All-Stars: Non-Careers

Chapter 36

Peridot Estrella

How did this happen? How did I end up mentoring a girl who didn't like the Games? It was ridiculous! How did One end up sending in a Tribute who didn't like the Games? Ridiculous! And she was blind! I'd never been through anything more ridiculous in my life. I was glad she couldn't see my expression as she went up in the tube.

Crag Steiner

What a fine mess I'd gotten into. Stuck mentoring a bunch of wimps just so I wouldn't go stir-crazy. Two didn't mix with the other Districts, except sometimes One. Four we tolerated, but they weren't on our level. The others, though... they were just the prey. It was Pray Jager, not Prey Jager. If everyone in Two wasn't terrified of me, they'd laugh me out of the District.

Acee Hal

Eleven had the best chance by numbers, but Three had a pretty strong group this year. I hardly had to do anything. They all had their plans in place. I expected that if I saw any of them again it would be Emmeline, but I would be glad for any of them if they came back. Three sent in three brains, one set of muscles, and a sense of humor into the Arena. It was one complete person. Maybe part of it would come back.

Careen Ellis

This one hardly counts.

Vera didn't need me to give her a shot of courage or some last-minute advice. She knew the whole drill three times as well as I did. I was there if she needed to know about new developments in Panem, but otherwise I was just twiddling my thumbs. She waved politely as she rose away and I shrugged in uncertain response.

Okay next time for real.

Erwin Jackson

The only Tribute I cared about came from Six. She wasn't here, and I was glad for that. My group handled the whole situation with dignity, for which I was grateful. Logan and Sevarian could go to blazes for all I cared. Kerry and Daniel were dead already and there was no use crying over it.

Gabriel was the biggest trouble. I avoided him all I could from the second he came back. He was cheerful and friendly and never let me drag him down. If I wasn't careful I'd get attached to him.

Pray Jager

I should have picked Nine instead. My unwilling students were all going down in the Bloodbath. It was no great loss. The strong survive and let the weak fall away. They shouldn't have brought them back in the first place.

Screw Lyte though. Who did he think he was talking to me like that? Wretched little medic. I wished he was stronger so I could kick his ass.

Sequioa Wilson

I lucked out this year. I had four of the strongest Tributes in the Games. I didn't have a single girl who didn't have a chance to win.

Three of them were allies. They'd made good choices, but I worried for them. They were three very strong girls fighting for the same thing. For their sake, I hoped they weren't friends.

Tillo Peters

I don't have much of a sense of humor. By the time I read the rulebook myself and found out laughing wasn't a sin, it was too late. But the opportunity was just so golden and the moment was just right. Maybe the sight of all my Tributes in the tubes, Alice hugging the stuffed deer that boy somehow managed to get after all, hit me just right.

"May the best man win," I said to Haber. For Alice's sake, and maybe the last ghostly remnants of my father, I didn't follow it up with the right gesture as Haber's red face rose out of sight.

Bambi Kirkland

I wanted to be with Velvet, but I had my duties. I'd barely spent any time with my own Tributes. It was hardly neglect when there were a dozen Careers fighting to get their hands on them.

They seemed like a nice bunch. I'd been scared of Castiel from the start. He was so spiritual. There was no creed that condoned what I did. I hoped he wouldn't watch my Games, and from the way he treated me, either he hadn't or he took forgiveness even more seriously than I thought. I was more relieved than anything else when they were gone.

Pepper Wilson

Eleven had two other Victors. They didn't need me to be there. So I wasn't.

I never would have imagined it would come to this. I was Pepper Wilson, the girl who defied the Careers and made it out alive. I taunted the Capitol at every chance and I'd been inches from execution multiple times. But here I was, about to be what they wanted every Victor to become.

The Careers had taken over Six, leaving Toby and his friend to their own devices. Naturally, that meant morphling. There was a lot I didn't know about Morphlings. Now I knew they were always willing to share.

Nubu Sanders

I didn't want to be standing safe on the ground. I wanted to scootch Chase out of the tube and go in instead. Or any of them- Chase just came to mind first because he was the smallest. If I thought it would make a difference I would have smashed the glass. I'd rather be dead than unable to help.