I can't tell what that glint in his eye means, and I don't want to find out. "Yes, yes, of course I am, what are you going to do to me?" I ask frantically. I don't want to go into the Games, but going into the games burnt to a crisp is way worse.
"Don't worry," He says grinning.
A few hours later I'm dressed in a black jumpsuit that covers me from my ankles, all the way up to my neck. I have a long orange, red, and gold cape. I don't have much makeup, just a little highlighter so I don't look weird in front of all the cameras. Cinna thinks to portray me as young, vulnerable. It's hard to say, but it might just get me a few sponsors. Peeta is dressed the exact same as me. Cinna plans to light our capes on fire right as we ride the chariot into the street and to the city center. "Don't worry Prim, it's not real. At least that's what I've been told." Peeta jokes, seeing my worried expression.
"It's synthetic flame, Portia and I came up with it. It won't hurt. You might feel a little heat, but you're perfectly safe. I guarantee it." Cinna assures me.
"You're not afraid, are you Prim?" Peeta jokes. I'm not scared, I'm terrified and he knows it.
"Don't be so mean!" I say and try to push him. Even when I use all my strength, he only stumbles a little bit and we both start maniacally laughing. Effie shoots us a look, but we don't notice. It feels good to laugh. Laugh so hard my stomach hurts and it pains me to keep going, but I can't stop for anything.
The opening music that they blast all through the Capitol is blaring now. Peeta climbs into the chariot first, and he holds out his hand to help me up. I don't accept it and climb in. "Being stubborn?" He asks, with laughter still lingering in his voice. I stick out my tongue at him, which makes him laugh out loud. I peer in front of our chariot and see District 1 start to enter the city. They're dressed in all silver and their clothes are covered in beautiful jewels. I'd bet anything that they're real. The crowd cheers loudly as soon as they so much as get a glimpse of them. District 1 and 2 are always the favorites, with 4 coming close behind.
District 2 follows 1 and soon enough, District 11's chariot is being pulled out and Cinna approaches us with the torch. He lights our capes right as the horses start to move and we're being dragged out in front of the Capitol. "Keep your head up. Smile. They'll love you." That's Cinna's last piece of advice before we roll out.
The Capitol city is beautiful. And so are we. The crowds are confused at first, but soon they start shouting our names and calling, "District Twelve!" Peeta's smiling and waving, his job is easy. I guess mine is too, I just have to be excited. I jump and wave to the crowds, smiling my head off. The audience laughs and smiles at my excitement. They throw roses at us and wave back at me. It goes by quicker than I imagined and soon enough, the horses pull us in front of President Snow's mansion and the music ends.
President Snow addresses the crowd, but all I can pay attention to is the faces of the other tributes on the screen. We're all supposed to have an equal time, but Peeta and I are quite obviously getting more time than the rest of the tributes. It's getting darker but that just makes the Capitol citizens pay even more attention to us. It's hard to take your eyes off our flickering capes. The national anthem starts to play and our chariots are taken around the city center one last time, then head to the Training Center.
"Amazing, you two! Absolutely wonderful! You are all anyone's going to be talking about!" Effie gushes as soon as we step off the chariot. We're both shaky after the ride so all we can do is nod our heads wearily and accept the compliments. We get a lot of compliments. From Effie, Portia, Cinna, and even Haymitch. We ride up the elevator to get to the penthouse, which will be our home for the next week. I've only ridden an elevator a few times in my life, but the elevator in the Justice Building is dark and creaky. This one was beautiful and the ride up was so fun that I want to go again. I won't have many other times to have fun in my life so I ask, "Effie, please! Can we please ride it again! It'll be so fun!" Without waiting for an answer, I grab Peeta's hand and say, "You're coming too. Please, please, please Effie! Just one more time. I might start whining."
Peeta says, "I'd let her. Her whining is unbearable." I think he wants to go on it again too. Effie rolls her eyes and nods her head. I half-drag Peeta there and he stumbles behind me. I press the down button, all the way back to the bottom floor. All the other tributes have gone with their mentors to their apartments, we're the only tributes left. The doors open, but we don't leave and I press the button with a big twelve on it. We shoot all the way up in a matter of seconds. We get off the elevator and Effie is there to meet us again, in the same position she was when we left.
We enter the penthouse and Effie gives us a tour. It's much bigger than the train and much grander too. A soft living room couch, a large dining room table, and my room. It's so big and is filled with so many electronic gadgets, I won't have time to try out all of them when I'm still alive. The bed is huge, way too big for one person. I have a bathroom with a shower. It has so many different kinds of soaps and a panel with different buttons for water pressure, scents, oils, and temperature.
I take a shower and wash off the makeup and beauty off my face. It takes some time to figure out the buttons on the panel. The train shower was much easier than this. When I step out of the shower, a heater blow dries me. I choose some light blue silk pyjamas and brush out my hair. Then, Effie knocks on my door calling me for supper. Cinna, Portia, and Peeta are already sitting down. "Now where's Haymitch?" Effie asks through pursed lips. She get's up and goes through a hallway on the opposite side of the apartment.
The table is piled high with food, there's a creamy soup, a salad with tiny tomatoes, roast beef cut in thin, and cheese with dark blue grapes. The Avox servers are dressed in all white and go around the table offering wine to everyone. Peeta and I both refuse. I take some cheese, grapes, and a piece of the roast beef. We eat and talk, I mostly listen. Effie can't stop gushing about our chariot ride and Cinna and Portia accept her praise. An Avox with dark red hair sets down a beautiful chocolate cake in the center of the table. She takes a match, and sets the beautiful frosting on fire. The flame runs around the edge of the cake and then flickers out.
"Is that alcohol? That makes it burn?" Peeta asks the Avox, then glances at me. If it does have alcohol, I doubt he would want me to eat it. Or at least, he wouldn't approve. The Avox shakes her head, and starts to cut the cake.
"Yes, it does, but it's burned off. I've ordered it for your firey debut." Cinna says. I smile and take the plate of cake that the Avox girl places in front of me. We eat the cake, then head to the sitting room and watch the the reply of the Tribute Parade. Even I let out a gasp of surprise when we come out. We look dazzling. When it finishes, Haymitch starts telling us the plan for our first day of training. He doesn't acknowledge me much, and I feel my eyes start to close. I force myself to keep them open. They start talking about other topics, none of which make sense to me. So I let my eyes close.
YOU ARE READING
The Hunger Games- Prim's Story
Fanfiction"She unfolds and smooths out the slip of paper. In a clear voice, she reads out the name. "Primrose Everdeen." When Primrose Everdeen is thrown into the Hunger Games with her sister's boyfriend, she knows she won't make it out alive. But the Games...
