The Games We Play

Chapter 8: The Tribute Parade

Peeta's POV:

Once the reaping is over, mostly everyone is in tears.

The kids and the others are sent into the Training Room to get prepared for the Tribute Parade. Katniss and I are now walking to the Mentors Lounge with Annie and Johanna. Annie has tears streaming down her face and Johanna has a very obvious smirk on hers. What is wrong with the Masons'?

If you were watching closely at the reaping, you could see Jamaica with a smirk on her face while she was walking up to the stage when her name was called.

Mother, like daughter, right?

Annie's POV:

My son. My rock. My everything. He's been reaped. Kat and Jo knew this would happen because our children are the only ones left in our family tree that are alive and not victors.

I'm not ready. I'm not ready to let him go.

I've already lost Finnick. I couldn't handle myself if I lost him. I don't know what I would do.

Johanna's POV:

Before Maica went up on the stage, I had told her not to look weak. Because I've played that card before.

I told her to be strong like she truly is. To walk confidently up on that stage and make everyone think she rules it.

My name is called, and I go up there and stand by Effie and Haymitch, who are hosting this year. I stand there while watching Maica come on the stage with an obvious smirk on her face and walking with pride towards me.

The reaping is almost over when Kat and Willow go up there and start a big, and I mean BIG group hug. There is Kat and Willow, Peeta, Annie, Finn, Effie, Haymitch, Rye, Maica and I in this hug.

The crowd, 'awww's and the kids go to the Training Room. We mentors go to the Mentors Lounge. This year, there are a ton of huge television screens, 12, to be exact. For each of the districts, of course.

The Tribute Parade is about to start when I see the television turn on and go around the training room.

What catches my eye, is that the costumes are not based off the districts job this year. Instead, each tribute has a different style and color than everybody else.

Maica is wearing a long, flowing, strap-less dress that is a blood red at the bottom and an apple red at the top.

Her hair is straightened so that the bottom of her hair is at her bum. Across the front onto the back of her head, is a waterfall braid that is intertwined with tiny specks of diamonds, all colors from yellow to gray. The shoes she is wearing are 4 inch heels that are covered in diamonds that are identical to the ones in her hair.

Finn is wearing a light orange suit that makes his eyes stand out. He looks like a million dollars, even with a simple suit on.

Rye is wearing a suit with a tie that are both a very blue color. Like Peeta's eyes. It makes his ashy, grey eyes pop out making him very original.

Willow is wearing a beautiful dress that is down to her ankles. It is a very bright yellow dress with one strap on her shoulder. The strap is, once again, caked with diamonds, except these are only orange, yellow, and reds. She has her hair up in a braided updo. The ends of her hair are curled to perfection, balancing in the middle of her back.

The cameras go to the other tributes and I just stare off into space until something on the screen catches my eye.

It's Willow with her hands around Finn's neck and Finn's hands wrapped around Willow's waist. They are talking to each other until Finn leans in and kisses Willow straight on the lips.

Willow is confused at first because her eyes were still open, but then she got the memo and closed her eyes and started kissing him back.

The kiss is very passionate and the cameras get it all.

Everyone in the Mentors Lounge is now looking at Kat, Lover Boy, and Crazy Cresta.

Their faces are priceless! Kat's jaw is dropped onto the floor and Lover Boy is in complete shock. Annie is smiling while cooing, 'aww'.

Everyone laughs at their reaction, then turns back to the screen. To my surprise, they are showing Maica and Rye.

They are pulling pranks on the other tributes. One time, Rye was 'flirting' with the girl tribute from 3, while Maica was stealing the sugar cubes from the horses chariot and putting them into the 3's pockets.

So when she puts her hands into the pockets in her dress, her hands will probably be sweaty and then touch the sugar cubes and then they will melt and make her hands sticky.

Classic Mason prank.

By now, all eyes are on me and I shrug with a smirk on my face telling them that she is my daughter by blood and personality.

The parade starts and all the districts are out of the training room.

People are screaming Finn, Jamaica, Willow and Rye's names along with some others in the parade.

As if they had planned it, they put Willow, Rye, Finn, and Maica on the big jumbo screen where everyone can see them. Their costumes match the others perfectly.

This year, they are making then and now's of the tributes now and the ones back in the day. They show a picture of Peeta and Katniss of their interview after winning their first games on the jumbo screen beside a picture of Willow and Rye's costumes this year. Katniss and Willow are both wearing yellow dresses and Peeta and Rye are both wearing light blue suits.

On another screen, there is Jamaica in her costume beside another picture of Kat, but her dress in the interviews before the games. They look alike, but I think Maica's dress is better.

Now, the crowds are throwing different colored roses at the tributes as they leave the circle.

Lucky enough, only four people catch them. Finn, Jamaica, Willow, and Rye each have a different color rose.

Finn has a very bright, Capitol looking, green rose in his hand. Yes, I said green.

Anyways...

Maica has a light yellow rose. It looks like Willow's dress, but is about a shade lighter.

Rye has a bright red rose. Classic for a rose, I guess.

And Willow has a bold orange rose. It is way more strict than the color of Finn's suit, though.

Officially, the parade is over and we all head to our floors to go to sleep for tomorrow's first day of training.