Victory! The Victory Tour, I should say. That's right, the Victory Tour is starting, and the action can only go up right now. I hope I do a good job. And I am trying really hard to get a lot of detail in it, because I have noticed some people are saying my detail was amazing before and is slowing decreasing, so I am going to try and build it up again. Please, review and let me know how I am doing. I seriously need some comments to help me out. And I needed a writing fix, so this chapter really might get to be a long one. I am writing this before I even begin writing the stuff, so if it isn't so long, I don't feel like changing what I wrote up here. Anyway, read it. Enjoy it! Review it! Please and thank you's in advance. OK, here you go! Hope you like it….I'm going to work really hard on it. Also, if you like my stories in general, I have written one other one, and it's Twilight stuff, so if you're a fan of twilight, I have a new twist on something that people haven't heard too much about. Please, check it out. I don't have a lot of feedback on that one. And I promise, it will be worth your while. I have 6 reviews, and I want to get to 20 by the end of the month. So please, if you like Twilight, or if you like my stories no matter what they are about, check out A Human Glance. Thanks!
Luke and I stand there for a moment in peace, and then everything comes alive like an action movie. Photographers start talking about lighting, Effie and Haymitch and my parents start talking really fast, and all of a sudden, Melody and a guy I'm guessing is Luke's stylist come at us, dragging us into my bedroom, which now has countless garment bags and makeup bags and…well, everything a stylist could need- curling irons, hairspray galore, and even a replica of the platforms we had to stand on in the Capitol all are in my room. That tells you how large my room is. Yeah, it's pretty frickin big.
Flo, Norlina, and Octavia squeal and run over to me. I am wrapped up in three extremely tight hugs in seconds, and Luke laughs behind me. Then a girl with curly, bright pink hair comes up to Luke from behind and playfully squeezes his butt. He jumps about 50 zillion feet in the air. He blushes and looks at me, and I try without succeeding in stifling a laugh. The girl goes over to a man standing next to Melody and I clearly can see her tongue roll into his mouth. Gross! At least Luke and I are somewhat subtle with what we're doing.
"OK, so we are going to get you all prepped up and ready to go to Districts 3 and 4. Back to back, day after day. And then you'll go to 4 through 11 briefly, you know, be charming, and then you hit 12, where you, especially Luke, are particularly popular. There, you'll be partying it up. Then you'll go to 1, and then to 2, another huge party, and then the Capitol. Got it?" Melody states. "Um….. just out of curiosity, who are these people that I have never met?" I ask quickly, referring to the girl with the pink hair, oh my god, the one with the blue hair looks just like the one with the pink, and that dude looks totally Goth. All black says it all. And then there's that other girl over there that has orange and pink streaked hair and yellow eyes. Oh, yellow eyes. Don't think of Miklisho. Don't think of Miklisho.
"Oh, their stylist and prep team, you don't need to worry about it. The man in black is Vilnius, and the girl with the blue hair is Argentina. The girl with the curly pink hair is Algeria, and she's Argentina's twin. And then over there with the yellow eyes is Tari" Luke says. I look around, nodding my greeting. Melody and my prep team start taking off my clothes, and I jerk their hands off. "Should I be changing, like…here?" I ask. "Oh come on, you two have been naked before in front of each other, I know it. Don't give me the whole virgin act. I who you both lost it." Norlina scoffs. Luke and I look at each other and start laughing. "Yeah, that's what we were doing. It's not like we wussed out or anything." Luke says. I nod, and then we laugh. "We're both virgins." I blurt out. "Well, alright then. Strip it down." Vilnius says, grinding the air. I like this guy already. I start pulling off my tank top and then my mini skirt and leggings off. I'm in my underwear and bra now. "Those too." Flo says. I groan. "Fine." I say, unhooking my bra and sliding out of my underwear.
"My sister and I are named after former countries. It's a great honor." Algeria brags. Argentina rolls her eyes, saying nothing. Algeria hasn't shut up in the 25 minutes we've been here. And Argentina hasn't spoken at all. I like her better.
Then I'm forced to stand up on the platform. Luke is similarly forced, and after enough swearing out of me, we both finally shut up and stop laughing. We get waxed and pricked and examined, and then we're back on the ground, getting our clothes from a garment bag marked District 3. "So, what's our angle on this? What are we acting like?" I ask. "Well, did you majorly kill one of the tributes from that district?" Octavia asks.
I think for a second. The tributes from District 3 were Gilzira and Allen. Allen was supposed to be my ally, but I didn't get the chance, and Gilzira killed Marcus, but Vale had killed her. "That would be a no." I say. "Then you act normal. Don't act braggingly, but don't be dripping over your own tears, Just, don't speak much and you'll be out of there in a quick half hour. Then you move on to District 4, where you will act and dress differently." Argentina says. I nod my head.
Octavia pulls out my clothes with a flourish, and I see that I am wearing a short black dress and 6 inch strappy black heels. Great. Another way to make me seem slutty. As if I needed anything else to convince people that I wasn't. I pull on the dress, and it barely clears my butt. Barely. I look at Luke, seeing him wear a white shirt with a black vest like thing and khaki's. Boys get all the comfy stuff. I balance on one foot, trying to put on my shoe, strapping it successfully. I put my left foot down and stand on it, pushing up my right foot. I miscalculated my ankle balance. I topple over and fall right into Luke's waiting arms. He smiles at me and I blush.
Then I get back up and sit in the edge of my bed, placing on my other shoe quickly, because my dress my ridden up, and I can see my underwear. Like a lot. So I stand up quickly. Then Melody whisks my hair up with a flurry of clips and hairspray, and my hair sits perched on my head in a stylish bun, but slightly messy. Just the way I would have done this. She quickly put on some red lipstick and black eyeliner, and then Luke and I are rushed out the door, finding that it is raining.
Luke gets an umbrella and stands close to me, holding it over both of us. We don't get wet at all. We get into a black limousine, and we are driven to the train station, where we get on, no cameras, and travel the 15 minutes to District 3. Surprisingly, the rain stops right at the fence to 3. And we are escorted out and led to their Justice Building, where we sit and practice what will happen. Effie is pretending to be the mayor. "We welcome Ms. Elizabeth Hirsch and Mr. Luke Mellark to our district to congratulate you on their Victory." She trills. "And what a wonderful district it is." Luke says in a high pitched voice. A reasonable response according to Effie. "Thank you ever so much for accommodating us so generously." I say, pushing the words out very slowly, and making it sound strained purposely. "Nice job, sweetheart." Haymitch says.
"Oh, not her too, Haymitch. And I thought I was sweetheart." Katniss whines. "Now you're just annoying bitch." He replies. Peeta smiles. "And you're still a bitter drunk." He says. Haymitch laughs and nods.
Then we're out of time to practice, and it's time for the real thing. Two Peacekeepers escort us to the steps leading up to the stage. "Don't screw this up." Effie hisses. I make a salute and then the mayor of three, a balding old man with a cane, announcing our names. Luke links his arm through mine and then we walk up together and stand beside the mayor, smiling out at the crowd of people.
They clap, most of them looking pretty damn pissed about us being there, and I mirror their emotion. I want to leave so badly. "Thank you ever so much for accommodating us so well." I say, smiling and being genuinely kind. If that's possible. I skip the snarky comment I was going to make. "You have a beautiful District." Luke says.
The mayor nods and shakes our hands, then two ladies come and bestow us with a bouquet of roses each. We smile and wave, and then we walk away and as soon as we're out of sight, we are acting normal again. "That was brilliant." My mom says. My dad shoves thumbs up at me. I smirk. "Time to leave?" I ask excitedly. "Yes, Liz, it's time to go. And I couldn't be happier." Haymitch says, slinging an arm around my shoulders. Well, kind of. I'm like an inch taller than him with the heels, so he can't exactly reach me. My mom holds up a camera. "We're taking a picture in every district." She says. I smile and Luke wraps an arm around my waist, and I roll in my hip toward him.
We get back on the train and then we're traveling to District 4, getting dressed and rehearsing at the same time. District 4 was where Micheal and MaryAnn were from. This is a district where I am sure I will get a bit emotional. Octavia notices my look and puts on waterproof makeup. Then I get into a pair of brown Capri's and a royal purple tank top, then topping it off with an army green trench coat. My shoes are black rubber boots. Luke is dressed similarly, with a raincoat and sweatpants. I'm wearing barely any makeup. And then we're off the train. I have to say more this time, and Luke has barely anything. Kill me now.
We are standing by the stage, where a man in his early twenties with jet black hair and green eyes stands, making faces and getting ready, just like we are. "I am very sorry for your losses." I practice, for once, not forcing a face. "If we could stop MaryAnn and Micheal from arguing the way they did, we would. They were amazing allies, and they were remarkable people." I continue. Then we are told to go on stage.
We walk onto the stage and shake hands with the mayor. "Welcome. Congratulations on your Victory." He says. "Thank you very much. The tributes from your district were very good." Luke says kindly. The mayor offers a weak smile. "They were amazing allies, and remarkable tributes." I repeat. Then my eyes start to water. I brush away a tear with my hand, and then I continue. "If I could have stopped Micheal and MaryAnn from fighting the way they did, I would have done it. I would have tried so much harder to keep them alive. They were an inspiration. To me. And to my other allies. And they kept me sane when all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and wait it out until it was safer." I say, sighing at the end. The mayor wipes a tear away and offers us each a rose. We walk off and my mom stops us, snapping a quick picture. We keep walking and get to the train. We climb on, and I collapse against the padded benches near the windows. Luke sits down next to me. I let myself cry a little bit. "It's alright. I miss them too. Sometimes. When I get past the fact that they were both annoying as hell." He says. I smile a little bit. He kisses me gently, and we sit together, ready for the next district.
Effie and my dad walk in and inform us that it is time for dinner. We sit down at the table and scarf down all the Capitol food we can eat. I remember the last time I ate like this, with Marcus. And it happens exactly like it did before. I get up and puke it all up, but this time, it's not from a full stomach or even nerves. It's because I am ready to cry my eyes out. Yet again, the Games have taken over my brain and aren't letting me think of anything else. I want to go home. And sleep for a long long long time. And then when I wake up, maybe I dreamed the entire thing. Maybe the Hunger Games will have never existed. And I could go to school and peg Marcus with a dodge ball. Like I used to.
I want all of this to fade away, like a bad dream, and I want to meet Luke all over again, and make it a quality relationship, where my parents know about us. But most importantly, I want to tell him that I wasn't ready to be in love. And then, maybe he wouldn't have to get married to a horrible person like me. He wouldn't have to lose his virginity for me. He could love a good, honest girl, like Alice Dawson. Oh, who am I kidding? I would relive everything except Luke. He is the best thing that ever happened to me. Ever. I am happier about him then the Games. And I have wanted to win the Games since I was four.
My dad walks in and sits next to me on my compartment bed. I bring my knees up to my chin. "Liz, are you alright?" He asks. "Yeah, Cato, I'm just fine." I say. He frowns. "You know, we're not training. You can call me dad if you want." He laughs. I look at him and shake my head. "Sorry, force of habit." I sigh. He keeps looking at me. "Elizabeth, I know something is bothering you. What is it? Spit it out!" He whispers. "I am remembering all the people that I killed. I could name them all by their first and last names, and I know where they were from. I knew more about them then I did my own classmates back home. I got to know them, to almost build friendships with them. And then someone goes and kills them. And even scarier is the fact that sometimes, I was the person who killed them. I was the monster." I say.
"I know how you feel. There was a couple in our Games, named Glimmer and Marvel. And they were the most annoying ever! Glimmer, the girl, was obsessed with looking pretty. She was blonde, and kind of ditzy. But she was an amazing tribute when she got in there. She worked really hard. And she died from tracker jacker stings. I did nothing to kill her. And I puked afterward, because I had seen her swollen, bloody body. And Marvel was killed by Katniss, as you know, when he killed Rue. He was the biggest bitch in the world. But he was a damn good fighter, and he worked hard. I know what it feels like to have someone you cared about killed right there in front of you. Seeing their face in the sky sucks shit, but it's necessary for you to win." He replies. I look at him. "Thanks daddy." I say, kissing his forehead. And that's where I fell asleep.
So, thoughts? What did you think? Well, review and tell me! Or PM. I don't care how you do it, just s it! OK, well, I have to go. Sorry I couldn't say more. I'm update soon!