Prim's Games

Chapter six (Prim)

Training starts early the next morning. I spend half the day trying to light a fire at the survival skills station. The Career tributes snigger as they watch me, their expectations are so low that when I actually light the fire they practically faint. I don't bother going to the weapons station, I know I'll be hopeless at that, after all I'm hopeless at everything. Peeta tries to encourage me at each new station, but after a while we realise that I can't do anything. I tell Peeta to go off and do his own thing and he happily agrees. I'm happy that he chose to do that, I'm just holding him back.

A couple of days pass and I'm still no better at anything. When the time comes to show our talents to the Gamemakers, I have nothing to show them. "Just show them anything!" Haymitch says frustratedly when we go down to the training area."At least it is something!"

The tributes take turns in showing the Gamemakers their talents privately. Peeta and I are the last people to show them as we are from District Twelve. Time seems to go in slow motion, it feels like hours and hours that I'm waiting there. Finally, it is my turn. I slowly make my way in, still trying to make a decision. When I walk in, the Gamemakers are chatting to each other. They briefly stare at me, expectant of some talent. I freeze. I don't know why, but it seems that I can't move. So I just stand there for 15 minutes, until I'm dismissed.

*
"So how did it go!" Haymitch asks enthusiastically when we are in our room.
"I threw some heavy things around," Peeta explains,"But the Gamemakers didn't look too interested."
"They never do." Haymitch replies then turns to me "And you, Prim" he says gently.

I can't tell him, he'd be too disappointed! I just stood in the training place, frozen.
"I kind of had a mental breakdown," I explained.
"What kind of mental breakdown?" Haymitch queries.
"I just stood there and didn't do anything." I reply.

Haymitch laughs. Then he can't stop his laughter. "Are you serious?"
I nod. He laughs even louder."Well, hopefully they found it as funny as I did."
*
They're showing the scores on TV. We all await nervously. They go through all the tributes, starting at District 1, and going in that order. Eventually they get to Peeta and me. An eight flashes up on the screen. "We'll done!" we all cheer. Then it comes to me. A big, fat zero flashes across the screen. I'm speechless. So are the rest of us. But then we all burst out laughing. It was so awful, it was funny. "Tomorrow, we have a lot of preparing to do." Haymitch says to me seriously.

I barely sleep in nervousness. How embarrassing, everyone will think I'm an easy target, and I am! I eventually fall asleep and don't dream peacefully.

As soon as I wake up in the morning Haymitch starts training me. We try to work out what edge I could have for my interview with Ceaser. We decide I will be a funny storyteller. I'll tell in a hilarious manner how I managed to be scored zero. Two hours before the interview, my prep team come to clean me up. Then later, Cinna shows me my dress. It's a simple orange one as he didn't want me to freak out again.

For once I think that it might turn out okay.
*

"And tell us, Prim, what did do to deserve a zero?" Caesar questions. I'm at the interview, how I arrived here is completely disappeared from my brain.
" The question is really, what didn't I do to deserve a zero?" I explain "I just stood there, frozen and doing nothing. I don't think the Gamemakers have paid more attention to someone in their life!"

Caesar laughs. "And how did you manage to fall off the chariot?" He asks. And I tell him the story. By the time I'm finished the entire crowd is laughing so hard that they have tears running down their faces.

"One more question before I have to leave." Says Caesar,"Who will you miss the most from back home?"
I think about the question. All the people in in my life back at home, Katniss, Mother, Jace and even my lamb.
Without thinking I say, "My cat, Buttercup." Caesar laughs, but I am deadly serious. "Thanks for your time, Prim, and good luck in the games tomorrow!"

Thanks, I think to myself, I desperately need luck to survive.