Sweet and Sour (standalone)
Sept 15, 2012 8:20:57 GMT -5
Post by heartwood on Sept 15, 2012 8:20:57 GMT -5
Apex White
Words: 1248
Bittersweet.
That’s the only word that could describe how Apex White had felt about the events that had arisen over the course of the last month. First, there was the date with Dia. Everything had gone perfectly; there was uninterrupted conversation, tons of laughter and fun, and even some insight into who she truly was as a person. Apex had grown quite enamored with Dia, but his goals and aspirations had never truly fell out of focus. Training for the Games was his priority; and nothing would stand in the way of that, not even budding romance.
But luckily, Dia wasn’t the type to intrude on his aspirations; in fact, all she did was encourage him. As long as he designated a reasonable amount of time to entertaining her, she hadn’t seemed to complain about any aspect of his Career training. Of course there was a bit of sarcasm and the occasional joke, but she seemed like the perfect stress-relieving compliment to his dreams.
When the Panem Olympics were announced, Apex had realized it would be yet another opportunity to spread his name past the borders of District One. If he could claim a few medals for his own; he would claim all the notoriety he could want, and that’s what he did. Apex had decided to compete in as many events as possible; in fact, he may have been the most entered participant in all of Panem. It was debatable as to whether it improved or hurt his chances of getting a gold medal; on one hand, more events simply meant more medals, on the other hand, more events also meant more fatigue. But fatigue was something Apex was sure he’d be able to handle.
And that’s what he did. Apex had always considered himself a swordsman, but fencing was quite different than what he was used to, and it showed. He managed to squeak out a few victories based on talent and athleticism alone, but he was eventually cast out of the tournaments without much success. The individual swimming events were an absolute joke. The home District was District Four, the land of naturally blessed swimmers and fishermen. He was the only District One participant in any of the events; and of course he lost in each and every one. However, his performance in the 4x100 freestyle was nothing short of spectacular, finishing the first leg nearly a second and a half faster than anyone had finished any leg in the entire race. Unfortunately, while his team had the best time, a girl from District Two had given their team the luxury of having the worst time as well. Still, he managed to grasp a silver medal there.
However, one competition stood out to Apex the most; even before the Olympics had started and the medals began to fly like hotcakes. The Decathlon is an event worthy of song; it takes a complete athlete to place in the Decathlon. All of the most fit, the strongest, the fastest, and the competitors with the finest technique would gather for one goal: to claim the title of the best athlete in all of Panem. That was a title Apex drooled at; he wanted to be the best so bad, losing may have sent him into a rabid frenzy.
But luckily, Apex isn’t one for losing either. Through powerful showings in the shot put, the hurdle, the high jump, and the long jump; Apex managed to obtain the gold with a fairly substantial lead. He took to the podium with such grace and posture that “oohs and aahhs” could be heard frequently throughout the stadium. Those who didn’t know who he was may know him by name now; but it was no surprise that this was merely a warm-up for the real Games to come.
Apex was ready for Reaping day. He had prepared nearly everything about it. The exact time he woke up was scheduled to provide him the optimum amount of rest so that his eyes didn’t sag and were completely bag-ridden in the morning. His clothes were neatly ironed and hung the day before, only to be ironed again in the morning. As per usual, everything was clean and white. His shirt was encrusted with real Diamonds at the sleeves, a gold trim lined the seam where the buttons rested, and around the collar and shoulders. His pants were wrinkle-free and steam-pressed, and his shoes were smooth and so polished, staring at them for too long may have caused legitimate blinding. This was the day he was supposed to have his shot; this was the day he was going to become a tribute.
But as the day went on, the confidence level Apex protruded began to decrease. He made his way to the District Square, a false smile engrained flatly on his face. The masses came walking in, music filled the streets in celebration; this was not just a day for him, it was a day for everyone. Familiar thoughts crept into his mind; soaking up every last bit of happiness that had been developed since the last Reaping. This is what he lived for, this is what he wanted to die for; but he wasn’t the only one.
His eyes traced the lines of teenage children; everyone was dressed in their finest attire. People argued about who would be the fastest one to volunteer if the person reaped had been one of the very few who had passed up on the glorious chance to become a Career. Apex spotted Dia in a girls line not too far, and couldn’t help but smile at her seemingly nonchalant attitude. Dia wasn’t a Career, and while this was a celebration of sorts; this was no party. It was standing in a line and listening to people talk; something Dia simply wasn’t into. She picked some dirt from her nails and looked around, spotting him staring at her in the crowd. She smiled brightly and he nodded forward as if instructing her to pay attention. She rolled her eyes and he turned his head back to the front of the stage after chuckling to himself; bittersweet, he thought.
Getting Reaped or getting the chance to volunteer would be an absolute dream come true. He would get the recognition and glory he felt he deserved. He would go on, eat the most delicious of foods in the Capitol. He would participate in the lavish Parade that so many felt was just a giant going away party for the tributes. He would interview, he would wow the crowd, and he would wink at the beginning of the bloodbath, just to let the viewers know just how ready he was. He would also risk never seeing Dia again.
Bittersweet.
But, the decision was not in Apex’s control. The national anthem started and the video played, cheers erupted throughout the crowd. The names were read, and after briefs moments of exasperation and disappointment; soon the District erupted into celebration. The Peacekeepers escorted the tributes to their areas, and the rest of the District erupted into a party that was the Reaping Day Festivities. However, Apex was too heartbroken to party.
