Sorry it has taken me longer to update, I finished copying all the chapters I had pre written and I actually have to write now. So it will defiantly take me longer to update now, but I am still writing of course
I feel a slight breeze as the chariot springs forward. I quickly glance at Nick's face, he is smiling. I can't help but think how perfect he looks. I look down at my dress, we look perfect together. For once I feel special. Weather it the Capitol's clothes, or being next to Nick, I feel special.
As soon as we emerge from the doors I hear the crowd screaming for us, yelling our names. I immediately feel overwhelmed. I've never seen this many people in real life, now they were all screaming my name. Well I shouldn't take all the credit. All the girls were screaming Nick's name. I look down and see our hands are still linked. I look up and can't help but smile. I'm smiling at everyone and blowing kisses to boys that catch my eyes, they love us. I finally get a glimpse of us on the big screen. Flawless, perfect and unbelievable, it doesn't look like Hailey Mellark, but somehow it is. Me and Nick's brown hair matches just as our outfits do and it makes us stand out.
It takes me halfway through the City Circle to realize this isn't really a dream. My lips hurt from smiling so big and nonstop. I suddenly feel warmness on my cheek. I turn my head to see Nick looking at my eyes with a big smile on his face. Everyone goes wild, and I though they couldn't get any crazier for us. I look back at him, back into those gray eyes. I'm hoping I'm not blushing, even if I was, I'm sure no one can notice with all my makeup on.
It takes a minute for everything to sink in when the chariot stops. Were once again surrounded by all the tribute, but now were in the training center. Our stylists immediately jump on us. "You were great you two!" Evertt says as Cherisa is pulling off my shawl.
Each district has a floor in the training center, where your whole team stays until the Games. We're waiting for everyone to go up to the floor, since as expected were the last ones to go up. When it is our turn Nick, Effie, and me ride up the elevator together. I don't know where Evertt and Cherisa go.
When we finally get up to floor 12 we walk out together while the whole time Effie is complimenting us happy as always. "You guys were perfect!" we say thank you and smile, but she goes on and on about how gorgeous she thought we were. "Oh and Hailey you blowing kisses! Every boy in the nation will fall under your spell!" I laugh "Oh and Nick the girls were drooling!" Nick smirks to himself but I catch a glance just in time to see
Mom and dad appear on our floor both wearing smiles. Mom is hugging me telling me I was beautiful, and even hugging Nick, telling him he was charming. Dad, despite the cheek kidding, compliments Nick, patting him on the back and kissing me on my forehead. I notice mom is wearing makeup, her arms seem more hairless than normal and she is wearing a violet dress, dad also is slightly dressed up too. We're all talking even Nick is getting engaged with the conversation about the chariot rides. Effie comes in,
"Come, we'll eat our meal in celebration of how great you two were!" before we eat me and nick take turns changing in the bathroom to something more comfortable but still isn't that casual, for me at least. We go to the table where there are plates and plates of food. I have never seen this much food, and this is coming from a baker's daughter.
Mom and dad keep looking around the room and it takes me awhile until I realize why. This is the same exact room there 16 year old selves sat in to eat their dinner, after their chariot rides. Though I would think there faces would be horrified remembering all those terrible memories. But they both have smiles on their faces. I can't tell if they're forced for me and Nick, but I know mom and dad are proud. I know this because even I am proud of myself.
We eat for a long time, all of us stuffing our faces. Even Effie eats more food than she would care to admit. Eventually everyone files out one by one. Effie excuses herself saying it was too late for her. Dad gets pulled out to answer the phone, Haymitch was calling. Nick leaves and goes to the room Effie showed him to earlier, which leaves me and mom. We're not eating anymore, we about ate everything we wanted to by now.
"How's your stylist?" Mom asks as I am taking a sip of my water. I nod my head thinking of Evertt, he was kind and I liked the fact that he wasn't all freaky as the other Capitol citizens. So yea he was nice, and besides that he knows how to make me look great.
"Yea he is nice, why?" I ask. "Just wondering," Her lipsticked lips smile slightly its weird seeing mom with makeup, she looks younger.
"When you got styled today did you get your old stylist?" I blurt out the answer without thinking about it, but I was curious. Mom's smile fades slowly.
"No." she answers quietly. "Cinna died a while ago." She looks sad, but her tone of voice is not. I look at her and notice she is looking into something into the distance. She does this a lot I've notice, when something troubles her. Just staring at nothing, either thinking about something or trying not to think about something.
I decide not to ask about Cinna anymore. But to my surprise mom starts a conversation about him. She tells me that he was her best friend here and how close they were. She tells me that he died right before the rebellion. The peacekeepers beat him up. The story is horrifying but mom does not frown nor cry. She smiles in the memory of Cinna and I can tell how much he meant to her.
"I wish he could be alive for this. You would have no idea the costume he would have created for you." Her smile lightens my heart. It's nice to see mom smiling so much.
When I finally decide to go to my room I open the door slowly. This is her room, I know it is. Mom's room, where she stayed for her first and second games. The room is small but its fine, but I can't stop thinking about mom sitting on the bed
I picture sixteen year old mom sitting in here, frighten for her life, thinking the same thing I'm thinking. At least Will is safe, except mom was thinking, at least Prim is safe. Besides our looks and stubbornness, mom and I have something else in common, our need to protect our little siblings.
Then I'm thinking, What if I don't make it. I should just shut off my mind now; I always knew I wouldn't be able to make it out alive. Besides I want Nick to win, I couldn't go back to District 12 with the death of Gale's son lingering over me. Romantic interest or not, I couldn't go back without him.
I'm picturing our family a photo without me, without me and Will in the front. Instead Will would be in the middle of mom and dad with them on either side of him. At least they have Will, I think. If Nick died, Gale and Fawna would have no one, sixteen years gone to waste.
And that's when I decide I want to protect Nick in this game. He can do it by himself but for some reason I feel the need to help him, maybe it's because I want to spend my last moments with the person who has been closer to being a friend than anyone has been my whole life.