Chapter 5: The Parade

Josie – the Capitol

So much food - enough to feed my district for months – and such a large room - and I thought Finnick's house was big! But what I really don't understand is why they need to "prepare me." It sounds as if they're fixing a piece of meat to be cooked or something...

They rip off hair and pluck my eyebrows and try to trim my hair but I fight them on that until they agree to leave my long hair at its present length. I can almost sit on it - do they even, with feathers instead of hair and curls so tight they look like they've been glued on, understand how long it took me to get my hair like this? I hear them complain about how they can't change my eyes or fix my nose. What the heck is wrong with my nose?

I'm tired and irritable - although I must admit clean - when the man with silver eyes enters the room.
"Josephine Odair," he smiles at me.
"Yes;" I say a bit rudely. My skin still stings from the scrubbing they gave me.
"I'm Song Ternudo," he says, "I'll be your stylist."
"And those three were...?"
"My assistants."
"Oh." I'm not sure what to think as he walks around me. I pull the robe tighter. It's sheer but at least it's something.
He smiles at me gently. "Josephine, I won't hurt you. If it makes you more comfortable I can give you some undergarments to wear for now but I need to see you standing straight and looking ahead. Otherwise I can't imagine the outfits on you."
"If you can...I'd like..."
"I'll get them for you," he assures me and walks into a closet.

My face burns with shame. Finnick does worse all the time and I can't even stand naked in front of a man who is going to be my stylist? But I can't, I can't...
He returns and dutifully closes his eyes and I change into a tight black bra and small black shorts. I feel completely comfortable in this - it's like a swimsuit after all.

"Okay," I say, and he turns around. Instantly, his face lights up.

"Perfect!" he declares. "Perfect! I can make you a sea nymph! You'll be wearing a cropped, light blue top and a long skirt that becomes a darker blue, with a bit of green thrown in, as you go down! You'll look as if you just stepped out of a wave! And a coral crown! What do you think?"

It sounds amazing and I tell him that. Soon I'm wearing it in front of the crowd. A wave from a chariot and find myself staring at President Snow; the man who is the cause of all this. My heart burns with hatred I have never felt before – that girl from District Twelve looks as if she is barely twelve! District Twelve: I haven't thought about them much but District Twelve has been getting as much media as me. All because a brother and a sister got reaped at the same time. He's older and hugs her protectively as we get onto the carriages and begin to please the crowd. I play my part to perfection and I'm relieved when it's over.

As soon as that awful parade ends, Finnick helps me down from the carriage.
"You were brilliant!" He tells me, giving me a hug. "The crowd loved you!"
"Don't they see how sick this is?" I hiss into his ears. "They're...celebrating a slaughter or something!"
"Anything that makes it easier for you to win is good in my eyes," he replies just as softly.
"It's..." My gaze focuses on that little girl from Twelve, her brother is helping her down from the carriage as Haymitch totters around by himself. They'll see each other suffer and die. "How can anyone...?" I don't know how to put my thoughts, my feelings, into words.
Finnick follows my gaze and swallows. "I know," he replies. "I know, Josie."

A loud bang makes us both jump. Haymitch has stumbled into District Seven's carriage. Johanna Mason sneers at him; "Watch it."
"Do you, pretty lady," Haymitch slurs at her, leaning heavily on the carriage. "Realize the importance of these games? What an event! Two pairs of star-crossed siblings! Tsk. Tsk."
Johanna glances back at us and raises a haughty eyebrow at Finnick. Finnick glares at Haymitch. The mentor from District Eleven, an older woman with a drawn face scowls at Haymitch; "Haymitch, go to bed. You're even drunker than usual. It's appalling."
I glance at the pair of tributes from Twelve. The little girl is pressed against her brother, and he has one arm around her protectively. He glares at Haymitch while she looks frightened.
"I think it's appalling that none of you are drunk," Haymitch slurs back.
"Get away," Johanna says rudely, ushering her tributes away from him.
"What do you think, pretty lady," Haymitch breathes into her face. He leans very close, "Have a drink and a little something else with me?"
Johanna slaps him with all the strength she can muster. Haymitch goes flying and leaps to his feet with a roar of anger. A knife is in his hand.

He tries to leap at her but is restrained by almost every other mentor except for Finnick who rushes to restrain Johanna. She yells at Haymitch "Never get close to me! Ever! You hear me?"
"How dare you...!" Haymitch is red-faced. "You won't leave this arena if it's the last thing I...!"
"Haymitch!" Finnick snaps at him. He sits Johanna down on a bench, glares at her and runs to stand right in front of Haymitch's face. "Haymitch! Who am I?"
Haymitch struggles to focus before saying slowly, as he stops fighting, "Pretty Boy Odair."
"That's right," Finnick says, "And when did I win the games?"
Haymitch is still. "Long time after me," he mutters, "Let me go." He totters over to a bench a sits down. He looks disorientated and angry.
"Someone should get him back to his room," Finnick says. Everyone looks at him and he sighs.
"Josie..."
"I'm fine," I tell him. "Get Mr. Drunk home before he gets on camera." Finnick hauls Haymitch to his feet and leads him to the elevator, cursing all the while. Everyone else disperses and I'm passing the siblings from Twelve when I hear the girl whisper to her brother, "Ash, how do we get back?" Ash looks around a bit nervously, obviously confused, and I approach them.
"Hi," I say. I keep my distance just in case and, sure enough, the girl looks scared and Ash looks suspicious. "Since we're going the same way, can we talk?"
Ash nods suspiciously; "Sure."
I begin walking and Ash falls into step behind me, after his sister jumps on his back. Something inside me twists painfully - they're like me and Finnick before his games.
"Haymitch must be...uh..."
"An awful mentor," Ash grumbles.
"He doesn't care about us at all," his sister adds sadly.
"But he must know he can get a ton of sponsors for you," I say. "A brother and sister? The Capitol must love it."
"No," Ash says, stopping abruptly, "They love you. The little sister of Finnick Odair! Or didn't you hear how the crowd cheered when you entered the stadium?"
"They love me know because of my brother," I counter. "Finnick can't help me in the arena."
"Sponsors can," he says pointedly.
"You too," I say.
"Haymitch won't help," the little girl says timidly. I focus on her. She's half-hiding behind her brother's shoulder, but her dark eyes are watching steadily.
"Maybe not," I tell her. "But Finnick would."
"We're District Twelve," Ash says a bit rudely.
"But if we're allies imagine how much money we could get," I tell him. "Two pairs of siblings fighting for their lives! That's how they'll see it. They want a show - we're giving them a novel as good as a modern fairy-tale!" She looks confused. He looks doubtful. I sigh.
"Think about it." I turn to leave.
"Can you use a trident?" Ash asks unexpectedly.
I look at him. "Not as well as my brother...but I never miss with a spear…or a harpoon, not that they would ever offer me one in the arena. And you? What can you do?"
"Down in the mines, I'm known for precision work with pikes - a heavy spear will work the same. And I'm strong."
His sister doesn't say anything, just regards me steadily with large dark eyes.

"And she's fast," her brother adds, "And she's smart and can hide anywhere."

"I'd take you as an ally," I say softly. "Both of you; we'll have a better chance together."
He pauses for a moment, exchanges a glance with his sister and says, "I agree."
"Shake on it," I say, extending my hand. He takes it, and then, with an embarrassed look. "Um...what's your name?"
I almost laugh. "I'm Josephine...but call me Jo."
"Ash," he replies. "And this is Collette." Collette shakes my hand too. As we get in the elevator, I remember to add. "I'm also allies with the boy from my district...but I won't trust him once there are only six people left."

Ash nods; "Good to know."

I get off on floor four and go to my room. I let the tears well to my eyes.
She's quick, Ash had said about Collette. But would she be quick enough?
 Finnick enters.
"Josie? You okay?"
"Yes," I say, hiding my face. Thank god my voice is steady. "I'm allies with the brother and sister from Twelve. Get every last pearl from that oyster, okay?"
Finnick is silent for a while before replying, "Okay."

The rest of the time at the capital is spent training.

"Don't let them see your strengths," Finnick caution Seaweed and me. "But don't look totally helpless either."

So I do archery and throw knives and hack a few things with an axe. I don't touch a trident or a spear – which what I'm good at. Although it turns out I'm pretty good with knives too, once I get used to the weight. I guess throwing something deadly is the same no matter what you're throwing. Seaweed's good at hand to hand. And Ash wasn't lying, he's good too. He's strong, I can tell. Ash and I have a deal to meet up once the games begin. So I have three allies, Seaweed, Ash, and Collette, and maybe more if the watching eyes of the boy from three tell me anything.

All too soon, I'm hugging my brother goodbye.

"See you in a few days," he tells me.

"Yes," I whisper. I give him a kiss on his cheek and follow Song into the transport.

All too soon, I'm in the arena for the first time.

Ash – the Capitol

I can now breathe a little lighter knowing that there will be someone else watching Collette's back. Training comes and soon we'll all be thrown into an area with all the other tributes. Jo barely speaks to Collette and me, but every once in a while I catch her eye as she watches Collette and me working on something, just like I'm watching her. I start learning what comes naturally to me, to Collette, and what the other tributes like. I store this knowledge away and at night I talk and share with Collette on how we can take the other tributes down. Everything comes and goes quickly, and before I know it, I'm rising in the tube, entering the arena.