to win - haymitch abernathy

¹⁰ - 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓁 ? - 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓁.

Later that afternoon, Rosemary sat in the living room, her thoughts heavy with the weight of her dismal evaluation score. Porter sat beside her, attempting to coax her into sharing what had transpired during her individual evaluation, but Rosemary remained reticent. She felt a sense of detachment, as if it didn't matter whether they loved or hated her; the inevitable outcome of the Games was death.

"This is so exciting." Calliope, couldn't contain her excitement, and she leaped to her feet, her joy overflowing. But the jubilation was short-lived, quickly replaced by an awkward silence.

Quartz was conspicuously absent, and Rosemary wondered if he might be drowning his sorrows in alcohol somewhere in the city. The previous day, the newspapers had captured Quartz on the open street, clutching a bottle of strong whiskey. While Porter appeared unfazed, Calliope and Collumbae clearly had strong opinions about his behavior. Collumbae's true intentions remained an enigma to Rosemary. She couldn't discern whether his concern was genuine or if he was merely playing a game, trying to win everyone's favor. The game makers had once stated that people reveal their true selves in the arena, and Rosemary couldn't help but wonder if that would hold true for Collumbae. Despite her apprehensions, Rosemary knew that the arena had the power to change her. She feared that she might become like Haymitch Abernathy, or worse, like Quartz. She had never watched her mentor's own Hunger Games, and she believed it was best to remain in ignorance.

"It's starting." Calliope said, bringing her hands to her heart, cheerfully smiling.

As the television broadcast of the tribute evaluations began, Rosemary reluctantly turned her attention to the screen.

"As you know, the tributes are rated on a scale from one to twelve, after three days of careful evaluation. The game makers would like to announce..." Rosemary lost her attention, not being able to focus, as Quartz stumbled into the room, drink in hand.

The announcer began revealing the scores, and as expected, the Career tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 garnered impressive scores of nine or ten.

"From district one, Marc , with a score of ten." Collumbae smiled mischievously. When reaching district three, Lizzie face was shown, and she scored an eight and her partner a six. The careers from four were good as always, and their female tribute was the first of all girls to score a ten.

"From District 5, Collumbae, with a score of eleven." Calliope gasped in surprise, and the room erupted in cheers and applause. Even Porter and Rosemary couldn't help but congratulate Collumbae, who chuckled in response while casting a bemused glance at Quartz, who was still drowning his sorrows.

Rosemary's score, however, shattered the jubilant atmosphere. "From District 5, Rosemary, with a score of two," the announcer declared, his voice tinged with disappointment.

The room fell into a stunned silence. The cheering ceased, and all eyes turned to Rosemary. She slowly stood up, her gaze sweeping over the room before she made her way towards the elevator.

"Rose," Porter called out, concern in her voice. Rosemary didn't feel like talking. She simply wanted to escape, to be alone with her thoughts.

"Rosemary," Porter tried again, following her towards the elevator. Rosemary turned to face her mentor, her eyes filled with a mix of resignation and despair. "It doesn't matter."

"Don't follow me," Rosemary implored, her voice soft but resolute. "Go back and cheer for him instead. There's no hope for me anymore, there never was." Porter opened her mouth to respond, but before she could find the right words, Rosemary stepped into the elevator. When her mentor finally managed to speak, it was already too late. The doors closed, leaving Porter behind in the living room. In panic, she pressed the 'open' button. She needed to speak to her, to tell her the truth. However, that would be the last time Rosemary spoke to her before entering the arena.