Lucretius has an angered expression on his face towards me before he looks to the crowd.
"There's something you don't see everyday!" he says into his standing microphone.
To which I then steal the microphone away from him.
"No, but let's all give a warm round of applause to the real star of the hour! Jubilee the Parrot!" I say warmly to the crowd.
The audience looks confused for a moment as I try my best impression of Yarrow.
Happy, beautiful and smiling. They oblige with a polite round of applause before he yanks away the standing mic away once again.
"Is there a reason you brought everyone on stage with you tonight?" he asks before pointing the mic towards me, carefully gripping it in a way that I would not steal it once again.
"Why yes, Lucretius. I did! I wanted everyone to see a traditional dance of 10 & 11.
And how easy it is to learn! Even in the Capitol!" I say overly emphatically.
Before Lucretius can reply, I shoo him with my hand the way everyone else tried to shoo away Jubilee so that we can spread out onto the stage.
Hawthorn asks the girl from 1 to ask the MC to play a traditional folk ballad to 10 & 11 to which he bashfully obliges before we assume formation in a large circle.
We begin to dance in a large circle before some of us break free and begin to line dance.
Tealie teaching the line dance and myself and Hawthorn leading the circle dance.
I look around, no tears remain nor is doubt on the face of any tributes and even the Careers are having fun. A dual-sided sword, but I know in my heart Yarrow would have wanted this.
The crowd begins to clap in unison to the folk dance we performed.
Tealie and I lock arms and begin to dance in a circle.
We spin for a few moments and I feel light, closing my eyes as she swings me so easily before I stop. My chest tightens and I return to the line dance alone.
I lost myself again.
After about 5 minutes, the dancing comes to a pause and I make my exit of the stage with the others.
I didn't need to say who I am, I needed to show who I am.
Thank you, Yarrow...you gave me life.
I can't find Lavender on my way back to hair & makeup, however, I run into Tealie who quickly embraces me, a sweet gesture at first that I meet with a smile until I hear in a whispered tone:
"Tomorrow in the arena, we have to kill Hawthorn as soon as possible. He won't expect it when he thinks you're in his alliance that you thought Merino & I didn't know about." she says gripping me so hard I lose my breath.
She raises me into the air slightly pressing her forearms against my spine.
I'm terrified as I look to my once perceived friend. "Are we understood?" she says looking directly into my eyes.
I'm so short of breath, all my body can do is nod in agreement until I plop to the floor trying to catch my breath.
She bounds over me to leave with her stylists and I cry on the tiled floor.
One last shower before the Games, I drown the sound of my mind with the running water, placing my face against the heavy stream.
My answer to Hawthorn is soon and I've decided to join him with the Careers.
I can't face the Careers alone but I can't be with Tealie after she threatened me.
I thought the dance had meant something between us but the Games are hanging over all of our heads, I guess it didn't occur to me until the night before.
I finish drying myself and notice a mark along the ridges of my back from where Tealie had squeezed me, tracing my fingers alongside of it as I look to Hawthorn's closed door.
I knock gently. "Hawthorn, I decided I'll join you in the Arena." I say to him loud enough that it would not wake Lavender, but would get his attention.
I prepare to turn towards my room until I hear something near his door.
"Okay. I convinced them. Leave it to me." he says quietly against the door.
"Is that all?" I say back.
This time there's no response, I quietly slide open the metallic door to my room before turning in for the night.
I look out on my balcony and see the Capitol in an uproar, the white noise of cheering helps me sleep.
I dream of the Tundra we are to face in the Arena, I dreamed of the frozen lake where I washed my face to wake up from the nightmare I had the night before and I awaken to a new day.