A Different Side- Glimmer (Hunger Games)

Chapter 11

OMG so thank you everyone SOOOOOO much for reading and loving this story!!! I love each and every one of my followers. I smile every time I get a new comment or vote on my story. I laugh when I see this is almost at 2,000 reads!!! Also, I made this one really long to make up for all the time I've missed. But enough about me... on with the story!!!

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After my little fit of anger, I attended dinner, which was an entire platter of mini sandwiches on a silver tray. Poinsettia politely sits next to me, and I shoot her a small smile. Marvel is right across from me and gives me a sly grin. I can see in his eyes what he's thinking about- the alliance. But I'm not up for that anymore.

Instead, I stare blankly, not wanting to scowl and make it completely obvious that I'm out of the alliance. Marvel's grin fades, and he goes back to scarfing down the sandwiches. I, like a lady, eat mine in tiny bits. I'm used to eating properly.

Suddenly, Katniss and Peeta come to my mind. I think about how they aren't used to eating like true civilized people. Ha. They probably aren't used to eating much at all.

How pathetic.

But then I push the thought of them out of my mind, too. Katniss is a beyotch. A little attention hog. And Peeta, he's... not worth it.

Micka starts a conversation on the Capitol transportation, and oh-my-goodness how slow and terrible it's becoming. Poinsettia jumps in and starts saying how District 6, the transportation district, is facing poverty- again. All the Capitol adults begin a whole blowout on how we can't live without the districts and a bunch of stuff like that while people like me, Marvel and Glitter awkwardly look around, not sure what to say.

I take a sip of my sparkling apple cider and decide I'm done with dinner. I stand and push my chair in while Avoxes attend to my dishes.

"Excuse me," I say icily, "I'll be in my room."

No one tries to stop me until I'm almost at the dining room's doors. Micka says,

"But aren't you going to stay for desert?" She actually looks concerned or something. But I shake my head and leave, strutting like I own the place.

My night's events are the usual routine: Change, brush teeth, wash face, go to bed. Of course I skip crying with the Avox. How lame was that.

My morning is filled with more "up, up, ups!" from good old Micka Stanfree. I change into new training gear and strike a pose in the full length mirror. It's time for me, and only me.

I walk down the hall to the glass elevator silently with Marvel and the others. Glitter keeps quiet, only talking slightly to a few victors. Who needs her, anyway? She's been practically no help.

Clove prepares to throw another knife, holding it in her muscular hand. As usual, it plows right into the dummy's chest. She looks over at me and almost smiles. But it doesn't look full and genuine. Only a slight smile that a wannabe has to force out of herself.

"Sleep well?" she says, her eyes focused on the target. Another knife wields from her hand.

I shrug, which throws her off guard. Of course she was expecting me to say something back. But she quickly snaps out of it and goes back to throwing.

"Hey," a masculine voice says from behind me. I turn, facing Cato, who hold a sword in his own hand. Clove gives him an approving nod. I stare blankly.

"You ready?" he asks with a sly grin. I press my lips together, restricting myself from saying "Yes, of course!" Instead, I utter, "I think I can train on my own."

He nods and goes back to doing what ever he does. Sword fighting, is it? I've already forgotten.

Instead of using the bow and arrow, which I've done several times back in District 1, I strut over to the knot-tying. The girl from District 5, the one I nicknamed Foxface, is already there, knots accumulating around her. She looks like she's making some sort of trap. Not a useful one, for sure.

My nimble fingers quickly tie the rope. Foxface stares, taking in how to create a proper knot. When she notices my gaze, I squint.

"What?" I say with an attitude. She just stares. Finally, she picks herself up and heads off to the plant-identifying station. She doesn't seem intimidated, but at the same time, she doesn't seem dominant.

I feel a hand on my back and quickly turn.

"What do you want?" I snap.

"What are you doing?" Glitter growls back.

"Uh, tying knots," I say in a duh voice, gesturing to the almost vacant station. "You said I should be practicing something other than weaponry, remember?"

Glitter rolls her eyes. "No, dumbass. I mean with the the Careers." She sharply points to the weaponry section. "You're supposed to be forming an alliance."

"I can totally win on my own!" I yell.

"No, you can't," Glitter hisses.

"I'm perfectly capable of-"

"Who took my knife?!" Our conversation is interrupted by yelling.

"What is you?" the boy screams. I look over and realize... it's Cato.

"No, no! It's not me!" another boy, the one from District 3, I think, cowardly shouts back. Cato, in a fit of rage, grabs District 3's training shirt and starts to shake him. A few Peacekeepers inteject and pull them away, Cato still snorting like an animal.

I look up, just a little, to see something strange hanging from the ceiling. In her hands is Cato's knife.

It's the girl from District 11. Rue.

She's smirking, non-chalantly turning the knife in her hands. My eyes go down a bit to see Katniss looking up and smiling.

That bitch.

Those bitches.

Suddenly, I can't stand either of them. Maybe I do need this alliance. Maybe we can take them down- together. Now that I know Rue's strength. And I know just how to find Katniss's.

Peeta.