You Think This Is Hard? - A Hunger Games/ Glee crossover fanfiction

Chapter 14: Mentoring

Chapter 14: Mentoring

Effie knocks on my door, calling that dinner in ready. Immediately, I get up from my bed, which is even plusher than the one on the train, and walk out to the dining room.

Haymitch sits at the head of the table, with a large bottle of something in his hand, and Rachel sits several seats down from him, staring off into space. I take a seat next to her as Effie sits down opposite me.

She claps her hands, and in and instant, two people emerge from a room to the right. One is a girl, probably in her thirties, and the other is an elderly woman. The girl is quite petite, with her blonde hair and blue eyes making her look younger than she probably is. The older lady shares many of the same features as the girl, which makes me think they may be related. Her hair is thin and grey, and her face sags with age, but her bright blue eyes are the exact same shade as the younger woman’s. It is also clear that she was one as petite as the girl, but now, her skin is papery and nearly as grey as her hair, hanging limply off of her body.

I wonder why they are here, until Effie cheerfully orders them to serve the food. They are slaves, I realise. They nod dutifully and scurry back through the same door they entered through.

“Who are they?” I ask.

“No-one, dear,” Effie answers, “But if you need anything, just ask them.”

Haymitch snorts, “They’re called avox’s. They’re the Capitol’s servants. They’ve had they’re tongues cut out for being ‘traitors’ and are forced to serve the Capitol’s residents.”

Effie frowns, “Haymitch! They deserve what happened to them. They were a threat to Panem, and the Capitol was kind enough to spare their lives!”

“They’ve had their tongues cut out!” Rachel exclaims, “How is that kind?”

“Welcome to the Capitol, sweetheart,” Haymitch sneers.

The avox’s come back into the room, pushing a trolley laden with a wide array of foods. There is everything from a vegetable stew to a tray of spicy sausages wrapped in pastry.

We eat in silence, with the avox’s not hesitating to refill our drinks or clean up if we spill something.

“Effie,” Rachel says, breaking the silence, “Didn’t the tributes parade used to be tonight? Why did they change it?”

“It was changed about fifteen years ago, after it became clear that the tributes were usually overtired. One of them actually collapsed! Then we just had to change it, for everyone’s sake!”

“So what’ll we be doing tomorrow?” I ask.

“Right after breakfast, you’ll be taken to the remake centre, where your prep team will make sure you look your best, and then you will be handed over to your stylist and they will finish getting you ready. When everything is done, the tributes parade will start and the world will get to see you!”

“That sounds great,” Rachel says genuinely. She will love being showed off to the world.

“So Haymitch,” I say, “What were you dressed in during your parade?”

He snorts, “You don’t need that image in your head, kid. Let’s just say that our stylist thought that the last word in ‘fashion’ was ‘nudity’.”

He’s right; I really didn’t need that image in my head. I shudder, making him laugh.

Rachel makes a sound of disgust, “I hope we don’t get someone like that.”