Chapter 2
"Awe you look so Populove!" My mother screeched.
"Following in her Mommy's footsteps!" Effie Chimed
"A Lovely rose in the dead of winter." Nana beamed.
"A Crim could never say no to you." My father stated proudly.
After hours of prepping and my mom styling me, I finally looked presentable. Lilac skin and hundreds of micro diamonds decorated me, in swirly patterns which were inspired by the new oriental craze. My mom had insisted on glitter eye shadow but Effie came to my rescue, saying "You know if you put too much pressure on a clam it won't produce a ruby, it'll just die." No matter how ridiculous the quotes get, my mom believes her older sister and does what she says. I didn't have to go through with that Fizzi Dress because of Effie Trinket.
Thank God.
Instead I had chosen one of the dresses I had bought but never wore. I was a vintage cream chiffon dress that was floor length. A Victorian lace pattern covered the outside of the dress. A light almost white purple ribbon tied around and under my breast line which was held in place by a single diamond. I had got the dress to spite my fashion forward stylist of a mother. The buy nearly drove her insane that day, "Coraline when I tell your father-ugh" she had shouted. My hair was down and colored a darker shade of lilac, rather than its normal vibrant red and curled softly on my shoulders.
"Do a bit of a twirl for me Coraline dear." My dad asked.
I did hating every second of it. I knew for a fact that Daddy wasn't happy about me not sporting the seven-thousand dollar flop of a Fizzi Dress and although his words outside were filled with capitol pride; inside we was picking me apart. 'How on Earth is she going to catch a Crim's eye wearing that thing?' is what he's really burning to say.
"Well it'll be five-thirty soon, better start getting ready, wouldn't want to fall behind schedule." Effie had clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.
"You mean you planned out how long we could ooh and awe at Coraline?" Daddy asked.
"Yes I did, the carriage that you told me to arrange for Caroline will be here in approximately three minutes." She placed her hands over her mouth hurriedly, "oops!"
"You guys got me a horse and carriage!" I shouted with glee the grin on my face could have broken my cheek bones. I've always dreamt of riding in one. Carriages were a main staple of every fairy tale that I've read as a child. They oozed a certain type of magic and romance. I can remember back in my second year of school, I'd draw or read about them in fashion for beginners, ignoring the protest for me to be drawing copies of dress forms from our fashion text books.
"Ugh, smelly horses and icky carts." Mother rolled her eyes, "I wanted you to take that new care called a Sports Man."
"Sports Man?" Nana asked.
"Yeah, I saw Jada Encroix Tabatha Parker Shine arrive at the parlor in it today, it was CF7CTABFISTY!" Mother's voice raised half an octave higher, when she got excited.
Effie smiled, "Really it was?"
Daddy raised an eyebrow, "Standard English please."
Mother scoffed rolling her eyes again, "It means Chic Freak lucky seven cute-terrific absolutely forever in style."
Then without a pause Effie and Mother broke into fits of laughter. Barely breathing out other letters that must have been in some type of code.
"Coraline dear may we chat in the kitchen?" Daddy pulled me into the kitchen before I could even answer no. "Now I know this is your big début but we-"
"I know daddy, I need to be popular or else we could lose everything," I gave a light sigh, "anything less than a Crim boyfriend and being in the top-tier won't get us anything in life."
"Exactly darling; you like this type of life right?"I looked up at his trade mark gold Crim eyes. All Crims had them; well the most successful ones did any way. Those vicious gold eyes were threatening me, whispering for me to not let this family down.
"Yes sir." I lied
I hated everything about this life. The artificial love, the way money solved everything, the awful hoops we jump though to please our parents, the death and self-destruction. Ancient people had natural beauty; the districts, even though they have the Games cursed upon them still die their natural self. Her in the Capitol we were all what those before us called 'Barbie and Ken dolls'. Still most of all nothing could top a man from a Crim clique, oh nothing could ever top a lover who's a Crim.
"That's my girl." He smiled showing his implanted vampire fangs, ugh just another thing that Crims got done to themselves.
The kitchen door jarred open to show Nana. "Don't you have to meet Moxie and Ginger?"
"Yeah I'm leaving now." I pecked Daddy on the cheek and scurried outside to the best moment of my night. In front the house sat two white horses, white with pastel colored manes, a gold and white carriage was hooked to them, and a an Avox dressed in white sat quietly in the driver's seat.
"They are so lovely." I gasped, "Thank you all so very much!"
"You're welcome Coraline." Mother leaned her head into Daddy's shoulders, "We'll see you at midnight at the induction readings, and make us proud."
Aunty Effie ran up and hugged me, "I can't believe you're doing this, I'm so happy."
I laughed, and wiggled out of her grip and climbed into the carriage giddy with glee. It felt just like I was Cinderella from the books I've devoured over the years. The interior was gorgeous, dark red velvet cushions; a table with sparkling cider bottles on it, accompanied with crystal gold rimmed champagne flutes. A small crystal bowl filled with chocolate cherries another with chocolate strawberries and one with pink and blue chocolate covered bread sticks. Cheese and crackers on a crystal platter with a bushel of grapes beside them. The horses pulled off and my family waved me off blowing kisses. Other families were outside taking pictures with each other, laughing and trying out that ridiculous ogling over the most ridicules looking car, that would stay popular until a new trend was set.
The streets were a parade of rainbow cars with sun roofs down or back exposing the already drunk girls and guys who were in cliques. My carriage was the only one; people oohed and awed, while jealous stricken girls screamed at their parents for not following suit. The cart halted and a familiar scream ensued.
"OH MI JLITTER!" Ginger screamed, "Her parents got her the best ride ever!"
I opened the door to be greeted by a sparkling cotton candy mess. Her hair was a powder pink fluffy afro with three big pink bubbles in her hair. Inside the bubbles were pink live flutter-flies. Her dress was a pick up ball gown, sleeveless also pink with cascading butterflies that flickered when she moved. Instead of her usual pink skin, she was dyed milk colored vanilla. Her mom a make-up artist did a great job on her looks. Her lips were multiple colors, yellow in the middle, expanding into orange, then pink and ending in magenta, in the shape of a heart.
"Your parents are the best!" she hiked up her dress and climbed in, "Oooh the snackiez." She plucked a grape and popped it into her mouth.
"Where's Moxie?"
"Oh she's trying to get her mini mutt to stay in her hair," she paused, "It's absolutely atrocious but don't tell her that I jossiped that to you, ha I lied and said it was cute-tastic."
I rolled my eyes, my friend was so fake. It wouldn't surprise me if she gossiped about me to her friends behind my back. It was something that will always expected of Ginger Lorraine Sweet Youngblood. She was a girl who clearly was a 'fair weather friend' as most before time novels described.
"Where's Luna?" she continued.
"I left her at home, why on in the world would i bring her along?" I raised an eyebrow.
"HOME!" Ginger let out a laugh, "That thing was an accessory for your big début, not a pet, see look," she pointed to her hair accessories, "These flutter-flies are accessories not pets."
"Are those mutts too?" I asked
"Of course and when I'm done with them they'll go right back to mutt land or from where ever they came from." She popped another confection into her mouth.
"Well excuse me Princess Pink." My eyes rolled.
Ginger let out another gasp, "Princess Pink Ginger the Sweet that's perfect!" She laughed, "I swear I've been killing myself over what my public name would be for the last month, you my dear jirl are a jenius!" she then hugged me tightly. The smell of pink and sparkles assaulted my lungs.
"What perfume are you wearing?"
"Oh, my newest fragrance Ode to Jlitter Pink." She thumbed to herself proudly, "I finished it a week ago for my début; I hope it catches on as a trend that'll skyrocket me to be an aspiring Fragrance Creator."
"Wow Coraline, your parents are still trying to get their name out of the gutter I see, getting you something like this for a red carpet arrival." A monotone Moxie asked. She was in a dark dress, the color of midnight and blood-red. Shimmies sparkled on her and a sheer black capelet covered in red diamonds draped over her bare shoulders. Her skin was a ghastly pale white, a red fading to black Chinese dragon that began at her ankle traveled all the way up her leg that was exposed by a very seductive slit on the right side of her slinky sexy dress it appeared like it was walking right off of her skin! In her hair however was where the real flare was, that was sure to send everyone to the pet shop the very next morning (if not to animal control). A mini commodo dragon with wings sat perched in her hair, held down by black satin ribbons and small diamond chains, the tiny beast breathed black fire that turned into cool red glitter at the end. Her face was bare save for the Marilyn Monroe beauty mark on her.
"Wow your Dad got you a Mini-modo?" I said.
"Yeah" she got in and sat down next to Ginger, "He did, but Mummy is hot about it saying it's too dark for a début."
Ginger laughed, "Oh she'll get over it when Daddy gets her a new Diamond Head piece; you know the one that's on display at the Q-diamond gala?"
We all nodded our heads and dismissed the complaining Mrs. Youngblood who was talking to the other mothers on the sidewalk. I opened up the little window to where the Avox boy could be seen, and instructed him to drive us to the venue. He looked over at me nodded once and the carriage jerked off. The whole ride there, Ginger rattled on nonstop like a child hyped up off of sugar (due partly to the confections on the table worst mistake ever) about how after this and the terrible hazing that we could go to all the cool and upbeat Pre-Games, Games, and Post-Games parties. She quoted 'that only the rich, jlam, and famous can get into, and if you don't have any of that take your pathetic ass home and cry about it'. The only person who laughed was Moxie; I on the other hand thought it was absolutely shallow of her.
The horses stopped in front of the venue and we all crowded the window trying to get a peek at who was on the red carpet. All of the dimwitted Capitol citizens were out there and the red carpet was lined with spectators, reporters, and camera crews. Reporters were interviewing graduates of the Society members (those who were well known and got invited back at least) trying to record every word and opinion about this year's generation.
The horses pulled up slowly and the Avox boy opened up the carriage door and instantly applause rang out. Ginger stepped out first, cat walked away from the carriage, spun once thus sending shimmies everywhere and blew kisses slowly to the crowd who reached out and thought that they could catch them. She stepped off to the side and Moxie was up next.
Moxie slowly stuck her leg out, (the one that the slit exposed), her black pumps with the red soles sent sparks everywhere, almost like a fire igniting. She stood and strutted slowly up to her sister, along the way the dragon breathed fire like a mad man, in her wake she left little red shimmies floating in air then disappearing into the darkness. She turned once, looked at the camera crews, smiled seductively exposing her razor sharp teeth, a gift I assume from her daddy (her idea which she later revealed is that every dragon has sharp teeth).
I waited as the crowd ogled over the flare of my friends. Then finally when the noise settled down I appeared, quietly and mutely, no flashiness at all. My lack of flare shocked the watchers; I twirled once just as my mother instructed me to do. No doubt that tomorrow The Style would feature me as an out of trend fashion do not ever in your life attempt.
We turned and walked into the venue. The ball room was vast. A long colorful buffet was laid out. Glitter and diamonds were suspended in the air. Plush parlors were set up around the room. Veterans on the Society sat around drinking and chattering, while those who like us, were baby new wide eyed does caught in the twilight zone.
"Oh mi JOD!" ginger squealed, "It's everything I've dreamt of!" the girl's eyes welled up with pink tears (She got her tear ducts altered to cry pink tears when she turned thirteen a few years back)
"Excuse me." A deep soft voice called for our attention. All three of us looked over our shoulders to find a handsome man about the ages of nineteen to twenty-five. He was tall, about six-foot one wearing an all black and red pin stripped suit and tie, he had on a matching fedora hat and white smoke drifted from his cigar. His skin was pale, hair tied neatly into a low ponytail secured with a red ribbon, and his eyes were bright red and mesmerizing.
"Are you two glamorous girls by any chance the Youngblood Sister's?" He asked.
"Who wants to know?" Moxie purred eyeing him seductively.
"I do." Said he.
"Yes we are and how may we help you?" Ginger smiled up at him a certain type of lust twinkled in her eyes.
"Why I'm Sebastian Crucifix, the guy your parents must have told you about."
I looked at him instantly recognizing him. He was said to be the most lusted after guy in the Crims right after The Great John C (who went missing about a year before due to technicalities of the sort). He was Sebastian Crucifix, two year veteran in the Society, known heart breaker number one cause of suicides.
"Oh my Mommy and Daddy spoke of you-"said Ginger.
"-But we never thought you'd be so munch able looking." Moxie finished.
I rolled my eyes at the flirting and out besting that took place. Both girls were bound to have eyes on him for their own purposes. The flirting was more staged than spontaneous so for me it became an opportune time to hit the buffet table.
I politely excused myself form the conversation and back stabbing. "I'm going to get something to eat, I'm quite starved." They all waved me off, not even caring if I should come back or not.
Parties like these were never my forte. The food was more exciting than the pastel freak show (which was frowned upon, thinking that food was to only reason to attend parties, that could get you diagnosed to be obese and you would get prescribed anorexia pills on the spot). Behind the Buffet table was an Avox girl struggling trying to refill the chocolate fountain. I stood there watching her, and made my way to aid. I grabbed the other end of the heavy bowl and helped tip in the liquid. Her eyes were wide and she frantically looked about making sure that no one saw. I smiled at her for reassurance and went back to piling the rich food on to my crystal plate.
"Attention everybody." The music stopped and the lights dimmed, "Welcome to the seventy-first season of the Socialite Society." On stage stood a very surgically post-op Lady Capulet, President Snow's daughter and the Capitol's youngest crowned society queen ever. She was dressed in a short cocktail horrendous Fizzi that was sparkly and gaudier than all seven of the ones I owned combined!
"I'm glad to see that the turnout is so lovely this year." Her accent was the thickest; it even outmatched mine, (or what was left of it anyway, after years of practice and reading books I perfected what they would call a British accent, except that some parts of my original accent stayed). The people applauded and cheered. She quieted them down and continued.
"Last year was amazing, and my dearest friend Cleo de Lovely was crowned queen. That was the year of the Dramatic fall of the Harlot Clique; let us not forget how scandalous that was."
A nervous laugh washed over us, the fall of a clique always ignited vast problems and suicides.
"The year before that was the Kitty Clique Scandal" she fanned herself dramatically, "thirteen pregnant girls, and three boys or tigers as they called them were killed." She stood up straight, "That was the year Mumu-Ka-Pula Fabulous won." She smiled even more at the crowd as they cheered and applauded for their favorite part of the speech.
"The year before that, I Lady Capulet le Legend head of what I started, the Populove, was crowned queen at the tender age of nineteen!" she laughed, "that was the year history was made, am I right?"
The room burst into applause, they loved their golden white goddess. She was the image of success, the color of fame, the setter of trends and movements. Their eager idling was ridiculous; if the world was to stop spinning and the President's mansion caught fire they all would throw themselves into the wild to save their precious goddess. It was sickening.
She continued after the cheers dies down, "This time around the drama and fun is going to out of this world, and we have with us this year not only one but two lovely girls who come from the fabulous blue blood family, the Youngblood girls."
The spot light found Ginger who was blowing out even more kisses (a lot more eagerly this time) and Moxie who simply let her accessory do the talking.
"You probably do not know, but we are happy to finally have some original rebel rousers on the scene, if you didn't know, these girls come from the finest lineage that extends to the very first season, their grandmother times many great Mandy Monroe was the first society queen followed by a long line of successes." She tossed back her hair, "At midnight the inductions will be read, and as of now I declare" she paused for thirty long seconds and held both arms up high palms facing the ceiling, "Let this season's Socialite Society begin!" her voice echoed throughout the walls above the cheers. The sound of popping filled the air as confetti fell from the ceiling.
The season had begun and the race to the top was on.