The 76th Hunger Games

Chapter Eight. Breakfast.

I stride through the metal double doors with Arrow by my side and I suddenly feel everyone's gaze locked on me. I look up to see two long wooden tables both crowded with tributes. I walk with Arrow towards the nearest table and find myself a space on the end of a bench opposite him. We must be the last people to arrive judging by how full the room is; but I can only blame our lateness on Johanna. I look at my hands which are clasped cautiously together over the wooden table; I am wary of getting another splinter. When the thought of that horrible wooden needle springs to mind I immediately begin to inspect my palm again. The blood has crusted over leaving a dry crimson seal, but there is a dark lump under my skin where the splinter itself lies.

"Did Johanna do that to you?" I jump at the sound of Arrows voice, I had been to caught up in my own world. I look into his blue eyes and shake my head with my cheeks flushing slightly not wanting to admit that I managed to injure myself in an empty room. Arrow looks closer at my hand before speaking again,

"What happened to you hand?" He sounds concerned.

"It's only a splinter" I don't elaborate on how I got it. Arrow stares at my hand; captivated by the small wound.

"Doesn't it hurt?" I give him a confused look, I had already told him that it was only a splinter, why was he still obsessing over it? It was almost like he had never seen blood before. Actually it is quite possible that he has never witnessed an injury first hand and even less likely that he has had an injury himself, after all most people in the capitol never saw pain apart from in the Hunger Games and when the rebels attacked. If anyone was ill or hurt it was quickly covered up and hidden from the public eye.

"Can we please just stop talking about it?"

"Sorry" he shakes his head apologetically. But I just laugh.

"What's the matter?" He sounds so confused.

"It's just that," I pause looking for a way to end my sentance. "Its just that you've never had an injury before, have you?" Arrow's eyes stare into mine and I begin to forget about the other twenty-two tributes around us. I feel sorry for him, the pain in the arena is going to be compleatly new to him. His lips crease into a frown.

"No, have you?"

"um, well my grandfather... it doesn't matter." I break away from his gaze an pick at my fingernails.

"Of course it matters." I glance around at the room filled with people and shake my head.

"Not with this many people around it doesn't." He nods as he notices the crowds around us. I sit in silence, occasionally letting my ears listen to the conversations going on around me. Arrow often catches my eyes from across the table but apart from that we mostly stay quiet.

"Hi Scarlet." The voice comes from behind me and is sickly and sweet. I spin around on my seat to stare at the person behind me. It is Sophia Pemberstone, she had represented district three at the opening ceremony. She looks about 15 years old and her dark brown hair reaches down beyond her shoulders with electric blue dye decorating the ends. Her deep blue eyes sparkle and reflect the light, but I can't decide whether they are real or not.

"Hi." I cough out as sweetly as possible. She flashes me another smile.

"I didn't think you would make it down to breakfast."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because Johanna didn't hesitate to tell all the tributes that you were a lost cause and that there was no point in you even bothering to show up to training because everyone knows that you are going to die no matter what you do." I swallow the lump that is building in my throat and try not to let my emotions show. I know that she is just trying to scare me, there is no point in me over thinking anything she says. Before I have a chance to reply, Sophia flicks a strand of hair behind her shoulder and turns on her heel to strut away from me.

"What was that about?" I turn back to Arrow.

"I don't know, I think she is just trying to scare me." Arrow nods.

A metal tray hits the table in front of me making me jump.

"Breakfast is served!" Yells the woman standing next to me. She wears a black shirt with a white mockingjay symbol on it. She sends a smirk towards me before sauntering away.

"They call this food?" Arrows voice is full of disgust as he glares at the tray infront of him. My eyes drift to the shining metal before my stomach flips when I see the weird vegetables covering it.

"Do they think we're rabbits?" Arrow questions as he picks up a dandelion.

"It might not be that bad." I say hopefully. I pick up something that resembles a potato and take a bite out of it. I gag on the bitter taste but force myself to swallow it; I know I have to eat, if I don't I will have even less chance of surviving. Arrow follows my lead and bites the top off the dandelion he is holding. Horror flashes on his eyes and he spits the yellow flower back out onto the table.

"If the arena doesn't kill me, I'm pretty sure that the food will." I laugh and take another bite out of the disgusting food in my hand.

***

I know that this chapter is short and probably not very interesting, but I felt like I had to post something. So anyway it will be training next so that should be more exciting ;) xx