The sun was heating my face but I was too exhausted to move. I wished that I could stay in this peace forever, not having to show myself off or pretend to be in love with someone that I wasn't in love with. It was exhausting and it wasn't what I wanted. But I had to do this, for my family. I managed to find a few more minutes of sleep before there was a loud knock at my door.
"Katniss, it's time to get ready, what are you doing?" It was Haymitch's voice. He didn't even sound drunk.. Must have to be something important for him to be sober. I rolled over and slowly sat up on the side of my bed, rubbing my eyes. A couple of seconds passed before I answered Haymitch.
"Well I was asleep, but I guess not anymore" I said, sarcasm pouring out. Without my saying, Haymitch welcomed himself into my room.
"Jesus Christ sweetheart, you look awful" Wow, thanks Haymitch. I know I looked terrible after 6 hours of sleeping in the same position, but I didn't need to hear it from my mentor. Besides, he was one to talk about appearances. He looked like shit most of the time anyway. I replied with a piercing look, and stood up and stretched.
"Right okay, well you have to be downstairs in prep in 10 minutes, I'll meet you down there" he said, and left me alone. I walked over to my dressing table where the mirror was. God, Haymitch wasn't wrong. I did look like shit.
"You should probably have a shower Katniss" I said to myself, and headed to the ensuite bathroom, where the shower was already running. Stupid voice controlled shower.
After the shower, I threw a white silk robe over me. It didn't seem like a robe at all, it was way too short and stopped at the top my thighs. I know I didn't have to do my hair or my makeup, that was the whole point of the prep team. I quickly blow dried my long brown hair, and after it didn't look too bad. Sitting on my shoulders in gentle curls, it seemed tamed enough for the journey down to the prep room. With only 5 minutes left to get ready, I threw on a pair of burgundy sweat shorts and a long sleeved white shirt that I rolled to my elbows. I started for the door, but remembered I was still barefoot. I grabbed my white vans and quickly tied them up, then walked for the hallway where the elevators were.
After stepping out into the hallway, I noticed it was eerily quiet. Of course, everyone was downstairs preparing for the interviews this evening. Great, another thing I had to do. The Capitol make such a meal out of the Games. Couldn't they just throw us into the arena and be done with it.
"And how long would you survive without sponsors Katniss" I said to myself, whilst pressing the ground floor button on the elevator. Whilst waiting for the elevator to arrive, I glanced to my right, where there was a full length window. It was a really sunny day today, no clouds in the sky, but the trees in the Capitol square were swaying gently. The elevator had arrived, and the doors opened. I stepped in and clicked the basement button on the panel. The doors closed and the gentle cruise downwards began. I watched the button panel inside the elevator count down each level. 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.. Wait, why was it stopping at 2.
The doors started to open, and there was a giant figure standing in between the doors. A huge boy, with muscles designed to kill, blonde hair and blue eyes stepped into the elevator and pressed the basement button on the panel. He stood to the left of the elevator, whilst I stood as far to the right as I could. I could see in my peripheral that he took a quick glance towards me.
"I thought it would have been empty" he said, in a deep manly tone. So did I, I thought. I remained silent as the elevator continued down, but he was constantly glancing at me from the side. It was getting quite annoying.
"Can you stop staring at me please" I said sternly, keeping my head straight. I could see him grin from the side, but after a few seconds a replied.
"I'm not staring, I'm just seeing what competition I have. I see it isn't hard competition" he said, quietly laughing. How dare he. I stayed quiet until the elevator stopped, the doors opened and I quickly jumped out. I carried on walking along the corridor until I could see a door with the number 12 in gold on the front. I opened the door, but glanced back as I closed it, and he was just stood there, by the elevator doors looking at me. God, what a creep. I slammed the door shut, and turned to greet my prep team. Flavius and Octavia were such darlings. Born and raised in the Capitol, they were the nicest people I had met so far, and they made me feel good about myself.
"Katniss darling! You look amazing!" Flavius exclaimed as he pulled me in for a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Even if I was wearing a garbage bag, he would still think I looked fabulous.
"Well Haymitch said I looked terrible, so you'll have to put a lot of effort in to make me gorgeous" I said sarcastically, as I knew Flavius would think Haymitch's remarks were unacceptable. Of course I was correct, with Flavius waving his hands in the air, cursing Haymitch.
"Honestly honey, that man looks worse than a dog from the wild. Octavia, Katniss is here" I could see Octavia in the corner of the room, getting all of the equipment ready for my preparation for the interview. As soon as she seen me, she came running over, well running was an overstatement in those heels, but somehow she made it across the room and into my arms.
"Katniss, look at you! We don't have a lot of time, but we won't need it. You always look gorgeous!" Octavia exclaimed, pressing her cheek into mine. After the greetings were over, I was dragged to the corner of the room where my preparation was taking place, and put into a gruelling routine of hair pulling and makeup application. Flavius wanted to paint my eyelids gold, but Octavia stopped his hand.
"Flavius, you know what Effie told us, nothing too bold. We'll stick with this light purple for now" she said and began to brush the eyeshadow across my eyelids. Flavius seemed hurt, with Octavia noticing.
"Oh Flavius, I'm sure we can throw some gold in there somewhere" she said with a wink, and a huge grin across his face, Flavius began to spread a dark purple lipstick across my lips.
"Darling you're lips are so luscious and big! A treat to work with" he laughed, and after another 10 minutes of makeup and hair, I was considered finished.
"Take a look at yourself darling, you'll hardly recognise yourself" Flavius said, holding a mirror to my face. Wow, he was right. Damn I looked amazing. My eyebrows were arched and filled, my eyelashes were long, black and hiding behind them were purple and gold eyelids. The dark purple lipstick topped it all off, I did look amazing.
"Flavius, Octavia, as always, you've worked magic" I said. My hair was in tighter curls but they were relaxing on my shoulders and down my back. They had worked a plait into the sides of my hair, whilst still making it look like it was natural.
"You've honestly done a terrific job. I just hope the sponsors think so too" I said, with uncertainty. Once they had finished packing up their equipment, they took me over to a room filled with rails upon rails of evening gowns. There was no way I could pull any of these off, even with my hair and makeup looking like this. Octavia was scanning the rails, her hand brushing along the dresses as she did, and she stopped at a red gown. She pulled it out and hung it on a hook on the wall.
"What do you think Katniss?" she said, as she ruffled the bottom of the dress. Then she stood behind me with her hands on my shoulders. I looked at the dress in amazement. How did they think I could wear that?
"Octavia, I mean it's a beautiful dress, but you don't think I would honestly look good in that do you?" I said, and she started pushing me forward. I took the dress in my hands and felt the material. It was silky, and wasn't exactly floor length, which was a benefit of it I supposed.
"Can I try it on?" I asked Octavia. She immediately dragged me over the a curtain and passed the dress to me. I could hear Flavius outside the curtain.
"Oh my God this is so exciting!" he said, and I could hear his clapping his hands. Once it was on, I pulled the curtain back, and immediately Flavius and Octavia's faces were shocked. Oh no, it looked terrible. I knew it.
"I knew it would look terrible on. Is there not anything else I could wear?" I asked disheartened. Octavia shushed me and dragged me over to a full length mirror on the other side of the room.
"Put these on!" she exclaimed, and put in front of me a pair of red stilettos. Once they were on, I look at myself in the mirror. Holy shit. I looked amazing. I looked glamourous and felt it too.
"Oh my God, Octavia, I look…" I couldn't finish my sentence, I was stunned.
"This is what you're wearing tonight and in that dress, you'll have all of the sponsors lining up just for you!" she shouted, and she could be right. I looked perfect, with the dress fitting all of my curves, and I hoped this would help me in the war for sponsors.
Half an hour later, I was lining up along a corridor, presumably waiting my turn for my interview. And because I was District 12, I was all the way at the back. The tributes interviews only lasted 3 minutes, but after each one, they seemed to come back through the corridor and sit in chairs labeled with their district number. Why did they have to sit here, where they can stare? Even doing the interviews early was stupid, training hadn't even begun yet. I could see the tributes already sitting in their chairs on the other side of the hallway. District 1 and the girl from 2 were already sat down. Then 3 minutes later, the huge boy with blonde hair I had seen in the elevator earlier came down the steps and took his seat. He was looking along the line, eyeing up his competition. And then his eyes found me.
His expression changed so quickly I didn't have time to register it. His eyes seemed to widen and a smile creeped along his face. Soon enough, it was my turn for an interview and after Peeta's performance of long lost love, I had to keep up the act. That's if we wanted sponsors.
"Katniss, you're up" a Capitol woman wearing a light pink dress grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the steps that led to the stage. I stood there for a minute whilst Caesar Flickerman entertained the crowd. Wow, I was nervous. The applauds and laughing beyond the stage was terrifying. Why was I so nervous?
"Why so nervous girl on fire? It's just a few hundred thousand sponsors watching" a voice snapped at me. I turned around to see it was the girl from District 1. She had strawberry blonde hair, and I seem to recall her name was Glimmer from her interview. I gave her a sharp look and noticed that the District 2 boy, Cato I think his name was, was still staring at me.
"Katniss, you ready? In 3..2..1, you're on." the woman said, and she motioned me to start climbing the steps to the stage. I as stepped onto the stage, I was greeted by Caesar Flickerman's hand which led me towards the centre of the stage where there were 2 chairs. He held my arm up in his, and motioned for the audience to applaud. But Caesar didn't have to encourage them, they were going crazy. I could see people screaming, punching their fists into the air, and hugging one another. God these Capitol people were crazy. Caesar asked me to take a seat, and I did. I felt better once I was sat down, I wasn't going to last long standing up in these heels.
"Katniss! Welcome welcome! My God look at you!" he applauded my appearance which started the audience back up again.
"So, Katniss, or should I call you the girl on fire?" Caesar asked, but it seemed to be sarcastic. The audience laughed along with him, in which I replied Katniss was fine.
"No problem, so Katniss! Exciting things are headed your way! You must be excited to say the least?" he said, but his tone was serious. Oh my God, he couldn't be serious with a question like that? Was I excited for the Games? Hell no! But that's all it was to the Capitol, a game.
"Excited? Excited to be killed? I don't think so Caesar. In fact, I'm terrified, and so I should be" I said back at him, copying his serious tone. He took my hand in his, and caressed it gently.
"My apologies Katniss, of course you must be very scared. But I'm sure your bravery will show in the arena! Ha ha ha!" He said, finishing with that stupid laugh he does, which got the audience laughing and applauding again. 3 minutes this interview was, and 1 minute was already taken by Caesar and the audience. Of course, my bravery, he's talking about my volunteering for my sister. It wasn't bravery, I made her a promise that she would not go to the Games, and I kept that promise without bravery involved. I was doing this for her.
"I made a promise that I would never see her go to the Games, I'm not brave, I'm just keeping a promise" I said, trying not to think of Prim, as I would surely cry. Caesar seemed to see emotion looming over me, and changed the subject.
"Oh Katniss you are brave! But what are your fighting techniques? Do you think you will win?" he asked, and I looked at the audience who were leaning in their seats. I hesitated to answer, as we aren't supposed to share our fighting techniques. But I came up with a better answer.
"I don't need to fight Caesar. I have other things that will help me survive, and who knows..." I made sure to look into the camera for the finish of my sentence as I knew the other tributes would be watching in the corridor on the TV.
"... I might even win the Games" and I gave a wink to the camera. Caesar and the audience loved it. The applause lasted a lifetime, but when it eventually died down, Caesar turned to me and spoke.
"Katniss Katniss, you see there! Bravery! You have a very good chance at winning the Games! Always hold onto that" he said, and let go of my hand. The audience applauded again, but this time Caesar stopped them by holding his hand up for quiet as he asked me the question I was not looking forward to.
"Now Katniss, we all want to know, how will you fare if Peeta dies in the arena? Of course, you two are in love, but how do you think this will affect you?" He asked to nonchalantly. I hesitated to answer. I didn't even have an answer, what was I supposed to say? 'Hold on Caesar, I wouldn't mind Peeta dying in the arena of course because not only will it increase my chances of going home, but I'm not even in love with him, it's all a setup for sponsors' No, I couldn't say that. Instead, I sat in silence looking out into the audience, trying to hold on until the timer buzzed in the background, meaning my time was over.
"Well Katniss, we don't need an answer as we can all probably guess how you would take it, but we are unfortunately out of time this evening" Caesar said, standing me up and holding onto my hand. He motioned for the audience to stand and applaud as I made my way off of the stage.
"Let's give it up for Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire!" he shouted, and the applause was deafening. I quickly made my way down the steps, where the tributes were looking at me as I walked down towards my seat at the end. Shit, that went as bad as I thought it would. But the audience seemed to like me, so with that chillingly terrible performance on my behalf, I held onto hope that it was enough to get a few sponsors. After a few minutes, each band of tributes were redirected to elevators back up to their floors. As District 1 walked past me, I heard Glimmer say under her breath to the boy next to her, Marvel I think his name was
"She's going to be a problem, we have to kill her first" to which Marvel replied "I know, we need to talk to 2" he said, and they both entered their elevators. District 2 were making their way towards their elevator. I received a wicked stare from the girl, Clove, but Cato didn't look at me at all as he walked past. Thank God, I thought. Once the tributes started dying down, Effie came down to escort us back to our quarters. Peeta sprinted up from behind to walk alongside me.
"Katniss, why didn't you answer Caesar's last question?" Peeta asked me. Fuck, because I didn't want to tell him that I wouldn't mind you dying because it might get me back to Prim.
"I didn't really want to share how I would feel if you died in the arena, which you won't by the way" I said, and walked past him to walk alongside Effie. She at least doesn't question everything I do. Instead, she just throws compliments out or tells me to stand up straight. Once we were back upstairs, Effie said she wanted to have a team meeting about our interviews, but I just wanted to go to my room and forget the whole horrible thing.
"Effie can't we talk about it tomorrow? I'm really tired, plus we have training tomorrow" I said, whilst making my way towards my room. She didn't seem to stop me, but instead nodded her head and told everyone to go to bed. I walked into my room, locking the door behind me. I kicked off my heels and pulled my dress over my head, leaving me standing naked in the room. I jumped into the bed, pulled the silk sheets over me. The silk felt good on my naked body, and I eventually drifted into a deep sleep filled with bright lights, loud clapping and blue eyes.