The 45th Hunger Games: The Tribute of District 4 (Watty Awards 2012 completed)

Chapter 9

The tributes from 1 were Taffeta and Chiffon. They were both bigger than I was, and Chiffon, who was female, lacked the slender and curvy qualities allotted for women. She was pretty, no doubt, but our bodies were considerably different, because hers was more muscular than mine. Taffeta, who I guess couldn’t figure me out, just looked me up and down appreciatively, until Slate hit him companionably at the back of the head.

Taffeta retaliated and put him in a harmless headlock. They were split apart almost immediately. It could have easily been Taffeta disadvantaging Slate before the Games, even though it was friendly banter, as friendly as you could get before killing each other.

Lark, who was Slate’s district partner, was the one who scrutinized me the most. She was attractive enough. She had to be, if she wanted to be noticed beside Slate. Her skin was the same color as Slate’s with her dark hair tied up on top of her head. I was a little jealous the comfort of having hair away from her face.

Other than those similarities, our resemblance ended until our hair color. Her eyes were dark and unreadable, and her face was heart-shaped and was dotted with a few freckles on her nose. Among the Careers, she was the one closer to my height and size, although she was slighter because of her lack of womanly softness. She had been a volunteer as well. Both she and Slate were 18, which motivated them to volunteer, since it would be their last year in the running.

This was what helped them to enter the Games instead of the original ones from the reaping.

“You don’t know how annoying it is to hear him raving about you all throughout dinner last night?” she said, allowing pleasantness. She held out her hand and I shook it. “I don’t know how he managed it, considering he didn’t know anything about you except that you were from District 4.”

Slate glared at her. I glanced at him, liking Lark already. I had wondered what she thought of me, during those short periods when Slate and I interacted, but at least I knew there was no interest in him on her part.

“So, let’s see if there’s more to that pretty face, shall we?” Taffeta handed me a set of knives, as we were in that station right now.

I knew that I would veer away from the trident and spears, since those were the ones I was exceptional at. I could show off with knives just to show them I was skilled with one thing. I took the set, took my place and started flinging at random targets that would sprout from the ground.

I hit every single one with precision and accuracy.

“She’s a keeper, Slate,” Lark joked. We all laughed. This was the dark humor that we could afford right now. We all knew that as much as we entertained our feelings right now, it wouldn’t matter once we were in the arena.

Come lunchtime, I had gotten along with the four of them. I felt a little guilty for leaving Xavier out, since he was a Career, just like the rest of us, but when I set him aside and asked him if he wanted to join us, he declined.

“I don’t want to be friends with anyone in this, Serena,” he said. “When we get into the arena, I don’t want to be in a pack. I’ll head off alone. I know I won’t stand a chance with them in a pack, especially after we start turning on each other. I don’t want any attachment to stop me either.”

I understood him completely. No wonder he was distant, even from me. He must have noted the look on my face because he quickly added, “Don’t worry about me, Serena. Just take care of yourself. I’m more worried for you than you are of me. It’s not me who’s going to go up against them when the time comes.”

He started for the table with food and proceeded to a table where he could eat alone. At least I know that his isolation was his own preference.

We quickly put the tables together, and we were the rowdiest ones in the room. The rest of the tributes were eating alone or were in pairs.