Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

vii. coaching

seven - coaching

- - - ➳

i make it all the way to the elevator, up to my floor, and into my room before i fully realize just what i have done. i open my mouth and scream out of frustration, out of terror, and mostly just because i need to get it out.

i have ruined it for myself. my score will undoubtedly be so low that no one will want to sponsor me. i'll be on my own in the games.

i can only hope matthias caught their attention. maybe then there is hope for district twelve once again.

laying on my bed in a fetal position, i cry silently and just let it all out. i watch the sun slowly set over the neon, artificial metropolis we call our capitol and soon am yanked rudely out of my daze by a series of pounds at my door.

"what?" i snap and regret it almost immediately.

"sweetheart, you're late for dinner- again." it's haymitch, and that only increases my bad mood by a tenfold. i sigh.

"alright," i call to him. "i'll be out in a minute!"

i hear his retreating footsteps and wait until they disperse completely before turning so i'm lying face-down in my bed and scream into my mountain of pillows. then i walk to the bathroom and use a wet cloth to wipe the tear stains off my face and change into regular clothes. that is when i finally leave my room and join the others for the meal.

"what's the matter with you?"

i glare at matthias as i pull out a chair next to peeta, figuring he will be the least annoying, and also because he is closest to the door, just in case i need to make an emergency exit.

"i messed up," i confess dreadfully, huffing and moving stray strands of hair out of my face. "i messed up so bad."

katniss sets her cup of wine down with a concerned look on her face, her eyebrows scrunched together. "what do you mean?"

"i almost killed the gamemakers." i stab a piece of turkey with my fork and bring it onto my plate along with some mashed potatoes. "not really, but it was enough for me to probably get a negative score, if that's even possible."

katniss is smirking slightly for some reason while matthias's eyes are wide as can be.

"you'll be fine," katniss assures me like she has no doubts about it. "just wait until the scores come on."

when they do, we gather on a large sofa in front of a huge television about three minutes before they air. i sit with my legs pulled up to my chest, not caring if my shoes leave prints on the black leather seating.

"make sure you remember these tributes," haymitch reminds us. "look out for the good scores– they'll be the most threatening in the arena."

i nod and swallow the lump in my throat, wiping my sweaty hands on my thighs. i breathe in and out as the capitol symbol and anthem come on the television.

first they show a picture of the tribute, then flash their score below it. emrys gets a ten. astrid has an eight. it's no surprise to me that asher's score is an eleven, but effie gasps.

"that boy must be really amazing," she marvels in awe. "he looks so skinny, though."

carly gets a seven. maika has a five. matthias gets a nine and we all congratulate him as he sits with an excited smile lighting up his face.

i find myself biting my fingernails in anticipation of my score. my face pops up. i note that i look weird in my picture and then glance at the score below it. my hand falls out of my mouth.