CHAPTER 6

The next day I drag myself out of bed unusually early and plod downstairs. Jasmine is still asleep, her little paws batting some imaginary mouse or something. I make breakfast for myself and stare aimlessly at the blank white wall for a while. I swear to god, most of my spare time is like this. Staring at that white wall. I wish someone was on the other side… Someone I could talk to. The phone ringing is the only thing that shakes me out of my daydream and makes me think about the present. Right. The phone. Picking it up, I press the answer button.

"Tyler residence." I answer straight off.

"Uh… Hey. This is me at the… Jones residence." Martha replies, unsure.

"Oh. Hey." I grin.

"So Mickey said you were going to bet this year…" she trails off. I shrug and them realise she can't see me.

"Well yeah… Except I don't know who to bet on." I reply, examining a speck of dirt on the kitchen counter.

"Well you're in luck." She tells me. I wonder why she's up this early… "They managed to get faster trains this year and the parade is tonight!" She announces, proudly. My face breaks out into a grin.

"Fantastic."

"Do you want me to come and watch it with you?" She asks. Oh dear… Now I feel guilty.

"Uh… I'm really sorry, but I already booked a ticket at the parade." I mumble. There's a minute pause before she answers ad I feel even worse.

"No, that's ok." She replies, and I can hear the disappointment in her voice.

"Sorry." I apologise again.

"It's ok. I'll see you tomorrow!" She replies, sounding slightly happier, although I still feel awful about it.

"Bye." I hang up.

But it's still good news. The parade is this evening, not in a few days and the tributes have arrived sooner than expected. If I'm sponsoring one of them, tonight is the first proper look at them I'll get. Quietly, I pad upstairs in my slippers and enter my room. It's cold and I'm so tempted just to crawl back into my unmade bed, surrounding myself in the down blankets. Instead I open the door to my en suite and shower, washing out the night's tangles and struggles. The hot water helps me to relax. I've been feeling on edge recently, and I don't know why. Turning off the hot water, I step out and wrap my hair and body up in towels, then brush my teeth. Standard morning routine.

Now to dress. I take off the towels and let the fans dry my body and the electric current sort my hair out. Then I make my way to the large walk in wardrobe, trying to pick something out for tonight. I'll change into that later, so I opt for wearing joggers and a t-shirt around the house until then. I find a gown that's to my fancy and lay it out on my bed. It's a good thing no one's around today. If they saw me wearing clothes as simple as these I'd be a laughing stock. Capitol citizens like myself, pride ourselves on our adventurous fashion choices and make-up. Even the men. Currently, I look like a District citizen and that doesn't go down to well.

I spend the rest of the day watching various rubbish on TV and playing with Jasmine. It's not been productive, but it's going to be a busy and exciting evening, so I don't care.

I jump up when I realise it's six o'clock and rush around in the kitchen, making myself a small, quick meal. Then I hurry upstairs to get ready. The dress I picked is black and long, fairly skin-tight, but not obscene. Kind of glittery, but not overwhelming. I don't like standing out too much in the crowds, and especially as this is my first time going to the parade.

It's time to go.

I grab my handbag, dropping my phone, keys and tribute notebook into it, and then leave, waving a little goodbye to Jasmine, who looks lazily up at me and bats a paw at the air. I close the door behind me and feel the wind on my face. The evening air is rich with the cloying scents of various flowers up and down the tiled street and I walk forward onto the pavement. There are taxis everywhere and I hail the nearest one, which stops outside my house. I clamber inside and smile at the cabbie.

"Parade streets, please." I request. He nods, and the taxi starts up. He's an avox. No Capitol citizen would be willing to take a job as a cabbie when they could be living it up in the rich offices of the town. I watch the world outside as it flies by, not knowing what this evening will bring.

The taxi stops and I pay the driver, know he won't get any of it. All the Avoxes are paid in is food and meagre bed for the night. I can't help feel sorry for him.

There are crowds all up and down the parade streets. There's still about half an hour until it starts and I have to find my seat first. It takes me no less than 10 minutes and I sit down, looing round, excitedly. The crowds have almost all found their seats and I'm actually excited. The atmosphere is electric; the chatter of the crowd roaring in my ears, and my heart is beating fast with anticipation.

I'm fidgeting in my seat when the cannon booms and the stable doors open, further down the street and I sit up, long with most of the crowd. The chariots are rolling out and I can see them in the flesh; The tributes.

Please review! :D Thank you so much for reading; It means a huge amount :D You can also PM me any other characters you wan to see in the various parts leading up to the games :)

Lucy xxx