Chapter 7

I anxiously waited for my name to be called to go and show my skills. Jacob sits next to me. Jacob is visibly stressed. I quickly take my hair out of it's bun letting it fall down to my waist.

Jacob gets stressed often and we have developed an activity that helps to calm us both down. I allow him to braid my hair in a complicated braid.

He learned how to braid a little after he practically joined our family. My brothers taught him on my hair when I was a only seven. He did my hair so often he became the best at it out of our whole family.

Now when he gets stressed and on the brink of a flashback or an episode I just pull my hair out of it's normal bun and let him braid whatever he wants to help him calm down.

I can hear his breathing slow down to it's normal pace. We sit there for about an hour as he braids and unbraids my hair and our turn gets closer.

He cracks jokes and we talk well his hands are at work braiding my hair. Next called up is Jacob he gets up and walks in calmly. I pull my hair back into it's normal bun and wait for them to call me in.

They finally call me in and I quickly walk in. I immediately go for the knives. The gamemakers watch carefully. I throw the knife and it hits right on the bullseye. Next I go to the spear.

I launch it at another bullseye. It hits it and I smile. I quickly straighten my face. I want to impress the gamemakers or else Luca may have to watch another one of his siblings die.

I go to the area where they keep the weights. I lift a decent sized one that I know I can lift and throw it. I know this will be impressive considering my petite body.

I go to the bow and arrow area knowing for a fact that I am not even half as good at Katniss. I may not be able to hit a moving target for the life of me but a normal one I can hit with decent accuracy.

I go and I shoot the arrow carefully it hits the bullseye. I am relieved, I start making my traps this takes up almost all of the rest of the time but I am satisfied at the end result.

I leave and go up to see Luca pacing and Jacob staring at the tv screen waiting to see our scores. I know for a fact that it won't be on anytime soon so I try to distract them.

Uh wanna go and I don't know get something to drink. Jacob just notices I'm here and Luca looks at me in disbelief knowing I never have drank any alcohol in my life and I don't plan too.

Jacob says, "Sure why not, but Aina you have to bring your own orange juice or something."

Luca laughs and goes and gets me some hot chocolate. He hands it to me and says, "Well let's go."

We go to the room where the alcohol is kept. I have been here a few times with Jacob and occasionally Luca on our last trip here as mentors. They didn't get drunk or anything they just replaced random bottles with grape juice as some joke.

They were never caught. We go in and see Haymitch and Chaff drinking liquor.

"Hey" Jacob greets them.

They nod as they walk in. But when they see me following they get confused. Probably because I am known for my innocence and that they know me well enough to now I won't drink. But when they notice my hot chocolate they see that only Jacob and Luca are there for alcohol.

I sit down next to Haymitch well I wait for Jacob and Luca to get their drinks.

"Hi Haymitch. How's life?" I have had brief conversations with Haymitch's enough to be able to call him a friend.

"Horrible. How's yours?"

"Well it is pretty good actually."

He looks at me suprised knowing my brothers died literally a week ago.

"Because I got hot chocolate." I say holding up my hot chocolate. He smiles at how excited I get over hot chocolate. Which is actually not part of my innocent act hot chocolate it amazing.

"If you want some you can have this one. I haven't drunk out of it yet. And I have more."

"No I already got a drink." He says nodding to his drink.

"Oh yeah that makes sense. So how are Peeta and what is her name oh yeah, Katniss doing?"

"About as well as you think they would be." He says

"Yeah I feel so bad for them."

Luca says, "Come on Aina we are taking our drinks to go."

"Ok" I say looking back at him

"Bye talk to you later" I say to Haymitch.

And I get up and follow Jacob and Luca back to our floor. Neither of them got any alcohol. Which makes sense they don't drink often.

We get back to our floor and I sit down on the couch as we wait to see our scores. Luca plays piano to pass the time well Jacob tries to do a new braid that he saw Katniss wearing in her first reaping.

We keep doing this until finally the scores start to be called up. Ceaser goes through the names well we all are on the edge of our seats.

"Jacob Martinez, 7"

"Hey that is pretty good." I say

"Yeah I guess." He replies

Luca still has his eyes practiced glued to the screen. Waiting for my score.

"Aina Telles, 10"

Luca says, "Not too bad."

"Yeah." I say

Jacob starts back to braiding my hair. I know he is just trying to perfect this braid type.

"You guys are gonna have your interviews tomorrow. Be ready." Luca says. Getting up and making his way to the door

Jacob says, "Yeah I better think of something to say."

"Luca" I say

"Yes?" He says

"Do you think I'll die?"

I hear Jacob's breath hitch and his grip tightens on my hair. Luca still seems calm.

"Aina, dying is easy, living is harder."

"Don't avoid the question please tell me honestly."

"You want to hear me honestly, I don't know what I'll do if you die. And I don't wanna talk about it ok!"

I nod and let Luca leave.

"Aina you are not gonna die I promise." Jacob says softly.

"You won't either." I say

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Oh gosh a lot of things happened this chapter. Sorry I didn't update yesterday I was super busy. I hope you liked this chapter. The actual games will start soon I promise.

Thank you for reading!