Disclaimer: The usual you know
'There's just something
so damn attractive
about chaos.'
-F.d. soul
The table at breakfast was mostly uneventful without Effie. When I sat down, Cinna and Portia told me Effie would not come out until I apologized to her for my 'Crude and unnecessary' remark. Peeta came in a little later, having showered and put on some cloth- not that he hadn't had clothes before. He sat in the seat furthest away from me, spurred on by the look Portia was giving him. He nodded his greetings to us all before going back to eating.
"So what are the plans for today, anyone know?" Peeta had finally broken the tense silence with a simple question.
"Today, you guys are going to be meeting with sponsors. More specifically, your Capital sponsors from your games." Cinna looked up from his plate, "These sponsors are also going to be important to your tributes, so turn the charm on and don't hold back." Charm, Cinna must know who he was talking to. I had almost as much charm as a slug "Honestly Katniss, I wouldn't worry about it. With Peeta's wit and charm, you wouldn't have to say a word. But I wouldn't forget that body language speaks. Although the people of the Capital are shallow, they are not stupid."
Well, I guess that clarified a couple of things for me.
Standing from the table, I gave them all a curt nod and walked over to where Peeta sat. Bringing my mouth close to his ear so only he could hear, I spoke. "I have to go and apologize to Effie for what I said this morning. Would you mind coming with me? It would be easier with you there." Peeta nodded and slowly pushed his chair out from the table. Saying a quick goodbye, I grabbed his arm and led him quickly down the hallway to the room I knew Effie inhabited.
Stopping in front of it, I mentally prepared myself for all scenarios.
Scenario one: Tears
Scenario two: Anger
Scenario three: quick recovery back to normal Effie
Thinking of all the possibilities, I wasn't sure which one would scare me the most. Knocking on her door, I tried to listen to the usual clicking of her heels. When I heard nothing, I brought my hand up to knock again but was stopped by the door quickly opening. "Katniss," Effie stated in a voice that radiated anger. Anger. Thank goodness, I could handle anger.
"Effie I just came by to-
"Oh, it's about time you felt something."
"-Apologize… Wait what?" What had Effie said, it was about time I felt something?
"I said-"
"No, I know what you said, I just don't understand what you mean. I do feel."
"Well then, what little you feel, you express even less."
"Effie, I've always been closed off don't take it personally."
"Oh dear, the last thing I would do is take it personally." She sneered at me.
"Anyway." I continued on with the speech I had prepared in my head, "I'm sorry for insulting you with what I had said. It just kind of came out, I was tired and…"
Before I could even finish, Effie was pulling me into a huge. I was so surprised by the sudden shift of emotion, I didn't know how to respond. "Katniss, I understand. Sometimes when we are sleep induced we say things we don't mean, just promise me one thing. You will try to minimize this sleeping arrangement you have going till you return to the districts. If not for anything but my health."
Still locked in Effie's embrace I gave her a nod. Once again voicing my apology to her before she let me go and I was able to leave the room.
"By the look on your face, that encounter went better than you expected." Peeta chuckled, I must have looked surprised.
"It started out the way I thought then took a turn. I thought there would be way more screaming and throwing." At this Peeta let out a chuckle.
" You said it took a turn. Was it for better or for worse?"
"I'm not really sure."
Sitting in the shiny white room, I waited for Cinna. The room resembled many of the other rooms in the Capital. For one, it was white, and there was not a spot of dirt in the place. The experience I was currently having was reminding me of the Games. How they had put us into rooms with our stylist. But this was different. I wasn't about to go into the Games, and I knew Cinna.
"There she is the Girl on Fire. Ready for tonight?" Cinna came into the room, his voice flooding the silence.
"As ready as I'll ever be I guess. What do you have planned for tonight?"
As Cinna took the seat across from me he responded. "I'm thinking something simple and elegant. It's going to be longer so you're probably going to need heals."
"Then we had better get started."
Cinna was right, the dress was long. It was also very tight, accenting what few curves I had. The dress was a red. Not a subtle red, a blood red. Along the side of my left leg, there was a slit that ran from the bottom of the dress, dangerously high to the top of my thigh. The dress also had a sweetheart neckline with sleeves that did not cover my shoulders, but instead landed along my biceps. My makeup was done in a dark smokey eye, and I was given a gold bracelet with a symbol of a Mockingjay on it. Cinna then went on to give me terrifyingly high heels. They were plain black. Nothing fancy, but they were at least six inches if not more.
"No, you won't tower over Peeta or the guests if that's what your thinking," Cinna remarked as he fixed my lipstick, darkening it to more of a deep red. Cinna stepped back from his work and admired it. "Have a look."
Turning around to look in the mirror, I was almost unrecognizable. My hair which usually fell straight was pressed into large voluminous curls pulled over to one side with a deep part. My eyes were smoldering under the dark makeup. My lips looked kissable, but my body. The dress Cinna had put me in was beautiful. It made me look tall and desirable. Standing in the mirror of the dressing room I was smoldering.
"Now," Cinna let out a slight chuckle, "We need to see if you could walk in those heels." Taking a few wobbly steps towards Cinna I let out a silent laugh. "Well, good thing Peeta will be there to hold you up." Giving Cinna a look, I steadied myself and walked slowly out the door to the place I knew Peeta would meet me in. Looking around, Peeta hadn't come yet. This was probably the first time that I was done with my stylist before him, so I throw myself down on the nearest loveseat to wait.
When Peeta came out of the room, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. Peeta looked good. His hair was cut short along the sides with the top of his hair holding frilly curls. He was in a red tuxedo, a white shirt underneath, and a black bowtie. The pair of us, when put together looked dynamic.
Peeta looked at me as he neared the place I was sitting his mouth agape, "Wow, you look… You look absolutely amazing."
"You don't look too bad yourself." Letting out a small chuckle, Peeta offered his arm. I took it gratefully, leaning into it as we walked so I wouldn't stumble.
As we walked, Peeta leaned towards me, putting his lips close to my ear. "You look hot."
I once again let out a slight chuckle, "So it went from beautiful and amazing to hot."
"Well, you always look beautiful and amazing, but right now, you're hot." And with that Peeta lead us to where we would make our grand entrance.
"Should I be honored that you called me hot?"
"As supposed to what, being offended?" I gave him the best side eye I could manage with the heavy makeup. "Okay, okay fair point. No, it's a compliment that I leave for special girls in my life."
"Oh yeah, and who are those girls?"
"You." Before I could respond, our cue was on and we were walking down the steps to greet the sponsors. Shaking hands and laughing at their jokes, I tried to stay near Peeta, but when we were separated, I did as Cinna told me. I spoke through my body language. I touched the sponsor's arms and leaned near them, whatever I could do. And the crowd ate it up. As it got later into the night, fewer and fewer people showed up. Eventually, it was just Peeta, me, and a Capitol citizen who told us her family absolutely adored us. When she had finally left, I practically fell on Peeta. My feet were killing me. Peeta caught me swiftly and allowed me to lean against him.
When we were finally cleared to leave, I nearly ran straight to my shower. Stumbling over the dress a few times before taking my heels off and throwing them into Peeta's arms. I finally made it into my bathroom, pulling off the zipper and relieving my aching feet in the warm flow. I stayed in there for nearly an hour. Only realizing I had to come out when Peeta knocked on my door.