Chapter Three
At around noon a familiar, welcome face came in my room. It was Nessie. She was Ryn's mom. Why was she here? Shouldn't she be with Ryn? I decided not to question her when I caught a glimpse of her tearstained face. She became something along the lines of a step in mother for Gabriella and I, she was the closest thing to a mother we had now. My restraints were gone now so I slid off the bed. She walked a few steps to face me. She pulled me into a hug. Her body was trembling. Her tears hit my shoulder. I realized I was still wearing my dress from last night. "I'm so sorry, Nessie…" I say.
She squeezed me again and then pulled away holding my shoulders at an arms distance. "It's like they are taking two daughters from me instead of one… You understand that don't you?" she says.
I nod. "I'll do my best to protect her, Nessie. I want her to win. You can't lose her. Will you take care of Gabriella for me?"
Her grip on my shoulders tightened. I could see the internal conflict going on behind her purple eyes. "No…" she said.
"What do you mean…No?" I ask.
"You have to win this, Rosie… It can only be you. It is hard for me to say this, but there is no way Gabriella would be able to live. She will have lost everyone. You can't leave her too." She says, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks. I can't mimic her actions. I have to stay strong for her sake.
"No." I say. "Ryn is your only daughter. You can't say this. I am going to make sure she wins." I say, my eyes pleading for Nessie to take her words back.
Nessie just shook her head. "Stop talking…please, Rosie." She says. "You don't think all of that went through my mind? If we lose you that will cause us to lose Gabby, I can't lose you two. You are like my own children. Please don't argue with me. This is hard without all of that."
I can't hold the tears back any longer. I can't win this let alone keep her from dying. I am going to fail Nessie. She'll lose to daughters anyway you look at it. "Gabriella is strong, Ness. More than you give her credit for." This seems to cheer her up a slight bit. I take it a little is better than none at all. I pull her back into a hug and we just stand there.
She finally breaks the silence. "I am also here because I am your stylist… They made us chose, us meaning the remaining stylist, which Tributes we would represent. My partner Elvin is with your fellow Tribute. You will be represented as District 6." She says staring at the floor. I can only think of how sick that makes me. The President was a sick man… "You can understand why I didn't pick Ryn, right? I couldn't do that. I couldn't design clothes for my biological daughter just to throw her in an arena to be killed." I nod. I can't talk about Ryn it will make me want to cry.
"Who is my fellow Tribute representing 6?" I ask praying I don't know him well.
"His name is Kaleb Jeshner. He is the oldest and he is as old as allowed to be to be entered into the Games. He is nineteen years old." She said.
"I thought it was ages 12-18…" I say my heart sinking.
Nessie shook her head. "No, they changed it just for the old Capitol citizens…its ages 10-19."
A thought suddenly dawns on me. "It could've been Gabriella…"
Nessie nods, "I know, that's why I was so scared. I was afraid they would let volunteers take the places of the chosen Tributes. Once Gabriella saw you up there she was yelling that she volunteered, but the President said that there was to be no volunteering for the 1st Games, 'maybe next year.' He had said. He's also Head Gamemaker for the Games…" she said. She looked at the clock on the wall. "We've got to go. I have to get you dressed for your interview. It's tonight." I swallow the lump in my throat and nod. "Follow me." She says.
We walk down the halls and finally reach the Remake Center. All the beds are occupied by the other Tributes being worked on by a single stylist. There wasn't enough for everyone to have four stylists like before. Nessie led me to the bed reserved for me and she started her work. I just laid there, my mind racing. She fixed my eyebrows manicured my nails, washed my hair and then she styled it. After all of that she moved to the makeup. I'd never worn makeup before. I never saw a cause for it. She worked on me and when we were finished I looked in the mirror. My hair was curled. The ringlets reached down past my elbows. I looked at my face. I didn't recognize myself. I heard Nessie gasp. "You look beautiful!" I could see tears threatening to fall from her eyes. I looked at myself again. I really was beautiful…
She led me to another part of the Remake Center and shut the door. On a hanger on the back of the door there was a beautiful dress hanging in plastic. She eyed me warily. "This dress was given to you by Katniss. She said it was made by Cinna and it was one that she never wore. It was for an approach that she couldn't pull off. When I looked at it I realized that it was indeed Cinna's. Do you want to know something that I never told you before? Do you want to know how I know Cinna's work so well?" she asked me.
I nodded. I had meet Cinna many times. He was over at Nessie's a lot. I watched him make Katniss's clothes a lot too. I'd never seen this dress before though.
"Cinna is Ryn's father… You are the only one that knows this besides Cinna and I. I was going to tell Ryn after the Games when Cinna would be here, when he wasn't with Katniss. Cinna died before I could tell Ryn, but everything got so hectic I didn't want to tell her. It would crush her. Cinna acted like a father to her even though she didn't know that he was her father… She loved Cinna like you would a father." She said. She walked over and took the plastic off the dress. The dress was she came over to me and slipped the dress over me. It was the color of the sky. She laced to corset top so it fit. There were diamonds sewn into the fabric that splayed out in a triangle shape at the bottom. She put me in black heels. I turned around and looked at my reflection in the mirror. I wasn't cute, or sexy. I was just beautiful. She placed a diamond encrusted tiara on my head. I looked like the redheaded Cinderella from fairy tales. I knew what theme this was. I was playing the beautiful princess from fairy tales.
"You are the innocent damsel in distress. This is no place for a princess and I think Cinna somehow knew you would end up with this dress in this situation…" she said.
I wanted to cry, but I didn't want to make Nessie have to redo the makeup she had worked so hard on. I hugged her. "Thank you for everything, Nessie." I say. She squeezes me. "We have to go. We are running late."
She led me to the hall where we would wait our turn for District 6's interviews. When I walked in all of the others stared at me and they seemed to understand. I wasn't meant to be here. I was too weak. I saw the empty seat that was meant for me and I walked over and sat down. To my right was an older boy. Kaleb Jeshner. I realized I knew him. He used to teach me piano lessons. He was strong. His hair was dark and he was staring at me with bright green eyes. I looked down at the ground. I would never live through this. I could feel tears threatening to spill again so I bit my tongue to focus on something else, to keep my mind occupied.
"Rosemary…? Is that you?" I hear a voice ask. I look up and Kaleb is still staring at me.
I nod.
"Oh no." he says. I close my eyes. He starts to say something, but he stops when a woman comes out. Male District 1 it's time for you to go out there for your interview." A boy younger than me trembles as he walks to the stage. He wasn't even worried about looking weak.
Rosemary was eleven years old when I first met her. Her mother had called me over to give Rosemary piano lessons. I was fifteen that year. We became close during that year and a half when I taught her piano, but then the lessons were over. I didn't have an excuse to go over to her house anymore. When I first saw her walk into the waiting room I didn't recognize her. This Rosemary was older, she was beautiful. After she confirmed she was in fact Rosemary a million thoughts ran through my mind. One was 'why her?' Rosemary was a fragile girl. She would never hurt someone, she couldn't. She was too kind-hearted; she worried about other people too much. Why would they pick her to throw into the Games?! Rosemary would die at the bloodbath at the Cornucopia. Her younger sister would be better off in the Games. She knew what she had to do to survive she would do what was necessary, Rosemary couldn't…
The Tributes for districts 1-5 went fast. Finally it was Kaleb. Five minutes later it was my turn. My trembling returned. I stumbled onto the stage. I heard "oohs" and "ahhs" from the crowd as my dress sparkled under the lights. I couldn't pay attention to this though. I made my way to the chair waiting for me next to Caesar Flickerman. When I reached it I sat. I couldn't stop my shaking.
"Hi there, Rosemary," he said, "You're the female Tribute to represent 6. How do you feel about that?
I stared at Caesar. His hair was white and he was wearing white lipstick. "I-I don't really know. I'm afraid I guess…" I say.
He looked at me in sympathy. "You're safe right now." He says. That's only here though. He could only guarantee my safety until I entered that arena. "So, what was your reaction when you found out that the Hunger Games would resume?" he asked.
I closed my eyes. "Well, I figured it out almost as soon as I stepped out on this stage. Once I counted the kids I pretty much understood what was happening."
"Ah, yes, I forgot. That was you." The replay of my reaction started playing on the screen. I watched as I looked around at the chairs at the kids around me then I started screaming. I looked to the exit, realizing it was blocked then I ran to Katniss and I grabbed her collar and I was yelling. It had been Haymitch Abernathy that put the shot into my arm. I had no idea where he'd come from. Maybe he was watching from the side… "Wow, that was quite the reaction, Rosemary." He said.
The rest of the interview was the same. Caesar didn't like me. I don't know why, but he was trying to make me hated by the crowd. Was it because I almost strangled Katniss? I didn't know, but I didn't stay for the other interviews. I ran to the elevator and pushed the highest button. I knew there was roof access to this building.
When I finally found the roof door I walked outside. The wind was blowing. I walked to the side of the roof that over looked the Capitol. I slid down and sat on the concrete. I put my face in my hands and I let all the tears I held in escape me. I hugged my knees to my chest. The dress was long so it didn't matter. The choking noises escaped my throat. I thought about Gabriella hoping that she was okay right now. My crying prevented me from hearing footsteps coming towards me on the roof. There were two people. When they were right in front of me looking at me I looked up. It was Peeta and Katniss. I wiped my eyes. "I'm sorry." I say. Katniss sits down in front of me.
"You have a big day of training tomorrow. You shouldn't sit out here. You need your rest before the Games. You never know when you will get a chance to sleep again." She says to me. "I'm glad you got that dress." She says. "You looked like a princess in it. I think you got a few sponsors."
"No, Caesar made them all hate me. I wasn't trying to kill you Katniss. That wasn't what I was trying to do. I was just scared… I'm still scared. I won't be able to survive this, Katniss. I am not like you. I can't hunt. I can't hurt people. I would die before I ever even thought about hurting someone else." I say. Peeta kneels down beside us and he grabs my hand.
"You can do this. You just need a good ally." He said that with a glance to Katniss. "I didn't stand a chance, but Katniss became my ally and I made it, we both made it."
"Who?" I ask. "I can't be a good ally… I would slow them down and probably get them killed." I say.
"We will help. We will teach you what we know, okay?" he said giving my hand a reassuring squeeze.
"I will get you out alive. Peeta and I have requested to mentor District 6 tributes, meaning you and the one named Kaleb." She says. "Peeta and I will take turns training you and him if he requests our help because it's our job." She adds.
I nod feeling a little better. Katniss stands up and helps me to my feet. "Get some sleep. You have a big day tomorrow."
I left them on the roof and went down to District 6's floor. Kaleb was sitting in the living room area and he looked over when I arrived. He stood up and walked over to me. "Are you okay?" he asks.
I nod. "Yes, thank you."
"That's good…" he was silent for a few seconds, but then he spoke again. "Best of luck to you tomorrow in training." He said.
I nod, "Thank you, you too. Good night." I say.
"Good night." He said.
I walk past him to the hall that leads to my room. I go in and shut the door. I take off the dress and hang it in the closet. I crawl into the bed and fall into a deep sleep. Tomorrow was going to be hard…
