I can go the distance | Alieya

It was a horrible Saturday. The rain was coming down harder than April could remember it falling for several years, and with winter quickly approaching there was a harsh chill in the air. So naturally, April’s dad had woken her up at five in the morning to go for a run so she could “take advantage of the conditions.” Now, April was all for training for each and every possible situation the Hunger Games could throw at her so she would be ready to win when she finally volunteered, but she was also a fourteen year old girl. And like most fourteen year old girls, April did not particularly enjoy getting up before the sun on a Saturday morning. Especially not in weather that was going to absolutely ruin her hair. But April knew better than to argue; last time she had objected to waking up early, her dad had cancelled all April’s training sessions for the rest of the week. That was a week she would never get back, and as far as the blonde was concerned she was now constantly a week behind on her training.

Unfortunately there was nothing April could do about that now except train as hard as she could, so it was with only a very small amount of complaining that she pulled herself out of bed, dressed in a pair of running shorts and a hoodie, and took off running out of her house in the direction of the town center. She was drenched after less than a minute of running, but April wasn’t worried about seeing anyone in town at this hour, much less in the current weather. And if she did happen to run into anyone, April figured that person would just be another Career out training, so she also didn’t care. Even the most fashionable Careers didn’t care about getting dirty when it came to training. Once April won the Hunger Games, she would go to parties and look glamorous all the time.

The run into town felt to April as though it was taking much longer than it usually did, and the sun was just beginning to rise as she reached to center. Once she was there, April took refuge under the awning of a store that was not yet open. She had been running hard the entire way there, and the cold, soggy, and tired fourteen year old decided she could take a short break before continuing her run. April breathed deeply as she squeezed out her ponytail, sending a trail of water to the ground. As awful as her run had been, April couldn’t help feeling as though she was going to be so much more prepared for the Games than her fellow Careers. And as for the kids in districts that didn’t even bother to train, well, they deserved to die if you asked April.

After a short break, April knew it was time to get back to work, so she took off running again. As she passed through the center of the town, April allowed her gaze to wander to window displays of the many shops. When she passed her favorite clothing store, April stopped in her tracks and did a double take. There in the store window was a dress that, had she seen anywhere else, April would have thought was crazy, but was apparently the newest fashion in the Capitiol. The blonde didn’t really understand the taste of the Capitol, but she made every effort she possibly could to keep up with their trends, and April knew that with that dress she would be the most up to date person in District 1. Which was why the blonde was currently standing in the middle of town, in the middle of a rainstorm, staring into the window of a store that was not yet open.

I don't know who I am anymore.

Rain splattered the window and an endless roar filled the air from the wheels screeching across the railway and the persistent rain hitting the train. Alieya sighed, words, wars, and symphonies racing through her head. She was torn on whether or not to run away after these games. She was fearful to go into these games. She didn’t want to have another tribute come and then disappear again. She would grow attached to them… and then watch them die. She was fearful to run, because if Snow ever found her, she was maybe. Maybe even turned into an avox, think of that! She didn’t even know what she would be looking for if she left. A home? A refuge? Who else would actually be out there. It would be only her. She probably wouldn’t even survive without someone else. There was also the option of running away to the Districts, but no one would actually take her in… would they? IT was a long shot and the only person she could think of was Roxas. Will… she was rich, richer than most in her district, but surely she wouldn’t take Alieya in? The Capitol took away her family. And Alieya was regrettably a blasted part of the Capitol.

Sleep threatened to take Alieya, but with all the ruckus around her, she doubted she would get any. Sure enough, a stout little man with bright red hair huffed in. “Miss, the train is stopping at one in 5 minutes. We weren’t planning on stopping here because we’re not picking anything up till tomorrow on our way back. We’re going strait to 4 and would like your stop to be as quickly as possible.” His head popped around the corner and was gone. Alieya chuckled to herself. He kept using we, we, though he didn’t seem to care that much. It was just the driver though, he was thick and gruff, you wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.

Yawning, Alieya grabbed her things, and checked to make sure her money was still in her pokets. She would have to be staying somewhere tonight. Staying overnight in the Districts was risky, but she figured, especially in District 1, it wouldn’t matter much. The people there were much more gung-ho about the Capitol than she was so she was expecting royal treatment. Even though she hated the Capitol, she like the treatment she received from 1, 2, and 4. Then, it was actually okay to wear something of her own design and not get foul looks. (The clothes were one obvious thing that gave her away.)

The train lurched faintly and began to lose speed. Alieya pulled her things out into the corridor and pulled her umbrella out and at the ready. she zipped up her jacket preparing for the cold. Finally, the train stopped with one last screech, Alieya waved goodbye, and she was in the district once again. Her umbrella wasn't needed for long as the sun began to break its way through the rain clouds. Her face held a look of dismay when she realized that the sun was still rising. Hues of pink and orange danced across the sky. It was still sprinkling, yes, but the worst of the rain was over. Alieya went to the town center and to one of the shops. She pulled her back close to her, it held a few items requested, as well as two expensive, very posh dresses. She knocked. "Oh bother, he dropped me off so early, that it's not even open!" That when she saw the girl, looking at something with admiration. Alieya looked to where she was staring, the window of the shop she was about to enter. It was a dress. Alieya recoiled, it was Safira's dress. Alieya disliked it, but it caught around quickly at the Capitol. now even the districts. She sighed. "You there, do you know the time?"
Alieya ushered her closer. She saw the look on her face once more and she sighed. "You like that dress? You know... I know who made it." She smiled and in her head added she's the most horrid person I've ever met. It was just a girl, she was just idolizing herself in the girl's eyes. What harm could be in that?

Just as she was about to reluctantly tear her gaze from the garment in front of her, April became distracted by the presence of someone else. That was odd; it was much too early for most of the District to be out and about, and the girl didn’t look as though she was out to train. April watched skeptically as the girl knocked on the door-she didn’t actually expect anyone to answer at this hour, did she? Before she could open her mouth to make a rude and most likely trivial comment, however, April got a good look at the girl. Her eyes widened with shock as two things ran through her head. First, that the girl had amazing clothes, and that she had no idea which store she’d bought them from. And that this was a problem. The second thing April realized was that because of her clothes, this girl must be from the Captiol. The Capitol! April had seen Capitolites in District 1 on occasion, but she’d never had the chance to talk to one before. A million things to say to the older girl raced through April’s head, but she was saved from having to choose the best thing to say when the girl spoke first.

Once she got of the initial shock from the Capitolite actually talking to her (clearly she had recognized April’s awesomeness), April gaped in shock at what the older girl had said. “You…you know the person who made this? How? Are you friends? Are you a designer too?” The blonde’s questions spilled from her mouth before she could stop them, and only after she finished the last one did April take a moment to compose herself. It certainly wouldn’t do for her to stand and babble like an idiot at a Capitol citizen who was apparently very well connected. Speaking of being an idiot, it was only then that April realized she was facing this wonderful, amazing, fabulous Capitolite dressed in running shorts and a hoodie, her hair in a ponytail, and absolutely drenched. Oh boy.

The fourteen year old straightened up as much as she could and self-consciously ran a hand over her hair, hoping to flatten out any stray strands. Fortunately for April, she always looked perfect in her own conceited mind, so being in her training clothes was really just a minor setback. She put on her trademark perky smile, and held out a hand to the Capitolite. “I’m April, by the way. April Adams.” You bet April was going to try to befriend the older girl. She would need all the allies in the Capitol she could get when she was in the games. Who knew, this girl could be a potential sponsor, especially seeing as how she knew fantastic dressmakers.

((I'm so sorry for the slow reply!))

Alieya did her best not to audibly laugh when she saw the look on the girl’s face. She was obviously one of the people who looked up to the Capitol and thought it was the best thing in the world. Well… really… it was. It was perfect, but she could never grow to accept the fact that it was her home. The girl stood in shock and answered her, completely baffled. Alieya was annoyed that she never answered her question about the time, but she didn’t let it show. It was nearly impossible for her to show an ounce of mean to others. She even kept her dislikes (like Safira) to herself. “Well, yes, I do. You get to know quite a few of these people in the designer business. So yeah, that answers a question, I am a designer – it’s a lot of fun, by the way! – and I wouldn’t exactly say we’re friends… We er… work together. That’s the extent of our relationship.” Alieya swept some hair from her eyes. She took another look at the dress, finding imperfections she would have changed but to the untrained eye, they wouldn’t have noticed.

Alieya sighed as she looked back at the admiration struck girl. She was obviously running and had stopped at seeing the dress. Alieya still couldn’t get over the fact that some people actually trained for the games. It was brutal, the others didn’t stand a chance against them. This girl was young too, Alieya could almost see an older version of her smiling as she ripped the life from someone with inferior skills. “Sorry to ask again, but you mind telling me the time?”

Alieya watched as the girl stuck her hand out in greeting. Eyeing it, hoping she wasn’t sweating, Alieya shook and responded, “I’m Alieya Stone …pleasure.” There was a glint in the girl’s eyes like she could almost smell the money that she figured Alieya would have. Everything in this girl’s life seemed to revolve around the games. Alieya almost felt bad for her. She was so paranoid she would get picked that she turned her life into something that would make sure she wouldn’t die. She just wanted money. And that’s what tributes received after they won.

((I'm so sorry this is late! I didn't get emailed or I accidentally deleted it or something DX))

Woah. April listened in awe as the older girl explained that yes, she was a designer, and yes, she did in fact know the person who made the dress. And April got the feeling they weren’t on the friendliest of terms, which was actually even more exciting for her. What fun would it be if every designer in the world was best friends? April followed the older girl’s eyes to the amazing dress once again. “Are any of your designs in there?” If they were, you can bet April would be there the next morning to buy them. How awesome would she be if she could say she knew the designer of a super cute outfit?

It was only when the girl asked April a question that she was pulled from her train of thought. She wanted to know the time again? It was only then that April realized that the older girl, had, in fact, asker her for the time earlier. She’d been so caught up by actually meeting a Capitolite that the question had gone right over her head. Mentally cursing herself (things going over April’s head was not, sadly, an uncommon occurrence), the blonde replied, “Oh! Right, it’s-” April paused and turned to look towards the sky. It was always nice when the skills she learned in training, such as telling the time based on the sun’s position in the sky, could be used in everyday life. “About six thirty.” Wow. April had certainly wasted a lot of time, hadn’t she? She would have to run home double-time or her dad would get angry with her for wasting a perfectly good training day. But April figured she still had some time to spare before she had to leave, and she wasn’t about to end her conversation with this super awesome designer for the Capitol.

Or Alieya, apparently. April gave the girl a sideways glance. She’d always pictured Capitol citizens, especially super awesome ones like the stylists, to get to sleep in however late they wanted, so she couldn’t begin to imagine what the older girl was doing wandering around District 1 at such an early hour. April fidgeted a bit under the older girl’s gaze – she was probably looking at her clothes. Yes, that had to be it. Of course of all the people from the Capitol April could have run into in her training clothes, it just had to be a designer of all things. But there was nothing April could do now except stand up a bit straighter and once again run a hand through her hair, completely unaware that the older girl was actually judging her for being a Career and wanting to win the games.

But it wasn’t for money; April couldn’t care less about the money – her family had plenty of that. No, what April wanted from the Games was the glory. When she was Victor, everyone in all of Panem would know who she was, and how strong she was. April knew she would never become well known for her brains (or lack thereof), and though she was obviously (her opinion, of course) extremely good looking, that alone would not be enough for her to be famous. No, she was going to have to rely on the thing she was good at, which was fighting. And cheerleading, but her parents wouldn’t let her try out because of her busy training schedule.

Deciding that she had better say something before the older girl left, April decided to ask a question that combined two of her favorite things: clothes and the Games. “Are you a designer for the Hunger Games? Do you know any of the other stylists? Have you met any tributes?” April wondered for a moment how it felt for the stylists to have to design for tributes that were most likely going to die, but she quickly pushed that slightly alarming thought to the back of her Capitol-brainwashed mind, not allowing it to cover the excitement in her voice.