Disclaimer: Before anybody asks I do not own The Hunger Games.

A/N: I am back in rainy England, hurray! SORRY I haven't updated in AGES! Turns out I did not write much on hols, and I have had major writers block since I got back, ah well. I really was not best pleased with how this chapter turned out. But I will post it anyway.

One last thing Kevin, yes you may use the name and PLEASE DON'T DIE! Oh and Paige DON'T DIE EITHER! Seriously why is everybody threatening to die on me?!

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Wilting Roses

Isn't it strange that sometimes a hug from an acquaintance is more comforting than on from someone close to you? I guess it is because a loved one will comfort you because in a way they need to not just because they want to. Or maybe when you treasure someone their arms offer love not support. Think of it like two chairs: one made of sturdy wood and one made of marshmallows. To sit on when you are hurt you would choose the wooden one, because it is more stable and wouldn't fall down with you like the marshmallow one would. Though all the while you would be wishing that the wooden chair was in fact made of marshmallows.

"Marshmallow?" Pinna asks letting go of me and reaching behind himself for a bowl. Wow, freaky! Then again I could have subconsciously been looking at the bowl whilst pondering my thoughts... still freaky! I shake my head even though I have only ever had one marshmallow in my life and loved it,

"Better not ruin my freshly whitened teeth!" Pinna holds out a white marshmallow.

"Go on. They contain special whitening, chemical, ingredienty stuff!"

"Liar." I say but snatch a sweet and pop it in my mouth anyway.

"I'll be back in a little while," Pinna says, "Just got to finish your costume."

"What?!" I start to panic, the parade is tonight! I steel a glance at the clock on the wall, in like three hours! "It's only three hours before the big show!"

"Sheesh kebab! Chill woman, there are just a lot of sequins." He turns and walks towards the door, muttering something along the lines of "I hate sequins," to put it politely.

Pinna returns twenty minutes later with a silver plastic clothes bag in one hand and a huge black briefcase-like box in the other. He sets them down on the chair and just as I am about to ask what the big black box contains he runs back out and grabs a shoe box.

I am somewhat nervous as Pinna goes to open the black briefcase. Ever since I watched this old fashioned film called James Bond I always have had an irrational fear that briefcases might contain guns. Silly, I know, especially now... why blow up the dice? The game would be no fun otherwise.

I peer over Pinna's shoulder and into the briefcase... it appears I am afraid of nail polish.

"Clue to your costume." He says delving into the sea of polishes.

"Let me guess... it has something to do with agriculture?" Pinna gives me a very confused look,

"No... that's district 11, you're from district 7" Well blow me down I never noticed that! Does he not understand sarcasm? I do know that district 7 is construction, I have been living there, well only all my life! Pinna pulls out two bottles of nail polish; one dark blue and the other glittery silver.

"Got it yet?" Pinna asks, grinning.

"Pinna you do know that district 7 is construction right? It's district 4 that fishes." If he has made me an outfit themed on fishing then he is as dead as a Hunger Games Tribute!

"Good, you've got the water... expand... along the theme of construction?" I stare back at him blankly. Yes I am from district 7 but my family owns the jewellers.

"Pipes?" He helps.

"Plumbing?"

"Yes! We got there eventually."

"Nobody's ever done that before." Stylists normally go for the old wood and nails approach, can't I just be normal this once... please.

"It's still a type of construction."

"True but..."

"Aiza, Aiza, Aiza." Pinna chuckles to himself, "Let me tell you a little something about my brother and I. We don't like to follow the crowd. We like to be new and imaginative. However sometimes we have to be old to be new, hence how we dress and present ourselves."

I shrug my shoulders not exactly knowing what to say. Pinna places one finger under my chin and lifts my head up.

"Hey, cheer up munchkin," and with a click of his fingers Bob Marley rings out from the loud speakers. Pinna paints my finger nails with the dark blue and then adds some silver over the top, ensuring that the blue still shows. Simple but effective. He then does the same with my toes whilst all I can do is watch, sing and fell completely and utterly helpless.

As helpless as a fish that is allergic to water.

"Costume time?" I venture once my nails have dried. Pinna stands up and throws me a pair of plain white knickers from his pocket.

"Yes," he then picks up the shoe box, "Now, I shall warn you – these are... complicated."

Inside the box are a pair of platforms and not small platforms at that! They are about two feet tall and then have a heel on top of that! Oh and get this: they are made of glass. They are crafted so perfectly that you can hardly see them. Still...GLASS!

"How do you expect me to walk in them? I'm not flipping Cinderella!" Pinna doesn't reply for a few seconds, he is too busy searching all of his pockets for something.

"Well if they fit then you can marry Prince Charming."

"I've got my own Prince Charming already, thank you very much." I've got Everest. Pinna looks at me sadly for a moment, though he seems to be thinking of something else.

"You got anyone special?" I ask, I know it's not my place but still.

"Nah, not me," He sighs, he still doesn't look contempt, "I believe that love just gives you more to lose."

"Well I think it's worth it." What I have with Everest, new though it may be, is worth anything... even twenty three lives. I will go home to him, I will.

"Risks I am not prepared to take."

"What made you decide?"

"When a woman had been sleeping with both Cinna and I... thinking we were the same person."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, that was one awkward conversation. And I just thought that if that hurt me, then what would it have been like if I had really loved her." I look up at him awkwardly, not quite knowing what to say. I know what he has just told me is not the real reason. "Moving on, let's deal with these shoes."

Pinna lifts the shoes out of the box and only then do I notice the long, thin tubes attached to the heel. It is only where the light catches them that they are visible. Pinna makes me take off my dressing gown and step into the shoes. Pinna picks up the clear roll of tape that he got out of pocket earlier.

Meanwhile I wobble and fall over.

Pinna helps me stand back up again and lets go of my hands. But after a moments consideration he drags over a chair for me to hold on to. Pinna uses the tape to attach the tubes all the way up my legs and torso, right the way to my nose. He catches me staring at the tape.

"Bodytape." He says.

"Why would people need Bodytape?"

"To fit into their clothes." No way! That is ridicules... no wait, that is so Capitol! "I'll finish off the tubing just before you get in." Get in? We stand on the chariot, so what am I getting in?

"Get in?" Pinna just winks at me.

"You'll see."

I am blind folded as Pinna dresses me. He wants it to be a surprise.

"Wait right here." Pinna says, "I am just going to grab a mirror." And I would go where exactly? I am blindfolded with two death traps on my feet.

I hear him re-enter the room, feel his breath on the back of my neck... and then the world comes back to me.

I must say, the prep team did a nice job. My make-up is all natural tones but it looks flawless. But Pinna's outfit is... shocking?

The top is a very low V-neck, sky blue in colour. The neck line is ruffled as are the sleeves (the sleeves are thick shoulder strap style). And I don't mean tiny little ruffles, or huge ruffles. They are decent sized ruffles, about the same size as my upper arm. The rest of the top is skin tight, however more to the point there are not loads of sequins! There are two parallel lines of them straight down the middle (starting where the ruffled 'V' joins) and then a single line round the bottom of the top.

It is not the top that is shocking though. It is beautiful, quite silky in fact, but not shocking. No, it is the shiny silver hot pants that are shocking! They are immensely cool, but for a parade? Most of the other girls will be wearing dresses. Altogether the outfit should look slutty, in theory. But it doesn't... it looks kind of cute, almost playful. Yes, playful is the word.

"So?" Pinna asks

"I like it." The relief is very apparent on his face, "But there are not loads of sequins."

"I know but hey, I like exaggerating. Plus they take so long to sew on that it feels like I've put millions on."

"Is Zizal dressed similar?"

"No, his stylist and I worked separately for the most part."

"Oh, okay."

"I just gave her some guidelines for what I needed, she was very understanding."

Fifteen minutes later I find myself standing in an elevator, in front of my mentors, next to Zizal. Zizal is dressed in a blue jumpsuit, chunky workers boots and a yellow hard hat. Basically he looks like a plumber.

"Well, don't you both look lovely." Thistle says

"Now, the parade starts in half an hour and you two are up seventh. Okay?" Zizal and I both nod. The elevator stops and we get out. Key leads us into cars with blacked out windows.

The drive takes us about five minutes. But five minutes seems like so much longer when nobody speaks! The leather seats stick to my skin and the twinkling lights on the ceiling do nothing but annoy me. Pinna opens the car door for us and the moment I step out he picks me up and bundles me over his shoulder.

"We don't have much time." He exclaims running in I don't know what direction. I'm hanging upside down!

"I can run by myself Pinna!" I shout hammering on his back with my fists."

"You're not Cinderella, remember. You said so yourself." Point taken.

When I am eventually put back on my own two feet I am standing in a dimly lit backstage area. There are boxes and wires everywhere. Stylists and mentor striding round importantly and tributes standing with hunches shoulders and downcast eyes. I glance to my left and my gaze lands on Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark... my inspiration. Standing next to a huge number 12... kissing!

I don't get to look any longer because Pinna drags me over to a chariot with a glass cylinder standing in it. The top rim has a strip of metal round it with big, decorative brass bolts glued on. The bottom is the same. The glass cylinder is really big, big enough to fit a person in it... me in it! Pinna is staring at it grinning like a Cheshire cat. Me? I am looking at it and thinking EEEK! I then look down at me feet and think EEEK again!

Pinna clicks his fingers and a beeping noise commences from somewhere behind us. I turn around to see a forklift truck heading our way, driven by a member of my prep team. When the forklift is positioned right in front of the chariot it stops and the driver gives Pinna a thumbs up. Pinna hops on the front of the forklift and then motions me to join him.

"You've gotta be kidding, right?"

"Well how else are you meant to get in?" My worst fears are confirmed, I am going in the cylinder. I think the cylinder is meant to represent a pipe and I am the water? The driver raises the fork until we are the height of the cylinder.

"How do we do this exactly?" I ask because I can't do the obvious option which is to jump because, well, my shoes are made of glass after all. Pinna slips his arms under mine and kicks my feet off the fork. Thankfully he lowers me into the cylinder a little more gently than that.

"Ok so I get it, this is the pipe, I am the water and Zizal is the plumber. I love it!" Hopefully Pinna is happy with the result.

"No. That is the pipe, Zizal is the plumber, you are the water nymph that lives in the pipe and that..." Pinna points to the hose being dangled into the cylinder behind me, "...is the water." Right on queue the hosepipe is turns on and freezing cold water starts pouring into the cylinder.

"Pinna, how am I meant to breath!"

"When the water gets to neck level stick the tubes up your nose. Then just breath through your nose and keep your mouth shut. Your right shoe is an oxygen canister and don't even think about asking how it works because I don't know, it just does."

"You seem stressed. I would offer to get you a cup of tea... but I'm stuck in a tube that is filling up with water! Sugar! What if the parade goes on for ages and I run out of air!"

"Queue Zizal. If you run out of air just tap on the glass and he will." Pinna mimes someone hitting a nail with a hammer. I glance at Zizal and spot the nail and hammer in his hands. I also notice the sheer jealousy plastered on his face. I don't blame him, if situations were reversed I would be pretty miffed.

When the water reaches my chin I stick the tubes up my nose. The water keeps on rising... wait... wait... wait... wait... I am still alive!

When the cylinder if full the hose is turned off and taken out.

"Aiza... Aiza open your eyes!" Oh right. "And raise your arms just a little bit." I do as Pinna says, "Fab-u-lus!" Key and Thistle give us a thumbs up and motion for us to smile as Zizal steps onto the chariot. District 6's chariot heads out and then we are moving.

The noise outside is deafening. Music is playing and the crowds are cheering. There are even fireworks bursting in the starry night sky. Reds, greens and golds against the inky blue sky. If this were any other parade it would be fantastic. But it's not, it's a Hunger Games parade.

I steel a glance at the screens and do a double take. All the cameras are on me and heck, they should be... I look amazing! You cannot see my shoes so it looks like I am floating, the tubes are invisible as well; it must look like magic! My hair is floating at odd angles but I still look stunning.

Maybe this parade won't be so bad after all.

I start to relax and wave to my adoring crowd. Drinking in the shouts of my name.

The spotlight must shine one everyone eventually, so why can't it be my turn tonight?

Three hours later I find myself tucked up in bed with a reading lamp on beside me and a program of the parade in my hands. No cylinders were smashed and I didn't drown so in the scheme of things tonight was pretty well... oh who am I kidding tonight was amazing! I had the best outfit by far!

But now I must be serious. It is time to learn names. If I am going to kill them I might at least have the politeness to learn their names.

I open the program. The names are laid out in a circle just like the districts are in real life. I memorise the names; round the districts, girl then boy:

Halo Missle

Toga Mann

Cee Fox

Victor Vallis – how cocky can you get?!

Bloom Jeffory

Chase Browning

Venus Antle

Jorge Luck – Luck, you'll need it!

Camille Walk

Rover Izz

Minni Unos

Hill Isslington

Aiza Monett – Yours truly

Zizal Karry

Nelly Hommes

Liam Kindle

Kacy Niles

Blue Castle

Nettle Ponol

Pine Nastil

Cleo Lance

Pepper Fevais

Delly Jump

Redmund Ocho.

I cut my name out of the programme and put it in my pocket (who put pockets in pyjamas?). Because it is the year of the rose in the capitol calendar all the names have a rose by them.

Looking at the tributes names and the flowers and the circle reminds me of a nursery rhyme my sister and I use to sing when we were little:

Ring-a-ring-a roses A pocket full of poses Atishoo Atishoo They all fall down...

A nursery rhyme that is about to come true. One rose, Zizal's rose, is already wilting.

A/N: Sorry if there are any mistakes I rushed to finish this tonight and have not proof read it and sorry this chapter has taken sooo long! Flame me if you want (wait don't I might get upset). Thankyou if you have stuck with me so far on this story, it means a lot to me. Hopefully the next chapters will be easier to write. I know twins called Cinna and Pinna is a bit cheesy but they are from the capitol! Please tell me what you think of this chapter because personally I hated it.

Please review,

Adios!