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"Where are we going?" I ask. "No idea. I pressed a blank button." After what seems like almost a minute in the elevator we finally come to a stop. I hear the doors open and Cato lets out a soft, "Woah." Since I'm still being held upside down facing Cato's back I can't see anything. "What it is?" I ask him. Cato lifts me back up over his shoulder and places me on my feet. My eyes widen as I look at what must be a pool. I've never seen one before but i have heard about them at school. This one seems way nicer then the ones I have had described to me, but then again, everything is nicer in the Capitol. The entire sides and bottom of the pool are made out of the finest marble that District 2 supplies. I wonder why I have never heard of a pool at the training center, before I remember that Cato had just pressed a random button and we are probably the first tributes to have ever been in this room. There are no pools in District 2. The only body of water we have is a dirty little lake on the far side of town. Back in the District 2 gym Lawrence had taken all of the kids in training a few times for some swimming lessons. I remember one of the prissy girls refusing to go into the murky water a few years ago then having to clean the entire gym as punishment.

While I am still taking in the grand appearance of the room, I feel myself once again lifted up by Cato. Before I can even realize what is happening, I am being tossed through the air and land with a loud splash in the surprisingly warm water. Cato laughs at me from the side of the pool. As he reaches down to pull me out of the water, I take advantage of his position and flip him into the pool. Laughing in the water together, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me. As we part I tell him, "Oh gosh, now our clothes are all wet. How will that look when we go back up to our floor?" "Well I guess we'll just have to put them to the side so they can dry off." "Really Cato? Skinny dipping?" Skinny dipping was one of the things that Cato and I had never done before. Some guys at school talked about doing it in the lake but I never really saw the appeal of swimming around naked in the disgusting water. But this water wasn't dirty at all, in fact it was perfectly clear. Cato gives me a wide grin and takes off his shirt. I really see no point in protesting so I slip off my clothes as well. Cato takes his and my clothes and lays them out on the side of the pool to dry off. He then walks back over to the edge of the pool and does a front flip into the water, drenching me. Oh well, I'm already soaking wet. Cato and I swim around for a little while before we get tired and decide to move over to the jacuzzi. And well, once we got over there you could say things heated up. Overcome with pleasure and warmth we nearly forget that we are supposed to be back in our rooms. Cato and I put our now dry clothes on and share one last kiss in the elevator before we have to put our career personas back on.

Sure enough we are late and Zura looks as if she has been panicking for a while. Nilo and Darlie don't seem too concerned though. Zura rushes over to us and says, "Where were you? I thought I had lost my tributes... I was 10 minutes away from contacting the gamemakers." "Zura chill out," says Nilo, "They're back now and it's not like they could have escaped anyway." "Well fess up. Where were you?" Darlie asks with an almost smug look as if she had found us out or something. But Darlie obviously doesn't know Cato or I very well. I'm sure Cato already has thought of a very convincing alibi. Right on cue Cato says, "We were in the main lobby all day checking out the competition. Did a little intimidating as well... Districts 8 and 9 looked especially pathetic." "District 6 as well." I chime in, trying to make our story more believable. "We must have been in the restroom when you all came back." "Or grabbing some food." Cato adds. Zura and Nilo look convinced but I have a suspicion that Darlie might have an idea about what was happening down in the jacuzzi. Damn it, we'll have to be more careful. Luckily Zura decides to talk about herself as we head over to the dinner table so the heat is off of us for a while.

The conversation drifts to the games during the main course. "I overheard several people saying that the pair from 2 look extremely strong." Zura tells us. Cato turns and smiles at me as I nod accordingly. "I heard a few citizens tell their friends that they had already placed bets on you two." Nilo adds. Good. It looks like the citizens of the Capitol are completely oblivious to anything going on between Cato and I. They think we are just like the normal volunteers from District 2. Looks like we should have no trouble getting sponsors if people are already betting on us. We just need to get high training scores and we should be set. The discussion then changes to our prepping for tomorrow and our outfits for the opening ceremonies. While District 2 always has fantastic mentors, tributes, and sponsors, the stylists usually leave quite a bit to be desired. Not that I can blame them that much, I mean masonry? Really I would have no idea how to design an outfit for that. Cover the tributes in rocks, tile or wood maybe? Apparently we still have the same stylists that District 2 has had for the past 15 years. They're supposed to be the best in Panem since we are the favorite district but district 1 always outshines us anyway. Even if they get horrible stylists it is much easier to design something for the luxury district than for the masonry district.

After the meal is finished I head straight to bed. I'm exhausted and know that tomorrow is an important day. In fact, everyday is important now. We have the opening ceremonies, two days of intimidating at training, our training scores, interviews, and then the actual games themselves. I fall asleep almost immediately but find myself awakened as Cato climbs in next to me. My hand reaches out to his and I drift back to sleep as his fingers intertwine with mine. When I am actually being woken up the next day it is not by the sun or Cato, but by what I assume to be my prep team. I freak out for a moment, but when I look to my side I see that Cato must have snuck out earlier, thank God. "I thought we could have breakfast together before we start prepping." Says the one woman. I take in their appearance and realize just how normal Zura looks compared. Her dyed purple hair is nothing compared to these three.

The lady who suggested that we all eat together has both of her ears pierced with at least 15 earrings and multiple other piercings all over her face. Her skin is dyed in an ombre fashion, dark blue at her finger tips that fades to a light perriwinkle near her chest. She also has a wig that is at least 6 inches tall that is a bright shade of yellow. I wonder if the two men are brothers. They both have red tattooed faces and are shaved of all hair, including eyebrows, thank god that look never caught on in District 2. I stifle a laugh as I try to imagine what Cato would look like with a tattooed hair-free face. Breakfast passes in a flash of funny-accented comments and musing over what they could do with my hair. After the meal I get taken to the remake center and all hell breaks loose. I am exfoliated all over and removed of blemishes. Then I get a full body wax (bikini and all). The prep team spends a full five minutes arguing over the shape of my eyebrows before deciding on a thin arched look. They treat my hair so that there are no fly-aways and it has a permanent glossy shine. My teeth get whitened and as a finishing touch they squirt some eye drops into my eyes which makes the green extra bright and shimmery. They drag me over to a full length mirror and, I'll admit it, I kinda look really hot right now, and I don't even have makeup one! One of the tattooed males decides that its time to call in the stylist and I am left alone in the room with my robe on and told to order something to eat. I am almost through with some sort of excellent pasta dish when the District 2 veteran stylist walks in. He has been around forever and must me at least 50 years old. He has jet black hair that must be dyed because there is not one grey hair on his head and his eyebrows are equally as dark. His nose looks as if it has been squashed against something and he is also wearing more makeup than any girl back home would ever dare to wear. He has most of his skin covered in a black suit so I cannot tell how else he has been altered but his hands appear normal.

"Lovely." He says as he sees me eating. "Come over here Clove, and drop the robe." I undo the sash on the only thing covering me up and set the robe on a couch, then walk over to the man. "I'm Drala." he tells me, "Nice to meet you." I respond, unsure of whether I like him or not. He surveys me from every angle, then smiles up at me saying, "Well I lucked out this year, got a pretty tribute, and slender too. Most girls I have to design for are bigger than the boys from the less fortunate districts." "Thank you." I say, deciding it must be a compliment. "Well before I met you, I thought I would go for the intimidating, 'look how strong I am' angle on the chariot ride, but I think I may have you slip into something else." Drala says with a grin.

And that is the story of how I, Clove Tenae, became the first female tribute in the history of District 2 to arrive at the chariot parade in a form-fitting, sheer gown.

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