Albany Rosewood- District 2 Victor

Chapter 9

I stand there, stunned. Maylee's words hurt more than if she had punched me. My best friend has turned on me, and she thinks that I am worried that she would overshadow me?
"Maylee, what you're saying is insane! I don't care at all about you overshadowing me! Don't you see? I didn't want to go into the Games, I didn't want to kill other people- other kids- and I certainly didn't want to come home and be treated like a hero! Nobody gets it! I didn't ask for any of this! And I didn't want you to volunteer because I don't want you to die! You don't understand what it's like in the arena. It's not like it is in training. You could die at any moment. Your allies could turn on you, you could die from hypothermia, starvation, thirst, or anything else." I take a deep breath, trying to compose myself. Maylee is still staring at me, but she no longer looks hostile.
"I'm sorry," she says in a quiet voice. "It was unfair of me to assume that you wanted all of that in the first place, and even more unfair or me to think that you were afraid of me overshadowing you. It's just that the entire time we trained together, everybody always focused on you. You were the rising star, the one that was going to bring pride to the distinct. I was kind of pushed to the background. And then you did win the Games, and you were given so much attention and praise. I want to have that, and for once I just want to be the one that gets the praise. That's no excuse for what I said, though. I'm really sorry."
I nod to her, I had no idea she felt like that. I step in and give her a hug. I can feel my eyes burning as they fill with tears, but I can't let myself cry. As my charming mentor Kassie once told me, I must never show weakness. I blink back the tears, and then step back from Maylee.
"What do you say we have something to eat," I say, gesturing to the cart of food. Maylee nods, her face lighting up. I'm not very hungry, so I just fill a small bowl with some strawberries. They're so much nicer than the ones we had in the District 2. The fruit in 2 was often discolored and bruised from its journey from District 11. The fruit in the Capitol is perfectly ripe, vibrantly colored, and delicious.
Maylee obviously doesn't have the same problem I had when I was on the train the first time. She puts rolls, blueberries, and a roast beef sandwich on her plate. We both sit down across from each other at the table.
Just as we sit down, the doors slide open and Viyla walks in.She gives us a warm smile.
"Hello, darlings! It's so wonderful to see you! I see you are enjoying the food. Where is Cael? Albany, you haven't been a mentor for ten minutes and you already lost a tribute!" She chuckles at her little joke.
"He went off to his suite," Maylee says. As she says it, Cael walks out of his room. He sits down next to Maylee. I gaze out of the window and the train begins to move. I can hardly feel it, though. The train moves faster and faster, until District 2 turns to a blur of colors.
  "Now, as you know, I'll be your escort," Viyla says. "We should be at the Capitol in about an hour, and then from there we will take you to meet your stylists. Tonight is the tribute parade, and the you will train for a few days, then the individual training sessions, then the interviews, and then the Games! It will feel like just a blink before you are in the arena!" Maylee and Cael nod eagerly at this. "Now, I'll leave you three alone, and you can talk strategy!"
  I feel my stomach do a huge flip. Here it is, the moment I've been dreading. I have to mentor Cael and Maylee, giving them the advice that could make the difference between their survival and demise. Viyla walks into her suite, and Maylee and Cael stare expectantly at me.
  "Well..." I begin awkwardly. I can feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I'm going to make a huge fool of myself! I take a deep, shaky breath to compose myself. "The most important thing is to be aware of your surroundings. You need to assess what the biggest necessity is. Obviously, water is the most important thing, but after that you have to decide what you need based on the arena. If it is freezing cold, you will need start thinking about shelter. It won't matter if you are the most skilled tribute there if you die from hypothermia. Also, believe it or not, food should not be your priority. Your body can go two weeks without food, but it can only go a few days without water, and a few hours with hypothermia or heat stroke." I pause, and Cael and Maylee still seem to be interested. Maybe I not doing quite as bad as I thought I would.  "Now, regarding the other tributes. Trust no one. No matter what they say, promise, or appear to be, do not trust them. A girl in my Games turned on me when she felt that I was too big of a threat. If I hadn't been on my guard and armed constantly, she would have killed me. Always sleep with your weapon in your hand, and take turns keeping watch. Also, don't underestimate the other tributes. Even the ones from the poor districts, like 11 and 12 can be lethal. You never know." I can't really think of anything also to tell them. "Well, that's all I can really say to you right now because we haven't seen the other tributes train or even be Reaped. We should be able to watch the Reapings tonight." Maylee and Cael nod, and I stand up. "I'll see you guys later." I go to my suite to wait until we arrive. It's going to be a long time until I go home.