I am so sorry for this being up so late. I have been busy with school-work, and also I have had writer's block for a little bit. But, it's up, and I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter Two:
We finally arrived in the Capitol, and right away, Effie escorted us to meet with our stylists. They were going to prepare us for the grand entrances tonight.
My stylists were very odd. One of them had green skin, it didn't look right. But that's what happened when you lived in the Capitol. You dressed, and looked odd to everybody else. Or it was just me because I was from District twelve. But I knew to the other tributes, they seemed weird.
My stylists had removed every inch of hair off of my legs, arms, underarms, and tweaked my eyebrows, and cleaned my hair. They scrubbed off every inch of dirt and grime off my body, they left the room, and I waited on the table, looking down at my skin. They scrubbed so hard, my skin was red.
"Hello, I'm Cinna, your stylists for the opening ceremonies." He was dark-skinned, with black hair. He didn't look like he fit into the Capitol at all. The only thing Capitol-like he wore was gold eyeliner.
"Are you new?" I asked, I had never seen him in the past games. He smiled, and laughed.
"Yes, I am a new stylists."
"And you got stuck with District twelve."
"No. I chose it." I stared at him, shocked. "How despicable we must seem to you. Preparing you for your possible demise."
"Why would you choose District Twelve? Nobody in District twelve survives." I was suddenly starting to worry. My words could not have been more true in any way.
"I see something in you. You seem like a survivor." I couldn't help it – I smiled at his comment. He was one of the first Capitol people to actually say something nice about me.
"Now, for the opening ceremonies, each District is usually dressed in something resembling their district." Coal Miners. We'd either be stark naked, or in unflattering coal miners outfits.
"Our district is coal mining. Am I going to be put in a miners outfit?" He shook his head. I was definitely going to be naked then.
"I was thinking something more along the lines of what coal does, when it burns." Fire? What was he planning on doing? "Are you afraid of fire?"
"It depends on what you mean."
I was dressed in a black suit that fit me perfectly – Peeta in the same one. My hair was up in a braided bun, and we waited by our chariot.
Cinna was talking to Peeta and I's other stylists, discussing the fire thing.
"Are they really going to light us on fire?" Peeta asked, looking at me. I shrugged.
"I'll rip your cape off if you rip off mine." I whispered. He smirked, and chuckled. Cinna walked back over to us, smiling, like we weren't about to go out into an arena filled with people betting on who would win – and who would kill who.
"Are you guys ready?" He asked. Peeta's stylist – I think her name is Portia – comes up with a torch of fire.
We climbed onto the chariot, and they placed the torch near both of us, causing our outfits to light on fire. I kept my eyes closed, waiting for the burning sensation to set in. But nothing came. I looked up, and smiled brightly.
When we got into the arena, everybody turned their attention back to us. I could hear everybody chanting Peeta and I's name. Peeta gripped my hand, and thrust both of ours into the air.
"What are you doing?" I whispered, keeping my smile.
"Trust me, the crowd will love it." And they did, they went crazy. When we were arranged into the semi-circle, I looked up at President Snow, and I couldn't stop the glare that came. It wasn't something I was prepared for. I hated him – both Katniss and I did. We both found him despicable. Making kids kill each other for his entertainment. It was horrible.
Peeta kept his hold on my hand, and I was worried he would think that I liked him. But I knew he didn't like me – well, he liked me as a friend, nothing more. He was all about Katniss.
The other tributes were glaring at us in our flaming costumes, and I couldn't help but think that we'd be their first targets in the arena. The careers would kill us first, because we had out shone them.
When we met back up with the stylists, they were gushing over how amazing we looked, and said that the hand holding was a nice touch.
We were instructed to go into the building where we would be staying for the next two weeks, until the arena. We'd be training in the very bottom of the building.
It was very simple to remember which floor you were on. The floor number was your district number. Simple. And pretty much obvious.
When we got to our floor, there was food waiting for us on the table. It was the first time in a few days, that I actually felt happy, and worry-free. Until Haymitch joined us. He seemed to be the one to bring my mood down.
"Tomorrow, you two will be heading down to the training center, and you will begin to train. Then the day after that, you will be scored. It will be yourselves in a room with the Gamemakers, and they will score you on how well you are. Here are the rules: Tomorrow, you will stay together. No breaking apart, no leaving each other. Do not use any weapons at all. You can throw some things around, but go to the main stations. You don't want your opponents to know about your strengths, especially the Careers."
Peeta and Haymitch talked about more strategies, while I quietly ate my dinner. Afterwards, I headed up to the rooftop garden that Cinna showed me. There were lots of people on the streets, car horns honking.
"How did I know you'd be up here?" I turned around to see Peeta standing behind me, hands in his pockets. I shook my head, pulling my legs into my chest. "You okay?"
"I wish."
"Thinking about Gale?" He looked over at me, smirking.
"What? I don't know what you're talking about…" How did he even know I liked Gale? Please tell me he wasn't stalking me.
"Lily, it's obvious you're crazy about Gale. Everybody knows but him."
"And everybody knows you're crazy about Katniss. Why have you never talked to her?" I snapped. I felt bad. I knew he didn't want to think about her.
"I don't know. She's…she just seems like she doesn't like anybody. Aside from you and Gale." I shook my head.
"She likes you Peeta. Any time she looks at you, her face glows. You two may not see it, but believe me, everybody else does."
"Let's just agree that we both like somebody back home. And one of us – or both – might not be able to make it home to them." I frowned, my chest suddenly feeling tighter.
"We both need to make it home, though…" Suddenly the image from earlier popped up in my mind.
"Wait – if we pretend that we're in love, they'll have to let us both go home, right?" Peeta looked at me like I was crazy – which was possibly true.
"What if it doesn't work?" He looked at me, worried. I sighed, hugging my knees to my chest.
"If it doesn't work, Peeta, I want you to go home. You need to make it home to Katniss. You two have more of a chance of being together than Gale and I do." Peeta shook his head.
"No, Lily. You have to go home. You'll make it home no matter what. You're a fighter. You have more of a chance to live than I do." I sighed. I wasn't trying to sound conceited, but he was right. Peeta never hunted. He doesn't know how to use a weapon other than I knife.
How will he survive the bloodbath? He doesn't have enough self confidence in him. I have to keep him alive. But I won't let myself get to the last round. Peeta does not need to kill me. I'll have a Career kill me off. No matter what, he needs to get home to Katniss.
"Peeta, you and Katniss belong together, and deserve a life together." He looked over at him, and shook his head.
"What about Mitchell, and your dad? What about them?"
"What about your parents? Your brothers?"
"They don't care about me. My mom said that you would be our new victor. Not me. My brothers didn't even think about volunteering for me. Nobody will care if I'm gone."
"I'd care." My comment surprises him, and he seems upset. I know I didn't upset, but the truth behind my words are sincere. "Katniss cares."
"Can we really pull this "lover" thing off? We have to have every single person believe we're in love."
"We can. We just have to think of Katniss and Gale."
"I just want to know one thing…" I looked over at him, and he had a small smile. He wasn't very hard to like. He was sort of sweet. I knew if we both somehow survived the Games, Peeta and I would become good friends.
"Has Katniss ever said anything about me?" I tried to think back to the all the times Katniss and I discussed guys. It was always a rather short conversation. We both felt awkward talking about it, thinking that it would somehow get out. Katniss knows how I feel about Gale. I've tried to tell her multiple times that I think her and Peeta should talk, but she never thought anything of it.
"Well, she did mention that you gave her bread…and she would usually catch you looking at her." I looked over at Peeta, waiting for him to object, and say that she was lying – but he said nothing.
If anything, I saw him blush. Blush! Peeta Mellark just blushed. "I think we should go back down. Haymitch is probably wondering where we are, and we need to sleep."
Tomorrow was the first day of training. I'd seen the other tributes, and from what I saw, I could only tell height.
When I got into my bedroom, I tried not to think too much about what was going to happen tomorrow in the training center, so I ended up slowly falling asleep.
My dream wasn't the same as all my other dreams. This time I was in the familiar woods, right outside the fence of District Twelve. I was at home. Gale was standing in front of me, smiling. He reached his arms around towards me, before his eyes widened, and then he coughed up blood. He fell forward, landing face-first on the forest floor, a knife in his back. I heard a knife whiz past my head, but I ducked out of the way. Suddenly, Katniss appeared, and shot the attacker with a bow and arrow, and then disappeared through the trees. I ran after her, but it seemed as if I was going nowhere. I was just running in place, and Katniss slowly disappeared from my line of view. Katniss was gone, and Gale was dead.
I woke up, sweating, and panting. I stood up, pacing back and forth, trying to calm down. "It was just a nightmare, Lily. Just a nightmare. Gale's alive, and so is Katniss. Peeta can go home to Katniss, and I might make it home to Gale."
The thought calmed me down for a few seconds, before another thought popped into my head:
What if the Capitol doesn't fall for it?
Did you like this chapter? Leave a review, and just a little side note: I'm still looking for a beta, so if you're interested, let me know!
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