The Hunger Games

Chapter 8

          “Are you ready for today?” Joan asks me and Danny as she sits down and grabs the bowl of strawberries and eats one. She then looks at us and smiles.

          I nod eating some pancakes for breakfast. I then grab the bowl of strawberries and grab a few and eat some.

          “Any advice on what we should do for the test?” Danny asks, even though I told him yesterday. I look at him and hand him a strawberry, which he eats. I then look at Joan.

          “Well, for one, show them your skills with the weapon. Even show them a few ways you’ll kill someone with the weapon.” Joan replies and folds her hands.

          I look back at Danny. I then take a few sips of hot chocolate.

          Mollie then runs in. “Hey guys! Katharine, Danny, so, tomorrow you’ll be practicing with me and Joan for the interviews tomorrow. We will be getting you ready and try to find your angle.

          I nod and finish up eating and decide to leave the room. I decide to go up to the roof. Being up there calms me from many things, it’s just relaxing. I walk up to the stares, and Danny shows up behind me and follows me up.

          “Hey.” I say looking up at him smiling and put my arm around his waist.

          “Hey.” He replies back putting his arm around my shoulder.

          As we get onto the roof, I walk over and sit down on the ledge, looking down on the still waking city. Danny sits next to me, his feel dangling off the ledge. He looks at me and smiles.

          “So,” He begins, “You ready for later?”

          I nod. “Yeah, how hard can it be? I mean, I just have to throw stuff and show off my deadly fighting skills and try to get a decent score.” I say and then look at him, “you?”

          He nods. “Yeah, but I’m really nervous. You know I’m not so good with weapons. You are. You know how to survive out in the wild. You even proved that by spending a week in the forest!”

          I laugh. “Calm down. You were there too. It’s not like I could do it alone.”

          “Yeah, but only for a few days, and I kept leaving because you made me give your game to your family and of course my game to mine.”

          I giggle and brush my hair out of my face. “Well, I’m a born survivor. And now, I just can’t believe that I’m actually going to be in the Games. The capitol doesn’t own us. If I can escape, I would. The capitol has to realize that we’re not just another piece of their Games. We’re people and should be treated like it. I’m just never going to get over the fact that I’ll be dead soon.”

          He looks at me and nods in agreement. “I agree with you all the way.” He grabs my hands and continues. “I just wish I can go home, with you. I don’t want to fight you when the Games begin. You mean a lot to me. You’re my best friend, and I care about you a lot. I’ve never had a friend like you.”

          I look at him and smile. “And you’re basically my only friend. Sure, I talk with some people, but no one likes me. I hear people talk about me all the time. You, you’re one reason I’m not afraid to be who I am. No one likes me, no one but you.”

          “Don’t say that!” He says. “I know a ton of guys who want to go out with you! Some guys dig your stubbornness.”

          “Yeah right,” I yell back laughing. Then I look at him and he doesn’t look like he’s joking just to make me feel better. “Wait, you were serious? A lot of guys actually like me?”

          Danny nods.

          “And what about girls, do they like me?” I look at him putting on a small smile. “Maybe I can actually have a friend who’s a girl if I ever make it back.” I say half to myself.

          Danny shrugs. “I only hear them call you crazy and insane. When they talk to me, they sometimes talk bad about you, and ask me if why I’m your friend or if we’re dating or something. Most of the time, the topic is about you. They even think you’re over protective over your sister, which you kind of are.”

          I cross my eyes and fold my arms. “Well, not my fault for loving my sister, especially after Jake died. I want to make sure she’s safe, and I can’t do that with the fact that I’ll be dead soon. I’m not going to return from those Games!” A tear falls down my face as I think about my brothers death, and how Kati will have to cope without me.

          Danny then carefully pulls me in and hugs me, wrapping his strong arms around me. I begin to worry that we were going to fall of the ledge, which is stupid to worry about, there is a damn force field, but in Danny’s arms, I feel safe.

          After of about an hour on the ledge, in Danny’s arms, Joan comes up and tells us it was time to go. I get up and jump down from the ledge, Danny following.

          We are sent to a room, with all the other tributes sitting down on a bench, waiting to be called. It was first the boy, then the girl. And of course, I was last because I’m a girl, and I’m in District 12. The tributes went one by one. One, two, three, four, five all passed so far. Each test takes a few minutes, maybe about five minutes max. When they’re called, you don’t see them again. They probably have an exit door leading to the other side. Once the District 11 girl is called up, Danny and I are alone, finally.

          “Katharine, would you get up for a minute?” Danny asks as he gets up, and motions me to get up to.

          I get up wondering what he wants.

          He reaches into his pocket and pulls out something. I take a close look at it and it’s a gold necklace with a light pink heart dangling from it. “Here, I meant to give this to you before the reaping, but it totally slipped my mind, with everything going on. Then I was planning to give it to you after, but I couldn’t with our names being called.” He then puts the necklace around my neck and smiles.

          “How did you get this?” I ask. “This must have cost a fortune!”

          Danny looks at me. “It was hard to get. You know that whole two weeks three months ago we didn’t hang out much?” I nod and he continues talking, “well, I was raising money because I wanted to get it for you. I remember you looking at it at the jewelry store and saying you wanted it. I was finally able to get it the night before the reaping. I actually got a temporary part time job over at the bakery.”

          I look him and smile deeply. “Thank you.” I say. Just as his name is being called for the test, I give him a hug. I wish him good luck and he leaves, leaving me alone. Now, I’m waiting for the Gamemakers to call my name. While I wait I look at the necklace. He’s so generous, getting this for me. He didn’t even want to use the money on his family…which seems a little harsh, but still.

          Once they call my name, I leave the room and walk through the doors, nervous, yet ready for the training test with the Gamemakers.