Hey you guyses, Rainbow here, as usual. Just letting you know that it's really close to let Irina loose in the Arena! Please read, and I LOVE reviews and I really appreciate them. So, if you have the time, I would really love it if you would! Here is chapter 10, enjoy!
Chapter Ten
"Hold still." Ro tells me, gently brushing a strand of my hair out of my eyes. He, Kade, and Spero have been working on my all day, polishing up my look, helping me relax. Tonight are the interviews, where each tribute must get in front of a crowd to be filmed and interviewed by the Caesar Flickerman. I must look my best. This is also a time to earn as many last minute sponsors that I can.
"Irina, you look beautiful." Spero tells me while twirling my hair up on the top of my head. It is curled and woven with red; I have decided to embrace my new nickname, Devil Girl, to my advantage. Ro and my preps are breaking out the brightest reds that they can manage.
"How's the chin?" I reach up and feel under my jaw, checking to see if the sharpness is still there.
"Beautiful. You are a beautiful girl and don't you ever forget that." Spero slips sparkling pins into my hair that are flashing a metallic red and reflecting the light.
I look to Kade, which I have made a habit. Since he can't talk, Spero tells me he has some disorder, he always nods. He shakes his head encouragingly. I smile at him.
"Have any of your mentors helped you prepare for your interview?" Ro asks while he brushes body paint, the color of bright red, over my eyelids.
"Lyme tried to help me." I tell him, which is basically true. She sat there and criticized whatever I suggested and stalked off claiming "Maybe you should ask Brutus to help you!" I don't mind, at the training center back in District 2, we were constantly interviewed to prepare, just in case we were to volunteer.
"Do you feel prepared?" Ro gets me to pout my lips and he puts on a bright shade of red lipstick. He then goes on to blush with cheeks.
"Yes. I was going to talk about the brother and sister thing." I shrug.
"Alright. Let's put your dress on." Ro helps me up out of the chair, an Kade and Spero help me undress.
"Close your eyes, Rina." Ro tells me and I let my eyelids flutter closed gently. Spero helps me step into something that feels silky, and when I open my eyes, she is tying it in the open crisscrosses in the back.
I gasp at the creature in the mirror before me. My breath won't release from my chest as I take in Ro's beautiful creation.
If a devil can be beautiful, that's what it is. My makeup is intense, eyelids painted bright red to match my lips and blush. Ro's painted accents at the corners of my eyes, a swirl with two peaks coming off of each red line. My hair is in a twirled up-do, woven with bright red.
But the hair, the makeup, all of it entirely put together can never match the dress.
It is the brightest red you can get, almost too vibrant to look at. But then you want to keep looking at it. It is strapless and hugs my body perfectly to make my muscles and what curves I don't have stand out. It is ruffled at the bottom and hugging my knees in a loose mermaid at the bottom, just enough room for my spiked, red jeweled heels to stand out. As I can see, it ties in the back, exposing some of the skin of my other side through the crossing. The fabric hides my bottom, but it is just on the provocative side, enough to make me stand out as District 2's Devil Girl.
"Oh – Ro." I gasp, stumbling in my heels. Spero catches me and sets me back up straight again. "It's just –"
"Perfect, love." He takes me in his arms. "We're both red. We're matching now."
I take in his beautiful, flaming hair, his red suit, his painted fingernails. He smiles warmly and smooths over my pale-skinned shouler.
"Thank you." My voice comes out in a soft shaking tone, and I try not to cry. That would mess up Ro's beautiful makeup he has done so perfectly for me.
"Darling, it's all you." He smiles, his teeth glinting.
I am brought to the building where we will be interviewed in a car, along with my stylist and prep team of two. Cillian meets me there and leads me to a row of chairs where the tributes will be sitting as they wait to go on stage. Vander is already there, sitting straight in his chair, his blond curls looking vibrant against his black and red suit.
"You look handsome." I seat myself gingerly on the edge of my seat, afraid to damage my beautiful dress. He stares at me, pop-eyed.
"You – um – look…" he grins. "Beautiful, Irina."
"Don't you mean Devil Girl?" I fluff a hanging curl from my face that is red, and tuck it behind my ear.
Vander smiles and pats my hand.
We sit and wait for the other tributes to arrive, which is a slow process; Vander and I had arrived early. Our mentors arrive to see us before the interviews, dressed up nice for the cameras. Lyme takes in my dress with her large, golden eyes gaping.
"Irina…" she breathes. "You look-"
"Beautiful." A velvety, silky voice speaks from behind her, and Brutus steps out from behind her. "You look beautiful, Irina."
Even under my makeup, I can tell that they see my cherry red blush. I play with my fingernails, which are also painted voltaic red.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." A robotic Capitol announcer comes on over the stadium intercom. "Welcome to the 52nd Annual Hunger Games Interviews. As a reminder to all citizens, betting stands will be closed at midnight tonight. If you acquire assistance, please contact the Betting Headquarters. Without further ado, please welcome our host, Caesar Flickerman!"
There is cheering as Caesar enters from stage left, the opposite of the tributes. He is yellow, literally all yellow. He is a different color every year, and now he is a light, powder yellow, a beautiful spring hue. Cheers erupt from the crowd, and he welcomes everyone and then invites Mouse up onto the stage.
He interviews her, and she plays stupid and arrogant. No one truly buys it, but she is a Career, and people are betting on her, so they cheer loudly. Edwin goes on next, and he talks snobbily about how long he has been training and how much his family spent on him.
My fists tighten, as soon as he walks off the stage. I am next, and a backstage helper with a tag around his neck is ushering me away onto the huge stage.
And then there are cheers as Caesar welcomes me onto the stage. I sheepishly smile like I just walked into something I wasn't supposed to see.
"Oh, yes! Irina Radke!" Caesar takes me by the hand and leads me to the chair across from his. I take a seat smoothing over my dress, and wave for the crowd. "OH, Ms. Radke, that is the greatest dress I have seen in a long time! Can you give me the number of your stylist?"
Laughter erupts from the crowd, and I giggle a small amount.
"His name is Ro. And he's amazing. He's even helped me embrace my nickname." I babble and make myself shut up after the last thing. I have a habit of bantering randomly when I am under pressure.
"Ro, yes? And how about that nickname, Ms. Irina?" Caesar chuckles heartily. "Devil Girl? How does one accept such a name?"
"It was easy really." I use my hand motions as Lyme told me to do. This is possibly the only thing that she has taught me. "The red eyes were already there, Ro just had to create a dress to match."
There are oohs and ahhs from the crowd, and I bat my red-painted eyelashes. Flirtatious is always a good thing to do to win over the crowd. And sponsors.
"So, about your training score…" Caesar leans back in his circular chair and crosses on of his legs that is seethed in yellow suit pants. "10. What a score for a girl your size, huh? Can you let us in one what your "special talent" is?"
I look to the camera crew, the nearest camera, and then glance back to Caesar. "I'm very good with knives. I'm ready to get in the Arena. I've learned many techniques since I've been here in the Capitol."
"Ah, yes. Can you tell us about that, Irina?" Caesar encourages.
"Well." I pause for effect. "When stabbing someone, you aim for between the ribs so you have room to jerk the knife around. And then you don't pull out the weapon until you see their soul fading from their eyes."
I can tell I've gone a bit too far. Caesar looks baffled, his yellow eyebrows furrowed in a straight line.
"And – about your brother, Irina." He changes the subject and I blush. "He volunteered to save you, did he?"
"Yes. Save me from what, I don't know. I can handle things myself." I catch myself from sending a mean shout-out to my brother. "But I love him very much. He only volunteered to protect me. Our father – he forced me to volunteer."
"And do you plan on winning?" Caesar becomes interested.
I pause, thinking about it. I truly don't know, I don't think I can kill my brother. No, correction: I can't kill my own brother.
"No." I tell him, my eyes cold with the realization. Vander will win, I won't. I want him to return home more. Especially to get back at our father. He hates me anyway, I misewell hate him too.
Suddenly, the buzzer goes off, the three minute buzzer that signifies the end of my interview. I shakily stand and wobble in my heels, and Caesar holds my hand up, high above my head.
"Ladies and gentleman, Irina Radke!"
The crowd cheers and whoops, and I shakily make my way off the other side of the stage, feeling woozy.
Nelson catches me when I fall, and the ceiling spins. My mind is just coming to terms with the fact that I am not coming out of the Arena alive. All I can do is do everything in my power to save Vander without telling him what I am doing.
"Irina, are you sick?" he asks with concern.
"I don't know." I admit, and the crowd cheers as my brother enters from the opposite side of the stage.
"Here, sit her down." I hear Edda demand, and someone slips their hand into mine. It is Lila, and I suddenly am glad she is here. Nelson sets me down on the floor, and I hold my head in my hands.
"Are you feeling better?" Reed asks, though he is really concerned about Vander's interview.
"No." I manage to squeak out.
"I'll take her back to the Training Center." Brutus says. "Being here will only make her worse."
I feel his arms slip under my body, and I close my eyes. He holds me against his chest and begins to carry me. His steps are side-to-side swaying, and I work my hardest to keep down my stomach. I utterly, and as soon as we are outside, I have to tell him to set me down so I can vomit into a bush.
"Are you alright, Irina?" he asks me as he rests a hand on my back.
"Feeling a little better now." I wipe my mouth, embarrassed. He doesn't seem to mind, he scoops me back up again.
"Come on. We need to get you back to rest. You're going into the Arena tomorrow."
So how did you like this chapter? Please review, and Irina will be going into the Arena soon! I really appreciate your reviews! So please just tell me what you think. New chapters out soon!
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