"Wake up Prissy! Don't sleep your worthless life away!" Acacia yells reaping me from my dreams. By now I've gotten used to this and don't waste my breath arguing with her. We will spend today training and preparing for interviews tomorrow with Haymitch and Acacia, what a joy.
Immediately after a breakfast of warm porridge with figs and honey I am whisked away to train with Acacia. We will each have four hours with Acacia for presentation, and for hours with Haymitch for content. His reasoning is that it will be much easier and less time consuming if we split up. Honestly, I think it's because the games are drawing nearer and it's time we focus on our own survival plans alone. My guess is that Haymitch plans for tristan to join up with Teams One and Two (which includes Nicolia).
I frown with distaste at the idea. If this is true then my plan to use him will be halted.
"Stop with that expression! Glaring just makes you look even uglier than usual." Acacia nags.
"Sorry Madame, but it's hard for one to smile when their spine is about to crack from sitting straight with a book balanced on my head for fifty fucking minutes." I growl.
"Language, Miss Boltson," she says in a fake, exasperated tone, "Ten more minutes." I don't have the strength to argue.
The entire time I train with her she puts me in seven inch high heals that have such a thin heal I think they will break. They are also a good size and a half too small. The lesson is to smile no matter how much pain you are in, or so she tells me. I think her real motive is to have me suffer for her personal pleasure. Finally when the four hours are up my face hurts from smiling too much and my cheeks feel numb. But endurance is a good trait, one I'll need in the Games.
"Hello," Haymitch says as I limp over to him. The heals are off, but my ankles are still killing me.
"Hi," I say, wincing.
"So what are you going to be?" He asks me. I stare at him dumbfounded.
"Are you going to be shy, funny, coy, sexy, aloof, witty, cunning, likable..." He goes on and on with the list. I didn't know someone such as him had such a large vocabulary.
"Let's try sexy," I smile.
"Nope." He doesn't even look up.
"Why not?" I ask, slightly offended.
"Well, how do I put it?" he pauses, "You just aren't sexy enough." He looks at me waiting for my snappy response. When it doesn't come he continues, "I'm not trying to say you aren't attractive enough to be sexy, just that it doesn't come naturally to you. Girls, like Nicolia and Silver, they are the ones who can pull off sexy. And they most likely will, you want to be unique."
"So," I venture, "What's Tristan going to be?"
I don't expect an answer when he chuckles slightly and tells me, "Well, not too different from who he really is. Tristan is going to be a playboy. I figure the more girls who fall for him, the better."
"So, have any good ideas for what I'm going to be?"
He pauses for a long while, looking into space, thinking. Suddenly his eyes focus and he exclaims excitedly, "I got it! You are going to be 'out there'." He waits for my response.
"Out there?" My eyebrows raise.
"Yes! You are going be a flirt of sorts, but strongly voicing your opinion in a way that says you don't care what others think of you. Based on the sort of "showy" way you've been acting since makeovers, this will be perfect!"
"Yea sure, whatever." It may not be as seductive as "sexy", but at least it's not something like timid or demure.
For the rest of out time together he asks me question I might have to answer like, What do you think of the other tributes? How did you feel when you heard about the games? What do you think of the food here? How did you feel about Ebny's costume design? For each question he makes me answer in an "out there" way. The questions seem like something you'd hear on a reality TV show about emotionally distressed tributes.
Finally training's done and we get our free hours before dinner. I pass tristan as he's heading out of his room, and I'm going towards mine. We both act completely normal, with no hesitations or quick insults. The door closes behind me and I take a deep breath. I quickly strip down and change into the clothes laying on my bed.
It's a blue blouse, black pants, and black heals. Not too bad. I find it funny how they plan out what we are to wear, even just to dinner. I guess it's suppose to prove they power they have over us or something. How stupid. I go into the bathroom and dust my eyes with a bit of shimmering blue makeup. I laugh in spite of myself. I've broken a Capitol fashion rule, never match your makeup with your clothes.
The sun is low in the sky by the time I head up to the roof top. I guess I'm lucky to be on Team Twelve. The other teams don't get the luxury of this free open space overlooking the district. I look over to the left and see a dark, lazy, shape napping. I shut the door silently and go around to the back, sit down,open up a small journal, and write.
The games are going to start soon. It's funny how close, yet far away it seems, just like a dream. But this obviously isn't a good dream. I scored lower than Tristan by a point. I think it's her fault, but it's still a good score. I really don't have time to sit around pouting over something like that.
I miss home so much. I miss Jaden most of all. I don't know if I can make it back to him. I tell myself I can't, and yet I still have this silly flame of hope burning inside, trying not to die. Well enough with the metaphors. A few birds are chirping. I wish I brought some bread to feed them. They come towards me, but the movement of my pen while writing this is scaring them away. I guess I should stop writing. Bye to nobody.
I'm such a weird person I think, as I put down the journal. Who is ever going to read this? I look up in amazement. The sky is poppy red with hints of lilly orange, and rosy pink. There is even a small bit of lavender purple if you look higher. It beautiful. And here I am on a roof, with a really hot guy, watching the sunset. It's like in one of those romance movies. Except the boy doesn't know I'm here and the Hunger Games are coming.
"Hey," calls a voice from behind me. I jump startled. The air stirs as he sits down beside me.
"So..." I begin but am interrupted.
"Shhhh, just look. The moments perfect."
In my head I say something like, "Oh, I never knew you were so into sunsets," but he's right, the moment is perfect.
He puts his arm around me, but I don't mind. We sit there like some lovey dovey couple. My head rests against his chest. Then we look up and kiss gently before the sun goes down. The sun sets and the magic spell is broken. We pull away from each other.
"What just..." I begin.
"Nothing," he interjects, "Lets just say it was some drug. Forget it."
"Okay," I whisper as we head to dinner. The funny thing is, it's easy to forget. I wonder if it was just a dream.
I'm getting prepared by me prep team. It's their day to work on me. The team has me into late afternoon. They polish my skin making is glow and slightly shimmer, decorate my nails with white rose stickers, and stencil my right arm with a beautiful black feather. That's when I realize my token from home is gone.
Once I'm scrubbed down and all ready, Ebny comes in with what has to be my dress hidden inside a large bag.
"So does it have anything to do with graphite or explosives?" I ask teasingly.
"It's a surprise" He says.
"Close your eyes." I do and I feel the weight of my dress being slipped into me. He has me sit down as I put on my shoes and then leads me over to a mirror. I gasp when I see myself. This is the most amazing spectacular wonderful thing in the world.
It's a magenta color starting more purple at the top and getting redder near the bottom. The dress its self has a halter top and is fitted at the top and starts flowing from the waist down. It glitters when I move and the color makes me look very mysterious. On top of my head in is a black lacy head band with an elegant white rose and little black feathers coming out from behind it. The same as the patterns that are on my nails and arm. I have on dark purple heals with the white rose with feather on the top.
"To symbolize the Capitol and the Rebels working together," Ebny explains.
All too soon we are going down the slow elevator to get to the stage set up for our interviews. Tristan has on the same colored shirt and pants and my dress. He has a real white rose with mockingjay feathers glued on pinned to his shirt. God, he looks hot. Even a fool has to admit it. I turn my head and see Analease dressed in a skimpy gold dress. It's tight over her whole body, then has a puffy part at her feat. She looks like a mermaid and avoids any eye contact I try to create. Caleb glances at me and I catch his bright blue eyes. For a second we just stare at each other, then he turns away to talk to Miss Fish.
"You look hot," Tristan's eyes light up. I don't feel in the mood to have any witty comeback line so I just say,"You too." He smiles his smile and Nicolia, dressed in a really slutty black dress, leads us single file onto the stage.
The lights are blinding and I have sudden stage fright. Breathe in breathe out, I tell my self as I walk as gracefully as I can to my seat. Caesar Flickerman is at the front of the stage. I'm surprised that he is here since he himself is a citizen of the Capitol, but I guess nobody els can host the interviews like he can.
This year he has no crazy dies in his hair or any obscure lipstick and makeup. I guess to match the district style. Now he looks about ten years older with his greying hair, but when he starts warming the crowd up with his jokes I know it's still the same Caesar.
Nicolia is the first to go up for her interview. She smiles, acts seductive, and doesn't really do much els for her short interview. Silver is in a pumpkin orange dress and your can tell she is being sly, it fits her. I watch the deaf girl Locket go up in a grey glittering dress and answer simple questions through note cards that were made for her.
When Thistle goes up in her adorable forest green dress and Caesar asks her, "How do you feel about your training score?" she replies with a shy,"I don't really know."
In what seems like no time at all Analease is heading up and looking like gold for her three minutes of an interview.
"So Analease, what is the hardest part about this games?" Caesar asks kindly.
"I have to fight my best friend Caleb. I've known him forever and now...well, you know the rest." She says sadly and lets a small tear slip. There are some "aw"noises from the crowd. For the rest of her interview she just talks about her "only best friend" Caleb.
Caleb comes up next looking quiet, but frienly, his typical style.
Caesar shakes his hand,"So Caleb, as we know you and Analease are best friends. Has there ever been anything more?" He asks
"Well," Caleb starts,"Honestly we've never had anything more, until now. Sometimes you don't know how much you love somebody until they're gone." The whole crowd is in tears and Caesar can't really say anything els until the buzzer goes off.
Great, I think to myself. Now they are going to steal my stage and more importantly my sponsors. I strut up to the chair, shining confidence.
"Hello," Caesar says smiling
"Hi," I say back.
"So Blaze, how did you feel when your brother was raped, I... I mean reaped?"
"I felt like I wanted to die," I say straight up. I don't cry. I have better things to discuss.
"Wow, that must be painful. Do you have any other people you care about?" He replies.
"Well, ever since I was little I had a crush on this boy." I go on.
"A boy, who is he?" Caesar questions me.
I take a breath and say,"Caleb."
A hush falls over the crowd. So I go on,"I have always liked him but he's in love with Analease. I really have tried to forget about it because I'm not dumb and I know we can't be together. Not even in an alliance. I also want to say I'm sorry for being a jerk to Analease, since she is my best friend. I guess the games can really bring out the best and worst in people." The buzzer goes off. Well, I think, I've upstaged you Team Eleven! I head back to my seat as Tristan glides up for his interview.
"Well, Tristan," Caesar says slowly trying to regain his happy mood. "What did you think of that and what were you thinking when you volunteered for Blaze's brother Jaden?"
"I don't know what I was thinking. I think I was high that day or something," he starts and the crowd laughs.
"Well," continues Caesar, "We've got a few confessions of love. So, do you like anyone?"
"Yes I do," smiles Tristan.
My stomach clenches.
"The truth is, there is this person who I guess I've always admired for their good looks and personality."
"Oh," Caesar smiles, "Who may this person be?"
The crowd waits on baited breath. In the crowd i catch Haymitch's glistening eyes.
"Well," he drags it out, "I have to admit it. I'm totally in love with myself."
