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The gates and large doors close behind Demetrius and I, being the last ones on the way back. Amidst the shouting and crying and waving at us, I played up our strategy- friends.
When our chariot came to a stop, I turned to Demetrius, my frozen smile turning into a real one. He smiles back, a little dazed because he's blinking incessantly.
"We…we did it." I say. He nods slowly, taking in my words. More like taking in the whole twenty minutes or so of the parade.
"We-we did it!" I say more exuberantly. He smiles wider now, and he whoops.
I laugh.
"Did you see that?" He asks excitedly, shaking my shoulders. "You're dress was like WOOSH and my vest thing was like WOOSH too! And then your dress started to glitter in the bottom like a blizzard, and then how we totally covered everyone in our ice-smoke stuff-just- wow! You-!"
He grabs me by the waist and spins me around, surprisingly. I go along, laughing. I wonder briefly how he was able to carry the weight of the dress and myself, when my thoughts are interrupted. He pulls me in tightly for a hug.
"You were amazing." He says in my ear.
I freeze. He's clutching me tight, and I wonder if he's conscious of the actions he's committing. He's not pulling away, so I slowly put my arms around his neck- as his are around my waist- and hug him, feeling the ice under my arms.
"You guys were brilliant!" Cinna raves.
We pull away awkwardly, averting each other's gaze. Cinna and Jaques are already by our chariot, and Gloss and Cashmere are close behind.
"Marvelous," Jaques comments.
"YOU GUYS ROCKED IT!" Cashmere shouted, putting her hands up in the air. Gloss laughs at her.
"Yes, you guys rocked it." He says, a little more composed. Cashmere punches him in the arm.
"You gotta say it with passion! Lilly ROCKED. Demetrius ROCKED. They can't touch us!" She says, gesturing to the room in general. I casually look that direction, but do a double take. The Careers- District 2- are staring at our group. Their coaches are reprimanding them, gesturing at us. The boy tribute from Two is staring both Demetrius and I down.
"Ignore them," Gloss grumbles, loud enough for us to hear, "Don't let them get in your head."
I see multiple other tributes or their mentors pointing at us, staring at us, and commenting about us. Cinna gets my hand and helps me down.
"The crowd adored you, Lilliane," He tells me in a hushed tone, as Jaques speaks with Demetrius. Cashmere follows behind. Our entourage of District One is exiting.
"Princess, you're GOLDEN!" She says through her teeth, excited. "Now all we need to do is develop that knife and show the gamemakers-"
She stops when we pass Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark with their entourage. I'm closer to Alexander now more than ever, and we're now face to face. Demetrius is by my side, still speaking to Jaques.
"Congratulations, Lillianne," Katniss Everdeen says quietly. I'm struck with shock. She congratulated me, not Demetrius. She gives me a smile, one of those smiles you share with a person when you're thinking the same thing.
Only I'm not thinking whatever she is.
She turns to Cinna. "I really do wish you'd outfitted our tributes," She says. Cinna sighs.
"Lillianne has…the spark." He said. "I couldn't say no."
Katniss winks. "And I thought I was the only living person with that spark."
Suddenly, I feel like I'm intruding in a conversation that's not meant for me. I then meet eyes with Alexander Romulus. The conversation fades in my ears.
He smiles.
Introduce yourself, my mind says.
"Uh-" I move forward, giving him my hand. "I'm Lillianne."
His eyes flicker to Demetrius, then to mine. He hesitantly touches my hand. "I'm Alex."
At his touch, I feel shivers down my spine. I want to blame the ice, but I know it's not that. A grin comes to my lips, and he winks at me.
Before we can say anything else, we're both pulled off into our respective groups. We keep our eyes on each other as we're pulled apart. We reach different exits, and he smiles at me, shrugging a 'what-can-we-do?' shrug. I laugh.
The door closes behind me, leaving whatever conversation I held with Alexander to the dust.
"And now to your rooms."
The elevator doors open, and Demetrius and I gasp. It's nothing we'd ever seen before.
"Usually, District One gets first floor, but this year, you guys got moved up to the Penthouse."
Before us, a giant crystal chandelier welcomed us. Floors of marble, a large wooden table with an even larger arrangement of flowers were at the beginning of the room. Behind it was the living area, a couch built as a semicircle in front of a blank wall that I guessed projected would become a television. One the opposite end of that room was an elevated area, with a glass dining table seating nine and already set up for dining. Slinking in between the dining and living areas was a carpet of pink, matching the spring palette in the room. Another chandelier hung above the dining table.
"Now, Cinna and Jaques will go to your rooms to help you out of your costumes. After that, you have about an hour until Dinner. Wash up, change, and explore the penthouse to your hearts' content. Be here in exactly one hour!" Cornelia instructed.
I followed Cinna through the carpet and to a hallway that broke into two directions, left and right. I went left, and Demetrius went right. When we got to the room, I gasped again.
Minimalist but beautiful, the bedroom was spring itself. The bed was on the main wall, low and bordered by peachy wood. The headboard was a rectangle, the same peach color but dotted with flowers creatively. The bedspread was watercolor blue with the pillows being white. A long, cylindrical pillow went from side to side, an evergreen color. Two nightstands sat on each side of the bed, one holding fresh flowers- an array of every lilly type imaginable- and on the other, a clock and a curved silver plate. The walls were a tranquil light blue, and my window was from ceiling to floor, showing the entire Capitol.
Cinna and I walked inside, and we stood in the middle of the room. He began to undo my dress from the ice.
"So how do you feel?" He asks quietly. I sigh.
"Nervous. Terrified. Excited. Confused." I confide in him. He chuckles.
"Confused?" He responds, pulling at my dress, "How so, dear?"
I don't answer, but after a pause I think he catches on. My inference is correct.
"Ah. Boys?"
I smile at the thought. It's funny when you say it that way, but he was right nonetheless.
"Something like that." I answer. He nods, and the ice is off my back. He places it in a box.
"Would it have to do with Demetrius?" He asks.
I bite my lip. "….Sort of."
He nods. After he undoes the bottom of my dress, he continues.
"Would it have to do with Alexander?"
I tense up. Was I that obvious? "…Sort of."
He laughs at my identical answers. "Well, you've got a big choice," He said. "Put out your arms."
I obey, and the dress falls. I step out of it as he hands me a robe and I pull it on. "A choice?"
He nods, picking up the dress. I watch him.
"Yes." he declares. "You have to boys. One can bring you home. The other is a mystery, but he catches your eye." He looks up and raises an eyebrow. "Am I right?"
I look down, eyes wide. "Yes. Dead on."
He grins. "Now, I'm not going to tell you to pick. I'm just going to tell you this." He stuffs the dress neatly into another box, then covers it with tissue paper. He comes to me, putting his hands on my shoulders.
"Do what your heart feels is right. And if you're head agrees as well, then there's no reason not to carry it out."
I nod absently, trying to decode his piece of wisdom. He sees me try to understand, and he laughs.
"You don't have to figure that out yet," He assures, "But I do suggest you sort things out with yourself before the Games. You have two very nice young men who both seem to have interest in you."
My heart flutters. He gathers his things and begins to head out. He stops at the door.
"Although, Lillianne," He interjects, "I would give them both a chance."
And he leaves me alone in my room to my thoughts.
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