A/n I finally got my Wi-Fi fixed! Everyone check out my cousin's story on fiction press!

Chapter 10

Katniss' POV

The next day I overslept. Luckily a shower wasn't really necessary since my prep team would be taking care of me. I ran down the hall in a very uncivilized manor that would have Effie in hysterics. I slid into the dining room just as the avoxes were setting down the food.

Effie raised an eyebrow but surprisingly said nothing. Haymitch seemed to be laughing while Peeta smiled. I blushed and sat down to eat.

When we all finished eating we split up to get ready for interviews. I started with Effie for presentation. She made me put on a full length gown and heels and walk. I never wore high heels before and it was torture. They weren't even the ones I'd be wearing for the interviews. I also had to repeat stupid phrases while smiling. Needless to say my cheeks hurt by the time we switched. Haymitch eyed me with a serious look.

"What?" I asked

"I'm trying to decide how to present you" he told me.

"What?" I repeated.

"We need to figure out your angle for the interviews, charming, aloof fierce, etc." He said slowly as if I was a stupid child. "You're already shining like a star. You've volunteered for your sister, Cinna made you look stunning, and you have the top training score. People are fascinated but no one knows you. How many sponsors you get depends on the impression you make tomorrow."

"Ok…so?"

"I don't know. You're as likeable as a dead slug" he told me.

We sat there for our whole four hours without having one idea. The only thing Haymitch succeeded in was getting himself drunk.

Cinna as he dressed me the next day.

"Close your eyes" he commanded me.

I did and I felt him slip my dress over my head. I felt the silk interior caress my skin. Then I felt the weight as it settled around my form. It was heavy. I stepped into the shoes next. They were a few inches shorter than the ones I'd practiced in with Effie.

"Can I look now?" I asked.

"Yes" Cinna said.

The being standing in front of me was out of this world. The world it came from clothes were made of gems and skin glittered. My dress, my gorgeous dress, was covered in reflective jewels. All of them were warm, fiery colors with bits of blue and white. Any tiny movement made it look like I was immersed in fire. I wasn't pretty or beautiful, I was absolutely stunning. We all stared at me for a while.

"Thank you Cinna!" I gushed in barely a whisper.

"Spin for me" he said

I held my arms out and spun in a circle. My prep team screamed in delight.

Cinna ordered them away and had me practice walking around.

"Ready for your interview?" Cinna asked. I could tell that he had talked to Haymitch. He probably knew exactly how terrible I was.

"I'm dreadful. Haymitch called me a slug. We tried everything. I just can't be someone else." I complained.

"Then be yourself" he said.

"Myself?" I questioned him. "That's no good. Apparently I'm bad-tempered and violent."

"maybe to Haymitch you are." He started. "I don't find you that way. Your prep team loves you. The citizens of the Capitol can't stop talking about you. You've even won over the Gamemakers."

I thought about myself for a moment. I'm a bit appealing I guess. Not much.

"Just pretend you're talking to your best friend." He said.

"That's Gale." I said automatically. "But he already knows everything about me. I wouldn't need to tell him any of this."

"What about me? Could you consider me a friend? Would you be comfortable talking to me? Or perhaps our young friend Perseus?" he asked smirking.

"I guess…" I said blushing

"I'll be sitting onstage with all the other stylists. You can look right at me. Every time you answer a question just find one of me."

"Even if I think it's terrible?" I asked

"Especially then." He answered.

I agreed. All too soon it was time to start the interviews.

I met up with Peeta at the elevators. He looked good. He wore a black suit with flame accents. I was glad we weren't dressed the same like before. He would look pretty silly in a dress.

I walked in and looked around. Percy saw me and started walking over. He looked great. He basically had no shirt on. He wore black dress pants and green button down shirt. His shirt was open and showed his tan chest and eight-pack. He wore a necklace with a miss match of wooden beads. His hair was tousled in its usual messy manor.

"Katniss, you look amazing!" he told me.

"Thanks, you look good too." I said blushing. I hoped he would think it was the reflection of my dress.

"Cinna is brilliant. Are you ready for your interview?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm a little nervous though" I admitted.

"Don't be, you'll do great!" Percy encouraged me.

We chatted softly while the first two districts went. I noticed the girl from District 1 wink and wave at Percy. Sierra's turn came around and Percy was ushered away from me since his turn was next.

It was strange to see him acting the way he did since I knew he wasn't like that. He was very flirty. I was surprisingly happy when he said he didn't have a girlfriend.

I didn't pay attention to most of the other people. Finally my turn came up.

"So, the Capitol must be a lot different from your district. What are you most impressed with?" Caesar asked.

My mouth felt dry until I locked eyes with Cinna. I imagined that he had just asked me the question.

"The lamb stew" I stated honestly.

Caesar Flickerman laughed with the audience.

"The one with the plums?" he asked. I nodded in response.

"Oh, I eat it by the bucketful!" he turned sideways to show the audience his stomach. "You can't tell right?"

People reassured him that it didn't show. I liked the way Caesar honestly tried to help tributes.

"Ok Katniss, I have to be honest with you. When I first saw you at the opening ceremonies my heart stopped. What did you think about your costume?" he asked.

I saw Cinna raise an eyebrow.

"After I got over my fear of being burned alive?" I asked.

The audience laughed for real this time.

"Yes, let's start then" Caesar said.

"I thought Cinna was amazing and it was the most beautiful costume I'd ever seen. I couldn't believe I got to wear it. That's the same way I feel about this dress." I stood up, "Just look at it!"

There were lots of oohs and ahs. Cinna made a small circular motion with his finger. I got his message.

I twirled in a circle and was greeted with an immediate reaction from the crowd.

"Do that again!" Caesar insisted.

I lifted my arms up and spun around and around. My skirt flew out around me. It looked like I was being engulfed in flames. Everyone cheered. As I stopped I took Caesars arm so I wouldn't fall.

"Don't stop!" he said.

"I have to, I'm dizzy!" I giggled. I think it was the first time I ever giggled in my life.

Caesar wrapped his arm around me.

"I've got you, don't worry. We can't have you following the footsteps of your mentor."

The cameras found Haymitch. Everyone laughed at his famous head dive off the stage at the Reaping. He waved and directed the camera back to me.

"She's safe, don't worry." Caesar assured the crowd. Safe? I was about to be put in an arena with 23 other kids to fight to the death. How was I safe?

"Why don't you give us a hint about how you got such a high training score?"

I looked up at the Gamemakers who were sitting in a balcony.

"I can assure you that it was a first." I said slyly.

The Gamemakers all laughed and nodded in agreement.

"We have to know! Details please!" Caesar begged.

"I'm not supposed to talk about it right?" I asked addressing the balcony.

"She's not!" one of them shouted.

"Thanks!" I said, "Sorry. My lips are sealed."

"Let's rewind then, back to the moment when they called your little sisters name." Caesar said. He seemed a bit calmer and quieter. "And you volunteered. Would you tell us about her?"

I needed Cinna to answer this one. I stared at him for a moment.

"Her name is Prim. It was her first Reaping. I love her more than anything in the world."

It was dead silent in the City Circle.

"After the Reaping what did she say?" he asked.

"She asked me to try as hard as I could to win."

"And you said…?" Caesar prompted.

"I swore I would." I said tensely.

"I bet you did." He gave my hand a squeeze. The buzzer signifying the end of the interview went off.

"Sorry, we're out of time. Best of luck, Katniss Everdeen, tribute from District 12."

The applause continued long after I sat down. Cinna gave me a thumbs up and I went to find Percy.

I wasn't really paying attention to Peeta's interview. I heard little bits of it. He played up the baker's son thing by comparing the tributes to breads from their districts. He talked about the dangers of the Capitol showers.

"Tell me, do I still smell like roses?" he asked Caesar. They took turns sniffing each other. The audience went wild.

"Hey Katniss" I heard behind me.

"Oh, hey Percy." I said facing him.

"You were great" he said.

"Thanks" I blushed. "You were good too. The Capitol really likes you."

He scowled for a minute.

"They like what they think I am. Wouldn't they be disappointed if they found out I'm not really a sex symbol?" he said sarcastically.

"I understand completely. I felt like a ditz out there." I agreed.

"Well you looked great and I know you're no ditz." He reassured me.

"Thanks, and I know you're not walking sex" I laughed.

"Yeah, that's Finnick" he chuckled.

"What's Finnick?" a deep voice asked. We turned around and were faced with Panem's playboy himself.

"Nothing Fin" Percy laughed.

"Well, Peeta just finished and it's time to go." He told us.

"Bye Katniss" Percy said sadly. He surprised me by engulfing me in his arms. I automatically hugged him back.

"Bye Percy" I said. He kissed my forehead then left with Finnick.

I stood in shock. Eventually my group found me.

"You were great Katniss" Cinna said.

We all went back to have dinner and watch the replay. I couldn't focus on any of it. I excused myself and went back to my room. I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.