I step into my room, and am amazed at it. The bed is big enough to fit 3 people,and it has a dark purple cover and pillows that match the color of my reaping

dress. I have my own personal bathroom, with many sweet-smelling soaps and candles. I get into the shower and turn the water on. I let out a small yelp

when the hot water touches my skin. I reach for the knob and turn it down some. It's like my shower at home, but much roomier and has a set of speakers to play

music. I don't want to listen to music right now. I'm not in the mood. I grab some shampoo that smells like coconut and wash my hair. I wash my body with a

body wash that smells like a mix of apples and oranges. By the time I step out of the shower, I smell like a fruit basket. There are dryers that are

on the ceiling and floor, so i turn them on and stand as they dry my body and hair. I brush out my hair and put it into my regular high ponytail. I slip into

a simple black t-shirt and jeans. I lay down on the bed and turn the TV on and watch some cooking shows. After about 4 hours I start to feel hungry and go to

the dining room. Marcus and Father are already there, and are enjoying some delicious looking soup. I grab a bowl and sit at the chair furthest away from

either of them.

"Well, look who decided to make an appearance." My father says sarcastically. I act like I didn't hear him and continue eating my soup.

"Annelise, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be a jerk." Marcus says. I look up and stare at him, trying to see if he is being sarcastic or not.

But he sincerely looks sorry.

"It's fine. I guess I was being a little moody." I say back. Not really, but no need to use up energy being angry.

"Don't start going soft on me now, boy." Father says. Marcus smiles back and returns to his soup. We wait for our next course and it is a baked potato with

butter and spices, and a salad. We dig in.

I walk to my room after dinner is done and hop into bed. I quickly drift into sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I make my way to the dining room, where I find Marcus sitting alone. Father must still be sleeping. We are served fried eggs, bacon, toast with jelly, and hash browns. I only eat my eggs and toast, not really hungry. Me and Marcus go to the TV room and watch a special about the Hunger Games.

"I can't believe any of this is happening. It all seems like a bad dream." Marcus says. I look at him.

"I know what you mean. And the odds of us winning is very slim. But I made a promise to my family and your sister that I would win." I say. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"My sister?"

I nod. "She came and visited me and told me to protect you and made me promise we would win." He

seems surprised.

"Huh, did she say anything else?" He asks.

"Yea, she told me about your home situation. I'm sorry to hear about your father." I reply.

"Thanks, but don't be sorry. I don't like people feeling sorry for me." I nod and we watch the rest of the program. Father joins us in the TV room.

"Hey kiddos. Sorry I missed breakfast. Anything interesting happen?" I shake my head. He pats me on the head

"We should be landing soon. Tomorrow we will be preparing for the parade." Suddenly, a voice comes over the intercom.

"Attention, tributes. Dinner will not be served on the plane. You will be having your dinner in the white house with the rest of your fellow tributes and the president." And then he signs off. The plane lands and we are escorted into the White House. DeAnne joins us. I almost forgot she was with us, she was in her room the entire time, working on our schedules. Marcus and I are taken to separate rooms. The room is painted a royal blue color with tan carpets and brown chairs against the wall. I take a seat until 3 people come into the room. They are quite a sight. One is wearing leopard print skinny jeans and a leopard jacket. Her hair is an un-natural red color and falls to her knees. The other two are a little more simple, but not much. They are wearing matching bright pink capris, and one has a bright yellow shirt and brown hair, in spikes all around her head, while the other has a simple white shirt with a floral design on the front and bright blonde hair that is very curly.

"Hello darling! We are your prep team. My name is Jasmine!" The girl with the leopard print

says. "And this is Lori," pointing to the girl with the spiky hair. "And this is Heather." Jasmine says, pointing to the blonde.

"It's nice to meet you." I reply, trying to be sweet.

"So, I'm guessing your here to get me ready for dinner?"

"Yes we are! You will meet your stylist, Amber, after we finish. She will be dressing you. But don't worry, she is absolutely amazing!" She says,

with a voice so low, it almost sounds male.

"Go get changed into this robe so we can begin." Says Lori. I walk into the bathroom and change. It looks exactly like the one on the plane. I step out and the team lays me on a table they set up and begin. They wax every part of my body. They use tweezers to yank left over hair off my body. After, they rub some sort of lotion on my skin to soothe it. I feel relief and close my eyes as they begin to do my nails and hair. I must have dozed off, because they gently shake me to do my make-up. They cover my face in powder and put on mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow and blush. When they finish, they all step back and admire their work.

"Oh she looks gorgeous!" Heather says. The other two nod in agreement.

"Annelise, Amber will be here in a few minutes, so sit tight until then." Jasmine says. They step out and I fiddle with my nails. They are painted a dark blue color. It looks like sapphires. I think. Oh shoot! I left Kaitlynn's necklace on the plane! I start to panic a little, until Amber walks in. She is holding the necklace in her hand.

"Hello Annelise. I think you forgot something on the plane." She tosses it to me and I catch it.

"Oh thank you. I thought I had forgot it!" I say. Amber looks more normal than my prep team. She is wearing a black leather jacket that stops just at her rib cage. Under it she has a tight white tank top and black pants. Her face is relatively clear of makeup, except for a deep red lipstick and mascara. Her black hair is short, stopping right above her shoulders.

"Well Annelise, I brought you a beautiful dress to wear tonight." She pulls it out of the bag she is carrying. It is a beautiful blue that matches my nails and necklace. She slips it on over my head and has me stand in front of a mirror. The dress is strapless and flows to the floor and is made with a material I don't know the name of. My hair is curled and pulled into a low side ponytail. I look absolutely stunning. I feel like I am the precious gem on my necklace, beautiful, hard to find.

"I love it. You are amazing. How did you know I had a sapphire necklace?" I ask.

"I saw it when they filmed you boarding the plane." She says. "The color really brings out your eyes." A smile creeps up on my lips.

"Thanks. My best friend gave it to me. She wants me to wear it in the arena."

Amber nods and fixes the dress on me and has me twirl in it. I step into the shoes that match the dress and have about a 3 inch heel. I wobble around in them before I get the hang of it.

"Perfect. Looks like it's time for dinner." Amber says.