11. “Not a Weak Link after All.”

       It seemed being a grouch was becoming a regular thing for me. It was going to have to stop soon, because I’d need to look cheery when I’d get interviewed. I was so glad that day wasn’t today.

Today, despite how irritable I felt, I was determined to focus on two things: to do my best in front of the Gamemakers and show Johanna that I could win the Hunger Games just as much as Daniel could. I had nothing against Dan since he knew of Johanna’s meaning behind their private talks only since last night.

            I sat on the edge of my bed, weary. I wanted to fall back on the bed and sleep forever. I felt like I needed it desperately. But I knew if I did try and go back to sleep, somebody—most likely Jade—would barge in and persistently annoy me until I got my lazy ass out of bed.

            I did my normal routine of showering and getting myself ready. I wanted to feel like I had the support of my family behind me even though they weren’t with me. I checked my wrist for Dad’s bracelet. Yup, still there. Of course, I knew my family supported me all the way from the moment I was reaped for the Games, despite how depressing the situation was to them and to me.

            I didn’t want to lose this bracelet; it was the only thing that reminded me of my mom, dad, and my brother. Losing this token would be like losing a part of me, and that was something I never wanted to have happen. I had never took it off since I had put it on, so I had a feeling the only way I’d lose it was if it slipped off my wrist or it somehow broke. I wanted neither of those things to happen. I wanted to keep it safe, as if it was my life.

            My hair was still wet and slightly dripping when I emerged into the main area of the apartment. Today the whole “family” was here: Alden and Harper decided to join us once again. Today, Harper’s outfit matched her hair. Her eye shadow was the same color. This woman dared to go all one solid color. Jade was in an aquamarine color outfit today, which was a change from the darker blue I’d seen her wear.

            Johanna was nowhere in sight, and I was glad for that. Yet, Daniel wasn’t present either, so he was probably talking to Johanna. I didn’t like that, Johanna pulling him away from me. It shattered my trust in Dan for a little bit, only because he failed to tell me about the private conversations he had with our mentor.

            “There’s our shining star,” Harper sang as I took my seat beside Alden. “How are you feeling today?”

            “Okay.” Consciously, I tested my nose and jaw. My jaw throbbed a little bit, but my nose felt fine. I was happy that it hadn’t been broken—that wouldn’t have given the Gamemakers a good first impression…or maybe it would have. Who knows? Maybe a battered tribute would show the Gamemakers ferocity. “I’m a little nervous for later on.”

            “Oh, you’ll do fine,” Alden snorted, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Just don’t be nervous. Everything will go right. Besides, it’s not like you’re going last. The Gamemakers will pay attention to you.”

            “Why wouldn’t they?” I asked curiously.

            “Usually after a while they start drinking and soon become too drunk to even care about what the tribute currently performing does,” Jade said in disgust. “Some of them are total pigs. If they had any decency, there should be a limit as to how much alcohol they consume. I feel bad for the districts on the lower end of the spectrum, because they go towards the end. By then, the Gamemakers don’t have a care in the world about them.”

            “That’s ignorant,” I gasped.

            “That’s how it goes.” Jade shrugged. “Now, stop the talking and start eating.”

            Well, if I didn’t eat soon, odds were I probably wouldn’t eat anything at all if nerves consumed me.

I started picking at what I could. It was a good distraction for me, taking my mind off of Johanna’s and Daniel’s absence. A few times I listened in on Harper and Alden whispering ideas back and forth—something about the interview outfits for Dan and me. It better be a simpler dress, I thought. As much as I loved the first outfit, I’m just being interviewed. I had to make a note of seeing Alden later about my interview dress. I could see Jade shifting her eyes to them both, trying to look like she wasn’t listening in.

            After fifteen minutes on nibbling on the bare minimum, Daniel crossed the threshold of the apartment, Johanna trailing after him. I snorted. I guessed right, Johanna was talking to her favorite tribute. The spark of hatred I felt at the moment wasn’t intended for Dan but for Johanna. She was so biased it made me sick. She had to have some faith in me, I wasn’t worthless. I could at least throw a hatchet and know some ways to kill somebody if I had enough strength and a sick mind to do it.

            I left the table and stalked back into my room, not even bothering to acknowledge either of them. I would have looked at Dan, but then my eyes probably would have been on Johanna. I slid my door shut and stood out on the balcony of our floor. It wasn’t as good of a view as it was at night, but the Capitol was still pretty amazing to look at. My arms rested on the railing. I decided to look down but snapped my head back up. I didn’t know why I did such a stupid thing when I despised heights.

            I messed with the bracelet on my wrist. I sighed, my thoughts drifted back to District 7. I missed the trees that surrounded my house. I missed the awkward silence between Dad and me. I missed my mother as well and how close we had been before she passed so suddenly…

            I still wasn’t used to the Capitol. It was only a few days since we had nested here on our district floor, and I felt homesick. No matter how comfortable I felt, I would still always get that pang of homesickness.

            Somebody made their presence known, because my door swished open. I didn’t turn around, but I listened to the person approaching. The steps sounded heavy, so I assumed it was either Alden or Daniel, but my bets were on Dan.

            “Should I leave now before you attack me?” he teased. Yup, it was Dan all right.

            “Nah, you can stay,” I told him, still looking out at the Capitol view. He came to stand by my side, his arms on the railing of the balcony as well. “It’s not as pretty as it is at night.”

            “The view?”

            “Yeah. So…what’d she haul you away for this time?” I went straight to interrogation mode.

            “Just the simple stuff: remember what I’m skilled at and show that I’m a force to be reckoned with.” I saw him shrug from the corner of my eye.

            “But I thought she told us that we needed a score that would keep us under the radar that was sufficient enough for us both?”

            “Johanna tends to change her mind a lot, doesn’t she?”

            “I wouldn’t know, because she and I don’t talk like you and her do.” My voice was bitter.

            “It’s not my fault.”

            “I know it isn’t. I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you think. I just hate the fact that she thinks I won’t be any good out in the arena, because I am anything but a warrior when she looks at me.”

            “Bri, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you would rather yourself put in harm’s way if it meant a person you loved stayed safe. Johanna suspected you were a family girl, but not a protective one. What you did yesterday even surprised me.”

            I looked at him. A gentle breeze blew my hair gently around me. “You were surprised?” I asked back in surprise.

            “Of course.” He went a little red in the face. “I mean, no offense, but I thought I was going to have to face Eric myself. I could have handled him if you hadn’t stepped in his way.”

            “Oh, I know that,” I said. “But you would have come out looking like I had—or much worse. I didn’t want that for you.”

            “I don’t exactly approve of what injures you sustained after that,” he retorted.

             “It’s not like he broke me, Dan. Sure, my jaw still hurts a little bit, but that’ll go away in time.” I turned my attention back on the Capitol. There was a moment’s silence between us. “So…are you going to tell me what you’re doing for presentation later?”

            “Oh. That. Ha, I almost forgot to tell you. I would have told you last night, but it wasn’t a good time to.” He laughed dryly. I looked at him again, waiting patiently for his answer. “It seems I’ve become quite good with a knife, not to mention when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. I know how to make a shelter as well.”

            “Wow, you’ve been busy,” I noted. “I’ve only been focusing on just ax wielding and a bit of boxing, and I attempted the Ropes Course once.”

            “Eh, I’ve got more pressure than you, Bri, so I wouldn’t worry too much,” he told me.

            “How much time do we have left still, do you know?”

            “I’d say an hour or two, why?”

            “I still need to fix my hair.” The wind had dried it, now it was all frizzy and puffy. I hated when my hair was like that, because it was my bed head. Dan laughed at me. “What’s so funny?”

            “Rather than being worried about later today, you’re worried about your hair of all things?” he snickered.

            “When you’re a girl, appearance matters,” I snorted. “Besides, I’d like to see where I’m aiming when I throw the hatchet.”

            “Do you want to go back out and join the others?” he suggested.

            “Sure, but I’m keeping my distance from Johanna,” I said quickly. I still didn’t want to be around her. I bet none of the other district mentors acted like her. Right now, I wished I had any other mentor.

            The table had been cleaned up from breakfast, and Alden and Harper were close together again, whispering to each other. I sometimes wondered if they were actually a couple, but I dismissed it. They seemed so different: Harper was peppy; Alden was a laid-back kind of person who got very serious in his work. But there was a saying ‘opposites attract.’ Did I believe in such a thing?

It depended on which people we were talking about.

            Daniel and I plopped on the couch, being lazy while we could. Johanna had disappeared which I was really grateful for. My muscles relaxed and my anger dissolved quickly. Jade was at the opposite end of the couch, filing her nails.

            “Are you seriously going with your hair like that, Bridget?” Harper piped. I jumped, looking over my shoulder at her.

            “Umm…not really,” I said. “I know, I know, it looks bad. But I don’t know what to do with it!”

            “Calm down. Let me take care of it for you.” She ran her fingers through my thick hair. “I think a simple braid will do. No need to get fancy with the hairdo if it’s just showing off in front of the Gamemakers.”

            I let Harper take rein of my hair while I sat patiently, having Dan’s head in my lap. He was sprawled out along the couch. His eyes were closed, probably trying to catch a quick nap while he could. I combed my fingers through his hair softly, like I was tousling a little kid’s. His hair was tamer than Ewan’s by a lot. Ewan…

            I wondered how he was doing. Was the Kinsley family doing okay, knowing that one of their sons was slowly being trained and prepped for the fight for his life in the days to come? Were they coming together with my family, so they could all face the horror together? Was Ewan still not talking to Ariel?

Reminders of District 7, whether smells, sights, or people, kept popping into my head more often than I thought they would.

            My main concern in the Kinsley family was Ewan. I mean, Daniel was his twin. They did pretty much everything together. It had to be painful for him, knowing that his brother—and his best friend, I can’t forget about me—were chosen for a horrible event to partake in. I now wondered if Dan was feeling homesick just as much as I was. He probably was—he just wasn’t going to admit it.

            “Dan,” I whispered. His eyes popped open; those sea blue-gray eyes were so identical to his brother’s. “Do you ever think about home?”

            “Of course,” he said immediately. “Why?”

            “I’ve just been thinking about it a lot lately. I miss everybody.”

            “Don’t worry, Bri, you aren’t alone there.”

            “There, all done,” Harper piped. I tentatively touched Harper’s work. It felt neat enough.

            “Thanks,” I told her.

            “I think it’s time you two headed down to the Training Center now. It’s better not to be late,” Alden told us.

I looked down at Dan. “Do you want to head down now?” I asked him.

            “Might as well.” He shrugged.

            Daniel leapt off me, and we both exited our district apartment to head down to the elevators. We were quiet the entire ride down.

The room before the Training Center itself was semi-packed with tributes. The Careers were already in the waiting room—no surprise there. We made sure to sit far away from them as possible. Within five minutes, the remaining missing tributes filed in.

            We all waited quietly. There was a tense silence. I tried not to look around too much at the other tributes, but it was hard not to. I quickly skimmed over the Career pack, catching a glimpse of the stink eye Kaya was giving me when she thought I wasn’t looking. I flinched when Dan took my hand. He had to have sensed my anxiety; either that or I was shaking.

            Two doors slid open, exposing an expert. He explained to us the rules: that we’d start with District 1, that we girls went before our counterparts, and that once we were done with our showing off, we were allowed to leave and head back to our apartments. We all gave a nod of understanding, and he called Kaya up first. She looked eager to show her stuff as she flitted to the doors. At least I wouldn’t get to see her nasty gaze at me for a while.

            Some tributes went quicker than others. Eric, Sutton, and Meeka all seemed to get done quickly. The waiting room became considerably emptier, but despite having no archenemies that I knew of glaring at me malevolently, I was still hyped up on anxiety. I was sure the Careers were going to be given high scores. Rarely was there a Career that had an average or horrible one.

            “Bridget Melina,” the expert called. My heart skipped a beat in terror. This is it, I thought, panicking.

            “You’ll do fine,” Dan whispered to me. I gave him a wary look, and he gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before I rose and released his hand.

Once the door creaked shut behind me, I felt the sudden urge to flee the room. Don’t you dare! You need to prove to the Gamemakers and Johanna that you can fight!

 I strolled deeper into the Training Center to find relief: a few hatchets, an ax, and a few dummies. This was the perfect setup for me. Now all I had to do was hit the dummies as accurately as possible. I looked up at where the Gamemakers all sat. From what I saw, they looked sober for the most part. There were a few that looked a little red from all that they drank. As long as I had one sober Gamemaker really judging me, I was content.

            All eyes were set on me. Don’t panic, just say your name and district, I thought calmly.

            “Bridget Melina, District Seven,” I squeaked. Nobody dared asked me to speak again, so I assumed my voice echoed up to their level.

I immediately examined the hatchets with haste. In total, there were four hatchets and one ax. I’d save the big boy for last.

 I took the smallest hatchet first, testing its weight. I surveyed the five dummies set at different distances from me. Since the hatchets were lighter, I figured I’d hit the dummies farthest away from me.

Biting my tongue lightly, I drew back my arm and threw the hatchet. It soared into the air, nailing the third farthest dummy from me in the neck. I let out a small breath of relief. So far I was one for one. Time to make it two for two.

            I grabbed the next hatchet. This one felt a little heavier but still manageable. I sunk that one into the fourth farthest dummy from me, almost exactly where a person’s heart would be. Hatchets three and four sunk into the wrong dummies. They both dug into the dummies closest to me. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly.

I looked at the ax. I hadn’t really had much time with axes, because I wanted to build strength in my arm with hatchets. This was my ultimate test. If I could nail this, the Gamemakers would have to give me a decent score for it. After all, how many tributes—especially girl tributes—have they seen that wield an ax and chuck it, landing it in the dummy farthest from her?

            My arm was crying in pain from the previous four throws, but it wasn’t burning in pain. As long as the pain was tolerable, I’d push through. I squinted my eyes to focus on the dummy farthest from me. Just pretend it’s Johanna…or better yet, pretend it’s Kaya.

 I liked that idea.

            With a little bit of a cry, I flung the ax. I tensed up immediately, just waiting to see it bite into the dummy. Joy rippled through me when I saw the ax sink into the dummy’s chest. It took a lot of will power to prevent myself from jumping up and down in joy. I looked up at the Gamemakers. A few of them seemed pleased. You better be. I’m feeling the pain in my arm.

            I gave a half bow before exiting through a different door. Immediately I headed back up to the elevators and arrived at the apartment. Jade, Harper, and Alden all jumped up from the couch and skittered to me.

            “How’d it go?” Jade asked.

            “I was pretty pleased with my performance,” I said.

            “What did the Gamemakers think?” Harper chirped.

            “Some seemed impressed.” I grinned.

            “That’s good to hear,” Alden noted. “What score are you hoping for?”

            “Something like an eight, but a seven I can live with.”

            “Is Daniel still down at the Training Center?” Harper asked.

            “Yeah, I’m sure he’s in the middle of his stunts or just finishing up.”

            “Actually, I’m finished,” Dan sang. I wheeled around, and my smile grew bigger. “I’m assuming you did well, Bri.”

            “I think I did. What about you?”

            “I think I did okay. I got beat up in the combat.” He shrugged. “Everything else went fine.”

            “So, now what do we do?” I asked, looking from face to face.

            “You wait until tonight,” chimed Johanna, who stood up from the couch. I hadn’t even seen her there. “Enjoy your free time, Bridget, you too, Daniel. We’ll let you know when they televise the scores. For now, I suggest getting a good nap in.”

            Well, Johanna seemed to be willing to try and communicate with me again. If she heard everything I had just said, she had to have gained some respect for me. But that wouldn’t be guaranteed until the scores would be televised.

            A nap sounded really good. I retired to my bedroom.

*      *       *

            I felt a little more refreshed after I had taken a nap. I still wasn’t good enough to talk to Johanna, but I felt a little happier than I had been for a few days. I didn’t eat dinner only because my nerves prevented me from doing so. Ever since I had woken up, my score popped into my head. What would it be? Was ax throwing not enough to impress the Gamemakers? Well, it impressed some of them. I can’t be disappointed in myself. I did everything I wanted to, and it worked out fine. I couldn’t be pessimistic about my training score, because seeing some of the Gamemaker’s faces show approval gave me confidence that I at least got a six.

            It was nine o’clock at night on the spot when the scores were being announced. All of us gathered on the couch. I was squished between Jade and Daniel, Alden next to Jade, Harper next to Daniel, Johanna next to Jade. We were all silent, practically leaning forward eagerly and anxiously to hear the scores.

            Claudius Templesmith and Caesar Flickerman provided the scores like they always did. It looked like Caesar’s color choice for the final Hunger Games was a fiery orange. He looked like a pumpkin the way the color portrayed him. Or he could have looked like a carrot. Claudius looked like he always did. It was hard to tell how old those men really were. They didn’t look like they really aged a day, and that’s what scared me. They’d been around for quite a while commentating during the Hunger Games.

            Claudius and Caesar took six districts each, going back and forth; announcing the scores with the men’s first followed by the women’s. Kaya and Eric both received nines, Meeka and Sutton also with nines. Typical. Careers almost always got numbers on the higher end of the scale.

The girl of District 3 got a five. It was evident that her skill didn’t involve anything that the Gamemakers allowed us to train with in the Training Center.  The scores before Dan and me (minus District 4, both received solid eights) ranged from a four to a six. The numbers seemed average enough.

            “There must not be a lot of tributes with adequate skills,” Alden murmured.

            “Shh, they’re next!” Harper squeaked. Alden rolled his eyes.

            “Now for District Seven,” Caesar said. He scanned his paper. “Daniel Kinsley…” We all held our breath. “Eight.”

            I grinned at Dan as Harper gave him a hug. Despite supposedly screwing up in one area, he managed to get a good score. I bet Johanna was proud of that.

            “Bridget Melina…” I grabbed Jade’s hand and Dan’s. “Seven.”

A seven? I thought I’d at least get an eight, like Dan did. I mean, come on, it took a lot of strength to throw all those hatchets and that ax! But, I really couldn’t complain, because a seven was a good score. However, it is just above the average, which kind of bothered me. Another point up would have sufficed.

            “Hmm, not bad, kid,” Johanna muttered. I had a feeling she’d commend me more on my score soon.

            The rest of the scores were low as well. The District 11 girl got a ten, which was the highest of everybody’s. With a score that high, no doubt the Careers would gun for her. Rarely did Careers ever accept outside members who were as strong as them. Even if she did go into the pack, they’d dispose of her when she wasn’t needed anymore.

            Once the scores were said and done, Alden shut off the TV. He and Jade looked from Johanna to me.

            “I’ve got to admit,” Johanna sighed, “you’re not a weak link after all.” She gave a tiny smile, giving me some respect. I totally earned it. “Maybe I was wrong about you, Bridget. I’m glad to say you’ve proven me wrong.”

            “That’s not a compliment she gives often,” Jade whispered to me. “Savor it while you can.”

I giggled.

            “I think those scores are fairly given,” Harper mused. “You both earned them.”

            “Big time,” I breathed, leaning against the couch. “Now I’ve got some time to relax and just be myself.”

            Johanna chuckled. My head snapped to her.

            “You think I’m just going to let you and Daniel lie around and be lazy bums until the Games?” she asked. “You’re mistaken. You two are to be taken under my wing for interviews.”

            “Interviews.” The word rolled off my mouth. “Can’t we just get one day to ourselves?”

            “Nope, you need to be in good shape for the interviews as well.”

            “Oooh, I want to help with this!” Harper squeaked, bouncing on the couch. “Please?”

            “I guess more help wouldn’t hurt,” Johanna said uneasily. “But you have to divide your time, you know.”

            “If you’re talking about Danny’s outfit, that’s all taken care of.”

            “Harper,” Dan moaned.

            “Oops, I called you that nickname again, didn’t I?”

            “Is there a lot that’s going to go into this interview?” I asked warily.

            “There’s nothing to it if you do it right. Don’t worry; Caesar will help you out if you get nervous. You’ll be fine,” Johanna told me. “But, for now, it’s time you went to bed. These next eight days are going to help you win over the people of Panem.”

            Harper and Jade gave me hugs goodnight, as did Dan. We all parted ways. That night in bed, I fell asleep quickly, a small smile playing on my lips as I descended into whatever dream my subconscious had in store for me.