Here it is! I got lots of reviews on previous chapter and that always pushes me to write more. Plus, things start getting really interesting and I'm close to writing the chapter I've been dying to do for so long!
You were several to tell me I did typographical errors and I want to apologize. Sorry, sometimes I write fast and I admit I don't read over very carefully. I tried to fix that so thanks for telling me :)
To love me I'll just say I know that, and that's to be true, the whole point of my story, showing that Careers were before everything, teenagers and humans. So don't worry, I didn't turn her in a half-goddess or don't know what ;)
And don't worry Coco793, you'll know, just wait a bit!
And finally to Liv I have to say this fanfiction will follow exactly the first book. I'm not here to rewrite that masterpiece, just showing it in a different POV, sorry if you expected else. I'll do my best not to deceive you though!
So, Here we go!
Chapter 10
"Get up Sweetie!"
I'm about to growl at Cato to shut up and go away when I realize it can't be him. It's strange he is the first person I thought of; guess that's because he is the last person who dared to wake me up. I don't have much time to think about it as I see my prep team, staring at me with wide, bright smiles.
Ho dear. Why them
"We're here for your interview!" says the curly-pinked hair woman, dragging me out of bed.
Big, big mistake.
"You don't touch me!" I shout
She lets go, and looks at me in a scared-scandalized kind of way. I don't mind.
"I guess you're … a bit too excited!" she tries, smiling again.
"Do I look excited?"
A heavy silence falls on the room. It's this moment Brutus chooses to come inside. He watches the two groups we form, me, myself and I against those silly shiny creatures. Rolling his eyes, he sights heavily and summons me to go with him.
"What did I tell you the other day?" He seems quite angry at me. I don't care
"They woke me up!"
"That is not a reason!" I hate when Brutus shouts, mainly because I'm hardly ever prepared to it. "The interview is tonight and we still have a lot to do, stop acting like a child!"
"I'm not a child!"
I enter my room again and slam the door behind me. I don't even pay attention to the flabbergasted looks of my prep team as I lay on the table.
"Do what you've got to do. And fast" I spit.
I don't have to order twice, they jump at the chance of me being close to cooperative to their work.
I wish I had hit Brutus. It seems he knows exactly which words to use to support where it hurts with me. Was it planned? Did he do that on purpose? Not this time, I don't think so. How could he know I would run into the bedroom and not escape? All of this is crazy. Just like the pain flowing through my body as the bunch of idiots that is my prep team tear off the hairs I didn't even knew I had.
"Why do you have to do this?" I hiss, clenching my fists top the table's edge.
"We will never let you make a fool of yourself by wearing a dress with these hairy calves!" responds the man like it was obvious.
Again a dress? How do they want me to be taken seriously in a dress? Ho dear, I wish I was a boy; no one would make fuss of me going there in pants.
After two or maybe three hours, they seem to finally be done with me. They left me in a comfy outfit "only the time for my stylist to come don't worry". But instead, it's Brutus that shows up. It's almost like I live with him, there's not a day he doesn't come to advice me.
"So, are you scared?"
"Yeah I'm absolutely terrified at the idea of answering questions" I mock in a disdainful tone.
"I should have prepared to this" grants with a wave of hand "Well, at least you don't need me whereas I'm not sure your district partner will manage so well alone"
Why does everything seem to revolve around Cato?
"He doesn't need to talk. Sponsors will rush to put money on him"
Brutus stares at me for a while and I can see a smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Is that jealousy?"
"What? No!"
"I can't believe deadly little Clove is jealous of her district partner" he teases "Well, that's great"
"I bet he didn't have to be waxed, him" I mutter
Brutus laughs ostensibly. It's not hard to tell he has never been pluck, old junk he is.
"Don't you see?" He stops laughing but he has a big smile on his face "You're even more threatening than he is!" As he turned crazy? If I were a sponsor I would bet on Cato, eyes closed. "You ranked as high as two huge boys in the competition. We don't have to wonder very long, they are strong but you; you're still a mystery to sponsors! Sure, you didn't overpower them but that means you are the cleverest tribute out here"
He's right. Cato and Eleven may have muscles but I am skilled and smarter than both of them united.
"So, keep playing on this mysterious side of you and don't forget to show them how deadly you are"
And with that he gets up and leaves the room. I don't have time to be relieved of being alone as my stylist walks in, in turn. My dress' cover is bigger than him and I have difficulty to hide a mocking smile.
"I bet you're excited to see what I got you"
Why does everybody thinks I'm excited? What I want is to go in the Arena, kill and come back; all of this stuff is useless.
He goes into the bathroom where I hear him unzipping the case. I guess it's time to see what he designed.
It's the most harmless girly white thing I've ever seen. There seem to be two layers on this thing. One tight dress, looking like a tube and over, the real gown all of white lace made with several fabric patterns.
At least they have the seemliness not to show everything through the lacework dress. I get in this thing and oh dear; the result is terrifying. How do they expect me to look menacing in such a thing?
"How do you find it?" he asks with his strange creepy smile.
"I feel like puking on it"
He wasn't supposed to hear it. Ho and screw it! Do I even care about him, about what he thinks? NO. It's better he knows the truth after all.
"You tiny little arrogant; this dress is perfect I've spend hours on that how dare you come and say it's crap you do not have the right to do that such a waste you don't know beautiful you don't deserve to wear it…"
Blablabla, he goes on like this for a while, clenching his baby fists, pacing back and forth and finally leaving the room. I would be relieved if he had taken away this dress. Making an impression won't be that easy in this thing. I guess it would be too late anyway; interviews start in half an hour.
I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. With that bun on top of my head, those high heels and this white gown, I look nothing like frightening.
I'm stuck up in the elevator with Brutus, Astra and Cato.
"What a pretty dress" he sneezes.
"I'm not allowed to throw up on that thing, you better not push me to do it on you" I say without even looking at him.
"Did you really ask your stylist to do that?" Brutus seems astonished
"Not really asked. I just … said what I was thinking."
"Ho dear" he laughs, even more than sooner. Is he drunk or something, I've never seen him laugh as much "No wonder he was angry when he got out!"
He keeps on shaking with laughter until we get to the place the interviews will occur. The anthem booms all around us and we're invited to take place on stage, all lined up, classified by district. This time, boys come after girls, so it's Glimmer starting.
As expected she giggles and plays the sexy one with Caesar. Well, if she wants to be regarded as a shiny object, fine for her, but that's not my case. Meanwhile Marvel uses his annoying sense of humor, but the Capitol people seem to like it –which confirms their idiocy.
"And now, please welcome Clove, our District Two tribute!"
They cheer and applaud but I don't even smile to them. They want a good show? Well, I'll give them some.
"So Clove, tell me, how do you feel?" Caesar asks with a bright grin
"Bored" The crowd laughs
"Bored?" he repeats with disbelief
"Yeah. Do you think I volunteered for the dresses and make up? " I let them time to absorb what I just said. That entire thing is a lot funnier than I expected."I'm here to fight"
"Well, I guess your training score showed that!" he leans forward like I was about to tell him a big secret "How did you managed to get such a high score?"
"What can I tell you? You're skilled or you're not!" I shrug with a confident smile. They're whispering. They love me.
"Did you trained a lot back home; your father is a peacekeeper, isn't he?"
What does my father have to do about this?
"Yes he is. But I trained by myself, the whole time"
"And you got a 10 in private sessions? That's what I call impressive girl! Applause!"
I don't have to force myself to smile. I already won, that's too easy.
"So Clove, you're a young beautiful skilled girl from District Two, there must be someone waiting for you back home!"
I feel the crowd is eager for answers. What do they think of? Brutus told me to sound mysterious. Well, he didn't say honest.
"One tried, and I almost cut his fingers off so, I don't think he'll try again" I say like I was used to it.
"That can't be real!" Caesar teases as the crowd cheers again. "Come on, is that true?"
To my terror, he turns to the tributes seats, mainly to Cato. He can make a fool of me with one word. But he nods and even adds a smile to that. I'm not sure that I'm pleased with this act, but at least I don't appear a liar, which I'm not. I attacked Cato, didn't I?
"Well, it seems like underestimating you would be a huge mistake, isn't it?" Caesar focuses on me again.
"Not if you're not likely to meet me after I win. In the other case, that could be … painful" I drop with an angelic smile.
"Time's almost up Clove from District Two, a last word to the crowd?"
"Don't forget the face of your winner" I flash a wide smile.
They love that, they love me. I reach my seat under a round of applause. That was too easy. Plus no one seemed to notice my fancy dress. I clearly made an impression; how am I supposed not to thank myself after that? My last sentence was pure genius.
It's Cato's turn to experiment the joys of interviews. He gets by pretty well. It's clear Astra told him to play it tough and threatening, but that's what he does best so…
I can't say this about everyone. Most of the tributes are peeing their pants when getting on stage. And their silly outfits don't help them. Poor those, most of them will be dead in twenty four hours.
Now I'm getting really bored. So I spend time choosing which ones will be my first kills. I spotted that girl from Seven, she seems so weak, it will be very joyful to watch her bleed to death. Sometimes I wish the Bloodbath was a little slower, so that we would have time to enjoy every kill.
Like the tiny girl from Eleven. Did she just say to not count her out? Sweet little thing, does she really think of going home? This is laughable. Her district partner, on the opposite, has decided to stay a mountain, barely even speaking.
Then comes Fire girl, in her shiny dress. Why do stylists persist in the idea of showing us like pretty dolls? Hugh, on top of that, there is nothing pretty in her. In the boy neither by the way. He's acting so confident I feel like laughing; everyone knows here that with an 8, he doesn't stand a chance. Maybe that's why he acts soulful, talking about the girl he loves and blablabla. I only listen with one hear.
"Winning… Winning won't help in my case" Ho really? I don't care, get off that stage
"Why ever not?" Does anybody gives a fuck about this? Well, it seems Capitol people do.
"Because…because…she came here with me"
That was a surprise. The whole crowd stands here in disbelief. Please! I just want to get up and scream for people to realize the whole thing is just a huge pretending, but I guess that would get me in troubles. Now, they're showing Fire Girl, Katniss, all blushing and hiding herself from cameras while her beloved his joining his seat again. Why does everybody want me to throw up tonight? But Capitol people seem to enjoy the show. Wait, are they really buying it? How can they believe the boy actually loves this thing since forever and now, unfortunately is reaped in the Hunger Games the exact same year she is? That's ridiculous and so obviously faked.
Finally, we're released and allowed to go back to our apartment where we'll have dinner very soon.
I have to ride with Cato, of course in the elevator.
"Thanks" I say "For the interview. But don't expect me to be grateful. I owe you nothing"
"I don't need you to owe me anything."
"Well, I guess that's set"
"Yeah. Tomorrow we'll be opponents" he says; but he seems to speak more for himself than for me to listen.
He just stares into space; I've never seen him like that. Where is the brutal, bloody boy I've seen at training? Suddenly, like he read my mind, he shakes his head and put a smile on his face.
"So much more fun than training"
When I get off the elevator, I'm pretty sure he knows I'm not convinced.
Here it is! The interviews! and if anyone wonders, I inspired myself of the dress Isabelle Fuhrmann wore at the Valentino Rodeo Drive Flagship Opening for the interviews -which is a very pretty dress by the way don't get me wrong; just thought Clove wouldn't like it ;)- because the one of the movie was so ugly I couldn't bear incerting it!
I hope you liked it because, well that's an important chapter.
Next will be the Bloodbath! Excited? I AM.
Review and feeback! :D
Love you!