Student number 357303

Chapter 8: Hannah's First Trial (Original)

I awoke the nest morning to the usual sound of wristbands blaring at 0600. 

Immediately, the guards filed in and yelled at us to "line up and hold out our wristbands" and to "proceed to your daily trials". So we did.

As usual, our day mostly consisted of us being told how worthless we are and how we should act. We ate the torture that they called "food". Our only salvation was free period, when we finally go to exercise.

I thought it would be my only salvation- that is.

I walk into the gym with Piper. Our plan for the day was to run the track the first half of the time, and to train our upper body the second half.

It seemed like the perfect plan, and Piper actually agreed to it, which I was surprised about as she HATES running.

We began our run, slowly jogging at first then working up into a sprint. The track was a half a mile long so 6 laps should be enought to half of our free period.

We were both wheezing by the end of our second lap but we kept pushing ourselves, despite our pounding hears and sweaty foreheads.

We had almost completed our third lap when, from over the noise of our fellow students, we heard a chillingly familiar voice call out, "HEY LOSERS ON THE TRACK! GET YOUR SKINNY BUTTS OVER HERE BEFORE I KICK 'EM SO HARD IT'LL GIVE ANOTHER MEANING TO THE TERM 'BUTT-FACE'!"  

We turned around slowly to face the strongest person in the school. Hannah Galesby.

"Did you seriously just call us butts?" Piper asked, mockingly, which earned an elbow to her rib from me. "I mean you could have called us anything you wanted, and you chose butts?!"

"Don't want to get the guards on my case for cussing you our. Besides, what I don't do in words, I can make up for in pain. So, if ya really want to test me, go ahead and smack talk me again." Hannah shot at Piper.

I gave Piper a look and prayed that she wouldn't retaliate. Luckily, she kept her mouth shut and I realized that it was my turn to talk.

"What do you want Hannah?" I ask, ready to get it over with.

"Well, short stuff, I've decided that it's time for you to complete your trials." Hannah responded casually.

"Just tell me what I have to do." I say, again, I am ready to get it over with.

"You need to prove to me that you can match me, bookworm, and scrawny boy in our areas of strength. Piper in trivia, Parker in track and me in lifting. You'll have three trys for each event. If you don't succeed in all three, you lose." Hannah said.

"And what happens if I lose?" I ask

"Then you can kiss your little rebellion goodbye." Hannah responds, "Because I won't be joining your ranks. You gonna try of what?"

Piper's counting on me to beat Hannah. I can't back out now. The prophesy needs me. 

"Fine. I'll do it." I finally spit out.

"Good." Hannah replies. "For your sake, that is. I'd be fine either way."

"Right." I say, though I'm suspicious about how much of that statement is true.

"Your first challenge will be against Piper's knowledge in books. This morning I slipped a test in with her lunch and had her fill it our, then bring it back to me. It was a test on a specific series of books. Tell me Lexi, how you ever read The Hunger Games?" Hannah asked with an amused expression on her face.

"No" I respond. I'd never really been much of a reader, I never really had the time for it.

"WAIT!" Piper suddenly screamed, "that test was for this? I thought it was just for fun! If I had known what it was for, I would have failed it on purpose! I'm so sorry Lexi!"

Hannah pretended not to hear her. "You will need to take the same Hunger Games test the Piper did and come out with the same score of 100%. Good luck, or should I say, "May the odds be ever in your favor"."

Hannah handed me a piece of paper with seven multiple choice questions on it and a pencil.

I look over at Piper who appears to be concentrating on something difficult. I'm about to ask her what's wrong when she looks me straight in the eye and says, "Remember, always cut bologna along deep dark crevasses."

"O-okay." I respond. I pick up the pencil and read the first question.

Where does the very beginning of the first Hunger Games book take place? Is it:

A- Katniss's bedroom

B-The Arena

C- Katniss's Mother's bedroom

D- The Capitol

The question is complete gibberish to me. Who is Katniss and what the heck is an 'Arena'? Maybe what Piper told me before I started was a clue.

Always cut bologna along deep, dark crevasses. 

What do these words have in common? I list off things in my head.

Seven words. They all start with one of the first four letters of the alphabet. Talks about cutting meat.

Seven. Seven words. Seven questions on the test. The test is also multiple choice with A B C D answers. What if the puzzle is an acronym for the answers? Piper gave me the answers! I go through and circle answers. A, then C, then B, then A, and D, then D, and lastly C.

I walk up to Hannah and hand her the completed paper. "Huh. You finished a lot quicker than expected." Hannah said looking over the answers. "And you got...100%... I don't believe you did this on your own... You couldn't have!"

"What can I say?" I replied. "I'm just really good at guessing!"

"No... Piper helped you... somehow. I know it." Hannah said.

"Fine! you got me!" I exclaim. "She did help me. I wouldn't have known the answer to number 4 if she didn't tell me last week."

"What?!" Hannah yelled.

"Yeah. She's always talking about how much she wants a silver dress just like the one Katniss wore to the Mayor's house in book 2." I explain. 

That part was true, I didn't need help for that one.

"You know what, you pass." I'll be here tomorrow to give you your next trial." Hannah said as she slowly walked away.

"That was close." Piper said. "I take it you understood the clue I gave you?"

"Yeah, I did. And really? Bologna?"

"It was all I could think of at the time, cut me some slack!"

"We should get going. Showers are in a few minutes." I said.

"Yeah let's get going." Piper replied as we walked off towards the dirty room filled with mold that they called 'showers'.