Jeopardy: The Fourth Quarter Quell

Seal - Serafina

Serafina

So brilliant. So unfair.

It must be early morning but none of us can sleep. Outside it's dark, or as dark as it gets in the Capitol. Which isn't very. If there's any stars, I can't see them, no matter how close I press my face to the glass. That very action itself is dizzying, as though I'm going to fall through it, tumble down onto the street below. There's the distant sound of people enjoying themselves. The conversation behind me feels even more distant, like I'm not a part of it. Cole is still questioning Meg as if he can't believe it, pressing question after question on her until our mentor looks like she's ready to just give up now. Her reflection in the glass is sat on the table, her eyes wide, watching Cole pace up and down the room over and over and over again.

"But why didn't they tell us earlier?" he asks.

Meg consults her booklet, frowning at 'Your guide to the Fourth Quarter Quell: mentor and tribute edition'. Something about the title annoys me; perhaps it's the way that it's so casual. I wonder if they have similar ones for the old arenas, what it's like to visit them.

"According to this, they wanted to maintain an air of celebration and excitement for the Centenary Games," she stutters. "But there'll be more to it than that."

I bet I know what it is. It makes perfect sense. If I was the Capitol, it'd be what I'd do.

"Shock value," I say, not turning to look at them. "If they'd announced it earlier, people would have started making pacts and promises and it wouldn't be anywhere near as horrifying."

There's a pause. Well, almost a pause. Cole continues pacing, slamming his feet in the ground as if he wants to stomp through it. If he'd done that at home, his whole house would have probably collapsed. The houses in the Seam are little more than a few well-arranged pieces of wood with a porch.

"Probably," Meg mutters.

"I'm surprised you even spoke," Cole taunts. I glare at his reflection in the window. Unlike me, he's not changed out of his parade outfit and he's not even wiped the fake coal dust from his skin. He's probably used to being grimy.

He's looking very pointedly at the back of my head, arms crossed and when he sees that I'm listening he continues, piling on his accent until I can barely understand him, "You've not said a word to me. I don't even know if we're allies or not."

I don't want him as an ally. He's already doing my head in and he's not even trying to get along with me. "Can't you work that out for yourself?" I ask him.

"You're not supposed to fight..." Meg points out under her breath. She doesn't need to. I won't fight Cole. He's not worth it. The familiar anger rises in my throat and has forced its way out before I can stop it: "Even Seam kids have enough intelligence to work  out that it's a no."

"You what? I can't believe that I just heard that!" Cole shrieks, his face red and his stubbly hair practically quivering. "You're no better than us, you know! You're just..."

I am better than him. I don't have to grub around and break rules for food. I'm always at school, unlike the Seam kids who only turn up every two days, whenever they can be bothered.

"I'm just what?" I ask, when he trails off. He doesn't answer. I turn to face him. I don't even feel slightly hot in the face, whereas he looks like he's about to explode, red under the black dust. His fists are clenched. Meg hovers between us, her hands raised, biting her lip.

Cole glares at me but says nothing.

Outside, a firework booms. Purple flashes around the room.

"No answer?" I say. "What, not got anything to say?"