All Time Hunger Games

Rian practically squealed at the sight of the Justice Building, the place where the Peacekeepers were taking them. They led to them to an almost empty room, but not without Rian acting all tourist-y and snapping pictures on his IPhone. Zack ended up stealing it, before the Peacekeeper could zap him with a taser.

The Peacekeepers practically threw them in the room, then immediately left, leaving the band all alone. All that was in the room was two velvet couches, an ugly oriental rug, and a small coffee table. “OMG I can’t believe we’re in the Justice Building! It’s EXACTLY like I imagined it, even down to the crown molding...” Rian said, eyes wide with wonder. “Yeah, I wish it was under different circumstances though...” Alex muttered. “Yeah, Rian made this seem kinda bad...” Zack agreed. “KIND OF BAD?! YOU DON’T KNOW THE HALF OF IT! JACK! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO PUT ALL OUR NAMES ON ONE PIECE OF PAPER! I JUST WANTED TO SEE 24 UGLY KIDS GET IN AN EPIC BATTLE FOR THEIR LIVES! NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!!” Rian screamed, turning to Jack as he was trying to claw Jack’s face off. “I’m very attractive, thank you very much.” Zack said from behind Rian, holding him back from completely tackling Jack. Alex was trying so hard not to laugh. “Rian, I’m sorry! I just wanted more grain! You can’t deny it’s grainy goodness!” Jack cries, fighting back tears. “I didn’t know this was going to happen and I didn’t even get more grain. My life is a lie.” Rian could tell Jack was getting really upset; he was blinking more than usual. He didn’t mean to get them into this situation, Rian knew that, so he decided to let it go. “How could you? You didn’t read the book.” Rian and Jack both laughed, this quickly becoming their latest inside joke.

The boys then settled into an awkward silence then, until they all begin hearing a muffled crying sound. Out of the corner of their eyes, a dark auburn wavy haired girl was sitting as far away from the boys as possible. She was on the floor, beside the couch with her head nestled into her drawn up knees, sobbing her eyes out. How did the guys not notice her presents till now? Alex came next to her, sat down and put his arm around her pulling her into a tight hug.“Hey, hush now, it’s all gonna be okay. We’re gonna get through this.” he whispers, rocking her slowly back and forth. “How can you say that?” Audrey asks, her question broken up between heavy breaths. “District 12 haven’t had a winner in the Hunger Games in years!” She shook the attractive boy’s arm off her shoulder, then curled back into a ball. “Well....” Alex wasn’t quite sure what to say. He wanted to make her feel better, but false hope wouldn’t help, this was too extreme. He just looked at Rian, who had now turned into the savior of today since he still had the book with him . They didn’t know then how precious that book would end up becoming.

Rian sat on the other side of Audrey, whispering “What if I told you I had an entire book that will help us survive out there.” Audrey’s head snapped up at him as she stared at him in disbelief, her blue eyes shining against the red puffiness surrounding them. Rian held up the Hunger Games book he had been carrying around with him this entire time. “Don’t ask me how, but I’ve been reading this book while we have been on tour ....” Zack interrupted him with a peppy sarcastic “Wow, a book!” Zack rolled his eyes. “Shut up, you’ll regret that later...Anyways,” Rian turned his attention back to Audrey. “This thing is like gold, it explains everything we need to know on how to win the games.” Audrey’s face brightened as she stopped crying. Maybe she could actually trust these idiot band guys. Maybe, just maybe, there was still hope left.

Because everyone’s attention was on Audrey, they didn’t notice when the door opened, until Allen shouted “Guys! You’re alive!” as he drew them all into a bone crushing group hug. “Hi...Allen...” Alex greeted between breaths. “Can’t...breathe...” Zack commented, trying to wiggle out of the hug. “Oh, sorry guys...so what’s with this Hunger Games thing? I heard you guys were participating in it as like, tributes or something? What does that even mean? Are you like, playing a gig here now?” Allen asked, confused by the entire situation. “No, Jack STUPIDLY entered us in a fight to the death match and there’s no way getting out of it, except by being the last one standing.” “What?! But, but...you all can’t be the last one standing! There’s four of you, not one!” Allen wailed hysterically. Though Allen was kind of stupid, he did have a point... “Oh my God, guys, we all can’t make it out of here...” Rian realized. “Well, which one of us is going to make it out alive?” Alex asked, his eyes going back and forth between his band members. “We can’t just, pick one of us. We don’t know what’s going to happen in there.” Zack says. “But, what if we’re the last four?” Jack inquired, nervous. “Well, we’ll decide then I guess...” Rian mumbled. “No. No matter what, we are NOT turning on each other. I would never hurt any of you, much less even think about killing one of you, even when Jack is annoying the hell out of all of us. I would never, will never, hurt any of you.” Zack vows. “Okay, then it’s a promise. We will never turn on each other. All in?” Rian questions. “Yes.” Alex and Jack agree at the same time. “Um, can I join in on this deal? It sounds pretty sweet and I uh...wanna live too...” Audrey says, her voice getting softer as she talks. All four band member look at each other. “I think we should let her, she’s on our team. I trust her. And with or without the rest of you, I’ll look out for her.” Alex says. “Okay, if you trust her, we trust her. Welcome aboard Audrey.” Zack welcomes, and she smiles. “Aww! Now ain’t that the sweetest thing?” Allen blows his nose on a napkin from his pocket “Don’t you get killed now, ya hear? I’m gonna miss you guys!” He gives them all another hug before he exits, leaving them alone.

A moment later, the door burst open again, this time revealing Effie. “Hi boys!” She exclaimed , paying no attention to Audrey, “It’s such an honor to have a talented band such as yourselves competing this year!!” No one answered her. The boys did not have Effie on their good side, since she was the reason they were stuck in District 12 in the first place. Effie though, didn’t seem to notice the obvious tension radiating from the band, and continued on with her point “I’m assuming you boys aren't that familiar with how we run the Games, so I think its time I introduce you to your mentor.” Alex, Rian, Jack and Zack all froze and gawked at the figure who walked through the door. “Boys, I would like you to meet Mr. John Lennon.”

The four of them just stood there starstruck, completely speechless as they met their idol. His hair was a black with greyish streak, almost to his shoulders, and he had beard to match. His lips were in a thin straight line as his eyes looked over the four, waiting for them to acknowledge his presence. Jack was the first to break the silence “You....you’re.... Aren’t you dead?” Out of all the things Jack wanted to say to John, the only thing he could muster was the worlds stupidest question, even though he was confused by the fact that the man before him died before Jack was even born . The band nodded their heads realizing the same thing, their eyes still glued to the real flesh and bones of John Lennon.

John was deeply offended. “That is a lie, I never died! I won the 1980 Hunger Games and I have been stuck in this God-awful place since like, December 9th!” “Wait! Wait! So you weren’t shot?” Zack questioned, cocking his head to the side. “No, that was my twin brother, Lenny.” John replied to reassure him. “No one knew about him, since he was adopted by another family who eventually gave him up, so no one questions my disappearance, since everyone thought he was me.” “Oh...” Rian murmured, wondering how much of his life was actually a lie.

Effie was getting very irritated with the awkward tension in the room, especially since the conversation had nothing to do with the Games or herself. “As tragically exciting as this conversation is, there is a train waiting for us, so let’s go, chop chop! All aboard!”

The ever expanding group left the building and got on the luxurious train . Effie began to give the new tributes the tour. Rian went back into tourist mode and stole his IPhone back from Zack. “This is so beautiful” he said on a loop through out the tour. “This is nicer than my house” Alex pointed out. Jack just laughed since he knew he was right.

Effie never appreciated the commentary from the immature boys. “Anyway, each of you get your own chamber...” Jack rudely interrupted her. “By chamber, do you mean dungeon?” “Jack, just stop talking” Rian said. “So what I was saying...” Effie continued while glaring at Jack “All of you boys get your own chamber but we are short one room, so Audrey, looks like were roomies!” She said very excitedly. Audrey looked at the boys with a “help me” expression on her face as Effie dragged her along. “Wait!” Alex yelled trying to get everyones attention. “Jack and I will room together, we do it all the time on tour, anyways.” Effie barely got out her words before Audrey grabbed Alex and pulled him into a quick hug to thank him before running off to an empty room.

After that, everyone went to their rooms to wash up for dinner. Jack immediately hopped into the shower, feeling gross from all of todays events. When he returned, Alex was sitting on the bed with a notebook and a piece of paper. “Hey, what rhymes with cynical?” Alex asked, not looking up. Jack thought for a moment and then replied “Um... psychoanalytical, metaphysical, cylindrical....” “WOAH!!!” Alex interrupted “those are some big words! How the hell do you know those? Do you even know what they mean?” Jack laughed. “Hell no, but I think Rian used them once. What are you doing anyway?” “Writing a song...” Alex smiles to himself, turning away from Jack who quickly tried to grab the notebook out of his hands. “About what...” Jack asked in a sing -songy voice. “Nothing! It’s just a little love song...about a girl I like...” Alex says timidly. “Really? Who? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Jack questions. “Well, I only recently started liking her so...” “Wait, how soon is recently? She’s not....it’s Audrey isn’t it?” Jack smirked, making Alex blush slightly. “Pfft, no, of course not! It’s someone back home...” He replied half heartedly. “Oh...okay, if you say so dude.” Alex rolled his eyes, and hit Jack playfully with his notebook. “Violence is not the answer!” Jack laughed. “No, it’s the solution!” Alex then tackled Jack, making him fall backwards off the bed. They fought for a moment until Jack finally pinned Alex to the ground. “You know I’m always on top.” Jack smiles jokingly at his awkward sentence as he thrusts his pelvic bone into Alex. “Ha ha, not for long!” Alex attempts to push Jack off him, but instead Jack just crashed into Alex’s chest, leaving them both laughing.

All of a sudden, there was a knock at the door. John came in, seeing Alex and Jack laughing on the floor, Jack still on top of Alex.. “Uh, sorry guys, I didn't mean to um interrupt anything, but its time for dinner. “FOOD!!!!” Jack screamed like a little kid while getting up and running wildly out of the room, almost knocking Mr. Lennon over. Alex sat up and shook his head, laughing, before chased after him.

After a good long time of chasing each other around the train, Alex and Jack finally found the dinning hall. Jack made a quick left and went into the kitchen, in a quest to find food. He was starving again, like usual. Alex saw Rian and Zack at the other end of the dining hall, and went to go sit with them. When he got there, they seemed to have already finished. “Come on guys” Alex complained, “You could have waited for us.” Rian looked at him with a disgusted look on his face. “We didn’t even eat. The food here looks really gross and weird.” Before Zack could even ask where Jack was, he came to the table with a tray stacked to the sky with various, oddly shaped foods. “Jack? What the hell is all that?” Alex asked, pointing to something on his plate. “I don’t even know, but its pretty good!” Only Jack, the boy that eats grain straight from the bag, wouldn't question his food. To Jack, food was food, no matter how it looked. As long as it tasted good, he was all for it. “Lex, you gotta try this!” Jack says with his mouth full, holding up something green and round. “Yeah, I’ll pass...” At the sight of Jack stuffing his face, Alex was no longer hungry.

After Jack finished eating dinner, the band was making their way back to their rooms until John Lennon stopped them. “Guys, come take a seat. We need to talk.” The boys exchanged glances and sat down on the couch in front of John. “You guys aren't from around here are you?” “What was your first clue?” Alex asked sarcastically. John looked them up and down, raised one of his bushy eyebrows, and just continued talking. “So eventually, when your in training, you have to demonstrate your best skills. Are any of you good at anything?” A wave of silence flooded over the band till, like always, Jack was the first to break the ice. “Um... I play guitar...?” “Yeah... mediocre guitar.” Alex muttered under his breath while trying to hold back laughter. John didn’t think it was funny, but the rest of the band did. “That’s nice Jack, but unless you going to hit people with your guitar, I really don’t think that's going to help you survive.” Jack looked down at his feet, his face turning scarlet.

The room was once again awkwardly quiet. This time John interrupted the silence. “Just as I thought.” He sighed “Guys, at this point I’m just going to tell it to you straight. The only one who has any sort of chance at winning is Zack. He's very intimidating looking and he’s in shape. He would just need a lot of luck and to work his ass off at training.” Zack sat up very tall, and flexed his muscles, doing a few poses. He was feeling very proud of himself right now. The three other band members burst out laughing. “Zack! Are you kidding me!?” Alex exclaimed in between his laughter. “He couldn’t hurt a fly!” At that very moment, Zack shoved Alex onto the ground and sat ontop of him. “Take that fly!” Zack said triumphantly, flexing again. Jack and Rian pounced on top of Zack resulting in an all out band brawl, Alex unfortunately being on the bottom.

Effie ran into the room, her eyes wide and confused. She caught sight of the commotion and yelled “Boys! Boys! What in the name do you think you’re doing? The whole train is shaking! Stop roughhousing this instant!” She fumed. She made an attempt to pull Zack off of Alex, and to Zacks astonishment, she practically threw him onto the couch. That little, pink, strange woman was A LOT stronger than she looks. “We have a long day tomorrow at the Capital! Now we don't need any of you to have any broken limbs before the big event.” John rolled his eyes. He found Effie to be very obnoxious and annoying with her weird, colored, and out there outfits and her high, squeaky voice! The worse part was that he had to spend all of the Hunger Games with her. It was maddening, if he wasn’t crazy enough he might’ve shot himself just to get away from her. John decided to get back at her, and knocked Effie into the dog pile. She screamed, and fell into Rian’s lap. The boys not only found the whole situation really awkward, but they also found her to be very repulsive, so they immediately got up and out of her way, resulting in Effie landing face-and-wig first into the ground.

Effie got up, wiped herself off, and turned to John Lennon. “How dare you encourage this kind of behavior! You are suppose to be their role model, not play mate! And you...” She turned to the boys. “I don’t even know why I waste so much time with helping you boys! You are clearly not even going to make it past the first round! Go to your rooms!” As she walked away the boys over heard her saying something about them being scum, but they weren't exactly sure. They could tell this Hunger Games was going to be quite the wild ride!