promises • cato the hunger games

Ten

"It's starting!" screeches Violetta, loud enough to wake the dead.

"Can we really wind her up?" I say to Cato.

"What? How?"

"Just don't say anything."

We sit in silence for a few moments, and then, like expected, she shrieks again.

"I SAID, IT'S STARTING!"

Cato smirks at me. "WHAT?"

"It's starting, get a move on, or we'll all miss it!" she bellows again.

"What Violetta? Sorry, didn't quite catch that," I call.

We hear her make a noise like a pained animal before getting up and clip-clopping through to my room. "I said, it's starting, are you two deaf? Or are you just deliberately winding me up?"

"What? No," I say sarcastically.

"Get off your backsides and get in that living room! Do you want to miss your own scores?"

"Yes, yes I do," I say loudly. I'm actually starting to regret doing nothing now that Cato's kicked up such a fuss. Maybe he's right. Maybe it would have helped me.

She ignores me and hurries back out the door. Cato rolls his eyes.

"Are you not nervous?" I ask as we walk through to the living room.

"Not in the slightest. You?" He pauses mid-sentence."Don't answer that. You should be nervous - you did virtually nothing in that evaluation. You'll be lucky to get a three."

Ouch. But I know he's right, so I don't bother answering him.

"Finally," growls Brutus when we sit down on the sofa.

I ignore him and stare up at the TV screen. Violetta points the remote at it and Caesar Flickerman appears on the screen, looking just as ridiculous as ever, this time with bright blue hair (complete with even crazier blue eyebrows).

I tense up as he starts reading tout the scores. Glimmer and Marvel both score a nine, which is pretty good going. I can literally feel the nervous energy radiating off of Cato when Caesar calls his name. He scores a 10, which I think is pretty impressive, but he looks down at the floor.

"What's wrong? You did good?" I ask him, but Caesar's already calling out my name. I freeze.

"And Penelope Smith, from District Two, with a score of seven."

Enobaria turns off the TV (I guess we won't bother watching everyone else's). Brutus sniggers, but Violetta smiles at me (well, as close as she gets to a smile). "Not bad, we can work with that. It does look a bit shabby, but I suppose since everyone was expecting a one or two from you .."

Er, thanks?

"Can I go now?"

"Yes, yes," she says, and I don't need telling twice. I quickly walk back to my room and order some cookies. I'm starving. I'm honestly shocked I got any higher than a four. I don't think I really deserved any higher than a four. I lie back on my bed and stare at the ceiling. The door swings open and Cato wanders in, and sits on the end of my bed.

"Well thanks for knocking," I say, sitting up.

"You're welcome," he says, giving me a small smirk, and then staring at the floor.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he mumbles.

"What's wrong?" I ask again.

He sighs. "I deserved higher than ten."

I snort. "Well it's better than seven. Honestly Cato, I think you need to grow up a bit. Ten is a really good score. Don't you think you're a bit ungrateful, and spoilt if you don't mind me saying."

He glares at me. "Ten's not as good a score as I wanted. The girl from Twelve got eleven."

I rest my case.

"So?"

"So, I can't look weaker than one of the kids from the poor districts, who've had no training."

"Cato, you're one point below her. And anyway, they probably just make up the scores to make a good show. I mean, I hardly deserved a seven. They probably just gave her a eleven to make things more interesting. When it actually comes down to it in the games, you'll win."

"Not if I don't get the sponsors."

God, is he ever satisfied?

"You will get the sponsors, you're a career. Careers always get loads of sponsors. And there's still the interviews tomorrow."

"I suppose. Hey can I have one?" he asks, reaching out for my cookies.

"No chance, get your own," I say, edging as far away from him as I can.

"You're too cruel, Penny," he says, putting on a sad face. He stands up and turns round to leave, and snatches the packet out of my hands as he does. I grab one of my pillows and hurl it at him, but he just laughs. "See you later."

I'll get him back.

~

"Sit up straight, Penelope," says Violetta irritably.

I am sitting straight, and I have been for nearly an hour now. My neck's so stiff I don't think I'll be able to move it for a week. Violetta's supposed to be teaching me what to do and what to say in the interviews tomorrow, without much success.

"So, what's your favorite thing about the Capitol so far?" she asks me again.

"Erm, I don't know. All the free food and hot showers I suppose."

She sighs for the millionth time. "For the last time, you can't say that."

"Well what should I say?" I ask, slumping down in my chair.

"Don't slouch," she says, poking me into sitting upright. "Say you're honored to be here and it's and honor to represent District Two in the games."

I decide to try and wind her up. I've tried to be nice to her, but now I'm just sick to death of this. "But that would be lying, Violetta."

She gives me a strained smile. "It doesn't matter, just tell them what I tell you. Do you want to get sponsors or not?"

Not really.

"Can't I just say whatever I like? It doesn't matter anyway," I say.

She stands up. "Forget it. Just answer the questions as best you can and try not to make yourself look as miserable as you are," she says, and storms out in a huff. Is everyone here this moody?

I thank God it's finally over and wander into the dining room to get a drink. Cato's sitting there. "Have you just got out now? She only took like ten minutes with me," he says.

I sigh, and sit down and pour myself a glass of water.

"Was it that bad?" he laughs.

I nod.

"She's exhausting. I think I'll just deliberately muck up my interview just to annoy her."

"No don't. You need to do good in the interview. Okay?"

"Fine, I'll try. I'm just going to go to bed now."

"Er, Penny, it's seven o'clock?"

"So?" I shrug.