Hey, guys, sorry that this is late! I made it longer! And also, sorry about the really bad chapter before this, I promise to make it up to you!
Chapter 3
I can feel her stares, but I ignore the burning urge to run away.
"Where's the car? Are we leaving?" I say briskly. Katniss watches me for a moment longer and wordlessly leads me outside to our departure vehicle, a sleek black car. We don't have to travel long, as the site of the Games is right here in the Capitol. I sit in silence, refusing to talk to anyone, not her, not the man driving, who I believe was a part of the revolution also, and especially not Travis Aison, my fellow tribute. I must stay enemies with him. No connection whatsoever if I am to stay alive, which is highly unlikely.
Soon, we reach the tall building that once was the Training Center. I suppose we go to the second floor, because as soon as we get in there, Katniss pushes the elevator button and we ride up. In complete silence.
I cannot help but admire how amazing the Tribute Tower is. After living in the Capitol, it's pretty hard, but our floor is decorated with sleek steel furniture and everything is in either gray or a dark color. We run straight to the dining room, where a meal is set out for us. Some things haven't changed, because Avoxes are still serving the tributes. I wonder why, if the rebels are against anything Capitol-like.
"They serve willingly. They want to help." says Katniss, as if reading my thoughts. We sit down, and the meal begins. It's oddly quiet, not just because there are three people here, but because no one wants to speak. The whole thing is strange. They just drop us here, we eat without any questions, and not a word is spoken about anything.
I'm too sick to eat. It's impossible. I'm in the Games, after all. So I take in my companions. Katniss Everdeen sits warily on her chair, watching us and occasionally taking a small bite of a roll. Travis is completely unaware. I watch, half in disgust, as he quickly eats the sweet-smelling rice and meat stew. Of course, he has manners. He's from a rich family, as is the unfortunate custom in Region 2. He's rather scrawny, though, for having everything you want all your life. He's slender, but tall, and his smooth black hair falls over his forehead and just slightly covers his eyes. His gray eyes are narrowed, so even though he's not as bulky as other tributes, he looks clever and sly, as if he's planning something.
All of a sudden, he looks up at us. The fork clatters to the table, and he shrinks back in his seat.
Finally, I think. We're in the Hunger Games, you idiot. Be aware of your surroundings!
"Ahem." I look over and see that Katniss is looking at us pointedly. I raise my eyebrows.
"What is it?" I mutter.
"I'm going to be mentoring you, if you haven't figured it out already," she sighs. "And we need a plan. First off, do you want to be coached separately? Any secret talents, or for whatever reason?"
"Yes," I blurt, at the same moment Travis says, "No." I glare at him, but he holds my gaze. I finally give up.
"Fine. It doesn't matter." I say as I shake my head. I'm going to be ruined in the arena.
"All right then," says Katniss, looking between us. It's obvious something negative is going on. "It's time to meet your stylists and prepare for the chariot ride."
Oh, yes. I also forgot about that.
The Regions don't really have anything special about them, so I have no idea what we'll be dressing up as. Whatever we want? I snort. That would never happen.
I find out as we take the trip to the Remake Center and enter an empty room. I hate the costumes of the Capitol, so naturally this is my least favorite part, aside from the Games themselves. And then my stylist enters. She's a short, thin woman with traditional Capitol clothes. In her case, they're a bright blue wig with feathers weaved in, abnormally large eyes with an unnatural purple color, and a long dress that seems to be made of pure gold, as it swishes and shines when she moves.
"Hello, Cladia." she says loudly. "I'm your stylist, Vienna."
I dislike her immediately.
When we get started, it's a slow process full of pain. First, we have to wax every inch of hair on my body, which takes two hours. Then a scrubbing treatment that smells like salt and rotten eggs, and following that a hair wash, nail things, and about everything you can think of. This is why I don't like getting dressed up.
Finally, we're done, after hours of washing, trimming, and painful pruning. I slip into my robe and we eat a quick lunch in silence. Vienna makes several attempts at cheery conversation, but I sullenly nod, shake my head, or simply stay silent.
"Now for your costume!" Vienna squeals with delight. I groan. She pulls something out of a tall wardrobe and holds it up. "For the Capitol Hunger Games, each Region wears a costume representing what their district equivalent does. You're Region 2, so you'll be doing masonry.
Great.
My outfit consists of gray boots that buckle up to my knees, a silvery jumpsuit with spiky points coming out of the fabric, and a headpiece with miniature jagged stones sticking out. Obviously rocks, to represent masonry.
I'm then whisked away to the starting area, where all of the chariots are kept until the opening ceremony. Travis has the same clothes, of course. We climb into our chariot in complete silence. I refuse to talk to him. The other tributes watch us, some with fear, some with an interested menace. This only tells me there will be a traditional Career tribute and everyone else lineup. I suppose we'll be part of it, which is hard to process. I don't know what to think.
But I don't have time to do even that, because now we're off around the circle. The rows and rows of people surround us. Everyone is clapping and cheering.
"I hate how they're cheering," says Travis quietly. I nod tersely, but this short conversation does not continue.
We pull up to the balcony, where there are about five important-looking people looking down on us. One of them is Katniss, our mentor. She seems to stare right at us as she says, "Welcome to the first Capitol Hunger Games, and may… the odds be ever… in your favor."
