SONG: 2+2+5 by Radiohead
When she eventually returned to the penthouse, Pomponia descended on her in a panic, her many tulle skirts swishing loudly as she rushed over to the door. "What happened? What did they say to you?"
"Nice to see you too, Pomponia," Iris said tiredly. "How was your evening?" All she wanted was to collapse into her bed and not think about the interviews, or what waking up tomorrow morning would mean. She also knew that she would never be able to sleep if she left without saying goodbye to Pomponia before tomorrow.
"That is enough," Pomponia said strictly, and Iris prepared herself for the interrogation she knew was about to follow. "What happened?"
"They just - they just tried to intimidate me, I guess," she said. She grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl on the table and sunk tiredly into a chair. "Told me I'm going to die. I don't know, what you would expect, I guess."
"This is because you mocked them in your interview. Iris, what were you thinking?" Pomponia said, gesturing wildly in a way that would have been funny under different circumstances. "They were always going to react badly, you know that!"
"Yeah, I know. But it seemed to impress the crowd and I guess that's what I wanted. To seem tough."
"You already had that persona. You didn't need to insult the Careers. That only made you look cocky. Foolish. The exact opposite of what you were going for!"
"Well, whatever. It's done now. It might be a blessing in disguise."
"How on earth could it possibly be a good thing?" Pomponia snapped. The escort picked at her nails, and Iris watched as the hot pink acrylic chipped off in pieces.
She thought back to her encounter with the Ones. The way Zircon had pinned her to the wall so easily. The ruthlessness that dripped from Agata's voice. "Well, Agata - the girl from One - said that they would be hunting me. Said something about a game of cat and mouse, blah blah blah, she's the cat. Anyway. I figure, if the Careers are talking about me on screen, spending their time hunting me down, it'll keep me interesting to the Capitol. Make me an underdog. Earn me some sponsors."
"Or it could mean that they make you a priority and kill you first!" Pomponia cried in exasperation.
"No, I don't think so. Agata said they were going to keep me alive, play up the chase for the Capitol." Pomponia still didn't seem convinced, but Iris knew that it was a good thing. "Pomponia, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's staying alive. I know how to do that. The longer I'm alive, the harder the Careers are going to have to work. And if they're still showing an interest in me, the Gamemakers are going to have to keep me around."
Pomponia sighed. "I am still not convinced. But if that is what your gut is telling you, it's good that you are trusting it. Instinct is a valuable tool and you should use it to your advantage."
"I will." Iris took one last bite of her apple and tossed it into the trashcan across the room.
"Have you eaten yet? Apart from the apple?" Pomponia asked. Before giving Iris the chance to answer, Pomponia shook her head tiredly. "No, of course you haven't. You should eat something before you sleep. Pasta. Vegetables. Something that will give you energy for tomorrow."
"Alright," Iris said. She wasn't particularly hungry, not after her run-in with the Ones and, of course, the impending dread she felt about tomorrow. But she knew that she would struggle to eat tomorrow, so she would need to force as much as she could down her throat before then. Pomponia joined her at the dining table, and watched as Iris ate two full bowls of pasta and vegetables with a creamy butter sauce. They didn't speak much beyond small talk, and Iris ate until she felt like she might be sick.
An Avox took her dishes away, and she and Pomponia sat and stared at each other for a moment. "Axel in bed already?" She asked. Pomponia nodded, and Iris was somewhat relieved. It would be better not to say goodbye to her district partner, because even though she didn't care for him, she didn't want him to die. Seeing him one last time would only make that harder. She didn't ask where Haylee was - she didn't care. Pomponia was the only one here she even slightly cared about - the only one who had helped her. Essentially the only person apart from Jordie who had cared about her after her mother's death. "Thought so."
Pomponia sighed and looked at her sadly. "Iris - I just wanted to say that -"
Iris held up her hand before Pomponia could continue. She hated goodbyes - to her they implied that someone wouldn't be coming back. "Pomponia, I don't want a goodbye. I don't need one. I'm coming back."
"I know you are," Pomponia replied with a gentle smile. "I was not going to say goodbye."
"Oh yeah?" Iris raised an eyebrow.
Pomponia let out a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second, before looking at Iris with an indecipherable expression on her face. "I was going to tell you how proud I am. Of how far you have come in the short time I've known you. Your resolve, your work ethic - you will go far, Iris, and I know that when you get out of the arena there is a big life waiting for you."
Iris smiled, despite herself. No-one had ever told her that before - that she had a future waiting for her. In District Six, no-one had a future. In one way or another, the Games were her way out of a life full of drugs and/or poverty. "Thank you, Pomponia. I appreciate you saying that."
They were quiet for a moment. Iris stared at the floor. Pomponia took a deep breath, and Iris looked up at her. "Do you know what the symbolism of your name means?"
"Yeah. My mom didn't just call me Iris because she liked the flower."
"Then you'll know that irises commonly represent courage and hope. Valour. Do you know what valour means?"
Iris frowned and shook her head. When she had attended school, before she dropped out to work, English hadn't been her strongest subject. She'd liked Art, and PE, and Math, but English had been her worst subject by far.
"It means courage in the face of danger. You have faced a lot in your short life, and you will soon have to face a lot more. But I do not doubt for a second that you will hold your head high." Pomponia pulled a box from somewhere, probably hidden in one of her many skirts, and handed it to Iris.
The box was lined with purple velvet on the outside. Iris stared at Pomponia for a second - she never knew how to react when given a gift - and opened it carefully. Inside was the necklace she had brought from home. She looked at it in confusion for a second before noticing that there was a new charm on the old, worn chain - a delicate purple iris.
"I noticed the necklace in the outfit you left on the train. I thought you might want it back. It has already been cleared by the Gamemakers. If you do not want it, I understand."
"I love it. Pomponia, thank you," Iris said, looking her escort in the eyes and hoping that she knew just how much the gesture had touched Iris.
Pomponia smiled. "I hope this reminds you, in the arena, to remain strong and know that you will do great things."
"Help me put it on," Iris said, handing the box back to Pomponia.
The escort gently took the necklace off its bed of purple silk. Iris brushed her hair off her neck, and turned around so that Pomponia could fasten it for her. "There."
"Now. Have you had enough to eat?"
"Yes."
"Alright. Then you should get off to bed. It will be a big day tomorrow, and you need as much energy as you can get." Pomponia beckoned to an Avox, and the silent servant bustled over with a tray. "This is a sleeping pill, it should help you get to sleep quickly."
"No, thank you," Iris said, frowning. "I don't want it." She knew how addictive sleeping pills could be - back home they were often a gateway drug to morphling. She didn't want it anywhere near her.
"Iris, you are going to struggle for sleep tonight, and it is important that you are well rested for tomorrow."
She shook her head stubbornly. "I know that, but I don't want it." Realistically she knew there was no chance of her becoming addicted from just one, especially considering she'd be in an arena for god knows how long by tomorrow, but she wouldn't take it even if it meant she'd be well rested. How many times had she heard someone say they'd only try morphling once, only for them to be zombies by the following year?
Pomponia frowned, and tilted her head to the side slightly. "Why not?"
"Because I know how addictive those things can be. I don't want it," Iris repeated.
Pomponia sighed. "Very well. I think you should consider it, but I will not force you. I will leave it beside your bed in case you change your mind."
"I won't," Iris said firmly. She stood up. "Pomponia, thank you. For everything. I hope you know how much your support has meant to me."
Pomponia nodded. "Of course."
An idea formed in Iris' mind, and she laughed to herself. Pomponia looked at her curiously and she grinned. "Can you do me a favour? Can you tell Haylee to eat shit for me? She'll know what that means."
The corner of Pomponia's mouth twitched. "I imagine you'll want to tell her that yourself when you get back."
/
Iris watched as the makeup swirled down the drain. The warm, lavender scented water rained gently onto her back, washing away the stress of the interviews. Under the comforting water, Iris could almost imagine that she was standing outside in District Six, in a rare summer rain. She and Jordie had loved the summer rains as kids - they used to run outside, whooping and screeching with joy, and would chase each other around, soaking wet. Sometimes their parents would join them, and sometimes they'd have mud fights with the other kids in the neighbourhood.
When the rain stopped, the district always felt cleaner. The air was clear, the streets had been stripped of the dirt and smog from the factories. Iris had always loved the smell of the rain - it reminded her of those carefree days she'd had as a kid, when their mom was still around, when their dad was still a person. She missed it.
She opened her eyes, and the illusion faded. She wasn't at home. She was farther away than she'd ever been, standing in a shower in the Capitol, waiting for the Games to start. She drew a flower - an iris - in the steam on the glass shower door. Would she ever see her brother again? Would she even survive a full day?
Stepping out of the shower, Iris grabbed the biggest, fluffiest towel she could find, and walked out of the bathroom. She sat on the side of the bed, her hair still dripping wet.
On the bedside table sat the pill, and a mug of chamomile tea. Iris scoffed. She had vowed, after her Dad turned into a zombie, never to take any kind of drug if she could help it. And that included sleeping pills. She snatched it up, stomped back into the bathroom, and flushed it down the toilet in case she got the urge to take it. She knew she likely wouldn't sleep, but that would be better than breaking the promise she'd made to herself and Jordie.
After drying off and getting changed into the softest pyjamas she'd ever felt, Iris settled into bed. The tea had cooled down by now, and she picked up the mug, enjoying the warmth on her hands. Sipping it slowly, she closed her eyes as the taste of chamomile, honey, and lavender crept across her tongue.
She wondered if Jordie, halfway across the country, was awake right now. She hoped not, but he probably was. Jordie was an even worse sleeper than she was. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, she would wake up to find that the room they shared was empty, and she'd find him at the kitchen table, either reading, doing homework, or staring into space. So she doubted that he was sleeping any better than she was, especially knowing what would happen tomorrow.