𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 ☘︎ 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞

𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 ☘︎ 7

I walked through to the rest of the team eating dinner, but for some reason, Austin isn't there, when I ask Haymitch, he couldn't care less.

"He's in his room," he shrugs, then moves on to more important things. "Now, listen, tomorrow's the last day, and they let us work with our own tributes right before the games so you and I will be going down at nine."

The last step before the games. The interviews Ceasar Flickerman will sit upon a stage with thousands upon thousands of Capitol members below him, and one by one host the twenty four tributes.

Yet to me Haymitch has missed out something vital.

"What about Austin?"

"Oh, he says he wants to be trained on his own from now on."

I take a moment to digest this. "What?"

"This kinda thing does happen at this point, there's only only one winner, right?" Haymitch says.

As Effie tries to break the tension ranting about chocolate covered strawberries, I'm trying to figure out whether I'm too shocked to be pleased, or too pleased to be shocked.

☘︎☘︎☘︎

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your master of ceremonies, Ceasar Flickerman!"

I watch backstage on the TV as Ceasar gets up and everyone does an exorbitant amount of clapping. "Thank you! Thank you! Welcome to the Seventy fourth annual Hunger Games!"

More clapping. They're cheering for kids to get beaten to death, I think disgustedly.

"In a minute they're all going to be out! All the tributes you've heard about! Aren't you excited!"

Cinna pulls me aside then to put the finishing touches on my dress. It's beautiful. Red, strapless and sparkly. But I don't feel like myself in it.

I twirl for Cinna, revealing a secret that I'm going to save for later. "Amazing," my stylist smiles softly as he comments.

I look to him. "I don't feel amazing."

"Don't you know how beautiful you look?"

"No! And I don't know how to make people like me, how d'you make people like you?"

"You made me like you," Cinna shrugs and stands up.

I roll my eyes. "That's different, I wasn't trying."

"Exactly," Cinna puts a strand of my beautifully braided hair in place. "Just be yourself, I'll be there the whole time, and pretend you're talking to me. Okay?"

He gets a barely whispered "okay" back.

I head back through to the line of tributes waiting to go just in time to see District One come out.

"Let's see if she does indeed shine, let have a warm round of applause for Glimmer!"

"...So, Glimmer, are you prepared?"

"Yes, Ceasar, I am very prepared."

I see the other careers rolling their eyes at her from where I'm standing.

The boy from District One who I find out is Marvel, is very arrogant, even cheering himself when he's about finished.

Clove and Cato from District Two go next. I miss most of Clove's interview but I get some of Cato's.