Renée:
I smile brightly at the strange looking people around me. I will never get used to the odd fashion that they have and the joy they take from watching children fight to the death. Now that I've been through the districts, the Capitol seems like a synch because all I have to do is a few interviews and a big banquet tomorrow night. I'm glad that I have a week to hang out with everyone from the other districts.
As I scan the crowd my eyes catch on a group of three familiar people. My smile goes from forced to real in no time as I see them beaming at me as they wave. I descend from the train and Bridget runs to me and almost tackles me in a hug. I chuckle as I take in the warm welcome. The Hanagan twins are next to hug me but they don't tackle me quite like Bridget.
"Hey guys." I smile at the three.
"Oh my God! I've missed you so much!" Bridget bounces on her feet.
"I saw you a week ago. How much sugar have you had?" I chuckle at my friend.
"Oh you know. Like twenty espressos and a piece of chocolate cake." She shrugs.
"Oh geez." I roll my eyes.
"Come on!" Bridget says as she takes me by the hand and drags me away.
"Hey B?" Finnick waves as though he's upset that she forgot him.
"Hey Finn!" She shouts and hugs him. Again almost tackling him.
"Let's go back to the Training Center." Peyton giggles.
We all get into two cars. Peyton, Bridget, and myself in one car and my mentors and Preston in another. The whole 20 minutes Bridget talks nonstop which is actually quite amusing because I've never seen her this excitable. She tells me about what I've missed in the Capitol and about her and Preston's dates and her promise ring as Peyton tries not to pee herself laughing.
When we get back to the Training Center I'm whisked away from my friends. I'm told that I have to go for an interview with Caesar. Oh the joys of being a new victor.
Bridget: (next day)
Cleopatra has been working on me all day. My eyes are lined black and my pale face is covered in foundation and powder. My cheekbones are defined from the light blush and my lips are a deep red to match my gorgeous dress. The dress is one shoulder and has one sleeve with the top covered in what looks like a cherry blossom tree and the skirt is flown and ball gown style along with the cherry blossom tree look. My shoes are nude open toe heels but the dress covers them. My nails match my lips and the dress.
I'm standing at the entrance of one of the presidents many ballrooms. Preston holds my hand as he looks absolutely enticing in a tux and deep red tie that matches my dress. Preston and I are entering just after Peyton and a career district boy and we will be followed by the Victors, then the Four mentors, and finally Renée. I haven't had the chance to see her in a dress so I'm extremely excited.
The music starts which is our queue to enter. A few people take notice to us along with the Capitol paparazzi but we aren't the main attraction so it's understandable. Preston and I shake a few hands and chat a few people up before our parents and other victors enter. Now is the moment everyone has been waiting for; Renée's entrance starts as the double doors open.
The new Victor looks stunning in her Capitol couture dress. The dress has many large folds and is shaped nicely but it looks uncomfortable as the dress looks to be made out of cardboard. There are cut out shapes of roses and the dress is black and white. The dress shows her long tanned legs that look gorgeous with her black heels. I'm utterly jealous.
I watch my friend as she holds herself gracefully. The young girl glides across the floor to meet with Capitol-lites she probably hates but she doesn't show it. Renée looks like she's done this a million times and she looks great doing it too. She finally glides over to myself and Preston.
"Hey. Sorry about that." She apologizes. "You look gorgeous and that dress is stunning."
"It's not problem. Besides this dress isn't as uncomfortable as it looks but I wouldn't say I looked gorgeous in it compared to you." I reply with an extra pinkness to my cheeks.
"I beg to differ. But anyway I just wanted to tell you guys that you looked cute together." Renée says before she scurries off.
Preston turns to me with a sparkle in his eyes. "Now that we've talked to Renée, why don't we dance?"
"Thats an excellent suggestion 11." I wink at my boyfriend as he gracefully leads me to the dance floor.
Preston places his left hand in mine and the other goes to hold me by the waist. He smiles at me as I put my free hand nicely on his shoulder. The Waltz starts to play so Preston and I redo the steps that Effie made us learn last night and today. We glide across the dance floor and I beam up at him and he beams down at me as we catch the attention of a few jealous victor-kid girls. I stare at his sparkling blue eyes and I'm mesmerized by the emotions swimming around in them. We get lost in each others eyes as another song starts to play and we dance to the beat.
I hear someone clear there throat before my stomach churns. I know exactly whose cutting in.
"May I cut in." The voice of the stomach churning president speaks up.
Preston knows he has no choice but to let him so we both plaster smiles on our faces. The president takes Preston's place and the once comforting position I was in now feels like a death hold. Snow and I dance for a few minutes before he speaks up.
"You and Mr Hanagan seem so in love." He smirks at me.
"Yes." I reply with an obviously fake smile.
"It would be a shame if something were to happen to him. Wouldn't it? Lets hope nothing happens." The President smirks at me before the song ends and I'm left frozen.
I glance around to make sure no one saw what happened but just my luck. My dad is staring at me with a sympathetic look. He knows what Snow's like. I robotically move my feet over to the wine and grab a glass of Chardonnay to loosen myself up. I grab a bowl and scoop up some cold raspberry soup. I sit at a table and sip on my wine and eat my delicious soup.
"You okay?" A familiarly comforting asks as the chair next to me gets filled.
"Peachy." I say as I smile and sip my wine.
"You know I'm not stupid right? I saw you freeze when Snow said something." Finn's green eyes stare deeply into my brown ones.
"It's nothing new." I shrug. "Just the same old thing." I smile to cover our conversation.
"Okay. Well I've got to go. Too many Capitol women to see and so little time, Mini Haymitch." Finn grimaces before turning away and leaving me to get swallowed by fear.
I decide to ignore my negative emotions for now and just have a good time. I leave my empty glass of Chardonnay. It's honestly a good thing to be Haymitch's daughter because I know how to hold my liquor.
I go over to where Haymitch is leant up against the doorframe with a glass of Scotch. I put my hand out to him with a smile and he gives me a rare heart warming smile and sets down his glass before taking my hand to walk with me to the dance floor. I dance with my father and just generally enjoy myself with him.
"You look just like you're mother. You act like her too, Sweetheart." My dad grins at me like the proud father he is.
"Thank you. But remember the games? I was probably so emotional it'd make anyone want to punch me in the face." I chuckle.
"No. You just had a lot going on and you're mom was naturally emotional too." Haymitch reminisces.
Preston:
Watching Bridget dance with Haymitch really makes me smile. During the games she wasn't ever truly happy but right now she seems to glow with the happiness at the moment she's spending with her dad. I sound like a mushy girl but that's what Bridget does to me; she makes me into a romantic, and a nervous one at that.
When she met up with me at the doors to the ballroom I almost had to do a double take. I know she's not all that appealing to most but to me she's beautiful and the way that dress looked on her made her ten times more beautiful than I thought possible. Not only is she beautiful on the outside but also on the inside. She's always so kind to everyone and never says a word bad about them.
"Hey bro." Peyton pipes up next to me.
"Hey." I tell her without tearing my gaze from Bridget.
"Preston, you do know she won't disappear when you're not looking right? Anyway I just wanted to know if you knew who was chatting up Renée." My sister says casually.
I look over at the District 4 victor to see her laughing with a tall dark haired boy. I get a better look and instantly recognize the crooked nose that I broke a year and a half ago. I snort to hide my laughter as I see exactly who it is. It's the guy that my ex-girlfriend cheated on me with. I didn't know until after I punched him that he actually had no idea that she wasn't single but oh well. What can I say? I'm an impulsive person.
"Yeah." I chuckle as Peyton smirks at me because she knows exactly who it is.
"I thought so." She chirps and skips away to flirt with some boy.
And everyone thinks I'm the player.
Bridget:
"Wakey, wakey." A voice whispers softly as the smell of coffee fills my nostrils.
"Is that coffee?" I ask without opening my eyes.
"It is indeed." I hear the smirk in Renée's voice.
I grab the cup with out opening my eyes. I sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes with my free hand before I open them to be blinded by a bright light. Once my eyes adjust I notice that Renée and Peyton are standing in front of me so I ignore them and order some food. When I get the plate I set it down on my vanity and take a few bites before going over to my closet as I sip my coffee.
I pull out a pair of distressed dark jeans, a grey long sleeve t-shirt, a v-neck cable knit navy blue sweater, a navy and off white tartan scarf, brown boots and a brown leather jacket. Still not acknowledging my friends' presence, I go into the bathroom with my clothes and coffee in hand. I scrub the makeup off my face before I finish my coffee and throw the cup in the trash.
I turn on the shower before stripping down and jumping in. I scrub down and get the glittery makeup off my body and I scrub out the hair products from my hair. After I finish getting clean I get out and dry myself off. I throw on my clothes and then blow dry my hair. I put my hair into a French braid before I walk out of the bathroom and sit at the vanity.
I pick up my fork and eat an egg and some hash browns. I set down the fork and get to work on my makeup, stopping half way through to eat some more, with my foundation and powder. I quickly line my top eye with brown eyeliner and I put on some natural eyeshadow. I dust my cheeks with blush before I go back to my food again. After I have finished my food I go to brush my teeth. When I've spit the toothpaste out and rinsed my mouth I go and put on a dark, sort of natural, pink lipstick.
I pull out a large yellow handbag and matching knit gloves from my closet. I exchange purses and zip up my leather jacket before I put on the gloves and turn to my friends. I nod at them without saying a word and we leave my room. We all walk into the elevators and the doors close before a word is said.
"So what's up?" I smile at them. I love how they know not to mess with me in the morning until I've gotten ready.
"We are going ice skating." Peyton grins and I groan.
"Why? That takes too much effort and I haven't been ice skating for years." To be truthful I haven't touched my makeshift skates since my 'dad' died of malnutrition when I was six and once when I showed Willow when we were 11 years old.
"Renée has never been ice skating so we're taking her." Peyton smiles.
When the doors to the elevator open we go out and get into a car. I swear these car drivers just wait for someone outside the Training Center all day and when one leaves another one replaces it. It's kinda creepy to be honest because you never know if they get out and watch you. Nah, that's a little too far fetched.
We get to our destination and I take in the beautiful surroundings. There are trees with different colored blossoms that surround a frozen over pond. There are families that skate and children that play with fake swords and bow and arrows. I ignore the families and see the skate hire. Now that I think about it I've really missed going skating but it reminded me too much of my 'dad' at the time; now I have my real family so I don't need those memories to bring me down instead they should cheer me up.
I quickly get a pair of white ice skates and lace them up before Renée and Peyton have the chance. I quickly get onto the ice and inhale the smell of winter with my eyes closed. I smell the Christmas trees that have been newly discarded and the cinnamon coffees that people drink as they skate and the snow that surrounds the area.
"Wait up!"
I turn to see Renée smirking as she drags Peyton behind her.
"I thought you said you'd never skated before." I laugh at Renée and Peyton.
"I lied. And it seems that Peyton lied about how well she could." Renée giggles as she catches up to me.
After a while Peyton gets the hang of skating at we go at a leisurely pace. The girls and I chat and generally enjoy our time together just hanging out without the guys. I haven't had this much fun since I took Willow to the lake to ice skate a couple of years ago. I've really missed talking about girly stuff because we're almost always with Preston.
When we finish skating we return the skates and get a car to the mall. We go back to the same coffee shop and I get a cinnamon spice hot-chocolate. You wouldn't expect it to taste that good but it's honestly really great. The girls and I sit at the back where we all got to know each other the day we met Renée.
"So I've got a question." I smirk at Renée whom I've been dying to ask since last night. "Who was that boy who was making you giggle like a giddy little school girl last night?"
The blush is obvious on her cheeks. "Just a victor kid from my district. We'd seen each other around but never really talked until last night."
Peyton acts like she's debating something in her head which gets me curious. "What's wrong Pey?"
"Well both Preston and I knew who it was because of his crooked nose." She pauses to take a sip of her pumpkin spice latte hesitantly. "Preston's last girlfriend ended up cheating on him so when he caught them kissing he assumed that the boy knew she wasn't available so he punched him and broke his nose. They later cleared everything up."
I have no idea why but it just seems hilarious to me. I start laughing my ass off and both girls look at me like I'm crazy. "What? That's hilarious."
"Whatever." Renée giggles. "His name is Leomaris and he's taking me on a date tonight."
"Ooh! My little Renée is growing up so fast." I pretend to be a proud mother and my goal of annoying Renée is achieved when I go to pinch her cheek and she slaps my hand away.
"Shut up." She mutters as she tries to hide a grin.
"As soon as you get in tonight come straight up to my floor and we will have a sleepover." Peyton demands.
"Sure." Renée grins and I smile at my two best friends in the Capitol. It makes me miss Willow though.
Peyton and I are currently sitting in the lounge room on 11's floor waiting for Renée to get back from her date. The two of us are bursting with questions to ask our forgien friend. It's kind of strange how the four of us have regular, before Panem, kind of names.
Now that I think about it we don't really share the same qualities as other people from their districts. Peyton and Preston have strange names for their district along with Renée even though her name isn't as different. At least those three have a middle name that represents their district; Peyton Caritta Hanagan, Preston Till Hanagan, and Renée Narissa Cresta. I, on the other hand, have one of the strangest names, Bridget Annabelle Abernathy.
"Bridget!" Peyton snaps her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.
"Yeah?" I ask.
"Renée is here." My bubbly friend gestures to the girl sitting across from us.
"So how was it?" I chirp.
"It was good." Renée says slowly as a blush forms on her cheeks.
"Details woman!" Peyton shouts.
"Shh!" I hiss as I try not to wake anyone with my laughter.
"He was sweet. We just went to the movies and to eat. He did kiss me good night." Renée tells us as her blush becomes a deeper shade of red.
"That's adorable." Peyton and I coo in unison.
"Okay let's watch a movie!" Renée quickly changes the subject.
The girls put a movie on and I only half pay attention to it. I get lost in thought about how much my life changed in the past three quarters of a year. I went from being a poor seam girl that nobody paid attention to, to a well known Victor's daughter that goes to interviews and has a boyfriend from another district. It's really fascinating how everything can change so quickly in such a short amount of time. My train of thought trails off as my eyelids get heavy and I drift off to sleep.