The 122nd Annual Hunger Games: The Anti-Careers

After The Dumb Parade

XIII, i - Hentis Vanelli, District 2 Male

"You two looked fierce out there!" our mentor congratulated, Fern's father. "The crowd especially loves you guys this year."

"Well that's great, because I plan to win!" Fern spouted.

"Well of course you're going to win."

Your mentor being the father of your district partner really had its downsides; he was going to primarily be working with her and not enough with you. I knew that from the start.

I tampered with the shoulder strap from my robe, the outfit the stylists chose for District 2 to look noble and high. I could feel some sort of rash forming where the fabric rubbed on my skin as the District 1 tributes made their way to us with their mentor, removing their disgusting sequined hats.

The girl stood tall, probably a few inches above me at least, and introduced herself to me. "Silver Agnes; we'll be a team, right?"

I nodded. "Of course," I replied confident. The boy followed Silver a few feet behind her, the one I saw from the reaping tapes. "And you must be Castle, is that right?"

"You know it ma- "

"Wait your turn to volunteer next time," I scoffed, followed by my laughter. "Usually, the training centers decide who's going to volunteer and you obviously weren't the one; you're only seventeen!"

He folded his arms, clenching his teeth at my statement. "Well, let's see who makes it longer in the games!" he jested.

"Anyways, I guess I'm stuck with you for a team, right?"

"Yeah," Silver butted in, rolling her eyes. "The mentors and I already chewed him out for volunteering. And did you see? We have a volunteer from District 4."

"Oh yeah, finally. Another volunteer to make the alliance bigger."

"He's right over!"

"He seems to be leaving with his district though," I added. "We'll catch him some time later in the training center." I could see him telling something to his district partner and rushing him and their mentor along.

Silver glanced behind my shoulder and caught Fern in her eyes. "Hey, Fern!" she shouted at her, waving her hands in the air.

"Oh, hey!" Fern joined up with the Career alliance, minus the District 4 volunteer.

After some conversation, we walked towards the entrance to the tribute building, our mentors leading the way. I could already tell that I was going to have a major problem with Castle. Silver seemed alright but definitely was overconfident as well. As for Fern, I was unlucky that year for my district partner to be "Daddy's girl." The games were starting even though we weren't in the arena yet; I had a mindless team to gain control of.

-o-o-o-o-o-

XIII, ii - Gray Devon, District 4 Male

"River," I began, pushing her, my mentor, and myself along the street towards the tribute center. "I know District 4 hasn't been in the Careers for the past six years, but I think they're interested in having us."

She looked up to me, her stature being some inches below me. "Because of you," she said annoyed. She obviously was afraid of the Careers, not having seen them be friendly with our district for most of the time we had even understood what The Hunger Games was.

"I didn't mean to volunteer, River."

"Then why did you volunteer?" she snapped.

"Listen," I began, trying to urge her to rethink herself. "I was messed up in the head at the moment."

"So how can I trust you?"

I didn't say anything but fade off of one single word. "Well..."

She giggled. "I already trust you!" I chuckled in some type of fake relief, still questionable about River's trust in me. "It's just that I'm just not sure about teaming with the Careers. Or will they even want to team?" she went on.

"Don't worry, I'm the first volunteer in seven years; they'll have to let us team with them. And I know they'll want you in the team when I tell them how good you were at the tribute training center."

"You better!" she added sharp, a laugh escaping her mouth.

"Of course. We gotta work together, now don't we?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

XIII, iii - Evan Ashe, District 7 Male

"Screw this outfit!" I shouted in anger, my face most likely welling up in a sharp crimson color. "It's so itchy, and rubbish, and uncomfortable!" I rambled as I continuously ripped to shreds the leaves from my clothing, exposing my basic light grey pants and t-shirt underneath.

"Evan, calm down!" Rebekah shouted, attempting to grab my hands to stop me.

"Aren't you glad you aren't a stupid tree though?" the mentor asked in humor, the aged Johanna Mason. I was still ridding myself of the leaves until they were all nearly gone.

"Yep. There you go. Now you're the same dull boy you've always been in the grey," Rebekah joked. "You could have at least waited until we were out of the public eye."

"Well, kids, tributes from District 7, just be glad that this year you happened to have ended up with pants and a t-shirt with leaves hanging off of it because you looked more skillful than a stupid tree trunk would have. Maybe I could kill the stylists myself for the future tributes' sake." She added, trailing off in the last sentence. Johanna didn't even seem to be joking. "Let's get you two to the training center so you can get briefed for the rundown of this stupid game show."

We followed the crazy lady through a restricted area in the middle of the street, designated specifically for the tributes, and headed to the elevator of the tribute building. Right before the elevator revealed itself, District 9 showed themselves, waiting to share the ride upstairs. The little boy, Fearcher, didn't have a chance. I could only look at him from the corner of my eye and feel sorry about him. The girl could have only been barely any older than him. No chance for either of them. Johanna was greeted by their mentor, someone who won their games rather recent as compared to her.

We, the District 7 team, were let off at the seventh floor. The room was spectacularly floral, overdone with the color but wasn't my dreaded expectation; perhaps it was to make the tributes feel more comfortable before they send them off to die?

"Hey, kids. You have more than one mentor. Meet the other two, over at the dining table."

"They didn't show up to the Tribute Parade?" Rebekah asked.

"Capitol business caught us," one of the male mentors said.

Rebekah, Johanna, the two other mentors, and I had a meet and greet session.

Someone busted through the front door where we entered. Johanna turned around in excitement but it didn't seem genuine. It was our escort.

"Erexia!" Johanna yelled. "Finally, I'm done showing these kids around."

"Hey." I said stern. "Stop calling us kids."

"Oh sorry, tributes!" she mocked. I didn't reply to her snarky comment.

Yeah, tributes. She was right. It was time to start thinking like one as well. I turned to Rebekah quickly.

"Rebekah?" She gave me her attention. "I know usually people don't like to alliance except for the Careers, but you wanna team?"

She folded her arms. "Of course. You just didn't let me ask you first."