Chapter 7

I flutter open my eyelids. The sun is coming in from a window next to my bed and streaking across my face. So that's what woke me up. I stretch my arms up to loosen them out and then climb out of bed. I took a shower last night so I pick up the black training outfit that I see is laid out in a chair. I pull the top over my head and tug on my pants. Next are the shoes, I tuck my feet into some fuzzy socks then slide on and lace up my combat boots. I throw my hair into the usual ponytail as I head out of the room and into the kitchen. Peeta and Haymitch are sitting at the table eating, not saying a word. "Well what a lively bunch we are in the morning." I joke. Haymitch just grunts and Peeta doesn't even notice I said anything. I sigh. I walk over to the serving table and put some, what's it called again, oatmeal I think, into a bowl and then sit at the table. We continue our eating in silence, and before I know it its time to go down to the training room. I actually feel good considering I got some extra strength last night after thinking with my family. I am determined to push myself even harder today in order to be prepared for these stupid games. "Game," I think to myself and snort, "what kind of game requires you to die. Only in the capitol could they come up with something as sick as a glorified mass murdering." All these things are running through my head as I make it down to the training center. The rest of the training days go by in a blur with the exception of the gamemaker evaluation. I thought I had effectively screwed myself over with what I did, and in a way I have. I enter the evaluation area to find that all of the people who hold my life in their hands are too busy getting hammered to pay me any attention. I try to push through it, I show off my new found sword skills along with what I can do with a knife. Finally as the grand finale I shoot with the bow. I hit bulls eye after bulls eye and how do these piece of filth gamemakers reward me? By waving me off like a common fly. Of course my temper gets the better of me and I notice a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling just before head gamemaker Seneca Crane. Before I could blink twice I had already notched an arrow and sent it through the cord holding up the crystal masterpiece, it landed directly in front of Seneca and shattered into a million tiny pieces. They gave an 11 for it, just to put a bigger target on my back, as if Marble and Glitter or whatever their names are didn't want to kill me already. I push myself harder every day and train myself with the new weapons available. My swordsmanship is much better and even my knife throwing is deadly accurate now. Before I can even blink it is the day of the interviews. The realization hits me like a spear to the chest, "I might be dead in 24 hours." I'm frozen to the spot in the living room where I stand waiting for Cinna. Stop, you can't afford to think like that. You have to make it home to your family. They can't survive without you.

I come back to reality just in time to be swooped away by the colorful flock of humans that I have come to know as my prep team. Once again I am plucked and shaved and waxed until my skin is red and raw. To add insult to injury they dip me in fowl smelling substances after I'm hairless. I am finally returned to the state of flawlessness that I was in for the tribute parade. Haymitch is trying to give me a "personality" for the interviews, but we all know the only personality I can pull off is sullen and hostile. So that's what we go with, it should work well considering I already punched a man in front of all of Panem. Effie is attempting at a lesson on how to walk in heels, but I am failing miserably. Cinna walks into the room just as I nearly topple over in the spiky death traps. "The lesson won't be necessary Effie, Ander will be wearing sandals tonight." Cinna tells her. Oh thank God for Cinna, I was ready to gouge out my eyes with the stupid shoes. I now sit in my room once again waiting for Cinna to bring me the work of art that I will wear tonight. He pulls the dress out of the bag and to be honest, I'm a little disappointed. The dress is just white silk. I slip it on and it still looks good, my makeup is dark and angular like it was for the parade, and my hair is in loose curls. Cinna walks over to me and clips a white Oleander into my hair, I smile at him. He then hands me black sandals that lace up to mid calf and I can't help but wonder how all of this ties together. I will just have to trust Cinna. I'm about to get in the elevator to head to the interview stage when he stops me, "Ander, when its timer for your interview I want you to walk to the very center of the stage and stand there, I can't tell you what will happen its a surprise. I nod my agreement, only questioning Cinna for a moment before deciding not to worry about it. We arrive at the stage and I notice that Peeta's outfit looks nothing like mine. He wears a black tux with the fake fire licking at his shirt cuffs and bow tie. It looks...good. I sit down next to him and give him a small smile, he returns it. The interviews are a blur, I don't remember a single one because I'm so nervous about mine. I'm sitting in my chair waiting when a peacekeeper taps my shoulder and motions me up, I obey. The tribute before me exits the stage and I walk out of the side entrance. I am instantly blinded by the lights but finally make my way to center stage. I stop and stand there. Nothing. Suddenly my dress burst into flames licking at my entire body. The fire eats away the white silk and the result is amazing. (if you want to see the dress on fire click the link morelikethis/artists/311240913?view_mode=2#/art/Dress-Fire-320474000?_sid=136dd58f )

The dress continues to burn as I make my way over to the seat that is provided next to the interviewer Ceaser Flickerman. His mouth hangs wide open, completely speechless. I probably look terrifying. With the angled makeup making my face look just as sharp as the weapons I use and my entire body engulfed in flames, and of course since I am sullen and vicious, I'm not smiling. My face is the same mask that I always use to mask any emotion. "wow Oleander, that is quite an outfit!" complements Ceaser. "Yes, its amazing, thanks to Cinna." I say. "Yes Cinna is quite the artist." he says. The rest of the interview is just a bunch of stupid questions about how I like the capitol and talk of how I decked that cameraman. That is until the last question. "So Oleander, your sister and brother must miss you dearly. What did you tell them when you said your goodbyes." Ceaser asks kindly. "I told them I would win, so that I can come back to them." I say with a determined tone. "And I'm sure you will try your hardest." Ceaser says fondly. I give a stern nod. The buzzer sounds signaling that my interview time is up, we stand and Ceaser lifts my hand into the air. "From district 12, Oleander Evanthe!" He practically screams, but he has to if he wants to be heard over the thundering applause and cheers of the audience. My dress still burns as I take my seat next to where Peeta was seated moments ago before he went on stage for his interview. Now that mine is over and my nerves are calm I can actually pay attention to one of my friend's interviews. Peeta being his charming and amiable self has the crowd roaring in laughter. I actually smirk a bit when they talk about the showers and sniff each other. The buzzer goes off and Peeta exits the stage grinning broadly, he is obviously happy about how his interview went. I walk over to the elevator and step in to find it empty, the glow from my dress being thrown in every direction. Just as the elevator door is about to close shut a hand shoots through the slit between them and they open up to reveal Cato. He shuffles inside and the doors close. The light form my smoldering dress is intensified as I bounces off of Cato's suit that looks to be metallic. He looks over at me, taking in each inch of Cinna masterpiece. I look up at him and ice meets warm waters once again. "It suits you," he says quietly. "Its like your fiery personality burned through the dress." he smirks. I smile and look down and notice my hands are shaking, still jittery from the interview. Cato leans closer and whispers "did you know that they keep the training room unlocked at night?" he then pulls back and resumes his upright position with a smirk plastered on his face. I give a nod of thanks as the elevator doors open to reveal the district 2 floor. He steps out but not before returning my nod. The doors close and the elevator continues up to my floor. I quickly dress in black cargo pants, a dark green tank top and combat boots. I fly out of my room and into the elevator as fast as I can. To say I'm eager to shoot a bow is the understatement of the century. I silently pull open the door to the training center once I get off the elevator. There it sits, the bow I have been itching to get my hands on. You could hardly call any of the shooting I did for the gamemakers practice. I snatch the bow and a quiver of arrows off of the rack and line up in the archery station. I notch an arrow swiftly and within seconds it is lodged in the center of the target. I repeat this process over and over again and finally stop when I am out of arrows. Feeling satisfied, I put the weapon away and get into the elevator. The doors close and its speeding upwards when it slows to a stop on the floor of district 2. The doors slide open and Mia walks in. She is still my friend but things are a little awkward since I rejected the alliance offer, Peeta also told me that after I left she and Cato had a bit of a falling out. I look at her as we make our way up, I truly feel bad for rejecting her offer but I had to do it, the least I could do now is apologize. "Mia, I'm really sorry about rejecting the alliance offer.'" she turns and looks at me. "Your my friend and so is Peeta, and Cato, well he's Cato," she laughs and so do I. "Anyway I wish I didn't have to do this I feel terrible abou-" Mia cuts me off. "Its fine I completely understand, your family needs you." I look into her eyes to try and decipher if she is being truthful, but I see something strange. Where a mischievous sparkle used to be there is now something deep and powerful, something I could recognize as sheer determination. I give her a quick hug which she returns then I exit the elevator. I'm now exhausted, but that doesn't stop me from wondering what Mia is so determined to do. I ponder this as I shuffle back to my room and shimmy under the covers. Eventually I fall into a fitful sleep full of mutts, the games, and dying fathers.