Yours [Prim/Cato]

Chapter 12 - The Interview #1

How is this possible? How on earth is it that I was able to earn a 10 out of all scores? I completely outshined all of the other tributes, especially the Careers, and especially Cato. I'm wondering whether he would be upset with me while everyone pulls me in for hugs and congratulations.

He'd probably be upset, him along with the other Careers. Why wouldn't he be? I'm a tiny 16 year old girl from District 12, not 1, 2, or 4, that never had to fight a day in her life, or wield a weapon nonetheless, yet I just proved to be way more skilled than any of them could be. This is exciting, but I know for a fact that I'm going to be a target. The one that appears to be the strongest is going to be the one that everyone wants to get rid of just to prove some point. Maybe that he/she is actually the strongest.. I don't know. All I know is that I have to be even more careful.

"But.. how on earth is this possible?" I stutter, still in complete awe. Getting a 10 was more than anything that I could ever imagine.

"What did you do anyway?" Haymitch asks. I go into a completely detailed explanation of what happened in the training room during my assessment, even the horrible part where thre the blade at them, basically threatening their lives.

Haymitch shakes his head. "That's why you took so long? Most people don't even use all of their time," Haymitch mutters.

I nod, I guess in agreement. "And, that was all that happened. I said thank you and I walked out quickly," I finish explaining. Everyone is looking at me wide eyed.

"You.. you threw a knife at the Gamemakers?" Effie asks in horror. I frown and nod quickly, suddenly feeling ashamed of what I did. "Do you not understand how much danger you have put yourself in?" she asks.

I shrug. Obviously I'm already in danger. "They were being completely disrespectful and would not give me the time of day, so I did what I thought was necessary to earn my attention," I explained, defending myself against her accusations. She doesn't have a right. She didn't experience what I had to in that room.

"I can't even bear to look at you right now," Effie scoffs, rising from her seat.

"But Effie-"

"You completely disrespect the Capitol after everything that they have done.. all the sacrifices they had to make," she continues, but her words don't make me feel any worse than the sliver of remorse for threatening people.

"I don't care about disrespecting the Capitol. They disrespected me," I retort, my defense completely up. After what they do to families every year, they do not deserve any praise. Not from me at least.

"You are so ungrateful, but one day, you will realize," Effie stammers. "I'm retreating to my corridor," she says, scurrying out on her ridiculously high shoes.

I sense my expression going from fairly neutral to sad. I didn't mean to make Effie upset, not intentionally. She just doesn't understand the way that people that are like me and lived like I did think. I just acted out of impulse, and I guess they liked it. Obviously they did, or else I wouldn't get a 10.

But, maybe they gave me a high score just so that I could be a target because they were offended and wanted to take me out without them getting the blame for it. They're probably mad about what I did and want to punish me.

Oh well. I'm already being punished enough. What could be worse? Death?

Ha.

"Don't worry about what Effie said, sweetheart. I think what you did was brave," Haymitch says, giving me my first real compliment since I got here.

"But, why would they give me an 10?" I asked, still perplexed. Up until that point, no one had been able to give me a successful explanation as to why I was given one of the highest score of the entire batch of tributes, especially considering my lack of expertise in the killing aspect. I was in no position to earn a ten.