Jake's POV
There's something magical about watching Marley on the big screens as we are paraded around the town square in our matching outfits. Marley was clearly nervous and you could tell it by the way her eyes were cool and calculating. She looked absolutely amazing and I knew that even standing beside her in matching outfit that she outshined me. But that was the way I wanted it. I wanted her to have as many sponsors as possible so she could have the best chance of winning the Hunger Games. I didn't care that people were cheering her name louder than mine, and I didn't care that she was thrown flowers. None of that mattered because she was on fire and she looked HOT. Once Marley had calmed down a little and her adrenalin was pumping she began to relax and her eyes began to sparkle in the way I loved.
Her face had minimal makeup but that was the way I liked it. Marley didn't need pounds of makeup to look beautiful, she just was. She was a natural beauty and even when in District 12, where beauty came second to survival, she was beautiful. I can't remember a time when I saw a more beautiful girl. The other Districts may have the luxury of having jewels and body paint but Marley has her natural beauty. Marley was the girl on fire.
The crowd started to cheer her name and from somewhere someone threw her a rose. She caught it and gave it a gentle sniff. The crowd cheered louder than before as she smiled and waved to the crowd. For her having such a negative reaction on the train she sure was playing the part of a crowd pleasing tribute. We get to the end of the street and are rounded up in front of President Snow's mansion. He gives a speech but I'm not paying attention to him. My eyes are glued to Marley and how stunning she looks in her outfit. I hardly notice how hard we've been holding hands until she releases her grip. We both massage our hands till we can flex our fingers and get some feeling back in them. Our next task was training for the Games and the pre-show/ interviews, and I was not looking forward to it.