The Hunger Games- Prim's Story

Chapter 7

I wake up in my room after a dreamless sleep. Someone must have taken me up to my room. I wonder if it was an Avox or Peeta or Effie or even Cinna. Definitely not Haymitch. I  go into the bathroom and press only one button on the shower's panel and the water flows in a steady stream down. The shampoo smells faintly of roses and is so foamy that I have to scrape it off with a hard-bristled brush and my skin ends up pink. 

I go back into the room and I see some clothes laid out on the newly made bed. There's a red and black shirt with a short zipper on the front and black pants. I put on the leather shoes and tie them up and look at myself in the full-length mirror. My face is clean of makeup and when I put my hair in two braids, I look almost like myself. The clothes, even though they're much nicer than anything I own, lack the Capitol brightness and designs. 

I take a deep breath. It's the first day of training, the first day I get to see everything they're good at and they get to see everything I'm not good at. I'll be fine. Who knows, maybe I have some hidden talents? Oh, who am I kidding? Not myself. Katniss tried to teach me how to shoot a bow, but I couldn't do that. I'm hopeless with anything heavy, like the spiked maces they had one year, and all the other tributes have at least 70 pounds on me, so there's no chance of hand-to-hand combat. Except for that other little girl, but I'm not going to fight her. She's too much like me. 

A pang of hunger drags me out of my mind. I go into the dining room hoping there's food. Haymitch didn't tell us when to meet for breakfast, or if he did, I fell asleep before I heard him, so when I see an Avox standing next to a long board full of food, I ask if I can serve myself. The Avox nods yes and I put a roll, some eggs, some red fruit that, according to the small place card in front of it, are called strawberries. There are small cakes with oranges in a sweet syrup on top and I put some on my plate. I sit at the table and eat while watching the sunrise. I dip pieces of the roll in hot chocolate and the warm liquid is sweet on my tongue and makes me feel better, even if there's nothing to feel happy about at the moment.

My mother and Katniss are probably waking up now. Eating their breakfast of oatmeal mush and maybe hard flat bread made out of the tesserae grain. I hope one of them is keeping Lady clean and fed. I know it's a selfish wish, but even so, she means so much to me. I hope Buttercup is okay, and maybe even trying to be a comfort to Katniss. I hope a lot of things, all of which, are probably in vain. 

Peeta and Haymitch enter and say good morning and serve themselves. Well, Peeta says good morning, Haymitch gives a quick nod and immediately turns his attention to the food. Peeta's dressed in the same thing as me. The stylists are really going for the big brother-little sister act. At least I know my part and I can play it well enough, perfectly, even. Peeta and I try to make small talk, but we stop after a few minutes. We're both so nervous. Seeing all the tributes in close contact is enough to make me want to vomit. 

Haymitch finally finishes his food and leans back in his chair. "You're going to stick together these next few days. All during training. Now, what skills do you two have? I need something to work with," he says. 

Peeta looks uncertain but then replies with, "I'm pretty strong?" He is. He's had to work at the bakery his whole life, lifting sacks of flour and dragging carts around. Haymitch only nods and looks at me. I don't know what to say, I'm not great at anything. I'm hopeless at a bow, and my fingers get twisted in with the snares. I can throw a knife, but only if my target is close. Too close. If a tribute is that close to me, I should focus on running away, not trying to hit them with a knife. I can climb trees, but that isn't a talent, I just have more of an advantage due to my small stature. I don't know what to say. 

"Well?" Haymitch asks. "C'mon kid, what can you do?" 

He's getting impatient so I say quietly, "I can climb. A little bit."  He nods, considering what he's working with, which isn't a lot. I don't think I'll be winning anything in terms of sponsors.