clearly surprised.
"What do you think she did?" I ask.
"Ripped the head off a dummy with her bare hands, probably. Possibly impaled it in the heart," he guesses. He laughs and I punch his arm.
"Treva, not funny. She's showing what she's got, and she's going to be a good competitor," I growl. I suddenly hear a rumble, and my pulse slows. It's probably a thunderstorm, which calms me for some reason. I look over to Cecile, and her and Marsh are silent, looking into each other's eyes.
"Gross," Treva whispers to me.
"Agreed," I mutter. I imagine what the Games will bring. What will happen to me? Will I potentially loose a limb, some part of me, or break something in me? Will I be broken myself, experiencing a rampage of violence through however many days I'll be in that arena?
I get lost in thoughts. What if I injure Cecile, Treva, or Dia? I can't imagine it. I couldn't ever so it.
"Aria Bix, please report for training," the voice says. I stand up, and Treva stands up too.
"Good luck," he says, pulling me close. I hug him, and he hugs me back. I slip away as soon as Cer enters.
"They're all warmed up for ya," he sneers. I walk in, and I notice the axe right away.
"Miss Bix," says a gravelly voice. I spin around and see Haymitch, as well as the other victors, waiting for me to present whatever 'skill' I have. "You have fifteen minutes to show your chosen skill. You may begin." I run toward the axe area and pick one up.
I drag a dummy to the middle of the room so they can see me and push the display over, about five feet away. I pick up an axe and stand five feet away. I hurl it to the dummy's shoulder, and it plants itself right where I wanted it. Ten feet away, a new axe, toward the knee. It cuts cleanly into the middle of the knee.
Fifteen feet, the last available axe. I take a deep breath and spiral it toward the target on the stomach. I hear the ripping of whatever material the target was made of before I see it. I still have about eleven minutes left, I think. I gather the axes and put one on the floor and take a huge risk.
I take two of them, one in each hand, and throw them, hoping they at least land somewhere on the dummy. They impale themselves in each side of it, possibly breaking a rib bone on each of this was the actual Games. I'm not too strong on the strength-of-impact part. I fight and throw over and over again until I hear a ding.
"Thank you, Miss Bix," Haymitch says, clearly trying to hide a smile. Katniss and Peeta don't hide it. Johanna stares at me, looking at me with a face of approval, and the others look generally confused. Enobaria looks like she just saw an enemy, which is what she must view me as. I look at Katniss, who pretends to take a bow.
I copy Katniss, and Haymitch tries not to bust out laughing. I can tell because he slaps his hand over his smile. I stand back up strait and walk out. I hear them announce Marsh, and I flash Treva a smile as I walk out. He jumps up and catches my hand before I can walk out.
"How was it?" He asks quickly.
"Treva you have to go," I say. He kisses my cheek, and I feel like Dia punches me in the gut again. He releases my hand and walks in. I smile at Cecile. She smiles back. I walk to where she is and sit by her.
"What the he-" she begins but I shush her.
"It's a sponsor thing. We premed to be in love, we're actually not," I explain.
"Oh all right," she says.
"I'll see you tomorrow, maybe," I tell her sadly. The parade is tomorrow. "Or the day after." The interviews are that day.
"I hope so," her smile dims, and she pulls me into a hug. I feel a surge of sadness, but I fight it. I have to be strong. I can be. I know it. I pull away and walk strait out the door.
🔅🔅🔅
"Effie?" I yell as I walk out of the elevator into the penthouse. She hurries out from my room, and as soon as she sees me, her face brightens.
"Aria! How was it?" She asks.
"I- I don't know. We'll know after a few hours," I sigh.
"I'm sure it was perfect. Don't be hard on yourself, dear," she smiles.
"Thanks, Effie."