Too Clever

Chapter 5

Stage fright overwhelms me as soon as we get through the doors. I've never been in front of a crowd nearly this big in my life. The amount of Capitol citizens here in the audience is huge. Mobs of people swarm into the City Circle just to see this years tributes. Not only are all these people watching us, but the rest of Panem is viewing this on live television as well.
     I assess the other tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 in front of us—the Careers. They are all waving and smiling at the audience with extreme confidence and arrogance. I'm not about to do all that, but I do manage to wave a few times. Before we got onto the chariots, Lila told Alec and I to really look engaged and interested. I know I need to look like I want to win the Games, but there's no way I can accomplish that with real success when I'm feeling so nervous and pressured.
     Suddenly the audience starts screaming and chanting something, but I can't make out what they are saying. Almost in unison, they all turn their heads back in the direction of a chariot behind us. I turn around to get a glance of what they are all looking at. At first, I think that the tributes from District 12 have caught on fire, but then I realize that it's all part of the costume.
     "Katniss! Katniss! Katniss!" the crowd chants. I'm baffled by how the flaming capes are working. It must not be real fire, but some type of chemical reaction that looks like fire and mimics the way the flames rise and fall over each other in a graceful pattern. Even so, these are the best costumes of the opening ceremonies I've ever seen.
     The crowd is going completely insane as they scream Katniss's name, throw flowers, and catch her kisses as if they are tangible. I wish I was dressed in something similar to that. Then I could feel more confident and maybe I would actually be smiling and waving more like I'm supposed to. At least the crowd is being distracted from me in my sparkling, cone-like headpiece.
     On and on the ride through the Capitol goes. The muscles in my face begin to ache from my attempted fake smiling. The whole way, I feel Alec's tense body next to me, rigid with anxiety.
     After about twenty minutes of this, the chariots finally come to a stop right outside of President Snow's mansion. He stands on his balcony and addresses the tributes below him, welcoming us to the Capitol and wishing us luck. He ends his short speech with, "Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Then all of the chariots exit the City Circle through a pair of giant double doors and I can finally take a breath.
     "Wow. That was...interesting," Alec says shakily as we step out of the chariot.
     I really don't want to respond to him, but I can't think of anything I can do to avoid it. "I know," I say.
     He gives a nervous laugh and says, "For a second there, I thought I was gonna fall off the stupid thing. I felt like a statue that whole time."
     "I know, me too," I answer. "Come on, let's go talk to Lila and Nicolas."
     We make our way over to our mentors, who are talking to Cordelia and looking very exasperated. I don't think they like Cordelia any more than I do.
     "How are you guys?" Lila asks a little too enthusiastically. She's probably just jumping on the first situation she can to get out of her conversation with Cordelia.
     "Um, fine," Alec says, fidgeting with his hands a little.
     "You did fine," Lila says. "We weren't expecting that much from you two anyway." Then she sees the look on both of our faces and adds, "Not that we ever did in the past years."
     Of course. The tributes from 5 and any other districts except for 1, 2, and 4 are usually week and therefore expected to be timid and scared during the week in the Capitol before the Games. Lila wasn't trying to be rude or insult us; it's just the way it is.
     "Yeah well, it certainly isn't easy being in front of the whole country on live broadcasting," says Alec. He didn't realize that Lila wasn't being rude by her last comment. Alec is not as smart as I would have thought.
     "Oh, I know," says Lila. "Remember, I was in the same boat too a few years ago."
     Before either of us can respond, my stylist, Rhea, comes stalking up to us with a disapproving look on her face. Telesto, Alec's stylist, is right on her heels.
     "Well, you two looked absolutely fabulous on that chariot!" says Rhea. "Telesto and I did such a great job. If only we were moved up to Career district and had a set of tributes that could actually play the part..."
Ugh, why can't these people understand that we're about to be taken to an enclosed arena in less than a week where we will be expected to fight to the death? Why can't these people show a little compassion towards us?
     "Okay, that's enough," says Lila. "Let's go now. You two will need lots of shuteye if you what to do well in training tomorrow."
     I forgot; tomorrow, all of the tributes will report to the Training Center at 10:00 for their first day of training.
Great.

                          **********

     When we get back to the Tribute Center, I go directly to the dining room and and ask an Avox to get me some food. She asks me what I want, but I tell her I don't care and to just please get me something with protein and a little fat. I could use a few extra pounds, considering how small I am. She comes back with chicken soaking in a creamy orange sauce sauce that is one of my favorite dishes the Capitol has to offer. I don't particularly know why I'm eating; probably because I'm in such a rotten mood due to the chariot rides and itchy costumes. I'm feeling a little better now that I'm out of the cameras' ways and I've eaten something.
     Then he sits down next to me.
     I sit there in silence, waiting for Alec to say something, make the first move towards a conversation. Instead he just sits there, an odd, somewhat worried look on his face. Finally it gets so awkward I just say, "Uh, are you all right?"
     He snaps out of his daze, looking startled, like he had never even noticed that I was sitting right next to him.
     "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine... So, um, ready for training tomorrow?" he says.
     "Not really," I reply. "I'm not so eager to be in the same room as all of the people I'm supposed to want to kill."
     "Me neither," Alec says, scratching his head. It's clear there are other things on his mind right now. I wonder what it is.
     "Plus, I don't really think I'll be good at handling weapons and stuff. The most I've ever done in that department is cut carrots with a knife," I say.
     Alex laughs a little. "Yeah, I've never actually had a real reason to use a weapon before. And you're not supposed to train for the Games early."
     "Yeah, but we all know the people from 1, 2, and 4 do it anyway. And the Capitol knows it too. I mean, why would you just show up here able to use a sword or throw a knife?" I add.
     "I agree," he says. "It's against the law, but those people still do it anyway. Why wouldn't the Capitol punish them for it?"
    "I don't know. I've always thought that maybe since its a TV show and it's the Capitol's major source of entertainment, they just let it go. I mean, it definitely makes the show more interesting. Having kids who actually know what they're doing."
     "I've never thought about it that way before. You're probably right, though," says Alec. "But still, it's not fair."
     "I know," I reply. "It's not. That's another reason why I don't want to go to training. It'll make me look really weak to Gamemakers if they compare me to the Careers."
     "Yeah, but at least it won't just be you. The majority of us probably won't be able use weapons properly. But at least training is a good way to get allies."
     "Yeah," I simply say, wanting to go to bed. I'm just so tired. I start to stand up, but then Alec says,"I hope I get some allies. I don't think I could last alone out in the arena where twenty-three other people are trying to hunt me down."
     "But they might get in the way sometimes," I say.
     "What do you mean?" he asks.
     "Well, you might be trying to run away from another tribute and they might slow you down." I explain. "Or they might give you something to eat that's poisonous by accident."
     "Oh," he mumbles. "But not if they were smart."
     "I guess so," I say.
     "For example, if the two tributes from District 5 were to become allies, they might be a pretty good team," Alec says. And I know want he's hinting at, what he's about say next before the words even cross his lips.
     "I think we should ally, Fleta."