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Chapter Four: No Room for Improvement?

Lumos come to my room in the morning and shook me awake. I hadn't slept much that night, couldn't stop thinking about home and how I had left Gloss. I felt quite bad, leaving my mother and brother in the horrible hands of my father, but I knew it had to be done.

"I wanted to speak to you privately, before we go down for breakfast", Lumos said quietly before I could swing my legs out of bed.

I rubbed my eyes confused wondering what could be so important.

"It is important for you to know, but the capitol have already quoted you a favourite, and you haven't even gone for prepping yet. The last of the tributes from 12 have only just arrived".

"Oh. Well I can't help but think they are going to be disappointed" I sighed sitting up next to her.

"Cashmere this is serious, the capitol's help is what ultimately makes a victor. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the sponsors. What I am trying to say, is I need you to play a role".

I raised my eyebrows at Lumos. "You mean act".

"Exactly. What would be required, to really pull this off, is for you to play two separate roles. To the capitol, you will show yourself to be a fun, sweet and loving girl who can also fight and deserves her place respectfully in the games, but to the tributes, your rivals, you will seem slightly dumb. Like you have come into these games not knowing a lot. I know you have trained. Luckily away from the focus of Marbles, so even thats an advantage".

I frowned. Obviously I will need to appeal to the capitol, so none of the tributes will think twice about me putting on an act for them, but why do I have to act for the tributes. "I don't understand? Why am I pretending to be stupid".

"Because if you are clever, can fight and have the looks, the other tributes will become wary of you, making you ultimately a target. You cannot be a target. If your stupid, they will leave you alone, think your stupid. That you came into the games just for the fame, not realising what it really means".

I huffed. "Typical".

Together we made our way down to breakfast. Marbles and his mentor Granite was already there eating.

I sat down and helped myself to some pancakes. Lace come up looking flustered and was relieved to see us all sitting there. "Oh I am so glad, could you believe I overslept. ME! Well I was in total state of shock, made me all disorientated. I am so glad to have a team who knows what they are doing, not like some years with Crystal as a mentor. Anyways eat quickly. The prep teams want to start in 30 minutes time", she said hurriedly before dashing out of the room again, in the direction of the bathroom. It wouldn't surprise me if it was to be sick.

I ate quickly and made my way down to the prep teams. I was told by Lumos that it was absolutely compulsory that I need to comply with everything they ask me to do. No matter how uncomfortable it would make me feel.

I was placed in a room of my own, although it was small, but had all the needs of a stylist and a team. A man and women entered. "Cashmere", they both said at the same time making me jump. I looked up to see two oddly dressed people.

The guy was sporting bright green hair, tanned orange skin with a bright purple fur coat with the tightest blue jeans I have ever seen in my hair.

Colour coordination seemed not to matter to this guy, while the women seemed fairy normal, though she had pink eyebrows and black lipstick on, it was only a few tattoos here and there that made her any different.

"Hello", she said soothingly "My name is Eiffel and this is Avocado", gesturing her partner.

I smiled. "It's so nice to meet you both. I was told you would be making me looking even more beautiful then I already am", I gushed putting on a fake blush.

The guy, avocado squealed with glee. "Oh sweetie dearest, you are already stunning. I really cannot think of how we are supposed to even improve you".

The women however, pursed her lips together tightly while she inspected me. "Your parents both must have very prominent features. District One is known for having nice clean pretty girls, but I admit, you are simply gorgeous.

"There are, however some things we can do", she said raising her eyebrows to Avocado. "

Hmmm yes. Well if you could strip for me. That it, all your clothes, completely off. We shall start the cleansing process", he said in delight slapping his hands together hard.

I did as I was told taking all my clothes off and stood there nude in front of them. They made me lay down and got the hoses out and started spraying all over my body.

"It may sting just a little, but I promise it won't last for long. You don't quite have as much dirt as the others girls from district one", Eiffel said, trying to be reassuring. "I'm dirty?", I asked as if though the whole idea was bizarre.

"Oh yes, all the citizens from the districts need to be stripped off dirt. I don't understand it, when I was in the prep team for the district ten tributes, I used to swear they bathed in dirt itself"

Avocado burst out laughing as if though Eiffel had come out with one of the funniest jokes he had ever heard in my life. "Well I guess we are lucky to have one of the good districts dear, having said that, did you see the reaping. The District two girl was disgusting. I am glad we have the beauty of the games".

I smiled though I felt horribly uncomfortable. The two rambled on about how great these games are going to be a how they really could not wait to see what goes down in the arena. The more I was listening to them, the more barbaric I found them. How can they be excited about watching children die. It's sick. How would they like it if it was their children being reaped every year.
I wasn't vocal about how what I was thinking, but I was very close and really had to bite down on my tongue hard when Avocado mentioned how he can't wait to see how deadly I will become, and how exciting it will be to watch such a beautiful girl become such a deadly weapon in the games.

What were people expecting of me? District One, I know has a reputation. We are a leading district for winners, which means we are a leading district for many of the deaths that occur in the games, but if you really watch the deaths from District One, you notice they are all quick and simple. We don't choose to 'play' with the victims like those from District two.

Finally they are finished with me and I am told to put on a robe while they went and called in my stylist.
Avocado could hardly hold his excitement when he announced my stylist was Raven McKee, who apparently is one of the most famous stylists in the whole of Panem. Personally I had never heard of her, but then being a district girl, you don't really get gossip.

When she walked in, I had to do a double take. I genuinely thought it was a man dressed in female clothes. There had been so much bot-ox in the face that it barely looked real, her cheeks were pushed up, and her lips where so inflamed. Her face was basically emotionless. I couldn't tell if she was happy, or sad. It never changed.

"Hello M'dear", she said clearly to me, only her eyes moving round her face as the rest stayed scarily still.
"Yes", she nodded. "I quit the styling the Hunger Games 10 years ago, do you know that dear", she said stroking my face.
"No, sorry I don't", I replied honestly.
She let out a giggle. "I should have guessed, my apologies. Well anyways, when I saw you volunteer at the reaping, well I demanded I came back, for one year only. The stylist Madam Cambell, well she put up a fight, understandable she did not want to leave, but I went straight to the president himself. And with some... persuasion... he agreed I was best for the job".

I blink and raise my eyebrow. "Persuasion?", I questioned curiously.

Raven stared at me. I think she would have been smiling, if he lips could actually move, "Yes. But we won't go into that now of course.

She walked over to her suitcase and pulled it over to me. "Your costume for the parade today. You're going to look FABULOUS".

She pulled out a long dress. Silver with sparkles shining all across it. "Stand".

She did a lot of work on me. Making sure it fit perfectly. It was more like a mermaid dress. It was pretty clear I was going to have trouble walking in this.
I Waddled over to the mirror and looked at myself. I was only 16 years old, and already I was being made an object of desire. I admit, this was the best I had ever looked. I was stunning. Out of this world. But this wasn't me. I would be happy in a top and jeans. This was all over the top.

Do as they wish. Do not argue. Thats all I could do. I closed my eyes.

"Come", she snapped her fingers at me. "The parade will start shortly".

I made my way to the opening all, where all the other tributes will be joining shortly for the parade. This will be the first time we all all together.