Eleven

The Capitol

     When I get up to the front, the lady in the blue who announces the names asks for volunteers. Nobody does. Did I mention that I wasn't exactly a celebrity among my peers?   The boy from my district is a guy named Blaze. He looks like one of the boys who used to throw wads of grass at me, but I'm not so sure. Now that Chaff and Seeder have died in the Quarter Quell, I wonder who will be our mentor. Apparently, it's a man who has a scary scar and is called Daved. I can't help thinking, it's going to be a nightmare.   

     When it's time for visitors, all I'm expecting are my family. Sure enough, my mother bursts right in, crying like crazy. She grabs me and hugs me so tight I think I might be killed before the Games. Even Father is blinking back tears, and that's saying something. Time's up, and I think that I'm done with visitors. But Iris comes in, and her grandmother, too. "Hey, squirt," she says, but I can tell that she's sad. I don't say anything. It's not the happiest thing when you're going to get killed in a stupid game like your older sister. The last thing she tells me before she leaves is, "Knock 'em dead, Sage. Literally."  I smile.

    On the train ride to the Capitol, things are kind of tense. The food is good though. Real good. Daved always is grumbling, "You're never gonna do it. Nuh uh." I think that's all he ever says.

   At the Capitol, we are assigned a floor in a tower. The first day, I explore a bit and then hide out in my room. The next day, I'm called to a meeting with Blaze and Daved.  Daved tries to get us ready for the Games. "It's gonna be tough out there. So you need to be prepared. Now get down and give me fifty push ups!"  "Yes, sir," Blaze says. What a suck up.  So, in the end, we end up doing two hundred push ups in all, one hundred fifty sit ups, and are able to run four miles without stopping.  I've never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait to finally be in training with the other tributes. When we watch the recap of the reapings, with the blue lady whose name is Sapphire, I think of the District 10, and 12 tributes. District 10 has a sweet looking girl and a really scared looking boy.  District 12 has both tributes with brown hair and gray eyes. Sometimes I wonder if the boy tribute from two years ago, Peeta Mellark, is the only person from twelve with blond hair and blue eyes. Another guy sticks in my head. Javier, from seven. He has a permanent scowl planted on his face and long shaggy hair. He looks scary.

   Blaze and I meet our stylists and prep teams for the tribute parade. As my prep team gets me ready, I start to talk to them. I think they're pretty funny. One, Indigo, is especially funny. She talks about parties with funny hats. "This one guest, came with a big loop on her head!  She was crashing into everybody. It was terrible. " I giggle.  When I meet my stylist, she says, "Hello. My name is Nyssa. I will be your stylist for the seventy sixth Hunger Games." She sounds like she rehearsed it. She probably did.  She tells me that Blaze and I are supposed to have corresponding costumes. After she dresses me up and puts pastel colored make up on me, I look like some leaf fairy or something. I've got a soft billowy dress that is white and fades into chartreuse and a crown woven with leaves in my hair. "All you have to do is smile and be the adorable little girl you are!" She tells me. Ookaay...

  Blaze has this tunic with the "white fading into chartreuse" thing going and a crown of leaves same as me. The only thing different  is that he has a leaf belt too. When we get into our chariots and the parade starts going, I smile as big as I can and wave. I'm guessing I scraped up a few sponsors.  When we are done, I glance around at the other tributes. My eyes land on District 12.  Katniss Everdeen is talking to the girl tribute. I  guess she feels I'm staring at her, because she looks up and I our eyes meet. Katniss and I weren't exactly the best of friends. There was that time I got kind of mad at her because Rue died, and the other time when during the Victory Tour I got kind of mad at her for not mentioning Rue. But then she did thank us, so I guess that was okay. Katniss stares at me, and I see her eyes filling up with tears. And I know why. I'm the exact copy of my older sister, so her seeing me is like another Rue in the Hunger Games. She puts her hand over her mouth. I know what to do. I raise my three middle fingers, put them to my lips, and holds them out in her direction. She takes her hand away from her mouth and does the same. I turn back to my mentor, my eyes shiny with tears.

Copyright © 2012 anniema3