Two: The Meeting

Today is like it always is, we wait patiently until the train comes in and then we make the poor tributes over. We rid them of their impurities, cut their hair, and wax their eyebrows; we file their nails and tan their skin- if they'll let us we even give them some sort of Capitol touch like a tattoo or an earring. District Seven tributes almost never allow us to do that. It makes our designers, Demetrius and Helena Fishborne; very upset since they'd rather we accent their "simple yet elegant" designs with skin decorations.

I wait on the platform for the train to arrive. Desdemona Parsnip and District Seven's mentor, Benedict Thorne, will exit the train first, followed by Demetrius and Helena and lastly our tributes. I feel anxious this morning more than I ever have before. Last year our tributes were both sixteen- most of the tributes end up being about that age. It's easier to watch a sixteen year old go in than a twelve year old. I fidget uneasily thinking about how I'm possibly going to keep my feelings of sorrow hidden when Lennox steps off that train. I've never worked with a tribute younger than fourteen, and he wasn't even the tribute I worked with daily.

The train pulls into the station with a vibrating whoosh, and the wind blows my bright red curls in front of my face. My team erects themselves and we watch as Desdemona exits the train. She smiles at us, her pink skin glinting in the sunlight. Then comes Benedict- a lanky fellow who's beginning to bald and doesn't speak very often- Demetrius and Helena follow, walking arm in arm, smiling at us and shaking our hands, making small talk as we watch the exit expectantly.

Lennox comes first, her golden hair knotted behind her neck, her hand firmly in her brothers, tear stains lining her cheeks. Horatio stares forward with that same emotionless glare. Demetrius pulls them apart and shoves Lennox toward Helena and her team and leads Horatio toward us. Something inside me shrinks a little. I'd wanted so badly to comfort Lennox; I know none of Helena's team will so much as try to be kind to her. They'll simply gossip while she worries about whether or not she'll be dead in a week.

Demetrius clears his throat then, "Team, this is our tribute this year, Mr. Horatio Thisbe. Horatio this is your prep team; Reynaldo, Frain, Cimorene and Nerissa. They'll be helping prepare you for my exquisite designs! They'll take you back now to get started, yes? Yes! Very good! Chop, chop now!"

Reynaldo sets a long hand on Horatio's shoulder and leads him into the building to the room where we will begin his preparation for the tribute parade. The parade isn't until tomorrow, but they'll have to look their best, and we can't accomplish that without enough time. It's dull work since I've done it so many times before. First we strip him down- one becomes numb to the strangeness of a naked body in this job- then we let him soak in special elixir's and oils for about an hour. We then move on to hair and skin salvation. That will be all for tonight, but it takes a good three to four hours depending on the tribute.

So when we finish within two and a half hours the whole team is more than thrilled. Demetrius does a thorough inspection and the smiles clasping the boy on the back. Well, I suppose he isn't really a boy; he's my age, eighteen, almost old enough to escape the reapings- almost. Demetrius walks with him to dinner in their eighth floor apartment.

The view isn't very good from our floor; all you can see is the building beside us and the alleyway between the buildings. Venia- one of the newest members of District Twelve's prep team- gushes about the view from the twelfth floor. I guess I'll never know.

The team is technically allowed to eat dinner with the tributes, the designers, the mentor and the event coordinator, but there's an unspoken rule that we ought not to. So the prep teams wait hungrily until the tributes are finished and headed off to bed, to eat. However, Desdemona's clicking shoes hit our ears just as we're sitting in our rooms to wait.

"Our little Lennox thinks you all should eat with us tonight." She says smiling. There's a strain of discomfort and frustration emanating from her, but we follow anyways.

I've never seen the table so full of food, we get there so late it's usually half gone (not that half gone isn't enough food). All of us take our seats slowly as the Avox's set our cutlery on the napkins before us.

"Well doesn't this just look ducky? Ha, get it? Ducky!" Desdemona laughs lightly as she spears the duck in the middle of the table.

Demetrius and Helena laugh with her and the rest of us follow dutifully. Not Horatio though. He sits beside his sister with the same awful glare that he's been wearing this entire time. Even quiet, introverted Benedict and his frightened little sister have cracked smiles at Desdemona's dreadfully Capitol joke.

The rest of the meal passes the way most meals in the Capitol do; gossiping. They gossip about fashion trends, and hairstyles, and mentor changes and new designers and tributes both from this year and previous years. They also try to talk to Lennox and Horatio. Lennox gives a few answers and smiles when they ask about her hobbies and what it's like in district seven.

"Ro works with daddy cutting wood." Lennox says as she shoves a pile of roasted potatoes into her mouth.

"Ro?" I ask. It's the first thing I've said all night.

Her eyes fall on me steadily, as if she hadn't noticed me until that very moment- which is quite possible. "It's what my family calls Horatio."

"Here, it's Horatio." Her brother snaps. It's the first time any of us have heard him speak and a stunned silence falls over the table.

"Fine." I reply finally. "Do they call you something else at home, Lennox?" I turn my attention back to the girl.

"Ro calls me Lenny." She says almost as if she were telling me a secret. "Do you have a nickname?" She asks suddenly.

I frown at the question since everyone in the Capitol goes by their full name. I don't think anyone's ever thought to shorten them. "Oh, uh, no- just Nerissa."

Her eyes sparkle "That's so pretty, I wouldn't want to shorten that."

I feel my cheeks flush with heat and am suddenly glad to have had the pigment change so they can't see me blush.

Suddenly Horatio stands from the table and tugs his sister up with him. "We're done. We're going to our rooms; don't come until you need us in the morning." He says forcefully. He drags Lennox down the hall and slams his door after they've entered.

"Well," Benedict says sighing. "I thought we had a winner this year, but it looks like we've just got another hot-headed woods man."