Masked Enemies

Chapter 26

Finnick

"This is it." Solange announces. "The final day of training. Today you'll be getting your personal training scores."

Beside me, Cascade takes a sharp breath.

"This year, the scores will be numbered from one through ten, no higher, no lower, no exceptions." Cyrus tells us sternly. "Your performance today will determine how long you will survive in those games. Do well."

"Of course, we do expect high scores for you two, both of you being victors and all." Solange tells us. The two of them are acting like our mentors now. "And-"

"Shut up, guys. We know. We're victors, remember?" I say, cutting Solange off.

"Yes, you are. We'll be quiet and leave you guys alone now." Solange says, but she still looks quite peeved.

I follow Cascade to the waiting area, and we sit on the bench, across from each other.

"Do you know what you're going to do in there?" She asks, lowering her head, her blue eyes fixing intensely on me. She is worried.

"Yeah."

"That's good. I don't."

"I'm sure you'll find something. That knife throwing of yours is pretty excellent."

Cascade sighs. "Yeah, but it doesn't seem like enough, you know?"

"Not really. I bet none of the other tributes can hurl a knife like you can."

"Yeah, but it's not like it's very useful in the arena. Plus, I can't do something really cool to a get a high score anymore, like, oh, I don't know, throw it at the Gamemakers?" At this, I glance over at Katniss, who quietly conversing with Rory.

"How is knife throwing not useful in the arena?"

"Think about it. You're in the middle of a battle, and you throw a knife at one of your enemies, but that's the only knife you have. While, you're retrieving it from your enemies body, the others will have surrounded you, and that pretty much means you're screwed on life."

"Fair point." I say. "Still, the Gamemakers don't think like that."

"Why are you encouraging me to do knife-throwing?" Cascade asks, and I am momentarily distracted by Atala calling in the male tribute from District Three. Sheldon. Katniss told me his name was Sheldon.

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are!" Cascade says exasperatedly. "I don't want to do that, because they won't like it! It's so overdone!"

"You'll be fine. Katniss told me that the girl from Two in her Games did knife-throwing, and she was amazing at it. Clove got an eight!"

Cascade buries her head in her hands and moans. Just as she does, Atala comes back.

"Cascade Syne of District Four."

Cascade groans and gets up. Just as she leaves, I grab her hand and say, "Good luck."

Cascade smiles and then is gone.

I am alone, with no district partner to talk to, and I am not allowed to get up.

Then Atala is back again. "Finnick Odair of District Four."

I get up and walk nervously towards her, sneaking a look at Katniss before I go. She winks and gives me two thumbs up. I flash a scared smile at her, and leave.

Cascade is just finishing up as I enter the center. She grins at me, but it has fear behind it. I see no knives in the targets. All of them lay flat on the table on which they were placed to start with. No one had done knife throwing yet.