A/N Thank you for so many reviews on the last chapter! Please keep reading!
Prim
Because of the drama of last night, I didn't feel up to the interview training today. The interviews tomorrow would be horrible, I'd have to face the other tributes, and with such a low score that would be embarrassing. Hopefully Caesar would be nice to me, and the Capitol might sympathise with the poor helpless girl from district 12. But what will Rue say?
At breakfast the mood is tense; no-one feels much like talking. After all, what is there to say? I know I was worth more than the lowest possible score, and I'm sure Peeta was too. I can't think why the game-makers would score us so low, it's almost as if they're punishing us for something.
For training today, I'll begin with Haymitch who'll run through my strategy. After lunch, I'll spend the time with Effie who'll focus on etiquette. Haymitch leads me into the room and sits me down on a chair opposite his.
"So we're sticking with the innocence streak for tonight, I know Rue will be using the same so we need to play it up a bit, Ok sweetheart?"
"Haymitch, do you know why the Game-makers scored us both so low yesterday? 4 out of my 5 shots were on target, that's worth at least a 7! Are they punishing us for something?"
He hesitated. "Oh my God. They are punishing us. I can tell you know something, Haymitch."
After a few minutes he nodded.
"It's your sister."
My heart dropped. Was Katniss OK? This had to be something to do with her missing the reaping.
"She wasn't at the reaping was she? She didn't come to say goodbye. But why are they taking it out on me and not her?"
"She ran away, Prim. Her and Gale never came back from hunting that morning."
Oh, this is worse than I'd thought. I had a feeling that there was something else he knew but decided not to press anymore. For the rest of that morning we work on how to answer questions, acting humble and helpless. After discovering what the Capitol was doing to me, there was a tone of anger in my voice. It took a couple of hours of practicing to sound like my old self, a normal 12 year-old girl. We do some practice interviews and by the end of the morning, I feel confident that I can win the sympathy of some citizens and con them into sponsoring me. My training score won't have encouraged them to part with their money but this just might.
At lunch, Peeta and I sit together, a bit away from our mentor and escort. We discuss the morning's training, it sounds that this afternoon with Effie is going to be hell.
And I'm right.
She gets me to practice my walk so many times. My legs begin to ache after the first hour, but then she introduces high heels. There's no way Cinna would design an outfit where I had to wear these but still she makes me totter about the room in them for at least half an hour.
After that we work on pronunciation, and I practice my smile.
By the end of the session, I'm ready for bed. I'd rather have no training for the interviews, just get it out of the way. But then that would bring the arena a day earlier, and I'm just not ready for it. Instead of meeting the others for dinner, I order food to my room. Sitting on my bed, I eat more of the lamb stew with plums. After finishing one tub I order another, along with slices of cake. In my head I play over the scenario of Katniss and Gale running off into the woods. What was she thinking?
I wondered where they were. They must still be alive; they're both too good at hunting to starve to death. And the weather in district 12 isn't cold enough to cause them any problems. They might have made it to another district by now, to whichever one was closest to us. I giggle as I imagine them fishing in district 4.
Without realising it I fall asleep with the dirty cutlery on my bed, sometime during the night an avox must have come in to clear it because when I wake up the next morning, it's all gone. As soon as I'm awake, I am mobbed by my prep team. I am flung in the shower and cleaned to within an inch of my life. My hair is washed with 5 different types of shampoo and conditioned to smell like roses. While every hair on my body is plucked or waxed, my hair is dried and curled.
The morning passes really quickly and before I know it its lunchtime. After lunch, Cinna comes in to show me my outfit for the interviews. He wants to continue with the fire theme, nicknaming me "The Little Flame." My dress is iridescent. It gives the appearance that I'm glowing, I love it. Like I suspected, the shoes are flat so all that time practicing in heels was wasted.
I spend the afternoon getting my make-up done. It's much heavier eye make-up than I wore for the tribute parade but I still look natural. I've moved away from the braided hair, instead I have curls. I can't decide whether I like this look better than my last one, but Cinna is a genius. Admiring myself in the mirror I forget all about my panic about facing the other tributes. It's not the large crowd that scares me, but the 22 other tributes that are going to be laughing at Peeta and I because of our scores. If only they knew the reason why.
All the tributes take their seats on the stage, I am sat in between Thresh and Peeta making me feel dwarfed. Each of the tributes gets 3 minutes interview with Caesar, and he really works hard to get the most out of those minutes.
The girl from 1 has gone for the sex on a stick angle and it really works for her. Both tributes from 2 come across as violent and bloodthirsty, somehow I know this is not just an act. The girl from 5 remains sly and doesn't give much away. When Caesar calls Rue to the stage, the panic begins to set in because I know it's soon going to be my turn.
Backstage I had felt 22 pairs of eyes staring at Peeta and I, and I found it hard to ignore them. But they aren't the ones I need to impress, it's the public who need to fall in love with me and in around 5 minutes I have to prove that I'm worthy of their sponsorship money.
Thresh's name is called, and I take this as my 3 minute warning. I run over what we covered in training in my head. I must smile from the moment my name is called. I must walk straight and confident. I must sit with a straight back, never slouch. I must pronounce my words properly.
In the midst of this last minute preparation, I barely hear the bell signifying the end of Thresh's interview. Caesar calls my name and I stand to walk over to him. On my way I silently thank Cinna for giving me a short dress, I was bound to have tripped over a long one.
We sit down and wait for the audience cheers to quieten down before starting the interview.
"So, Prim, our youngest contestant this year. How are you enjoying your life in the Capitol?"
Be innocent. Be humble. I can hear Haymitch's voice in my head.
"It's better than I ever imagined. Everything is so different, so much better than district 12." I'm gushing now, and I sound pathetic rather than innocent.
But Caesar plays along, "Hahaha, I bet the food especially is much better. Now, tell me about the reaping. It must have been a shock to be picked when your name can only have been in once or twice."
"I think it's always a shock when a 12 year old gets picked for the reason you just mentioned. I guess the odds just weren't in my favour that day." The audience guffaw at this, enjoying my use of Effie's trademark phrase.
"Indeed they weren't. At the reaping you looked behind you after being chosen. Were you looking for anyone in particular or just hoping for a volunteer?"
Should I mention Katniss, or would that just get me into trouble? I've hesitated too long, I'll have to answer. And I don't have time to lie.
"I was trying to see my sister, I initially thought it was her name they'd read."
"So, your sister, did she come and say goodbye?"
I shook my head. I'd have to tell a little white lie here. "We'd already said our goodbyes at home, neither of us are very good at dealing with emotions so we'd rather do it in private. My mother came, though. It was nice to get a final chance to say goodbye." Now I was really breaking the audience's hearts.
"A final goodbye? Not feeling confident about your chances in the arena, then?"
Now this was my time to shine. "I know that 12 year olds rarely do well, and being from an outlying district that cuts my chances even more. I promised I'd do my best to win, but everyone here looks so strong. I had to say goodbye just in case."
The sigh from the audience was cut off by the bell. Wow, those 3 minutes had gone quickly. And Caesar had been so lovely, I'd almost been able to forget the audience. I could only hope that I'd done enough.
Peeta
I passed Prim making her way back to her seat and I gave her a thumbs up. She'd been brilliant but I was my turn to take centre stage. I shook hands with Caesar before taking a seat.
"So, Peeta, have we saved the best til last here?"
From that one line from Caesar I could tell that this interview would be easy. I could definitely get my personality across here.
"I hope so, Caesar. I'll do my best to give the audience a good show!"
He laughed, "That's all we can hope for! So, tell me, how does the Capitol live up to your expectations?"
"The food is spectacular like I thought it would be, and I never knew it was possible to smell like so many flowers at once!"
"I thought I could smell roses! I've gone for lavender myself tonight." Wow, Caesar and I had built up a great rapport.
He continued, "So who have you got at home cheering you on?"
"Just my family. They came to wish me good luck after the reaping and I miss them loads. My friends will be cheering me on too."
"No special lady at home though?" This was getting quite personal now, out of my comfort zone.
"Haha, unfortunately not."
"Oh come on. You're a handsome lad; there must be someone you've got your eye on."
Oh fine, I give up. Time to give them a show.
"Well there is one girl, but I don't think she feels the same way."
"Rotten luck. But here's a plan. Win the Games and when you get back I'm sure she'll notice you."
My face dropped. "Unfortunately I don't think that plan is going to help me. Because I came here with her sister."
Heart-breaking silence.
