Chapter 9- The Interveiws
Howdy y'all! I suddenly became southern there for a moment for no reason whatsoever. So anywho this chapter is longer (like I said, longer chapters now) and there will be a little Fingel action. *squeals* I made like 80 changes to this chapter cuz I thought it was too long, then too short, sorree if it is either one. Remember, Angel goes into the Games TOMORROW. Well, next chapter really... Finnick is going to do everything to bring her home, but I know her fate... Now then, I need to go ask a police officer to track down the death threats I've been getting from Fannies. I understand you Selena Gomez. WARNING: Will Contain Spoilers. I. Can. Not. Speel.
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN T.H.G!
DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE A DIEHARD FANNIE OR GATNISS! YOU WILL UNDERSTAND LATER YOUNG KUMQUATS! (I prefer to type it out.)
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"What in the name of the Capitol?" I'm startled awake by that unmistakable sound of Bianca's Capitol accent. I rub my eyes and slowly sit up. So does Finnick. So. Does. Finnick. Oh hell no.
"I can explain." Finnick says.
"You can?" Bianca asks tapping her purple pumps. I hope he can.
"Angel was having nightmares again, and at home she has an older brother who would sleep with her when she had them. Obviously he isn't here, but I am so..." Finnick trails off. Bianca looks back at me. I nod my head madly.
"Fine." Bianca spits. "You both have twenty minuets to eat breakfast. Then it's lessons." It's 8am, I've woken up earlier than this. I can manage. I'm lead out to the breakfast table. There's little chitchat between us. I take a sip of orange juice.
"Angel, you will be working with me first, Collin you'll be wtih Alicia. Then Angel with be with Alicia and Collin will be with Finnick. Lastly Angel you'll be with Finnick and Collin, with me." Collin and I slowly nod our heads. "Okay then, both of you get dressed." I trudge back to my room going through the motions of dressing in a button down blouse and thick brown pants. I don't know why I need four hours with each of my mentors, but that means four hours alone with Finnick. I open up the door and scream. Bianca is nose to nose with me, smiling and holding a large amount of boxes.
"Time for your lesson!" She squeals as if I'm her best friend. An avox leads us to a room that I'll be practicing in ALL DAY LONG. First Bianca opens up one of the boxes to show me a pair of simple flat shoes. She hands the box to me. "Your first lesson will be in shoes." I almost want to snort it sounds so funny. I put them on and Bianca wears a similar pair.
"When walking in flats you place your feet almost directly in front of each other." Bianca says demonstrating. "Like this. You try." I walk the way Bianca did towards to two chairs set up for mock-interveiws.
"Lovley! Take those off." She instructs. Then she pulls out a pair with two inch heels. We continue walking correctly in each pair of shoes- each one getting taller- all the way until the dreaded 12 inch heels. I ace even those. But my feet are killing me and Bianca seems to notice. So for our next session Bianca lets me go barefoot. I'm forced into five different gowns, none of which I'll actually be wearing for my interveiw. The first one is horrid, long with a train that drags two feet behind me. It takes me a good ten minuets to walk without tripping. Then it's an ankle length gown that I have to lift up (Not above the ankles Angel!) to walk right. Then I graduate to a dress that comes to my mid-calves. Then a dress that comes to my knees. Then a dress that barely covers anything. An avox boy comes in with a small snack of fancy crackers and a selection of cheeses. Just before exiting he stares at my chest, then my ass. I can ony hope that Brave won't put me in something like this. Alicia comes in to train me next. I change out of my dress and when I come back Bianca is gone and Alicia is sitting in one of the chairs waiting for me.
Neither of us says anything as I sit down.
"Welcome, you've made it halfway through the day." Alicia says. I can't believe it either. This room has no windows and I'm dying to see outside life. "Bianca worked with you on wardrobe, the next four hours with me you'll work on technique." I slowly nod my head. I haven't spoken a word all day. "Finnick came up with three angles for you to pull. The first one is confident. You got a ten in training, you're tied with another girl for prettiest tribute, and your mentor is the most wanted man in all of Panem. Your second characteristic is caring. You volunteered for the Mayor's daughter and you had a family of nine back home. And your final angle to show; sexy."
"I'm not sexy, good luck trying to get me into that one." I say.
"Sharp cheek bones, full lower lip, defined M-shape top lip, long legs, long arms, swan-like neck, natural highlights, fair skin, blazing red hair, hourglass figure, full dark eyelashes, and those extraordinary blue-green eyes." Alicia says. "Those are some of the characteristics I could think of off the top of my head. Angel, I've spoken with your stylist. Both he and your prep team agree with me." I just nod my head. I spend the next four hours learning how to work a crowd. Alicia gives me practice questions, and does a pretty good Caesar impression. I'm pretty good with all the questions. But then Alicia pulls out a set of note cards with more serious questions.
"Angel, you volunteered for Abigal Gliss, the Mayor of District 4's daughter. What caused you to do this?" I swallow hard.
"Well, I've been best friends with her since I was five, she's like my sister." I say. I have to tell the imaginary crowd everything now. "I love her, Abbi is my sister. She would've done the same for me." I know for a fact that she wouldn't. Abigal is a beanpole, she's lived a cushy life, and she would be killed at the ring of the gong.
"Speaking of sisters, my understanding is you have quite a few of them." Alicia says in her Caesar voice. She is creepily good at this.
"Yes, I have a family of nine, eight siblings counting out my father of course." I respond. To my surprise Alicia doesn't pry about me having a single parent.
"So tell us about them."
"The youngest are my twin sisters Rose and Jasmine they're still babies and they're the cutest things you've ever seen. I have a three year old brother Bailey, he's three. Then there's Bella and Christinia they're ten and twelve. Nothing but trouble."
"That leaves two siblings."
"My sister Emily is fourteen. She was born with a hole in her lung. All I want to do is protect her." I say. A hush falls over the crowd in my mind.
"Continue." Alicia says.
"I love her so much. She wants to be independent, but truely I do too. I wish I could be there for her always." Alicia nods. "What about you broth-" An avox comes in with another one of Bianca's "snacks." After that Finnick comes in.
"I think I'll take over now." He says smiling at me.
"Okay, I'm going to check in with the stylists now." Alicia says getting up and leaving. Finnick takes her seat. These are the last hours of my life I will spend alone with him. "Angel, there's something I need to tell you."
"You can tell me anything Finn." I promise him.
"Angel, I was in love before you. She was a tribute too, a victor now." Finnick says. It's gotta be Alicia, that's why she hates me. "I was in love with Annie Cresta." WHOA! Didn't see that one coming.
"I'm fine with that." I say.
"The thing is, I couldn't wait for her. She's- well you know- and I was sick of waiting, it's been two long and lonley years for me Angel. I needed someone else."
"Me." I say slowly. Finnick nods.
"I'm going to try, really hard, my love." He says to me. Did he just say 'my love'? Then Finnick speaks slowly. "I will do everything in my power to bring you home. I won't lose to the Hunger Games again." This makes me feel stronger, someone is expecting something of me besides making a good fishing hook or net. I respond with a kiss. Finnick kisses me back, hot lips dancing across mine. Kissing him is like playing with fire. Forbidden, dangerous, and fun. Suddenly, I have an edge that I didn't have before. I feel confident, beautiful, sexy. I reach down to unbutton Finnick's pants. He kicks them off, keeping our lips glued together. I lift my hand up as he pulls my shirt off. My heart is pounding into his chest. Then we're on the floor, I'm pressed into him. Nothing on. Where are the rest of my clothes? Must've floated off... Oh, Finnick's too. We're rolling, tumbling, groping, grinding, so hard and fast I can barely breathe. Finnally we stop.
"What time is it?" I ask. Finnick looks around sitting up.
"Almost seven." He says looking at me with bedroom eyes. Holy shit, I was just having sex with Finnick Odair for three hours.
"We should work on something else now." I suggest pulling my bra back on. When I'm finally dressed Finnick puts together the final project. Giving me different combonations of questions, the angles I'm supposed to pull, and the type of outfit I'm wearing. At first we're very productive Finn gives me combos like,
"Five inch heels, dress to your knees, try to act caring. Question: What do you think of the Captiol?" I respond with witty answers, staying calm, smiling, and crossing my legs. Then we begin to mess around.
"Dress one inch below your ass, twelve inch pumps, act sexy." Finnick says smiling. "Question: Your thoughts on your mentor Finnick Odair?"
"Well," I say overexageratingly leaning over to fix my 'shoe.' "I think he's hot, very hot. Very sexy." Finncik and I burst into laughter.
"Well, I see that you've made progress!" Bianca says. Why can't she just say 'hello' like anormal person? "It's time for supper." Finnick takes my hand and I tug on my sleeve to cover the marks from the carpet on my wrist.
When I wake up the sky is a brilliant shade of blue. I open my door and scream. (deja vu...) My prep team is standing there smiling.
"Surprise!" Vima says.
"Surprise!" Elenora echoes.
"We came early!" Cori says.
"Thank you. I'm so excited for tonight." I say coyly. The rest of my day is dedicated to my physical appearence. My prep team works magic. I feel like a princess in the stories I tell Bella at night. The first thing they do is erase me with a thin layer of pale make up that matches my skin tone. Then my features reappear. When I move my skin shimmers in silver. Cori goes to work on my nails, painting pale pink with white swirls on all twenty of them. Vima snips at my hair ever so delicately, drawing out the gold, brown, and amber highlights. Elenora gives my cheek bones more definition, uses makeup to pencil my eyebrows and gives me pouty fushia lips. Then she outlines them in a thin pink pencil only one shade darker defining the M shape even more. My eylashes have gold and silver sparks in them. My cheeks are colored rosy red. My eyelids are coated with dust that mixes the colors gold, silver, and pink. The blue in my eyes pops from the pink, and the green is drawn out with the gold specks in the eyeshadow. My prep team tells me how lucky I am to have an hourglass figure and that my dress is spectacular. On my hands Elenora stencils swirls in silver. Cori finishes my nails and goes to work with Vima. He places poppy-seed-sized pearls with the lightest tint of pink all over my hair. Vima watches him as she puts all sorts of products in my hair giving it a bronzy luster. Then Brave comes in holding a black garment bag, smiling.
"Close your eyes." He intructs. I flutter my eyelids shut. The dress is almost two tons, I can feel it already. There are sleeves made of lace, I can tell because the air only touches certain spots on my arms. However my shoulders are bare as well as most of my chest, neck, and back. I open my eyes a peek and see Cori holding a pearl necklace.
"Keep them closed!" Elenora clucks. Something is placed on top of my head, it's heavy. Bracelets are clipped into place. There's fidgeting and then I step into what must be three inch heels.
"You can open your eyes Angel." Brave says in a singsong voice. I gently open my eyes and stare at a goddess in the mirror in front of me. My hair is covered in pearls, what I thought was a necklace was a pearl head piece that seems to have pearls dripping off of it. Brave must've been inspired by District 4's pearls because they're everywhere. On my shoes, in my earrings, on the dress- Oh the dress! The whole thing is the palest of pinks. The silk hugs to my body emphasising the curves I never noticed. I do have an hourglass figure! The dress flares out at the bottom and it looks like I'm floating on air. My sleeves are lace with beautiful swirl patterns. The pearls seem to be blinking in the light.
"Thank-you!" I say crying. My prep team has thought of everything because my tears drip off my skin like water melting off ice. They don't even leave a trail.
"Okay, does everything fit? We don't need to do any pinning do we?" I walk in a circle with my head up like Bianca taught me.
"No. It's just fine." I answer.
"Okay then. I'll be in the front row. Angel, at the end of your interveiw I need you to cursy and put your arms out. Okay?" Brave asks. I nod. "Good." He says leaving. My prep team follows him like ducklings after their mother. I glance at myself in the mirror, vewing from all angles.
"Hello beautiful." Finnick's voice says.
"Hello yourself." I say turning to face him. He's wearing a tux (no bowtie of course) and his shirt matches the pink in my dress.
"Alicia wanted us to match our tributes." He explains. I smile at him. "You look incadescent tonight." He says. Finnick leans in and whispers into my ear. "Glowing from within." I giggle.
"Thank you." I say.
"Oh!" Finnick says remembering something. He reaches into his pocket and pulls something out. "This is your district token. Your stylist wanted you to wear it tonight." He holds out a crudely made necklace; old twine with a copper anchor charm. My heart skips a beat.
"Where, where did you get that?" I ask. The memory with the necklace floods my mind. The checkered blue-and-white dress, Travis being nervous, me with no clue...
"Your brother gave it to me. Just before I got on the train and before he talked to you." Finnick says. Knowing Travis I know that he must've said something to Finnick as well.
"And what did he say to you?" I ask.
"He warned me that I'd better not count you out, that you weren't weak, that you weren't just a heart to toy with, and that if I didn't try to help you- the Games wouldn't be over when I came back." Finnick says. Yes, yes, I can definatly imagine Travis saying that. The necklace is placed around my neck. "Good luck." Finnick says.
"Thanks." I stammer. I walk out into the hallway. Instantly I'm wisked away, put in line behind Chip, where I wait. I lean against the wall and glance around. There are TVs set up everyehere you look. So now I can watch all the other interveiws before me. Caesar Flickerman smiles at the audience, his color highlights this year: buttercup yellow. He's talking and I'm barely listening.
"Angel, did you hear me?" Collin asks. He looks perfect in a navy blue tux, his hair ruffled so perfectly it can only be styled to look that way.
"What?" I say. "Sorry, I'm just really nervous." I fiddle with the anchor charm on Travis' necklace.
"Me too. I was just saying that you look amazingly beautiful tonight." My nervousness melts away. I smile, the one I practiced all day yesterday. (Minus those perfect three hours)
"Really? I was worried that my prep team went a little overboard with the glitter." Collin laughs, deep and hearty, like Travis would. "I don't know if I can answer the questions. I mean, practicing with Alicia and Finnick, even Bianca was easy."
Collin nods. "Just pretend you're talking to me. That's what I'm doing, prendening I'm talking to you I mean. All these people are Capitol product, but we're just jolly ole' fishermen." He jokes. Pretentend I'm talking to Collin, it makes sense. It's like talking to Travis, if Travis suddenly forgot everything about me. I snap back to reality when Glamour's buzzer goes off. I barely noticed her. She walks off the stage smiling, but as soon as she's back stage she goes back to her icy glare tugging at the golden ropes around her throat. She looks truly gorgeous in a black dress studded with gold. Well, of you could call it a dress. It's got very little fabric and clings to her body as if it were soaking wet. Ringlet is on stage now, pulling the friendly angle in a black suit. His interveiw slips by. Granite goes onstage in a floor length pink dress clearly stating that she is a killing machine. As soon as her buzzer goes off she rips the fabric so that it barley covers her lower half and stomps off stage scowling. She's going to keep the Careers fed wit sponsers. Marshal looks hot in a skintight red shirt, top two buttons undone, no jacket. The ladies go wild. Both tributes from 3 are so tiny and frail but they break the audiences' hearts with their zero chance of winning. Avoxes push me forward, just behind the curtain as Cesaer gives my introduction.
"She scored the highest in training out of all the girls, made a triumph in the tribute parade, and you know her as The Angel of District 4." What? Since when? "The lovely, Miss Angel Caprice." Cesaer welcomes me onstage. I remember Bianca's intructions. I turn to face the audience, crossing my feet in front of each other, smiling, arching my back and dragging my head out. I sit down in the empty chair.
All of.
Panem.
Is watching.
"So Angel, welcome to the Captiol." Cesaer says to me. Imagine it's Collin.
"Thank-you. It's nice to be here." I say giggling. The crowd claps madly.
"How do you feel about your score in your private sessions?" Cesaer asks. I decide to joke with them.
"I don't know, is getting a 10 good?" A round of howling is the audience's way of responding.
"Angel, since you left home, have you been impressed by anything in the Capitol?" Cesaer asks. Okay, what would I tell Collin?
"Well, that's a tie between my mentor Finnick Odair and the clothes I get to wear." I say. Big laugh from the audience. My time is ticking away, but I act calm and cool.
"Speaking of clothing, that necklace you're wearing, it's a contrast to your outfit." Great, we're going to talk about my family thirty seconds into my interveiw.
"Well, it's not from here actually." I say looking down, tracing my thumb over the arch of the copper. I look up at Cesaer. "It's from back home." The crowd goes silent. Cesaer's sunny colored eyebrows knit together.
"Tell us." He urges. No thank-you. I'd tell Collin though. The story behind the necklace is simple; On Travis' first Reaping he was nervous, being ten I coudn't understand. To me Reaping day was braided hair and clean clothes. The Games were nothing but girls in pretty dresses and closing my eyes during brutal killing scenes. So I gave Travis a gift, the necklace. The anchor was crafted from my own hands. I'd stolen the materials from a trading market though. Talking about fear of the Reaping was enough to stir up a scene in the Capitol. There could be punishment for my family if I talked about stealing.
"Well, when I was ten my brother had his first Reaping day. As a Hunger Games gift I gave him this necklace. I made the charm in school." I was doing good. "Travis always wears it. Everyday. He says it protects him." I take a deep breath. My eyes are glassy, the audience hangs on my every word. "Hopefully it will protect me." The audience applauds me. Cesaear takes my hand.
"Yes, hopefully it will." He says. We move on to the next question. "Since we're on the topic of family, would you tell us about yours more?" As much as I want to tell him how great my sisters are, how cute Bailey is, the connection between me and Travis; it'll only make me cry.
"I have a family of nine Cesaer." I say teasingly. He makes an exaggerated surprised face and bites his knuckles. Laughter lightens the mood.
"Then just your parents." He says.
"My dad is great, he cares for us, sometimes he'll work late, but he always finds time for us." I say. If I changed 'sometimes' to 'always' it would have been what I would've really said to Collin.
"And your mother?" Cesaer asks. No. Nononononononono! Not you. Only Collin, and him I would maybe tell. I take a deep breath and shake my head. "Why not?"
"Because, because she really is an angel." It takes the airheads in the Capitol a few moments to understand. Cesaer nods his head. "About six months ago, my twin sisters Jasmine and Rose were born. After seven children, I-I-I-, I guess two at once was too much for her to handle." My voice breaks off when I say 'handle' and I begin to cry. A sincre 'awww' ripples through the crowds. Cesaer pats my hand. "It's fine, it's just-"
"What?" Cesaer asks.
"She was the only person who every told me I was beautiful." I choke out. Alicia DID speak to my prep team, she knew I was going to cry. My makeup remains intact. "Well, before I came to the Capitol." I say. The crowd cheers and Cesaer stands up taking my hand and holding it in the air. My tears stop after a few moments.
"Angel Caprice, from District 4!" He shouts over the roaring crowd. I hear the buzzer go off but they don't notice. So I dip my head down and curtsy sticking my arms out. I hear it. A soft ping! from the back of my dress. The crowd claps louder and I can see that there are a set of transparent crystal wings dotted with pearls coming out from my shoulder blades. They clap as I exit the stage. I am unforgettable. The tears, the score, the stories, the dress, the wings. No one will forget Angel Caprice from Distrcit 4. The Angel of District 4. An avox comes to pull the wings out of my dress.
Collin follows me, then the rest of the districts. 5,6,7,8... I sit backstage making small talk with Glamour. Of all the other Careers besides Collin, she's nicest to me. Marshal plants himself next to me. During the rest of the show he touches my bare back, plays with my hair, slides his hands up and down my left thigh. Granite looks like she'll burst.
"Hey Gran, jelousy isn't a good look on you." He jokes. She responds with a hard slap. The interveiws finish with Daniel sending his love to his girlfriend in District 12. Some tributes linger to talk with their stylists or other tributes. But I make a beeline to exit. My wrist is grabbed and I'm pulled into a closet.
"Marshal what the hell-" I begin. But he pins me to the wall, pressing his body against mine, smashing his mouth into mine. I try to push him off but it's no use. He moans into my mouth, snaking his tongue in. He pulls away, keeping my wrists against the wall. "Please stop." I beg. He's not gentle, he's forcing, my wrists will surely be brusied tomorrow. That won't help my throwing skills. Marshal only grins.
"Playing hard to get Angel? I like that." He goes in again, this time sucking hard on my neck as I cry out. The door to the closet opens and a tall figure slams Marshal into a wall, he falls to the ground and runs away quickly. The figure turns to face me. It's Daniel, from District 12.
"Th-th-thank-you." I stammer out. He nods, no expression.
"No problem." He says. Then leaves.
...
What just happened there? I don't even know! So you know what the next chapter is! HUNGER GAMES TIME! *waves foam finger in the air* WHOOOOO! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! lol. (Llama's oversized lavalamps) What do you think will happen next?