Chapter 4 ~ The Tribute Parade
A loud bang woke me up from down the hall, followed by high heels clicking. My eyes fluttered open, still accustomed to the dark. I heard repetitive knocking on my door, accompanied by Moxie's upbeat "Get up! It's a big big big day!"
I rolled out of bed, silencing Moxie's calls with an "I'm up!"
"You have time to take a quick five-minute shower, then you have three minutes to change and do your hair. Did you catch all of that?" Silence echoed around the room as I groaned and pulled the covers over my face.
"Do I have to get up?" Moxie responded by opening my door and pulling my blanket off.
"Now," she commanded, pushing me off the bed. I looked groggily at the clock, then at the window. The sun had just begun to rise, yet Moxie was urging me to hurry up and get ready. "We're behind schedule, Cordelia! You have exactly four minutes and thirty seconds to shower now! Frankly, it'll be better if you just skip the shower. I trust that you can get dressed?"
"Yes, I can put clothes on myself," I said, rolling my eyes.
"Good, then I'll see you at the table in a few minutes. And do not go back to sleep!" She left when there was another bang, and Moxie muttered as she rushed out, "Oh, what did that Danny do to the shower this time?"
I resisted the urge to laugh and decided to take heed of Moxie's words. "Now then, what fancy clothes will I wear today?" I whispered to myself and looked at the closet that Moxie had opened for me. Everything inside was either the vibrant yellow color of the sun or the hot pink shade of flamingo feathers.
I changed into the first outfit I found that wasn't as much of an eyesore, an emerald green blouse, and jeans, quickly braiding my hair with the blue silk ribbon from yesterday.
I flung open the door just as Moxie was about to knock again, and she ushered me to the dining room. "Almost late, Cordelia. Now eat quickly, we're at the Capitol! President Snow and your stylist are waiting!" Crowds of people dressed in ridiculous clothes stared as I ate uncomfortably.
"Do they have to watch me eat?" I asked, feeling that my privacy was invaded. Moxie opened her mouth to speak, but someone cut her off.
"Happens every year, just ignore them, Cory." The crowd cheered louder as Finn sat down and began to eat. Not long after, Danny joined us, so Finnick discussed strengths and strategies with him. By that point, I had already consumed two pancakes, one serving of eggs and sausage, one glass of orange juice, and numerous buttery rolls.
At some point, I couldn't stuff myself any further, so I headed over to the window. Plastering on a fake smile, I waved to the crowds, trying to attract potential sponsors. Some blew me kisses, others cheered and hugged their neighbor as if it was an honor to see me, and if it weren't for the train, they might have run me over.
"Everyone ready?" Moxie asked, indicating to the train door. Danny and I nodded and stepped onto the platform to get our first good look at the Capitol. I was unable to catch Moxie's words as she pushed us through the tumultuous mass, greeting practically everyone along the way. "And here we are!" she cried when we finally stepped off the platform.
"Come, come! I'll take you to your stylists," Moxie beckoned with a flourish of her hand. Finnick cut in front of her and proposed that he do it instead.
"They might feel a little more, how should I say it… comfortable! More comfortable with me, knowing that they're with someone who's gone through the same thing they are now." Moxie looked as if she wanted to argue, but Finn whispered, "I've met their stylists. Cordelia's is much more normal than the others, but Danny's…" He trailed off with a grimace.
"Fine!" Moxie snapped. "Just fine! You take them then!"
Finnick led us to meet our stylists, twisting and turning through the labyrinthine hallways. "I know it's confusing, but as long as you follow the signs," he beckoned to some signs that pointed in all directions, "then you'll be fine. At last, we saw two people waiting for us, one man, and one woman, both dressed in the Capitol fashion. "Cory, you are with Aqua," he pushed me towards the young woman. "Danny, you are with… well, I'm not exactly sure how to pronounce his name."
"It's Voanerges!"
"Yes, Voanerges. Don't worry, he may seem a little daft, but he's an amazingly deft stylist," Finn whispered. "Don't resist what they do. You're in good hands. I'll see you two after the parade."
Oddly, our stylists, who were so eager to meet us, weren't even dressing us up yet. Instead, we were taken to the prep team to get ready to be put in our costumes.
"Ooooh, it's a pretty one this year."
"Yes, there's a lot we can do with her." They acted like I was a canvas to paint on, so I glared at them for that statement. I watched as they stripped off my clothes, making me feel vulnerable. They began to rip off my body hair, section by section. I winced at each pull and bit my lip at each yank.
"Last one!" They ripped off the last of my hair, and I was sure I looked like a hairless chicken. "Now to hose you down." They sprayed warm water over my body, then rubbed some sort of lotion all over my body. I breathed a few heavy sighs and reminded myself of what Finnick said. Don't resist, don't resist. You cannot smack their wandering hands away no matter how much you want to…
One of them, his name was Neon, began applying makeup on my face, though he was done very quickly. The small brushes he meticulously uses tickle my face at each contact, the light brushing bringing shivers.
The other two, Auburn and Marble, worked on my nails, one hand each.
"Oh, look at this," Auburn said, lifting my hand to show the other.
"Oooh…" Marble said in sympathy, then turned to me. "Do you work a lot in District 4?"
"A decent amount, why?"
"Nothing at all dear, just that your nails seemed to have paid the price." They take rough, flat sticks and begin filing down my nails until they are perfectly round, smooth, and shiny. After, they paint a layer of blue polish with navy embellishments.
"Her hair, what do we do about her hair?"
"Aqua never told us."
"Let's ask the girl, then." Auburn looked at me. "We weren't given instructions on what to do with your hair, how do you want it?" This is the first time they ask for my opinion, and I am taken aback.
"You can braid it," I say. They look at each other but comply. I sit up and they plait my hair and tie it off with a rubber band.
"All done, dear, why don't you wait here?" Marble showed me a metal chair next to a long, rectangular table. "It'll just be a while."
After quite a while, they ran off to find my stylist Aqua, leaving me stark naked with only a thin robe to conceal my body. At last, I saw Aqua, a fitting name for District 4, approach with a costume bag in hand. From my observations, she wasn't much older than me and was around the same height. She set the bag on the table and tilted her head, observing me.
"Yes… they certainly were right. You are a very pretty one. A lot of potential."
"Are all stylists like this?" I unintentionally blurt out, then my eyes widen and I slap my hand over my mouth.
"Not all of them, but the majority are. I'm sorry to have frightened you."
"Oh, I'm not frightened, I'm annoyed. For the past hour, I've been looked at as more of a surface to work on than a human."
"The prep team can be like that, but they truly are passionate about fashion. Now, are you ready to see what you'll be wearing?"
"Please don't dress me up like a real fish."
"I promise I won't. She unzipped a mesh gray bag, pulling an intricate outfit out, covered with clear bubbles and starfish.
"It's very… much like District 4."
"It can look overwhelming at first, but once it's actually on rather than hanging down from a hanger, it'll look much nicer. Try it on?"
Once I was dressed, I stood in front of the mirror, looking at the final transformation. My eyes had a light layer of blue eyeshadow, with little fish painted on my face. My outfit completely represented the sea, a reminder of the home I was fighting to get back to.
"It's perfect. I didn't think I'd like it this much but I do," I whispered. "My name means 'daughter of the sea', did you know?"
"I designed it just for you," she replied, which I took as a yes. "Good luck." I nodded, took a deep breath, and left the room to find my chariot.
"Everyone will love you two," Finn told us as we waited for the parade to start. It was only then that I saw all the tributes together in one place. Both of the male tributes from Districts 1 and 2 were 18 and startlingly ferocious. Their female counterparts, even if they were younger, were equally dangerous, at least that's what they seemed like. They glared when they realized I had been staring, making me shake.
"Don't worry about them." It was Danny, who was dressed in an identical outfit to mine. "We can take them."
"Danny, you might win. But there's almost no way I will."
"C'mon, Cordelia, you can do it if you try."
"We should get on soon," I changed the topic, glancing around at the other tributes who began boarding the chariots.
"Good luck. Don't forget to smile and make people like you. Sponsors will be looking at you." I nodded at Finnick, looking out in front. The parade started, and I gripped Danny's hand tightly to stay upright. He is surprised at the sudden touch, but melts into it and allows me to use him for balance.
The crowds cheered our names, throwing us flowers, and roses. I looked back to find streams of bubbles floating into the air behind us, almost like a cape.
The horses stopped at the front, in an arch around President Snow. He gave a speech, welcoming us to the Capitol and congratulating us on our sacrifice. I glared at him briefly, he was the reason I was in this situation in the first place. When he averts his eyes toward me, I look back at the hordes of people quickly. I spot some kids cheering jubilantly, waving flags with the district they are cheering for printed upon them. The majority are Districts 1 and 2, but my heart leaps when I see a 4 every once in a while. I smile and wave at the potential sponsors, who called our names as we headed back inside the Capitol.
"Since you're representing District 4, you get the fourth floor. Not as great as 12, but it's better than 1." I stared at Moxie, why was 12 better than us?
Finnick saw my confusion and quietly explained, "12 gets the penthouse."
Our floor made the train's luxury nothing in comparison. The size of the living room alone was larger than the house I lived in back in 4, and I was one of the wealthier families. Avoxes waited on us hand and foot, one seen in every corner.
"Go on and wash off that makeup and get ready for dinner." Moxie pushed us to our respective rooms, which was gladly needed since I had no idea where I was going.
Finn whispered quickly, "You OK, Cory?" I nodded, flashing him a thumbs up and a smile, and left to freshen up.
I had gotten through my first official day of being a tribute, but there was so much more to come.