Greater Games [A 72nd Hunger Games Fanfic]

Chapter 2

The next morning I find an Avox in my room, organizing the clothes I had left on the floor the night before into my drawer. She leaves quickly. Then Clytia visits me, who knocks on my door and saying in a sing-song voice, "Get up now, darling! Time to wake up!"

In the breakfast room, I see Shade sitting at a table with a girl that looks about 18 that I don't know. There are breakfast foods, pastries like from yesterday, but also food like pancakes and toast. I take some pancakes and pastries, but not a dozen like yesterday.

I take my food and sit at the table with the girl and Shade. "Hello, Amber," says the girl. "I'm Nerine."

"Oh ... hi," I say awkwardly. I'm a bit confused because I have no clue who she is or why she is with us.

She laughs. "Yeah, I'm your mentor. If you were wondering." I immediately dislike her. How she talks so coldly. Just the way she is.

Suddenly, for the first time, I see Shade's eyes light up. He is looking at something behind me. I turn around and outside the window is a gleaming city. The Capitol.

The city is filled with people all dressed up in funny outfits, some with special surgery that gives them unordinary features. They wave at the passing train and cheer.

All for us.

~~~

After about an hour-and-a-half of utter misery from my makeover involving hair combing, washing, and eyebrow plucking, I am introduced to my stylist. His name is Acacius.

"Now tonight is the tribute parade," he tells me. "So I've prepared your outfit already. But this year I don't really want district five overlooked."

Within an hour, I have been dressed in a beautiful gold glimmering dress with a shawl-like piece of cloth attached to my straps that hang over my arms. Along with the dress is long cape and a gold stretchy head piece that has little strips that fall down the back of my head. I personally like the outfit a lot. Although I wonder how this outfit could be matched with a boy version for Shade.

We meet Shade and his stylist, Carmina, in the Training Center. Shade is dressed in gold too, an outfit almost like a suit and tie but without the opening in the front that you button up and without the tie. He has a similar cape and a heap piece like mine just without the strips, almost like a crown.

"You guys ready?" asks Acacius. We nod.

The crowd outside the Training Center suddenly erupts with cheering as the first chariot appears. We climb into our chariot and pretty soon the horses are pulling us out of the center.

The cheering is almost defeaning. Ahead of me I see District 4, then further up Districts 3, 2, and 1. The chariots are not far apart so I can see very far back also. The girl from 1 looks very hyper and happy, compared to the boy, who looks serious.

I silently congratulate Acacius and Carmina for their great taste and imagination, because District 5's outfits are definitely one of the best, easily giving competition to the best stylists out of all 24. There are other good outfits, though. I like District 1s' outfits. The girl is dressed in a short white dress that is covered with white diamonds that have a tint of blue that hang at the straps and the hem of the dress. The boy is in a similar oufit as Shade's, a sort of tux, only in white. I also admire the idea District 4's stylist had; capes the color of the sea that flew behind them and flapped in a certain way to make it look like they had waves on their back.

My emotions are a bit confused after the ride in the chariot, because I am usually awkward in big crowds, but I admit the ride was exhilarating. Clytia is practically in tears, because we were "Absolutely amazing and gorgeous and perfect for the crowd!"

We head up to the fifth floor of the building over the Training Center, and this is the first time I see it. The floor is gleaming marble and everything in sight is so expensive that all the money in my district wouldn't be able to pay for more than three peices. Except for maybe the victors. Since they get to spoil in a bunch of money.

At night, I realize that I am incredibly hungry. I toss and turn and finally sit up in bed, but a little too fast. The world spins around me for a moment from getting up so suddenly, but it clears in a few seconds and I slide fully out of my bed.

One thing about me: I am excellent at sneaking around and being quiet. So when I slip out of my room I do not hear the padding of my bare feet. The only thing I can hear is snoring, I think coming from Clytia's room. I think for a second if I should tell her tomorrow morning that she was snoring, but I clear away the thought for now and concentrate on finding the kitchen. I finally do find what I believe is the door.

Locked. I'm not surprised. I doubt were allowed there in the day anyway, since all the fancy food is in there and it's probably super busy. But I'm have a knacks for locks, and before long I have picked my way in with a bobby pin.

Inside smells of some wonderful things.In certain places there is a certian smell. Near the stove the air smells of those delicious bread rolls. The fridge smells like fish. Some of the shelves smell like spices. I breathe in the scent of cinnamon for a moment.

There are some exrtra bread rolls still heated in the stove, so I take a few. There are many interesting foods that I have never seen or heard of before, so I explore. There are delicious hard potato slices in different flavors, like vinegar, and some even had flavors that strangely tasted like barbecue and sour cream. I also stole some fancy chocolates from a shelf and a bag of cream-covered candy pinapple pieces.

I soon realize there is a balcony door near the stove. I go onto it and see that it stretches all the way around the fifth floor. But when I inspect the whole balcony, there is only the door to the kitchen and no others.

"Enjoying the balcony?"

I whip around and Shade is behind me. I am shocked because this is actually the first time I have heard him talk. He sits with his back to the rail and puts his hands on his knees. "It's nice up here."

"Yeah," I say, and sit against the rail, too.

"So, excited for training?' he says sarcastically.

This leaves me with a knot in my stomach. I have tried not to think about anything to do with the Games and enjoy the last few days of my life.

"Don't even bother trying to run away from it," says Shade, like a mind-reader. "Don't turn t stone just because your shocked. We still have chances of winning even if were younger, Amber."

I sigh and look at him. "I know....but somehow I can't come out of it."

"I think," says Shade, "You'll be stronger once were in the arena." Then he leaves the balcony.

Yes. I'll be strong.

_ _ _

Hai people do u like chapter 2? I think it's better than chapter 1. Sorry if there mistakes, especially in change of tense, but other than that... u know! Chapter three will probably be up by tomorrow night (September 8, 2012) so stay tuned! Happy reading! :)