Determined Hearts | F. Odair

vi. care for you

68TH HUNGER GAMES
seven years ago

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"Is this the cupcake uprising?" Ripley's voice broke through the loud cheers that reverberated throughout the stadium. Glade turned away from the glamorous black horses being prepped for the tribute parade. The large seashell crown atop her head wobbled with the movement, and she glared at him. She knew exactly how ridiculous she looked engulfed in blue ruffles. His joke didn't help with the nerves that plagued her.

It only made her more aware of how much power President Snow had over her odds in the Games. How was she supposed to get sponsors or get people interested in her when she looked like a glittery ball of fabric? At least Ripley's outfit had a theme. He was dressed like a pirate with his silky, blue top, shell necklace, and crooked pirate hat. Even his pants that billowed out towards the end of his legs added to his look while Glade was left with strict guidelines. With the glittery makeup over his eyes, he didn't look like the thirteen-year-old he was. He didn't even look like the boy from the Reaping.

She rolled her eyes and broke away from him. Thinking about what all the stylists did to the tributes every year made her sick to her stomach. She especially didn't like thinking about how they furthered the illusion of the playboy Finnick Odair even before he won. He was a fourteen-year-old boy, and yet they took that away from him. She didn't want to think about what they would dress Maris in. Glade knew that it would only leave her wanting to claw someone's eyes out.

The District One tributes watched her from their spot three chariots down with the other two careers from District Two. Glitta gave her a smug look while Hermes merely glared at her. Despite the brief encounter they had on the way to their dressing rooms, they didn't like her. Even District Two, who she was certain were named Alana and Dax, weren't too fond of her with the way they were glaring daggers at her. Having the relative of a Victor tipped the scales of who Capitol people were willing to sponsor.

Talisa explained to her on the train ride all of her advantages compared to the rest of the kids that were reaped. Though reaping a child of a previous Hunger Games winner was unthinkable cruelty, it had been done a few times before. Each time they were among the Capitol favorites for that year. Sponsors poured in. People rooted for them. Unfortunately, Mags Flannagan wasn't a generally well liked Victor. Love for her faded over time, so they had come up with something else.

They would emphasize her friendship with Finnick for sponsors. Everyone adored him, and if he adored her, then people would open up their wallets without hesitation. With that alone, Glade had a leg up over everyone else. It made sense why the careers would see her as a threat. Having sponsors helped more than knowing how to fight ever did, and there was only so many to go around.

Looking around at the other districts, she realized how many tributes were no older than fifteen. The twenty-four of them were pretty evenly divided this year, which couldn't be a coincidence. Typically, it was older kids who had their names in more, so they always outnumbered the few kids reaped after their first or second eligible year. She knew they had already rigged the Reaping for Maris, so it couldn't be a coincidence. It had to have been planned.

Some Gamemakers sat together and plotted a new twist to the games before revealing the mutts Finnick told them about. She felt it in her bones.

That's why, when District Three gave her nervous smiles as she passed them, she smiled back. They were both around the same age as Maris and Ripley. The girl was short with a freckled face. She kept picking at the accessories in her blazing red hair. The boy wasn't too much taller than her. His ebony skin had been painted with green lines, the look obviously had been inspired by the technology his district made. They wouldn't stand a chance with how young and small they were.