The Overlooked

Chapter 10: Scores

I walk out of the elevator. Somehow I managed to calm myself down.

I'm showered with questions by my prep team and Verta. I answer all of them politely with a yes or no, or something simple. We go and sit down in the 'living room', though I don't think it really is. It's a very odd space, it lacks anything that could be personal, and it's the very opposite of what I like.

"Hey where's Seeder and Chaff?" I ask

Verta darts back in the room for a split second "Oh I'm going to get then right now!"

I laugh at the tone of her voice, but it comes out very nervously. I can't help it, doing something to impress them is just the first half, then you have to wait until later for the scores. I would just make it so the scores come out right after the last tribute is done. These next few hours will be agonizing for all of us tributes. 

While I wait Ovidious suggests I meet Thresh's prep team.

I jump on the idea, seeing as I never really took the time to meet them. I've seen them around a couple of times but never really talked much. When Ovidious gets back, there in front of him, are three girls. One, who he introduces as Kiiper is so short that I look her strait in the eye. The thought of her trying to do Thresh's. . . . . .anything sounds funny! With him being as tall as he is.

The next girl, Jadelynn, is medium height with weird red hair that falls around her head in teeny-tiny braids, the next is Zahlque, witch I'm told quite harshly is pronounced zal-q. She has white hair put up into a bun. They all take a seat and at that very moment Thresh walks in with a smile on his face.

"How did it go?" We all ask

He looks at Kiiper "Just fine."

He sits down next to me and starts to share his story. 

 I interrupt "Wait, maybe we should wait for Seeder and Chaff so you don't have to tell us twice."

"Good idea."

After a couple minutes Verta walks in with Seeder and Chaff on her tail. Thresh starts from the beginning

"Well as soon as I walked in they all turned and waited for me to do something, like they thought I could do magic or something. I went over to the spear station and got four spears. I walked half way across the gym, probably a good thirty feet back and I threw them one after another and every one landed inside the base of the other so I split them into two. I got a big round of applause and finished by throwing knifes and making some simple noose's that looked more complicated than they really were."

We all clap and give him pats on the shoulder. Then I tell my story. I get a couple of gasps. We all go to the dining room to eat. We all decided it would be better to eat sooner than later, just for the sake of nerve's. I sit down and Avox's rush out with the food. I have a little bit of each starting with some beef noodle soup.

I try to keep my thoughts on things besides the scores. I wonder how Fern did, I hope she will get a high score. If we both get a higher score then we'll get more sponsor's. Were we're headed sponsor's may just save our lives! I hate these games, how your life is in the hand of the Capitol. In one push of a button they could send a pack of mutts on you, or blow you sky high with an explosion.

I hate it, how the games are for the entertainment of the Capital citizens. I hate it! Just for entertainment they take twenty-four Innocent teenagers and make them fight each other, and what about me? I'm not even a teenager! Matter of fact I havn't even hit my growth spurt. I slam my fist on the table.

"Rue, everything ok?" Someone asks

I lift my head up "Yeah. . . . .fine." I say with a grumble

They all just stare until Thresh suggest we get ready for the T.V. broadcast. We all get up and walk over. I try to blow all the steam I had away by trying to think of more positive thoughts. It doesn't work very well. Verta turns the T.V. on and presses a button that makes the broadcasting start. It starts off by Ceasar Flickerman just telling a couple of jokes. Then he gets down to buisness

"Glimmer, District 1, with a score of nine!"

"Marvel, District 1, with a score of nine!"

"Clove, District 2, with a score of ten!"

"Cato, District 2, with a score of ten!"

This goes on and on. Some get low scores, some get high scores. Only a few stand out to me. The red head from 5 gets a five and her district partner gets a two. Then before I know it it's Fern's turn

"Fern, District 9, with a score of four. Not bad!"

I sigh, thats not going to help us much. Fern's district partner gets a three. Disrtict 10 both score low. I realise its my turn and I start breathing funny as if all of the air in the room just left.

"Rue, District 11, with a score," he looks down at the paper and does a double check "of Seven! Wow thats good for someone so small, she must be hiding something."

Everyone claps for me and gasps, but then turns back to the T.V. to see Thresh's score

"Thresh, District 11, with a score of ten!"

We all clap and give congradulations. But I stop in time to see Peeta's score is an eight. Everyone has quieted down just enough for me to hear Ceasar says Katniss's

"Katniss, District 12, with a score of. . . . . . .eleven!!!"

We all just stare, but I don't, I smile. I knew she was hiding something, I knew she was better than the rest, I knew it. I start to laugh.

"Rue, whats so funny?" Ovidious asks

I just keep laughing, I can't help it! I really don't know why I'm laughing, I just do! Finally Thresh starts to laugh and pretty soon my stomach hurts so bad that I can't breath. I'm gasping for air.

"I....I'm going.....t...to....be...d!"

I laugh all the way down to my room. I finally stop and calm down, still not understanding why I was laughing. I don't bother with a shower, I know that I'll take one tommorrow anyway. I get into a clean night gown and hop in bed. I'm tired enough to go to sleep, but not so tired that I fall asleep in an instant.

I think about why I was laughing, it could be that I was over tired, or maybe I really haven't healed from being thrown into a wall, or maybe I just want to be happy again, maybe. . . . .I give a small chuckle. Maybe. . . . . .I'm just letting go. As every night goes I fall into a restless sleep filled with dreams of tommorrow.

As always coment, vote, and fan!!!

~Tara