Chapter 4

I stand as still as I can while Zailey, Kalira and Telandor pluck out every millimeter of hair that has grown on my body since lunchtime. They've washed off my extravagant makeup, saying that it wasn't good enough for what Cinna was planning, and they were now redoing my hair and makeup. Finally, they step back again. They make me close my eyes and I hear them rush out of the room. I don't open my eyes. I'm busy trying to think about what Cinna could possibly be planning for the opening ceremonies. The ceremonies will start in less than an hour. After a moment, I hear my prep team run back into the room with Cinna. There is a rustling of fabric and a curious sound of metal banging into something.

They help me into the outfit since it must be extremely fragile, and because my eyes are still closed. Then I hear Cinna telling me to open my eyes.

My hair is straight as a pin, the blonde locks streaked with charcoal black. The layers and layers of eyeshadows around my eyes still make my eyes look mysterious, but now Telandor has created a kind of smoky effect. And the dress... It's the shape of one of those dresses that princesses wore long, long ago, in the 1600's or something. Big skirt, tight bodice. The top of the dress is a curious fabric that changes colours rapidly, like a fire. Red, orange, yellow. I shift slightly, and the colours seem to move faster, swirling around and making me feel dizzy. The skirt continues down, tight to my legs but with just enough room for me to walk comfortably, underneath the real skirt. This skirt explains the metallic sounds that I heard before. It is the shape of those big skirts on those dresses so long ago, but it is made of iron or some other dark metal. The metal is carved into strange designs so that you can see through it to the fiery colours of the tighter skirt.

For a moment, I'm only confused. What is Cinna's plan? A metal skirt and fiery colours. And streaks of black through my hair. I glance curiously at Cinna, wondering what he has in mind.

His eyes register my question. "We're going with something that relates to Katniss and Peeta's costumes," he explains. "You know -- where there's smoke, there's fire."

I turn my head slightly, frowning. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Well, when Katniss was in the Games, she was the girl who was on fire. That's how she's referred to sometimes. So that must mean that I am smoke. But then, why the fiery colours? Is the smoky-eye look and the black streaks in my hair enough to resemble smoke?

Cinna gives me a small smile. "You don't understand," he observes.

I shake my head quickly.

"There will be smoke," he says. "Under the metal skirt. Some of it will escape around you, but not enough to hide you from sight. You understand now?"

I nod, but there is one thing I am wondering. "What about Vick? Will he be somehow... matching? Like Katniss and Peeta matched?"

Cinna nods. "Portia's back, too, did Katniss tell you?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "She's Vick's stylist. I'm not sure exactly what she's going to do for him, but it's going to have smoke, too... We'll see soon enough, anyhow."

Zailey helps me into a pair of black heels. Then Cinna and my prep team lead me down the corridor of the train, which has long since pulled into the station. We will not be staying in the Training Center until after the opening ceremonies end.

Vick and the other tributes are all there, in the big, airy room which all the trains from each district have arrived. Everyone's dressed up in a way that represents their district. The District 4 tributes are draped in fish nets. The District 1 tributes are covered in jewels. For some reason, the two District 7 tributes, from the district of construction, are wearing all black, with coloured streamers hanging off of them. One of their stylists is lighting a match. I wonder if the District 7 stylists are actually thinking that flames have something to do with construction, or if they're just copying Cinna and Portia's idea from five years ago.

I focus on Vick, trying to figure out what he's wearing. His chest is bare, which I find somehow amusing because I've never seen him not bundled up in more than three layers of clothing. Even though Katniss and my mother and I are now living in comfort, helping whoever we can, Vick's entire family still lives in the Seam. Granted, they are doing a lot better now, what with Katniss' gifts to them, but food and money doesn't buy you everything when you're in the Seam. Around Vick's chest is an iron cage similar to my skirt. I think that it will look less strange once the smoke is swirling about inside the iron cage; right now it just looks silly. His dark hair has no streaks in it, but his pants are the same fabric as the top of my dress.

Zailey, Kalira and Telandor help us up into the District 12 carriage. I try to ignore the other tributes, who are all staring at Vick and I, obviously wondering what our costumes are supposed to be. I wonder if Katniss got stares like this before the opening ceremonies, when she was about to be set on fire.

Cinna climbs up into the carriage as the District 1 carriage begins to move out. I hear the crowds shouting.

Cinna adjusts my hair and smiles at us. "Smile," he says. He takes our hands and puts them together. I lock my fingers around Vick's, remembering my promise to Hazelle. Then, as the District 8 carriage begins to move forward, Portia climbs up too. She and Cinna begin to press buttons that I didn't know were there. The buttons are all over the inside of the iron cages, undetectable to the eye, but Cinna and Portia seem to know exactly where each one is. As they step back, eying us with appreciation, the District 10 carriage begins to move. It's our turn to go out there soon, in front of all those Capitol people with their strange accents and fashions. The buttons on our outfits begin to let out smoke, slowly, slowly. The smoke swirls inside the iron cages and little tendrils of smoke begin to escape. It doesn't smell like smoke; in fact, it doesn't smell like anything. Cinna and Portia hop out of the carriage and we begin to roll forward.

I'm vaguely aware of the screaming crowds as all of the faces turn away from the District 11 tributes -- dressed in garments made of leaves, I think; my vision is slightly clouded from the smoke. The shouting grows louder as they begin to notice us. Vick's hand tightens around mine. I glance at him; he's grimacing nervously. I give him an encouraging smile as the carriage lines up next to the other districts. President Trustell begins to speak. She is a middle-aged woman, distantly related to President Snow, who died a few years ago. President Trustell has short, white-blonde hair and piercing grey eyes. She makes announcements regularly on television, so it's easy to recognize her, even in the gathering darkness. The only lights to be seen are District 7's flames, flickering. The cameras are drinking up our images, trying to get footage of all twelve districts.

Soon enough, the opening ceremonies are over and the carriages begin to roll forward again, through the wide doors and straight into the Training Center, where we will be staying until the Games begin. Cinna and Portia and the prep teams are waiting for us, smiling brightly at their success. I see the District 7 stylists eying our costumes; probably planning to copy them, too.

Cinna and Portia lead Vick and I into the elevator. Our prep teams crowd in behind us, leaving no room for any other tributes. Portia presses the button labeled 12 and the elevator begins to move upwards, quite smoothly. I think back to the only elevator I've ever ridden in before, the one in the Justice Building back home. I've ridden it three times in my life. Once when Katniss, my mother and I went to receive the medal after our father's death, once to say goodbye to Katniss before she left for the Capitol five years ago, and once after my name had been called for the second time in five years. That elevator was small. Cramped, dimly lit, moving as slowly as a slug. This elevator, however was different; it shot smoothly upwards, quickly, and didn't stop once until there was a soft ding and the doors opened to reveal a big entrance hall area with a fancy carpet and potted plants in every corner. Down at the other end of the hall, I could see Katniss, Peeta and Effie sitting on big white couches. On both sides of the entrance hall were big, solid, dark brown doors leading to what I assumed to be my new quarters, along with Vick's, Cinna's, Portia's, Effie's, Katniss' and Peeta's.

Katniss stands up and hugs Vick and I. She congratulates Cinna and Portia on the costumes and makes small talk for a few minutes while Effie orders an Avox servant to get us all some drinks. The Avox boy returns a few minutes later. Katniss and Peeta smile and thank him before he returns to the kitchen. Effie turns on the television so that we can watch the opening ceremonies. I'm stunned by our appearances. I look beautiful, even more beautiful than I did when I looked in the mirror before the ceremonies. Vick and I seem so majestic, standing in our carriage with tendrils of smoke creeping around us and swirling beneath the iron cages. I notice that the cameras seem to return to Vick and I a lot, although not as much as they did when Katniss and Peeta were on fire five years ago. District 7 gets quite a bit of camera time. I wonder if that's because the cameramen liked them or because they wanted to show that District 7 were copying Katniss and Peeta. I notice that the District 7 tributes were holding hands, too.

I excuse myself and go to bed as soon as the recap of the ceremonies ends. I figure that I might as well get as much sleep as I can before the Games begin in a few days. Training will start tomorrow; I want to be well-rested for that.

I sleep without dreaming, waking as the sun begins to rise. Out in the main area of the District 12 quarters, all is quiet. Nobody else seems to be awake yet. I wander over to the long table filled with food and jump when I notice an Avox servant standing there, silent. I ask if I can eat. The servant doesn't speak -- of course not, her tongue is cut out -- but just nods. As I'm pouring myself a glass of juice, Katniss slips out of her room and joins me. We don't speak.

Effie comes out of her room, curly orange wig set on her head perfectly, just as I'm finishing my breakfast.

"Good morning!" she says cheerily. "Ready for training?"

I just shrug.

When I return to my room to get ready for training, someone has laid out clothes on the bed for me. I put on the black pants -- elastic waistband, easy to move in -- and the dark red tank top. The colour makes me think of blood. Katniss and Peeta are waiting for me out by the elevator. Vick comes out of his room a moment later, wearing black pants similar to mine and a dark red shirt. I wonder if Katniss and Peeta matched all the time when they were in the Games.

"Now," says Peeta as we get into the elevator. He presses the T for the training level. "We want the two of you to stick together. Like siblings, say. Prim, you're the big sister in this picture. You take care of Vick."

"For now, avoid the combat stations. Concentrate on the survival stuff -- camouflage, medicines, things like that," Katniss adds. "And keep an eye out for anyone you think will be a useful ally."

The elevator gives another ding and the doors slide open. Most of the other tributes are already there, standing all grouped together in silence. As the doors slide shut again and the elevator takes Katniss and Peeta away with it, they all turn to look at us. I see envy on some faces, jealousy on others. I give a small smile, take Vick's hand and begin to walk forward into the Training Center.

***

Author's Note: I can't believe I haven't updated in so long! School and dance and musical theater took over my life. I now have an order for updates: Summer (Twilight), Mudblood (Harry Potter), Paisley (Twilight) and then this one. Also, I had trouble deciding on Prim and Vick's opening ceremony costumes. I got so many great ideas from you guys, and also an idea from my BFFAEAEAE who just made an account on here, spellbinder112!!! And now, credit where credit is due. Thanks to Marionettes for the "where there's smoke, there's fire" idea. Deevee White and Ichigh0st -- even though you didn't have any ideas for me... :P Thanks for reviewing! Thank you vampirelovers345, I didn't use all of your ideas but I did take the black streaks in Prim's hair, and the red/orange/yellow changing-colours fabric was a combination of ideas from you and DobbyWobby. Thanks everyone!