𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 · 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐈

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

~"notice how they're saying my name first?"~

The chariot pulls out into the city. There are cheers of "ODAIR!" as soon as they catch sight of us. Okay, I guess.

Reed and I do as Cinna said, joining hands and raising them above our heads. The crowd goes crazy, and after finding Reed's last name on the program, start a new chant. "Odair! Herdin! Odair! Herdin!"

I realize that this whole time my dress has slowly began lighting up. A radiant, glowing blue has been inching its way up, starting from the bottom, slowly illuminating me. It's at my knee now.

The chanting continues. "ODAIR!!! HERDIN!!!"

"Notice how they're saying my name first?" I jokingly mutter to Reed.

"Watch this," Reed mutters back. He slings an arm over my shoulder and punches a fist into the sky.

"HHEERRDDIINN!!!" The crowd screeches.

"What were you saying?" Reed asks me, flashing a smile at me.

All of a sudden, another new chant starts. "ODEN!" It takes me a second to figure out.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." 

"Do they know you're fourteen?" Reed asks.

"Yes. It's in the program. I don't think they care, though." I say. "Although, it didn't stop them with Finnick, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"This is messed up," Reed says.

"Yeah, well, they're not going to stop," I say. For some reason, this really upsets me.

"Well, they're probably going to get tired of chanting soon. The ride's twenty minutes."

Yeah, he's wrong. The whole rest of the ride, all the people latch on to "Oden!" and don't let go. They chant it. The. Whole. Time. And I have to stand there and smile. By the time we get to the City Circle, I'm pretty upset.

Out of respect for President Snow, they finally shut up as we come to a stop outside the presidential mansion. President Snow stands on his balcony and gives his official welcome speech after the music ends.

I've only been half-listening, so it takes me a few seconds to react to the joke Snow somehow sneaks into his speech about my brother and I. "It seems our second Odair is following in the ways of the first."

I'm stunned as laughter rings throughout the crowd. I know what he was implying. I'm not stupid. There are a couple shouts of "Oden!" to compliment the laughter. Snow's snake eyes find mine, and all of a sudden I'm filled with the urge to kill this disgusting man.

"Just ignore it," Reed says.

"I'm trying to," I reply through gritted teeth, filled with anger.

Snow finishes his speech, the national anthem plays, and our chariots pull into the Training Center.

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There's a tower dedicated to tributes and their team inside the Training Center. Each district has their own floor, and our floor is 4, since they all coordinate along with your district number.

Andi, Finnick and Linden lead Reed and I down to an elevator made of crystal that's completely see-through. As the elevator shoots up to level 4 at an exhilarating speed, nobody says anything.