I chat with my prep team for a few minutes before my stylist enters the room. I learn the twin's names are Faria and Zia, and they each wear distinctive colors so everyone can tell them apart. Faria, the one who complimented me, is adorned in lavender, while Zia's clothes and hair are a butterscotch yellow. The man, Soma, is very quiet, yet friendly. His body is covered in artistic tattoos that I could spend forever studying.
All four of us drop our conversation when the stylist walks in. She towers over me, mostly because she is wearing heels that are at least seven inches high. I didn't think they made heels any higher than the ones Isidora wears. Her hair is jet black and cut in a bob. It curls out in the front into delicate spirals that frame her face. She wears glasses, but they have no lenses and her eyelashes jet out past the frames. Her outfit is the strangest of all; she is covered in spikes from neck to ankle.
Alright, she looks bizarre, but I know by now that I can't judge a person's character by their appearance.
"Hello, I'm Mags," I greet her. She doesn't respond. Instead, she begins circling around me and eyeing every aspect of my unclothed body.
This continues for about a minute. Then she looks towards the prep team and says, "I think we should go with some padding over the chest."
I'm starting to feel self-conscious again. I stand uncomfortably as she launches into a heated discussion with the trio, never looking my way.
"I told Gretchen to make sure everything was there, and she let me down. The bag was missing three arms and the purple solvent. Thanks to her, I have to plan this all over again in less than twelve hours! I told her that I know people in high places, and she's going to have a bad time in the near future if she doesn't get her act together!"
"Lilith, I'm sure we can figure something out with the materials we have," Faria begins, obviously trying to console her.
I realize I need to get in this conversation now if I want to have any input in my outfit. Besides, what they've said so far really confuses me. It's pretty much a guarantee that the District Four tributes will either be fish or a mermaid-merman duo. The fish costumes range anywhere from silly to outright horrifying. One year a kid had an oversized knife stuck right between his fish hat's googly eyes to symbolize the seafood industry, but it became a sick joke when he was killed by a knife to the head only days later. I've been desperately hoping to get a mermaid outfit.
What I can't figure out is how either a mermaid or a fish costume could be missing three arms.
"What costume were you planning on using?" I ask, trying to sound helpful.
For the first time, Lilith turns towards me and speaks. "Scales aren't in this year. No one would be caught dead wearing them. That's why I decided to go with an octopus this time. But, apparently, that's not going to happen!" she practically spits out in anger.
Huh, this might be the only lucky thing that has happened to me since I got reaped.
It takes all my energy not to smile when I say, "Oh, that's too bad."
The prep team digs through the bag and Zia proposes dressing me as a sea goddess. Apparently, it's the only District Four-themed story book they have in the Capitol. I agree with this idea and Lilith runs off to discuss it with Kai's stylist.
"Is she always like that?" I ask my prep team as the twins begin painting patterns of waves on my nails.
"Most of the time. She isn't all that bad. You get used to it after a while," Faria answers me.
Lilith returns shortly after and pulls a large square of silky white fabric from a bag. Over the next few hours, she miraculously transforms it into some type of gown.
"Hold still," she says as she drapes the fabric over my head. The gown is long; it pools around my feet on the floor. It has long sleeves that extend to my wrists and drape down as well. It's very simple, yet beautiful.
Soma comes behind me and ties a rope belt around the smallest part of my waist so the gown doesn't hide my figure. I help him secure the knot.
Lilith begins crafting an updo, but soon changes her mind. Instead, she leaves my hair down and runs a curling iron through it so it falls in soft waves around my face. She adds a coral tiara, which she claims was originally meant for the octopus costume.
My face is covered in layers of makeup. They add blue eye shadow to accent my eyes and smear a light lavender lipstick over my lips. All in all, the costume is pretty decent. Certainly better than being dressed as a fish or an octopus.
The prep team showers my with compliments, but Lilith still looks unimpressed.
"It needs something else. Something that really says 'I represent District Four'," she says.
She approaches me and carefully paints a starfish on each side of my face. In my opinion, it's a little too much. I looked better before, but she seems satisfied now so I don't push the matter.
"All done!," the prep team chirps. "You're free to go!"
"Thank you," I reply. As I'm leaving, I remember something and turn back around. "Do you have any left over pieces of rope I can have?"
Lilith narrows her eyes. "Why?"
I wonder how I can put this into words. "It relaxes me," I begin. "Tying knots, I mean. It's rhythmic and distracting. It's how I've always dealt with stress."
Her face softens a little and I wonder if she actually feels sorry for me. "I guess it couldn't hurt to let you have one piece," she allows, and hands me a foot-long strand.
I thank her and walk out into the hallway of the Remake Center. To my surprise, Alec, Kallan, and Kai are all waiting just outside the door. I realize Kai's prep couldn't have taken nearly as long because, as a boy, he was not obligated to wear as much make-up. He is dressed as a sea god, but his white fabric mainly covers the lower half of his body. A single strand of rope goes over his shoulder and connects to the fabric. His chest is left bare.
"Nice starfish," Kai jokes as I walk towards them.
"Oh, hush," I say with a smile. "It was my stylist's vision."
Kallan laughs loudly at my words. He's the kind of person that is always joking and laughing. He would be a fun person to be around if he didn't talk about the Games so much.
"Not half bad," Alec says as he looks me up and down. "I was terrified that they would dress the two of you as fish, and then you would attack me for promising you would look fine."
This makes my smile again. It seems so wrong to smile when my inevitable death is quickly approaching, but I can't help it. Maybe it's better to try to enjoy my last days before the arena.
"You should be lucky they didn't," I say, even though the idea of me attacking him over something so insignificant is absurd.
Isidora meets us and directs us to the City Circle. We head over to the horse and chariot marked with the number four.
"Just remember to smile and wave," Alec reminds us. "They're going to love you." Is it just my crazy imagination, or was he looking at me when he said that? I quickly clear the thought from my head. Even if he was aiming it at me, it doesn't mean anything. This is all about impressing the people of the Capitol. I can't delude myself into thinking Alec likes me. Most of the girls at my school are obsessed with him. I was always the one to say I wouldn't fall for his charm.
Still, I can't deny that he is very attractive. I study his dark hair and tan skin as Kallan punches him lightly in the side and tells him it's time for them to clear out. Those two act just like brothers. I wonder if they care for each other like I care for Kai.
Kai nudges me in the side. "I never thought I'd see Mags Brine staring at Alec Calder like that," he says with a cocky smile. "Admit it, you were just checking him out."
"I don't know what you're talking about," I say, and I don't like the edge of defensiveness in my voice.
"I think you do. Come on, we're family. You can tell me."
"You're crazy," I say dismissively and turn towards the horse. I hope he will drop it.
Something in my expression must stop him from pushing it further. He leans over to me and asks, "Do you think we should go talk to the other tributes?"
I survey the other teens gathered around their chariots and frown. Just like last night, all I can think is that all but one will soon die. I don't want to think about who will kill who, and I know getting to know them won't make it any easier.
"I don't think so. We can't trust anyone but each other," I say.
A man comes by and tells us to get in the chariot because the ceremony is about to start. We climb in and steady each other as the horse begins moving. Before I know it, we are surrounded by hordes of cheering people. The roar of the crowd is so loud that I'm sure I wouldn't be able to hear Kai if he were to speak to me. It is all overwhelming at first, but then I remember Alec's instructions to smile and wave.
I keep this up until we reach President Burns' mansion. When he comes into sight, I divert my eyes from the crowd to look at him. His yellow eyes are glowing and he's smiling like he's proud of this year's stock of soon-to-be-murdered children. I've disliked him since I was little, but I make sure to keep my face happy and cheery for now. The rest of the ride goes by fast, and we end up right where we started.
Isidora comes to collect us and praises us on our form.
"My friend's tributes were just staring straight ahead like they couldn't care less. Oh, the thought of that! I'm so glad you two didn't embarrass me!"
It might sound a little selfish, but I know Isidora means well.
It takes a solid hour to scrub all the makeup off of me. The lipstick and eye shadow are particularly resistant, but I am eventually able to remove them.
At dinner, Kallan brings up strategy again. I have been dreading this, but I can't avoid it any longer. Training starts tomorrow.
I almost choke on my stew when Kai announces he plans on heading straight to the Cornucopia.
"Do you want to get yourself killed?" I practically shout. "We need to get as far away from that bloodbath as possible. We can get weapons later."
"Mags, I agree with you but how do you plan..." Alec begins, but Kai cuts him off.
"I can do it! I'm the fastest one on the athletic team at school," he says defensively.
"I thought you quit," I quickly note.
"That's just because the coach wouldn't let me play because I was too fast for everyone else! He said it made the game too boring. I thought that was idiotic of him so I quit!" he says, anger in his voice now. It doesn't phase me; we have had arguments before.
"Right," I say, rolling my eyes. "The coach made you sit out because you were just too good. That makes perfect sense, Kai."
He is really angry now, and Kallan has to pull him away before he does something rash like throw food at me.
Isidora shoots me a disapproving look, and my smugness dissipates. I know it's useless to fight with Kai. He's just a fifteen year old boy who wants to prove his strength. I think back to when we would fight when we were little. My mother would always pull me to the side and remind me that I have to be the mature one. I can hear her words now.
"Mags, I know what your cousin did was wrong, but you have to be the bigger person. You're older and he looks up to you," she would say as she held me close and pulled her fingers through my hair.
She was right. I should know better.
"I handled that wrong," I admit, remorse in my words. "I just don't want him to overestimate himself and end up dead. It's my job to protect him."
Alec looks in my direction very seriously and says something that makes my heart ache because I know how true it is.
"He's free to make his own choices. You can't protect him forever, Mags."