Chapter 13- "How About No?"- A Bit Of Manipulation
Khiry and Petal step into the lift ahead of me, and she presses her perfect oval, pink painted nail onto 'S' and we fly upwards suddenly. The lift is made from glass, and I see the floor disappear from beneath us and my mouth forms an 'O' as other tributes line up to use the lift. I think we go up two floors, and the ride lasts a minimum of five seconds. Khiry helps me out, and my eyes spin from exhilaration. "Wow." I manage to get out, breath taken. Petal laughs her tinkling laugh and flicks her pink hair. "You want to ride it again?" the smiles widely. I nod eagerly. "Well, you'll have to wait until later; the opening ceremony will start soon. I was exactly the same when I took it the first time." The lift shoots back down to collect more tributes. They each link an arm with me, Petal threading hers through my left, Khiry weaving his into my right.
"Show time!" Khiry says excitedly, and two avoxes throw open the stable doors. The noise hits me like a slap in the face. Lines of horses pawing the ground and neighing account for some of the noise, but most is from the adoring crowd of Capitolites outside, and some the chatter of tributes in the room. My two stylists lead me through the small crowd of tributes already here, and some stare at me evilly, like the cows from ten, and the girls from one and two, others give me smiles, like the pair from three who are dressed in unusually stunning clothes this year. I get a wink from the huge boy from two, but just roll my eyes as we walk calmly over to our chariot. I can't shake the thought that I will be fighting to the death with these people in under a week.
"Can I ally the pair from three?" I ask Khiry under my breath.
"It's a little early to make decisions, don't you think?" he asks, frowning slightly, directing us to a chariot spray painted silver with corresponding horses. "I guess so." I say glumly. "I just don't think I want to be on my own in the arena, really…"
"You've got Milo." Petal says, smiling cutely, gesturing to the figures approaching us. One is extremely tall, wearing an all white suit, with gold collar, cuffs, tie and buttons. His pristine white trousers sport gems running up the sides, the colours of the grain fields back home. The other is Milo. I can't help smiling coyly as he comes up to me. "Hey, Sienna." He winks jokingly. "You do look spiffing." He says in a Capitol accent.
"Well, I can sure say the same for you, Mr Scott." I grin, hugging him. "And how many people have told you that you look 'spiffing', today?"
"A few." His face breaks into a wide smile. "Maybe about twenty. It seems to be the word of the year, here."
"What does it even mean?"
"I don't know, but it must be good. I mean, I think we both look rather dashing." His arms do a sweep of our heads to the floor, exaggerating the point. I get my first good look at him. He wears an all gold-amber suits, seemingly made from the same fabric my dress is, with white trousers, similar to his stylist, though his have the gems growing from a spot on his left knee, spiraling outwards, mixing with golds, ambers, yellows and oranges.
"You were nice, weren't you? We need those sponsors."
Milo rolls his eyes. "Yes, mum. I mean, I have to be to make up for you, you're so hostile around anyone Capitol." I shoot a death glare at him. He laughs. "If I were in the arena right now, that look could've knocked me dead."
"Ouch." Khiry grins. "You sure have an intimidating look."
"That could be good though." Milo's stylist taps a pen on his pearly white teeth. "The name is Stem, by the way. Lovely to meet you." He says, staring intently into my eyes as if concentrating. His face is constantly frowning, as he absent mindedly tucks the pen behind his ear. I don't think he thinks it's lovely to meet me.
"Hey!" I suddenly think of something. He has exactly the same brown eyes as-
"Yes, I'm Petal's brother. Good of you to catch on." He says, a bit flatly.
"Well you're attitude sure is the same." I say under my breath.
"Oi!" Stem warns. "I don't like getting too close to the contestants, friendships are most likely going to end in the next few weeks, and so what's the point in making any?" He turns and walks to the chariot, and begins to chat with his sister.
"And that," Milo says "Is what I've had to put up with all morning."
"Aw, come on, he's not that bad." I say, looking at Stem, before turning back to him. He eyes me flatly, and I can't help but laugh. "You look so annoyed with me it's untrue!"
"That's 'cause I am annoyed with you." He says, and I think I hear an edge of caring in his voice, and I know he's certainly not annoyed with me.
"How about we meet some of the other tributes?" I volunteer an idea. "We've got a bit of time before the ceremony starts, right, Khiry?" I ask. He nods, waving his hand, dismissing us. I link my arm through Milo's as we stroll off. "I was thinking of allying the pair from three."
"It's a little early to make decisions, don't you think?" he says.
Ha, he might just be turning into Khiry.
Even so, we amble over to the district three chariot, where the two are quietly chatting, ignoring the boisterous bunch of careers already allied around the carriage of two. "Hi." I say, smiling abnormally brightly. Make them like you! I think.
"Hey." The pair says timidly. "The name's Doyle." The tall lad thrusts his hand forward. I shake it, and then Milo does too.
"Sienna." I say.
"Milo." Milo says. The pair nod. "We're from nine, the grain district, you know?" Milo asks. "Yes, we know." The small girl responds. "You obviously know we're from three going by our weird costumes." She smiles weakly, looking as if she is about to collapse under the weight of the huge costume, covering her with bulbs and wires. As she blinks I notice her eyes throwing off lights. I squint closer when she isn't looking, as see she has actually got mini lights threading through them. She blinks. "Why are you talking to us?" she asks. Before either of us can answer, Doyle speaks.
"She's not stupid, you know. We know you want to form an alliance with us."
"How?" I ask, lost for words, clutching desperately at Milo's arm. He puts his other arm over my shoulder and holds me still.
"We'll it's obvious by the way you stand you have a proposition to make, and by process of elimination, what else is it going to be? Also, your body language is open, though it's easy to see you'd rather be closed up somewhere, Sienna." He says. "You seem like you're trying to be overly nice, which you are, but I can see you are generally quite a hostile person, or maybe that's just to the Capitol?"
"See gets a bit moody sometimes. It's just the hunger games, you know?" Milo says, and I self consciously trace the scars. Milo traps my hand under his, his fingers stroking mine, calming me.
"I get what you mean." He says, nodding.
"So, an alliance…" Milo begins.
"Maybe we should wait to see how they split the two groups. It's definitely best to stay in those groups, more people can live, or if our group is careers who will still kill us, we may be able to break off from the group or something." Doyle says. He seems to have thought of everything already.
"Seems like a good plan." Milo nods. The girl smiles at us both as we turn and walk away.
"See you later, Sienna and Milo." She says sweetly, though she can't be younger than fourteen. "I love your dress, by the way, it's very different compared to the normal nine get up."
"Thanks." I turn back a smile naturally.
"Elizabeth." She says.
"Thank you, Elizabeth." We turn away from the mess of lights and wires, and carefully worm past the careers, not wanting to draw attention.
"Oi, nine!" I hear one of them call out.
"Keep walking?" I ask in a whisper.
"Yes, follow me." He grips my hand and I feel my heart flutter.
"Oi, nine! I'm talking to you!" A firm hand places on my shoulder, yanking me from Milo's grasp. The lad spins me to face him, and partly unsurprisingly, it's the muscle boy from two.
"Yes?" I ask politely. He stares at me until I'm forced to look into those captivating hazel eyes I saw from the reapings. He smiles charmingly. "What's your name, gorgeous?"
"Sienna." I say calmly, as an idea sparking in my head. I smile back at him, making my eyes glisten. "What's yours, handsome?" I giggle.
"My name's Gild. And may I say, you are mighty fine." He wraps his arms over my shoulders. I resist the temptation to hit him.
"You may say so. I have to say, right back at you." I smile coyly, looking up and down his golden plated body. Ugh. Armor, again?
"You are a little cutey, aren't you?" he smiles at me, and I see a glint in his eye. I know he's playing me, but does he know I'm playing him right back?
"Sienna." Milo's voice pipes up behind me. He sounds worried.
"Sorry, nine, me and your friend here are just having a little chat, until we were interrupted. Give us a minute, will you?" his eyes shine manipulatively. Milo tenses.
"Come on, nine, loosen up! The games haven't started yet."
Oh, yes they have! I stifle a smile. Milo takes a few steps back, and is very interested into his shoes suddenly.
"So, Sienna. Where were we?" he says huskily.
"Why don't you tell me?"
His eyes dart around as he leans in. "Why don't we meet up after the show? We can talk more… Privately."
"How about no?" I shove him hard in the chest. "I may be a girl, but I'm not stupid." I growl, shaking off his arm gripping me. "Come on Milo." I lace my fingers in his and pull him away, leaning my head on his shoulder. It feels good, but if he takes it wrong I can just say it was relating to the situation with Gild.
"And what was that?" he hisses in my ear.
"I'll tell you later." I whisper. Gild's vision burns through my back as we walk away. "Some other girls may be stupid to fall for that, but do you really think I'm such a threat already you must try and manipulate me? I know you are playing me, what do you take me for?" I spin round.
Gild laughs. "You look pretty, like a said. It is just a precaution. You just wait until the arena, nine, because if you do something like that and don't play along…" He draws closer. "It will have consequences." He smirks. "See you around, nine." He throws his words and saunters back to the career group.
"You don't scare me." I say.
Gild laughs.
"Care to tell me what that was?" Milo asks cautiously.
"Later, maybe." I say. "Is it bad I'm completely knackered already?" I ask, yawning. "You are a little cutey when you yawn." Milo says mockingly in Gild's tone. I glare. "Chill, Sienna. I'm your partner; don't want me to die before I even get into the arena, right?" I biff him on the back of the head.
"Shut up." I smile.
"Want to make me?" he asks, a hint of flirt in his voice.
"Maybe some other time." I wink, darting off into the crowd back to our chariot.
I smash full force into a girl stepping out of her chariot, spinning before regaining, clutching on to the horse. "Sorry." I mutter, readjusting my skirt.
"No, my fault, please, I beg your pardon." She says in a wispy voice, her words spoken with a slight lisp. Hey grey eyes are dull and don't sparkle. I recognize her as the girl from twelve.
"No problem." I say, hostility returning. She's far too young, and doesn't deserve to be in the hunger games.
"What's wrong?" she asks sweetly, pulling at her baggy coal mining suit.
"What's right?" I frown, but try to not be unfriendly and snappy; after all, she is only twelve.
"We didn't die last year?" she suggests timidly. That coaxes a smile from me, and she, in return, beams right back. "I hope you're on my team; you're nice." She smiles softly.
I laugh. "You don't know me."
"No, you don't know her at all; she's evil! Just look what she did to my hair!" Milo over exaggerates, gesturing wildly to his slightly misplaced hair, catching up to us. I stick my tongue out and raise my eyebrows. "That's me- evil." The twelve-year old giggles, looking terribly innocent in her too big miner's clothes. For a second she looks normal, cheerful, like every other twelve year old, though the dead look in her eyes return, and her cheeks look hollow again. "I don't care if you're evil, you're nice, and you have a good friend." She says. "I hope we get put in the same group."
"Me too- you're as cute as a button." Milo grins and taps her nose. I can't hide a smile. He looks like a father with his daughter. She giggles more. "Take care, we'll see you later." Milo links his arm back through mine, very gentleman like, and walks in time with me. "She's sweet."
"Yeah." I say.
"Do you not like her?" he asks, peering at me.
"It's not that. It just makes me angry and loath the Capitol that young kids have to fight for the death." I clench my jaw just thinking about it.
"Well it is understandable, but you need to calm down. You'll only put people on the opposite side from yourself if you're hostile." I twist his arm and force him to look at me. His pale eyes beam into mine. "Yes?"
"Do not tell me to calm down." I whisper angrily. "It just makes me more stressed." He laughs and breaks away.
"You're telling me."
"Watch it, Scott. We're only going near sharp objects tomorrow morning."
"Point, don't wake up the wrong side of the bed, dear." He winks and I slap his arm. We both laugh and arrive back at the chariot, where Petal is awaiting us.
"Tributes, please prepare for broadcasting. Board your chariots. District one, two minutes!" a metallic voice projects over the babble, and suddenly a rush of people are running round the chariots. "Get on, get on!" Petal shouts over the babble. "Quickly, we haven't got much time. Khiry, Stem, get your butts over here!"
A/N- Hey guys! I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hoped you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! I'm quickly approaching 1000 views for this one story, and really want to hit 1000 before November the 7th, so would any of you care to share this story with fellow readers on here? It would be much appreciated :) Thanks! See you guys around :D (Well, not really unless any readers here go to my school or my clubs but you get my drift? ;D )