The Writer Games | Once In A Lifetime & World Edition

Welcome: Violet Montgomery

Interviews were somewhat  like therapy. You have to spill you guts to a complete stranger, and  they will either smother you with sympathy or laugh straight to your  face. I was expecting a little of both.

"And now," Helvetica  purred, her voice altered to a sexy rasp. "We have our own Tribute, made  right here in the Capitol, Violet Montgomery!"

Thundering applause  burst through the crowd. My heart raced, but I was shoved into the view  of the audience. With shaky hands, I gave a flawless smile, waving  eagerly to the people in the crowd. Blowing a final kiss to the people, I  sat down, flattening my purple dress on my legs. The wooden stool  creaked as I put my weight on it.

"Violet!" Helvetica exclaimed, her features twisted up into an elegant scowl. "How are you dear?"

She always was a bit  softer to the Capitol Tributes. Even though her being soft could be seen  as viciousness. "Just peachy! I am adoring this dress!" I gushed. The  crowd cheered in agreement, my fear sliding off with every word.

Helvetica gave a smirk.  "You're very purple, Violet." I clenched my teeth together, my way of  not rolling my eyes. She just loved to state the obvious.

"You're very red." I  countered, trying to push away the anger that was creeping into my  voice. I once broke a girl's nose for commenting on my obsession with  the color.

Clearing her throat,  Helvetica gave me a smile drained of any kindness. I mentally high-fived  myself. It was my goal to piss off the interviewer before she even  started. Exactly what I woke up planning to do. Go me.

"What makes you a contender to win?" She purred, her smile tempting another smart-ass comment.

"Because I have what it takes." I told her simply, smiling brightly. She clenched her teeth, forcing a smile onto her face.

I could almost hear the  names she was calling me in her head. "Well, obviously that question was  a bit too hard for Violet, huh?" She laughed, adressing the Capitol  citizens who also laughed.

Behind my back, my hands were in tight balls.

"Maybe we should try another one?" She asked, smiling innocently.

"Maybe you should try a new personality." I muttered under my breath, but she didn't hear me. Or she just didn't react.

I glanced towards the  door, hoping Azure was ready for his interview. "Well, let's try  something easier. What is your strategy for the Games?"

An irritated sigh let  it's way out of my lips, her questions creating a fiery pit of anger in  my chest. "Do you think I know?" I snapped, throwing my hands up in  exasperation. "I didn't really plan this all through, you know."

I watched Helvetica's  face change from being shocked to amused. "But you Volunteered. Seems  like you should have thought it through." She said, mocking me.

"I Volunteered because I  was angry and upset and hate being underestimated. It was in the heat  of the moment but I don't regret it."

As if she didn't even hear me, Helvetica changed the topic without hesitation. "How far do you hope to make it?"

"Well, I want to die in  the Bloodbath. That has always been my goal." A laugh went through the  crowd, but the interviewer wasn't happy. It was as if she was trying not  to break my nose.

Batting my eyes at her  with an innocent grin, I asked, "What is your next question, dear?"  Helvetica blew a curl out of her eyes casually, returning the smile,  hers as equally sarcastic.

"What about the  competition? There are just so many other Tributes? Who is the least  threat? Or the biggest?" She said the question slowly, wording it just  right so that I would be forced to answer.

I shrugged. "Honestly,  there are a lot of crappy Tributes, and there are a lot of amazing ones  too. It is hard to single a few of them out."

She was outraged, her  face showed it. While the crowd saw her smiling, I saw her as the cruel,  terrible beast she was. But everyone in the Capitol was.

"I know you must be oh  so busy, darling, but I have a final question for you." She leaned in,  as if she was about to share the worlds secrets. "Why do you want to  win?"

I'll admit, the question  surprised me. I was assuming for another useless question, another one I  could slip out of with my sharp tongue. I was stumped.

"Well," I began slowly,  my eyes wandered the crowd, but I didn't see any faces. Just blurs of  people watching me. "For about a year, everyone has looked at me  differently." I don't dare sneak a peak at Helvetica. "They think I need  sympathy. They don't remember me for anything else." It's vague, but it  is all I can bare to spit out. "If I win, I can be seen as a winner,  not the kid with all the problems."

There is silence.  Silence that seemed to cut me to the core. I was almost afraid that I  had embarrassed myself when someone clapped. The rest of the crowd  followed, and the blush returned to my cheeks. Standing, I shook hands  with Helvetica, giving her the first honest smile of the night.