The Hunger Games | Rilaya

Strategy Talk

Effie leads Riley and I into the District 12 quarters of the Training Center, where we will be staying until the Games begin. We enter the dining room to find Cinna and Portia already waiting for us.

I'm glad to see them, as I didn't want to eat a meal with Shawn and Effie together. That was bound to be a disaster. Plus, this dinner wasn't about the food (even though just thinking about it makes my mouth water), this dinner is all about planning out our strategies.

A young man offers me a glass of wine. I'm about to turn it down but then again, I've never had wine before. And if I was going to die in the next couple of weeks, might as well at least try it. I take a sip of the wine, immediately regretting it. I force myself to swallow the vile stuff. I don't know how Shawn can stand it.

Shawn shows up just as dinner is being served. He's actually cleaned and groomed, looking sober. He accepts his glass of wine but then he starts on his soup, making me realize that this was the first time I've actually seen him eat. Maybe he'll really pull himself together to help us.

While Shawn and Effie praise Cinna and Portia on their work during the tribute parade, I focus on my food, while subtly shooting looks at Riley, who was eating rolls.

I focus back on the conversation, which was now about our interview costumes. I snap my head up when a girl sets a gigantic cake on the table. She turns around and is about to leave before my next sentence stops her. "Wait a minute, I know you!"

The conversation immediately stops and all four adults turn to look at me.

"Don't be ridiculous, Maya. How could you possibly know an Avox?" Effie scoffs. "The very thought."

"What's an Avox?" I ask.

"Someone who committed a crime." Shawn answers. "They cut her tongue so she can't speak. She's probably a traitor of some sort. Not likely you'd know her." He looks at me suspiciously, his eyes piercing my soul.

"And even if you did, you're not to speak to one of them unless it is to give an order." Effie says. "Of course you don't really know her."

But she's wrong, they're both wrong. I do know her. Nonetheless, I stammer "No, I guess not, I just-"

Riley snaps her fingers, making our attention shift to her. "Delly Cartwright. That's who it is. I kept thinking she looked familiar as well. Then I realized she's a dead ringer for Delly." Riley lies smoothly.

I know that Delly looks nothing like this girl, and I know that Riley knows that too. But nonetheless, I jump on her suggestion. "Of course, that's who I was thinking of. It must be the hair." I say.

"Something about the eyes too." Riley agrees, nodding her head.

Almost immediately, the table falls back into a relaxed mood. "Oh, well." Cinna says. "If that's all it is."

After we eat the cake, we move into a sitting room to watch the replay of the tribute parade. Although a few other districts do make a nice impression, none of them can hold a candle to Riley and I.

"Whose idea was the hand holding?" Shawn asks.

"Cinna's." Portia says.

"Just the perfect touch of rebellion." Shawn remarks. "Very nice."

I think back to all the other district partners who were standing apart, never acknowledging the other. By having us hold hands, we were presenting ourselves as friends, distinguishing us from the rest just as much as the fire did.

"Tomorrow morning is the first training session. Meet me for breakfast and I'll tell you exactly how I want you to play it." Shawn instructs. "Now go get some sleep while the grown-ups talk."