Finnick's Games - The 65th Hunger Games

Chapter Four

By sunset, Adella and I look nothing like ourselves. We stand in a large space directly under the Training Center, among horses, chariots, and other tributes. My counterpart is iridescent in the soft sunset glow filtering in through the huge open doors. "Mother of pearl" is what Leef Rainier called Adella's dress - a short garment made of flakes in soft silvery cream, with subtle glints of pink, green and ocean blue. Her makeup complements the attributes of the dress - pink, silver, blue, delicate shine. Real pearls drip through her long curly hair. She's almost holographic, and more girly than I've ever seen her. As for my own costume....

"Was your stylist on a budget, District 4?" 

I whip my head around to see Elasis - District 1 - crossing the room behind me. There's a nasty smirk on his face as his eyes study me top to bottom. Heat rushes to my cheeks as I remember that I do look ridiculous. I'm practically wearing nothing. Completely invisible, skin-tight underwear embellished with little pearls of varying sizes. The cluster of pearls is densest at my genitals, and from there spread out across the lower half of my body like a starburst. Some of the stray pearls - like one underneath my right breast - are attached to my bare skin with glue. It's a feat of minimalism, for sure. And from afar, I'm sure it looks like nothing more than a crumpled tissue covering my crotch. 

Elasis disappears behind a chariot, chuckling to himself. It all fills me with rage. While getting dressed, Leef Rainier made the promise that his genius will catch peoples' attention. It's catching attention, all right. But I don't think this is quite what Leef had in mind. I'm sure he never intended for me to be the laughing stock of the tributes. 

They all take turns throwing glances my way. If only there were a place to hide! The exposure is unbearable, and I feel that nervous tremor starting up in my hands. Could it have been so difficult for him to at least craft a shirt for me? Or give me what Adella's wearing - give me a short dress covered in flakes of mother of pearl. At least I'd have my entire torso covered. But this - it's practically a necklace draped pitifully over my crotch. Everything my stylist said about "helping" me... bullshit. What he wants, clearly, is to humiliate me. 

And it's working. The other Careers, in particular, can't get enough of the sight of me. Go ahead, I think, laugh. It's not like I have much more to lose now, anyways. I'm a prisoner on death row, not even allowed to wear clothes. 

There isn't a single tribute who's as scantily clad as I am. Elasis and Jem are both handsome, and their stylists could have easily capitalized on those looks - but they're dressed modestly as ancient Greek royalty. Tocara has a slinky, athletic body - where's her pearl bikini? The District 2 tributes instead are costumed as marble statues. I send my eyes roving down the line of chariots. District 6 are dressed as heroic fighter pilots. And District 7 - as trees. Covered head to toe in a material that resembles bark, with phenomenal headpieces mimicking spindly branches and autumn leaves. Lucian, the District 7 boy I saw in the Remake Center earlier, catches my eye. Just as it happens, one of the leaves on his headpiece decides to break away and flutter down to rest near my feet. Lucian walks over to my area, bends down to retrieve it. When he stands, his dark eyes scan me up and down. I brace myself, ready for the taunt.

"You're too young to be dressed like that." He says.

"Trust me, this wasn't just sitting in my closet."

The corners of his mouth turn up in a small smile. "What, you don't wear this in District 4?"

"Only on special occasions." 

He nods to himself, and his eyes flash up and down again. Looking at him up close, Lucian is beautiful. I've never seen anything like his marbled brown and white skin, and his eyes remind me of a doe. It should be him wearing the pearls - not me.