AN-Alright, here's chapter 11! I'll try and update sooner! Disclaimer: I am NOT the brilliant Suzanne Collins; if I were I wouldn't be on here.
*Last time*
"This way please," one of them says.
"Uh, what's going on?" Lachlan asks.
"You'll see…"
...
Chapter 11:
They lead us through two double doors and before us sits twenty-four wood chairs in a semi-circle and two chairs in front of those chairs facing each other. Powerful overhead lights shine down on the stage. Television cameras that are shut off sit in different places around the room. And then it hits me.
"Let's get out of here!" I hiss to Lachlan.
"Wait, why?"
"It's a mock interview! We should get out of here before they do something stu-!"
"Lachlan! Aura! Over here!" Marlene calls.
Damn. There went our chance to escape. The two men bring us over to her and then disappear. Marlene gestures for us to sit in the seventh and eighth chairs in the line.
"You two are probably wondering why you're here. Well, Finnick and I decided to put together a mock interview session! Answer the questions honestly and truthfully and don't forget about your angles!"
"Speaking of Finnick, where is he?" Lachlan asks. I'm afraid to hear the answer.
"You'll see!" and with that, she walks off stage and somewhere to the sidelines. A short clip of the national anthem plays before a brightly blue dressed Finnick walks on stage.
Lachlan slaps his hand to his forehead and swears under his breath.
Finnick is dressed in a sea blue suit and matching shoes and has his back to us addressing an invisible crowd, pretending to be Caesar Flickerman. Oh Panem, this is going to be a long night.
...
After addressing the 'crowd', Finnick announces that for this mock interview Lachlan will be going first instead of me preceding him.
Finnick calls Lachlan up and holds out his right hand. Lachlan reluctantly takes it and then glares at Finnick as they take seats in the two placed a ways from me.
"Alright, I want you to answer any questions I ask honestly and seriously, even any that aren't answered normally in Interviews, okay?" Finnick instructs.
"Okay…"
"How do you like your stay in the Capitol?"
"It's been… interesting."
"How so?"
Lachlan continues to glare at Finnick and mouths, 'I hate you.'
"Uh, we've all seen another side of each other while being here. But, at the end of the day, we're all a family."
Wow. He managed to get out of that quick. Lachlan answers the questions Finnick spitballs at him with ease, and is able to get out of any questions he's uncomfortable with. That is until Finnick asks about love life.
"So do you have anyone special waiting for you back home?"
"No, not really."
"Are you implying that maybe there's someone here then? Maybe in this very room? Remember answer honestly," Finnick presses, a smirk playing on his lips. There's obviously some rivalry between the two or something. Boys, I'll never understand.
"Yes."
Finnick claps his hands, probably to annoy the crap out of Lachlan even more.
"Who?"
With gritted teeth Lachlan answers, "Aura."
"And have you two ki-?"
Lachlan bolts up and walks back over to where I am. "Hey, calm down. He's just trying to push your buttons," I whisper to him, standing up and striding over to the chair where Lachlan sat a few moments ago. "That wasn't very nice, ya know," I whisper to Finnick.
"So how do you like your stay in the Capitol?"
Guess its right down to the questions.
"It's been a very…overwhelming experience. But I've learned a lot of new things about people around me."
"That's always a nice thing to experience."
The rest of the fake interview goes off without a hitch even when I'm questioned about my love life. After Finnick reads off his last question, the national anthem plays once more and we're let off and heading back to our rooms. Lachlan joins up with me in the elevator and we take the long walk down to our rooms. "Hey, don't let him mess with you," I tell him when we get to my room.
"I know."
"Well…big day tomorrow! The real interview and all. Have a nice night." I lean up and plant a kiss on his cheek and when I pull away he kisses me on my lips. I'm the first one to pull away. "Night." I enter my room and close the door. Today has been exhausting. I change my clothes and climb into bed wishing that tomorrow goes well.
...
I wake up from dosing off for at least the forth time. I wrangle myself out of bed and decide that I need to walk outside. Making sure I'm decent enough, I head out the door into the darkened hallway. I hear a door shut and I call out, "Hello?"
"Couldn't sleep?" a voice whispers. Lachlan steps into view. "Yes. I'm just…" I sit down against the wall. He follows. "I'm just nervous that I'm going to screw up in front of everybody. And that I'll let my dad down."
"Everything will be fine. We'll be barked at by our prep team and turn out great. Our interviews will be fantastic, and I hear Caesar helps out the contestants if you need it."
I yawn when he finishes, and he follows soon after. "Guess yawning is contagious, huh?" I say. "Yep." There's a sleepy, comfortable silence and I lean on Lachlan's shoulder. He wraps his arms around my waist and lays his head on mine. I start dosing off again and sometime before I do, I murmur, "Goodnight." I can barely hear his reply but I can hear one thing.
"I love you."
...
AN-I liked writing that! Okay to recap: Marlene and Finnick hold a mock interview with Finnick pretending to be Caesar Flickerman. He has Lachlan go first instead of the other way around and then challenges him, which Lachlan can't take. After the 'interview' they head off to bed, but can't fall asleep. Aura and Lachlan meet each other outside and then fall asleep in each others' arms!
Cute right? So how will the day turn out? Will everything go well for Aura and Lachlan? Stayed tune! Please review!