Albany Rosewood- District 2 Victor

Chapter 14

Maylee and Cael enter the suite, and I call them over to the couch. They are both sweaty and Maylee's hair is falling out of its ponytail. Both of them look excited and their eyes are glowing.
"Hey, Albany! Training was just amazing! But, before I tell you about it, can I dash off to take a shower?" Maylee asks.
"Of course," I say with a smile. She heads off to her suite, and Cael heads off to his. I stand up and stretch. Viyla is sitting in the kitchen, avidly watching a small screen.
  "What are you doing?" I ask her.
  "Hello, darling! I'm just re-watching some of  your Games. Since you're here and mentoring Maylee and Cael, I was just thinking about them. You were so good! Do you want to come and watch?" Watching my Games is the absolute last thing I want to do, but, almost against my will, my eyes dart over to the screen.
  Viyla is watching a scene from the middle of the Games, about a week in. I am sitting with Jonas, Ambrosia, and Flint, and we are sitting around a fire. Jonas and Flint are arguing and Ambrosia and I are watching with wide eyes. I look pale and drawn. I am holding a serrated sword and Ambrosia is holding a bag full of daggers. Jonas and Flint look livid, their faces bright red.
  I drag my eyes away from the screen. I know what happens next, and I don't want to see it. It was one of the worst moments in my Games, and that's saying something. I quickly walk out of the room so that I can't hear the screams.
I sit back down on the couch and I feel overwhelmed with memories of my Hunger Games. Fragmented images flash through my head. Blood, killing, screams, and pain fill my head.
Maylee walks in, jerking me out of my stupor. I look down at my hands and realize that I had been clenching my fists. My nails have left white crescents in my palms. I take a steadying breath and manage a smile at Maylee.
"Well, how was it? I saw most of it, but I want to hear about it from you," I say. 
  "A lot of the tributes were completely useless," Maylee says as she rolls her eyes. "They were mostly easy targets. There were a few standouts, though. Zana from 6 was one of them, as were Laguna from 4 and Ren from 11. But other than that, I didn't see any other standouts." Just as she finishes speaking, Cael walks in, his dark hair still wet from his shower. He sits down next to Maylee.
  "Those tributes were total losers," he says as he reclines on the sofa. "The Hunger Games are going to be a piece of cake." He smirks at me, which makes me furious.
  "No! Both of you have the complete wrong attitude! It's great to be confident in your abilities, in fact, you should be. But to automatically discount all the other tributes just because you have some preconceived notation of how they are is just stupid. That kind of arrogance is going to get you killed in the Games, trust me. So both of you need to pay attention to everyone if you intend on making it out of that arena alive. Because if you don't, your families will be receiving your cold, stiff bodies in a box." Maylee and Cael both look startled by my outburst. Maylee is watching me with wide eyes and Cael's smirk has vanished from his face.
  I take a deep breath to compose myself. "Ok, now are you ready to discuss the tributes?" I ask. Maylee and Cael nod warily. "So," I begin. "Jett and Jasper are obvious threats, but you should be able to ally with them, at least at first. Laguna from District 4 is also a threat. She seems very skilled and confident, so watch out for her. Lia and Nolan from 5 both seem very smart, and they also seem like they will fight really hard for each other. They could be dangerous if they escape the bloodbath and team up. Zana from 6 is by far the most dangerous outside of the Careers. I don't know where she got her training, but if I were you, I would consider allying with her." Cael's face darkens at these words, he obviously doesn't like the idea of not immediately killing another tribute. "Zeke from 7 doesn't look very threatening, but he will do anything to protect Jessa, I can tell from their Reaping. If someone hurts her, he will do his best to make sure they pay. Brody from 10 looks mean and vicious. He won't hesitate to start a fight, even with a Career. Ren from 11 is good at throwing knives, so if he can get his hands on some from the Cornucopia he will be a threat." Maylee and Cael are paying close attention now. "And remember," I add. "Just because someone doesn't immediately exhibit a skill doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. They could just be hiding it. And, I've seen tributes win the Games just by hiding and outsmarting the others. So always be on your guard." Maylee and Cael both nod.
"Tomorrow is your last day of group training. After that, I will train the two of you, individually if you'd like. Then comes the interviews, and finally the Games," I say.
"I would like to be trained individually," Cael says quickly.
"As would I," Maylee says.
"I don't blame you," I say. "After all, there can be only one victor."
Viyla walks into the room and says, "Hello, Maylee, hello, Cael. Are you three ready for dinner?" I nod and stand up and Maylee and Cael follow suit.
I take my seat at the table and survey the meal. Today, it's seafood. There's lobster, sushi, and fish of all kinds. Lobster stew, fish tacos, and buttery, warm rolls crowd the table, all garnished and arranged on the platters artistically. It smells marvelous and my mouth is watering. My stomach rumbles, and I realize that I forgot to eat lunch because I was watching the training so intently. I wait until everyone is seated, and then I dish myself a bowl of lobster soup and put some tacos and rolls on my plate. I've never liked sushi, the texture is just too slimy.
For several minutes, the only sounds are silverware clinking against the porcelain plates and bowls. Then, Viyla begins to chatter on about the gossip she heard from her friends about the other tributes and their mentor. I don't really listen to her, I'm too focused on eating. Maylee, however, is listening avidly to Viyla's gossip. Cael looks extremely bored, he is sitting with his head on his hands and is idly stirring his soup.
After about an hour, when Viyla has finally spilled all her gossip, she stands up. "Well, darlings," she says with a yawn. "I know I'm simply exhausted! Why don't you get to bed so you can get an early start tomorrow!" I stand up and stretch, a jolt of pain shooting through my ankle. Ever since my Games, it hurts when I keep it in one position for too long. I could have had the Capitol fix it, but I didn't want to be kept there longer than I absolutely had to.
  I say goodnight to everyone and then walk over to my suite. I go into the bathroom and brush my teeth, then I climb into the cushy bed. I fall asleep almost as soon as my head hits the pillow.
The next morning, I wake up without Viyla having to knock on my door. I moan and roll out of bed. Then, I walk over to the bathroom, ignoring the pain in my ankle. I turn on the water to the shower and it comes pouring out. I wince as the scalding water hits my hand, and then I turn it down to a reasonable temperature. I quickly undress and hop into the shower. The water relaxes my tense muscles, and I use my favorite lavender scented shampoo.
After I finish in the shower, I pick out my outfit. Today I choose a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a gray, shimmery top, and a pair of black flats. I brush out my hair and put it up into a bun, then I put on some makeup to cover up the dark circles under my eyes.
I walk out into the suite, and for once I've beaten Viyla out here. There's no food on the table yet, but I'm hungry and have no idea where the kitchen is. I glance around the room until I see an avox. She is in the corner of the room, eyes downcast. She's wearing a golden jumpsuit with a large headpiece that resembles a silver spiderweb.
  I walk up to her and say, "Um... excuse me? Could you please get me a cup of tea and some breakfast? Maybe a muffin and some bacon?" She nods eagerly and walks quickly to a door that I hadn't noticed before. She slips through it and shuts it quietly.
  While I wait for the food, I sit at the table and gaze around the room. It is so extravagantly furnished. Everything coordinates, from the plush rugs, to the couch, to the intricately patterned cushions on the arm chairs. There are gorgeous paintings on the walls, showing various nature scenes such as forests, beaches, and deserts. There are huge windows on the wall near the screen that overlook the Capitol. I walk over to it and I can see the pink and orange sunrise, and also all of the sleek buildings. Not a single building, road, or street sign is at all rundown or dirty. I can see the top of the stark white President's Mansion peeking over the top of the other buildings. The metal and glass in the buildings is sparkling in the early morning sunshine and at this time of day, before everyone comes out of their homes, it looks peaceful, almost beautiful.
  The avox walks back in, jerking me out of my thoughts. She is carrying a silver tray laden with at least five types of muffins, a platter of bacon, a teapot with several different types of tea laid out next to it, a china teacup, a bowl with sugar cubes in it, and a small pitcher filled with milk. She sets it down on the table and then pulls out a chair for me to sit in. I sit down and smile at her. She gestures at the different types of tea, asking me to choose. I choose the black tea, and she puts the tea bags in the teapot and waits for it to steep. After a few minutes, she pours the tea into the cup for me and I thank her. She heads back to her designated post. I add sugar and milk to my tea and then begin to eat a blueberry muffin.
A few minutes later, Viyla walks in. Today she is wearing a button down white shirt, a brown vest with lots of fringe hanging from the bottom, black and white spotted pants, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. I raise my eyebrows at her and smother a laugh.
  "What? Don't you like it?" Viyla asks, sounding hurt.
  "It's very... interesting," I say, struggling to keep a straight face.
"I saw a documentary on District 10 yesterday, and I felt inspired!!!" Viyla says with a twirl.
"Oh, well that's nice," I say.
  Maylee and Cael come into the room and sit at the table, both of them wearing the same thing as they were yesterday.
"Good morning!" Maylee says brightly.
"Good morning," I reply. Cael merely nods in my direction. Snob.
We eat breakfast quickly and then Cael and Maylee stand up to leave for training.
"Wait," I say. They both turn to look at me. "I know I've said this before, but I can't stress it enough. Watch the other tributes and figure out their strengths and weaknesses."
"Ok, we will," says Maylee with a slightly impatient tone. It's obvious that she wants to go and train right away. I sigh and then wave them off. They leave, and once again I am alone with Viyla.
"Darling, I simply can't bear another day of just sitting and watching that tedious training! I just have to go out. I'm going shopping today, would you like to join me?" Viyla asks.
Hmmm...what a hard decision. I could stay here and watch the very people who will be trying to murder my best friend, or I could go and watch Viyla try on huge hats.
"No, thank you," I reply. "You go ahead, I want to watch the training."
"Okay, darling. Have fun!" And with that, Viyla grabs her purse and flounces out of the suite.
I pour myself another cup of tea and then I sit on the couch, folding my legs underneath me. I turn on the screen and change it to the views of the training center. The only tributes that are there are Ophelia and Rex from District 8. Ophelia is pale, her gray eyes prominent against her sallow face. Rex is standing a few mfeet away from her, nervously biting his nails.
  Gradually the other tributes filter in and they are dismissed by Atala. They begin to disperse to the different training areas. Maylee and Cael join Jett and Jasper at the obstacle course. They choose the most intense one there, and Jasper is already tearing through it. He leaps from platform to platform, 15 feet in the air. He scales rock walls and climbs across rope nets before finally dropping lithely to the floor on the other side. Jett, Maylee, and Cael applaud appreciatively before beginning to tackle the course themselves.
I turn the screen to find Lia and Nolan. I want to see how they're doing because I know that they will be fiercely protective of each other in the arena. They are both learning to throw daggers. A trainer is instructing Lia and adjusting her posture as Nolan watches intently. Lia throws the dagger and it hits the outer ring of the target. She turns around excited and beams at Nolan. He gives her a hug and then tries it himself. He also hits the outer ring of the target. They could be a threat, if they work together.
Next, I turn the camera to find someone new. I watch Darby from District 11 and Callie from District 10. They are at the knot-tying station, but neither one of them is having success. Their knots keep untying.
  I turn the camera back to Maylee. She has just finished making her way through the obstacle course and now is doing one of the mandatory survival exercises. She expertly starts a fire and then shows Jett how to do it. She and Jett seem to get along fairly well. I hope that continues into the arena.
  For the rest of the day, I watch the tributes intently. I see the Careers excel at every weapon they use. I watch as Brody hurls huge weights around, knocking over targets and terrorizing tributes, and I see Laguna mentor little Farah. Zana demolishes some dummies with a massive sword and Ophelia hurts her ankle when practicing hand to hand combat with a trainer. Ren throws knives, hitting the center of the target every time, and Mesa and Marx fail miserably at hand to hand combat.
  Tomorrow is the last day of training, and I'll go in with Maylee and Cael separately. Then comes the interviews, and the day after that, the Games.