DOUBLE UPDATE! – MAKE SURE TO READ PREVIOUS CHAPTER!
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Five; Public Changes
"Stephanie!"
Stephanie, Haymitch and Electra's heads snapped around as the call sounded through the penthouse. Stephanie had been so otherwise distracted; she hadn't even heard the lift sound.
Stephanie was just about to get to her feet when Lashes and Bright both appeared at the threshold of the kitchen entrance. They breathed audible sighs of relief when they spotted Stephanie.
"Stephanie," Bright addressed her purposefully and Stephanie raised her brows in silent question.
"We need to get some more measurements," Bright stated.
"Yea, Ficen didn't want to come herself because of – " Lashes rushed out quickly before she received a firm elbow in the ribs from Bright.
Bright glanced at her counterpart, hissing under her breath, "Kas!" as she dragged her indiscreet gaze meaningfully over to the table.
Lashes' eyes grew round with horrible surprise as her gaze landed on Electra.
"Hello there," Electra called genially and Stephanie rolled her eyes slightly.
"What more measurements do I have to get?" Stephanie grumbled discontentedly as she got up, edging around the table.
"Oh, it's for a simply gorgeous choker necklace! You see it's incredibly fitted and with the bruising to your throat and all, we didn't know if it would need to be loosened," Bright explained happily.
Stephanie sighed, frowning sharply. She was almost sure that Ficen had picked such a dress with those particular accessories on purpose. Trust Ficen, just as Stephanie was recovering from getting nearly strangled to death, to choose a dress with a necklace that would feel like it was doing the exact same.
"Fine," Stephanie grumbled, not even pretending to be slightly excited for Bright and Lashes as she brushed past them out of the kitchen.
Bright and Lashes trotted happily after Stephanie, already engrossed in discussing what they were personally going to wear for the party tonight.
"It's going to be amazing!" Lashes gushed with absolute certainty as they passed into the hall.
Stephanie smirked fleetingly; endlessly amazed at Capitolites and their seemingly never-ending enthusiasm for parties, until Bright's reply almost floored Stephanie.
"I hope Ficen and Seneca don't run into one another. That would be like - cringing awkward!"
Stephanie couldn't help it. She stopped dead and looked straight at the two gabbling stylists incredulously.
Bright and Lashes paused, looking at Stephanie concernedly.
"The Gamemakers are going to be there?" Stephanie tried to inquire as casually as possible. She had barely stopped herself from blurting out 'Is Seneca going to be there?!' That would have been too strange a question for her to ask, that even Bright and Lashes would have noticed.
"Of course," Bright answered, after exchanging a perplexed glance with Lashes.
Lashes pursed her lips for a moment before leaning forward to whisper excitedly to Stephanie, "I think Ficen's nervous!"
"Kas!" Bright hissed with wide eyes as she threw a displeased glance at her fellow stylist.
Lashes' eyes grew round as she fluttered her silvery lashes innocently, "I was only explaining to Stephanie to be a little more patient with Ficen today because she's nervous for tonight," Lashes explained earnestly.
Stephanie didn't bother to explain to Lashes or Bright that Ficen and she would never get along, whether Ficen was on top of the world or 'nervous'.
Stephanie also suspected that Lashes' apparent concern for Ficen was false. Rather, in true Capitol style Lashes was just being a perfect little gossip.
"Why would Ficen be nervous?" Stephanie asked.
Both her stylists looked at her before by seeming consent they stepped forward and linking arms with Stephanie they turned her around, to stroll with them towards the lift.
"You see Ficen – " Bright began.
"And Seneca Crane –" Lashes interrupted, nodding enthusiastically on Stephanie's right arm.
"Are quite in love," Bright finished.
Stephanie said nothing, regretting ever asking the question to begin with.
Bright and Lashes led Stephanie onwards towards the lift as they stepped inside it.
"But you see recently it seems like Seneca isn't interested in Ficen anymore," Bright confessed in a gossipy whisper as she grinned impishly.
"Recently?! It's been longer than that!" Lashes interjected fiercely, before turning to Stephanie, "and that's why Ficen is nervous for the party tonight we think. It would be so awkward if she was to bump into Seneca now they have drifted apart so much."
Stephanie swallowed, knowing that she must look rather pale, but she had to ask.
"And…why do you think Seneca isn't interested in Ficen anymore?" she breathed.
Bright and Lashes exchanged considering glances before Lashes suddenly announced, "I think he likes someone else!"
Stephanie leaned against the back of the lift feeling a cold sweat break out over her. She truly regretted ever opening her mouth to begin with.
Bright rolled her eyes. The two stylists seemed to have forgotten all about Stephanie at the back of the lift, who was turning a sicklier colour by the second.
"No he doesn't!" Bright protested obviously. "I read Eyes of the Capitol everyday Kas and there hasn't been one report of Seneca Crane going on a date with anyone!"
"Well maybe he just hasn't been photographed by those sleaze reporters Nina!" Lashes shot back and the lift doors pinged open on one of the lower levels.
The huge room before them had once been the place where their individual styling stations had been the first time Stephanie and Frenkin had arrived in the Capitol and were prepped.
The individual stations were gone now, replaced with a buzzing network of small rooms that resembled a beehive. The place was now referred to as the stylist's studios where they kept their designs for the events and did their work. Unless, a stylist had the particular need to take their tribute to the private studios that most stylists also owned in the Capitol, this was where most of the fitting and such was done.
Stephanie had rarely been down in the place much though, given Ficen tried her utmost to limit what time she had to spend in Stephanie's company. Ficen usually would just create her designs down here, using Stephanie's previous measurements and with the help of her styling team. Then she would whisk the finished products up to the penthouse when Stephanie actually needed to wear them.
It was poor Frenkin that Alba, Tess, El and Mirr was constantly spiriting away for endless fittings down here, or if not here, then in Alba's own private studio in the heart of the Capitol.
Stephanie tried to take a deep calming breath as Bright and Lashes squabbled over possible candidates as Seneca's new love interest. But really this topic of conversation was the exact opposite of soothing. The hysterical notion to burst out laughing bubbled to Stephanie's lips.
Imagine if I were to tell them it was me Seneca was in love with! – Their heads would probably combust!
Stephanie quelled the urge to laugh though as Bright and Lashes directed Stephanie expertly through the maze of rooms. Doors were constantly opening and closing all around Stephanie, people rushing to and fro with garments hanging over their arms and generally looking stressed to the max. The noise coming from all around was a disharmonious cacophony.
"To be honest I don't think it's a new love interest at all!" Bright said, continuing their previous conversation as she steered Stephanie around a squabbling trio of stylists all with bright '1's' painted on their cheeks.
"Oh?" Lashes inquired eagerly, her eyes alight with nosiness.
"Seneca Crane is so…strange now," Bright said earnestly, her perfect brow creasing with bafflement as her skin practically shone under the fluorescent lighting.
Stephanie swallowed as she heard Bright's words.
"Strange?" Lashes echoed, as Stephanie also looked to Bright eagerly.
"Uhuh," Bright said solemnly as she nodded. "He usually visits The Hive around this time every year for the Games, ever since he became Head Gamemaker. You know; giving out teasers about the arena to build up excitement for the Games," Bright explained expertly, before she shrugged, "but he hasn't this year. And when any reporters ask him about the arena, he doesn't even seem in the least bit excited!" Bright whined petulantly.
"Well he's probably under a lot of pressure Nina! It is the 100th Hunger Games!" Lashes said, just as they stopped in front of one of the doors, with a large '3' printed on it.
Stephanie was only glad that Isa and Bright were too engrossed in their conversation to much notice her reactions to their words.
Seneca had told her he had changed and here was the irrefutable proof. It wasn't just some skin-deep or false spiel he was putting on to try and win her over Stephanie realised. Though if she were being truthful with herself she hadn't thought it was. If people like Bright and Lashes were even able to recognise it, then it had to be true.
Stephanie paused as Lashes and Bright launched into a bickering match then over who had the key-card to open the door they had stopped in front of. Stephanie fleetingly considered that competition between the stylists must be fierce if they were so protective over their rooms to require access passes.
However before the two stylists' high-pitched arguing could escalate any further the door was yanked open and a violet-eyed Ficen glared at them all.
"Get in," Ficen growled.
Thanks to girlworthfightingfor for the review; For the party, erm…be afraid, be very afraid….Just kidding, but yea major er...things happening :P I'm sorry, I'm just too cruel, which is probably why I have so many cliffhangers :P
Thanks to HallyGale22 for the review; I'm glad that you found the story so emotive that you actually cried. Well not glad that you cried obviously :P For me there can be no greater compliment to a writer than to be able to evoke such a response. :D