A/N Again, SO SO SO SO SORRY about the wait. My life is freaking busy, and I just couldn't find time. So, go vote on the poll, if you haven't and don't lose faith.

Disclaimer: I do not own THG

CHAPTER 7

When I wake up the next day, I am sore all over. I roll out of bed, and stumble to the bathroom for a shower. When I close the door behind me, I turn to the mirror. "Oh, hell." I mutter.

Black and purple bruises spread across my face. I have two black eyes, several bruises on my cheeks and nose, and a bloody lip. I touch my cheek, and wince. Not a dream.

So it really happened. I fought my mentor. In a rage, I grabbed the closest weapon- a steak knife- and lunged at Gloss. He fought me back, landing a few punches. The Capitol attendants had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. Now I'll have to pay for it. Since he didn't expect it, I got in more punches and a few cuts. It felt great at the time, and he got off worse than I did. Now I hate myself.

After my shower, and a blow dry, I head back to my room. After looking through the clothes, I find a modest black dress. I don't know why, but since the training, they took away all the shirts and the pants, and left only dresses. I put on the dress, slide on some flats, and go to the dining room for breakfast.

At the table, Marvel is sullen and silent. I ignore him and sit down. The mentors and stylists ignore me, chattering about some Capitol gossip.

I cross my arms and sigh loudly. "I just got here, and no one noticed…" I sing. No one pays the slightest attention.

I give up, and begin heaping my plate with food. As I begin to dig in, Cicero looks up, as if just noticing me.

"Hello, Glimmer. We were just working on your interview outfit." he says, his deep voice bored. He holds up a sketchpad, and I lean forward to look.

There are two images on the sheet. The first depicts a young woman, who is obviously supposed to be me. Her golden curls are loose, spilling down her back. Her arms are outstretched, and she wears a dress. The dress is gold, see-through, and comes to the middle of her thighs. The other picture is from the back.

I lean back into my chair, and begin buttering a roll. My hands are shaking with rage, but my face is emotionless. "No."

Cicero arches his eyebrows. "No?" he says. His voice is calm, emotionless, but I can read people. He's mad.

"I won't wear it."

"Won't you." His voice had a dangerous edge.

"Design something else."

His dark eyes narrowed. "I already sent it in to be made. This is what you're wearing. Accept it."

"I thought you were still working on it."

"I lied."

"I won't wear it. And that's final."

"Fine." Something in his voice makes me look up. "Then I'll kill your sister."

I leap up. My chair falls backwards and the mug of hot chocolate I had been holding falls to the floor, shattering. The liquid splashes onto my bare legs, burning me, but I don't notice. Horror fills me, overruling logic. "You-you can't do that."

"You're right. I can't. But Snow can, and if you don't do exactly what I say, he will."

One of the Avoxes had quietly picked up my chair, and I slowly sit down. Cicero smiles. "Very good. So, Glimmer, this is your dress. But there's one other thing."

Cashmere sighs. "Glimmer, I'm trying my best. But I need your help. Let's try again, shall we?"

I sigh, and reposition myself. One leg crossed over the other. My fingers laced together on the knee. Gently rocking my high-heeled foot up and down. A sweet, slightly sarcastic smile on my face. Just as she told me.

Cashmere clears her throat. "Welcome, Glimmer Rose. I'm Caesar Flickerman."

I flutter my eyelashes. "Hey."

Cashmere sighs again. "Glimmer. You aren't trying to flirt with Caesar. You act like you don't care, like if you wanted him, you'd get him, but you don't. Every man in the world is at your mercy, is in the palm of your hand."

I nod, and reposition myself. Cashmere begins. "Welcome, Glimmer Rose. I'm Caesar Flickerman."

I smile, and tilt my head. "Pleasure." I look over my shoulder to where the audience would be, wink, and blow a kiss.

Cashmere smiles. "So, Miss Rose, how are you finding the Capitol? Is it better than home?"

"Certainly. Everything is just that little bit better." I wink at the imaginary crowd again.

Cashmere looks ecstatic. "So, Miss Rose, any men in your life? An attractive young lady like yourself surely must have a suitor."

"Well, Caesar, I think that's for me to know and for everyone else to find out."

Cashmere grins. "Perfect! That was perfect, Glimmer. If you do that in the interview, you will steal the show. Count on dozens of sponsors!"

A few short hours later I stand in a line, almost ready to go to my seat. I don't really have all that much stage fright. I'm just scared that I won't get sponsors.

I see Fire Girl and the boy get out of the elevator together. Together. Again. I wonder what could be going through the mind of their mentors- wait, mentor. 12 has so few victors, that they only have one mentor, Haymitch something. He's famous for being constantly drunk.

We start to walk to our seats on the stage, and I see Caesar Flickerman on the stage. He wears his famous sparkling blue suit, and his colour for this year is powder blue- his hair, eyelids and lips.

He tells a few jokes, and then they're calling up Glimmer Rose. I stand, and hear a few faint gasps in the crowd. My dress is having the desired effect.

Caesar smiles as I sit. I smile out to the crowd, and blow a kiss. There is a lot of clapping, and a few whistles.

"So, Glimmer, how are you finding the Capitol so far? What has impressed you?" asks Caesar.

I smile. "Well, Caesar, I really enjoy the attention." That gets a few laughs. "And, of course, the food. Just lovely."

Caesar nods. "The food here is great. So, why did you volunteer, Glimmer?"

"Well, my father was threatening to marry me off, so I decided the Games are a better alternative to marrying someone I don't love."

"Well, I can see why they'd want to marry you, an attractive young lady like yourself. Do you have any suitors?"

I smile secretively. "Well, I think that's for me to know, and for all of you to figure out." I wink at the crowd, and they go wild.

Caesar asks me a few more questions, and I answer them. All to soon the buzzer goes off. "Well, that's all the time we have. Good luck, Glimmer Rose."

"I won't need it."

There is applause for a minute or so, and then the interviews go on.

Marvel is a killer without wit- only strength. Clove is cold, calculated and heartless. Cato is a hotheaded killing machine. It goes on and on. When it gets to 12, I listen.

Katniss basically acts like the stupid teenager she is, twirling in fiery dress and talking about her little sister who she "loves more than anything". She gets lots of applause. Then it's the boy.

"So, Peeta Mellark"- so that's his name- "how do you find the Capitol?" On and on, boring, until the subject of girls comes up. "So, Peeta, any girls in your life?" He shakes his head.

"Handsome lad like you. There must be some special girl. Come on, what's her name?"

He tells Caesar about how he had loved this one girl for, like, forever, and how she didn't even know he existed until the reaping, and how a lot of boys like her.

"So here's what you do. You win, you go home. She can't turn you down then, eh?" says Caesar.

He says how that won't work, and of course Caesar asks why. He blushes and stammers.

"Because…because…she came here with me."

Fire Girl?

The cameras all turn to Fire Girl. She looks surprised, her mouth half open in shock, and then she looks down, lips pressed tight together. Rage begins to fill me.

So that's their strategy. Unrequited love, Fire Girl pretending to fall for him slowly. The rules being bent. Winning together. Eternal bliss.

I will shatter it. These are not their games.

These are mine.

Okay? Please review, it inspires me!