Chapter Sixty-Three; From Another Perspective
(Stephanie's POV)
"Abernathy! Back for another round, eh?" A loud booming voice accosted them as soon as they passed the door.
A man with blinding, bleached teeth and dark-rimmed glasses clapped Haymitch on the shoulder.
Haymitch grinned but his eyes were cold and Stephanie knew immediately that it was just for show. Whoever the man was, Haymitch certainly did not like him.
"Fas," Haymitch greeted coolly.
The man's eyes slid from Haymitch to Stephanie standing beside him, and he licked his lips almost hungrily.
He leaned in confidentially towards Stephanie and extended a sweaty palm, his breath unbearably sweet.
Stephanie shook his hand limply.
He grinned again before lowering his dark-rimmed glasses to reveal a pair of watery blue eyes.
"So, Miss Trindlesworth – what's the story?" he said, keeping his voice low, his hungry gaze jumping from Haymitch to Stephanie.
Stephanie looked at him perplexed.
"Fas here is a press dog – isn't that right?" Haymitch said, again that false grin, but there was a dangerous tone to his voice.
Fas chuckled lowly, his tongue darting out to wet his lips once more.
"Come on Abernathy! Cut me a break. What's the inside story with the girl? Who is he – this 'Capitol Lover'?"
Stephanie felt mildly riled that she was so evidently being talked about – right in front of her! That the man considered her incapable of answering for herself.
Fas' eyes gleamed with a greedy glint behind his glasses as he looked to Haymitch expectantly.
Haymitch smiled thinly.
"You'll just have to wait like the rest Fas," Haymitch replied.
Fas' expression immediately fell and his upper lip curled in a sneer.
He scoffed angrily then before suddenly stalking off, not even sparing Stephanie a second glance.
As soon as he was out of ear-shot Haymitch cursed under his breath, "Damn scum."
Stephanie looked at Haymitch curiously, a dark brow arched questioningly.
"He works for sensationalist, tabloid news – Eyes of the Capitol. Their reporters will sink to any depths to get a story. They mostly deal with high socialites calling out affairs etcetera," Haymitch explained, the disgust evident in his voice.
Stephanie sighed, immensely glad that Haymitch was here with her to ward off people such as Fas; the sleaze reporter.
Stephanie looked about her. It was a fancy room with another few smaller rooms branching off of it, though there was only the one exit and entrance. There was expensive furniture, bold patterns and huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling everywhere.
Distantly Stephanie recalled Isa saying something about this being an elite establishment called The Chandelier Rooms.
Appropriately named at least, Stephanie thought idly.
Haymitch gently took Stephanie by the elbow, nodding to Isa who joined them, a nervous Frenkin in tow.
Haymitch directed them further into the crowd. A sea of faces swam around Stephanie; some familiar, others not.
Someone tried to waylay them on their route but Haymitch had pushed Isa off on them, dragging Stephanie and Frenkin over beside one of the buffet tables.
Haymitch glanced over his shoulder and following his gaze Stephanie practically balked, feeling her legs nearly give out beneath her.
At a table, raised above the rest and slightly secluded by gauzy curtains was seated Caesar Flickerman.
He seemed his usual affable self, smiling and joking with those seated around him.
Stephanie looked to Haymitch then panicked, as she seized his hand and clutched it almost desperately.
"Haymitch, I can't. Please…five minutes at least," Stephanie begged in a fervent whisper.
She had known that she would have to face Flickerman sometime during the party. She just hadn't realised it would be within moments of arriving. She needed time to mentally prepare.
Haymitch squeezed her hand in response but pointedly pried her hand from his.
"The sooner we get this over with the better," Haymitch soothed, his grey eyes sympathetic but firm.
Stephanie nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Now wait here," Haymitch addressed both of them sternly, before he turned and walked in the direction of Flickerman.
Frenkin's hand immediately slipped into hers as he looked up at Stephanie, pushing his glasses up his nose.
Stephanie managed a brief smile that looked more pained than reassuring but Frenkin squeezed her hand gratefully all the same.
"You certainly have a strange strategy."
Stephanie practically yelped at the quiet voice at her side, but luckily it was swallowed up by the loud chatter and background music playing.
Stephanie whipped around angrily.
Slena stood in a blazing red dress, her ebony hair pulled back to emphasise the strong chiselled features of her face before it cascaded down her back in a glossy, dark waterfall. Golden bracelets in the shapes of sea creatures encrusted with icy diamonds curled tightly around her biceps. She looked stunning…stunning and terrifying.
Slena arched a dark eyebrow, her eyes boring into Stephanie as she waited for Stephanie's response.
Stephanie clutched Frenkin's hand tighter, glaring darkly at Slena.
"I don't see what it has to do with you," Stephanie replied through gritted teeth.
Slena sighed, looking at Stephanie pitifully as though she were a deluded fool.
Her dark gaze drifted to Frenkin briefly where he stood cowering half behind Stephanie's taller frame.
Slena frowned suddenly and looked up, studying Stephanie's face intently.
Stephanie scowled darkly at her and glanced over to where Haymitch had gone to.
Haymitch was currently in conversation with Flickerman but Stephanie only caught a brief glimpse for a split second. She didn't want Slena to catch her look.
"What is it you want?" Stephanie said, fighting to keep her voice controlled.
Stephanie knew that Slena more than likely was with the Careers, which would mean that her coming over to Stephanie and Frenkin now was just to pick them out as easy targets.
Stephanie would be damned before she would let Slena intimidate her!
Slena opened her mouth to answer and then snapped it shut, her brow furrowing deeper.
Stephanie looked at Slena warily, her expression a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"What's the deal with you?" Slena blurted out suddenly.
Stephanie's features softened a little in surprise as she exchanged a perplexed glance with Frenkin.
"Well, what's your deal? You're with the Careers – aren't you?" Stephanie countered, her eyes fierce.
Stephanie felt almost shocked at her own words and a cold fear settled over her. Suddenly speaking of such things made the realities of her situation all the more glaringly…real.
That the likeliest outcome would be in a few weeks that Stephanie and Frenkin would be dead, perhaps even by the hands of the girl in front of them.
Slena's face smoothed immediately, making her expression unreadable. She shrugged one shoulder half-heartedly as though saying 'maybe', though they both knew it to be true.
Slena's next words confirmed as much.
"And what of it?"
Stephanie gritted her teeth angrily – so Slena had just come over to either terrorise them or point them out as easy bait. It confirmed Stephanie's suspicions at least, but it didn't make them any less infuriating.
"Then what the hell do you want with us?" Stephanie practically snarled. She was just about sick of people intimidating her. And when one has a death sentence already hanging over their head, it can inspire all manner of stupid displays of bravery.
Slena eyed Stephanie suspiciously, which Stephanie considered strange considering the circumstances.
"I cannot figure you out," Slena finally confided.
"Excuse me?" Stephanie said, confusion etched on her face.
"At first you were just a regular tribute, not a noteworthy one either. And yet…suddenly, ever since you have arrived, the cameras have been trained on you. It is your name they call for, you they gossip about." Slena's tone was a mixture of genuine bewilderment and curiosity, but also tinged with bitterness.
Stephanie really couldn't blame Slena, if she thought about it objectively.
Slena was a tribute who had a good chance; in with the Careers, evidently strong and level-headed and yet, all the spotlight she should have had, being promoted to sponsors as a perfect tribute – Stephanie had unknowingly and unwittingly stolen it with all her 'scandals'.
Stephanie found herself – speechless.
The slim possibility that the Careers and stronger tributes might possibly overlook Stephanie and not actively seek her out to kill her in the Arena – suddenly went out the window.
Stephanie – while her chances of winning were not great and actual serious sponsors would be scarce – the crowds would undoubtedly watch Stephanie, given that she had inadvertently become a 'hot gossip subject'.
Thus she was evidently stealing the limelight from the Careers.
Stephanie recalled with a grimace Tarii, the pixie girl from District 1's overreaction to her falling and her dark threat to Stephanie afterwards.
Stephanie realised and suspected now that it was only an excuse.
Without actually having sought it out, Stephanie had painted a target on her back.
Stephanie decided that she needed a strong drink and wondered fleetingly if Haymitch had a hidden flask on him.
Slena still looked to Stephanie expectantly, clearly waiting for Stephanie to divulge her grand, elaborate strategy about hogging all the camera action.
Stephanie couldn't fault Slena for her wary confusion; especially not after Stephanie had reasoned the situation to herself.
Slena's thoughts were torn between considering Stephanie a threat – that she was hiding something up her sleeve. Considering no one knew about Seneca, all Slena and everyone else saw was the fact that Stephanie was receiving a lot of media attention. And yet to look at Stephanie and especially given that it was now widely known about her 'fainting spells', the idea that she could pose a threat seemed laughable. But still…there was that niggling suspicion?
Stephanie hadn't realised it, but her worries at appearing completely pathetic to other tributes such as the Careers, were not quite so bad with many tributes actually sharing Slena's wariness.
The problem then was, that they had decided in the arena, Stephanie had to die first.