Panem Academy: 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤

chapter fourteen

I STUNT OUT  into the array of horses and carriages in my newfound glory. I wear a long, body-hugging golden dress with a golden gladiator headpiece, it's a headband sprinkled with diamonds with two golden, glittery wings attached on both sides. My makeup is fierce and intimidating, black smoked out winged eyeliner with a simple nude lip color. I've never worn makeup before, and these false eyelashes seem to be literal weights on my eyelids, how does the entire Capitol wear them with such ease? My hair is slicked back at the front and flowing down my back, really drawing attention to my face. I feel powerful.

       Adrian escorts me to the chariot for District 2, Cato stands leaning against the side of the chariot in a stunning golden suit with black accents. Instead of wearing a matching headpiece, the collar of his suit has two golden wings on each side. As we approach him, I lift my chin up high. He takes a glance at me before looking away, then quickly taking a double take. He stands up straight and clears his throat, really taking me in. For the first time in my life, I feel shy when his eyes meet mine. I want to look away so badly but I stand my ground. Why does he make me feel so nervous when I feel the most powerful I've ever felt? How is he doing this to me? Adrian plants a soft courteous kiss on my hand before walking away.

"Wow, you look . . . beautiful. I mean, you are beautiful." He smiles as he studies me from head to toe. I feel heat rush to my cheeks as an unstoppable smile makes it way onto my face.

"It's just the all the makeup and the clothes." I laugh softly. He furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head.

"You're crazy." He smiles and makes his way over to the entrance of the chariot, extending his hand to me. I take it and he helps me into the ride before jumping in next to me.

"Ready in 1." A voice calls out over the intercom.

"You ready to show all of Panem who their bets are going on?" Cato grins down at me. I crane my neck to look up at him.

"You bet your ass I am." I grin back.

The chariot begins onward as the Capitol anthem plays, bringing us out of the shadows and into the open, vast crowds surround either side of us. Before I know it, roses rain down and almost engulf me. District 2 is mainly dry desert, roses are a real luxury and hard to find. It's a fascinating sight to see so many precious flowers around me. Cato must be thinking the same thing, he picks one up from the chariot and smells it, a giant smile on his face. He then brings it up to my nose, allowing me to have a sniff. My nostrils soak in the sweetness, this moment feels unreal. Suddenly, the crowd then becomes erratic, pulling my attention to the source of their crazy behavior. I glance over my shoulder to see a chariot up in flames, or so I thought. It seems to be Katniss Everdeen, the female tribute from 12, is on fire. My eyes widen before realizing she is completely fine, she looks uncomfortable but certainly not in any pain. It's her dress the orange flames are coming from. All of the incoming roses stop and have shifted their directory into Katniss's direction. I'm not sure why, but that infuriated me. My nostrils flare and I face front again.

After a couple minutes of moving, we finally stop in front of President Snow's podium that overlooks the Capitol stadium. I narrow my eyes at him and lift my chin up high.

"Welcome, Tributes. We welcome you, and wish you a happy Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor." The President speaks. His voice is cold, and unwelcoming. The crows feet around his eyes grow as he smiles, waving us down as we continue to roll backstage. I let out the breath I've been holding and Cato helps me dismount.

"That was invigorating." Cato let's out an adrenaline filled laugh and runs his fingers through his hair. I can tell he thrives from all of the attention, unlike Katniss, she seems like a turtle tucked away in it's shell, overwhelmed by the amount of attention she just received. Then, two notable figures approach us, I recognize them immediately.

"Welcome, my name is Enobaria, and this is Brutus. We've been very eager to meet you." The intimidating woman says shaking Cato's hand, then Brutus. I feel inferior standing next to them. I shake their hands and can feel the power they each possess.

"I'm Cato, this is Clove, it's a pleasure to meet you both." Cato nods toward them.

"We're going to guide you into the Games, give you a rundown and the advice that is going to save your life." Brutus informs us.

"But first, let's show you where you're going to be staying." Enobaria turns and we begin walking.

~

We step out of the elevator and into a large, ergonomic living room. The couches are a deep purple velvet, matching the drapes. There's a large, circular yellow rug in the middle and a giant television hanging on the wall above an electric fireplace with waving blue flames.

"This is the living space, the dining room is to your left, bedrooms to your right. Don't worry about a kitchen, you have several Avoxes at your aid ready to take orders." Enobaria tells us. A shiver runs down my spine as I glance over at the Avoxes in the corners of the room, they avoid my eyes in shame. I feel bad for them, they're completely helpless slaves to the Capitol. The only difference between me and them is that I still have my tongue.

"You'll find your clothes for tomorrow on your night stand, you'll train in them for the next three days. Now, any questions?" She crosses her arms over her chest and stands with confidence. I shake my head.

"I think we're all caught up. Thank you." Cato thanks her.

"Alright then, we'll see you tomorrow bright and early. Get some rest, the next few days are going to be exhausting." Brutus pats Cato on the shoulder and gives him a squeeze.

"Thank you." He says before the two of them get back into the elevator and disappear. Cato and I look at each other.

"So . . . need any help changing out of that dress?" Cato grins. I roll my eyes.

"Need any help taking your head out of your ass?" I scoff and walk to the bedroom labeled 'District 2 Female'. Inside I find a king-sized bed in black sheets and a floor-to-ceiling tall window. There's a large closet on the left and a bathroom on the right. I sigh and close the door before getting undressed. I throw the custom made costume on the floor without a care in the world, nothing is going to stop me from crawling into that expensive bed and passing out. I take the headpiece off and toss it beside the dress and slip off my heels. I couldn't be bothered to remove the makeup or brush my hair right now.

        I feel incredible as I slide my bare legs under the silk sheets and lay my head onto the cloud-like pillow. I've never felt more comfortable in such an unfortunate situation. Before I drift off to sleep, I find my thoughts landing on Cato. I can't help but think about what his life was like back in District 2. Does he have a family back home? Are his parents still alive? Does he have a girlfriend? Wait. Does he have a girlfriend? I try to shake the thought away, only to wander back to it. I try to imagine what kind of girl he would have; probably a tall, lean blonde with beautiful tanned skin and a rich daddy, something like Glimmer. I get a sick feeling in my stomach the more I think about it. I stand at a whopping 5 feet, I have dark hair, and freckled skin. I sigh, it doesn't matter anyway. I shouldn't be wasting my time comparing myself to someone who might not even be real. All I'm saying is, Cato's my district partner, nothing more than that. Suddenly, I come to a confrontation.

I want him to be more than that.