The Hunger Games: Johanna Mason

Chapter 2

Slowly progressing! Trying to keep this consistent :) Vote and comment! <3

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“Go away,” Johanna said, throwing one of her pillows at the unfortunate Avox that had been ordered to wake her up the next morning. “Can’t you see that I’m trying to sleep?”

The Avox looked at her with a weary expression, but proceeded to get her out of bed. Johanna groaned and pushed the Avox away, gently this time.

“All right, all right, I’m up,” she grumbled, pushing herself off the edge of the bed and heading out without bothering to take a shower. Whatever she did to herself, her prep team was sure to fix it anyway. They didn’t seem to like her a lot, and they talked about how the odds weren’t in her favor, even around her.

That was fine. She didn’t like them either.

Piper stood up from the dining table when he saw her. She was about to take her seat when he grabbed her by the arm and went straight into one of the unused rooms.

“What’s your problem, Piper?” she said moodily, shrugging his hand off as she glared at him. She was never a morning person, and her mood really wasn’t getting any better the longer she was here.

“I’m having a problem with you,” Piper said. “There are no prospective sponsors for you yet, kid, and that is not something that you want to do.”

“I don’t need them.”

Piper gritted his teeth. It looked like he was trying very hard not to yell at her. She was never this stubborn back home, and she certainly never used to answer back at him. “Sorry to break your bubble, kid, but you really do need them. If there’s any chance that something can save you at an imminent moment, they’ll be the ones doing the helping.”

Johanna had to sigh at that one, because she knew that it was right. “I can’t do anything at this point, Piper. The other tributes are more impressive than I am. I bet people are betting that I won’t even get through the first day.”

A light bulb moment seemed to happen to Piper just then. Johanna could almost see the spark in his eyes. “What about you don’t try to impress anyone?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t give anyone any expectations of you. You’ve done a pretty good job at that for the whole time here anyway. Just make yourself seem even more vulnerable. It’ll make everyone underestimate you.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Piper. I thought you wanted to get more sponsors.”

Piper looked like he was thinking this through. “It’s a risk that we’ll have to take. Since I know you’ll be making it past the first day,” he glared at her pointedly, as if she had a choice of whether or not she would die on the first day at the Cornucopia, “we’ll have to rely on late sponsorships. The lesser people in the game, the more likely they’ll invest in you, even if it’s late.”

“But…act weak?” she said, as if the idea was preposterous. No one she knew in District 7 would say that she was a weakling.