Midnight Azalea-A Story of the 34th Hunger Games

Chapter 13-The Vomit Queen

I wake up late in the night, my prep team around me at my bed. I am furious with myself because I know why I am here.

"So...I bluffed, didn't I?" Cashatra walks in with a bowl of hot soup, obvious because the steam.

"Oh she's awake? Darn it, I shouldn't have heated this up too long." Cashatra comes over, distraught over her rich person problems. She pets my face, and I brush off her fingers out of frustration.

Why do they do this? Waste their money on prettying us up when all were going to do is die. Yeah, Capitol people love to torment us with pretty dresses and painted faces. But where does that get us?

Nowhere.

"Oh boy, look what we have here. The other tributes are calling you the vomit queen." Quorel laughs hysterically. "Apparently you blacked out and then barfed half way through saying...eh something or other. I don't know but that put you higher on those tributes' kill list."

I roll my eyes. "I thought I was already at the top." Natiel walks in with a loose grin. I perk up my eyebrows. "What is he here for? Another session of giving me the cold shoulder?"

Natiel responds by giving me the cold shoulder. He grabs a slice of pie and heads back to his room.

"See?"

"You're fine tomorrow is the Games...excited?" Marcus tries to make me hype for the bloody mess that will be, but I don't buy it.

Cashatra and Aurelia share a glass of wine. I overhear them fdiscussing something in a hushed tone, almost like an exchange in secret. I pinpoint a few lines:
"Aren't you excited, Aurie, a week to ourselves!" whisper exclaims Cashatra.

"Yes...do you think she'll make it?" my edgy stylist Aurelia, whom Cashatra has never referred to as Aurie until now, whisper asks back.

I already thought the woman that drew my name at the reaping was cold, but I thought mostly she was trying to fit in with the Capitol people, and somehow she did but didn't realize, but now I see her take a different persona. "Make it never in a million years. Even farther on I'd bet on another tribute!" She start laughing for real now, and they drive me insane.

"Ooh, here's the scores!" Augusta grabs me by the arm and pulls me to the sofa, where I curl up in my grey fleece jacket.

I notice I have bitten my nails raw, and they are fragile now.

Thomas Castor is sitting in his usual chair of gold at his glorious, shimmering stage. He greets the tribute audience, and the Capitol audience, then starts announcing the scores given by the Gamemakers of whom the tributes shared a private session with. District 1 girl gets an eight, as well as the boy from the same district. Athena gets a ten, which her prep team must be balling over, and Maximus gets an eleven.

Highest score, strongest tribute.

With those looks he gave me?

I'll be dead tomorrow morning.

The boy from 4 gets a six. The girl from 8, Ludrissa, gets a nine. I start to tense up, fearing my score. Shutting my eyes, I listen to Thomas count off the district 9 scores, then district 10.

He pauses.

"Azalea Mist, with a score of ten."

I sigh in relief. A ten. As good as Athena's and better than the pair from 1. Yet I still won't be as good as Maximus, who'll be hunting me down tomorrow. If I even make it past the bloodbath.

Natiel recieves an eleven, which he faintly smiles at, reclining back. He relaxes, showing a sense of optimism in his emotionless facade, but in his eyes... In his eyes I see the ultimate fear of Maximus...he is as good a score as Natiel...I just wonder what he did...

My ally Aris gets a seven. Not bad...but then Thomas giggles.

Uh oh.

After the last tribute, Thomas Castor wishes us luck then signs off.

I get in bed, feeling cold, snap on a backdrop of the stars. I wish myself luck.

I can do this I can do this.

I can't do this.