Authors Note: Hopefully this chapter is better than the others now that we're in the Capitol and thanks for sticking by with my boring set-up chapters! Thanks for all the reviews; it makes me really proud. I'm hoping you'll all approve of how I'm portraying Cato, he will start to get more temperamental/Cato-like when training starts. I probably wont be updating every day from now on, I just wanted to get up to the Capitol chapters when she meets the Careers quite quickly, but it depends on how good this chapter goes to how when I'll update.
Chapter Three
Grey's POV
It wasn't long before I was lying on a table getting my eyebrows done. I had disembarked from the train in the Capitol with Finnick guiding me by a hand on my waist; I was too busy waving and smiling to the multitude of overenthusiastic Capitol citizens to be concentrating. Spens had stayed a few meters behind me the whole time; a fact I figured was partly so he could bask in his own glory and probably also because he didn't seem like my Number 1 Fan. I was a little disappointed, I had hoped for a tribute partner that I could sit and talk about our friends and family back home with. I guess careers weren't supposed to be like that anyway, seeing as we came here to win. And I would win, because I had already promised myself that I was going back to District 4 when I finished up here.
My prep team had run at me with such vigour when I had finished navigating the crowds that I was tempted for a second to run and lock myself back in the train carriage! They were all babbling and talking so quickly that it took a few seconds of me looking bewildered before I started understanding what on earth they were saying.
"Oh my goodness, we got such a pretty one!" and "Look at those legs! I bet you swim all the time in your district, you lucky thing," were some of the many comments I was bombarded with on the trip through the Capitol.
Lying on my back as they plucked at my eyebrows, my gaze drifted to my left where the curtain separating me from the next tribute was slightly open. I couldn't see past his or her prep team for a few minutes, but when they moved I saw a sleeping tribute with such immaculate eyebrows that I knew that's what they must have been working on. Sleeping, he was sleeping! I couldn't believe it, but I knew when they started waxing his legs he wouldn't be looking like that. His hair was damply plastered on his head, dark blond, and he had a perfectly calm expression on his face. I admit he was very handsome, but he'd never hear it from me.
My prep team, oblivious to the fact that I was ogling the tribute next door, moves down to my legs. I hear a rustle from beside me and notice that the blond tribute is waking up. I see his eyelids flutter a couple of times, dazed, before he sits up on his elbow and raises his eyebrow at something at the end of his table. The change in him is instantaneous, one second he is tranquil and gentle looking, the next he has an arrogant and sarcastic air around him. He reminds me of a toned up Finnick and I realise that it's probably a male career thing. I secretly wonder if he'll kill me before I see his soft side again.
I must catch his attention because I feel his gaze run over me and I turn my head to stare him and his sky-blue eyes down. I see him chuckle at me quietly and he mouths, 'District?' with a questioning expression on his face. I am about to call out a reply when I remember my prep team is right beside me and that I'm probably not allowed to communicate with the other tributes yet. I hold up four fingers instead. I hear the ripping of a wax strip against skin and see him sit up like a blast of electricity has just gone up his body. He hisses a "Watch it!" to people standing out of view and flops back down facing me.
"District 2." He smirks, leaning on one arm in a provocative pose. He quickly sneaks a glance down to check if his prep team are watching, and then forms a C at me with his hand. I decide it must be a sign for the careers, but before I can reply, he winks at me and someone on his side shuts the gap in the curtain. Asking someone into your alliance while you're both getting your legs waxed? Classy.
Many wax strips and different outfits later, I'm finally released from the clutches of my prep team and stylist and I make my way alone in the elevator to where the chariots are awaiting the beginning of the tribute parade. I've yet to see Spens outfit but I'm told our outfits will compliment each other "perfectly." To be honest, I can't imagine anything relating to Spens complimenting me. Normally District 4's parade outfits revolve around fish, but I was sporting more of a water princess/siren outfit. My hair stylist had pulled most of my hair into an updo and had braided some fake seaweed and shells into it. Combined with a blue dress edged with lace that made it ripple like water, I looked startling.
I came off the elevator into a large warehouse. All the chariots were arranged in the half-circle patterns that they would form in front of President Snow after the parade. Most of the tributes were already mulling around their chariot or having touch ups done to their costume or makeup. I saw a couple of tributes look up at me but they quickly looked down again with frightened expressions. Most of the tributes didn't look like they wanted to be here at all, I on the other hand at least felt a little prepared after seeing many replays of the games. Only one pair of blue eyes stayed staring at me, and as I passed him the District 2 tribute raised his eyebrow at me. He had his chest dominantly pressed out wearing a stone grey gladiator outfit as someone in his prep team was adding blusher to his face. Very masculine. As I continued to stare him down, I suddenly collided with the District 1 chariot. Going bright red and trying to ignore the booming laughter, I turned to face the grinning tribute I'd run into.
"Cato, huh?" He grinned at me, eying the still laughing tribute, and when I didn't answer, "Cato's the guy over there, gladiator outfit. He's running the career alliance this year and since you've obviously got his attention you'll probably be seeing him a lot. Watch out for his temper though. If you see him about to blow, duck. Hey by the way, I'm Marvel." Marvel was tall with brown hair and except for his green eyes and paler skin, I probably would have placed him in a lower district. He didn't ooze the overconfident aura that Cato did, but I knew that it would be under the surface trained to come out when it was needed. Still embarrassed, I introduced myself quickly and hurried to board my own chariot, not daring to spare another look at Cato. Looking the other way at the elevator, I saw two girls come out together and head towards me. I didn't need to look twice to know they were careers, their posture gave it away. One was average height with blonde hair rather similar to mine, and the other was smaller with black hair, looking much more deadly. I saw her eyes flick to me for a second, and I had to fight the urge to look away from her glare. They joined Marvel and Cato on their chariots, and just before the first chariot left the warehouse, Spens silently slipped in beside me.