A/N
before i start with the chapter, I would like to thank my one reviewer: coral-ebony
THANK YOU VERY MUCH! :D
Also, any more reviews would be much appreciated, i just need to know if anyone likes my story, and constructive criticism is good, too.
I WILL MAKE THE NEXT CHAPTER BETTER AND FASTER AND MAYBE LONGER IF I GET AT LEAST ONE DIFFERENT REVIEW!
PLEASE MY LOVELY READERS?
So, on with the story then...
Unfortunately for District 4, we are close to the Capitol and will not spend the night on the train. Instead, now we have to get ready for changing rooms from here to some Capitol hotel. I decide to stay in what I'm wearing because I really can't be bothered getting changed. I sit around for a while and then go back downstairs. The train is just pulling to a stop when I join everyone. I don't have much time to wonder again why I had a bed in my room because the Capitol attendants are forcing us all right off the train. It's cold and dark outside so it's lucky we parked right outside our new 'houses.'
The hotel is similar to the train, everything comfortable, fancy and neat. We seem to be in a living room. I slump down on a blue velvet seat and tell everyone, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed."
"Me too." Alex sighs. "Goodnight everyone." we say sleepily. I go up to my new room, change into some purple pyjamas and fall into bed. I am so tired from the day's events that I am asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.
The next morning, I wake up to the sound of knocking and Charlotte's voice informing me that there is another 'big, big, big day' ahead of me. I groan and roll over, falling out of bed as I did so. "Oomph!" I say as I hit the floor. I quickly get up and take a shower, this time only pressing the warm water button and using an innocent bar of soap. I get to choose my clothes again today and I go with a white and black striped long-sleeved t-shirt and bright, dark blue skinny jeans that match my eyes. I jog downstairs and my eyes widen at the giant array of foods that will be served as our breakfast. "Good morning." smiles Alex
"Hi" I reply absent-mindedly. If I do put my plan into action, I don't think that I should be friends with Alex. But I suppose I shouldn't make an enemy so early in the Games either. Maybe I will just sort of ignore him for now until I think of something better. I go back to staring at everything on the dining table, from the waffles to the foreign looking fruits to the beef stew with hot white grain. I sit down at the table before realising that I have to serve myself. I stand up and load a plate with pancakes, watermelon and rolls, also grabbing a hot chocolate on the way back. I'm sticking with more familiar foods, because all this other crazy stuff is abnormal.
Everyone has already started eating and Charlotte looks impatiently at me. "Took you long enough!" she exclaims quite rudely. Funny, I didn't think I took that long. Oh well. While I begin to dig into my delicious breakfast Charlotte speaks again, this time more politely. "Okay, so as soon as we finish breakfast we go downstairs to watch the televised recap of the reaping. Then you will be introduced to your prep teams and try on the an outfit that you will wear for tomorrow's chariot parade." I nod, showing that I understand an then continue with my breakfast.
As soon as everyone finishes their meals, Charlotte rushes us to watch that reaping recap. I decide to bring a piece of paper to write down names of noteworthy tributes, and to make my own private list of possible allies for my plan. First comes District 1. The boy seems quite pathetic for someone from a Career district, but the girl, named Shine, looks like a real threat. I scribble down her ridiculous name on my paper. District 2 seems especially scary this year and I write down both their names.
The girl looks evil and dangerous, and has a scary glint in her eyes. The boy is 18 years old, gigantic and muscular. His muscles nearly bulge out of his shirt and he looks absolutely terrifying. Both real Careers. District 3 is uninteresting. The comes Alex and I. I am called up first and I am satisfied that I don't even look surprised. Then Alex runs forward to volunteer for his brother. We both actually look like worthy Careers. Everything is boring again until District 8, where a sneaky looking girl with long black hair volunteers for a 13 year old girl who must be her sister. I decide that I want her to be my ally.
I draw a star next to the girl's name, which happens to be Faith. District 9 and 10 both have weak looking tributes, they will probably all be dead in the first day. Tears nearly fill my eyes as a tiny 12 year old boy takes the stage in District 11. That boy bursts into tears when he realises that no one will volunteer for him. The girl is 18 but still looks far too underfed and weak. There is a small boy chosen from District 12 who tries to look tough but starts crying after a short while. The girl is boring. So, all I want is that girl from District 8, the one who volunteered for her sister. I look down at my list and see this.
Shine, District 1/ female
Nutmeg, District 2/ female
Colin, District 2/ male
Alex, District 4/ male ?
Faith, District 8/ female (allies)
The as an afterthought I add:
Pride, District 1/ male
I sigh and look around the room. Alex looks thoughtful. Grace looks bored. So does Charlotte. I think I even see Charlotte roll her eyes before announcing, "Time to get prepped for tomorrow!" I groan, knowing that the prepping will be painful. Grace looks at me weirdly and says, "Well, it has to be done!" We walk silently back upstairs and Alex and I are shown to separate rooms. As soon as I enter my room I am nearly blinded by the 3 colourful Capitol citizens, my prep team.
"Hi, I'm Diamond!" squeaks one. "Burnia!" squeals another. "I'm Zolanda!" announces the last. Strange, they are all female. I assumed that there would be at least one man. "Um… Hi?" I answer timidly. They beam and get right to work. For now, they are mainly just working on my skin. I know that tomorrow they will make my hair and face look wonderful. First they put me in a tub full of green foam.
It burns quite a lot but then I am transferred to another tub full of soothing pink mixture. I am removed only to have all three of my prep team wax my whole body. I have been waxed once before, for Isabella's 18th birthday party, which of course was very special, but that doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt to have my hair ripped from my body. I have to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying out in pain a fair few times. Apparently the prep team are relieved to have a fairly hairless tribute. Whatever. It's fine for them, they aren't about to be sent into an arena to most likely be brutally murdered! All they care about is the difficulty of waxing.
Finally they sort of polish my body with a clear-ish liquid, leaving my skin nothing less than perfect, and paint my filed nails in pink and blue stripes. "Done!" they all shout together as soon as they finish. "Now Toni will show you your costume." says Burnia.
"You won't get to keep it on until tomorrow, but you will try it on now!" adds Zolanda.
"It's beautiful!" squeals Diamond. I have to admit I am extremely curious to see what my outfit will be. I just hope it's good!
I walk into the next room to find Toni holding out a dress. Wow. It is beautiful.
The top of the dress is fairly tight. It is a stunning shade of aqua that matches the eye shadow the prep team coated my eyelids in. At around the bottom of my ribcage the dress flairs out in different shades of blue and silver. Beautiful. I can't wait to show it off in the chariot rides tomorrow! I thank Toni because this dress will most likely help me to get sponsors, and convince the Careers to let me join their group. An essential part of my plan. I think for a second before giving Toni a big hug to show him just how much I appreciate it. "I think you have to go back to your room now." Toni says kindly. I agree and leave, happily anticipating tomorrow.
.0
I take another shower and decide to gamble a little by pressing a few different buttons experimentally. I gasp and jump out when I accidentally press the freezing water button. I then have lavender scented soap that feels soothing against my skin fired at me. I shiver and again press the warm water button. My heart rate slows a little and I make a mental note to remember these buttons. Eventually I come out to get changed.
I know that today we have the chariot parade so I will have to get changed almost immediately anyway. I get into simple black skinny jeans and a boring red shirt. I walk to the dining room, where I know everyone will be waiting. As I walk, I realise that Charlotte didn't come to wake me up this morning. She is not in the dining room either. Maybe she is sleeping in today. Instead, I see that the prep teams have joined the breakfast table, along with the stylists, Grace Sherbington and Alex Jones.
Again, my eyes widen at all the breakfast foods. As I look, I notice that I am starving, having been so tired last night that I completely forgot about dinner! I load my plate with even more delicacies than yesterday, and get both a hot chocolate and a glass of orange juice. I stuff myself with the foods and gulp down both drinks before going to get seconds of the strange little things that Grace calls scones. They are delicious. I eat them too. When I finish, Ezra tells me and Alex that we will now go get changed into our chariot costumes and get our hair and makeup done.
We all leave, except for Grace and some Capitol attendant, who are in a conversation and aren't needed right now anyway. I go back to the same room as yesterday with my team. They do my makeup quite lightly, using the same eye shadow as yesterday as well as pink lipstick and a little mascara. Then they do my hair in a pretty way, with a braid leading to a beautiful, loose bun at the back of my head. I am still just wearing my clothes from this morning, but I will get changed back into my outfit again soon. Right then, Zolanda, Diamond and Burnia finish and lead me off to the room where Toni is waiting.
Toni greets me with a bright smile and gets right down to business. He carefully helps me into my dress, making sure not to ruin my hair. Then comes a pearl necklace and pearl tiara. I'm wearing white heels that luckily aren't high enough that I can't walk. My outfit is really just perfect, it's beautiful, comfortable and still reflects the 'flavour' of District 4, what with the shades of blue and aqua, and the pearls. "On the chariot, don't act girly. You do look beautiful but you have to act fierce, to seem like a Career. You don't want any sponsors overlooking you as someone who can't fight!" Toni winks and hands me my final accessory, which is a pearl bracelet that looks just like a small version of my necklace. I wonder what Alex will look like. He should match with me, so I'm thinking similar colours but not a dress.
Toni and I walk back to join everyone else, who are just getting ready to leave. I notice that Charlotte has finally joined us. I also notice that everyone else seems bored, and realise that I would have taken much longer than Alex to get ready, being a female. They must have been waiting for me. "Good morning Charlotte! Sorry to keep you all waiting." I say apologetically.
"That's okay." Alex answers with a smile. I look at him emotionlessly.
0-0-0-0-0
We manage to arrive late to the parade, District 1 is already leaving for their circuit. We rush to get ready and almost as soon as we are in position our chariot lurches forward. Just then, I notice what Alex is wearing. It is a nice fishing shirt the same colour as one of the shades of blue in my dress. The shirt is paired with long black pants and white shoes rimmed with tiny pearls. We go perfectly together! "You look nice." I tell him.
You don't look too bad yourself." he replies. I smile, knowing that the prep team and Toni have made me look beautiful. We have to stop talking now because we have just come into the sight range of the Capitol audience. As soon as they see us, they start screaming their admiration and throw roses at us. Like I was told to, I act superior and barely even look around at all my fans. From the corner of my eye, I see Alex almost mimicking my own actions, though sometimes throwing in a wave here and there. Once my circuit is finally complete, Alex and I join the line of other district's tributes, everyone still in their chariots. When everyone had joined us, President Snow, the young president who came into power not too long ago, makes a boring speech. I nearly fall asleep.
Soon we are allowed to leave and go 'home.' Home to our Capitol hotel. After a while of just thinking about today, it is lunch time. This is the slowest day I've had in ages. I have a really quick lunch, just a chicken sandwich, and then run upstairs to get ready for our first training session. I was hoping that I would have time at the parade to talk to Faith. I don't think I'll get that chance again until the Career's prying eyes have turned away. I have to convince the Careers that I am joining them, and that won't work if I'm asking other tributes to be allies right under their noses! I find a drawer labelled 'training clothes.' I also find a few identical outfits in that drawer, each a dark green shirt and black leggings, with white, soft running shoes. I hurriedly get changed and walk down to the training area.
The training area reminds me of our training centre back home, except that this one has an even wider variety of stations. Since I'm going to start off with the Careers, I figure that I can show off my skills as much as I want to. The remaining tributes slowly arrive, two by two, some panting. As soon as the last tribute arrives, the man who currently runs training explains the stations and something about not forgetting survival skills. Whatever. Then we are all free to do whatever we want, except kill or hurt each other, of course. Alex and I decide straight away to go create the Career alliance. We walk confidently up to where the two District 2 tributes are standing and introduce ourselves.
"Hi, my name is Iva and this is Alex. We were wondering if you would like to form an alliance. A Career alliance. With us and District 1." I say.
"Funny, we were just wondering the same thing!" Nutmeg exclaims, grinning.
"It's a yes!" Colin adds, "Wait, actually I'm only joining if we only have the District 1 girl, Shine. Her partner, Pride, is pathetic." he says. Alex thinks for a moment before saying, "It's a deal!" Just then Shine walks up and begins, "I was wondering if all of you would like to join an al-" I interrupt with a loud "yes!" Shine grins. "Careers." She states. "Hey, were you guys planning on letting Pride into the alliance?" she inquires, looking over at her District partner, who just tried to throw a knife at a target but missed by at least a metre.
"No." admits Nutmeg.
"Fine by me!" Shine replies. Wow, I completely hate everyone I'm talking to. Except maybe Alex. I don't think I fully hate him, just dislike.
"Let's go intimidate everyone with our great skills! What are all your favourite weapons?" Colin wonders.
"Bow and arrow!" I immediately answer
"Spears and axes." Says Alex
"Knives." replies Nutmeg. Funny, District 2 girls are always good with knives.
"Spears!" Colin answers his own question.
"Knives as well!" says Shine. We all go to mostly different stations. I always hit the bullseye with my bow and arrows. Shine and Nutmeg never miss with their knives. Same with Colin, Alex and their spears. I see some other tributes staring at us in awe. I smirk and continue.
Sooo... did you like the chapter? please tell me in a review. *wink wink nudge nudge*
Bye for now!
-Jaz