A Different Side- Glimmer (Hunger Games)

Chapter 2

When Glitter left, I expected to be loaded on to a Capitol train. But two minutes after, nothing happened. I awkwardly played with the lace of my white Reaping dress. It was a shimmering gown that went down to my ankles. My hair was in two braids and I had a white flower clip on the right side of my head. I thought I looked ridiculous before. Now I felt beautiful.

Suddenly, the automatic door swung open. Emerald stood at the doorway.

I smiled. "Are you rooting for me?" I asked, hoping for some kind of cheer-up.

"Rooting for you to die!" she spat. What? I couldn't move. My own best friend...

"Get out!" I shrieked without realizing. "Out! Now!"

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

"No! Leave! You're not my best friend anymore!" I yelled. Tears poured down her freckled cheeks.

"I... I didn't mean to say that..." she looked torn. Like she wanted to tell me something but couldn't. She kept looking at the floor and twittled her thumbs, which is what she did when she was keeping a secret. She... she didn't think I could win! She thought I wasn't coming back!

"GO AWAY!" I raged, furious. How dare she think that! I was a winner, just as good as Glitter!

"No! Glimmer-"

"LEAVE!" I pushed Emerald to the ground, enraged. I saw the fear in her eyes as she looked up at me. Peacekeepers dressed in white blocked me from lunging at her again, and she scrambled to her feet. I screamed, frustrated, and another Peacekeeper escourted her out.

As soon as my ex-best friend was out of sight, I felt deflated. Like a balloon that just released everything it had and was now flat. Flopping onto the couch, Micka burst in and blasted me up.

"Let's go, let's go!" she called. I had no choice but to follow, since more Peacekeepers kept me from running the other way.

The train was amazing. More than I ever dreamed. Even though District 1 was one of the wealthier districts, producing luxuries for the Capitol, we had nothing compared to this.

Glass, china, silk, satin... every type of expensive element imaginable. Marvel seemed amazed, too, because his mouth was open and he wasn't beating on his chest like a gorilla.

Micka was sitting at a table with every type of food I knew and some I didn't. Lamb stew. Hot chocolate. Pineapple sorbet. Mint green soup. Buttered rolls...

Maybe the Capitol was a city of selfish jerks who didn't have to sacrifice their children to the Hunger Games. Who also dressed strangely and had stupid accents. But they were rich.

Whatever. Marvel sat down and began stuffing his face... pig. Micka looks disgusted, but pretends he's just a small nusense.

"You know how many victors there are?" Micka asks between bites. We look at her, not sure how to reply.

"Twenty seven," she answers herself in a matter-of-fact sort of way. "That's a lot. We have more victors than any other district; beating Two by only three." District 2 was masonry. Them and District 1 train there kids specifically for the Hunger Games. That's why both our districts have won more than half the time. To the other districts, we're called the Careers, since it's almost our job to kill in the games. District 4 used to do the same thing. I'm not sure why they stopped.

I'm about to plan a strategy when, of course, Glitter walks in, completely drunk. So is the other menot who comes staggering in, not at all prepared to train us to kill 23 other people. Oh, joy...