Eleven

Caesar

    Not much happens in the evaluations. I manage to get a seven by climbing a bunch of ropes. Cypress got an eight, and for that I'm proud.

      After the evaluations, it's the interviews before the games. The worst part, in my opinion. Okay, maybe not. Still, it's pretty bad. I'm not a public person. On the day of the interviews, we get private coaching. Daved coaches me first. We apparently have to have this theme type thing where we have to act a certain way. We try being: Giggly (didn't work), clever (didn't work), dangerous (WHAT?!), and cute (kind of worked, but not really). Finally, Daved says, "I know! you could be tragic!" Oh, the joy. As if my life isn't "tragic" already.

   But it turns out, I'm not that bad at being tragic.  Actually, I can be pretty good if I want too. Daved asks me a question. He's supposed to be Caesar Flickerman.

"So, Sage, how does it feel being in the Hunger Games so young?"

Me: "Terrible. Absolutely terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible. Terribly terrible. So terrible I can't explain it. So honestly and truly terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible. I feel so terrible. It is very, very, very terrible. Terrible, terri-"

Daved interrupts me. "Enough terribles. You're tragic enough already."

"Caesar, I don't think it's very nice to interrupt tributes while they are talking."

"I give up!"

"I never thought you were the giving up type," I say.

   Next thing I know, I'm off to my session with Sapphire.  We learn all sorts of fabulous things, like sitting tall, walking perfect, smiling (although I'm supposed to be tragic), and a bunch of other things that are so outrageous and boring I can't name them. In the end, I'm so ladylike I resemble one of the Capitol ladies themselves. 

  My outfit is the exact same as Rue's, complete with wings, except it's not blue, it's green. It's very funny (sarcasm).  My hair is done with little green barrettes. When it's time for me to go out with the other tributes, my hands are sweating. After a few minutes, the interviews start. The first girl, from District 1, shows up in a dress so glittery it nearly blinds me. She's actually kind of stupid.

"What was your reaction when you got picked?" Caesar asks the girl.

"I was like, OMG, this cannot be happening to me! My friends were totally screaming. Everybody was so jealous, OMG."

Like I said, very stupid. I lose my interest when Caesar is interviewing a boy from Five.    When it's my turn, I get up and walk to the stage like a robot.

"So, Sage, it's very interesting how you got picked, with your older sister and all,  why don't you tell me how you felt about it." says Caesar.

What I want to say is, "Yes, very interesting, don't you think?" but instead I say, "Well, I felt very sad, obviously, because there would be no one to take care of my family."

 "What did you think when you were called? It must have been quite a shock."

By now, I'm a bit annoyed that all of his questions have to do with Rue. But I answer, because I have too. "I thought about a lot of things. But I finally thought that I would try to win for Rue."

"Very touching. Speaking of your sister, when she was here, she told us that her strength was her speed. What about you?"

"I think I'm pretty fast, but I'm rather good with a knife. So try not to underestimate me."

"Well spoken." replies Caesar. The buzzer sounds.

I walk away feeling pretty proud of myself.

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