Disclaimer: I do not own Hunger Games and anything from the novels is attributed to its author.
My attempt at keeping regular updates continues. The real action is about to start with more reference to the original storyline. Remember looks and actions can be deceiving! Enjoy!
Chapter 17
The Chariot Parade
"You are now officially beautified, Ms. Everdeen." Effie chirps happily, clapping her hands in excitement. She stalks me in a circle, examining every inch of my appearance with her scrutinizing eyes. I am only a valuable toy to her, something to be maintained and shown off for others to admire. Does she even care about what I think? Not that I am actually thinking of anything besides my sudden urge to choke that long neck of hers with my newly manicured fingers. It is her fault that I am in this situation right now. Well her and those damn stylists….
First, the stylists took me down to Beauty Level 0. What is Beauty Level 0 exactly? It means that they primed, plucked, waxed, shaved, scrubbed, and drowned me with water until my skin shone with a healthy glow or blazed red where they ripped whatever hair they could find off. They tell me that I am to be their white canvas, a starting point to work their magic on. What does that even mean?
These hours are pure torture, trying my patience to the maximum. Every time I try to ask them whether I am done, the annoying male of the three would douse me with more water or pluck some invisible hair they hadn't found yet in answer. I slowly become desperate for air, tired of swallowing water every five minutes. My hatred for being under their torturous treatment is ebbed once they inform me I am being taken to Cinna. If I never see a brush or hose again, I will die happy.
The names of my three tormentors escape me during this time although my nicknames for them stick hours later. Mouse is the one I could tolerate the best, her blue hair complementing her quiet personality. She is the least ridiculous looking of the bunch, with minor tattoos on her face and pink peeking out beneath her shiny silver coat. Pinky is the more outrageous looking of the two girls, her bright pink hair giving me a headache every time I look at her. She has tattoos all over her face with purple stars on her cheeks and green sparkles around her eyes. While Mouse is pink, Pinky has purple with blue trim fabric that peeks out from beneath her shiny coat. The bane of my existence and worst of the three, Frog, has green hair with green tattoos littering his face. The green fabric of his shirt peeks out beneath the shiny coat each time he sprays me with water.
Frog thankfully has Mouse escort me to a sealed room where she instructs me to lay down and wait. The dull gray of the walls and beauty torture devices on the table next to the metal bed do little to alleviate my annoyance. Mouse smiles apologetically at me, wishing me luck with Cinna as she closes the door behind her. Despite the dullness of it, I enjoy the peace and dryness the room offers after spending the last several hours being tortured and doused in water by Frog. The sealed room is a welcome break from my frivolous tormentors of fashion and beauty.
A darker skinned man with piercings greets me a while later as he walks in. Surprisingly, Cinna is underwhelming when compared to Mouse, Pinky, and Frog, who I later learn are his assistants and my prep team. He treats me like a person with shaking my hand and asking me how my sister Katniss is. This catches me by surprise since Katniss never mentioned anyone named Cinna. I shrug, asking how he knows my sister. His secretive smile puts me on guard while his next question catches me off guard.
"What do you think of fire?" Cinna politely asks a mysterious glint in his eyes as he studies me. It feels like he is examining me, not in the scrutinizing way Effie loves, but to test me. He might want to see whether I am worthy of his creations or designs. Is it either that or whether I am anything like my older sister Kit-Kat., meaning he is about to be terribly disappointed.
My response is a wry grin and questioning glare. "Why? Thinking of setting me on fire?" I reply sarcastically, annoyance evident in my tone. What kind of idiot did they assign to be my stylist? Being a tribute from 12 meant that our district usually got the worst of the lot. Despite Katniss's recent victory, District 12 is still the laughing stock of Panem.
"What if I am?" Cinna implies, mirth lurking beneath his cool exterior. He leans back in his chair, his hands locking around the knee crossed over his left leg. Cinna's posture is relaxed, almost waiting to see what kind of reaction he can arise out of me.
Shockingly, my voice is calm when I speak despite my erratic heartbeat. "You have got to be kidding me. I was just joking!" I exclaim, outrage reverberating through my words. Is this idiot trying to kill me? My thoughts and fears are confirmed. The capitol has it out for me.
Cinna's face becomes serious as he studies me. "I am not joking, Nightlock" He retorts, a cunning grin overtaking him. "There is a fire in you that remind me of your sister, our Girl on Fire. She wears this power like armor, allowing it to shield her from the capitol's cruelty. You have the potential to do the same. Why not let everyone see this fervor of yours for their own eyes? Let them know that your inner flame doesn't only burn figuratively but visually before them."
"You are mad, Cinna." I whisper quietly, staring directly into his eyes. The intensity and intelligence within them terrifies me. How did my sister find this man? He could idolize anyone with his ideas one day and destroy them the next. Did he even realize the kind of power he held? "Brilliant but mad." I add, not knowing what else to say.
Cinna smirks triumphantly at my words. "Exactly Nightlock." He responds, turning to the table next to him. He grabs one of those dreaded hairbrushes before looking back at me. "Let's get started."
Those words elicit terror within me while squeals can be heard from the other side of the door. His three assistants join us at this moment, excited expressions on their faces. Frog looks smug, Pinky intrigued, and Mouse happy at realizing I am willingly going along with their plans. What am I getting myself into?
A whirlwind of clothes, makeup, and hair tugging later, I am ready. Pinky and Mouse hug each other as they finish the final touches on my hair while Frog gloats in the corner over his hard work. Frog somehow manages to squirt me with water twice during the entire ordeal, eliciting laughs from his fellow assistants and shrieks of protest from me. I will get that frog man if it's the last thing I do.
Cinna escorts me out of the sealed room away from my tormentors and through various corridors until I am sufficiently lost. We pass by several individuals I don't recognize until I am able to spot the familiar form of my arch nemesis, Effie Trinket. I plead silently that she will overlook me but luck is never on my side when it comes to this woman. She spots us almost immediately, an elated smile on her face among the bright colors of her outfit.
Effie walks swiftly over to us, her colorful heels clicking on the floor. I cringe with each step, not looking forward to confronting the capitol woman after my strenuous afternoon. Her elaborate outfit invades my vision as she stops right in front of us. Effie somehow managed to pull off a purple floor length dress with gold and pink accents in various places. Her matching heels add height to her, making it easy for her to tower over my short stature. All she needs are feathers and the outfit would be complete.
"Ms. Everdeen, my dear!" She cries, her elated expression making me think of a bird twittering happily after finding food. "Cinna, you outdid yourself! What is exactly the concept behind this?" Effie asks, a curious glimmer flooding into her eyes. Who knew that the peacock could form big words?
"Hello Ms. Trinket." Cinna replies, a secretive grin forming as he speaks. "An artist never reveals his secrets. I believe that the outfit will be able to speak for itself." His words imply a hidden meaning behind them in my opinion. I am pretty sure he just told Effie to go away. Go Cinna!
Effie pouts in an attempt to be cute at Cinna's words. She utterly fails at this, resembling a puckering fish more than anything else. Realizing that her cute attempt failed, a frown begins to mar her face. "Really Cinna. You don't have to be so secretive about it." She retorts hotly, apparently not liking that Cinna stopped her from getting her way.
Cinna just continues grinning in response, laughter dancing in his eyes. "Ms. Trinket, don't worry. It will be well worth the wait." He states, appealing to her curious nature in an attempt to smooth over the exchange. If I didn't know any better, I would believe Cinna to be a spy with his ability to keep secrets. Then again, I hardly know Cinna at all.
To my disappointment, Effie turns to focus her attention back on me. "Ms. Everdeen, let me get a good look at you." She probes, the candy sweet quality to her voice making me nervous. Effie being nice to me always leads to an unpleasant experience in my opinion. Ms. Trinket might beg to differ, which leads me back to my present situation…
"Nightlock?"
I stare at my newly manicured fingers, wondering they would look like around her throat. Just the thought of slowly choking the life out of that peacock brings a sudden flash of joy to me followed by disgust. What is happening to me? The urge to kill Effie Trinket fades away as I try to fight off my revulsion at myself. Is the capitol already changing me into something I am not?
"Nightlock!" Katniss shouts, shocking me out of my inner musings. Worry for me is written all over my sister's face as my eyes meet her own. Grey challenges grey in a silent duel as I try my best to comfort her silently. Effie has no right to hear or see the intimate exchange between us. Whatever Katniss sees in my eyes reassures her as she smiles slightly at me.
"Hey Kit-Kat." I murmur quietly, a slight blush splattering my cheeks. My heart is beating erratically, palms sweaty as I realize that my nightmares are coming to life. I will be presented to Panem along with Peeta Mellark, forced to live up to my sister's legacy as the Girl on Fire. Katniss's presentation last year is one to remember, the flames encircling her in the black skin tight outfit empowering her. There is no way I can compete with that.
Katniss reaches out to touch my fake curls, the hairstyle that my stylists forced on me. She touches the red glitter in my hair, at least that is what Mouse told me it is called, chuckling. "You look beautiful, little fire." She whispers, a sad expression taking away the smile from earlier.
"Little fire?" I ask, wondering why she is calling me that now. I am not the Girl on Fire, only a poor imitation to the real thing. That is Kit-Kat's role. She embodies that power with everything that she is. My sister, Katniss Everdeen, will forever be remembered as the Girl on Fire.
"You are my little fire, Lock. Cinna told me what he planned for you and Peeta." Katniss exclaims, worry mixing in with her sad expression. She looks thoughtful for a second, chewing on her bottom lip before continuing. "He told me that you called him mad." I roll my eyes at this, knowing I am about to get reprimanded for insulting him. "Don't give me that look, Nightlock. I am not yelling at you. Trust in Cinna. Although your fire will be different than mine, it will be just as amazing."
I nod my head in response, not able to come up with any sarcastic remarks. Cinna plans to light me on fire just like he did Katniss except it won't be as elaborate. He tells me that Portia, Peeta's head stylist, and he have an idea that will make our entrance memorable. I am almost afraid to see how Peeta reacted to this idea. He doesn't see me in that way and never will.
"You ready, Nightlock?" Cinna quietly asks next to me, scaring me still despite my over awareness of him. I whirl around on my heels, the tattered edges of my dress tangling around my legs. The solemn expression in his eyes reminds me that Cinna is on my side, not the capitol's. Katniss tells me to trust him and I will. I only hope that he knows what he is doing.
"As ready as I ever will be." I croak, my voice catching in my throat. Cinna gives me a supportive grin and secretive wink as he turns to talk to Portia, who just arrived. My eyes automatically search out Peeta, who is conversing in the corner with Haymitch. His red and black outfit with gold stitching compliments him well despite the strangeness of it. My matching red and gold outfit with black stitching mirrors his own, reflecting the unrealistic quality of the theme. What are Portia and Cinna thinking?
"Nightlock?"
My attention refocuses on Katniss, her hand resting on my uncovered shoulder. Her kind smile reserved only for private moments like this reassures me. "Yes Katniss?" I inquire, wondering if there is something else she needs to tell me. She just shakes her head in response and quickly pins something to the strap of my dress. I glance down to see what, gasping at I realize what it is. "Katniss, no!"
"Take it Nightlock. For luck." She whispers, sorrow glimmering in her grey eyes. She grasps my in hers, squeezing it reassuringly. "It will protect you sister. I expect to get it back after the games when you win. You must win, Lock. No matter who stands in your way. No matter what." Katniss stresses, the pleading tone in her words pulling at my heart strings. Tears threaten to fall as I nod my head, not possessing the words to express the love and gratitude I have for her actions.
Effie takes this moment to interrupt, her shrill voice shattering the moment between us. "It is time, Ms. Everdeen." She twitters happily, the preening bird in her coming out full force. How I hate this woman.
"Yes Ms. Trinket. " I respond automatically, not having the strength to fight the annoying capitol peacock. Allowing her to usher me over to the chariot, I smile nervously as Peeta's eyes meet mine. He looks tense, the gold in his outfit bringing out the lighter blonde highlights in his hair. His knuckles are gripping the edge of the chariot, turning them white with the strength of it. I reach up to touch his arm, causing him to flinch. "Peeta?"
He turns slowly to look at me, uneasiness reflecting in his blue eyes. "Hey Nightlock." He states, wavering confidence in the words. I feel horrible for him, wondering if he knew what he was getting himself into when he volunteered for Gale. No matter what happens between us, I will forever be grateful for what he did.
"You ok Peeta?" I whisper, not wanting Effie to interrupt us. That woman is more nosey than anyone else I have ever met. If she catches wind that I lied to her about my relationship with Peeta, she will never let it go. The preening peacock is such an annoying over-beautified bird.
Peeta nods his head as my hand rests on his arm, some of the tension leaving him automatically. "I will be, Nightlock. Just nervous about this whole idea of theirs." He whispers back, the unease leaving his face as that lopsided grin of his forms. I laugh in response despite my own nervousness, understanding him completely.
"At least it is only an act." I reply, a semi-confident smile spreading across my lips. Laughter glimmers in my grey eyes as I gaze up at my sister's Boy with the Bread, wondering if we can pull this off. I am a horrible actress, despite my feelings for him to be real. My wounded heart will have to stand the pain once more to accomplish my task and fulfill my promise to Mrs. Mellark.
A flash of hurt followed by relief reflects in his blue eyes before disappearing entirely. "Of course." He exclaims, that lopsided grin of his returning. "We have to convince them for this to work. Ready, my bird?" He jokes, causing me to cringe at the nickname. I know that it will probably stick if my prep team has anything to do with it.
"I guess-"
Effie interrupts us before I can finish my sentence, that chirping of hers grating my already frazzled nerves. "Alright you two. It is time. Make us proud!"
Peeta and I share a look as we are positioned by Cinna and Portia in the chariot. I am on the left with Peeta on the right, the roses that will trigger our flames in our right and left hands respectively. Cinna gives us one last secretive smile while Portia fights off her solemn expression with forced enthusiasm. Haymitch just grunts at us to "give them a show" while Katniss just smiles somberly behind. What a sorry bunch we make.
Swallowing my pride, I reach out to grasp Peeta's free hand with my own. He swiftly turns his head, surprise reflecting in his eyes. I just smile with fake confidence, raising our joined hands to indicate it is all part of the plan. He returns my smile, nodding his head in understanding. We both look out towards the opening curtains in front of us, ready to show Panem what we truly are.
We are the volunteering tributes of District 12, twin phoenixes rising from the flames, Peeta Mellark, Katniss's Boy with the Bread, and Nightlock Everdeen, younger sister of the Girl on Fire.