The Half-Blood Games | Percabeth

Chapter 7: The Roof

The Training Tower has 12 floors, one for each district. We were on floor three, of course. All we had to do was walk into the elevators and press the button with a three on it.

I'd never been in an elevator before, and the entire experience was exhilarating. The elevator shot up into the air, and I could see through the crystal ceilings and walls. The people below us got smaller with every second. When it was over, I could barely stop myself from asking Minerva if we could ride it again.

Vulcan was waiting for us in the suite, sipping wine. He clapped for us when we walked in.

"Bravo," He said. "You both did everything I told you too. Congratulations."

"I know, right!" Minerva beamed. "I couldn't be more proud of my son!"

"Don't call me that!" Malcolm snapped, causing us all to look at him. "Don't call me your son!"

There was a moment of silence as Minerva's smile melted.

The suite was fancy, just like everything in this city. I never thought I'd say this, but I missed the simple styles of District 3, where everything looked bland and the same.

"You two should go to your quarters," Vulcan said. "Your names are on them."

Malcolm stomped off to find his, and I followed him.

My quarters were larger than the entire orphanage back home. It was plush, and the shower alone had, like, a bazillion options. When I stepped out of it, it dried my entire body and combed my hair, leaving me wondering for the second time since I left home how the Capitol people weren't as large as whales, seeing as they never did anything.

They probably have some sort of machine that sucks the fat right out of them, I thought. The thought made me bitter. In District 3, around 400 people died yearly from starvation. And we were only the 7th poorest district. I couldn't even imagine what the numbers must be like in District 12, the poorest district. And these people were probably having food sucked out of them so they could be thinner. Disgusting.

The wardrobe lets me program it to find outfits that fit my taste, and there's a machine that will serve me any food if I ask for it. I spend most of my time staring out my window, which zooms in on parts of the city at my command. I zoom in on people walking below, and criticize their horrible outfits. The activity cheers me up.

I'm relieved when Minerva knocks on my door, summoning me for dinner. I'm starving.

Venus and Blitzen join us, which is a good thing. Dinner is for strategizing, and they've already proven how useful they are. Also, I had an idea in the shower, and I want to talk to Blitzen about it. I feel like I can trust him.

Malcolm is still sulking. I can understand why. If I was in his shoes, I'd probably hate Minerva too.

Our waiters are dressed in white, and move around wordlessly. When I see one of them open their mouths, I notice they have no tongue. The sight makes me shiver. I've read about them before in a book; they're Avoxs, people who have committed a crime against the Capitol and got their tongue cut out for it.

"So, Annabeth, I noticed you blew a kiss to the boy from District 4," Vulcan said. "That's a nice touch of rebellion."

"Rebellion?" I asked.

"All of the tributes were standing far apart, darling," Venus said. It was the first time I'd heard her speak, and her voice had a pleasant ring to it. "Like the games had already begun. But by doing that, you portrayed you two as friends."

I got what she was hinting at. "Oh."

That makes three people congratulating me on what was really something I did in an adrenaline-filled happiness, not a detailed plan. Still, it felt nice knowing that I had unintentionally made a smart move.

"Malcolm, can you stop sulking," Minerva asked. "You're acting like a child."

Malcolm stood up abruptly. "Oh, am I? I'm so sorry! Am I acting like the child you abandoned? How horrible of me!"

Minerva stood up too, anger showing on her face. "I had to! I'm a Capitol citizen! I couldn't raise a child I'd had out of wedlock with a man from District 3!"

"Oh, poor you!" Malcolm yelled. "I get that part. But you never even bothered to visit me! Every Reaping, I'd look up at you, hoping you'd acknowledge me, anything, but you just ignored me! Would you have even recognized me if my name wasn't called?"

"Would you have wanted me too?" Minerva asked. "Would you have wanted me to visit you, reminding you that I didn't want you?"

"Yes!" Malcolm slammed his hand on the table. "You know how horrible it is being your child? No one at school would talk to me, scared that my big bad Capitol mom would come after them! The least you could do was acknowledge my existence! My dad didn't want me, you know. I had no one! Even now, whenever someone talks to me, I instantly think they have an ulterior motive, because I'm convinced I'm worthless, and not even worth acknowledging! All because of you! You ruined my life!"

And with that, he stormed off to his room, tears running down his face.

"I gave you life!" Minerva shouted as he slammed his door, before stomping off to her own room.

The four of us that remain stare at each other for awhile.

"Well, this dinner is ruined," Vulcan said, and I agreed with him. "I'm out of here."

With those words, we all left. As I walked down the hallway to my room, I noticed a set of stairs.

Having nothing better to do, I walked up them. They were long, and curled around each other in a never ending spiral up. Every once in awhile, I'd pass a door. When I got to the top, I was breath taken.

I was on the roof, and the city twinkled like stars below me. I took a deep breath, and enjoyed the fresh air.

"Annabeth?"

I almost fell off the roof in shock.

I turned around, trying to locate the speaker. It only took me a few seconds to do so.

Standing behind me, on the opposite end of the roof, was Percy.