𝙄'𝙇𝙇 𝙎𝙀𝙇𝙇 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙁𝙊𝙍 𝘼 𝙎𝙊𝙉𝙂 - 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙐𝙉𝙂𝙀𝙍 𝙂𝘼𝙈𝙀𝙎

𝟔

As soon as you get to your floor, calls come from the living room. You practically bounce over, pleased at your effort. After you find a free seat, a silence invades the area. Eventually Effie chirps "Well? What happened?", eager to know the details.

"Well," you begin, "I completed the agility course with a bow and arrow, shooting some things. And they didn't dismiss me after that, so I sang a song." That is what shocks her. You sang, in front of the Gamemakers? Impossible! Her jaw dropped, and stayed there a while, before she came to her senses. "You did WHAT??"

You try to stay calm, and water it down for her. "They wanted more of me, and I said that's all I have, and they just sat there, staring. So I just sang something random. They seemed to like it." Effie shakes her head at you in disbelief before standing up and trotting away. Haymitch speaks up after she's out of earshot. "Were they surprised?"

A small grin forms on your face as you reply. "Oh yeah. It was like I'd started screaming profanities at them, like Johanna Mason." Haymitch begins to laugh, hand on his abdomen. You join in, and so does Rye. When you all recover from your giggling fit, you ask "How did you do, Rye?"

He makes several hand gestures as he answers. "I threw a load of spears, and did some sparring with a trainer, and ran the agility course. Then they let me go. One guy was smiling! He was smiling Y/n! What about that?" He stares into nothing, blue eyes glazed over with pride and excitement.

Leaving Haymitch with him, you go and freshen up for dinner. You end up wearing a crisp white blouse and a black skirt that goes down to your knees. You find a matching neck-tie and blazer to wear with some shining black boots. It's perfect for the occasion - formal, yet comfy enough to wear in private. Effie has returned for dinner, disapproval still clearly blinding her from being positive. The fish stew is served, and the TV is switched on, showcasing an interview with Seneca Crane, Head Gamemaker for the third year in a row. Everyone hurries to finish, and the stylists manage to squidge in with you all when you all head to the sofa to get a proper view. Cinna sits between you and Effie, and Rye is on your left side. The anthem plays, and Caesar Flickerman introduces the scoring programme, and explains the scoring system.

District 1 achieved 8's, Remus gets a 9 and Romana grabs a top score of 10. Izzy gets a 5, which is decent for someone so young. The others fly by, and Rye's face flashes up on the screen, with the number 7. Everyone claps, and you give him a small hug. Then you're on with another number. 10.

You got a 10. Effie squeals, Cinna pats you on the back and Rye smiles at you, which you return. It's a blessing and a curse. The Careers will target you, but you'll have loads of sponsors. Still, you can still celebrate it for now. Someone opens some alcohol, and Effie grabs Rye some punch, and you all toast to the high scores. This drink, which they call champagne, is a yellow-gold and pleasantly fizzy. The stylists begin talking about the weather with Effie, with Rye smiling up at them, leaving you and Haymitch to converse. "You'll spend the morning learning ' heels and smiles'" he shook his head slightly, amused at how hard it would be to learn either. "Then we'll discuss your image before you get ready for your interview."

You agree, because, well, you can't really say no. As soon as your flute is empty, you set it down and escape to your bed. You can't be bothered now - you will have to be extra social tomorrow.

Effie wakes you with another "Today's a big big day!", this time not bothering to come in. You quickly have a shower with boiling water that falls like rain, and change into a simple black suit ensemble, and select some stiletto heels for your ordeal by heel. You let Effie know you're ready, and she plops down on your duvet, and observes you as you pace about in the heels. A pair of heels still remain from your grandmother's youth, so you wear them for festivals like the reaping night dance. She's surprised at your skill, claiming "I'm shocked you've even worn heels before!" as if you're a wild animal. Very flattering. After a while of that, she pats the covers next to her, gesturing you to sit. Then she gets you to smile. That's easy.