Interviews

"Get up," a deep voice says from far away. I'd had yet another dreamless sleep so my eyes snap open immediately to meet Liam's brown ones. Mentoring day.

"Yeah, yeah, strategy." I wave my hand so that he won't waste the time of explaining everything to me. The interview is tomorrow and after last night's good new I feel as though nothing can sour my mood, not even the fact that all of Panem will watch me on live television tomorrow.

"Well since you know everything about the Hunger Games do you know what your going to be doing for the interview?" he leans against the wall with a smug smile on his face.

I get out of bed and wrap a robe around myself. I may be dressed in a nightgown but that doesn't mean I won't cover myself. Enough people have already seen me naked. "Answering questions," I sneer, tightening the robe.

Liam pinches the crease between his eyebrows and sits on my bed. I take a seat next to him and look at him, waiting to be mentored. "That's what everyone is doing. I mean do you want to go for funny? Endearing? Bloodthirsty?" Liam looks me up and down, "Sexy?"

"Gross, Liam. I never took you as the pervert type."

"I'm joking."

"Whatever."

"So?"

"So what?"

"What do you want to act like?"

"Me,"

"Well who is Isis Swift?"

"Me,"

"No, describe yourself in one word."

"Um,"

"Right," Liam gets up and paces a bit, putting his hand on his chin as if he was thinking. "We have to confine all of this," he gestures to all of me, "Into one word."

"Well, I'm not exactly funny. Or bloodthirsty, or endearing, or sexy." I make a face and he snaps his fingers.

"Honest. You're honest! Be the honest, humble girl. Act like a 9 isn't even that special. Maybe you won't change too much." he mumbles the last part but I catch it. I've seen victors change and I really don't want to if I become one of them.

"Honest?" I stand up as well. "If I speak my mind then I'll just be pissing all over any chance of getting sponsors."

"No cussing either. That's not good for presentation. Here, let's practice." Liam sits down on my bed and crosses his leg, just like Caesar does. "So Isis, tell me, what has impressed you the most about the Capitol?"

"It's just a more polished District 7 really. Except more evil covered in colorful alterations." I honestly say, taking a seat next to him.

"What! That's crazy!" Liam is smiling even though my answer was probably not ideal. "Not honest in a mean way. Just be neutral." he asks me the question again, a smile on his face.

I put on a fake smile and sit up straighter. "I just love everything. It's so lovely and I just can't pick a favorite!" I gush with a fake smile. It was painful to say too.

"Bleck. Makes me want to barf. Just," Liam runs a rough hand through his hand and ponders on my interview angle some more.

"Just wing it?" I suggest. "Here, ask it again." Liam asks it again, no longer acting like Caesar. I smile weakly, as usual, and sit up only a little bit. I still feel like me. "The food. I've tasted these pancakes that were green. They look so gross for something so good."

Liam goes from frustrated to happy within seconds. He obviously likes me winging it. I didn't lie but I didn't say everything I wanted about the Capitol. I've just kept my secrets and told the ones that are worth telling.

Over the next few hours we practice the interview. I get tired after a while and just lay down on my bed to answer them. The questions get a little harder to answer once we get to the home and the children. I didn't lie though and Liam didn't seem displeased with my answer. Maybe Caesar won't ask about my family.

Eventually, we get hungry. The avoxes served us, of course, even though we were the only two eating. The others probably ate breakfast but I wasn't very hungry this morning and brunch is way better anyways. Around noon, Magenta comes to get me.

"Alright, Liam, go back to your room. Isis is all mine right now." Magenta shoos him away and sits down next to me at the table. I ignore her and try to finish the green pancakes that I specifically ordered. "Isis," I didn't look up from my plate, "Isis, look at me."

"What?" My voice is harsh but she deserves it. After the way she treated me like crap while Jaxx got everything was way unfair. I don't forgive easily so she better get this right. I'm sure last nights score's show that Jaxx is average and I'm above average, the complete opposite of what magenta saw us as.

"Maybe I was a little hard on you. It's just that I saw Jaxx as the stronger of the two of you but now I see that I've made it worse. He doesn't need my comfort, they'll just get him killed. Could you let us start over and we can see where it goes? Please." Magenta sounds like a lost puppy, not knowing what to do.

"Fine," I growl a bit and take the last bite of my pancakes.

"Ok, well I'll be teaching you presentation today." Magenta cheers, her voice much happier. I guess that one word meant that we were best friends or some crap like that. I'm still mad at her though so she'll have to really do something to change my mind.

"What's wrong with my presentation?" I asks rather defensively.

"Just stand up." Magenta gets out of her chair and I do as well because I've just finished my food. "Stand up straight," Magenta lifts my slouched shoulders up and back, "Chin up," She lifts my chin with her pointer finger, "And put your legs together." I do and she says that I almost look lady-like. Gross.

For the next hour, probably, we work on walking. About thirty minutes in she gives me six inch heels. I put them on and I instantly hate them. Who the hell wears these? I've never needed to look taller because I'm already uncomfortable enough being taller then some of the boys in my grade. I swear my parents were giants.

"Your taller then me, Isis." Magenta squeals when I've walked up to her. She lifts up her foot and turns it sideways to show the tall heels she was wearing. She would be around 5'5 if it wasn't for the heels.

We finish with that after an eternity and she tells me that we can stop with the heels. I quickly yank the monsters off, throw them into the darkest corner of the room, and rub my aching feet. Magenta starts freaking out when I touch my feet and tells me, "That's awful! They teach you to do that in 7? No lady touches her feet in front of someone!" Magenta is appalled and I just sit in the dining chair again, enjoying the show.

After Magenta stops gagging, we work on how to sit in a chair properly. I asks her though, "Why in the hell do we have to practice sitting?" this instantly turns into a language is not lady-like lecture and I really just zone out for the rest of the lecture. She finishes and tells me to sit.

I sit in the chair, shoulders un-slouched, and she hates it. I have to cross my legs but at the ankles and lean them towards the right while I'm sitting up straight. That makes my back hurt and I tell her so and all she says is "So?"

"Your still teaching?" asks Zeke when he comes into the room. I look up at the clock and see that it is only ten minutes until dinner.

"Magenta," I whine. Why had she kept me here for so long? If she wasn't such a lecturer maybe I would have been done two hours ago as I was scheduled to be.

"Sorry, you just had a lot of problems that we had to deal with." Magenta shrugs as if she doesn't mean a word of it.

I storm out of the dining room and head into my room to change into decent clothes. Sitting on my bed is my outfit and from the looks of it, it has been here a while. Damn Magenta and her damn lady-like requirements. I change quickly and beat everyone to dinner except for the mentors.

"So, how was training with Magenta?" Liam asks. A smile is lingering under that blank expression of his and I see that Zeke is cracking up. Zeke had told Liam all about my presentation problems having to be fixed. I'm sure they hadn't seen anyone use six hours just learning to walk, sit, and stand.

"Haha, assholes." I cross my arms and lean back in my chair.

I'm so glad that Magenta didn't walk in when I cussed at them. What? You think I learned from her? I'm now going to purposely slouch my shoulders but only when she is around or looking. At the interview, I'll take her tips into mind but Liam said to wing it so I will. I know he didn't mean that but he should have been more specific.

They all tease me some more until Magenta walks in, Jaxx following closely bheind. I guess Magenta isn't paying him as much attention as she use to, him getting a 7 and all. 7 isn't a bad score but it is the worse one in the career pack. He has just proved to them that he really isn't that special at all.

We all eat dinner, quietly. We will be herded into prepping tomorrow as soon as our eyes open. My legs have barely got any stubble and I know that they'll want to wax me yet again. It's just a torture device, really, not a beauty product. I wonder if they waxed Jaxx?

"Does everyone have their interview angle?" asks Magenta, putting a neatly cut chicken piece into her mouth.

"I'm going to be charming." Jaxx says rather weakly. Maybe he knows that he has a lesser chance of winning now. It's too bad that I don't feel sorry for him.

"Isis?" Magenta says and I realize that I don't technically have an angle.

"Just winging it." I shrug as if I'm talking about the weather.

"Well, that's alright, I guess." Magenta looks over at Liam who doesn't really notice her surprise.

The rest of dinner goes by quickly and I find myself watching Capitol TV. It's mostly about Hunger Games or past Hunger Games. Caesar is as flamboyant as ever and Magenta babbles to me about how she met him one time. Eventually, it gets boring and I go to bed.

When I awake, a pair of violet eyes are staring at me. I jump which makes my prep team laugh. The violet eyes belonged to Mizar who was leaning over me. The twins, Kern and Atlas, are standing in the doorway.

I stand up to change clothes and Mizar exclaims, "We don't have time for that! Besides you won't be wearing those for long."

She smiles and I'm immediately escorted to the remake center. They all start setting up their supplies as if this is an operation room and I'm a dying patient. While they get ready, I strip down to nothing but my undergarments and put on the robe before taking everything else off. I didn't get naked until the robe covered me. It took me all night to come up with that but none of them looked displeased when they saw what I had done. Maybe they are just use to me being too stubborn to undress for them.

The torture immediately begins with softening my skin. This process is short but it does feel rather good. The robe comes off after they lotioned everything except for what the robe covers. They finish quickly and my muscles are relaxed by the end of it. I decide to shut my eyes and they have at it, waxing me.

Isis," Volumnia says. I open my eyes to see Volumnia standing over me, her eyebrows knitted together. "Did you fall asleep?"

"No, I just shut my eyes for a while." I say, hoping that what I just said wasn't a lie. I don't really remember them dolling me up but I don't remember falling asleep.

Volumnia sighs and tells me to put my robe. When I stand up to get it, I find that my skin is hairless and soft. Crap. I've turned plush. I put the robe on, trying to maintain my tomboy demeanor but it's hard to be a boy when your hair is in two braids and your nails are covered in tree designs.

"Congratulations on your score. I must say, I was shocked." Volumnia says, looking around the room trying to find something.

"Surprised that I did so good? Oh and thanks, I think?" I watch her walk around the room for a minute. She was bending over looking for something. "Whatcha looking for?"

"Your dress. I put it-Ah!" she picks up a plastic bag with a dress inside.

"Tree?"

"Nope,"

"What then?"

"Lumberjack!"

You mean, lumberjill."

"Brilliant!"

She unzips the bag and pulls out a red and white plaid dress that will probably go a little past my knees, flaring out at the bottom. It looks like a picnic table at first but once I get past the pattern, I see that it is decorated with buttons, pockets, and other things I can't even name. It seems like a good outfit but from the looks of it, the outfit looks like it goes for the more innocent little kids then a 16 year old girl.

"Isn't it a little... young for me?" I asks Volumnia who is smiling.

"This is just a thought but I'm doing it. What if we make you seem weak. You could appear like this little girl and be oblivious to the fact that you got a 9. Act as though it is a little frightening to go into the arena. Your contenders will be so confused by you that you'll surprise them all! You sure surprised me with that 9 because when you walked in, I saw this skinny girl but that 9 shocked the Capitol. We all thought you were nothing special until you proved your worth. Now go shock them again!"

I'm at a lost for words. They all really thought I was nothing special? They looked down on me! It's just like the Capitol to judge someone from their appearance. Wait. Maybe Volumnia is right. I could shock them all. They all won't know where I came from because my 9 wasn't the highest score but it was high for someone from 7. We usually get 7's but since Jaspe had taught me about knives I got a 9. I've got an advantage over them and I could use that to my advantage.

"Brilliant. That idea is the best one I've heard. Oh and thanks for the outfit." I smile happily just to make Volumnia happy.

A couple of hours later, the prep team is adding the finishing touches to my outfit. The red and white plaid shoes they had given me were two inch platforms which means they are heels but are much easier to walk in. The original ones had been four inches but since they got a taller tribute they reduced it to two inches. I'm probably about 5'9 right now.

"Pin those stray hairs down, Atlas." orders Mizar who was freaking out because somheow the dress had messed up my hair when Volumnia put it on. My hair looked fine to me but they are the experts, or so they say.

"Alright she's good." barks Volumnia who knows that I could be late if they are wanting to make me perfect. I'm good enough and my angle should be what they remember, not my outfit. We start to walk a bit faster until she manages to squeeze me in line, in front of Jaxx and bheind Tuscan.

I turn around, saying bye to Volumnia, when I notice Jaxx's outfit. He was a lumberjack and he even had some stubble on his chin. He had some last night at dinner too but now the hair was even longer. Jaxx, for the first time in his life, looked like an actual lumberjack.

"Well look who decided to become a lumberjack." I say, looking him up and down with my right hand on my hip.

"At least I look like a man. You look like you're a child." his voice has some anger in it but I can hear how defeated he is that I scored higher.

"Baby," I mumble before turning around.

The last of the tributes arrive just as officials come by to see that we are in district order with the females in front. They zip by like bees and I realize that this is all a hive. President Snow is their queen or king and everyone else are the worker bees, forced to do his bidding. Buzz, buzz, buzz bees I think as they all zip by me. We get a thumbs up and begin to walk towards our seats. It is very bright from all of the lights and I see that some of the Capitol people have brought cloths to wipe the sweat off their brow. The curtains are closed and still the lights shining on the audience are bright enough to make me squint. The noise as well is like the buzzing of bees. They are the worker bees as well but they do it without knowing it. Buying all of their alterations and speaking in their accents just promotes the Capitol even more. Despicable.

I take my seat next to Tuscan and Jaxx just as the curtain opens. Caesar is sitting in his chair, the lights blacked out so you can only see his figure. The announcer introduces him and Caesar gets up to greet himself. He opens with a few jokes which makes the crowd burst out laughing and I even laugh once which earns me a glare from Jaxx. Yet again, I learn that you can't be happy in the Hunger Games. It's against the unspoken rules, apparently.

He starts with Poise and I pay attention but not as much as Jaxx who seems to be very interested. A little too interested. The gleam in his eye means that she is his favorite. That's why he joined the careers! He's a lovesick puppy! Ironically, Poise goes for the sexy and dangerous angle which earns her some wolf whistles from Jaxx and a few of the other men in the crowd. Gross. How dare she offer herself to their perverted mercy?

Tassel goes for arrogant, cocky, and ready to fight. Elvira and Cimber are intelligent and bloodthirsty. My money would be on Cimber because even though Elvira is a prodigy she is still the youngest career. Marlene goes for flirty and cute which surprises me because she never does anything to reveal herself to the crowd or anything. 5 blurs past because of the girl crying and the boy acting bored. Tuscan is called and I mildly pay attention as he goes for the sappy angle, explaining his difficult home life and all. I feel sorry for him but this angle has been so many times it's just pathetic now.

"Isis Swift!" Caesar yells out and I cautiously get up, worrying about tripping on my heels.

I manage to get on the stage when I see Caesar smiling, holding his hand out to me. From up here, I can see the thousands of Capitol people watching my every move, watching for any mistake that could cost my life.

"Hello Caesar." I simply say, taking a seat on the circular chair. It looked more comfortable on TV.

"Isis, tell me, what has impressed you the most in the Capitol?" Caesar wastes no time and jumps right in. This questions wasn't anything special, being asked every other tribute. I took a deep breath, as if I need to prepare myself.

"I know this is so common but the food. When I got onto the train, after the reaping, the tables looked as colorful as this audience." I gestured to the crowd, "But once you get past the colors it can actually be quite good." I lean back in my chair as a few laughs come from the crowd. This is easy. It's just him asking about me and I've lived with me for 16 years so I should know all about me.

"Yes, our food really is good. When I first arrived, my pants size grew within two days!" Caesar acts shocked and I laugh along with the audience as he acts horrified of the memory.

"That's a lovely outfit, Isis." comments Caesar, trying to steer the conversation back to me.

"Yeah, my stylist thought I could be a lumberjill." I smile and try not to act cocky.

"A lumber what?" Caesar raises his eyebrow and I remember that he doesn't know the District 7 slang. I explain that that is what the women lumberjacks like to call ourselves and the crowd laughs as he comments on the District 7 twang and charm. I guess they like to tease us districts.

"Now, I hear you live in the community home, Isis. What is life like there?" Caesar's voice got all serious and I quickly lose the small smile that has been on my face the entire time.

I look out into the crowd and see the audience. They are all staring at me, seeing if I'll break down. They've all heard of the community home and how we have less then the others in my District. Maybe I could change all that. I look back at Caesar, who is patiently waiting for my answer.

"I love it." I begin, Caesar instantly relaxing, "We're all one big, huge family. There is about thirty of us and we love to tease each other a lot. I'm not sure why, but a lot of our younger children are named after flowers. Us older kids like to call them the 'flower children'. It's silly, I know, but it's been going on for years so I just go along with it. We don't have the best conditions to live in but it's made us tough. We-we've never had much luxury but we really don't need it. The entertainment happens all around me everyday and it's all worth it." I take a breath and look directly at the camera in front of me, "I, personally, think it is better then any home anyone else can offer me."

"That's good to hear, Isis I'm really happy that you're surrounded by such wonderful people back home." Caesar says and I quietly thank him. I half expected him to call my bluff and start talking about the rumors going around the Capitol about us being 'dirty' or something.

"Now, let's go on to your training score. You got a 9! That's wonderful." Caesar likes to talk with his hands, I can tell because he has a hand signal for almost every word he says. It's much easier to understand him that way as well.

"I couldn't believe it at first either. I thought for sure that I would get an awful score. That 9 was … beneficial to my survival. I just really hope that I can live up to all of your expectations." I say the last part to the crowd who is clapping and cheering for me. I sure hope that was good enough.

"We're almost out of time, Isis, so I'll ask you a final question. What makes you so different from the other tributes that you have a shot at becoming a victor?" Caesar leans in and says all of the words slowly.

I intake a breath of air and slow down my fast-paced mind, trying to find anything that makes me special. "I know what it's like to live life day-by-day. I've seen humans be pushed to the edge and they will do anything to survive. I know how to survive Caesar and I can guarantee that you haven't seen the last of me." The buzzer rings, Caesar yells my name to the crowd, and I take my seat just as Jaxx takes his next to Caesar.

"Nice job," someone says and I see Jaspe looking at me.

"Thanks," I say with a smile.

He leans back into his chair and I'm just about to pay attention to Jaxx when I see Althea. Her skin is as pale as pearls and her eyes are wide, her hands clawing into her skin. She's nervous beyond belief. I'm just about to ask her whats wrong until I see that she clearly won't respond.

"Jaspe, what's up with Althea?"

"Her mentor told her to try for determined and she doesn't think she can do that."

"Get her for me."

Jaspe turns to Althea, pokes her pale shoulder, and points at me, whispering something in her ear. Althea turns towards me and Jaspe leans back into his chair so that we can talk to each other as privately as possible.

"It's ok. Don't be nervous. Here, don't listen to your mentor. Be honest ok because if you're not then you'll regret it." I say quickly, hoping no one sees us talking to each other. Althea simply nods, her skin regaining slight color, and turns to look at Caesar.

I look up at Jaxx to see that Caesar is asking his final question. Damn, I missed the majority of it. "Why do you think you can win, Jaxx?"

"I'm here, I'm going to play, and I won't quit until I win. District 7!" Jaxx roars the last part which riles the crowd up. The cheering gets so loud that I plug my ears until Jaxx gets back into his seat.

Once he is settled, I say, "You do realize that you just cheered for both of us correct? Not just yourself."

"Maybe that was my intention." Jaxx says and turns away, obviously wanting to shut the conversation down before I start questioning him.

Does he mean to say that he doesn't want me to die? He must have been going for the selfless angle as well by saying that no matter who wins that if it is someone from 7 then he'll be happy because that will feed our district. Right?

Jaspe begins his interview and his angle is as clear to see as the night sky above. Jaspe went for kind and humble. All of his answers were spoken in a soft voice and the crowd says 'aww' a lot. He even makes me think he is harmless. That is until I remember his 9 in training and I know it is an act. He may be kind but Jaspe isn't harmless. Jaspe finishes off with a quiet goodbye and Althea gets up but I stop her for a second when she passes me.

"It'll be fine, I promise." I whisper and she nods before quickly walking away. I sure hope the cameras didn't see that.

Surprisingly, Althea instantly connects with Caesar. She answers the questions with short answers at first but on the last two she gives detailed descriptions. She talks of her home life and her many siblings who she describes individually. Somehow, she dominates the conversation and keeps talking and talking until the buzzer rings. I'd clapped for every answer even if most of the other people didn't. She has to be supported. When she walks past she winks before taking her seat.

Districts 9 and 10 had shyer tributes so they flew by but when Finch, the girl from 11, took the stage we all leaned forward in our seats. We all wanted to hear what the girl from 11 had to say. After her getting such a high score for someone from a poorer district, she had become quite popular.

"So, Finch, I'm sure we are wondering how in the world you got a 10? That's rare for someone from a... lower-class district." Caesar tries his best to keep from offending her. It works because she just smiles and looks down at the ground to let out a small laugh.

"Caesar, I've got my secrets but I'd be happy to clear it all up for you. I made them pay attention to me. Most people don't know this or do know and are just too chicken to say anything about it but us from the poorer, not lower-class, but poorer districts are mistreated during the private sessions. We don't get any attention and when I walked in they didn't even acknowledge that I was there. But when I began," she laughs again, "They couldn't take their eyes off of me. I took the shitty position I was in and turned it into a 10. Hows that for a girl from 11?"

The crowd gasps as she cusses and I smile. She's me without any restraints. That lucky bitch. She smiles for the rest of the interview and Caesar seems a bit shaken because of her cussing. He knows that everyone cusses now and again but to do it on live television is unheard of around here. I've actually grown to respect this girl named after a bird. Maybe we could be allies. The thought instantly makes me smile because I know a knife would be in one of our backs within the hour we meet each other.

Review? This chapter is over two thousand words longer then usual so don't I deserve a little review? Please? Now I'm just desperate.

Oh and I'm here to advertise this 24 author collaboration called Scream. It's in the general forums though and not the hunger games one. We need 13 more authors, last time I checked, and make sure to tell them that I sent you. :D Thanks a lot for reading!