A Crafted Kind of Games: A Hunger Games Fanfic

Chapter Thirteen

"Ok, so just how bad were you?" Anna questions us at dinner.

"Gee, thanks for the confidence." Adam mumbles, and I stifle a laugh. Anna rolls her eyes and turns to me, raising her eyebrows.

"Well?" I feel about ten times smaller in the chair, with her staring me down.

"Well, I just threw the knives for a while, but I got all good hits. They seemed to be impressed." Anna gives me a rare smile.

"That's good. If you got all good hits, you're guaranteed at least a seven." She turns to Adam.

"What about you?" He flinches, and I can tell that he didn't want to explain to any of us what went on in the evaluation.

But Anna didn't give in, and continued to stare him down. "Alright, alright. I didn't do the bow." Effie gave a sharp gasp, but we ignored her. "Instead I went for the paints, and...I wrote a message that basically said I wasn't just a piece in their Games (A/N: See what I did there :D)."

We all stay silent for a while, until the effect of what he was saying sinks in. My mouth drops open, Anna's fork clatters to the table, and Effie turns positively white.

No one says anything, though.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, Adam stands. "I'm not all that hungry." He announces, then leaves the table.

I can't take all the people here not knowing what they need to say, so I stand and leave without saying a word.

As I pass Adam's room, I stop short. He's not ok, I can tell that much. I raise my fist and knock softly on the door.

"Adam?" I whisper, and he opens the door slightly staring at me.

"What do you want, Skylar?" "I just want to talk, geez."

He shuts the door behind him and stands in front of me. I never noticed it, but he beats me by about seven inches.

"If you're going to try to help me by saying things that everyone else has said, like 'it'll be ok, Adam, you won't die,' and just look at me like I'm some caged puppy, then go away."

"You know I wouldn't do that. I'm in this too."

"You'd be surprised at how much my reality has shifted since the Reaping."

"And you think mine hasn't?"

He looks at me with a pained expression on his face. "I don't think yours has changed any less than mine, no. But the fact that so many people think I can't last ten seconds is something I hate."

"Show them up, then. Last more than ten seconds. Preferably, last two weeks and win."

"That's the point. I think they're right."

"Well, they're not. All you have to do is get to a bow and some arrows."

"I'll be lucky of a sword hasn't found my heart by then."

"Adam, the only way you're going to get through this is if you make yourself think that you will. If you go in there doubting yourself, there's no doubt you will die."

He stares at me, a small smile on his face. "You're starting to sound like Anna."

I shove him slightly. "I do not sound like Anna."

"Yes you do."

"Do not."

He laughs. "I swear, you're like an annoying little sister."

"And you are an annoying older brother." I poke his shoulder with the words "annoying older brother".

He grins. "Come on, it's time for the scores, sis."

"Shut up." I smile, and we walk out the hall to the living room, where the scores are just about to start.

"As you know, tributes are ranked with a score of one through twelve, one being irredeemably bad and twelve being unattainably high." Ceaser says.

He holds 24 cards in his hands. One of them reads "Skylar Pather" with a number. I can only hope that number is high.

"From District One, Mitch Hughes, with a score of nine." Mitch's picture shows behind Ceaser with a number nine flashing below it.

The rest of the Careers all get high marks, the lowest Career score being an eight from the District Four girl, Eliza.

Jason gets a seven, and his partner gets a four.

Six and Seven are relatively medium, as usual.

Tiffany gets an eight, and I grin. I wonder what she did. Preston gets a two. Ouch.

Nine goes by.

"From District Ten, Adam Dahlberg." Adam leans forward in his chair, anxious to hear his score. "With a score of eight."

Anna sighs in relief. "We can work with that."

"From District Ten, Skylar Pather." Now it's my turn to be anxious.

"With a score of ten." I'm shocked. Ten?

"Oh my goodness, Skylar, we can definitely work with that!" Effie squeals. Anna grins. "Good job, kid."

Districts Eleven and Twelve go by, and the scores are over. "Make sure to tune in tomorrow for the Interviews!" Ceaser reminds the audience. As if they had a choice.

"Good job you two, now tomorrow were going to work on our angles, and then Effie and Frias will take you from there.

"Oh goody." I mutter under my breath.

"Night, guys." Anna says and walks back to her room, yawning.

"Good job, Skylar." Adam says. "You two, Adam."

We've both done well, but what does that mean for the other?

I go into my room and don't even bother changing clothes. I flop onto my bed and go to sleep instantly.
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List of Scores:

D1
Boy: Nine
Girl: Nine

D2
Boy: Ten
Girl: Nine

D3
Boy:Nine
Girl: Nine

D4
Boy: Ten
Girl: Eight

D5
Boy: Seven
Girl: Four

D6
Boy: Six
Girl: Five

D7
Boy: Four
Girl: Six

D8
Boy: Two
Girl: Eight

D9
Boy: Seven
Girl: Six

D10
Boy: Eight
Girl: Ten

D11
Boy: Six
Girl: Eight

D12
Boy: Five
Girl: Seven

Highest Scoring Tribute: Ty Lox,
Lowest Score: Preston Simmons from Eight