Wow. I feel so bad. It's been what, three months? Yeah, you've probably heard the ''I was busy' excuse over and over. I mean, I was busy, but honestly, I was just lazy. I'm sorry. Really, I am. I only got one more review. :/
Reviews make me happy, people!
I press my hands to the cool glass of the window, watching as the sun slowly inches its way into the sky,pinks and reds colliding in a beautiful array of light. Now that the busy rush of yesterday is over, I realize that the accommodations of the train aren't as luxurious as they seemed. The food was amazing, yes, but the dark maroon paint with gold swirls spiraling across the top is peeling, the wooden frames of the chairs at the dinner table chipped and dented, and the running water takes quite a while to heat up, but I'm not complaining. It's way more than I'm used to.
"Rue!" Reyna knocks on my door, her voice falsely cheerful as normal. I glance down at the rumpled dress I slept in, debating if I would be scolded by Reyna for how I look. I decide that I don't care.
"Come in," I say, my voice raspy from disuse. She opens the door with a creak and peeks her head in. This time her wig is curly turquoise hair piled on top of her head and her fake eyelashes are bright pink. I roll my eyes.
"Breakfast is ready," she says, her eyes skimming over my frizzy, tangled hair and wrinkled dress. I can see disapproval in her eyes, but she doesn't say anything, and I'm glad. I get up from the window seat and walk to the door. Reyna grabs my arm to lead me, but I shake her hand off. She glares at me but remains silent. At the table Thresh is seated, along with Seeder and Chaff. I sit down across from Thresh and glare at a bowl of fruit on the table. I remember when my aunt was caught sneaking a basket of fruit to her hungry children. She was whipped in public and to this day I remember the blood streaming down their back, and her agonized screams. I was only four then, and I barely understood what was happening, but the message was clear as my mother hugged me tightly, horror and anger playing across her face. Stealing was a crime punishable by torture, if not death.
Still scowling, I ignore the fruit and instead study a steaming mug full of light brown liquid.
"It's hot chocolate," Seeder says, smiling. "Try it," he adds. I cautiously take a sip of it. It tastes sugary and warm.
"You should try it, Thresh," I say in a low voice. He grins, and soon, he's addicted to the stuff like I am. I take another drink of it and realize that I am hungry. There is a large platter of bacon, a delicacy that we could never afford. I take a bite, enjoying the salty, meaty flavor. On another platter there are round cake looking things. I look at Seeder, puzzled.
"Pancakes," he says. "Put this on it." He hands me a bottle of thick, brownish liquid that smells sweet. I pour some on and take a bite. It is very good, sweet and delicious. I shake my head at the thought that I just had more sugar in one meal that my whole family would have in a year. Suddenly I'm not so hungry any more, and my scowl returns.
After breakfast I go back to my room to sulk. I watch as the train rumbles into the station and finally decide to change. I pull on soft black pants that are made of stretchy but tight fabric and put on a plain white blouse. They were the least girliest things I could find, but the soft, silky material is foreign to me. I don't bother to brush my hair when I pull it back in a pony tail and wait for Reyna to come get. Soon she will leave me to the mercies of a prep team and eventually a stylist. I sigh and lean my head into my hand to wait.