Not Just A Game

Chapter 7

My eyes flutter open the next morning. I smell something rich from the kitchen car. I get up, and take a shower. The warm water feels great on my rough skin. I emerge from the bathroom smelling like lemons, and my teeth taste like mint.

I twist my blonde hair into its familiar braid down my back.

I dress in 'yoga pants' and a bright green t- shirt.

Once again, I'm barefoot.

It's early, so I walk into the living room and take my reaping notes with me. I wrote down every tribute's name and district.

I sit on the white leather couch, and notice Dustin at the other end of the room.

He seemed to have the same ideas as me.

His dark brown hair is damp and he has a fresh gray shirt on, with the three buttons at the top, sleeves pushed up to his elbows; he wears it just like yesterday. He also has his notepad on his lap, staring blankly at it.

"Good morning." I say, and he snaps out of his daze.

" Morning." he says.

He stands and walks across the room to sit by me.

I feel small next to him. He's a head taller than me, and despite being from the district 12, he looks rather strong.

He puts his notes next to mine and compares them.

Next to his, mine look brief.

His show names, districts, status, such as career tribute or a volunteer. Traits he noticed in them, like arrogance or shyness.

"Any allies your thinking about?" I ask.

"No. Just my district." he answers without hesitation.

"Why?"

"It's just more people I would have to kill later. I can't get close to anyone." he says.

"That's just something I can't have the luxury of thinking. I have to get home to my sister. I promised her." I say.

"That's quite a commitment." he states.

"I don't have a choice. It would crush her. She's already lost everybody else", I'm practically shouting now," Her mother, her sister... she just can't lose me too. I couldn't just say no to her. I couldn't..."

I feel a tear drip down my face as I remember her face pleading for me to promise her.

Dustin looks at me with sympathetic eyes.

"I'm sorry." he whispers.

He talks louder this time, "You know, we can all come out of this alive if we work together. It'll be you and I in one arena, Harley and Griffin in another. I'll be there the whole time."

Then he whispers, "You don't have to be alone."

I can't help it. I turn and wrap my arms around his neck, clinging to him. He puts his arms round my back, returning the embrace. What once felt awkward with my dad feels comfortable with him, his strong arms around me make me feel safe.

We break apart and I head off to breakfast.

He stays a little longer, his eyes trained on me as I walk out of the car. When I sit down in my seat, Dustin enters the car. He takes a seat next to me.

We are ordering drinks, when Elsie comes in bouncing happily in her mint green wig and silver heels.

"Today is a VERY big day! We will arrive at the Capitol and you will be cleaned up nice and pretty for the parade tonight! Tomorrow morning you will start training for two weeks then your individual evaluations will be the following day. After that, the real fun begins and you'll be in your arenas. Doesn't that sound exciting?" she says, over dramatically.

Nobody responds to her question, but she ignores it anyways.

All the tributes stuff themselves, enjoying the variety of exotic foods. District twelve isn't particularly known for their food supply.

Dakota hands me a knife, but I don't understand. I have nothing that needs to be cut.

She nods toward the wall. Oh. Ok.

I pull my elbow back to my ear, and fling the knife at the decorative wall paper.

It sticks in the wall with a thud.

"Well done. If you can do that with a butter knife, then I can't wait to see you with a training knife. I want to see the look on the careers' faces when they see a girl from district twelve giving them a run for their money." she says proudly.

" But that leaves me with two options. They will either be scared of me and stay away from me in the games, or they will see me as a threat and hunt me down." I say.

"Then how about you show just enough in training, so that they don't see you as just another weak tribute to pick off, but in evaluations, give the judges all you've got." says Dakota.

"What other things will be helpful to know besides fighting tactics?" asks Dustin.

" Great question." replies Dakota. "When the gong first goes off, only grab backpacks food, and weapons that are within close range to you. The careers will go for the mouth of the cornucopia, where all the supplies are better, but you don't want to be in range of them when they get their hands on them. It's a bloodbath." she explains.

We all nod, agreeing.

"But something else comes up also. Since both arenas fight until twelve remain, there will be two cornucopias in each starter arena, before the big games. It makes sense because twelve tributes could easily be killed in the bloodbath, so they spread the tributes out to make it harder to find and kill each other. The cornucopias will alternate districts. District 1,3 5,7,9, and 11. Will be in C1, short for cornucopia one. 2, 4,6,8,10, and 12 will be in C2. This makes it harder for you because there will be two career districts in C2, District two and four."

"So this is why it's so important to get out of range fast." says Harley.

"Exactly." Dakota replies. "now since you know all of that, we need to start thinking of food, water, shelter, and very importantly, medicine. After you get far, far away from the cornucopia, the first thing to do is to find water. Don't stop until you do. Even if you have to go into the night. Also, don't light any fires at night. The light and smoke attract other tributes. Stay quiet and when you travel looking for food, take all of your stuff with you.For one, you have it if you need to escape, and second, if other tributes are wandering and see your stuff lying at your camp, and they'll be waiting."

Elsie peeks her head in her head in and says, "We are now arriving at the Capitol!"

Dustin laces his fingers through mine under the table, and we brace ourselves for a long day.

Author's Note

Hey yall. Hope you liked this chapter. Please comment what you think, any suggestions, or even typos that I missed will be appreciated and changed immediately. I'll update soon. Most likely later today, or early tomorrow.

Xoxo

IRONABBS.