There's Nothing More Important than Family, chapter 9

When I am eating the next morning, Sean marches in and confirms what I’ve been dreading about later. “Today, you will be having your private sessions. This is when you will go in alone and show the gamemakers what you can do. This is your chance to light fires and throw weights and whatever else you’re good at. When every tribute from every district is done, they’ll assign you a training score, from 1-12. 1 is horrible, 12 is impossible. This will affect the sponsors and whether or not they’ll want to sponsor you.”

I play with my oatmeal boredly. It’s stupid that Sean is explaining this, since they have the Games every year and we already know the protocol. I feel like there is a lot of unnecessary explaining and repeating in the Capitol. The Hunger Games has gone on for thirty-five years and I’ve been forced to watch every year of my life. After twelve years, you tend to remember how things work.

I know I’ll only get a two or a three. I’m barely twelve years old, and I can’t do anything very well, except light a fire. Unless they think I’m a pyromaniac, they’ll score me low because I’m useless. The Careers always get around 8-10 as their scores, so I wonder what Nathan will get. He’s so big and strong, I’m sure it will be high.

I can’t eat any more. I push the grey glop-in-a-bowl away from me, as far away as I can. Even in the Capitol, oatmeal is gross. “Remember to show them the obstacle course.” Nathan reminds me. “You’re really good at it. I think you were the best at it, after Breah.” I nod half-heartedly.

“That’s news to me.” Says Olivia. “What else can Zania do?”

“Well she’s a whiz at recognizing edible plants. And after Georgie gave her a few pointers, she was doing alright with the swords.”

“Good. Very good.” Says Sean.

“It won’t matter!” I cry. “I’m not as good as the other tributes! It just won’t matter.”

“Zania, they don’t compare you to the other tributes.” Olivia explains. “If you’re good at something, but someone else is better, they won’t score you low just because you’re not as good. If you are good, they’ll score you accordingly.”

“Whatever.” I grumble. Just so I can have something else to complain about, I say, “Why hasn’t Kerany dragged me off to be dressed up yet?”

“She’s feeling a little under the weather.” Palana replies. “She also wants to be ready for the interviews. She says your dress will be divine, and I for one can’t wait to see it! I wish Kerany would design my clothes!”

“She’s sick.” I repeat, ignoring the other half of Palana’s statement. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”

I leave the cold oatmeal lying on the table and hurry up to my room. Since I can’t find anything better to wear, I wear the black bodysuit Kerany designed, but skip the makeup and put my hair into a high ponytail. My token is secured around my head. I get quite a few compliments from my crew, and Nathan beams at me. “Nice to finally see my sister coming to training.” He says.

When we get to the training level, some of the trainers stop us at the door, and forcefully tell us to sit down on benches in the hall. Mahogany is sitting closest to the door, since they are calling us in by district, males first. I sit in between Nathan and Mark, but I feel bad for the boy from 3 who has to sit beside Vella.

We’re called in one by one. With every tribute called, I get progressively more anxious. Each session is around fifteen to twenty minutes long, so I know my session will be after lunch. By the time it is lunch, only six tributes have gone in.

We are permitted to eat in the cafeteria, but we don’t talk. Jason sits with the Careers. He told me it would tip them off if he sat with us. I know he has a point, and even from our table on the other side of the room, I can see him eyeing them murderously when they aren’t looking.

I still don’t eat, although I know I should since I hardly ate any breakfast. I admit, I am hungry, but I couldn’t swallow a bite if I tried. No one else seems to be eating much either. Hassan orders us back to the benches, and he says that if we are done our session, we can return to our apartments. I breathe a little easier when Dane and the others are gone. Jason is called in next, and my anxiety shoots through the roof. I wait for an hour, then another on the uncomfortable wooden benches. It’s three o’clock when Hassan calls Georgie in, and I realize Nathan is next, then me. I am literally shaking in my seat. Nathan pats me on the back reassuringly.

“Roberts, Nathan.” Calls Hassan gruffly.

“Good luck.” I mumble.

“See you on the other side.” Laughs Mark nervously, and Nathan winks.

It feels like Nathan is in there hours longer than anyone else. I worry about what must be going on. After an eternity, Nathan leaves, looking somewhat confident, and Hassan calls my name.

I walk slowly into the empty training room. Most of the gamemakers look bored and are focusing more on the food than me, although the Head Gamemaker and a few others seem mildly interested.

“Name?” one of them calls.

“Zania Roberts.” I cry. “District 9.”

“Proceed.”

I start by setting a fire. They have matches, but I’m used to using flint and steel at home, so I use that instead. I have a roaring campfire going in a matter of seconds. A few of the gamemakers who are scribbling something on their clipboards. I get through the obstacle course quicker than I did on the first day, but I stumble a couple times. To finish off the session, I pass the edible plants test with flying colours. Finally, the Head Gamemaker tells me I can leave.

I wave to Addalie and Breah on my way to the elevator. When I reach the 9^th floor, Nathan is waiting with our mentors.

“The scores won’t be televised until seven o’clock.” Palana informs us. “That’s in four hours.”

“What are we going to do until then?” Nathan groans.

“Well, you could start by telling us what you did during your session.” Suggests Olivia.

“I threw a couple medicine balls, and showed them what I could do with a trident and a sword. Then they told me I could leave.” Nathan recounts.

“What were they’re reactions?” Sean asks.

“Lots of them weren’t paying attention, but the ones who were seemed impressed when I threw the weights. I wasn’t really watching them when I was using the sword and trident.”

“That’s okay; it’s good you were focusing.” Olivia smiles. I know they want me to speak now.

“I set a fire, went through the obstacle course and did the edible plants test.” I say simply.

“You’re gonna have to give us more than that!” cries Sean in frustration. “How do you think you did? How did he gamemakers react?”

“I built a fire pretty quickly and they started writing things down. I did the obstacle course pretty well; I only stumbled once or twice. And I got all the questions right on the edible plants test. The gamemakers just looked really bored. They weren’t watching me most of the time.”

“That’s just rude!” exclaims Palana and I think I hear Olivia laugh quietly.

“They usually get bored around District 5.” Sean tells us. “I remember when I was mentoring you, Olivia, and you told me they were singing a drinking song!”

Olivia smirks. “Yeah. At my games, the gamemakers were all drunks!”

“Don’t talk about them that way!” scoffs Palana. “Reginald was very nice, and he was a very good Head Gamemaker. It was a tragedy when he died!”

“How’d he die?” Nathan asks.

“The Capitol hung him.” Sean says bluntly. “The year after Olivia’s game, he was too drunk to come up with any good ideas, so everything, from the arena to the mutts, was exactly the same as the year before.”

“Pleasant, isn’t it?” jokes Olivia. I’m thankful that I had different gamemakers than Olivia did, although it might’ve been funny.

We have dinner at six. Kerany joins us, and she shows no sign of ever being sick. She’s as haughty and vain as ever. Moray’s there too. I haven’t spoken to him ever, but he seems much more reasonable than Kerany.

At seven, we gather around the television, and Sean turns it on. We started watching in the nick of time. Caesar Flickerman, the host of the Hunger Games, is on the screen, explaining training scores. Every year, his hair, makeup and clothes are a different colour. This year, it’s pale green, so he looks like he’s about to vomit.

“Let’s get started!” he says with a smile, and I give him my undivided attention. “From District 1, Mahogany, with a training score of 9. And Satin, with a score of 9 as well.” Each time he calls a tributes name, a picture of them (just a simple headshot) is shown on the screen, with their training score underneath. Caesar continues, “From District 2: Dane, who has a score of 10…and Vella, with a score of 9! District 3’s Colby has a score of 5, and Maria also has a score of 5. From District 4, we have Jason, with a score of 10…And Kelly with a score of…11! “
I don’t know why I’m surprised Kelly got and 11. She is rather good with her knives. But 11 is just so high.
I miss the scores from 5 and the boy from 6, but I tune in just long enough to hear Payla get a 9. Great.

“District 7!” Caesar goes on. “Xavier: 8. Sahra: 4.” Just like the gamemakers, at about District 5, Caesar gets bored, and usually cuts down on his words. “From District 8. Carter: 5 and Georgie: 8.” I silently applaud Georgie in my head, but my heart skips a beat, because I know what district is next. “From District 9: Nathan, 8!” I give Nathan a congratulatory hug. “And Zania, 6.” I beam, and Nathan gives a ‘whoop’ of approval. I never expected to get a score that high. “District 10!” drones Caesar. “Mark: 6! Addalie: 6!” I can tell he’s trying to rush the last scores. “District 11: Harvey, 5; Breah, 7. And last, but certainly not least, District 12: Luca with a score of 4, and Colleen with a score of 3.” Caesar puts down his papers in a neat pile. “Great job, tributes! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!”