Thank you so much for all the lovely comments, and sorry for taking so long to update. I like to be a chapter in advance, so I wanted to finish Chapter 5 before posting this one and it gave me some trouble, hence why it took so long.
Chapter 4
The Capitol
When Jeff awoke the next morning, it was to the sound of someone knocking at his door. Bleary-eyed and still tired for some reason, he stumbled towards the door and opened it, staring for a moment before realising who it was.
"Serenade?" he asked blankly, blinking and still trying to properly wake up. The girl smiled before looking him up and down and starting to blush. "Uh… you… you might want to get dressed…"
Jeff looked down and realised with a jolt that he was still just in his underwear in front of Serenade. He ducked behind the door and smiled slightly at the redhead from around it, telling her he'd just be a few minutes. "I'll wait," she said "Take your time. I came because I don't want to go to breakfast on my own. I'm avoiding Kenna."
"Oh," was the only reply Jeff gave before he closed the door and stared at the room, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. He wasn't really a 'morning person' and he tended to be a little groggy for a while after he woke. Finally he decided on another quick shower, mostly to appease Tereze and Harrow, and then managed to stumble into some clothes. When he eventually opened the door again Serenade was still waiting there, a smile on her face. Jeff wondered how she could keep smiling despite knowing there was a good chance she could die in a few days' time.
"Ready?"
"Yeah," he mumbled, walking out and closing the door behind him. As they headed down the corridor and towards the room in which they'd eaten the previous night, a thought suddenly occurred to him. "How did you know where I was? I mean, what room I was in?"
Serenade looked over at him. "I ran into Harrow while I was looking for you. He told me. I hope Kenna just dumps me with you two – he might actually be able to teach me something."
Jeff just nodded and instead focused in the smell of food that was coming from ahead of them. When they entered the dining area they found Kenna and Harrow were already there, though there was no sign of Tereze. The pair sat down at the table laden with all types of food that again, Jeff had either never seen before or hadn't had the money to be able to buy.
Just as he was heaping his plate, Kenna spoke up. "Well, we're going to have to start thinking about strategies for the Games if we want either of you to win."
Harrow nodded. But before he could say anything, the woman continued, "And to be honest, I think you should work with Harrow, Serenade. He's much more suited to training someone like you."
The redhead just stared down at her plate, gripping the edge of the table so tightly he knuckles went white. Jeff looked over at the older woman, assessing her. While she'd been beautiful back in her day, the years had not been kind to her and she was now in her late forties though looked so much older. She looked little like the teenager whose appearance had won her the Games. It was almost hypocritical of her to be talking about Serenade's appearance when she looked the way she did now.
"I think that would be a great idea," the girl managed to say as politely as she could, while Harrow rolled his eyes and sighed at the attitude of his fellow mentor. Obviously he'd had to deal with this before.
At that moment Tereze entered, as silly and blue and strange as usual. "We'll be in the Capitol today, I can't wait!" she chirped happily, sitting down to eat. Just a few seconds later Serenade got to her feet and walked off, clearly still angry. The tension was still thick between Kenna and Harrow (Tereze utterly oblivious to it all) as Jeff awkwardly spoke up and said he would go find her and talk to her. Quickly he left the room and went in search of the redhead.
He found her a few moments later standing in front of a window, staring out at the landscape as it passed them by. He walked up beside her and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?"
Serenade sighed, "Yeah. I just hate how Kenna keeps on about how ugly I am. I got enough of that from the boys back… back home."
Jeff chewed on his lip, not quite sure how to respond. Of course, he should tell her she wasn't ugly – because she wasn't really – but the comment about home had gotten to him too. Thoughts of Joss and his mother flashed up in his mind and he forced them down. How had he ever thought this was a good idea?
"Well, you're not as pretty as Kenna was then, but you're not that bad," he offered. The girl just looked over at him with one eyebrow raised and he instantly went on the defence. "Hey, I don't usually say nice things about people. I'm not very good at it."
There was a moment of silence before Serenade laughed and went back to staring out the window, now with a smile on her face. "Thanks. I know you mean well."
Jeff smiled back and leaned his back against the wall, arms across his chest. "Anyway, the stylist is going to make you look ten times better than you do now."
"You're doing it again."
"Sorry!" Jeff laughed "I told you, I'm bad at this! How about this – you're pretty and Kenna's just stupid?"
The redhead grinned at him. "Much better."
They chatted for the next hour or so – they lost track of time – about nothing that really mattered. Neither wanted to mention home again or the Capitol and the Games, so they talked about how silly Tereze looked, and how grumpy Harrow was, and the food on the train, and how Jeff hadn't eaten beef before. Nothing substantial, but it was enough to make Jeff feel like if he had been a little richer or Serenade a little poorer, they would have been good friends. But in the end they had to stop their chat as the light and the world outside suddenly disappeared, swallowed up by the walls of a tunnel. Jeff glanced up at the ceiling, imagining all the tonnes of rock above them – he knew from school that they would be going through the mountain range that separated the Capitol from the Districts. It was a disturbing thought; all that weight could come crashing down on them and no one would ever find them.
"We're almost there," Serenade said, watching him. Jeff nodded, "I know. It kind of makes it sink in, doesn't it? We're going to die."
A sad, grim smile appeared on the girl's face. "I'm not planning on dying."
Jeff fell silent. He looked at the girl who was fast becoming a friend and thought about his plan. For it to work, she had to die. All twenty four of them had to die, himself last of all. But it sounded like Serenade was going to be putting up a fight and he certainly didn't want to be the one to go up against her. She'd probably kill him. But, he thought If anyone were to kill me and win, I think I'd want it to be her.
They didn't speak again until the train left the tunnel and blinding light filled the carriage. The pair blinked as they adjusted to it after the darkness before looking out at where they would be spending their last few days – the Capitol.
Jeff just stared, looking out at all the perfect buildings and all the colours and the brightness of it all. It was so different to District 10 and he felt a little homesick. Crowds of people were waiting for the train to roll into the city and they shouted, cheered, waved. The two tributes just watched them silently, knowing that these people were all just desperate to watch them die. To watch them being hunted down and brutally slaughtered by other children.
It was sick. They were all bloodthirsty, sick human beings.
Soon enough the train pulled into the station and Harrow was coming up to the pair to tell them they were getting off. Jeff followed him and Serenade down the hall to the doors before suddenly remembering something. He raced off to Tereze's call to come back, down the corridors and back to his room. There, on the bed, was the carving Joss had given him – and he'd almost left it behind. He snatched it up and ran back to where the small group was still waiting for him.
"Token," was all he gave as a reason. No one said anything about it – Harrow just pushed him off the train behind Serenade.
Jeff decided to hate his prep team.
He could very well have just dealt with them, not made any comments or rolled his eyes at them, but the longer he was stuck with the three Capitol people fussing over him, the more he hated them and the more his plan cemented itself in his head. How they'd hate it if they didn't have a winner. How they'd hate it if the last man alive kills himself before they can do a thing. How stupid they'd all look.
He'd been in the Remake Centre for hours now and the three people that made up his prep team – Tallus, Ricardo and Aulette – had been poking and prodding and ripping hair out and generally turning him into something completely different. He didn't like it but Harrow had told him to basically shut up and not complain, so he did; he didn't complain, at any rate. He couldn't help the snarky comments that escaped him every so often when one of his team would say something he particularly disliked.
Finally they deemed him ready to face his stylist – he still hadn't even met the guy yet. Or woman. He didn't know. As they left – Aulette muttering about the fact she hadn't been allowed to do anything with his 'beautiful hair' – Jeff stared at himself in one of the many mirrors, taking in his reflection. All the dirt had been scrubbed away, the smell of District 10 overwhelmed by some scent of a flower he'd forgotten the name of. His hair had been washed and trimmed to 'clean it up a little' and half his body stripped of hair. He hadn't realised how much of a distaste the Capitol had for body hair.
He was too focused on his new face – clean and smooth and different– to hear the door open and footsteps enter. He did however, hear the voice that spoke quietly a moment later, and he spun around to face the source.
"Let's see what we have here."
The woman was slim and willowy, with pale orange hair cut short around her ears. Her skin was a light brown and Jeff wasn't sure if it was natural or dyed that way. They watched each other, the woman's bright green eyes never leaving Jeff's body and raking over him in a way that made him self-conscious in a way he'd never been before. Finally she spoke again, her voice still incredibly soft and quiet.
"I'm Jarrah, your stylist. Your name's Jeff?"
The blonde nodded, wrapping his arms around his bare chest. He didn't like the way she was still staring at him. Jarrah walked closer, putting a hand on his shoulder in an almost comforting way. She smiled at him briefly. "We're going to go with something simple this year," she said "Nothing too flashy."
Jeff just nodded again, not quite sure what she was planning. If he were honest, he didn't really care. District 10 farmed livestock and so usually the tributes were dressed up like cows or something similar. It was worse than say, the favoured districts of 1 and 2, who always looked stunning and swathed in something glittery and silky, but better than 9 or 12. The tributes from 9 usually ended up as bread, while 12's tended to be in some scanty black outfit with headlamp hats due to the coalmining in that district. Overall, Jeff figured it could be worse.
He was (mostly) pleasantly surprised a few hours later as he stood beside the chariot he would soon be riding in for the opening ceremonies. When Jarrah had said simple, he hadn't realised how simple she meant. He was dressed in loose leather pants and solid, heavy boots. His torso was mostly bare – the one thing he didn't really like – apart from two thick strips of black-and-white cowhide patterned fabric that crossed over his chest and back in an X. He still felt a little exposed but it could have been much worse.
For the first time since stepping off the train, his thoughts turned to Serenade. He wondered how she had dealt with her prep team and stylist (a man named Daedalus, he'd found out from Jarrah). For a brief moment he let himself think about their meaningless conversation on the train that morning; was it only that morning? So much had happened. He thought about what they'd talked about, how they'd passed the time and hidden just how scared they both were about the impending doom of the Games. But he didn't ponder for long – he saw Serenade walking towards him, weaving past other chariots and tributes and stylists, Jarrah and a large man he assumed was Daedalus by her side. He smiled at her, looking the girl up and down to see what she was wearing.
He was surprised yet again at the stylists' work. Serenade wore a knee-length dress that hugged her curves, a strapless thing made of what seemed to be three layers of different material. The base was clearly leather, while across the right side of her chest a layer of sheep's wool was stitched. And across the left side of her stomach was a layer of fabric patterned with the same colours and splotches as the strips around Jeff's chest. The leather was visible beneath the other two fabrics and all in all, Jeff thought, she looked rather good for a girl who he'd only seen in pants and boots and thick shirts. To complete the look, Serenade wore leather slip-on shoes and what was obviously an animal horn attached to a chain around her neck, her hair curled and pulled over one shoulder. She smiled as she approached him, awkwardly tugging at the dress she was clearly uncomfortable in.
"You look very pretty," Jeff said without really thinking. Serenade chuckled. "You're getting better with compliments."
"I do mean it though." The blonde gestured to her vaguely "You look very pretty."
Now the redhead blushed, biting her lip. "Thank you. I – You look good too."
Before they could say anything else, the music began to blast out to signal the start of the ceremonies. The pair were pushed up onto the chariot, pulled by deep brown coloured horses, as massive doors opened up to reveal streets with hordes of Capitol people crowding along the sides. District 1 made its way out, followed soon after by 2. Jeff just glanced over at Serenade, biting his lip as he tried not to think about the fight they would soon be thrust into. The girl looked pretty and… girly now, but she was going to be fighting for her life in that arena and if it came down to it, he would have to kill her.
He wasn't sure he could. This whole plan was falling to pieces in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do but hope that he wouldn't have to kill too many people in order to defy the Capitol. That, or hope he died quickly.
But as he watched the other tributes in their chariots and costumes, he was fast realizing he was in for a hell of a fight. Carrion and Ripple from 1 were strong fighting machines, no amount of glittery gold fabric able to hide the fact they were eagerly awaiting the Games and powerful enough to win – they would have had training back home. Crippler looked bigger than he had onscreen and it was starting to scare Jeff a little. But then there were the weaker fighters. The girl from 3 (Lina, if he remembered correctly) was so thin she was practically non-existent, lost in her orange and grey dress beside her fellow tribute. Merrin still looked like he would be killed in the initial bloodbath, a tiny boy though his face betrayed him as older than his height indicated. The two girls Kenna had had her eye on, Dekiya and Kisery, were certainly showing off their beauty, the former in some electric blue thing that was shimmering in the dying light and the latter in a flowing brown dress, her blonde hair pulled up and the ends dyed green in an imitation of a tree – she was the one from District 7; lumber.
Then came District 8, and the two tributes looked so tiny. It was the youngest batch of children from any district – just twelve and thirteen. Milly and Day, Jeff recalled from watching the recap. There was another thirteen year old this year – Dekiya herself. But for both tributes from the same district to be so young was a rare and terrible thing.
After that, Jeff didn't really have much time to think because District 9's chariot was leaving (bread, as usual) and they were next. As the horses began to move he swayed and grabbed Serenade's hand to steady himself. She surprised him by clinging on just as tightly and he looked over at her. The redhead managed a smile and in the confusion, he just smiled back as they made their way out onto the Capitol streets.
To put it lightly, the experience was overwhelming. Jeff just stared as their district was announced and the Capitol citizens that lined the streets cheered for them. The applause and support wasn't as loud and excited as it had been for District 1 or 2, or for Dekiya in electric blue. But they were still enthusiastic and they shouted out for District 10; something that both sickened Jeff and caught him off guard. The Capitol people were baying for their blood, just waiting to watch them die. The tributes might look beautiful and stunning now, but sooner than they all would like they were going to be pitted against each other and it would be a bloody fight to survive. That was what the people wanted. More than the pretty dresses and girls and the handsome boys and the interviews and all of that preparation; they wanted blood.
Jeff jumped as he was nudged in the ribs by the girl beside him and he turned to her as she hissed, "Wave. You want sponsors or not?"
Blinking, the blonde did as he was told, raising the hand that wasn't clutching onto Serenade's and waving it for the Capitol's benefit. It was always better to have sponsors – if you ended up in a tricky situation it was helpful to have someone on the outside that was willing to help you out. It could mean the difference between life and death in the arena. In curiosity, he glanced back at the two chariots behind them – 11 and 12. There was nothing spectacular about the former, but he bit his lip as he saw the costume of 12; or rather, lack of it. They were completely naked and simply coated in black coal dust. Jeff felt sorry for them, their costume proving that it could always get worse.
He saw himself and Serenade on one of the massive TV screens that lined the streets for those who couldn't get close enough to see the tributes for themselves. While they didn't look anything like the shining beauty of the favoured Districts, he figured they didn't look too bad at all. He wondered what Joss would be thinking right now, watching the opening ceremony at home with their mother. He forced that thought away quickly as the chariots made their way into the City Circle, where they would be addressed by the President before being taken away to the Training Centre – the place they would stay until the Games. Jeff had heard it all from Jarrah earlier so he knew what would be going on, but all he could focus on was President Snow.
The man was old and small, with white hair and dressed much more plainly than the rest of the Capitol citizens. As he began the welcome speech, Jeff just glared at him, knowing that everything that was wrong was his fault. Of course, there'd been those before him, but Snow was in charge now and certainly nothing good had been happening lately. He was responsible for all the pain and the suffering the people in the districts faced – and for Jeff's father's death. And Nick's.
He lost track of time as he stood there, thinking over how he was going to ruin the man that stood up there and welcomed the children who would be systematically murdered in a few days. It made him more determined than ever to destroy him, humiliate him and the Capitol in front of all the districts. One last show of defiance, one last insult. Soon enough the chariots were moving off again and towards the Training Centre. Jeff glanced over at Serenade as they left the City Circle and the president behind. She was too busy looking out into the crowds and smiling, still attempting to gain whatever support she could.
Finally the pair made it to the Training Centre and the doors slid shut behind them, closing them off from the Capitol citizens and locking them in. The stylists, the mentors and the prep teams greeted them as they entered, Daedalus grabbing Serenade and lifting her from the chariot and into a hug. Jeff watched them in confusion as he got off. The girl laughed before she was put down, steadied on her feet by her stylist. Before he could say anything, he and his fellow tribute were whisked away to the next floor up – what was technically the 'ground' floor – and towards a see-through elevator. They left the prep teams behind, just the six getting in to go up to their floor.
Jeff watched as Kenna pressed the button for the tenth floor – each district had their own floor, he'd been told – and suddenly they were shooting upwards. The movement surprised Jeff and he grabbed Serenade's arm; not for the first time that night. They locked eyes and she just smiled at him. She hadn't seemed to stop doing that since they'd started that chariot ride. He smiled in return, starting to feel conflicted as to how he felt about her. One the one hand, he was glad he had such a friendly, nice tribute (for want of a better word) beside him. He had to live with her until the Games and he much preferred living with someone he liked. One the other hand, the friendlier they were, the harder it would be in the arena. Would he be able to kill her if faced with that choice? Would she kill him? With twenty two other tributes there was a fair chance she (or he) would get killed by someone else, but there was always the possibility. The possibility that he didn't want to think about.
This would be so much easier if I hated her, Jeff thought in annoyance as they reached their floor and the elevator stopped. The doors opened, revealing more of what Jeff had already seen – everything was plush, luxurious, colourful, soft, beautiful. All very 'Capitol'. Waiting for them was Tereze, the aqua-haired woman beaming at the group as they stepped out of the elevator.
"You were perfect!" she said, directing the comment to the two tributes before turning to the mentors and stylists to talk more about the ceremony. Harrow excused himself quickly before he could be drawn into the conversation and walked over to the District 10 teenagers, the relief evident on his face.
"Come on," he said, voice just as harsh and rough as ever "You need to change before dinner. I'll show you where your rooms are."
They followed him down the hall and were dropped off in their separate accommodation. Jeff hunted around the room until he found some fairly decent clothes in the well-stocked wardrobe so he could get out of his costume. He didn't get the chance to investigate the room any further after changing as there was a knock at the door and Harrow was telling him to come to dinner.
The dining room was quite large and the table in the middle of it was already starting to be filled with food. Jeff heard someone walking up behind him and he turned to see Serenade approaching. She was still smiling.
"What was that with Daedalus?" Jeff finally had the chance to ask.
"Oh," the girl replied, her smile dropping slightly before returning in full force "He's actually very nice. He even said I didn't need to look like those other girls to be beautiful, and he's a stylist. And he has a great sense of humour too."
Jeff nodded, glancing at the man who had just entered with Jarrah. He didn't know too much about him but he knew Jarrah was also quite a lovely woman and certainly hadn't lived up to his expectation that all Capitol people were evil. But then he thought of Snow, and any doubts rushed away. Something had to be done.
Everyone was seated quickly, Jeff between Harrow and Serenade. He looked over at the food being laid out on the table by white-clad servants – it looked just as mouth-watering as usual. He was just about to start eating (despite the fact he was rather hungry, he managed to maintain his manners and not grab it with his hands) when one of the servants leaned between him and Harrow, placing a new dish on the table, and Jeff caught his eye.
The moment they locked eyes, Jeff lost the ability to breathe properly and he nearly fell back onto the floor. The serving boy dropped what he was carrying, the platter hitting the edge of the table before crashing to the floor and shattering on the hardwood floor, and he stepped back a pace with wide eyes. There was an awkward silence as everyone stared in confusion, though a flicker of realisation crossed Serenade's face for a moment.
Suddenly, Jeff stood and just ran. He almost slipped on the spilled food but made it to the hallway and around a corner where he stopped – only because he couldn't breathe and he was getting dizzy.
It's not. It can't be. It's impossible.
The last thought that crossed Jeff's mind before he passed out was, It can't be Nick – he's dead.
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