A/N: Just to prevent confusion; Nina, Kas & Wint - Bright, Lashes & Silver :)
Chapter Thirty-Six; Elephants in the Room
(Stephanie's POV)
Stephanie gasped sharply as Lashes secured the clasp at the back of her dress with a sharp tug.
Steadying herself for a moment Stephanie took a deep breath and stood up straight.
Lashes, Bright and Silver gathered up their 'instruments of beauty' as they called them, Stephanie preferred 'torture'.
"Ficen will be in shortly," Bright remarked quietly.
Stephanie gave a sharp nod and sat down defeated on the edge of the bed to wait.
She went over the situation in her head, trying to remain objective and clinical in her assessment.
Haymitch was safe, she knew that much. He was drunk and passed out in his room but otherwise fine. She had been able to check on him briefly but unable to do much else with a Capitol guard standing at her shoulder. It wasn't as if she could wake Haymitch and say all she wanted to say, so she had left him as he was; sprawled on the bed, limbs askew, reeking of alcohol and generally looking haggard.
Besides she intended to try and speak with him later.
Today they were going for a photo-shoot. It was a rare event in that all the tributes, stylists, mentors, escorts etcetera, would be there. Stephanie only hoped that in all the chaos that would cause, she would be able to at least have a few private moments with Haymitch.
From the few whispered questions she had managed to exchange with Frenkin on their way back to their rooms after the painfully silent breakfast, Stephanie was none the wiser on the matter of the guards now milling about the place.
Isa did a remarkable job at not mentioning the huge elephant in the room. It wasn't as much that she ignored the guards, just carried on as if it they had always been there.
The fact that Bright, Lashes and Silver had not even spoken a word to her the whole time they had got her ready had made Stephanie feel extremely anxious. It wasn't that they hadn't spoken to her – they rarely did truth be told – it was that they didn't speak at all. They were unusually silent, only mumbling quietly if it was something to do with her styling.
Ficen entered the room, slamming the door after her and Stephanie stopped herself from falling off the bed in shock.
Stephanie looked at Ficen warily. Her suspicions only grew every time she laid eyes on the stylist that Ficen was responsible for the sudden guards and the unusual quietness of the other stylists not to mention the change in Isa; who although babbled away happily had a sudden guardedness about her.
Ficen motioned for her to stand up and Ficen adjusted the high collar of the blazer she was wearing. Stephanie was dressed in some monochrome, black-and-white, colour schemed blazer and skirt combo today.
Bright had mumbled something about it not really mattering, since she would be changing into different outfits for the photo-shoot.
"When you stand, keep your shoulders back and your back straight," Ficen directed, pulling Stephanie's shoulders back sharply.
Ficen looked her over once more and shrugged.
"The car is waiting."
Stephanie's head snapped around as a guard entered the room, evidently waiting to take her down to the car.
Stephanie swallowed hard, throwing a directed glare at Ficen before following the guard.
Stephanie tried to look surreptitiously around her in the hopes of catching Haymitch. After all he had to be there today with them.
Frenkin appeared at her side as she reached the lift and their hands immediately sought out one another. Isa was waiting there already and began to compliment Stephanie's outfit and then Ficen's styling when she appeared a few moments later.
Stephanie looked eagerly down the hall for Haymitch but Isa began to usher them into the lift. Stephanie threw a frantic glance up the hall. Where the hell was Haymitch?!
The lift ride down was a little tense with the two bulky guards even with Isa's constant talk.
The car as usual was waiting, but there were a whole line of cars, tinted windows reflecting the sunlight.
Stephanie gave a quick look around her, caught other such 'huddles' of people like her own made up of stylists, mentors, tributes, escorts and guards making their way to the other cars.
"Are you nervous?" Frenkin's voice sounded quietly in her ear.
She looked down at him for a moment.
"Yes," she admitted equally quiet. "But it will only be like the other events we have already been to," she added reassuringly.
"But all the other tributes will be there," Frenkin insisted.
"They were there at the party the first time," she reminded him gently.
Frenkin nodded conceding her point but Stephanie felt a bubble of panic rise up in her all the same.
With all the other anxieties, Stephanie had barely the time to consider that like Frenkin had pointed out, this would be one of the more 'communal' events. Stephanie didn't relish the thoughts of spending a day sizing up the competition nor was she in no mood to try and vie for the camera's attention.
Frenkin climbed into the car and Stephanie followed after him; Alba was already there and after Ficen and Isa got in the door shut after them.
"Where is Haym…everyone else?" Stephanie tried to sound casual, though she caught the corner of Ficen's lips tweak slightly in a smirk.
"Nina, Kas and Wint are following in the car behind us," Ficen answered.
"Along with my three little helpers," Alba added before he caught something displeasing on Frenkin's jacket and leaned over to swipe at it, much to Frenkin's fright.
"Well that's everyone," Isa proclaimed cheerfully.
The car's engine started up, though it was so quiet it was really only a gentle hum. Stephanie's eyes widened.
The elephant in the room was practically doing somersaults and they were all tactfully avoiding it. Where the hell was Haymitch?!
Stephanie opened her mouth to say something about the evidently missing person that they all so conveniently didn't notice, when Ficen cut across her.
"Drive." Her voice was stern, her face even sterner as she directed a hard look at Stephanie that clearly meant, 'shut up or regret it'.
…
(Stephanie's POV)
They arrived at their destination a relatively short drive later. The whole way Ficen and Stephanie had exchanged glares and comments that had obviously shrouded meanings and hidden jabs at the other.
Stephanie had tried asking where Haymitch was…numerous times, only for Ficen to cut across her or give her an answer that made absolutely no sense.
Stephanie looked at Frenkin almost desperately. She had a horrible feeling like she was trapped in a conspiracy. Frenkin looked just as perplexed as she and that made her feel a little better. She wasn't losing her mind at least. But it did nothing to allay her fears for Haymitch. But he had been fine that morning!
She felt anger rise up in her, at what in particular she had no idea. So saying she stomped up to the building with unnecessary force.
She caught the concerned look Alba was giving her shoes and opened her mouth to practically snarl at him when Ficen once more cut across her.
Stephanie glared at Ficen. The woman was becoming entirely too 'convenient' in her appearances for Stephanie's liking; first at breakfast and every time in the car and now again!
"You will be registered as you go in. Try and act in at least a civilised manner and not go about snarling like an animal. That is one of my finest designs you are wearing," Ficen told her sharply, directing her forcibly through the doors of the building.
Stephanie resisted the urge to claw Ficen's eyes out, if only for the fact that it would prove Ficen's point.
Once inside the noise and commotion hit Stephanie immediately and she felt her stomach twist as she took everything in. Even as she did so, she felt a smaller hand slip into hers, Frenkin's eyes wide as saucers.
"Ficen pet, where are you going?" Isa called after Ficen's retreating back.
But Ficen either didn't hear her or didn't care enough to acknowledge it and continued on walking as Stephanie glared at her tall form before she disappeared amongst the crowd.
…
(Ficen's POV)
Ficen stalked down the hallway, clenching her fists tightly feeling the artificial nails dig into her palms.
She paused in front of a mirror and smoothed down her cropped white hair. The hallway was empty, being as it was sectioned off from the main event and for a moment Ficen allowed her impassive mask to slip.
Her features contorted into a mask of feral anger and she directed a sharp kick at the wall with an inarticulate cry of rage.
"The sooner she is dead the better," she muttered to herself.
She whipped out the crisp piece of white paper that had been slipped to her discreetly by one of the guards earlier that morning.
She stared at it for a moment, her face blank.
Meet me in the control room in the building of the photo-shoot as soon as you arrive.
Ficen straightened her dress subconsciously before stalking off down the corridor to the control room.