Голодные игры
Chapter 9
Aplumppersonisenviedbecausetheyaren’tscrapingbylikethemajorityofus.Buthereitisdifferent.Wrinklesaren’tdesirable.Aroundbellyisn’tasignofsuccess.
Thisyear,Caesar’shairispowderblueandhiseyelidsandlipsarecoatedinthesamehue.Helooksfreakishbutlessfrighteningthanhedidlastyearwhenhiscolorwascrimsonandheseemedtobebleeding.Caesartellsafewjokestowarmuptheaudiencebutthengetsdowntobusiness.
ThegirltributefromDistrict1,lookingprovocativeinasee-throughgoldgown,stepsupthecenterofthestagetojoinCaesarforherinterview.Youcantellhermentordidn’thaveanytroublecomingupwithanangleforher.Withthatflowingblondehair,emeraldgreeneyes,herbodytallandlush.she’ssexyalltheway.
Eachinterviewonlylaststhreeminutes.Thenabuzzergoesoffandthenexttributeisup.I’llsaythisforCaesar,hereallydoeshisbesttomakethetributesshine.He’sfriendly,triestosetthenervousonesatease,laughsatlamejokes,andcanturnaweakresponseintoamemorableonebythewayhereacts.
Isitlikealady,thewayEffieshowedme,asthedistrictsslipby.2,3,4.Everyoneseemstobeplayingupsomeangle.ThemonstrousboyfromDistrict2isaruthlesskillingmachine.Thefox-facedgirlfromDistrict5slyandelusive.IspottedCinnaassoonashetookhisplace,butevenhispresencecannotrelaxme.8,9,10.Thecrippledboyfrom10isveryquiet.
