A Crafted Kind of Games: A Hunger Games Fanfic

Chapter Sixteen

The crowd goes silent as the meaning of what Adam said sinks in.

I guess the cameramen caught on, because all the cameras turn to Jason, who's standing a few feet behind me and staring at the floor.

"Well, that's bad luck." Ceaser finally speaks. "Yep." Adam says.

"And I, plus the rest of the Capitol, wish you the best of luck." Ceaser wraps it up.

"Thanks." Adam says. "Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Dahlberg from District 10!" Ceaser finishes, and Adam walks offstage, waving at the cheering crowds.

I grin as he comes down the steps. "If that doesn't get you sponsors, I don't know what will." He smiles back at me.

"Lets go back upstairs. I'm pretty sure Anna and all them will want to know what the heck I was thinking, be completely boring." I say.

"You weren't boring, just...umm..." He attempts, but I cut him off as we walk through the hallway towards the elevator.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. All we've got to do is stick by Tiffany and Preston, and we've got this. Between you two's sob stories, I don't think sponsors will be a problem."

He grins. "You think so?"

"I know so. Haven't you seen the Games?"

"Noooo! It's not like they're mandatory or anything!" He says sarcastically.

I laugh. "Come on, this hallway's making me claustrophobic!"

"If the hallway makes you claustrophobic," Adam says, gesturing around the huge hallway, "then you're done for in the elevator."

I jokingly punch him in the arm. "Shut up."

"Fine. But I'll beat you to the elevator!" He yells, and takes off.

"Oh, no you don't!" I yell after him, and race towards the elevator.

I guess years of running around District 10 pays off, because before I know it, I'm at the elevator and Adam isn't.

He's there about a second after I am, though. "How do you run so fast?" He asks.

I shrug. "Years of practice. Come on, I wanna practice my button-pressing skill." I say, and punch the button that says "10" with my index finger.

Adam steps in the elevator, and the glass door slide shut.

When the doors slide open again on floor 10, the first thing I see is Julio, Effie, Anna, and Frias all on the couch, watching the interviews.

Effie's face lights up when she sees us. "You two were great!"

I grin slightly. "Are you sure? I think I was kind of boring."

"Pish posh. (A/N:REALLY ME "PISH POSH" WTF IS WRONG WITH ME)" Julio said, smiling at the both of us. "You two are going to have sponsors lined up around the block."

Even Anna looked slightly happy. "You're teaming with Sob-Story girl and her district partner, right?"

"If you're talking about Tiffany and Preston,yes." I say. I don't like Anna insulting my friend like that.

I think Frias nearly choked on his water when he heard Preston. "You're teaming with the boy who got a score of two?" He stares at us, his mouth open.

"Scores don't mean anything, Frias." Adam says through gritted teeth. I don't blame him. I feel ready to punch someone. Tiffany and Preston are good people.

"Well, either way, you four will be good to go as far as sponsors go. All you have to do is keep Adam or....Tiffany, was that her name was, alive and you'll be fine! Come on, it's time for dinner!" Effie squeals, and walks toward the dining table.

"So well-meaning, yet so insulting." Adam whispers.

"Welcome to the Capitol." I whisper back.

**********
After dinner, we all stand somberly around the living room table.

"Well, tomorrow's the day." Effie says, and I think I see tears in her eyes.

"Effie and I will being seeing you into the arena, so we'll see you in the morning." Frias says, takes Effie's hand, and they leave.

Julio engulfs me in a hug before I can stop him. "You'll do great. Good luck." He says, and pulls away. He gives Adam a hug, which Adam doesn't seem too happy about, and then turns to walk out the door.

"Thanks Julio. It was great having you as our escort." I blurt before he can leave. He looks back and gives us a sad smile, then leaves.

Now it's only Adam, Anna and I. "Any last advice?" Adam asks.

"When the gong sounds, book it. Get out of there as fast as you can. If you get caught in the bloodbath, there's a good chance you won't make it out alive."

"That's good to know." I say.

Anna huffs, and looks over us. "Well, I guess this is goodbye. I hope I'll see one of you soon." She turns and leaves before I can say anything.

I turn to Adam. "Well, I'll see you in the morning."

"You too."

I walk to my room, and fall onto the bed, trying to let sleep come.

But it doesn't. And it still doesn't.

I toss and turn. I know I need as much sleep as possible before the arena. Every time I sleep will be an invitation to death. But I can't will myself to drift off.

Finally I can't stand it in my room, and I feel if I'm in the room one more second, I'll explode.

I pull on some socks, grab a flashlight, and tiptoe out into the hall in my pajamas.

I make it to the living room when I see a shadow against the window, watching the crazy Capitol people dancing in the streets far below.

"Hey." I whisper cautiously.

He jumps, and looks back to see me.

"Hey." Adam says.

"Can't sleep?" I ask.

"Not a wink."

"Me neither."

I sit down next to him, watching the people below. I can just barely hear them screaming: "Hunger Games, Hunger Games, Hunger Games!" as a giant clock counts down to the start of the Games.

"God, have you ever seen such despicable people?" I ask.

"No. But I guess when they take twenty four children and kill twenty three of them, others seem less and less despicable." Adam says, a grim expression on his face.

I glance at him sideways. "Did they take you from anyone special? I only have my mom and dad."

He stays silent for a while.

"If you don't want to tell me, it's fine." I blurt. I don't want to pressure him.

"No, it's fine. My mom, my dad, and...my girlfriend. Alesa."

"Oh." I don't press him any further.

I stare down at the people. Do you know how much I hate you? I ask inside my mind.
You've taken my whole future.

I stand. "I'm going to go back to bed." I announce.

"Ok. See you, Skylar." Adam says, and turns back to the window.

I'm about to ask if he plans on sleeping at all, but I decide against it and go back to bed, where I get about ten minutes of sleep, the rest of the time stressing over the Games.

----------------------------------------------------

The song on the right is "Old Skool" by Televisor.