Part 2: The Games

Chapter 6: Recap & doubts

    We're escorted to the Training Center a little before midnight. This is our home/prison until the actual Games begin. So many emotions conflict through me as we enter the elevator and Cassius presses the number "5". We head up to our room, and I find it's just as rich as the train. I'm told that the food here's better than on the train. From the way Cardigan's smiling, I think we've pleased him on our quick thinking on remembering to turn on our wardrobe since he forgot.
    "Nice job with remembering the buttons, both of you. Now get to bed." He tells us.
    "Can't we at least watch the recap on the opening ceremonies?" Victor asks, nearly begging, as if reading my mind.
    For a moment he looks at us then mutters "Fine."
    Victor's stylist, Mercedes, gives us a reassuring smile. She seems to be the counter part for Cardigan. I wonder if Victor's tried hitting on her already.
    Here's a story I probably should've mentioned when Victor was first picked to compete in the Hunger Games. Ever since he's turned 13 he became quite cocky. You know, challenging other people and other crazy stuff. He was mainly known for at that age was for flirting with other girls. But here's the kicker, since he was seven he had a girlfriend with green eyes and brown hair, Jane Willone. All the time he'd ether be seen with her or another girl. Rumors had always spread fast around District 5 and we would know just by calling him "Ick Vic" because of how many girls he went through in a day. At some point he had decided that it was time to start on the younger girls who didn't know much about him. His range of ages was from 12 to 18, similar to the Reaping age limit for the Games.
    I was nine when he first tried hitting on me. Lizz, Ann, and Matt were tied up at home with a bunch of chores, which left me to get our Wednesday night haul all by myself right after school. I managed to get both game I'd taken down on my own and harvested greens, berries, nuts, and roots out in the woods. I'm always careful on doing this because some people don't like me risking my neck to keep my family from starving by hunting on forbidden ground. He tried talking about the hunted game I had caught, then tried to know how and why I was doing this. I didn't really say anything to him, but he must've took it the wrong way in thinking that I was shy. He reached for my hand. Of course, I slugged him in the gut with my little fist as hard as I could and sped off with the food.
    He's lessened, but hasn't quit trying to be the "main man" since. There's the rare occasion that I'll bump into him.
    I enter a room that will be mine until the Games begin. It's bigger than my house and even more luxurious. The showers are both similar, yet different than the ones at home. The shower has more than a hundred buttons that control various things from water temp and pressure all the way to massaging sponges. When you step on a mat next to the shower you're blow dried by heaters. Your hair is dried and combed by simply putting your hand on a box and a warm current goes through your scalp. I browse the closet for clothes that trigger my liking and remove my Reaping clothes for a plain black t-shirt and brown leggings, but I leave my shoes I wore at the Reaping on.
    I meet the rest of the group in a sitting room where we eat a meal of shrimp soup and watch the recap on the Tribute Parade. We all "Ahh!" When Victor and I are shown. We're both breathtakingly beautiful. Once it's over, Cardigan give both Victor and I pointed looks and tells us "get to bed, you both have training tomorrow." Reetha smiles at us as she tells us to "sleep well."
    Victor stops me at my doorway, leaning against the door frame in away that doesn't block me from entering, but in a way that I can't ignore him.
    "Fancy place, huh?" He says smoothing out his hair.
    "..." I don't say a word to him as I go right past him.
    "Oh, come on Rita. That's not the way to treat your fellow tribute, is it?"
    "Alright! Listen here you. If your gonna ask me to be your ally then forget it!" I hiss in a whisper turning to face him. "Among the twenty-four of us, only one of us comes out of that hellhole! Whether you like it or not, I promised my sister that I'd come home, and I intend on sticking to that!"
    "To bad it won't be you." Victor sneers, sounding just as bad as Tiff. "It's gonna be me or one of the others."
    "Why's that?"
    "You ain't the only one who can shoot with a bow. The Careers will be able to kill you before you get your hands on one, if they have it."
    "Oh shut up!" I snap before attempting to shut the door in his face. With one hand, he holds it open so that I can see his smirk.
    "If I were you," he almost purrs while I struggle to close the door, "If I were you, I'd get stronger in thoughts of your strategy on how you plan on winning."
    "Oh believe me I will!" I shout and force the door closed. I flop on the bed face first. I'm exhausted just from today. All the sadness, pretty make up, words of advice, everything's weighing on my shoulders. How will I sleep? I remove my shoes and leggings and snuggle in the bed. I try to find sleep, but it seems that sleep doesn't want to find me. So in the dark, the only light coming from the fancy lamp I've turned on, I fiddle with the golden heart necklace mom gave me. I rub my thumb over the smooth surface when I hear a faint click. Confused, I turn it to the side and now notice the small rectangular latch. I must've pushed it when I was rubbing it.
    Opening it forces me to keep back tears. On the left side has my smiling family including myself. My father, black haired, behind his glasses and twenty. My mother, blonde hair, blue eyes, and around twenty. My little sister Fiona, blonde hair, blue eyes, and only six. My two little brothers. Duncan, black hair, brown eyes, six and plain spunky. Klaus, brown hair, blue eyes, six and meek. The other side has Lizz, Ann, and Matt smiling. I miss them already. Surely they're missing me...
    All I can do for them is try to sleep. I'll need my strength to win these Games.